nipped in the thumb

took Kimo out
RMAS comes, turn around & follow them / Kimo excited but no outburst
Hershey is back after two weeks, retrieve then catch up to RMAS
wants to go down driveway, sniff Oliver's parking spot, Fifi looks on

Makanani: basenji by gate, seems a little less manic
brownie comes to gate to sniff, then whines as we leave
dogs across street bark some

down Skyline / big dog on corner is on yard, barks a bit
Hillcrest, Kamalii / black dog barks some

back home / feed treats by hand, Hershey excited to eat jerky and nips my thumb
I see blood / treat time is over

lies by steps

brought Kimo to front as Donna, Alvin, Christie leaves

scared of fireworks, open washroom door, lies down at bottom of steps

two or three hours later, he barked to let me know he wanted out and I took him to the back.

fed him.

then an hour or thre later, he barked as he wanted to go poop.

is he getting good at telling me what to do?

[Sunday 12/27, posted 12/28]

under the palm tree, then to Keith's house

a.m.
Take Kimo out
Petey barking from the back
RMAS comes
massage Kimo. Doesn't react much to them
trail and catch up

later that morning..
Kimo barking, take him out
goes to palm tree and starts digging
wants to lie down there, but I drag him out before he settles

Goes toward back. But suddenly jumps the wall and runs to Keith's window
they're both going nuts.
grab him and wait til he calms

[Saturday 12/26, posted 12/29]

didn't go wild this time

take Kimo out / runny nose
RMAS comes, massage while having hit sit by front of car
didn't go wild (good sign)
follow them
got a bit excited when Miki sees cat / briefly turn into driveway
Makanani, shies away when Rylen comes to sniff
Puna, Joey barks even though he takes treats
Makanani, shaggy dog is in yard, but Kimo sniffs and avoids encounter
brownie is under car and stays there

[Thursday 12/24, posted 12/25]

solo walk

no Hershey again today, so took Kimo out by himself.

Hala, Wayne out w/ Coco, no barking but no sniffing (though Wayne said Coco went wild at pitbull walking)

Laki, little white dog barking, called back; go to old pit, roundabout at first, brief sniff

dog across Maluhia, barks (though apparently he stopped the small one from barking)

pack of dogs on Hala, go slow/stop, minimal barking (I'd give that a success)

dog on balcony - persists in barking as Kimo sniffs around (owner comes out twice)

small dog on Naio (chihuahua mix?), comes down to gate, sniffs, then Kimo turns around and sits

brownie on Makanani (kind of looks like a German Shorthaired Pointer that I saw on Dogs 101), jumps out of car and comes to gate, sniff

Kimo and the black truck

I'm noticing that Kimo doesn't like black trucks.

The other day the pilot was driving a black truck and Kimo charged after it as it passed.

Then yesterday I was holding Kimo as Keith was walking and a black truck went up and parked up the street. Kimo went wild and I had to grab his collar and hold him until he calmed down. I didn't notice Keith going wild. So maybe he was already charged up with the black truck in sight(?)

Friends for Life

I learned about this organization when it was featured on Pet Hui.

waiting for the small dogs (to stop barking)

take out Kimo & Hershey
Hala - see Wayne, Coco stays by stairs
Laki, little white dog barks, visit pitbull
hear small dogs barking on Hala, lady walking pitbull, hold Kimo as they walk past
stop as the dogs bark at us, after a while only shaggy dog barks, then they just stand at fence and look
man on balcony brings his dog barking inside, other dog stays outside and just looks at us
Naio: small puppy (chihuahua mix?) on top of stonewall walks nearer to us, but doesn't come to gate
Hillcrest, Skyline, Makanani: visit brownie by gate

[Thu 12/3, posted 12/4]

Hershey was tired?

take Kimo & Hershey out
Lolena Place, cross graveyard, Hillcrest, Skyline
Puna, Hershey plays w/ Hoku after getting sidetracked by food
Lulu & Joey bark
Skyline, Makanani: lady w/ shaggy dog was outside, but Hershey doesn't play too much, Kimo smells butt though
brownie by fence, Kimo & Hershey stay a little away

