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Posted on January 30, 2010
What do these three dogs have in common?
They are black, they have been rescue dogs and they have been adopted!
For some reason (unknown to me) black dogs are harder to adopt out than dogs of other colors. It almost seems a little racist to me. But whatever the reason, if you are planning on adopting a dog please don’t make the mistake of (consciously or unconsciously) disregarding the black dogs. Because a good dog ain’t a bad color!
Tomorrow, on Sunday (January 31st, 2010) the Pott. County Humane Society is taking all of their black dogs to the local Petco in Manhattan, KS. Go and fall in love with them! My little black dog is the best I could have EVER asked for!
Posted on January 29, 2010
Yesterday, Mac, Maize and I met a couple of friends and their dogs at the local dog park. Usually it is a pretty nice playtime between our dogs, since they know each other and this cold weather does not draw too many other dog owners out there. This time, though, I had Maize, who is new to our pack and stirred up the group a little bit. Then there was a lady with a 3-months-old puppy getting everyone riled up and getting himself tossed on the ground whining every few seconds. Another friend of mine is very considerate by keeping her young dog out of the dog park, because she knows very well how much he harrasses other dogs and gets in trouble for it.
So I was thinking about dog park manners and when not to take your dogs there and remembered a nice little write up the association of pet dog trainers (APDT) did on their website. Here are a few important ones:
DO NOT:
- ever bring a dog that is under 4 months of age
- bring or use treats when other dogs are nearby (tough one for myself)
- allow a dog to bully another
- bring intact males or females in estrus to the park
- spend your time talking on a cell phone – supervise your dog!
DO:
- make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations
- supervise your dog when they are playing and interrupt any rough play
- be willing to leave a dog park if you feel that your dog is either being a bully, the play is getting too rough or your dog is just not having fun
- make sure your young dog is not being bullied or learning bad manners from the other dogs
And I love this last one: Be cautious about taking advice from other park patrons who are not dog professionals! 
Do your own research!
Read the whole article here.
And a book on the topic that has been highly recommended to me is Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety & Fun by Robin Bennett. I bought it once as a gift and only got to flip through it once, but I think now is the time that I need to get a copy for myself!
So, be safe and have a fun weekend with your pups!
Posted on January 28, 2010
And we got the next foster at home. Because we don’t waste any time. And this time, there is no new home on the horizon, yet, so I get to introduce her properly.
Maize is a german shepherd mix and I’m guessing 1-2 years old. She is such a sweetheart. A total people dog, but one that loves other dogs, too. She is about as active as Mac, so those two wear each other out without wearing me out I haven’t found any quirks, yet. But I also have to admit I’ve only had her for two days. But so far, she would be an adoption candidate for our family, too.
Anyway, I know you want to see pictures. Here she is!
And please don’t judge my polaroid skills, I am just starting out. And I can tell you one thing, Polaroid cameras and moving animals are not a good combination! At least not when they are as hyper as my two guys here. Whenever I move they move, no matter if they have been fast asleep just a second ago.
Posted on January 27, 2010
Okay, all of you who live in and around Manhattan, I need your help!
I am in touch with some people who are planning to build a dog park in Manhattan. And it could already happen THIS year! The only problem are some people who cannot decide on a location. And that is where I need your help: There is a great location at the Cico Park (off Kimball Ave.). The ball park there is not being used anymore and would provide a great area for a dog park. It already has fencing, bathroom, parking lots, irrigation, a playground, picnic shelters and lighting (for night fun!). Plus, the pool nearby is being redone this year as well, so this could turn into a great area for families!
Now I need the voices of people who want this park there, too! Especially you guys who live close to this area (Northview area, and anything west of Tuttle Creek Blvd.). If you want to help to get this done asap, comment below this post with your email address (which will not be published) or email me directly to nadja@modernmuttshots.com! We could have sooo much fun!
Posted on January 26, 2010
As promised last Tuesday I will give you my personal two cents on the dog baking book I purchased recently.
