We're wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Breeze (Belgian Tervuren) 6 months

 Flame (Belgian Sheepdog) 10.5 years

 Tory (Belgian Sheepdog) 5 years

 Walker (Belgian Sheepdog) 3.5 years

 Journey (Schipperke) 14.5 years



These beautiful photos were all taken by Jerry & Lois Levin of Creative Indulgence at the Winter Photo Shoot at Family Dog Training Center.   Be sure to visit their web site to see more examples of their work!  

Happy Birthday Breeze -- 6 months!

Happy 6 Month Birthday to Breeze and her littermates!    I was able to catch her standing still in the yard.  It's a miracle!    One of these days I'll get someone to help me take photos so I can actually stack her!

Last week Breeze was demo puppy for competition obedience, learning to "get in the box" and stand.  (The box is a rectangle of PVC downspouts.)   Using behavior modification (lure into box with food, feed while in box, then add a command word, then ask her to do the behavior without the lure, etc.) she learned to get in the box, stand still and remain in the box while I backed away.   All this training was done in a few minute demo in front of the class.  I was able to get a few feet away from the box, and if Breeze came out of the box she knew to put herself back.  Unrewarded behavior will extinguish itself!  

Later in the week she demo'd the same concept with proofing.  Her favorite person in the whole world (Spencer) was a distraction.  He was walking around the box using a toy to entice Breeze to come out of the box and follow him.   Breeze demonstrated great self-control.  She ignored Spencer and remained in the box as I backed several feet away from her!   One very bright little dog!

We are also working on our obedience stand/drop/sit in the box, to teach muscle memory and proper body positioning.  Learning the sit and drop positions in a box helps prevent confusion when we do breed ring work.  What's interesting about Breeze is her extremely high level of opposition reflex!   Holding a treat above her nose as I said "Sit" did not work.  She was bound and determined to stand.  As I gently used my left hand to tuck her rear, her opposition muscles really kicked in.   We've done a few short repetitions over the past few days and she is more relaxed but has yet to sit on her own on command.  I've never experienced this degree of determination in a puppy before!   I know it'll happen when it happens...I'm not concerned...just amused!  

And I'm sure there will be many more "firsts" when it comes to training Breeze!   We've only just begun!

Walker, aka Santa Paws

Two of my all-time favorite holiday photos, taken by Jerry & Lois Levin of Creative Indulgence.  These images were taken in December 2009.   Even as a youngster, Walker was a big-time ham!

The Family Dog Howl-I-Day Party is this coming weekend.   Barb has the training center beautifully decorated.  Karen and the party committee have a lot of fun, games and food planned.  I am getting into the holiday spirit, and hope you are, too!

Remember to be proactive when it comes to canine management during the holidays.  I'll be posting some tips here and on our facebook page so be sure to check back often!   http://www.facebook.com/FamilyDogTraining

Breeze at the TMT



Breeze attended the TMT (obedience & rally run-thrus) at our training center today.   She met a whole bunch of new people as well as dogs, including Linda's 9-week old Schipperke puppies.  At first Breeze wasn't sure what to do with the black fuzz balls that chased her from inside the x-pen, but within a minute or two Breeze's instincts took over.  She lay down next to the pen, letting the puppies paw at her feet and nibble at her nose.   Definitely a Kodak moment!

Breeze and brother Cavu also had a turn doing breed ring run-throughs, along with Ingrida's PBGV puppy, Rupert.  Linda played "judge" for us and all three puppies did great.  Tory and Walker did obedience and rally run-throughs.  Both boys did a very good job.

Thanks to Cheryl & David Jackson for pulling off another superb TMT.  Thanks to all the Family Dog students who attended, helped judge and steward.  Thanks to everyone else who came for run-throughs.   Our January 8 TMT is already full as folks prepare for the Puyallup shows.

Breeze's First Thanksgiving

As Breeze's first Thanksgiving comes to a close, let me explain the photos. I just happened to be walking through the kitchen this morning and found Breeze and her friend at the water bowl. How polite of her to allow her squeakie toy to share! (I swear I did NOT stage this photo; the toy was sitting there just like that!) Yes, I keep the dogs' water dish inside a plastic tub. I started doing this when Walker was young, as he liked to play in the water dish. For some reason this configuration broke his habit...and this seems to prevent all the dogs from dripping water, spilling the dish, etc.

A few minutes later I realized it had actually stopped RAINING -- for the first time in many days -- so I decided to let Breeze have a romp in the back yard.  I'm standing on the covered patio taking the video with my cell phone.  The noise you'll hear is the squeakie toy Breeze has in her mouth.  One happy, happy Terv puppy!

The past couple of weeks have been a time of change for Breeze.  She's more interested in playing the "learning" game with me and has proven to be a great little demo puppy for my competition obedience class.  Breeze is definitely toy motivated, so a game of tug before and after a little obedience training makes her very happy.   Food is a good tool for luring and rewarding specific behaviors, but tugging and retrieving are her ultimate motivation.   I hope to get some videos of her in the near future

Last week Jerry & Lois Levin of Creative Indulgence were at the training center for portraits.   They took some wonderful photos of each of my dogs and I'll post them here when I receive the JPEGs.  It took Breeze a couple minutes on the set to realize we wanted her to sit still; then she was all ham.  Like all my black dogs, she definitely knows how to work the camera!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Make that a Tornado warning

So, I know better.  When a puppy disappears in the house, there's bound to be trouble.   

I often set my laptop up in the living room (rather than office) as I did today.  Breeze was loose in the house with her toys and bones scattered about.  I was checking email.  She had just been with me, entertaining herself with a big squeakie toy, when I heard a huge CRASH followed by a couple more smaller CRASHES.

I looked up to see her running down the hallway towards me with a power supply cord following her.  After making sure she was fine I venture into the office.  She had wormed her way into the back corner behind the printer stand, gotten herself caught in the cord and pulled the printer off the stand.  When the printer came down the cord pulled out (thank goodness; otherwise she'd have been dragging the printer down the hallway!).  The secondary crashes were from the binders and paperwork that fell off the small table she also took down.

