We won an award! And ‘window film’…

First of all, Boogie’s blog won an Inspiration Award!  Thank you so much to Pamela of The Something Waggin This Way Comes. I feel humbled by this award because I don’t consider myself a “good blogger”. I post infrequently, and I don’t follow many blogs (except the training/behavior ones because I’m such a nerd)  so I always feel a bit out of the doggie blogosphere loop.

Several weeks ago, I said I was going to cover my windows with ‘privacy film’ to manage Boogie’s reactivity at the window. Well, the roll of film arrived this week and this morning I started sticking the pieces to my window panels. In the photo below, the film has just been freshly applied to the glass with soapy water, hence the splotchiness and air bubbles. I still need to work that squeegy.

They say on the instruction sheet that it takes a few days for the film to dry completely, after which it should look smooth and clean like the photo on this page.  I hope so!

The film lets light in, but you can’t see a thing out of it.

And here is what it looks like from the outside (with Boogie at the window).

So…Does it work? As I am typing up this blog post, I can hear the mailman outside…

Boogie barked once, and ran to the window, then stopped and let out a whimper. He is now back in his bed.

Next blog post: Notes from The Culture Clash byJean Donaldson. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to read this book!

Doggie Language, and a very funny book

Have I posted this before?

I have drawn several “dog body language” illustrations, but my Boogie Doggie Language version is the largest one, and available for FREE download!  This has also been translated to Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Thai, … more languages coming soon.

***EDIT TO ADD: http://www.thebalancedcanine.com/canine-language/  – reading body language in context!

Recently I started reading How To Raise A Jewish Dog.

This is not a dog training book, it’s supposed to be filed in the HUMOR category and OMG, it’s hilarious.

Amazon Link

This book is a parody of the Monks of New Skete book (haven’t read, no interest in reading) and the authors say you don’t have to be Jewish or want to be Jewish to follow this program, which is not about training or rewards or punishments, but about “solving problems together”.  Techniques include Praising Dog to Other People, Guilting (in private), Situational Matyrdom, Pampering, and Use of Subtext. Ha.

Pages for your amusement:

“Enlightened Acceptance” happens too frequently in this household

Pet Blogger Challenge

I saw this on willmydoghateme.com and well, why not?

Challenge Questions #1: For bloggers who haven’t participated before

1. When did you begin your blog?

Boogie’s blog began on Myspace back in the day when people used Myspace. That was four years ago when I adopted him.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

- To share with friends what I was learning about Boogie
- To show off cute photos
- To get ‘parenting feedback’

(I also had blogs for the dogs that I fostered before Boogie – see the links column on the right, scroll down)

3. Is your current purpose the same? If not, what’s different?

Yes, and more.

- This blog is now also a means for me to keep a record of Boogie’s training experiences, vet visits and other parenting challenges.
- to share what I am learning about dog behavior from our trainer, from books and the internet
- to showcase my Boogie drawings and generate interest in my dog illustrations (www.doggiedrawings.net)

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

As the spirit moves me.

If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)?

No. I either have something to blog about or I don’t.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

No.

If not currently, do you hope to in the future — and how?

I would like to but I don’t think I can run third-party ads in a WordPress.com (vs. a self-hosted) blog…. and it seems like too overwhelming a task to move everything over a self-hosted blog. If only someone else could do this for me   BTW, I am not prepared to run ads just for the sake of making $. They have to be relevant…

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?

I like blogging on Boogie’s blog because I can be as much of a dog nerd as I’d like to be. I can be as obssessive as I like and share anything dog/Boogie-related without shame. It’s always nice to get new subscribers and comments

I’d like to think that Boogie’s blog is fun and unique because it comes with drawings of a blue-eyed boston terrier that you don’t see anywhere else. Well, that, and  I love drawing my dog.

P.S.  I have other blogs for non dog-related stuff.

7. What do you like least?

The layout and appearance. I wish I knew how to code.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012?

- I would like to integrate this blog with my other Boogie-related sites: the etsy store, the zazzle store, etc.  Perhaps I need to use a different hosting platform or create a new website with a blog attached. When I can afford it, I plan to consult a website professional to help me do this.
- In terms of content, I have no idea! I look forward to new exciting experiences in 2012 = more stuff to blog about!

P.S. As we’re on WordPress.com, I am unable to add the javascript code for the blog hop   GO HERE, scroll down.

