maverick

Well, i didnt mean for valiants training blog to be used for mavericks “eulogy” but we are having technical difficulties with my main blog and i need to say goodbye to my oldest friend 😦

Sometimes there is a dog that has been such a huge part of your life you cant really comprehend the hole that will be felt at his loss until it is imminent. The dog that transcends different threads in your life to the point hes part of the tapestry that makes you who you are….maverick was such a dog.

Born around april 2000, he has spanned a huge part of my timeline. He gave me laughs as a puppy. I remember like it was yesterday when i came home to find my then three month old puppy had escaped his crate, climbed into the kitchen sink and opened the cabinet above it to find flour….where he proceeded to make “glue” and smear it all over his soft fur! At the time it wasnt funny, yet 15 years later, it still makes me grin!  Then there was intensity for life….he never did anytbing halfway. It was all or nothing with maverick. I can still in my minds eye see a shadow of him streaking across the dog park as a puppy, and old memories of his antics at the park i used to teach my dog classes at flit across my memories. Maverick was a squirrel dog, he wanted to hunt them with such gusto, he could barely be controlled. I spent almost a year trying to use a clicker to teach him to ignore the fluffy tails but in the end, a dear friend showed me he needed a correction and at the time i was heartbroken as i had hopes of him being my purely positive crossover dog….maverick taught me to have balance in my professional training. That i sometimes needed to be balanced in my consequences, and to adjust to the needs of the dog in front of me rather then what i wanted to do with them.

 For awhile maverick served as my service dog as at the time i had a condition that required his skills to help me survive life in public. He was also my demo dog for various trainer jobs and he served as a huge ambassador for my business. As he grew into an adult he continued to entertain me. He used to sit outside in my grandmas backyard where he would pretend to be a statue until someone got to a foot from him on the other side of the fence then he woukd bark and send them into the air. He got such a kick out of their response…in the end he had to be retired from service dog life as he grew reactive…and the reality was, i had healed enough i no longer needed his public assistance. I accredit much of my healing to his help.

Many of my former students remember how maverick would hang out at the sidelines of my classes. He showed them on a regular basis how even a professional dog trainers dog would sometimes “mess” with his owner. They laughed as he did crazy things that showed how smart he really was. Things like when i put him on a down stay and then walked around to talk to my students. He decided that as long as his belly remained on the floor it constituted a down stay and he crawled around to each student trying to greet everyone. Or the time i sent him to his mat and he woukd run over, grab his mat, drag it ten feet out of position, and lay down on it..determining that as long as he got on the mat, it was acceptable to add his own flair to the exercise. And always with that huge goofball grin where his tongue lolled out! Maverick forced me to break each component into its tiniest component and teach it in a very specific way. The mat exercise develooked new rules (pad must remain in place and elbows must remain on the pad) thanks to his antics!

Maverick was the first dog i have ever seen that could literally roll his eyes at someone. He regularly “laughed” at my attempts to reign in his crazy spirit. But he thought he was so hilarious i couldnt help but laugh.

Then, there was his “unique” way of seeing the world. He literally could sit in the yard and watch an airplane trail across the sky for a good half an hour. And he could alert me to an upcoming storm a long time before the storm actually came….poor maverick grew sound phobic as he grew older. He reached the point where he was happier in familiar settings where no potential ” storms, firecrackers, or gunshots coukd startle him. He taught me LOADS about compassion and how to handle these complex behavioral issues…as well as how to help suffering dogs owners go through similar experiences.

Then there was fierce loyalty and protection. He never was able to work in the capacity of a trained protection dog as his sense of humor continued to get in the way. On the schutzhund field he woukd do things like decide it was too hot on a sunny day so instead of running around the blinds, he saw them as shade and would flop down in them to cool off. Or then there was the time he decided he ONLY wanted to bite HIS sleeve. when we tried to trick him with another sleeve, he ran in and sniffed the helper, then ran over to the box where we kept the sleeves, dug around, and brought the helper the sleeve HE wanted to play with! Still…when someone walked into our condo that should not have been there, it was maverick who had him cornered and kept us safe.

Maverick had beautiful obedience in his prime. He could heel on my left, right, in between my legs, sideways and backwards. He knew commands in flemish, german and english, and he had the uncanny ability to pick up new commands faster then any other dog ive ever met…and ive known quite a few! While he tended to roll his eyes at me if he didnt want to work, he knew quite a bit. He earned his bh in schutzhund, and was only hampered from further participation because of his intense gunshot phobia. He knew a wide array of tricks including classics like play dead, and different ones like point (he would point his paw to his left) and one of my favorites was “arent you embrassed” where he would go hide his head under a pillow. He earned his beginning and intermediate trick dog titles and was prepared for his advanced but he started physically declining and ibdecided against it. In his earlier years he was active in sheepherding though we never earned a title in it…he let his sense ofnhumor get in the way again…he liked to attemot a nip at the sheep any time i asked hik to go to the left. He would glance back at me, decide if i could reach him, roll his eyes at me and sneak a nip. Again, it wasnt funny at the tike, but now, i cant help but laugh.