Fortunately nothing was damaged (LOVE those Hewlett Packard printers!).  When I came back from the office, there was Breeze, halo overhead, laying next to my chair looking slightly chagrined.

Back in 1977 my first German Shepherd puppy was just a few months old at Christmas time.  He got tangled up in the Christmas tree, pulled it over and was dragging it behind him.   If I put up a tree this year, it will definitely be barricaded from Breeze!

This past week has been boring for all the dogs as I've been stuck at home with the flu.   Yesterday I had enough energy to trim dog toenails on the patio in the sunshine.   Breeze had a moderate temper tantrum but as usual, I won.  Yay for me!

Where does the time go?

This photo was taken on October 12 and I'm just now getting time to update the blog!   I had Breeze up on the grooming table at the training center so she could have a real "show dog" grooming experience.  She finally had enough hock hair to warrant a trim, and she needed to experience the blow dryer.  Every new puppy makes me appreciate my 20+ year old, variable speed, blue box dryer.  I can start out with a very low air speed and then crank it up as the puppy gets used to the noise and wind.  Breeze lived up to her name.  She didn't react to the 'High Wind Warning!'  (But of course I didn't give her a choice, either!)

This past week has been an interesting one for Breeze, me and our relationship.  Even though she's a puppy in the 30 pound range, she has been gung-ho about pulling on the leash, even though I walk her on a nylon martingale (premier type collar) and have slowly escalated to jerk corrections.  No reduction in the amount of pulling, so she became the first puppy that I've ever had to put on a nylon slip collar to stop her from pulling for the breed ring class.  A couple decent corrections, coupled with "Easy" followed by praise and she got the idea.   That has carried over to walking her on her buckle collar.  

We also had a "discussion" about barking and getting super amped over the dogs running & jumping in agility class.  Breeze's x-pen adjoins the training area.  She can see what's going on and people can interact with her.   Her chase/prey/barking behavior did not extinguish itself when I ignored her.  Distracting her with food and toys had no effect.  Spraying her with water worked once or twice.  Shaking the rattle paddle/bottle over her head just ticked her off.  (She stopped carrying on but sat in the back of the x-pen just glaring at me; even students noticed it!)  So when she went off this week, she got her first spray of Bitter Apple in her mouth.   More dirty looks from Breeze, but no more barking.  I had expected a relapse during this morning's agility classes, but she watched the action without making a peep. 

Before Breeze came to live with me I had told breeder Michelle that I did not want a soft puppy, and she gave me what I asked for...yep, be careful what you ask for!   Trust me, I'm not complaining.  She is perfect for me!  And students are taking great delight at watching me work through Breeze's "issues!"

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to introduce Breeze to a wobble board (in preparation for the teeter in agility training, as well as core muscle development).  She'll eat food off the edge but doesn't see the point in getting on the stupid board that moves around and bangs.   (Contrast Breeze with Walker, who at 3 months immediately thought it was great fun to pounce on the board and make it bang.)

Lifting her up on the board, or using the collar/leash to force her on the board, just ticked her off (even though there were high value treats on the board).  She would remain on the board as I held her, but she wouldn't initiate the behavior on her own.  I decided I needed to do two things differently:  1) increase the reward for her to get on the board, and 2) make it her idea to get on the board.  (I'll take a photo next time I set this up.)    We have a barn door (sliding door on overhead track) that separates our two rings in the training center.  Breeze loves to go into the small ring (we reside in the big ring) because of Spencer, Barb and Kadee.   So, I opened the door just enough to wedge the wobble board in the opening.  It then became Breeze's choice as to whether or not she wanted to set foot on the wobble board.

I kept her on a flexi so she couldn't just go off and entertain herself.  I stepped over the board and waited back about 10 feet.  She got that ticked off look on her face; she knew I was in the process of outsmarting her!   She eventually came flying over the board (all 4 feet touched it) and she got Barb as her reward.  It was quite hilarious because she absolutely refused to acknowledge my existence, but was all over Barb.

Back and forth like this a few times and each time Breeze is more willing to come over the board and does so much faster.  Now she even "talks" to me when she comes over the board.  Next week I'll arrange it so she earns Spencer as her reward.  Then I'll have her "friends" stand closer to the board, requiring her to step all the way on it to get her reward (and not giving her room to fly over it)!

Smart.  Headstrong.  Highly opinionated.  That's Breeze!  



Age of Independence

Right on schedule, Breeze is official entering her first teenage independent phase.   It's not too bad, yet, but I suspect there's more to come.   Up 'til now, if I opened up my arms and called her name, Breeze stopped whatever she was doing and ran straight to me.  Now...not so much...it's time to play KEEEEEEEP..........A....WAAAAAAAYYYYYY!   Yep, the very Belgian game of letting you "think" you can take a hold of their collar, until the hand is just a few inches away, then OFF they go!  

Sometimes "keep away" turns into a ditz run.  (Ever since I've had Belgians, I've called them ditz runs....they take off, tuck their tails and run laps as fast as they can, just for the joy of it.)

So, I'm on the offensive.  Time to be proactive.  When I don't want to deal with the potential of Breeze playing keep away, I keep her on a flexi-leash or long line in the yard.   I'm also working with her on the behavior that I call "come to the hand."  That means when I extend my hand, and say her name, Breeze is supposed to stop what she's doing and allow me to take her by the collar.   I make this worth her while by having a treat in my hand, luring her to me with the treat (which is working so far thanks to breeder, Michelle, doing a great job of imprinting "treat" in her little brain) and then giving it to her while I hold her collar and pet her.   (She's getting her reward during the behavior I'm working on, not after!)

If/when Breeze thinks keep away is more valuable than a treat, I'll need to have her drag a light leash around the house, but for now she's doing okay inside.

One of the joys of having a new puppy is discovering the pup's unique personality.  (I always feel sorry for the owners who compare the new puppy with the older dog, typically in a negative way.)   I try to help each new puppy grow to its full potential and personality; I don't want dogs that are clones of one another!  

