Rainy Day Fun

Over the past few months Canberra has had some pretty questionable weather which has made out task of exercising the two cattle dogs a little more difficult.

The other day we found ourselves out on a walk in the middle of a downpour.. we quickly rushed for the cover of a primary school (Chapman Primary) and found an oasis in the middle of a rainy day; a children's playground. Not only did this give us the much needed opportunity to dry off but also a swag of fun equipment to train the dogs with and get their brains working. Belle was particularly adept at this game..

Just a classic children's playground.. it is amazing what you can utilise for exercise and general fun if you put your mind to it. Dogs also have a creative flair so they are usually quite happy to test out any games you come up with and our two are always keen to test their limits. You can see in the background just how wet it was, we ended up being stuck here for close to an hour!

 

After playing around the equipment for a little while, we found the need to keep them interested and decided to test their lateral thinking skills. Using their beloved ball as a lure and the different levels in the playground as tests we had them climbing all over the equipment in no time at all. Belle was an absolute pro and usually cleared the ladder in one jump, but I did try to teach her to climb it.. still a work in progress!

 

 

 

 

 

 



As puppies we were diligent at encouraging both dogs to test out different surfaces as to encourage less fear when encountering new areas. A slide was one of my old favourites as we have always lived in suburbs with parks/playgrounds. The slide was no trouble for either of them, however if your dogs seem a bit hesitant don't let them take the easy way out (jumping off the other side) gently encourage them with a lure or treat and show them there is nothing to be afraid of. 

 





 

 

Remember the age old lesson for a harmonious house; sharing is caring. Our two dogs are wonderful sharers, even with their food bowls (we do not encourage this, they just don't seem to care themselves). If you are having trouble with sharing, start slowly, mark and reward the hesitant pup when the other comes within their parameters and then gradually move closer together the more comfortable they get. You definitely don't want to push an uncomfortable dog, so slow and steady wins this race. Particularly if they are older and take a little longer to change their habits. But don't lose hope - Believe! It will work! 

 

 

 

 

Occa goes back to school.. and then decides to be the rebel.

Occa is what we'd call our trick dog. He can do all the party tricks and is generally eager to try out anything new.. (e.g. his parents dressing him in crazy outfits for photos). When Occa was a puppy we spent a lot of time loading on the human love, affection and touch. He didn't have another dog in the house to learn from so it became normal for him to be trained using props and outfits. The real trick to it, is just allowing them to get comfortable with what you are doing and to trust you aren't doing anything untoward.

 

Another staple for this that you'll need is the 'wait' command.. it makes photos like these possible. He doesn't neccessarily love having a hat or glasses on, but he knows his commands and if he's been told to 'wait' he knows it is only for a short time and will be worth it in the end. To begin with, start with treats or something the dog likes. Leave them by their feet or in your hand to train the 'wait' command. Then you can start introducing your props, leave them near them so they can sniff and see they aren't a threat. Again, just build up to the point you can pop them on and ask pup to 'wait' for the photo.. don't give up!

 

 

 

Happy and tired after another unconventional training session.

 

If you are ever bored with your dog exercise regime, or stuck in bad weather like we were, think outside the box. Dogs love to try new things and test their brains so throwing in an unconventional training session like this would spark up new energy in dog and you could be amazed with what they can do. It is also great bonding for yourself and dog to try out new things together and see that yet again you've come through with an awesome time outside the house! They'll only continue to love you even more.

 

Forever love your dog,

Emma

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (take two)

Before getting our first puppy together my husband and I did a lot of research into the type of dog we wanted and what breeds would fit with this ideal. My husband wanted a dog he could run with and I wanted a dog that was smart and easy to train. I also wanted to rescue and adopt a dog rather then go through a breeder, which is why we looked for types of dogs rather then specific breeds. In the March/April of 2011 we stumbled across the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue who were based in Sydney. Within a few weeks we found out that a litter was expected from a Australian Cattle Dog bitch who had been left at a veterinary surgeon by a breeder no longer wanting to breed.