National Train Your Dog Month: training resolutions

January is “National Train Your Dog Month” and off the top of my head, I have two training resolutions for the new year. Well, the first one is more of a management issue than a training one.

Problem #1: Barking at people outside my apartment
I have a bunch of new neighbors and Boogie has been barking at all of them, in addition to the regular trespassers (workmen, mailmen etc.) When I call Boogie, he comes away from the window. I usually throw a ball and his attention is diverted for a few seconds. Then he’s back there in a flash, growling, whining, and barking.

I have been telling myself that I can live with this problem … I mean, it’s annoying but it only lasts for less than a minute, he doesn’t carry on for too long .

The problem is that the barking is happening more frequently. It seems to be getting worse.  Dog behavior fact:  this noisy behavior keeps getting reinforced by the people leaving, so he will continue to do it, and it WILL get worse…

Solution #1: Cover the windows
I have just ordered free samples of “privacy film” for my living room windows. Perhaps I’ll stick these on the lower half of the glass windows and Boogie will not be able to see out of them to react. (Thank you, Rewarding Behaviors blog)  I hope my windows won’t look too unattractive… We’ll see.

Solution #2: Counter-Conditioning?  Today I heard the mailman arrive and saw that Boogie was curled up in his bed (not yet aware of the mailman).  I got down to the bed-level and gave Boogie a massage…  lots of petting, stroking, belly rubs and more belly rubs.  He rolled on his back looking all blissed-out. In the background we could both hear the clanging of mailboxes and jingling jangling of keys. I was half-expecting Boogie to spring out of bed, run to the window and go crazy. Well, he didn’t do that. He remained on the bed, relaxed, letting me rub his belly. I stopped when the mailman had moved away from my building.

I wonder -  If I gave Boogie a massage every day at the same time as the mailman’s arrival … would he learn to chill out?

Or did his calmness today have absolutely nothing to do with the mailman?

Very interesting and useful video from Emily Larlham about making sure you have the right “predictor”:

Problem #2: The place is a mess! There are toys everywhere. Every day, Boogie goes to his toy basket, pulls all the toys out of it to get the toy that he wants  and by evening, I am stepping over toys to move around the room. Of course, I pick them up, put them back, and before long, Boogie pulls them all out again. I suppose the easiest solution is for me to not let Boogie have 24/7 access to those toys and keep them out of sight until it’s play time.

OR… Could I teach Boogie to put away his toys?

So far, whenever I offer Boogie a toy to DROP into the toy basket, he does this a few times, then runs off with the toy to chew on it elsewhere. Or somehow, the training session turns into a game of Tug.  It’s as if the ultra exciting combo of clicker + food + TOY gets him way too hyped to stay focused on what we’re doing… Clearly, I need to work on the “Hold” behavior first…

Question: Would I have to do this with every single toy? Will Boogie be able to easily generalize this “cleaning up” process to his gecko, rubber monkey, 2 steaks, 3 corn cobs, 4 tennis balls, little orange ball, red cuz, half-chewed plush animal limbs, blue octopus, pizza frisbee, dumbbell, two bones and plastic chicken?

It’s good to be home; Meeting Miki Saito in Tokyo

I was away from Boogie for almost 3 weeks and it’s so good to be home! I missed my boy!

[photos taken at the vet today. Staph infection all cleared up! ]

While I was away visiting family and friends in Malaysia and Japan, Boogie stayed with my friend Christa in her new house, which has a huge backyard. Christa reported that Boogie LOVED running around in the backyard, and I’m sure the squirrels made things a lot more fun. At first, we were a little worried about the cranky German Shepherd next door, left outside to patrol the fence throughout the day (It sucks when people leave their dogs outside all day!) but then Christa came up with the brilliant idea to cover the entire fence with tarpaulin so that the dogs wouldn’t be able to see each other… and thankfully, there were no issues.

Christa and Butch also celebrated Boogie’s birthday (December 11th) with a Pumpkin Sesame Birthday Cake. What a lucky boy.