I have tried to get a photo without success of Breeze's Border Collie impression.  In herding terms, she "walks up" on the soft frisbee that I'm waving at her from across the yard, enticing her to come closer so I can toss it for her.  I'm doing the word association (saying "walk up" as she does the behavior), although sheep are a whole lot different than a flying disc.   She really does look funny as she puts her head down, ears up and butt higher than her shoulders as she stalks her way to me.

The other day Breeze lived up to her name of "High Wind Warning" when she flew by me, leaping for the frisbee I was holding, but jumped much higher and further than either of us expected.  She ended up about 10 feet behind me, somewhat broadside against a short wooden fence that separates the dog yard from my patio.  Thank goodness she didn't hurt herself...and this served as a warning to me that she has no common sense when it comes to her body.   This special trait comes from her mother, Cabe, who tried to run through a partially closed sliding glass door as a young dog.  Fortunately the glass did not break and Cabe's injuries were minor.   Breeze's version of this was trying to run through the screen portion of my sliding door.  That experience has made her much more respectful of closed doors that you can see through!

Breeze's "skunk stripe" is coming in nicely, as well.  This is the darker, more adult-like coat that first develops down the back of the Belgians and then slowly spreads over the rest of the dog.   It's quite a contrast with the puppy fuzz that still covers the rest of her body.   The way hers is coming in, she almost looks like a Ridgeback at times!

So for now, I'll refer to her as my Border Terv Ridgeback.
  

Puppy Manners Class

Breeze attended her first Puppy Manners class this afternoon, taught by Family Dog instructor Tasheena Lenti.   It's important for Breeze to have the opportunity to learn to pay attention to me around the distractions of other puppies and people, plus she needs to have supervised play sessions with puppies from other breeds.

During the controlled walking portion of the class we practiced gaiting for the breed ring.  It definitely was not controlled gaiting!   Even on a nylon martingale collar, Breeze wants to go fast and pull hard when there are other puppies in front of her.  Time to learn to walk without pulling!  (She did get better by the third lap around the room!)  

Breeze's first playmate was a Golden Retriever puppy.  They were evenly matched and played well together.   Her second partner was a Yellow Lab pup who smiled, showing her front teeth, when she went into a play bow.  Breeze wasn't quite sure what to make of her at first, but once she learned to "speak lab" she had fun with this puppy as well, although the lab was not quite as self-confident and outgoing as the golden.  I made sure to hold Breeze back a bit so she didn't overhwelm the lab.

Following the second play period, we then traded puppies.  Breeze was very happy to go with the lab's mom, eat her treats and get lots of pets.   (Exactly what I like to see in Belgians at this age!)

At Family Dog we are careful to make sure puppies have only good experiences in our classes.  We don't agree with other facilities where they turn the entire class of puppies loose to play.  In those situations the dominant puppies boss the submissive puppies around -- exactly the opposite of what needs to happen.  (Uppity puppies need to learn when it's appropriate to be subordinate to other dogs and shy puppies need experiences that will build their confidence.)

Breeze has also met Tasheena's 3 year old Bichon Frise, Snowy, several times.  Snowy has excellent body language.  Just by standing up taller and not moving, Snowy is able to tell Breeze she doesn't want to be bothered.   Barb's German Shepherd, Kadee, is teaching Breeze similar lessons; however, Kadee sometimes lets her hair down and invites playful interaction.   Breeze still isn't old enough to be allowed to run in a large area with other dogs...I think she'd hurt herself.  She has no fear, no common sense and very little control over her body.   When she has more control and muscle development, she'll have time to run and play with the big dogs.

As I write this Breeze is enjoying some supervised freedom in the living room.  She's learning where her toy box is (a small storage bench) and enjoys taking all the toys out and running through the house with them.   (The black dogs are sequestered so Breeze and I can have some one-on-one time.)   She's also learning what NOT to chew on and steal...and she occasionally stops to watch TV.

The joys of puppyhood!

A September Photo Shoot

These are some of the photos taken by the wonderfully talented Jerry & Lois Levin   http://www.jerryandloisstudios.com/ for an article on children and canines written by Ranny Green.   The article features several Family Dog staff members and students, and is posted on Seattle Kennel Club's web site http://www.seattlekennelclub.org/kids-and-dogs-finding-a-path-to-good-behavior-has-similarities/

The photos were taken on September 8.  Breeze was fantastic with the children and had as much fun with them as they had with her!   Jerry & Lois have an amazing talent for bringing out the best in their subjects.   They will be setting up a studio at Family Dog in mid-November to take portraits of people and their pets.  The shoot is open to the public and more info will be published on our web site www.familydogonline.com.

Sixteen Weeks

Breeze is teething...big time.  It's like she took her dentures out.  No teeth.  All gums!  I don't think I've ever had a puppy lose so many teeth all at once!  

There were several big accomplishments this week.  Only once accident in her x-pen at the training center.  Otherwise, she's pottying on command and learning that she only gets to play and visit folks AFTER she's gone potty before coming into the building.  (Otherwise it's into a crate for 10 minutes until we can try again.)  Pottying on command away from home and on leash is hard for a lot of puppies, but it's well worth the effort, and if the owner is consistent, it's relatively easy.

Breeze also had her first opportunity to gait around the ring with the "big" dogs while my staff and I were teaching conformation class on Wednesday.  I asked Ingrida to run the class so I could move Breeze in the line-up, and she did just as I expected.  She tried to chase the dog in front of her, so I simply stopped and waited for her to ease up, then we resumed moving.  (I forewarned the people behind me that's what I'd be doing so there wasn't a crash!)   Surprisingly she didn't pay any attention to the Bulldog behind her; I expected her to be distracted by the different breathing sounds.

We're also working on the judge's exam for the breed ring.  With Breeze on a grooming table (so she doesn't feel claustraphobic with people bending over her), I have my helpers feed her before and after I show her bite (or lack thereof).  Then I feed her while the helpers go over her body.  Breeze's job is to stand still, and the table helps control her movement.