We agreed to meet with the puppies once they were born and see if there was one for us. I was beyond excited, but then went away for three weeks in Europe, whilst my husband was in America for a similar length of time. We planned to visit the rescue in Sydney on our way home back to Canberra.

For all the dog lovers out there I probably do not need to go into much detail about the moment we saw the puppies, or the moment we saw our boy; Occa. We could pick him out a mile a way and it was love at first sight. There was no way that we were going to leave him behind, so we took him home that day. Completely unprepared, anxious and excited all at once.

during our first ride home together

But I digress, Occa's early days are for another time, as a teaser he is lucky my husband is patient and kind.

We were in love and him being our first fur baby I went into research overdrive. I read every possible book there was about puppy and dog care to help our little lad turn into a smart, responsive and confident dog. However, almost a year into having him home with us we noticed Occa starting to limp after playtime. At first we just eased off and rested him for a few days and he got better. Over the months though his limp stayed and gradually got worse. We had been speaking to the vets about his situation and as he was so young they were hesitant to do too much invasive investigation and as it wasn't so bad we thought it might just be his growth. Oh we wish. A little after his first birthday we took him to the vet as the situation now demanded some investigation. He had a few x-rays and was diagnosed with mild elbow dysplasia of his front right leg. A hereditary condition that revealed itself as he grew into adulthood which was why it was only apparent once he was mature. We were told that his situation was not so bad that it required surgery and largely he did not seem to be in pain, it just limited his ease of movement. We were encouraged to tidy up his diet with special dog food for joint issues to see if that helped.

that is a standard sized tennis ball next to him!

Wanting to do anything to help our little love bug I got back onto the research wagon determined to find something else that could help him. I stumbled upon a few supplements, we've tested out the full gamut believe me, and have settled on a mixture of two that have definitely improved his condition by at least 60% (in my opinion)! Occa as a mature dog (almost four now!) largely self-manages his condition through taking exercise sessions at his own pace, allowing his thunder paws of a sister to let loose, and resting whenever is neccessary. We also feed him food that is designed for 'large breed dogs' as they are often prone to joint conditions and have all the extra good stuff already built in to the formula. Then there is the supplements, one morning and one night and we are good to go. Despite the early fear that his condition may further deteriorate or the change of diet and supplements would not help at all, we have been incredibly lucky. Occa almost has full movement of his joints, so long as he eats his meals morning and night, and has not deteriorated past his initial diagnosis at all.

In spite of all he has gone through he is very much the happy chappy. Occa is an exuberant soul. Whilst quite easy to train in his youth, and thankfully he has kept many of his lessons over the years, he is quite content to march to the beat of his own drum.  He's one of those dogs that you can tell if you give an inch he will take a mile. We've had to be very careful over the years to not let him get away with too much otherwise he would drive us bonkers.

'I do what I want!'

He started this habit early in his life of talking whenever he wanted just for the hell of it. To ask for dinner, to ask how our day is, to tell his sister that she is annoying, to share his love, literally any reason. This though got a little bit frustrating and unruly when he would lie on the ground howling with no 'off' switch. So we trained one in. Now we can always tell when he wants to have a chat, he gets this look on his face and his throat and mouth almost look full with breath so we generally let him go to town for a few minutes and then tell him to settle. He's getting good with controlling himself day by day. Despite this, there remain a few situations that he cannot control himself in which can almost pierce our eardrums (going to the dog park for example). But we're working on it.

At the base level though, Occa is the biggest love bug you could ever meet. He is a Australian Cattle Dog through and through and embodies the moniker 'velcro dog'. You could not meet a dog more loyal, or more dedicated than Occa dog. There is nothing that you can do without him keeping his watchful eye on you and without fail whenever my husband is away overnight Occa is lying in the doorway of the bedroom just daring anyone to come near his Mum. He will always let me know he loves me in the morning with my wake-up kiss. He has a passion for learning and has learnt some of the funniest tricks. He's our dog that can be shot and play dead on command in any situation, crawl along the ground, bow, speak, spin, wait and catch food, wait and catch ball, be tickled, cuddled and played with whilst eating and is even content about children screaming in his face at deafening pitches for what seems like a neverending moment. He is so patient, he will wait just about forever until you tell him to do something (once he's learnt it of course), even if this means waiting five minutes for a toddler to learn themselves how to throw a ball for a dog.

