Every once in awhile, I walk Monster Face without saying anything. I control her with my movements and sharp tugs of the leash. I kind of came to this after reading somewhere how dogs may care less about *what* you say, than *how* you say it, or more importantly *what you do* after you say it.
They read your motions, the way you are standing; they read gestures made by your face.
But for me, trying to walk a "stubborn" bulldog, it's more about me than my puppy. When I use words, I express to her, me, and the world what I want, and then when she doesn't comply, there's only frustration. And then I use more words and get more anxious and then I get more frustration, which ultimately leads to anger.
In teaching, it's many times helpful to start a class with a short written assignment. This quiet, reflective period brings down the "tone" and the energy of the class, and gets the students ready to learn and the teacher ready to teach. The thing is, people get excited when they talk, it takes effort, their breathing rate increases, etc. And so sometimes the best thing to do to calm oneself (and others) down is not say anything.
So if you find yourself frustrated with trying to walk a "stubborn" dog try this. I think it's more people than dogs who get angry or "stubborn," and we have to learn to control ourselves sometimes more than the other way around.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Another Walking Trick - Leash Behind the Back
Sometimes I forget this, but another weird trick when Ruki is being stubborn and pulling all over the place while walking is to hold the leash behind my back.
It works like magic. I think that maybe when I hold the lead in front of me and across my body (holding it in my right hand while she's on my left), she feels a little too close and sees the lead, which she doesn't like.
When the leash is behind me, she has some more slack in the lead, and I think it feels more that she's following me rather than the lead pulling her.
It works like magic. I think that maybe when I hold the lead in front of me and across my body (holding it in my right hand while she's on my left), she feels a little too close and sees the lead, which she doesn't like.
When the leash is behind me, she has some more slack in the lead, and I think it feels more that she's following me rather than the lead pulling her.
Cherry Eye Update
So a few months ago we had Ruki's cherry eye cut out by the breeder. Apparently, she didn't do such a great job. There's still part of the cherry eye in the far corner (away from the nose).
It's up and down on the swelling and infection. Sometimes it looks fine, just a bit of extra pink flesh. But most of the time it's swollen, and occasionally it's way gunky--yellow and green. We apply a hydrocortisone and antibiotic ointment, and that brings down the swelling and the pus. But I'd like a more final solution.
Her other eye had a cherry eye pop out three times already. But the key--and this is the key--is to immediately close her eye, and push in on the bottom lid, and "pop" the cherry eye in back in. So far, this has worked, and her un-cut eye looks great!
It's up and down on the swelling and infection. Sometimes it looks fine, just a bit of extra pink flesh. But most of the time it's swollen, and occasionally it's way gunky--yellow and green. We apply a hydrocortisone and antibiotic ointment, and that brings down the swelling and the pus. But I'd like a more final solution.
Her other eye had a cherry eye pop out three times already. But the key--and this is the key--is to immediately close her eye, and push in on the bottom lid, and "pop" the cherry eye in back in. So far, this has worked, and her un-cut eye looks great!
Chewing on Feet - Allergies?
So Ruki's been in the habit of chewing on her feet after she wakes up from naps. At first, I just thought it was weird, but then I decided to Google it just to figure out what's going on...
And apparently dogs chew on their feet because they get itchy from allergic reactions. Crap. Another thing to worry about.
I talked to the vet technician on the phone--again, the Merwin Free Clinic--and she said that it's probably allergies, but I shouldn't worry about it unless it starts bleeding. So for now the 10 or so seconds that Ruki spends chewing at her feet isn't such a bad thing.
I also noticed some cracks on her pads. I'm going to put Bag Balm on them 2-3 times a day for the next few days and see if that helps.
012506 Update: Since I started worrying about it, Ruki pretty much stopped chewing on her feet. My suspicion is maybe the fabric softener or detergent in the towel we use to line her crate is the culprit. I'll check to see if she chews after the next time I wash that towel.
And apparently dogs chew on their feet because they get itchy from allergic reactions. Crap. Another thing to worry about.
I talked to the vet technician on the phone--again, the Merwin Free Clinic--and she said that it's probably allergies, but I shouldn't worry about it unless it starts bleeding. So for now the 10 or so seconds that Ruki spends chewing at her feet isn't such a bad thing.
I also noticed some cracks on her pads. I'm going to put Bag Balm on them 2-3 times a day for the next few days and see if that helps.
012506 Update: Since I started worrying about it, Ruki pretty much stopped chewing on her feet. My suspicion is maybe the fabric softener or detergent in the towel we use to line her crate is the culprit. I'll check to see if she chews after the next time I wash that towel.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Don't Stop Walking and You're Embarassing Me Methods of Walking
Ruki's been getting stubborn about walking again. I use two methods--one I just discovered today--to keep her by my side and trucking along. The first involves the Don't Stop Walking method--just keep on going and pull her along with you when she pauses. The second is the You're Embarassing Me method: I think sometimes she doesn't like being so close to me, but rather behind me, like an embarassed teenager. So I hold the leash behind my back, and she's a few steps behind me, walking at her own pace, happy as can be.