A few more times on the table and we'll be ready to try it on the floor.  Her floor exam work so far consists of standing still while the helper slips a cookie in her mouth before and after showing bite.  We'll add the full body exam soon.

Breeze is also learning to lunge on a long line, just like a horse.  She trots around me in a circle, looking straight ahead for the cookie that will magically appear somewhere.  After a lap or so around me and while she's looking straight forward, I toss a cookie out in front of her and tell her it's okay to get it.   If Breeze gets going too fast, I hold her back a bit until she resumes her trot.  We practice a few tmes in both directions so she thinks it's a fun game.  Right now she's about 10 feet away from me; eventually that circle will get bigger.

Since I just started teaching a new beginning agility class on Tuesday, Breeze had a chance to learn the baby equipment.  She quickly learned to run the length of the dog walk (laying flat on the floor) and stop at the target plate.   Short tunnels are great fun, and "jumping" over 6 inch jumps is pretty cool, too.  The short pause table is fine but the wobble board is something she's not too keen on yet. 

Walker, by contrast, was introduced to the wobble board at this age and after one day was pouncing on it, taking great delight in making it wobble and bang around.   So far Breeze is happy to get on the board for a cookie while I keep my foot on one end so it's more stable.  I'm waiting for her to become more intense about the board before I take my foot off and let it do controlled wobbling.   Wobble boards are great introductions to teeter totters, as well as being excellent for conditioning young muscles.  Here's a link to one type of board you can purchase (but they're also easy to make):      http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=1704

It's going to be important for Breeze to have good muscle development and a proper introduction to the agility equipment.  She's pretty fearless -- actually reckless is a better word -- around the house and yard.   If I don't redirect her she will run toward me, launch herself, hit me with her front legs and bounce off, spinning backwards.   She charges for toys that I throw, slides into them and spins around as her back legs slight out from under her.   I remember when her mom, Cabe, was young she tried to run through a partially opened sliding glass door.  Fortunately she didn't seriously injure herself!   Cabe is still quite intense and energetic...not always making the smartest choices herself.  And lucky for Cabe, Marsha keeps tabs on her!

Fifteen Weeks

Spencer makes a great pillow and gives great tummy rubs!

Basketball Babe at 15 weeks!

One of the joys of having a new puppy is discovering the personality of the individual living and growing inside that little body.   Breeze loves to retrieve and she's taking after Walker, who's also a basket ball fan.  (Thrift stores are a great resource for used balls.)   She's pretty funny in the way she returns the ball, frisbee, toy, etc. -- she charges straight for me and pushes her way through my legs.  Once behind me, she turns around and pushes through again, this time lifting the toy so I'll take it and throw it again.   (I'm sure I'll come to regret her "trick" when she gets bigger, and I'm wearing a skirt!) 

We've started working on the "give" command.  Her preference is to play tug-of-war, but she's already caught my hand with her sharp little canines and that hurts!  So the tug game needs to be on a command and we play when it's my decision, not hers.

So far Breeze has one habit that's getting on my nerves:  rippping grass out by the roots.   Just when I think she'll entertain herself with some toys while I get some work done in the house, I come out 5 minutes later to check on her and there's a bald spot in her puppy pen.   I'm correcting her when I catch her in the act and I've been able to stop her from going back to the same area by dousing it with black pepper, but considering I just had my lawn redone earlier this year this behavior doesn't make me too happy.  (Fortunately I don't use chemicals on my grass because it's really a yard for the dogs.)  I just keeping telling myself that it'll grow back and this phase will pass...   I guess I've learned my lesson; now when I can't supervise her she's going in an x-pen on the covered concrete patio!  

Greeting Belgian Puppies

During the month that I've had Breeze, a few people have attempted to greet her by doing what is traditionally thought to be proper puppy greeting behavior.  The people have bent over, crouched down, and/or sat on the floor while "baby talking" Breeze.   This confuses the heck out of Breeze, causing her to hit the floor and belly crawl up to the people.  However, once I ask the people to stand up, act normal and talk to me (in fact just ignore her for a minute), Breeze jumps up, her tail is out and she is happily jumping up on their legs asking for attention.

Why?

Belgians (females in particular, even the puppies) are masters at reading body language.   When greeting someone new -- that they believe they should respect (such as humans and other adult dogs -- see the photos with Breeze and Stella, below) -- many Belgians will show subordinate body language.  This can be something as subtle as putting their ears back a little and/or lowering their tail a bit.   I see this as a good thing; it means the puppy has been taught respect by its mother, littermates and breeder. 

Unfortunately, the humans often read the puppy's body language as fear, so the humans become even more fear-inducing by also acting submissive.  (Getting down low and talking in a high pitched voice equals submissive body language.)  Then the puppy doesn't know what to think!   Instinct and experience tell the puppy to show respect.  When the puppy does show respect, and the human responds inappropriately by lowering his or her body to the ground and whining (baby talking), the puppy says "Oh my goodness, I thought this person was confident and dominant, and my job was to show them respect.  When I tried to show them respect, they became submissive to me.  Help!  I don't understand!  I don't know what to do!!!"

When the person (or dog) the puppy is greeting reacts in a neutral fashion, the Belgian puppy takes that as an invitation to come closer and say hello.   This is how I want people to first meet Breeze:  Ignore her.  Stand up.  Talk to me.  Ignore Breeze. 

What happens then, is Breeze reads the body language of the person I'm talking to.  We both appear neutral.  Neutral to a Belgian puppy is an invite to investigate.  It only takes a second or two for Breeze to assess the situation and realize I'm talking to another normal human.  She will then want to join in on the conversation.  She is allowed to make contact first (I do allow her to jump up on adult friends at this point).  Then, when the humans do turn to talk to her and pet her, her understanding of body language is reinforced.   One meeting is all it takes to become Breeze's friend for life.