the patience is ever present and neverending

He is the friendliest dog you would ever meet, to people, dogs, kids, you name it, but after you have gotten to know him you realise that those interactions are friendly, but not intimate. He is everyone's friend, but not everyone's family. It takes a while to capture his heart and that snuggle you finally receive on the couch letting you know you are 'in' is the best feeling in the world. He has a way of making you feel that he has chosen you and I personally feel privileged to be one of his human's.

Forever love your dog,
Emma

Review: Bach Flower Rescue Remedy

Continuing on from the post about Belle last week, I thought I might do a quick review on a supplement that we have been using to help her anxiety.

 

When we first found out that Belle had anxiety, the Canine Coach undertook a behavioural training program with us and helped us realise where her problems stemmed from and a special plan in order to treat them, which included supplements as well as behavioural training. I also endeavored to do as much research as possible on things that could help our baby girl. I am big on natural supplements and aids in our own lives and we are very much into clean living, so if possible I was determined to find a natural aid which could be used as desired, rather than a medication that required weaning on and off. I was also worried about medication changing Belle's temperament when she wasn't anxious, like when at home playing with Occa, because she has a beautiful nature and soul that we didn't want to mess with permanently.

The Canine Coach gave us several suggestions about scents, special coats and a product called 'The Rescue Remedy'.  We researched every option; some were quite costly, others we felt might disturb her more then help, however 'The Rescue Remedy' seemed to offer results at a low price which made it easy for us to test out. 'The Rescue Remedy' comes from the Bach Flower Remedy product line, it is "a blend of five different Bach Flower Remedies: ... created by Dr Bach to deal with emergencies and crises... it can be used to ... get through any stressful situations... help us relax and get the needed calmness." (Excerpt taken from their website, for more information visit http://www.bachflower.com/) The various reviews that people had posted about their use with their pets were very positive. So we decided to give it a go!

'The Rescue Remedy' products can be bought online, or in Canberra they can be purchased at Discount Chemist Warehouse. It comes in a couple of different forms; a spray or a dropper. After some thought we went with the dropper as Belle freaks at aerosol sprays which would not be productive for getting the substance near her. Please note; it is important that you get the specialised pet version as they are careful to ensure there is no alcohol in the ingredients and it is completely pet friendly.

 

 

 

 

We started using the liquid directly into Belle's mouth, you can just add it to food or water but as Belle and Occa share most of their edibles we wanted to make sure that Belle got 100% of the liquid, every day. We noticed a change within the first few days, she generally seemed a little calmer, but the longer she remained taking it the less of an effect it had. Because of this I decided to only give it to her during times of known stress, or when she seemed particularly anxious. This approach seemed to tackle it the best. We've now been able to manage her anxiety using training and 'The Rescue Remedy' sporadically during moments of high stress. It takes the edge off and she seems more capable of relaxing and listening to us after she has taken it. 

If you are thinking of adding this product to your arsenal, I would suggest that you only use occasionally, as it seems that the animal can build up a tolerance to the liquid thus reducing its effectiveness. Because of it's all natural ingredients there is no need to taper on or off this product, simply use as required and monitor the behaviour.

Let us know if you have used this product for any of your pooches for their fear or anxiety (it is commonly used for weather fear) and your experiences with it. We'd be very interested to hear!

Forever love your dog,
Emma

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

To let you in on the characters of Occa and Belle a little more I decided to dedicate a post to each dog outlining their Good, Bad and downright Ugly (there is always something isn't there?)

Today I want to talk about our youngest; Belle.



honestly, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth

Both our dogs are rescue dogs, however we adopted Belle when she was a bit over three months old and had already gone through what is known as the 'imprinting stage' (between 8 - 12 weeks) that is prime time for socialisation. She was also in a shelter from very young and I don't believe she ever made it into a foster home for socialisation. This is not the fault of the shelter at all, and definitely not wholly responsible for some of the issues that Belle has.