I have to say, the journey started out a little rocky. I had checked out a friends book before and tried some recipes from magazines like The Bark and Modern Dog. So I had things like oat flour and rolled oats already handy. What I had to find out, though, was that this book uses loads of oat and wheat germ and basically no oat flour and rolled oats. So for me it felt like I kept looking and looking and their was nothing i could find to bake right away with what I had in the house. So I got a little annoyed, because I’m impatient like that. After that first little annoyance I just decided to substitue. I think it works just as good. Long story short: to save yoursekf the trouble I had, I advise you to read the introduction before you start baking and stock your pantry with a few basic items that will last you for quite a while! Easy as that. I wish I wouldn’t be so impatient.
Anyway, my initial reason for buying THIS book was that it promised to include a few recipes for training treats. You might know my love for Zuke’s, but I always look for a way to mix things up and why not try to save some money that way, too. So the first thing I baked were Salmon Cheese Treats. And you know what? If I don’t bake any other treat out of this book, I think those alone made it worth the $10 I paid. Or at least my husband would say so. Because it saves him from spending lots and lots of money on my beloved training treats. (And please nobody tell him that this saved money will now go to more rawhides!) Admittedly, the salmon isn’t the cheapest ingredient, but you are supposed to use the canned one, so I would say one whole batch of these treats cost me about $4, depending on where you shop. And it filled a quart-sized ziploc bag. And I mean it FILLED it! Maybe one day I’ll sit down and count the treats one batch makes and compare them to the amount of treats I get in the store bought bags… but not today.
Here is where I’m going with all this. All in all I am pretty happy because it is the first home made treat I found that is small, moist and chewy. Perfect for training. Because in all reality, I’m not one who gives cookie after cookie to my dogs. I enjoy to bake them. I enjoy to bake, period. And then since I’ve already baked them I decide to use them to fill kongs and similar toys. But that is about the extend of it. What I need is training treats. Small and LOTS of them.
And you know what, even if it doesn’t compare to the inexpensive treat you get in every grocery store, at least I know what’s in them. And not only that, the book also gives me nutrition tips along the way, and I like to learn.
Wasn’t that an insightful review?
I’m sorry!
Really!
“Super important edit: Christi added that many commercial chicken stock contain onion, which are toxic for dogs! Homemade chicken stock is pretty easy (and dogs love it frozen into ice cubes), she said. I have not, yet, made any treats with chicken broth, but this book actually does contain a few recipes that call for it. So stay alert and know what your dog can and can’t eat!*
Posted on January 24, 2010
I really wanted to introduce our new foster, Josie, to you this weekend. But it looks like she has already a new home lined up for her. Good for Josie… and we will just wait for the next foster to brag about
Posted on January 22, 2010
Your dog only does what you tell him to do the third or fourth time you ask? Or does he, on some days, decide to forget what “come” means, altogether? You might say he’s stubborn, but I really like what agility trainer Silvia Trkman says: “If something goes wrong, always remember it’s your fault, caused either by your training or handling.”
Laurie Luck, from the Smart Dog University, kindly allowed me to use some of her tips and tricks for this blog. In a past newsletter of hers she outlined five solutions to solving the “stubborn dog” problem. Because in most, if not al, cases your dog is not stubborn!
Solution 1: Your dog doesn’t really know the behavior!
Give your dog the cue while you:
Wear sunglasses.
Sit on the floor.
Whisper the word.
Shout the word.
Stand sideways.
Bounce a ball.
Say the word in a “character voice.”
Exchange your normal cue for a word that sounds similar. (Say Pit instead of Sit).
If your dog can’t get the behavior right, guess what. He doesn’t really know the behavior! Go back to basics and start teaching the behavior again, from the beginning, working those variables in the list above into your training.
Solution 2: Your dog wasn’t taught in the location you are asking him now!
Dogs are contextual learners. If you teach them in the kitchen, they know the behavior in the kitchen. But they don’t necessarily transfer that knowledge to the living room. Teach your dog to do behaviors everywhere you need him to do those behaviors.
Solution 3: Your dog doesn’t know how to deal with distractions!
A dog who sits beautifully at the door is nice. A dog who sits beautifully at the door after the doorbell rings is a gem! Distractions are anything the dog notices. Distractions can be visual (the dog across the street), auditory (the doorbell ringing), olfactory (another dog’s scent), or any combination of the above.