In addition, I'm teaching Breeze to "bait" off the judges for the conformation ring.  Because her breeder introduced the word "treat" for puppy stacking (ears up, stand still & look adorable), I am using that with people who are pretending to be my judges.  I say to Breeze, "Look...she has a treat..." and then I have my helper wiggle their fingers (that's holding a treat).  When Breeze stands still with her ears up, my helper feeds her a treat.

I'll share a couple more greeting examples with Breeze and my other dogs.

Flame (10 year old Belgian Sheepdog) is a very dominant bitch that I bred.  I know her like the back of my hand.  Flame has no tolerance for young puppies.  Breeze has known from day one that Flame is the alpha bitch in this pack.  Breeze sees Flame giver her "the look" and immediately stops what she's doing.  She's reading Flame's body language and the "the look" means "Watch your step, you brash little puppy!"   Flame's look gets her what she wants (respect and distance), so that's all Flame needs to do.   If Flame followed "the look" by getting low to the ground, whining while still showing dominant eye contact and ears, Breeze would be totally confused.   She'd wonder if Flame was setting her up to be womped on!   That's what some humans mistakenly do when greeting puppies!   (Alternately, if Flame gave Breeze "the look" and Breeze responded with respect, but then Flame became more aggressive, that could cause Breeze to doubt her ability to read dog body language.  That could result in Breeze becoming fear aggressive.)

The parallel with Flame's body language (above) and Breeze greeting humans would be a strange human, staring directly at her, with dominant body posture.  That person's body language would be saying "Don't approach.  Freeze."   Wisely, Breeze would not approach.   This has happened a couple of times when Breeze was in her x-pen at the training center.  A person approached, head on, strong eye contact and dominant body language.  Breeze froze in her x-pen.  Then the person got down low, baby talking, but still giving strong eye contact.  Breeze was so confused.  But once I had the person change, Breeze immediately changed.

Tory (5 year old Belgian Sheepdog neutered male) is a goofy, happy-go-lucky boy.  Hard to believe but he's Flame's son.  I bred him.  Tory loves everyone and he was the least dominant of the boys in his litter.  It's only been in the past year or so that Tory will stand up for what he wants (such as a bone or toy if Flame attempts to steal it).  He's always been at the bottom of the pecking order, and he's happy with that.  Tory flirts with dogs and people, using his playful and inviting body language to get attention.   When Tory gives Breeze this body language, she looks at him as a playmate -- not someone to respect.   Tory does not get down on his belly; he is upright, grinning and "mirroring" back to Breeze the body language she offers him.

The parallel with Tory's body language (above) and Breeze greeting humans would be a friend who's casual and acts "normal" -- as though Breeze is just another one of my dogs.  "Oh hi, how are you doing?  How was your day?  Want to go grab some dinner?"   That's the way I want people to greet Breeze.

Walker (3.5 year old Belgian Sheepdog neutered male) is extremely dominant and self-confident.  I did not breed him, but he was definitely one of he dominant puppies in his litter.   I neutered him a year ago following some aggressive behavior that I did not want to see continue or passed on.   Walker totally respects Flame and my 14 year old Schipperke, Journey.  If Walker is in a crate and I go to let him out, Flame will go into the crate, grab Walker by the neck and haul him out.  Walker totally accepts that.  They then go outside to run and play together.   When Flame is in the mood, she will allow Walker to rough-house with her, but as soon as she's had enough, he gets "the look" and if he doesn't stop, she pins him to the ground. 

Walker doesn't know what to think of Tory.  Walker shows Tory submissive body language, but being the dorky guy that he is, Tory doesn't respond as Walker's elder.  Tory simply flirts with him.   So, for those reasons, I don't leave them alone together unsuperivsed even  though there has never been any aggressive behavior between the two males.  My gut instinct is that they would get to running and playing too rough, and once Tory decided to stand up for himself, there could be an issue.  Walker would rightly be confused if Tory finally stood up for himself, because Tory has never shown even the most subltle dominant posture towards Walker.

Yesterday morning in the house, I was taking Breeze out to go potty and had her on leash.  Walker was in the house, walking along ignoring Breeze because he wanted to go outside as well.   Breeze saw his "ignoring" behavior as an invitation so she jumped up and put her paws around his neck.  It happened so fast, I didn't see it coming.

In a split second, Walker was standing over Breeze, who had flattened herself to the ground.  He wasn't growling or acting aggressively; he was simply putting a stop to the unwanted puppy behavior.  She responded appropriately by lying still.  I sent Walker ahead outside, following with Breeze.  Once Breeze was in her puppy yard, Walker arrogantly strutted past her a few times, did his business and then changed his body language to "Let's play chase."   This game involves Walker running the perimeter of the play yard with Breeze chasing him from the inside.  They then play bow to each other and play through the x-pen.

Had Walker given Breeze "the look" as Flame does, Breeze wouldn't have thought to jump up on Walker.  In my experience, Belgian males are not as adept at the subtleties of body language.  As she matures, Breeze is going to need to learn the differences in the ways males and females communicate.

To Breeze, Walker's neutral body language was an invitation for her to do what she wanted.  Because she's an uppity puppy, what she did was too much.  Walker told her so with appropriate body language.  Breeze accepted it...but I fully anticipate she'll test the waters again.  

There's been an interesting dynamic occur in my house with Flame since Breeze arrived.  Flame is asserting herself as alpha more than usual, but in subtle ways that the average person would probably overlook.   She will take a bully stick (chew toy) even if she doesn't want to chew on it.  She will then lay it on the floor in front of her a few feet from where she actually lies down.  She has put it out there as a way of saying "This is mine.  Leave it alone."

That, of course, gets Walker all excited.  He wants whatever he cannot have.  He knows that he shouldn't try to take it from Flame, so he stands back and barks at her.  He is trying to trick her into getting up to correct him for barking, so he can then zoom in and steal the stick.   Flame is also choosing to take her naps in more dominant positions in the room.

I'll write about Belgians greeting children at another time, and share Breeze's experience doing a "photo shoot" last week with three very exciting children.