It was always clear to us that Belle had anxiety (the ugly). She has always struggled with new experiences (for example walking through new doorways is always an exercise that requires patience and understanding as it takes minutes..), deep voices, loud sounds (vaccuum cleaner, food processor etc), open stairs or bridges and of course her big one; new dogs in her face. With most of these issues she exhibits her anxiety in a standard fashion; she runs away, hides or cowers, but when dogs get in her face she expresses her anxiety and fear through aggression. Belle is not an aggressive dog by any stretch of the imagination, if you met her you would understand, and when she goes into her anxiety attacks around other dogs she never makes contact; she's all bark and no bite. But these episodes completely knock her around and she turns into a mess for a few days afterwards. To give some more context, Belle only acts like this when she isn't given the time and space to meet a new dog on her terms. She loves to meet new friends, but the introductions must be slow, polite and have boundaries.

Pyschologically, this makes complete sense! How would you like it if someone ran up to you and starting yelling and laughing in your face within mere moments of meeting them. You'd probably yell back or run away. To help Belle with this particular issue we've done a lot of research and got the assistance of The Canine Coach to write a special training program for Belle that 'counter conditions' her to have a positive experience everytime she sees or meets another dog. We also use Bach's Flower Essence on particularly sensitive days, and have adopted a very zen approach to life so there is no yelling or excessive anxiety at home. She is going beautifully and hasn't had a full blown attack in months. The basic structure of counter conditioning is marking and rewarding Belle at the moment she starts to feel her anxiety in an attempt to change her mentality from seeing a dog being something which causes anxiety and fear to a positive experience, as it means she is receiving treats and lots of praise (and generally having a good time).

That being said, this isn't a problem that will go away. She will always have this mentality and urge to protect her personal space. It requires constant management from us to ensure that every adventure out of the house is a 100% positive one for her. We do this through never leaving the house without a treat bag and vigilant eyes. Of course we still have some bad days, but we just take those as they come and remember that everyone has bad days and life is a continually evolving process.
 

 



super relaxed in her zen household..

Belle also has a small issue (the bad) of herding dogs when out on an oval. Something which comes from her farm roots and something we haven't spent a lot of training time on because she has only recently been allowed off lead around other dogs. We do not let her off lead in dog heavy situations, and try to take her to places that are closed in and gently ask people to let us be if they wander by but sometimes it will occur that a dog will virtually come out of nowhere and off she is... zooming for them. She usually just chases them and pulls up last minute and then runs off again, which you wouldn't think would be a problem, but can you imagine someone sprinting at you (Belle is lightening fast) with now idea why they are chasing you.. what would your reaction be? Probably terror. Which is what we are afraid of. Through this behaviour she is putting herself in dangerous situations around unknown dogs (ironic given her anxiety) with no way for us to control her. So far nothing too bad has happened, most dogs are pretty good about it and either wander away before she gets to them or just say hello when she arrives. However, we're about to embark on a new training technique to help give us some control over her behaviour. We are planning on getting a long lead and normal/dog whistle to break her concentration when she goes into her torpedo mode. We're hoping the whistle will work and she'll be able to respond once her concentration is broken, but if not the long lead is a built-in added protection. We'll keep you posted.

Belle is an absolute teddy bear of a dog (the good/great/excellent!) and in life literally only wants to be loved. She will never turn away a cuddle and is amazingly atune to human emotion. She is also a keen learner. She longs to please us and picks up on any form of training within a couple of repetitions. She is the dog we plan to take through agility training, and is always the show and tell dog in class.. it is hard not to be a proud puppy parent.



during her first days at home..

Belle is also the more mature and subdued dog of the two - she will generally wait before leaping out of a vehicle, or dashing across a road, is quiet as a mouse and will choose to sleep in a quiet spot whenever we visit family or friends. She loves humans and will happily snuggle with anyone she meets and isn't remotely fazed by the weird stuff that small children (or even full grown adults!) do. She generally endears herself to everybody. We have had many people attempt to steal her (not literally) or keep her for just a little while.. everyone she meets falls head over heels.