I wrote to our puppy-sitter about walking Ruki with the DSW method:
I wrote to our puppy-sitter about walking Ruki with the DSW method:
She *is* big and stubborn these days. Or, rather, she's tired, cranky,
and scared. I "treat" her out of the courtyard and off of the block--I
go through about 4-5 treats just egging her on and treating her for
walking a few meters. But once she gets going, she's OK. If she starts
to slow down or pull back, just keep on walking. Pulling her is OK;
just don't try and jerk her.
I put the leash around my right wrist, and hold the leash parallel to
my waist/belt, and hold the slack with my left hand--Ruki stays on my
left all the time. When she slows down or pulls to the side of
backwards, when my left leg goes forward--I don't stop--it pulls the
leash and her along. But it's one consistent motion, so it's not
jerking at her throat. She pulls for about a second, but then she
comes along, and then I give her a treat.
Then we battle it out that way about 5 more times, and then she's
fine--a couple more hitches along the way, but most of the time it's a
breeze. Every once in awhile I'll let her stop and sniff around. And
when she's trucking along I'll push a treat in her mouth--don't let
her bite! If she snatches at the treat, pull it away, and don't let
her have it until she's gentle!--just to keep her going.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Grading Commercial Dog Food Brands
From the BullDogDomain forums, I found a ranking system for dog food. Partially from this, and partially from recommendations from books and a pet food store owner, we switched Ruki from her breeder's Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy to Innova.
The ranking system mostly focuses on how transparent the dog food producer is about the quality of the ingredients, the amount of filler (e.g., corn which is indigestible by dogs), and how "natural" the ingredients are. The premises being that if you are vague about something, you're hiding something bad, and how well you pick and choose your ingredients.
Another highlight of the ranking system is deducting points from foods that contain ingredients that many dogs are allergic to, e.g., wheat or soy.
From my2bullies&BTBfoster, http://forum.bulldogdomain.com/index.php?topic=8832.0 :
How to grade your dog's food: (Some brands are done at the very bottom]
Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's
rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as
only one protein source but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
69 = F
Here are some foods that have already been scored. Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A
The ranking system mostly focuses on how transparent the dog food producer is about the quality of the ingredients, the amount of filler (e.g., corn which is indigestible by dogs), and how "natural" the ingredients are. The premises being that if you are vague about something, you're hiding something bad, and how well you pick and choose your ingredients.
Another highlight of the ranking system is deducting points from foods that contain ingredients that many dogs are allergic to, e.g., wheat or soy.
From my2bullies&BTBfoster, http://forum.bulldogdomain.com/index.php?topic=8832.0 :
How to grade your dog's food: (Some brands are done at the very bottom]
Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's
rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as
only one protein source but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point
94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
69 = F
Here are some foods that have already been scored. Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A
Monday, November 27, 2006
Good Raw Foods for Treats
So for treats--instead of treats we buy at stores--we've been using slices of baby carrots. Ruki loves 'em. And we see them in her poo a day or so later. I don't know if there's any nutritional value to them, but at least there's no fat, and some fiber content for her.
I recently tried chunks of celery. Ruki doesn't love 'em as much as the carrots, but she'll still do tricks for them.
I gave her a blueberry, too, and she almost died--in a good way. I think she thought she was in berry heaven. Apparently, though, we have to watch out for citrus fruits because they might be bad for her stomach.
Here's a quote I found on a web site:
http://experts.about.com/q/Dogs-701/ok-pup-3.htm
"Besides apples, most dogs also like banana slices, blue berries, carrot slices or baby carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower. My dogs LOVE Clementine wedges, but then who doesn't?
A couple of things to watch out for: DON'T give a dog onions, mushrooms or grapes, they can make your dog sick."
I've also started adding a fish oil pill to her breakfasts.
I recently tried chunks of celery. Ruki doesn't love 'em as much as the carrots, but she'll still do tricks for them.
I gave her a blueberry, too, and she almost died--in a good way. I think she thought she was in berry heaven. Apparently, though, we have to watch out for citrus fruits because they might be bad for her stomach.
Here's a quote I found on a web site:
http://experts.about.com/q/Dogs-701/ok-pup-3.htm
"Besides apples, most dogs also like banana slices, blue berries, carrot slices or baby carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower. My dogs LOVE Clementine wedges, but then who doesn't?
A couple of things to watch out for: DON'T give a dog onions, mushrooms or grapes, they can make your dog sick."
I've also started adding a fish oil pill to her breakfasts.
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