Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Off to see the wizzard! Family "fun" & Puppy Blues...
When I got my new puppy I was overjoyed and confident about taking on this new challenge. I quickly though became somewhat overwhelmed and diffident about the whole thing when I realized that, just because Raina is so well behaved and well adjusted, doesn't mean that I can skate by with minimal effort and have Axis turn out the same way. It's been 10 years since Raina was a pup and now that she's so established and calm in the face of any situation, I forget the difficulties I had when she was young. It took years for Raina and I to develop our relationship to where it is now, where we can almost read each others thoughts, where she practically knows what I want before I ask. Years of traveling day in and day out together, years of oscillating between frustration and understanding, years of trial and error...
When Axis came into my life I thought "I know so much more now than I did then, I have learned so much from my experiences with Raina and my time spent at the Wonderdogs, this will be a breeze!" Well, he really is such a good boy. Very trainable, very biddable, with a high drive and a sweet nature. Yet, even with all that, I found myself struggling with his training as well as a lack of confidence in my abilities.
At first I felt tired all the time as he was so young he was up every 3-4 hours to use the bathroom. He also was a big chewer and though he never got the chance to destroy anything (he was in my sight at all times) I was constantly having to make sure he wasn't eating things and chewing on furniture. (...Yes, I tried using bitter spray, 2 different kinda actually... but, he liked it!... licked it off the bottle as I was spraying it...) I found that with me being the only one training him and having two, sometimes three, dogs (I have been living with my aunt who is mother to a 1½ year old labradoodle named Molly) in my sight at all times can also be very exhausting!
While he was one of the most adorable puppies I had ever seen, I caught myself thinking "Please just grow up already!" (Then I felt bad for wishing away these most precious of days in his life)
Puppies are learning constantly, they are forever taking in the world around them and figuring out how things work, what their limits are both physically and socially, and working to extend those limits! Another quote that was presented to me was that "...it is up to us weather they are learning positive behaviors or negative ones..." I think that's what scared me most, the thought that I could be unwittingly sending the wrong messages and creating behaviors that would have to be righted later on.
I decided to write about this for a number of reasons. I read something that made me think that I wasn't alone in feeling this way. It was about the "puppy blues" where by owners of new puppies feel overwhelmed and/or daunted by the task ahead of raising their new dog.
Here is a website depicting a conversation between a very well informed owner and a trainer about some of the trials of puppyhood. (This describes Axis almost to a tee, he is very confident and even I was tempted to label him as dominant at first.)
For me, what made the whole thing feel worse was realizing that I am aligning myself with my dream of becoming a dog trainer to help others become more in tune with their dog's behavior and language, and here I am feeling these so called puppy blues! How could I help people when I'm doubting even myself?
Well, I realize that through posting things like this, I can share my experiences with people in the hope that the reader, will gain insight from my follies. If you have had similar feelings to the ones I describe here, you are not alone, and even professionals are human beings, who may at times deal with doubts & uncertainties.
For me this experience serves to strengthen my resolve to help those who need some guidance. If I could feel this way, knowing what I know, it's understandable how someone with less information could feel they have walked into a situation where they are in over their head. By implementing a few simple to understand techniques, a relationship that may have come to represent doubt and uncertainty can be transformed to instill confidence and joy. If my experiences can aid even one person in creating the momentum for this transformation to occur... then it's all worth it to me. If I can keep even one dog from ending up in a shelter or euthanized due to a lack of understanding and information or mislabeled aggression/dominance, then all the time I put into this cause will have paid off in full.
The conclusion to this story is that weather it's a new puppy, being around family members again, your job or anything else that can make you feel that you've got your work cut out for you, we are always given these situations in life to overcome, to grow, to move forward and learn from.
Cesar Millan says, "We may not always get the dog we want, but we always get the dog we need!"
Axis is the perfect dog for me, I know that now just as I did the very first moment I saw him when he was 3 days old. No matter the challenges we face together, no matter how many times I feel like giving up, or I feel doubtful of my ability to raise him to be the model dog I would love to be able to show off, an ambassador for The Taming Rover, I know I will succeed. We will succeed together because I truly believe that not only did I choose him from that litter of 7, we chose each other, and he has come into my life to teach me just as much and probably much more than I could ever teach him.
Just as Raina has taught me through our almost 11 years of friendship, more about loyalty, accountability and unconditional love than I could have imagined when I first took on that hyperactive little lab pup who would tear up my garbage on a near daily basis and leave piles of poop in the middle of the stairs for me to step in on my way up....
