Its A Dog’s Life…A Diary of Dogs On Their Last Chance and Me…

October 12, 2009This is Brandi, an Aussie shepherd and spaniel mix.  I would bet a few other breeds are mixed in there as well, so she’s an all American Mixed Breed in my book.   I adore her strangely goth like scarlet streaks down her back, like she is growing out an ill thought out mohawk.   She was turned into the shelter because when a group of boys were busy hitting her over the head with 2 x 4’s and sticks she bit one of them.  She will not be adoptable until it can be a guaranteed as can be, that she won’t go on a boy biting and munching rampage…which is where I come in, I’m her person.  The person responsible to train and handle her and I’m a little overwhelmed by that!

Since Operation New Beginnings came to a close, I’ve been busy researching and prepping for future dog training.  I knew after all those months spent in the company of such amazing creatures, that this was something that would remain a part of my life.  But, I wanted to know more than just “Gosh, I just love dogs!”.  Anyone who has read a training book on dogs can tell you, very few authors agree on how exactly to train a dog.  One person will tell you to only train with positive re-enforcement, another will regal the use of throw chains and the use of surprise and fear…I’m quickly realizing its not the dog who is trained, but the trainer.  And the trainer must find a way to reach the dog in a way that is comfortable for them and their world view…the person that is.  :)

Today was the first real training day Brandi and I had.  We worked with basic concepts that will be re-enforced each day this week ; sit, zen, and the basic understanding that I’m the leader.  She showed surprising intelligence and eagerness to please me.  This could be for many reasons, more than likely because I had a pocketful of chopped hotdogs and was also giving her my undivided attention…it may not go as well tomorrow.  She showed little or no interest in fetching balls or a frisbee, which will lead me to trying more toys that might serve as positive re-enforcement for behavior.

Training dogs in a shelter environment is more difficult than I could imagine; the world of the yard and the kennels are night and day.  Brandi is an attentive and loving dog in the training yard, inside its like death row…  Dogs throwing themselves against the fencing and barking…growling…biting at every chance availed to them.  I know its not that they’re bad dogs or hopeless, they instead have too much energy, no work, and so much time on their hands as to make them nutty.

Brandi is scared of linoleum…she smiles when she doesn’t think you’re watching…I’m hoping Zen ‘leave it’ training will take care of her biting issue or maybe there isn’t even an issue, just a bad history and one she’d like to forget…

October 13, 2009

Brandi the little girl who knows how to sit!

Day 2 was wonderful in almost all respects.  She has proven she not only knows the command ’sit’ like she’s known it all her life, she sat 90% of the time with no word from me, just a hand signal (I raise my the index finger of my right hand).  She also of her own volition would sit on my left side whenever I stopped moving during our walk about.  We’re having a few issues with the down position, which at this stage of the game could be due to a stubborn nature or even slight hip issues…I know so little of her I think this will be something to study further.  I’ve resorted to practicing the command by requiring her to crawl under my bent knee (while I’m seated on the ground) to get a treat.

The big foundation command we’re working on (and she’s excelling at I might add) is ‘zen’ leading to ‘leave it’.  I feel strongly that this might be the answer to her love of eating little boys if that actually is a real issue for her.  Once I can get her to consistently leave treats for extended periods of training time, I’ll begin to expose her to children at a distance.  There is a school a few blocks away and we’ll work on walking near there (never close for it to be a threat to her or them) and building both confidence in her and  and indifference to them, continuing to keep her attention on me and her walk.  I can already say, that whomever is lucky enough to adopt her will be blessed with a pleasing, loving, and intelligent companion.

October 17, 2009

Brandi has made huge strides in the last few days, so much so she is officially *drum roll* on the adoptable list.  If I were to hazard some guesses on this sweet dog it would be these:

1.  She was never really an aggressive dog or a biter (so to speak) but instead in a very isolated event, (i.e. being beaten about the head with 2 x4’s held in the hands of grubby little boys) chose to defend herself and bit one of them.  The ignorant parents then punished the wrong creature, frankly it was the little rotten boys who should have ended up at the pound!  So, there really wasn’t anything to help her work past, she was simply giving into a natural urge to survive.

2.  Her overly excitable and somewhat destructive tendencies at the shelter (eating her bed and throwing herself at the gate of her kennel) were more a cry for exercise of both body and brain.  With just a few training exercises and romps about the training yard she was a much calmer and polite youngling.  This has continued all this week too.

3.  She is a very intelligent dog who desperately wants a job!  Since she’s on the adoptable list as a rehabilitated and ready for a forever family dog, I’ve no idea how much longer we’ll have together.  But, while we still have days and such, I’ll continue her basic training; making the stay and leave more challenging and may introduce a new exercise later this week, the paper plate recall exercise.

http://cynography.blogspot.com/2009/10/paper-plate-recall-basics.html

November 1, 2009

I apologize for the lack of updating on this page, my DH came home on leave from Iraq and I’ve been a bit busy with all that!  But, he has met Brandi, in fact he’s been coming with me every day to handle and train with Brandi.  We had a major breakthrough with her last Tuesday…she initiated play with us!  I had bought her a rope bone a while back and she brought it to us and we played a rousing game of fetch.  I can’t express how great it was to see her relax enough and trust enough to play.  She waggled her backside and actually frolicked.  This is a huge change from the rather serious lass who walked by my side and embraced training.  Don’t get me wrong, she is still doing so well at the training but now we can have play breaks that are actually filled with play.

I absolutely can’t wait for her to find her forever family.  Both hubby and I have fallen in love with her, but remind ourselves we are but links in the chain…part of the journey to get her to her home.

Tomorrow we begin heel with her.  We purchased her a harness, as we have become concerned with the fear she shows with a standard break away collar and leash for walking.  Her behavior turns to a most frightened and anxious dog in a split second.  We have worked on this through out the last week and are convinced that perhaps her last owners not only beat her with boards, but may have leashed her prior to punishing her.

As of 11/14/09 Brandi has been adopted!  My heart is so full of happiness for her and her new life!

Miss Daisy

This is Daisy.  She’s an 8 month old gal, who is part Border Collie and Heeler.  She was purchased by a family when she was 8 weeks old and promptly put in the yard for the next 8 months.  She had little if any human contact, absolutely no training, and was said to be completely unmanageable by the people who turned her in.  Now, I find her incredibly smart, eager to please and about as loving a creature a person could ask for.

Monday was our first training day and it went quite well.  She was so excited to have the attention of a single person, we got little or no lessons in…or so I thought.  Come Tuesday afternoon and she showed me she knew her sit like she had been taking commands since she was a wee pup.  Just 30 minutes and she got it, 80% + of the time.  She also walks on a leash like a dream.

As for personality, she has it in spades!  How lucky I ma to spend my days with such noble creatures, such wonderful souls.

St. Francis Assisi’s Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.