She is also an ace exercise buddy; not only is she super fast, but she picks up on the nuances of your pace, where she should run when you are running or even cycling and is happy to just cruise at whatever speed is neccessary.



 

happy exercising on the beach

Belle is a special creature whom we adore unequivocally, who despite the bad and the ugly we would never change for the world. She is who she is and with a little extra guidance and support she is a fantastic family member. She is loyal to the bone and will always  be around for a cuddle when required.

 

 

 

 

gotta a lot of love to give

 

 

Power Booster

 

Does your dog have something that is always guaranteed to put an extra spring in their step?

 

Occa loves puddles. We affectionately call him a hippo, or the Blue Whale.

 

And without a doubt if there is a puddle up ahead he will race towards it at full pelt... then after running through it, getting the water through his paws and usually all over my legs, he positively skips with glee for the next few metres.

 

It reminds me of the power booster pads on Mario Cart.. His own personal power booster in real life...

 

 

Reactions..

Have you ever reacted to a situation that you later regretted and knew you could have handled better?

The other day I was taking a nap on the couch, all snuggled with the fur-babies, when all of a sudden barking rang throughout the house and the two pups were at the door going a little crazy.. unfortunately in my sleepy haze my reaction was to start yelling and carrying on. As you can guess this only served to make things worse.. with me yelling Occa got more agitated and started barking and howling even more, and Belle well she just ran around the house a little confused and terrified.

Turns out there was a dog in the front yard. Totally reasonable for the dogs to alert me to this fact. There was someone on their land - how dare they?!

I meanwhile sat there kicking myself for escalating the situation past boiling point and setting the dogs excitement off the radar...

Later that very day, a delivery truck arrived. I thought right, this is my chance to get it right for the day. So true to form the dogs alerted me to the fact someone was at the door - I said "okay, let me check." Upon seeing who was there I told the dogs that all was fine and to "settle", then whilst I opened the door I asked them to "wait". Perfect behaviour was exhibited! They both instantly stopped their reactions once I showed that I was going to investigate the situation, and upon asking them to settle they chilled out and were calm enough to follow my other instructions.

It showed me that if I can just remember all the hard work and training we have put into the dogs over the past four years and trust them, then everything operates like a well oiled machine. They have their place (alert) and I have mine (investigate). Once we operate together and understand each other everyone is happy.

Have you ever had a situation where you've forgotten your training methods and lost control of the situation?

Forever love your dog,
Emma

Sydney Weekend - c'mon let's go!

Hello all. I am back! Thank you for being so patient whilst I was off planning our wedding and apologies I've been off the grid for as long as I have.

 

However, with the wedding behind us and life as a family before us, it is time to get back into the important business of documenting our lives as dog parents.

 

I was in Sydney on the weekend to see Sculptures by the Sea and was delighted to stumble across what looked like a puppy pool party. In actual fact it was many savvy dog parents taking their pups for a dip at Mackenzies Bay, the rocky outcrop between Bondi and Bronte Beaches.

It was a delightful scene to watch, and of course me being me insisted on stopping to admire for a while.

 

 

 

It was a 34 degree Celsius day, not a cloud in the sky. The ocean was bringing in a steady stream of waves, but not so large or fierce to overwhelm and on an unassuming rock ledge were at least 15 dogs and their owners enjoying a dip and even sunbake. Most were off - lead and enjoying the social aspect of the day also. My favorite pup was a black lab chasing his ball as it was rocked around a pool by the waves. There were also surfer dogs who jumped into the waves and swam their way back to the shore.

 

The excited lab chasing his ball..

 

Once a dip was had these pups were content to wander back to their parents who were enjoying the spectacle from the warm rocks.. Some looked settled in for the long haul, others just passed through for a cool day. All came back up with a rapidly wagging tail and huge goofy smile.

 

Bliss.

 

 

Unfortunately I hadn't taken our pups to Sydney that day. But if we are planning another trip over the spring/summer, Mackenzies Bay will definitely be on our list to check out.

 

Forever love your dog,

Emma