Mavericks life spanned a decade and a half. His coat wears a lot of tears from that time….both tears of happiness and tears of joy. He has heard thousands of my secrets and calmed a lot of fears over thst time. He saw me through some of the toughest periods of my life. He was there when a bad breakup left a huge hole in my heart, he was with me through a wide range of professional work. He sat tied to my desk or as part of my private or group lessons  for many years and helped with literally hundreds of clients. He was with me when i met my husband, and has been here waiting for us as each of my three kids were born. He has tsught my kids what it means to love a dog and my middle daughter in particular looks for him every morning.

There will be lots of friends waiting for him at the bridge im sure….our old family dog tyler raised him through the first 8 years of his life and i am positive they would like to play for old times sake. I cant imagine my dear grammy wouldnt be allowed to see him, she loved him almost as much as i do. He has various dog and human friends who have passed and i know he will be happier which is the only reason i can bear to let him go.. He will be able to play with the gusto he had as a puppy. The gusto his body is no longer allowing and im sure that he misses.

With that being said, i cant believe my time with him is coming to an end. I cant even remember my life without him. He has been underfoot for as long as i can remember and i will miss him fiercely. And sooo…goodbye my old friend. You have been the best heart and soul dog a girl could wish for. Youve taught me so much about love and life, and included my kids in those lessons. I dont know that the hole you are leaving can ever be filled, but i know you will be happier so i will let you go. But you should wait for me at the bridge…some day i will come for you, and i will never forget you. I love you mavsies!

along comes baby!

When my oldest daughter was born nearly 4 years ago, I had no idea how much it would change things for me. I mean, I knew life would change, but I dont think I ever quite realized the full extent.  In the last 4 years I have also added 2 more beautiful children and learned a lot more about functioning on no sleep and diapers, baby gear, and a whole array of lifes important lessons you learn the fastest by becoming a parent. One area I didnt expect to change much was my professional life as a dog trainer. But, I have to admit I am a different trainer now.

For instance, when a mom tells me she is overwhelmed and hasnt had time to train the puppy, I am no longer tempted to tell them to do it anyways. Yes, in order to have a well trained dog, each owner must put in the time and effort necessary, but when a mom is overwhelmed and bleary eyed, that is just not simply their reality. I have had to find ways to help them teach the dog without adding further stress.

Another area that changed for me, is my understanding of how to manage life between dogs and kids. Those that know me, know that in addition to my 3 beautiful little darlings, my family consists of a few large and active german shepherds. I have had to rethink many old techniques and methods to keep everyone happy, and while as a professional dog trainer and behavior specialist I had taught a multitude of parents and parents to be methods to coexist peacefully with the family dog, I now had to live with the principles I taught in a very real way. I dont particularly think anything I taught pre baby was incorrect, I just think there is so much more that can be done.

Most trainers recommend introducing a dog to various sounds, sights, and smells that might be associated with a baby before the baby is born. If the dog is untrained, newly pregnant pet owners will need to teach the dog to respond to various obedience commands, particularly the down stay. They will need to establish any new household rules BEFORE the new bundle of joy arrives. But after years of teaching the standard needs for expecting families, once I was in the situation I realized many more areas that need work and preparation.

For instance, what happens when the baby gets more mobile? And what happens when they are old enough to start having play dates? Do you intend to “wear baby” (as in a carrier? Because that looks strange to a dog who has never seen it before) I typically taught my dogs to yield their space to me and as an extension, to the baby. But when baby grew more mobile, we needed further skills in our repertoire. Our family taught the dog that if he was feeling at all irritated he should go to his safe spot, and we taught all of our kiddos they arent allowed in that safe spot. This is also where it becomes tricky for the average pet owner since most people miss the early cues the dog is annoyed. We dont want to wait for a growl as that is beyond the threshold for acceptable. This is where it helps to have a professional come in to help evaluate the dog and keep everyone safe.

Another behavior that should be taught is a “back off”. This means the dog should turn and walk quickly away from a desired item. This buys a parent time should the dog be near a highly favored item and a toddler begins to approach. It is not a cure all, but is one of those behaviors that can certainly help in a household with young children and dogs.

For the most part we have taught the dogs to leave the kids alone until theyre a bit older, but I still feel its important to lay a solid foundation ahead of time. After all, once there is a new little squishy baby in your life, there isnt as much time to worry about remedial work with the dog!