Life is good

One very relaxed puppy taking her mid-afternoon nap (so Kathy can get some work done)!

Breeze and Stella

Breeze follows in her "Aunt" Stella's pawprints.

Stella was bred by me and owned by dear friends, Alda & Luckie.  Before we enjoyed a great BBQ, Breeze got to meet "Aunt" Stella.

 

Although Breeze looks submissive in these photos, it was all an act.  She was quite confident and brash at times.  She knows how to use her body language to get what she wants!   I'm introducing Breeze to dogs I trust, who will tolerate her uppitiness to a point, then appropriately put her in her polace.  When Stella had enough, she let Breeze know!

Happy Labor Day!  I started the day by grooming all the dogs.  Trimmed nails, trimmed feet and brushed everyone thoroughly.  Breeze fussed a little less today.  She's becoming resigned to lying on her side while I do nails.  Resigned is good.  She doesn't have to like it; she just has to accept it!   So many puppy owners panic when the puppy has its first temper tantrum -- which is the worst thing to do!  The puppy picks up on the owner's uncertainty and anxiety.  Soft puppies worry and uppity puppies take advantage of the pack leader's weakness.  It only takes once or twice for a puppy to learn how to manipulate its owner!

We spent the afternoon at Alda & Luckie's house where Breeze met Stella and Rain (Belgian Sheepdogs that I bred), as well as our friend Bill.   Breeze hadn't met Bill or Luckie before today.  She went right up to them, but her "style" of meeting new people is to crouch at their feet wagging her tail and then greet normally.  Thirty minutes of playing with the dogs, exploring the yard and visiting the people and Breeze was ready for a nap in her crate while we had dinner.  Tired puppy = happy Kathy!

Growing like a weed!

I'm always amazed at how quickly puppies grow!  13 weeks yesterday.  As her body grows her vigor and intensity increase.  Naps are not as long as they used to be, or as frequent!   She wants to play retrieving and tug games more frequently and her "ditz" runs around the back yard last longer.   I have to keep an eye on her because she doesn't have much common sense or muscle development yet. 

Even though I only have 3 large/wide steps from my kitchen to back patio and back yard, Breeze doesn't have the control or understanding to take them smoothly at top speed.  The last thing I want her to do is face plant on the back steps, so I'm careful to supervise her when she's near them!

Tomorrow's big adventure will include a Labor Day BBQ at a friend's house.

Loving her Vets

Breeze had two exciting vet appointments today.  Her first was for a booster shot at our regular vet clinic.   At her first well-puppy check two weeks ago, Breeze was pretty tired and very relaxed.  Today she was wide awake.  Visiting.  Investigating.  Wondering why Dr. Cumming was making funny noises and kissing her nose.  Having a mild tantrum getting her shot and then brushing it off.

We came back to the training center where Breeze had her first visit with our chiropractic vet (Dr. Patti Schaefer).  Dr. Patti sees clients at our facility every other Tuesday and works on my adult dogs on a regular basis to keep them in tip-top condition.  (I give Dr. Patti a lot of the credit for helping Walker achieve his American & Canadian breed championships at such a young age.)  

Immediately after her puppy adjustment Breeze was moving better (as in gaiting for the breed ring).  Breeze, like many puppies, wants to jump up and stand on her hind legs.  She's also a crazy girl in the back yard.  As a result, little things get out of whack (toes, hocks, backs, necks, etc.).    Regular chiropractic appointments will be part of Breeze's life as she prepares to be a performance dog and show dog.   I'm also teaching her to trot nicely on a leash, to build her trotting muscles as she grows up.

Breeze's Big Weekend

Breeze and her buddy, Spencer, hanging out at the training center last Thursday before I started teaching classes.  Spencer's family also has a Sky Acres Terv (Kitty) and mom, Christine, is a Family Dog instructor.   Spencer is a terrific puppy socializer.  He follows instructions and is very gentle with the puppies!  

Breeze had her first "dog show" experience this past weekend when we visited the Terv Specialty at Auburn Game Farm Park.  Although technically too young to officially visit a dog show, Breeze and quite a few other puppies from other breeders were along and kept at a respectful distance back from the rings.   (This is one of the nice things about small specialty shows!)

Breeze's brothers (orange and red collars -- I don't know if they have names yet!) came to visit as well.  Breeze had a brief play session with her blue collared brother, but the play got way too rough (Breeze is a brat with her littermates) so they were soon separated.  Interestingly enough, Breeze shows good respect for her elders...but she definitely wants to beat up her littermates whenever she has the chance.   I cannot allow her to do this; it's not good for her ego to continue to inflate and it's not good for her brothers!   I'll be searching for the appropriate play partners for Breeze...she needs to learn that she's not always going to be top dog, but in a safe and appropriate way.

Breeze spent time learning to entertain herself in a wire crate under Mary's canopy.  This allowed Breeze to watch people and dogs, take a nap and chew on bones.  Several times over the course of the afternoon she came out to visit and go for walks, although I had to stay on my toes to keep other dogs away from her.  (She was a good girl and went potty on leash at the show!) It amazes me that some people think it's okay to allow their adult dogs to simply walk right up to puppies!   Breeze is too young to meet dogs that I don't know.  She needs to continue to have the "right" experiences.

Fortunately people did ask before petting Breeze and by the time the day was over, she had made lots of new friends.

A couple of people have expressed concern about taking puppies away from home at this age (Breeze turned 12 weeks on Saturday) and whether or not puppies this age are too young for puppy classes.  I am of the belief that there is more potential harm done to a puppy by sequestering it for 4 to 6 months, than enrolling it in a proper puppy class where the facility is cleaned and disinfected regularly.  

I also believe a puppy has greater chance of getting sick from going for walks in the park or neighborhood, than going to puppy class.  When Breeze attended the dog show, I used common sense and kept her away from dogs we didn't know, and took her off in the distance to go potty.

