Tag Archives: puppy

Care and Feeding of Canine Companions, Dog Training, Dogs, Padfoot

Padfoot: First Steps

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Have you ever looked at those lists of dog breeds, the ones that tell you the which breeds have the most of certain characteristics? It you look at lists for “most intelligent,” “most loyal,” and “most willful/independent/stubborn” you’ll see the same breeds. And most of those breeds ended up in Padfoot’s DNA. 

Please note: anything I say about dogs and dog training is my opinion, based of thirty years with street urchins I have loved. I don’t claim to be a master dog trainer. Anyway, in my experience, the more intelligent a dog is, the less “do it because I say so” will work once they reach adolescence. And the smarter a dog is, the more they are likely to rebel at dominance oriented training and the more you need to build respect. 

Think about every movie you’ve ever seen where the well-meaning do-gooder attempts to help the kid living on the streets. The kid doesn’t trust anyone but himself, lacks discipline, and has little appreciation for structure. If you want to address reactivity, jumpiness, mouthiness and pretty much anything else, it’s essential to get them to accept your leadership. Getting there requires baby steps. 

Core to teaching your dog to control their impulses are Sit, Down, and Stay. Use plenty of praise and treats in a quiet setting with no distractions. (Padfoot picked up Sit in about 5 seconds. Down requires submission and was much harder for him. Stay was impossible. I would tell him to “Stay,” and he thought it meant “Dance.” I gave up and started over with “Freeze,” and that works for us.)

Once they have mastered these commands and understand that good things happen when they listen to you, start using them in your daily routine. Ask them to Sit at the door before you open it, or when friends approach (getting in front of their impulse so they don’t jump). Tell them to Stay while you set their dinner down several feet away, and pick the bowl up if they move before you release them (don’t make them wait too long. 10 seconds is enough to get the point across). 

The more they want what is on the other side (getting to go outside, getting to eat, etc.) the more motivated they will be to listen to you. And the more they listen to you, the more they will listen to you when they encounter distractions or triggers. Progress is only ever by degrees. It’s often one step forward and two back, so mark and celebrate all the tiny wins.

I know this sounds very remedial, and it is. It’s also the path of least resistance to building trust, and it’s so easy to forget basics when you are dealing with the chaos an undisciplined dog creates.

I mentioned my arsenal of aversives earlier, and they are another important tool. I’ll talk more about them next month.

Care and Feeding of Canine Companions, Dog Rescue/Shelter, Dogs

Catching Up: Circle of Life

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For the past several years I have been using my newsletter as my primary means of communication. Changes in technology mean newsletters are often filtered out or buried in tabs, and a number of long-time readers have complained that they are not hearing from me. All this means it’s time to revitalize my blog.

While my newsletters will continue to provide unique content, going forward I will post my biggest stories here. Much has happened in my dog life over the past few years. July, 2023, Gypsy was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Taking her leg gave us a year. Over the next week I will catch you up, starting with October, 2024, posted below:

I lost Gypsy shortly before her ninth birthday. It hurts to write this. It hurts to think about it. Her cancer came roaring back and she was in such distress the only thing I could do was let her go.

Mixed with grief is the sense of failure. I suspect everyone who reads this newsletter knows what I’m talking about. All the If Onlys and the Did I Do The Right Thing? and Did I Try Hard Enough?

The horrible truth is, no matter what decision we make we will second guess ourselves. Either we let them go too soon or we needlessly subject them to pain.

I loved all my dogs, but Gypsy is the one I carried strapped to my chest when she was a puupy. She was the canine version of my inner child with all her quirks and insecurities. And after years of agility, she was a partner more than a pet.

I said goodbye. for the first time in more than 8 years I locked the dog door. I swept dog hair out of the corners. I dismantled the giant beanbag I got to keep her company on the floor since she couldn’t get up on the bed anymore. I put away her things. For the first time in this century I was dogless.

I’d had a year to think about what I would do if I lost her. She left a hole so big I had nothing to give another dog and I was exhausted from all the ups and downs. I decided no dog for a year, to give myself a chance to reset. I thought about all the things I was now free to do without the responsibility of a pet. I thought I might travel.

For months I’d had in the back of my head that if I lost Gysy I would volunteer at Cincinnati Animal CARE, the organization that took over the shelter here in Northside 4 years ago. They are a no-kill shelter with an army of volunteers and an amazing array of programs designed to facillitate happy outcomes.

CARE dogs get walks and play groups and enrichment treats and even day trips. CARE provides support to assist with behavioral issues to ensure successful adoptions. Between two facilities they house 300 dogs and 100 cats, with another 200 dogs in foster care.

CARE is next to Wesleyen Cemetery, Gypsy’s happy place. I’d seen the parade of volunteers walking dogs down Colerain Avenue for years. I thought, “I can at least walk dogs.”

To be a dog walker I first had to go through volunteer orientation. Then I had to complete online training modules. then I had to have in person training about dog walking protocols.

Each walker gets a fanny pack with poop bags, treats, compressed air pet corrector, and an air horn. Walking routes are set up to keep the peace with neighbors.

Finally we were led to the gazebo where walkers congregate. Then the walk coordinator brought out this guy.

Stay Tuned.