When I was in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of meeting dog trainer Miki Saito, who specializes in training blind dogs because her own dog Nono, is blind. I first met Miki online when she translated several of my illustrations to Japanese. (for example – How Not To Greet A Dog in Japanese)

Miki is such a lovely person and we had a great time having lunch, chatting, and walking around Daikanyama and Shibuya. I learned from her that in Japan, Positive Reinforcement training (which is what Miki does) is still extremely rare. Almost all trainers still believe in Dominance methods using force and intimidation, and most owners of blind dogs feel pity for their dogs and think of themselves as being trapped in a tragic situation, when in reality, blind dogs are HAPPY DOGS and have the ability to live, learn and communicate as confidently as sighted dogs.

I remember my foster boston terrier Rocky (RIP). He came to me completely blind and he was the sweetest, smiliest, happiest and smartest boy! He learned to “shake hands” in about TWO MINUTES! (It took Boogie much longer, something like 20 minutes to learn this)

After weeks of staying with me, even though Rocky still had the habit of bumping into furniture, he could locate squeaky tennis balls and treats from ANYWHERE.

According to Miki,  in Japan, most dog owners regard their tiny pups  (most popular breeds: toy poodles, chihuhuas, mini doxies) as accessories rather than as intelligent members of the family. People will gladly spend more money on dog clothing and bling than on training. Well, I think the same thing happens in Hollywood. I suppose most people think of “training” as something you are forced to do when your dog has a problem, rather than as something you would invest in for fun, for bonding, or effective communication…

Well, no post on Japan would be complete without pictures of cool and crazy dog-related stuff.

Princess  and Jack Sparrow outfits, anyone? (!)

And then there were these amazingly cute dog treats from the Green Dog pet store.

These treats are  a gift for Boogie and me…

Thank you, Miki !!! – Lili & Boogie xox

If you are in Japan or know any dog owners in Japan, you can get in touch with Miki Saito via her websites:

www.blinddogtraining.com
www.markandreward.com

Boogie is a DINOS (“Dogs In Need of Space”)

I read an awesome and much needed blog article today! –>  “My Dog Is Friendly!” A Public Service Announcement

 *Update: DINOS/DOGS IN NEED OF SPACE is trademarked. Please refer to the new version of the poster >  “SPACE ETIQUETTE FOR DOGS” if you wish to download and share.

 

I cannot tell you how many times Boogie and I have been approached (or even CHASED) by dogs whose super enthusiastic owners call out: “My dog is friendly!”  Or have MIDFs roll their eyes at me when they insist that their dog is friendly.

Take for example, yesterday at the vet’s office when a lady and her large-sized dog walked in. “My dog is friendly!” she said.

I had Boogie  on my lap, in my arms, and I replied “My dog isn’t”. We remained on opposite sides of the waiting room and there were no incidents. Her dog was laying down turned away; Boogie was at my feet hypnotizing me to take him home.

Several minutes later when the lady wasn’t paying attention and I was busy talking to the vet tech, the dog walked on over and nosed Boogie in the butt. Boogie, who was facing the other way unaware that there was a dog approaching him,  freaked out, turned around and snarled. The dog’s owner called out -  “Sorry! I wasn’t looking”  She pulled her dog away, then said in a very loud high-pitched voice so that the whole room could hear:  “Mommy loves you very much! Even if the other dog doesn’t love you, mommy loves you!”

I tried to explain that Boogie reacted because he was startled by her dog. Another lady in the waiting room offered  some moral support – “The dogs weren’t formally introduced”.

Well,  it was still awkward to be the only person in the room with a growly dog. Suddenly Boogie was made to look like an asshole.

And then there are the MDIFs who – even after I tell them that my dog ISN’T friendly – continue to believe that everything will be OK because their dog is “friendly” or is “good with dogs”. Or that they themselves are god’s gift to dogs, all dogs love them, and I’m just uptight or something.

Sure, Boogie is a sweet and friendly dog, but he is sensitive, extremely discriminating and does not instantly become friends with every dog and person that he meets. Boogie needs some space and time away from the new person/dog at first. If the person/dog is large, he needs even MORE space to make up his mind.

For a long time, before I saw the Turid Rugaas DVD and learned about BAT,  I had no idea that when dogs reacted it was because they needed SPACE (or distance from the trigger). Space, as a functional reward and training tool is so underrated!  I don’t think a lot of people know this. And MDIFs especially, need to know this.

More links:

This DINOS Manifesto  which inspired the illustration above.

The DINOS facebook page.

P.S.  People with DINOS, I recommend Grisha Stewart’s BAT book and BAT DVD (blog review coming later) with my illustrations <— If you order via these links, I get a % of sales.