At 12 weeks, socialization is critical for Breeze's proper development.  Not just any socialization, but carefully screened situations where she gets to meet new people, children and trustworthy, healthy dogs.   Over the past 35 years I've seen way too many dogs (herding breeds in particular) end up with serious behavioral problems (usually fear aggression) because the owners waited too long to start socialization and puppy manners classes.

Class demo puppy

First, to follow up from the last post, Breeze had a small temper tantrum on the grooming table for her first round of nail grinding (with a Dremel tool, coarse sandpaper disc), but settled right down when I made it clear that she couldn't escape.  I praised her when she relaxed and "contained" her when she struggled.  (A lot of novice owners "restrain" the dog.   Restraint causes the dog's muscles to tighten, which creates opposition reflex.   "Containing" the dog, thereby allowing minimal movement, is more effective.  The dog doesn't struggle as much.)

Breeze is now coming out of her x-pen at the beginning of my sets of classes (3 or 4 hours in a row), as students are coming in with their dogs.  I have her on leash and my goal is to keep her engaged with me and the tug toy, regardless of the distractions around her.  I am also working to build her drive (stronger grip and more intensity for the tug toy) and concentration (a few seconds longer) with these distractions.   I want her default behavior to be paying attention to me (rather than paying attention to other people and other dogs.)   I want her to believe playing with me and interacting with me is a lot more fun that those other people and dogs.   Breeze gets to "go visit" when I give her permission to do so.   When I do selectively allow her to go visit people and/or dogs, I know in advance that the person will handle her appropriately, and the dog will be tolerant of her puppy behavior.  I would never put Breeze in a position to have a bad experience.

After we tug for a minute or two and I talk to the class, I take the toy away and Breeze goes back in her x-pen.  It's important to end the game on my terms, and to leave Breeze wanting more.  If I played the game for too long, she'd get bored and the game would lose its thrill.

After an hour of chewing on bones and entertaining herself in the x-pen while I taught the first class, Breeze came out for the breed ring class.   It was her first time being a real "demo" puppy!   She showed the class how an almost 12 week old puppy can start to learn freestacking with bait, gaiting on a wide collar (so she doesn't choke), and the "judge" command.   When I whisper "judge" to my puppies I want them to look at the person approaching with ears up and tail wagging, anticipating a treat for standing still.   This lays the foundation for the judge's exam.

My pretend "judges" are instructed to only feed Breeze when she's standing perfectly still and her ears are up.  If she jumps, sits, moves around or puts her ears back my "judges" wait until she offers the correct behavior...then they quickly stick a cookie in her mouth!

This morning I found an old retired metal scent article and tossed it for Breeze as a toy.   She chased it and brought it back a couple of times...so it's now in her x-pen along with her real toys.  This will help her get used to metal objects, in preparation for learning Utility scent articles on down the road.

Grooming Table Time

I had a few extra minutes today so Breeze had a grooming table experience.  She took it in stride as I brushed her gently and used my other hand to help her stand still.   Since her future includes the conformation ring, it's really important that she enjoy being on the grooming table and understand the "rules" for being on the table.  The primary rule she must learn immediately is to not jump off!

Later today we'll have our second toenail trimming session.  Our first one went very well.  I anticipate more rebellion this next time around.   (The first session was way too easy!) All puppies go through phases where they challenge their owners over nail trimming.   We just have to work through it!

Breeze also had some one-on-one time with Tory this morning.  (He was off leash and she was on leash in the back yard.)  She is very brazen; immediately jumped up and put her paws around his head.  He was a bit taken aback and ignored her until she removed herself from his neck.  Then he wagged and interacted.    Flame was also loose and chose to totally ignore her.  There's plenty of time for Breeze to learn lessons from the current alpha bitch in my household...but the time isn't right.

Breeze's female role model for now is Kadee, Barb's wonderful GSD bitch.  Kadee was aloof at first, but now allows a certain amount of appropriate puppy interaction.   She's more tolerant than Flame would be at this point.  I trust Kadee to slowly teach Breeze to respect her elders using GSD body language...which is much different from the Belgian method!

Introducing "Breeze"

Walker listens intently to instructions from Breeze.

Born June 4, Breeze is the newest addition to the Lang Gang.  She is a Belgian Tervuren from breeder Michelle Edling in Oregon.  In this photo she's "talking" to 3.5 year old Belgian Sheepdog, Walker.

I brought Breeze home six days ago.  She's adjusting beautifully.  Yes, we still have the occasional complaining when she's first crated, or left alone in her puppy pen, but it's nothing like the first couple of days.  This girl has quite the set of lungs!  

Since all my dogs come to work with me, Breeze has impressed some of the classes with her vocalizations, the longest of which timed out at 30 minutes on Thursday morning.  Unrewarded behavior does extinguish itself...the first of many lessons Breeze will learn in the next few weeks.   She eventually settles down to chew on a bone or entertain herself with a toy.

Breeze and her littermates got off to a great start at breeder Michelle's house.  The puppies received lots of love, attention and the right kind of socialization.    Michelle is like many breeders (myself included) who match puppies to owners based on owner personality, puppy temperament, family lifestyle and future goals for the puppies.   

Breeze loves her flying squirrel toy.

My hope for Breeze is to earn her conformation championship and obedience, rally, agility, herding and tracking titles.  In addition, she will be a housepet, companion and "demo dog" for the classes that I teach.  

The past week has been full of change for Breeze.  She left her siblings and breeder to join my pack.  A new house, new dogs (all black!), new yard, the training center, meeting lots of new people, adjusting to a new schedule and routine.  Before bringing her home I had a plan in mind, so it was easy to integrate her into my life.

Breeze sleeps in a crate in the bedroom at night...and at 11 weeks she's now sleeping through the night.  Housebreaking is progressing well because I'm being proactive.  She's learning to potty on grass as well as river rock.  (I have a 30 x 60 river rock potty area that I prefer the dogs use...especially when we get home late at night from work.)  