I understand more now about how my Mother must have felt when accepting the challenge of rearing a tiny helpless poop machine that doesn't sleep through the night and grows up to cause worry and grief. And though I myself am challenged by her motherly ways, I also believe that we too chose each other, to learn from and to grow from the lessons we both provide one another.
Through family we are provided with the greatest opportunities for growth. So, from my family to yours, Happy Learning!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Where does the time go? & House training tips...
Wow! I've been home for thee months already... It's hard to believe I haven't posted in so long. The time just slips away. My puppy doesn't even look like a puppy anymore! He looks like a small version of a dog, no more puppy breath and pink bellies... lol
Here's a video of some trick training that we've been doing over the last couple months... (Let me know what you think!)
House training 101:
House training doesn't have to be as hard as it's chalked up to be. With a few simple techniques, you can make this transition smooth for both you and your new pup. Your best friend with house training will be to setup up a routine. Have a schedule with your pup and always know when they have eaten and drank last so you can take them out accordingly. Always take them out soon after meals and drinking, very first thing in the morning, directly after a nap, and also right after a play session. These are times when it is almost a guarantee that your pup will have to go. Start with rewarding them every time they go outside and give them lots of praise. Always make sure they are in your sight when inside or, if they can't be, then the crate is your second best friend. (There is a lot of information on the web about proper ways to crate train). If you don't give them the chance to mess up in the house your chances of speedy success will sky rocket!
While house training Axis, I ran into a couple unforeseen problems which could be somewhat related. The mistake I believe I made was; when bringing him out for a pee, I immediately came right back in the house. He quickly realized this and started delaying the process so he could sniff around and romp in the snow. Soon I was having to stand there for 10 minutes in the freezing st. john's weather waiting for him to pee.
The other thing that happened; he started to go to the door even when he didn't have to pee just to go outside and have a sniff around. So it became this game for me to predict weather he actually had to go or if he was just crying wolf... It happened a couple times then, that I was sure he didn't have to pee because he had just gone, but as it turns out, he did.
Now, at these times, instead of squatting to pee like normal he would just kinda walk around and tinkle... Then I would come by not too long after and find a dotted squiggly line of dribble on the floor... I.e. He learned that I couldn't see him when he did it this way and got away with it, thus opening a can of worms where he would do this on occasion. So, I had to go back to the basics and even though he does go to the door to alert me when he needs to go, I went back to letting him out whenever I thought he even might have to go, and rewarding with treats each successful time.
Lesson 1: I realized I got complacent after he was successfully going to the door for a couple weeks and took for granted that my job with house training was mostly done... after all, he was going to the door to alert me when he needed to go, that means he's house trained, right? Well, not really. He's still very young and does not have the muscle capacity needed to hold it for long, so I learned that even with a pup as smart and willing to learn as Axis, the job's not done just because he understands how to do a certain behavior. It's an ongoing process, always, and once again serves to remind me that; "Training is a lifestyle, not an event" - (Love that one! Thanks Heather!)
Lesson 2: When taking your pup out, after he/she has done their business, stay out for a few minutes and let them sniff, play, romp whatever... (Yes, even when it's cold and snowy!) It will ensure that they don't see eliminating as an end to the fun, and could save you a lot of time and hassle later on. Also might help with the issue of crying peepee wolf. Though I will add that for the most part as long as your pup is getting enough exercise and walks outside during the day they should be fairly pooped out the rest of the time. (*Pun intended!)
I guess Axis just has extra energy to burn!
If anyone has any questions or house training fiasco's to share, feel free to post in the comment section! I'd love to hear from you!
All the best from our little pack!
P.S. - If your puppy is teething like my little man is right now, try a wet rolled up face cloth in the freezer for a few hours... He just loves that thing, it's very soothing on the gums :o)
Here's a video of some trick training that we've been doing over the last couple months... (Let me know what you think!)
House training 101:
House training doesn't have to be as hard as it's chalked up to be. With a few simple techniques, you can make this transition smooth for both you and your new pup. Your best friend with house training will be to setup up a routine. Have a schedule with your pup and always know when they have eaten and drank last so you can take them out accordingly. Always take them out soon after meals and drinking, very first thing in the morning, directly after a nap, and also right after a play session. These are times when it is almost a guarantee that your pup will have to go. Start with rewarding them every time they go outside and give them lots of praise. Always make sure they are in your sight when inside or, if they can't be, then the crate is your second best friend. (There is a lot of information on the web about proper ways to crate train). If you don't give them the chance to mess up in the house your chances of speedy success will sky rocket!