P.P.S. This is another really good article - Misreading Dogs.

Boogie’s Birthday Wishlist

That’s December 11th, everybody! If you have a Boogie On Scooters calendar, you would know this   In actual fact, nobody knows  Boogie’s real date of birth (nor his real age),  so his birthday is really his adoption day from Boston Buddies Rescue . Boogie will be turning either 7, 8, or 9 years old.

Sadly, I won’t be here for Boogie’s birthday this year. I will be in Malaysia and Boogs will be staying with Christa and Butch.

BOOGIE’s WISHLIST:

1. Dog Bed.
You can never have too many dog beds. I usually buy beds from ROSS, Target, Walgreens etc. because we know what happened to the $100 fancy bed  from 2 years ago. LOVE this B.Pet Bubble Bed… and it can’t be chewed up!

We also love MollyMutt duvet and pillow covers and are disappointed that Sleepypod carrier-beds aren’t made for dogs over 12.5 pounds.

2. Dog Car Seat.
Boogie LOVES car rides and looking out the window. Unfortunately he is only a small dog so he has to stand on his two back legs to reach the window and he will in fact suffer this position for long car rides (with seat belt attached to his harness), which can’t be good for his back joints and is also potentially dangerous. Some sort of secure booster seat for the passenger side (that is easily detachable from the actual car seat) would be ideal. Does anyone know where I can find more attractive versions of THIS SEAT or  THIS SEAT ?  Preferably in red or black so that it matches my car interior. (Hello, Dogmilk? )

3. Nylabone Corn Cob chew toys.
Always. Boogie enjoys toys with either lots of outer texture or inner stuffing.

4. A Blanket ID tag.
I have never liked having lots of jingly jangly tags on Boogie’s collar, so the concept of wearing ONE tag that covers a whole bunch of information that is accessible online really appeals to me. Because I am an “online” kinda dog owner.  Check out blanketID.com 

Boogie says THANK YOU in advance!  xox

More Cephalexin.

Home from another long afternoon at the vet where we spent more time trapped in the waiting room than doing anything else.

It was weirdly stressful today. There were some seriously anxious senior dogs (shaking, panting, drooling) in that tiny waiting room,  a cat in a crate that wouldn’t stop meowing, and the Dog Whisperer Show on TV – that famous 1st season  “flooding” episode with the drooling dog led across slippery floors. And I was getting a glazed-eye look from the woman across from me when I tried to talk to her about BAT … She said her dog has anxiety issues and would bite visitors when their backs were turned.

Boogie, on the other hand, had no anxiety. He was simply very very bored. He had already (very sweetly and politely) introduced himself to every human, dog and cat in the room and nobody was interested in playing with him. He sat by the door and stared at me with big hopeful eyes and a pouty face.

In the end, we came home with more Cephalexin antibiotics. Staph infection again. Second time this year.

I asked Dr. R about atopic dermatitis, atopica cyclosporine (see previous blog post), should Boogie get a bi-weekly vaccination,  should he get allergy-tested, how can we nip this problem in the bud?

Dr. R  asked me about our previous experience of Staph: Did the antibiotics work? Did I see any changes? What percentage improvement did I see?

I told him I saw a significant improvement (about 80-90%) when Boogie was on antibiotics. His skin cleared up and he stopped itching. When he finished the meds, 2 weeks later, the itchies returned.  Dr. R deduced that if the antibiotics worked, then this proves the problem to be primarily Staph, not allergies, and so he was reluctant to settle for the very expensive Atopica medication, which is specifically for atopic dermatitis and does not treat the recurring Staph problem.

I am to bring Boogs back in 2 weeks to check if the Cephalexin is working. If it works, ie, no more itching and skin improves, then this confirms the Staph problem. If Boogie continues to itch, then we may have an allergy or dermatology problem, and I may want to make an appointment with a Skin Specialist in Studio City. I am also to change Boogie’s diet… from now on, only ONE protein.*What am I going to do with the 2-month supply of mixed-protein dog food in my kitchen?

The thing I like about our vet is that he will only administer hardcore expensive vaccinations/medications as a last resort, when we know for sure what exactly we are treating. Even though it’s frustrating, not knowing for sure what is going on…

Atopica Cyclosporine capsules: Has anyone used this?