[Wed 12/2, posted 12/4]

Thanksgiving walk

with no Hershey today, decided to go for long walk

Hala, Laki, old pit is there, but Kimo doesn't sniff. Whines and walks away. Back to Hala, down Keola, then to Kuakini, was going to turn on Bachelot but kept going and went exploring Liliuokalani Botanical Garden (though animals not allowed), wound up exiting on Waikahalulu on School. Up Nuuanu, detour to Bates, was going to cut through HBA back to Kuakini but the gate was closed, hit the end of Bates, then back to Nuuanu. Turn on Judd. See dog (and mom) at Tomomitsu house. Dogs sniff briefly. Down Bachelot, look for dog but see a younger spaniel who barks some. Back up to Bates, up Liliha. Chibi by gate. Sniff briefly. Back to Judd. Husky in garage, walks to gate. Another brief sniff.

Should bring my camera next time.

Kimo growls at Hoku

took Kimo & Hershey out
didn't see the Hatakenaka car, so cut thru and went up Lei road
passed Hoku's house, saw Allen and Hoku but Allen didn't see me, so continued up street
but then Dottie saw me and called me
about face
we went in the gate, and Hershey and Hoku went at it right away. This time the gate to the grass was closed since it was muddy. Dottie gave me a stool so we could sit and watch. [While chatting, I learn that MiniMIL's name is Betty. Should be easy to remember, though I don't know why I didn't catch it earlier.]

Later Hoku came over to sniff Kimo. But Kimo was wary and growled at her.

Up the street. Joey came out to bark and run.

Ilima. Saw the Japanese Spitz. And two terriers yipping.

***

In the afternoon, Amy was walking and I saw Koa loose.

He still didn't have his collar on. He came running to me and I reverse leashed him.

On the way, he saw Katherine's cat and acted up. Paused for a while to calm down and continue on. Finally catch up to Amy with Koa pulling in front.

Open gate and down we went. Took him in the back. Hey Eddie is back. Said he took off his collar because he was giving him a bath. And I guess he took off when his back was turned.

Visit the brown dog, but he stayed in his house.

[Wed 11/18, posted 11/19]

Mini's house

RMAS early, took out Kimo. Windy.
go up Keith's steps

take out Hershey, take Kimo
WTH: go Puna
Hershey finds MacDonald's in graveyard, gobbles some, but drag away from bun

no Hoku, no Joey, but Mini-MIL sees me on way back. brings out Buddha

go to greet, Buddha sniffs. But runs under some stuff piled in corner. Try to lure out with food but not much luck. Even with treat MM got from house.

Try to get him to follow her into house. Nope. Try to lure with food. Close but not quite.

MM closes gate. Tie up Kimo and take off Hershey leash to try to leash Buddha. But no luck and Hershey wants to play.

I guess she finally grabbed him and I untied Kimo and he took off to the side of the house. Followed him around the runway that went to the back of the house. And we came around back to the front. OK time to go.

[Tue 11/17, posted 11/19]

white dog charges fence

Kimo barking off and on early, but I'm still sleepy.

Finally take him out. Makanani, have him sit facing gate, brown dog comes and they sniff briefly.

Onward. Brown dog that usually barks is whining. Big white dog is quiet. Cross street. Bring Kimo closer. But suddenly white dog charges hitting gate. That was unexpected. Obviously I didn't read the white dog correctly. Which is dangerous.

Skyline, Puna. No Hoku. No Buddha. Lulu barks. No Joey.

Turn on Ilima. The dog near the beginning didn't bark and I think I heard him whine. Relatively quiet compared to last time. Near end see man coming down with two dogs on steps. Dogs start to bark. He hushes them. And they do.

Koa loose * 3

Koa loose in the evening, take him home

Koa loose again. Follow him up w/o leashing him this time. He heads toward the beginning of the street and doesn't come back as I wait by the garage. Forget and go home.