While house training Axis, I ran into a couple unforeseen problems which could be somewhat related. The mistake I believe I made was; when bringing him out for a pee, I immediately came right back in the house. He quickly realized this and started delaying the process so he could sniff around and romp in the snow. Soon I was having to stand there for 10 minutes in the freezing st. john's weather waiting for him to pee.
The other thing that happened; he started to go to the door even when he didn't have to pee just to go outside and have a sniff around. So it became this game for me to predict weather he actually had to go or if he was just crying wolf... It happened a couple times then, that I was sure he didn't have to pee because he had just gone, but as it turns out, he did.
Now, at these times, instead of squatting to pee like normal he would just kinda walk around and tinkle... Then I would come by not too long after and find a dotted squiggly line of dribble on the floor... I.e. He learned that I couldn't see him when he did it this way and got away with it, thus opening a can of worms where he would do this on occasion. So, I had to go back to the basics and even though he does go to the door to alert me when he needs to go, I went back to letting him out whenever I thought he even might have to go, and rewarding with treats each successful time.
Lesson 1: I realized I got complacent after he was successfully going to the door for a couple weeks and took for granted that my job with house training was mostly done... after all, he was going to the door to alert me when he needed to go, that means he's house trained, right? Well, not really. He's still very young and does not have the muscle capacity needed to hold it for long, so I learned that even with a pup as smart and willing to learn as Axis, the job's not done just because he understands how to do a certain behavior. It's an ongoing process, always, and once again serves to remind me that; "Training is a lifestyle, not an event" - (Love that one! Thanks Heather!)
Lesson 2: When taking your pup out, after he/she has done their business, stay out for a few minutes and let them sniff, play, romp whatever... (Yes, even when it's cold and snowy!) It will ensure that they don't see eliminating as an end to the fun, and could save you a lot of time and hassle later on. Also might help with the issue of crying peepee wolf. Though I will add that for the most part as long as your pup is getting enough exercise and walks outside during the day they should be fairly pooped out the rest of the time. (*Pun intended!)
I guess Axis just has extra energy to burn!
If anyone has any questions or house training fiasco's to share, feel free to post in the comment section! I'd love to hear from you!
All the best from our little pack!
P.S. - If your puppy is teething like my little man is right now, try a wet rolled up face cloth in the freezer for a few hours... He just loves that thing, it's very soothing on the gums :o)
Friday, December 17, 2010
Home Again Home Again Jigity Jig!
Back in St. John's... and they call BC the wet coast! It's been raining here ever since I got back and forcast calls for rain, rain, rain.Well, at least it's not a frozen wasteland... yet!
I found out that Axis doesn't much like getting wet. He knows how to get back around to the door now so as soon as he's done his business he heads straight for it ;o) In terms of house training, it's going pretty well so far. Day 3 and he's figured out that outside = pee, now we just have to connect the dots so that inside doesn't = pee! Although as I write this he has actually whined twice when he needed to go so things are looking good. I haven't got much sleep lately however, he usually has to go out every 2-3 hours and is awake 2-3 times per night, I'm hoping he'll sleep through soon enough.
It seems he bonded well with Raina on their flight home, having been put in a kennel together and for an unexpected extended period... I got home to St. John's after all day in transit from Victoria, greeted my family and promptly made my way to the over-sized baggage area to collect my pooches, only to find out that they hadn't made my connecting flight! The two dogs were in Montreal and wouldn't be able to make it back to me until the following night! I was so choked up and feeling completely helpless, I couldn't believe Westjet would misplace my dogs. I mean, lose my luggage somewhere that's one thing, I wouldn't have been too upset (or surprised) but my DOGS?!
Anyway I wont get into all the details, however as compensation Westjet fully refunded my return ticket as well as giving me a $250 travel credit. The least they could do as far as I'm concerned, though I'll never again trust that baggage handlers are competent enough to do their job properly. My suggestion to anyone flying with pets in the cargo is to make sure that plane doesn't leave the ground until you have radio confirmation that your animals have made it safely on board.
All in all though they seem no worse for the ware and save from being filled with energy (and pee!) they showed no signs of stress. I think it was good that they were together for such an ordeal.