What behaviors do you wish your dog had known before your children came along?

4th of July and dogs!

It’s finally that time of year again! The time for bar-b-ques and gathering friends, and this weekend those of us in America will celebrate the birth of our nation. It has always been an enjoyable time for me, I love to pull out a blanket and sit under the stars to watch the fireworks go up. Unfortunately for one of my dogs, this is also a terrifying time. 

what being a dog trainer is like: A day in the life of a California dog trainer

“wow, you have such a COOL job! you get to play with animals ALL day!” I hear this statement on an almost weekly basis. Particularly when telling people what I do for a living. They then continue on to tell me that they think they should quit their corporate job and become a dog trainer because they’ve “loved dogs all their lives”. If only it was that simple.

should I get a dog?

Travelingmom posted this: “My kids are DYING for a dog. They ask me every single day. my 9 y/o has done internet research to find a dog I might like. I know nothing about dogs and barely have time to shower myself let alone another living being. I might be able to handle a small dog that doesn’t shed. Any suggestions? Should I continue to ignore my kids’ sad, whining pleas?”

And here is my reply! I receive questions like this quite often. “Should I get a dog?” I think quite a bit of the answer depends on you. Do YOU want a dog. How old are the kids? etc. Generally it is not a good idea for a parent to get their kids a dog unless the parent wants to take responsibility for the dog when the kids grow bored with it. The appropriate care for a dog does take quite a bit of time. There is time needed to exercise, feed, clean up after, groom, and play with/give mental stimulation to the dog. Granted, different breeds have different requirements. A cocker spaniel will need more grooming then a short haired breed, but all need to be brushed at some point. There is no such thing as a dog that doesn’t need ANY grooming. Even a chinese crested with little to no hair will need some skin care. There are some breeds who have a coat with more of a hair texture then fur, but they still require brushing.

At the same time, a dog does provide a family with many benefits. My grandmother for instance lived alone. She did not want a dog but I convinced her to rescue one. Simon sat at her side for the last 10 years of her life and was her ever faithful companion. Dogs are loyal, and if given the care they need and deserve, they will give you lots of tail wags, laughter, and they’ll comfort you when down. They lower our blood pressure and keep us young. They can also teach kids about responsibility while caring for another living being.

So the answer to the question is, it really is up to you. If I was in your shoes, I would research the needs of a dog (independent of what the kids say) and determine how much you’re willing to invest into the dog. Particularly if the kids grow tired of him. It also depends on how responsible your kids really are. I know LOTS of families who got a dog when the 9-10 year old wanted one, but when the child hit 14-16 and wanted to go out with her friends, the dog was abandoned. Then again, there are kids who really will spend time with the dog. I was one of those. At 9 years old I trained my first dog. He changed my life and shaped my future career.

Training a deaf dog or a dog with so called “limitations”

I was 10 years old when I decided I wanted to train Pepsi. She was a collie mix of some sort, and probably about 10 years old. Sweet and docile with a willingness to please, she also had a couple of limitations. She was in fact, blind and deaf. She was not born that way, but age had taken it’s toll on her. If I had started when I was older I might have been daunted by the thought of trying to train a 10 year old blind and deaf dog. But being 10 years old, I didn’t understand anything about that. I just knew that I loved to train dogs.

More dog park fun!

Yesterday I went to the dog park for a client. She was having problems with her small dog when at the dog park. While I stated my opinion again that I do not prefer dog parks because of the inability to control certain factors (like the other dogs owners) I went with her. According to her, the dog would snap when another dog came up. In evaluating the dog, I found that this little girl was very small, and did not really want bigger dogs noses in places they shouldn’t be. She was not aggressive, just simply requesting politeness from other dogs. This is not the point of this post however.

Leadership and dominance

I have been thinking a LOT about leadership and dominance theories in dogs lately. It seems to be one of the most hotly debating topics in the industry. You have trainers that seem to think that you are the leader of your pack if you can physically force the animal to his side, and others who are now saying that there is no such thing as dominance in a dog.

difference between dominance theory and leadership in dogs

I found this article to be interesting. There are many points I agree with, a few that I disagree with. There IS a difference between dominance theory, and leadership theory. One I agree with, the other I disagree with. I’ve spent enough time around both dogs and wolves to know what a “pack” REALLY is like in both animals. Check it out! http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf

I will have more on this topic at a later date.

pros and cons of pinch or prong collars

In our comments section we had someone asking about more training collar options, so I’ll start working on these as time allows:-)

The “pinch collar” also called the “prong collar” is a fairly controversial piece of training equipment. As with any training collar, it can be abused, or it can be used as an effective training tool.  There are trainers that will rant and rave about how the use of them says that a handler is abusive at best. There are other trainers that use them on every dog.