100 things #16: What the dog wants

EXIF data: SONY A580 | 50mm f/1.7 | 1/1250 | f/4.0 | ISO 100 | 50mm

Tug: Yer doin' it wrong?

It wasn't all that long ago that most dog trainers advised people to not play tug (commonly called "tug of war" back then) with their dogs as it could lead to problems.  The dog would become dominant.  The dog could even become aggressive.  This was especially true, according to these trainers, if the dog won the game.  If you were going to play such an aggressive game with your dog, then you better make sure you could win it each and every time in order to show the dog who was the alpha.  There are, in fact, some trainers who still believe this.  Cesar Millan (a TV personality who claims to be a "dog psychologist) says on his page about puppy development, "If you don't step in and discourage this kind of dominance-seeking behavior early on - or, worse yet, if you allow your puppy to "win" at dominance games such as wrestling or Tug-of-War - it could set the stage for more serious challenges to your leadership down the road."  He's not the only one, however.  Google "Tug of war and dominance" and you will find many such results stating the same thing.

More recently, trainers have been debunking this myth.  More often called "tug" than "tug of war" these days, it is touted as a great game to play with your dog.  But (and there always has to be a "but" right?)...you should only play it with very specific rules attached to the game.  The basic rules most sites seem to give:

1. You initiate the game of tug.
2. The dog must drop the toy immediately when asked.
3. Ask for behaviors in between sessions of tug.
4. If the dog's teeth connect with you, even accidentally, the game is over (one site even suggests leaving the dog alone in the room!).

The trainers who suggest these rules are the cream of the crop: Grisha Stewart, Emily Larlham, Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Pat Miller.  It's hard to argue with these folks and I suppose for most people following these sorts of rules will work well enough.  They aren't bad rules by any means and it certainly could mean a good rousing game of tug for many dogs!

However, maybe because I come at it from a different standpoint than most, I play tug very differently than is recommended by the great trainers.  I'm looking at tug as a way to get my dog "up" to play agility and as a way to increase my dog's confidence.  Dahlia has a lot of tug drive.  It's even a self-rewarding behavior for when she's done something good (like greet the children down the road nicely and calmly).  But lately I've been working on getting her higher and higher and more and more ready to work by using tug.

Here are my rules:

NONE.

That's right.  None.  If she grabs the toy (or leash) first, that's awesome.  I'm happy to see her do it.  I don't give her a "drop" command as that ends the game and immediately calms her down.   Instead, I "fight" to get the toy back (oh boy those dominance trainers would have a fit over that one!).  I shove her around. I boot her in the sides with my legs. I yank the toy hard to try to slide it out of her mouth.  Once she really has her mouth clamped down hard on it, I actually put my hand around her muzzle and pry that sucker right out of her mouth.  This often causes some crazy growling and even barking.  Oh boy does she get mad at me for that one!  She'll leap for the toy, sometimes hitting me with her front feet, sometimes her teeth even connecting with my arm (she never bites down and I haven't gotten so much as a scrape or a bruise from this).  If I put the toy behind my back she'll try to leap around me to grab it out of my hands.

The game is fun.  The game can be really tiring (for me!).  And the game leaves her really up and ready to work.  The difference between a Dahlia who is not up on the agility course and one who is up is dramatic.

So no offense to those awesome trainers who I truly do respect, but tug doesn't always need those sorts of rules attached to it.  I may be "doin' it wrong," but surely I can't be the only person out there to play tug with no rules!

100 things #15: Praying to the God of Hamburgers

This was taken tonight when Dahlia was doing tricks for leftover hamburger.

My thought? I need to get out and take pictures in better weather as my camera seems to be permanently set at ISO 1600 these days.


EXIF Data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm lens | f/5.6 | 1/250 | ISO 1600 | 45mm

Review: MrChewy.com

Dahlia says "Mmmm delicious!"

A short while ago, a representative of MrChewy.com contacted me and asked if I would be willing to check out their site and possibly offer a review of it if I were so inclined.  To that end, they offered me a gift certificate to try out some of their products and see what the site experience was like.  I was informed that I was under no obligation to either review the site or to offer a positive review if I had a negative experience.

I was happy to oblige and so visited the site to see what they had to offer.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered the amazing variety of food, treats, and pet health products for both dogs and cats that the site offers.  There was such a huge variety that it took me a few days of looking through the site, bookmarking things that interested me and that I thought Dahlia would enjoy, before I could actually place my order.

The dog treats range from your basic garden-variety Milk-Bones and Iams treats to various types of bully sticks to grain-free and freeze-dried raw treats. Each item contains a list of ingredients.  For those of us who have dogs with allergies or issues with certain things (Dahlia cannot have chicken), ingredient lists are a life-saver. I was very thankful to see this aspect of their site.  When looking for treats to buy, I was able to quickly and easily rule out ones that I would not be able to feed Dahlia.  That still left me with an incredibly long list of treats that I had to narrow down to something more manageable.

I ultimately ended up choosing 6 treats I thought Dahlia would enjoy and that I am not able to find in stores around here.

1. Stella & Chewy's Carnivore Kisses Wild Alaskan Salmon Dog Treats
2. EVO Wild Cravings Herring Formula Dog Treats
3. PureBites Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese Dog Treats (5.2 oz. bag)
4. Darford Zero/G Trout & Shrimp Dog Treats
5. ZiwiPeak Good-Dog Lamb Liver Real Meat Jerky Dog Treats
6. Grizzly Fillet Treats Salmon Fillet Treats for Dogs and Cats

I placed my order with MrChewy.com on April 17.  As I ordered over $49 worth of items from the site, I received free 1-2 day shipping.  The treats arrived April 19 and were at my door waiting for me when I got home from work.  Naturally, Dahlia was super interested in the package and was even more interested in the bags of treats.