So, having no return ticket, I've decided to stay in Newfoundland for the next couple of months. I start my course again first week in May in Victoria so I'll probably head back that way around April. In the meantime if anyone is looking for training in the St. John's area after the new year, feel free to email me or pass on my info to a friend.
Oh yeah, a little tip for the holidays; if you or anyone you know is planing to give a dog as a Christmas gift this year, I suggest making sure the recipient is ready, willing and able to handle the responsibilities of such a commitment. I know that the feeling of surprising a loved one on Christmas morning with a floppy eared, waggy tail puppy is attractive, but please, think of the needs of the dog as well as your own. Many people who receive dogs as gifts are not ready or not yet educated enough about dog behavior & psychology to take on the whole package of living with and caring for a dog. As a result dogs can end up with many types of problem behaviors, bad habits, aggression issues or worse they could eventually end up in a shelter.
Often times people choose a dog based on their look or breed without doing the proper research and as a result, find that their adorable pup turns out to be more than they bargained for. Please be responsible and make sure that if a dog is the right holiday gift, take into consideration the energy level of both the human and the dog to find the best match for both!
Consider adopting from a local shelter as there are many animals who are in need of loving homes. A great idea for a Christmas morning surprise is a fancy home made card with an "IOU 1 lovable shelter puppy!" or "Invitation to a shelter adoption date!". That way you could both go together and know for sure your getting the best match.
All the best holiday wishes to you and yours!
~Louise, Raina & Axis
I found out that Axis doesn't much like getting wet. He knows how to get back around to the door now so as soon as he's done his business he heads straight for it ;o) In terms of house training, it's going pretty well so far. Day 3 and he's figured out that outside = pee, now we just have to connect the dots so that inside doesn't = pee! Although as I write this he has actually whined twice when he needed to go so things are looking good. I haven't got much sleep lately however, he usually has to go out every 2-3 hours and is awake 2-3 times per night, I'm hoping he'll sleep through soon enough.
Here he is at 6 weeks!
It seems he bonded well with Raina on their flight home, having been put in a kennel together and for an unexpected extended period... I got home to St. John's after all day in transit from Victoria, greeted my family and promptly made my way to the over-sized baggage area to collect my pooches, only to find out that they hadn't made my connecting flight! The two dogs were in Montreal and wouldn't be able to make it back to me until the following night! I was so choked up and feeling completely helpless, I couldn't believe Westjet would misplace my dogs. I mean, lose my luggage somewhere that's one thing, I wouldn't have been too upset (or surprised) but my DOGS?!
Anyway I wont get into all the details, however as compensation Westjet fully refunded my return ticket as well as giving me a $250 travel credit. The least they could do as far as I'm concerned, though I'll never again trust that baggage handlers are competent enough to do their job properly. My suggestion to anyone flying with pets in the cargo is to make sure that plane doesn't leave the ground until you have radio confirmation that your animals have made it safely on board.
All in all though they seem no worse for the ware and save from being filled with energy (and pee!) they showed no signs of stress. I think it was good that they were together for such an ordeal.
So, having no return ticket, I've decided to stay in Newfoundland for the next couple of months. I start my course again first week in May in Victoria so I'll probably head back that way around April. In the meantime if anyone is looking for training in the St. John's area after the new year, feel free to email me or pass on my info to a friend.
Oh yeah, a little tip for the holidays; if you or anyone you know is planing to give a dog as a Christmas gift this year, I suggest making sure the recipient is ready, willing and able to handle the responsibilities of such a commitment. I know that the feeling of surprising a loved one on Christmas morning with a floppy eared, waggy tail puppy is attractive, but please, think of the needs of the dog as well as your own. Many people who receive dogs as gifts are not ready or not yet educated enough about dog behavior & psychology to take on the whole package of living with and caring for a dog. As a result dogs can end up with many types of problem behaviors, bad habits, aggression issues or worse they could eventually end up in a shelter.
Often times people choose a dog based on their look or breed without doing the proper research and as a result, find that their adorable pup turns out to be more than they bargained for. Please be responsible and make sure that if a dog is the right holiday gift, take into consideration the energy level of both the human and the dog to find the best match for both!
Consider adopting from a local shelter as there are many animals who are in need of loving homes. A great idea for a Christmas morning surprise is a fancy home made card with an "IOU 1 lovable shelter puppy!" or "Invitation to a shelter adoption date!". That way you could both go together and know for sure your getting the best match.
All the best holiday wishes to you and yours!
~Louise, Raina & Axis
Merry Christmas!
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