The key to working with distractions is to introduce them at a level that the dog can perceive, but that isn’t overwhelming for the dog. For instance, if I wereintroducing the doorbell into my sit training, I might have a neighbor ring the doorbell at 30?second intervals while I’m upstairs with my dog in the bathroom.
I’m far enough away from the distraction (the ringing doorbell) that hopefully the dog can work through it and will be able to sit. Once my dog has mastered sitting at a distance from the distracting doorbell, I’ll move him closer to the distraction; maybe into the hallway upstairs. Systematically, I’ll be able to move closer and closer to the ringing doorbell, and my dog will be able to sit despite the distraction.
Solution 4: The behavior doesn’t pay off!
Dogs know what works. They do what works. They know what doesn’t work. They don’t do what doesn’t work. Your job is to make sure that doing what you want the dog to do works for your dog. What this means is that you need to look at every situation from the dog’s perspective.
For instance: the dog is outside guarding the yard against the neighborhood squirrels. He’s got them all treed and is now on sentry duty, making sure none of those squirrels touch the ground. You need to run some errands so you call your dog inside to put him in his crate. What’s the dog’s perspective? He sees the car keys in your hand, he knows that means you’re leaving. His choices are: (1) come inside and get put into the crate for who?knows?how?long or (2) remain on sentry duty and patrol the yard. Which choice wins, in your dog’s mind? It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out! So what’s an owner to do? Make it worthwhile for your dog to come indoors, of course! When he comes inside, give him some prime treats – leftover chicken from last night’s dinner maybe. Play his favorite game for two minutes. Give him a fantastic stuffed food toy in his crate as you leave. Those three things far outweigh squirrel sentry duty in most dog’s minds.
Solution 5: Overwhelmed Syndrome
Too many dogs are labeled stubborn when in reality they are shut down. The situation or the circumstances overwhelm the dog and they cannot think. They cannot comply. What exactly does “shut down” look like? The dog doesn’t respond to your requests. He may not even respond to his name.
Want to see if your dog is overwhelmed? Completely remove him from the situation. Give him a few minutes to adjust and then give a simple request. Can he do it? If so, he was most likely overwhelmed in the situation you just removed him from. What this means is your dog needs more practice and less pressure in situations like that one. Next time, either let him observe the situation from farther away or don’t expect anything from him if you must place him in that overwhelming situation.
If you want more tips, make sure to sign up for Lauries monthly newsletter “Your Smart Dog”!
Posted on January 20, 2010
Tired of cold, muddy feet? I hear ya! With all this nastiness outside we like to sit by the fire, eat chili and play find it. But the lack of warm sunrays and green leaves does not have to mean a lack of pretty pictures. Memorable portraits can be taken just as well inside in your home, where you pet is the most comfortable anyway. And for just this reason, I am offering a special discounted session all through February!
Check out the Winter Special and email me for more information!
Posted on January 19, 2010
Last weekend we had a game night of a different kind. This one included our dogs as well. One of our friends brought over “Do you mind?“, a simple dice game for people and dogs.
“Do you mind?” is one of several dog (and cat) games by darf inc. In this one you roll the die and pick the appropriate card which is going to tell you a task you have to fulfil with your dog. The tasks go from easy, like “sit” to hard, like “retrieve a toy and place it into your arms shaped like a hoop”. We played it with four people and four dogs and had lots of fun. The dogs stayed entertained, trained their brains and went to sleep right after the party
I could actually also see it as a little help in training your dog. First of all, the game comes with a set of tips for how to get your dog to do certain things. But also, I would just pick a card a day, or maybe a card per week, to get new ideas of what to train my dog. And lastly, we got the idea to make our own cards with even harder tasks for the agility dog, for example.
So all in all, I would definitely recommend it. If I remember right my friend bought it at cheengoo.com, but darf’s website lists more sellers, locally and on the web.
*stay tuned for next tuesday when I’ll give you my two cents on the new dog buiscuit baking book I just bough*
Posted on January 18, 2010
Our recent foster dog, Bella, left us today to go to her forever home. Sad for me and Mac, super awesome for Bella! I’m stoked for her to finally get her very own person to pet and love on her all day long. Email us sometime, Bella, we will miss you! Here are a few pics to remember her.