Because my back yard is pretty large, and the other dogs are very energetic, Breeze has a 20 x 50 play yard made of exercise pens.  This allows all the dogs to get to know one another in a safe manner, and I can monitor their body language and dog communication.   It will be a while before she's allowed to run free with one or more of the other dogs; right now there's just too much risk of injury (running too hard, playing too rough, etc.).  Her little body is growing and her muscles are developing. 

At the training center Breeze has a double size x-pen at the edge of the training room floor where she can watch the action (and I can watch her).   She plays, naps, eats and hangs out.  In between classes I get her out for play and socialization.   On Wednesday night she did a brief demo for my conformation handling class.  She showed everyone how she's learning to walk on leash, pay attention, stand still with ears up for treats, retrieve toys and play tug with me when she's "off duty." 

I picked a time when she was tired for a pedicure and trimming the hair on the bottoms of her feet.  She fussed a little and then realized it wasn't worth the effort.   Good girl!   (I fully anticipate some temper tantrums in the future, if she's a typical Belgian.  I'll be prepared with reinforcements as needed!)

I'm careful to socialize Breeze in a way that builds her confidence and sets her up for success.  I prefer that no one pet her without permission.  (One person wanted to pet her while she was having a temper tantrum.  Had I allowed the petting, Breeze might think "you scream and fuss and people come pay attention to you."   We waited until she had been quiet for a few minutes so we don't reward the wrong behavior.)

I also prefer that people wait for my puppies to approach them and that puppies are petted under the chin (so the ears stay up and alert).   Breeze even met a few children this past week, and they were asked to sit on the floor and wait for her to crawl in their lap.   That allows her to get used to "little people" in a positive way.

When she's on her Flexi Leash and people walk by, Breeze wants to chase them and herd them.  I'm careful to alert people to watch out for her, and I need to make sure she doesn't grab clothing, so I'm encouraging her to carry a toy when she's on her Flexi.   Redirecting her mouth is working well so far.

Breeze had her first well-puppy visit to our vet this week.  She was so relaxed she fell asleep in my arms in the waiting room.  She was happy and relaxed during her exam and eagerly went with Dr. Cumming when it was time for her microchip.   The staff at Spring Glen Veterinary Hospital is wonderful and takes extra time to make sure puppies have good experiences when they visit the clinic.

The first few weeks with a new puppy are always fascinating.  I love to just sit back and watch.  I can learn so much by just observing. Raising a puppy is rewarding, challenging, a whole lot of work and a great deal of fun! My latest journey has only just begun. My plan is to share the adventure through this blog.  -- Kathy

Fourth of July Pet Safety & Sanity Reminders

Fireworks may have already begun at your house, or they may be just around the corner.  To help your dog make it through the weekend, be sure he is micro-chipped (talk to your vet) and has a current ID tag on his collar.   These two precautions can help your pet find his way home if he becomes frightened and escapes during fireworks.   (More dogs are lost on July 4 than any other holiday).  Take several current color photos (head and side) so you can quickly create a “Lost Dog” ad and posters if needed. 

Never take your dog with you to fireworks displays.   There’s just too much going on and your attention will be on the festivities rather than your dog.

When pre-holiday fireworks go off in your neighborhood, put your dog inside the house.   If he’s crate trained, give him a special chew bone and crate him in a room with a loud radio or television playing to help block out the noises.  Be sure to close the drapes so he doesn’t see the bright flashes through the window.   Even the most stable, reliable and steady-as-a-rock dog can become frightened, so don’t take chances.

On the 4^th of July, give your dog extra exercise during the day.   Wear him out, feed him dinner and put him in his crate before the fireworks begin so he’ll be more apt to sleep through the banging, booming and popping.   If your dog is not crate trained, find a place in the house where he’s comfortable and you can create a safe haven.   Be sure to check on him periodically, or even stay with him while fireworks are going off.

If your dog has shown signs of noise sensitivity in the past, or if you want to be thoroughly prepared just in case, call your veterinarian NOW to discuss prescription medication and/or over-the-counter options appropriate for your dog.   Don’t wait until Friday afternoon to contact your vet!

When it’s all over, walk every inch of your yard and pick up all the cardboard, sticks and other items that fell from the sky.  Don’t allow your dog to play with or eat those items.  Dispose of them safely.

Happy Fourth from all of us at Family Dog!

"Take Your Dog to Work" Day: June 24

For Kadee, every day is "take your dog to work" day because she is owned and loved by Barb, our office manager. If your dog is lucky enough to be invited to your work place tomorrow, June 24, the following reminders will help your dog (and you, and your coworkers) have a great day: Make sure your dog is well-groomed. Take a crate..., baby gate or x-pen to help confine your dog in your office or cubicle, along with your dog's blanket and a few chew toys, water bowl, poop bags and treats.

When out and about in the common spaces, be sure to have your dog on leash. Practice loose-leash controlled walking with lots of Sit for Greetings! Don't allow your dog to jump on people. Take care if you allow your dog to interact with other dogs as all the canines will be very excited with all the new experiences. It's okay to politely decline invitations for your dog to play with the other dogs, if that's what's in your dog's best interest. Tricks and treats are a good way to reinforce good behavior, so be sure to take some along.

Maintain your training philosophy and rules for good behavior. Just because someone else thinks it's okay for dogs to jump up, bark, whine or otherwise misbehave, doesn't mean you need to let your dog run wild! Be fair to your dog and be consistent.

Not all dogs are comfortable in highly stimulating, new environments. If it would be too stressful for your dog to join you at work for the entire day, perhaps your schedule could accommodate a lunch-time visit. For some dogs, it's best to maintain the work day routine and not accompany you to the job...and that's okay, too!

If your Family Dog goes to work with you on Friday, snap a photo and share your story!

Doggy Dollars

A student brought Doggy Dollars to class for training treats.  These round jerky-style treats are great for all types of training and the dogs love them.  Made in Oregon, they are available at Costco (and online at www.costco.com).   They are soft and won't crumble in your pocket!  Tory loves them!

Freestyle!

Tory & I had a great time performing at Seattle Kennel Club with the Family Dog Dancers!