Yes there is one last big treat in there!

She hasn't had a chance to try them all (I haven't opened a couple of the bags yet!), but what she has tried she has certainly enjoyed.  I've used the Carnivore Kisses as rewards for many of my recent photos, including the ones of her wearing sunglasses and other silly items.  In fact, she loved those so much that when I left out the jar (which had a bit of treat dust and a few small treats left in it), she decided to see about getting those treat herself.  You can see the results.

So my overall reaction to the site?  Great variety, good prices, great information shared about each product, great communication, and fast shipping (that's free over $49!) with tracking so you can keep track of where your items are.  The site gets two thumbs up from me and two paws up from Dahlia.  I know we'll be returning to the site for future purchases!

100 things #14: Smile!

My dog smiles.


EXIF Data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm lens | f/3.5 | 1/13 | ISO 1600 | 18mm

100 things #13: Recliner tug!

Tonight Dahlia DID NOT want to get off the recliner when I got home. She even wanted to play tug while on the chair. I couldn't resist taking some photos.


EXIF Data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm lens | f/3.5 | 1/30 | ISO 1600 | 18mm

100 things #12: Head Tilt

This morning Dahlia got up into my recliner as she always does as I get ready to leave. This was the face I was confronted with as I packed up to go. How can one leave that face anyway?

Unfortunately for her, I really did have to go to work.


EXIF data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm | f/4.5 | 1/10 | ISO 1600 | 35mm

100 things #11: What the dog sees

Yesterday I received a macro filter in the mail. It cost me all of $9 so I thought it might be fun to play around with since I can't currently afford a nice macro lens (though I'm eying Sony's 30mm f/2.8 macro, which is only around $175). I took a lot of photos with it, mostly of flowers and dandelions and other such things. But this was one I got of Dahlia.

I've entitled it "What the dog sees"...I think you'll see why!


EXIF data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm with Macro filter | f/5.6 | 1/100 | ISO 1600 | 55mm

100 things #10: Gettin' dizzy

I've been teaching Dahlia how to spin as part of her agility training (more tricks that involve motion = more getting hyped up). David decided to try to get her to spin and so I took some photos of it last night.

EXIF data: Sony A580 | Tamron 75-300mm | f/4 | 1/500 | ISO 800 | 75mm

100 things #9: Her future's so bright she has to wear shades

I bought sunglasses for Dahlia. Yes they're REAL dog sunglasses (made by the Doggles folks). They're adorable and even fold up like regular ones. The side parts are bones. Dahlia was completely comfortable in them. She was able to walk around, roll over, come down the stairs, and all with confidence. I'm really happy with them!

I'm most amused at how HUGE her feet look in this photo. Ah, the power of a wide angle! Her feet aren't nearly that large. I very rarely go for portrait-oriented photos and I've never really taken a portrait-oriented wide angle photo. I like the effect.

 
EXIF data: Sony A580 | Sony 18-55mm | f/3.5 | 1/30 | ISO 800 | 18mm

100 things #8: Dahlia goes fishing!

I arrived home tonight from our Irish traditional session with food in hand for Dahlia, as I usually do. I've been trying to get her to catch food. Usually when you toss food at her she simply flinches and let's it fall to the ground. So I've been dropping it from just above her mouth to get her to realize she can catch it.

Well, she has TERRIBLE eye/mouth coordination. Her method now is to just open and close her mouth rapidly in the hopes of catching it. Most of the time she misses. Sometimes she's lucky enough to get it. Tonight I decided it would be fun to take the camera out and take photos of her attempts.

 
EXIF data: Sony A580 | Minolta 28mm | f/2.8 | 1/2000 | ISO 800 | 28mm

100 things #7: A visit to the groomer

Our groomer always puts a bandana on the dogs after they're groomed. She's thankfully not one who sticks silly ribbons in the female dog's hair (the groomer for Pepper, our childhood dog always did that and it always looked ridiculous). The bandanas are always adorable and often themed for the holiday if it's done right around a specific holiday. This one was adorable and pink and covered in cupcakes!

EXIF data: Sony A580 | Minolta 28mm | f/5.6 | 1/50 | ISO 1600 | 28mm

100 things #6: Flopped!

Dahlia visited the groomer today, so I couldn't resist taking some photos of her. When she flopped over on her side with her head over the edge of the stairs, I thought it was far too adorable to not take a photo.

  EXIF data: Sony A580 | Minolta 28mm | f/2.8 | 1/125 | ISO 1600 | 28mm

100 things #5: The Snuggie edition

Something made me decide that it would be hilariously stupid to put my Snuggie on Dahlia. Yes I own a snuggie. I bought it when we were camping last year. It got down to something ridiculous like 35 at night and I was so cold. We ended up at Big Lots to find things to keep us warm and I found a Snuggie for $3. Let me tell you, it helped a lot when I was sitting at the campfire!

  EXIF data: Sony A580 | Minolta 28mm | f/5.6 | 1/30 | ISO 1600 | 28mm

100 things #4: Hoodie

Dahlia shows her support for Trayvon Martin.



  EXIF data: Sony A580 | Minolta 28mm | f/5.6 | 1/30 | ISO 1600 | 28mm