It’s happening again. Boogie’s itchiness is getting worse in spite of more frequent bathing & skin conditioning and am seeing signs of those crusty white patches that suggest another Staph infection ( See also  this old photo)

Has anyone heard of or used Atopica Cyclosporine with their dogs? A friend’s dog was taking these anti-inflammatory meds for another issue and his itchiness disappeared.

Website: http://www.us.atopica.com/

I am going to talk to our vet about this treatment… I may even consider Allergy Testing… anything but:

1. more antibiotics. These only work when Boogie is on them. The itchiness returns when he finishes the pills.

2. Steroid meds (like prednisone etc). The side effects of increased hunger, thirst and frequent need to pee are horrible.

If you know anything about the Atopica treatment, please share!

*UPDATE: Off to the vet tomorrow…

Zak George, Cesar Millan, Vladae the Dog Wizard.

I had never heard of  Zak George before nor seen his shows even though he has been around for years… *There are Superfetch episodes on instant netflix!

Wow, I really like this guy.

I was chatting with a good friend several weeks ago about Boogie’s training. My friend has a dog that has “resource guarding issues” (barking and snapping at people) and he was sharing with me how hard he found it to give his dog collar corrections as he had been taught to do. I gave my friend a copy of the BAT book and not too eloquently explained to him the difference between the Positive Reinforcement method of changing behavior vs and the old school Corrections approach.  I didn’t do as good a job as Zak George does in the video above.  I really like the way he speaks very eloquently and passionately about his Positive Reinforcement approach.

According to Zak George, in conventional dog training (eg, Cesar Millan), the emphasis is on letting a dog know when he is doing the WRONG THING.  In Zak George’s  style of modern dog training  the emphasis is on letting a dog know when he is doing the RIGHT THING. He notes that this difference in emphasis may seem like a very subtle trivial thing but is in fact a huge paradigm shift in the way we think and relate to dogs.

He also makes a distinction between TEACHING and TRAINING.  He says that in “teaching tricks” he is stimulating the dog’s mind and body and cultivating a relationship with his dogs. The teacher-student relationship is a bonding experience (and yes I can totally relate to this) and the tricks thing is not simply a form of frivolous entertainment. By contrast, a lot of conventional dog training is about making the dog submit to the will of the human – which he says is arrogant and wrong.

And I think he hits the nail on the head here. It’s not so much the correctional tools that are a problem, but the head space from which these methods have developed.

I read “Cesar’s Rules” not so long ago, and interestingly, Cesar Millan refuses to call himself a “dog trainer”  and prefers the term  “Pack Leader” or “Rehabilitator” because I guess he wants to elevate himself above the type of trainers who teach tricks, but he is using conventional dog training methods that have been around for decades AND issuccessfully changing behavior in dogs, which really does make him a dog trainer even though he doesn’t like that job description.

This snapshot is from the Kindle version of  “Cesar’s Rules”:

In this article by Susan Garrett – Punishment: Pros and Cons- she says that aversive punishment works, and while dogs may not seem troubled by it it is usually because there are lots of good things happening at the same time. The problem is that there is fallout and the anxiety may express itself in other ways.

The truth is, a very skilled trainer that has brilliant timing can produce a seemingly happy working dog while using some pretty massive doses of violent positive punishment. One key to this puzzle is that the reinforcement the dog receives from the work is also massively high. This is why large amounts of physical pain may be accepted by some dogs chasing ducks on the pond in comparison to the same dog working in the obedience ring.

I am sure Cesar must use a lot of positive reinforcement in real life (off screen)  but unfortunately, in his public manifesto he still puts all the emphasis on physical punishment and making dogs “calm-submissive” as opposed to teaching dogs to make good choices on their own.

Scarily enough, there is another very conventional dog trainer guy who might soon get his own TV show – “Vladae, The Russian Dog Wizard”!!!  

*See petition to Animal Planet.

There is some very disturbing crazy stuff on his blog:

Down Stay – Do a 30 minute down stay, twice a day. This will reinforce your role as the Alpha leader.

Elevating Status – Don’t allow your dog on the furniture or on your bed. If you allow your dog to be on the same level as you, you are elevating his status and lowering yours. This is clearly not the way to establish yourself as the Alpha Leader.

Yeah I have heard this one before. I don’t like this guy.

Boogie is sleeping in my bed, dammit.