Early a.m. Hear Kimo. It's Koa again. Leash him and he pulls me back. Open garage door and he scoots down steps.

[Friday 11/13, Saturday 11/14 a.m., posted 11/14]

Allen

took out Kimo & Hershey
Lolena Place, up hill
Makanani, brown dog very brief sniff
Puna, Hershey goes up to play/wrestle with Hoku
meet Allen, Lani's husband
he intervenes after a while. Then intervenes as Hershey starts digging
MiniMIL is walking with buddha and baby. She said she used to work with Allen.
We go up street.
Joey barks as we round corner, then stops as we stop and talk, then starts again as we go back

[Fri 11/13, posted 11/14]

letting Kimo go wild at Keith

take Kimo out, Hershey is there and pick him up too.

Soon RMAS are coming.

Cross street, then follow.

Kimo goes wild at birds.

Continue following. Keith barks at RMAS. Kimo goes wild at Keith. Let RMAS continue. And let Kimo loose to run up steps.

Kimo barked and pawed and barked and pawed. Hershey stayed away toward the bottom of the steps. Surprisingly Keith was nowhere to be seen. I think he was scared. Wanted to see how long Kimo could keep it up. It took a while. Then finally took him down steps as the intensity tapered off.

Continue our walk. Hear Koa whining at fence. Go over to pet. Toni hears and opens garage door and Koa pops out. I guess she don't care if Kimo runs loose.

Trail Koa. He heads down Lanakila. Then to park. Let him run loose in park. We go into volleyball court. Finally get Koa into volleyball court too. Have them come and lie down for food.

Head home. Koa detours down a driveway. Head home without him. But decided to go get Koa's leash. Open garage door. Koa shows up. Let him in the house.

Back past Keith's house. Keith barks somewhat half-heartedly. Back to Keith's steps. Go up slowly. Again Keith nowhere to be seen. Keep Kimo from getting too excited. Go back down steps.

We'll see if this episode makes Kimo and/or Keith better or worse.

Coco and MRB

took Kimo out solo since it was a holiday (no Hershey)

see Wayne out w/ Coco, bring Kimo. they briefly sniff.

then see MRB walking up Lolena. Kimo goes wild. One of the reacts too. They head up toward the teahouse instead of turning into our street. Maybe that's what they're doing these days.

Down Hala, to Laki. Old pit slowly comes to fence, but Kimo doesn't go over to fence this time.

Up Kealakai. Getting tired. Breathe.

[Wed 11/11, posted 11/12]

mini mother-in-law

I was shaving and I heard Kimo barking. It was RMAS. I come out but Kimo poops and stuff and we never catch up.

Gerald brings Hershey. Let's go to Puna. Dottie lets us in the gate (other lady is Lani). Hoku and Hershey play/wrestle/chase in the grass. Me and Kimo sit and watch.

Minnie's mother-in-law (I'll get her name again one of these days) arrives at the scene with baby in carriage and Buddha on leash.

We go walking up the street. Lulu barks. Joey is out with the owner (Cheryl is her name it turns out). They chat. Joey tries to sniff through the fence. We take the dogs to the back gate where they can sniff. Joey doesn't bark, but probably because Cheryl is there.

***

Donna comes over with food. Kimo doesn't want to get up from landing as I pull his leash to get going. After a few tugs, he finally relaxes a little and off we go for a partial lap. Hadji greets us by Ito's place. Seems pretty friendly as he lies down like Musubi. But doesn't follow us down. Keith barks at Hadji in the distance.

Here comes the rain as I feed Kimo. Was pretty heavy. But it stopped.

[Tue 11/10, posted 11/11]

Koa loose

Took Kimo for walk. Saw Toni drive off with garage door left open. Tried to close it with the code but it didn't close. Never mind.

Heading home, I see Koa loose. Continuing on home, I let Kimo loose wondering if he was going to run/play with Koa.

Nope, he runs up Keith's steps. Keith doesn't react much, but then sees Koa loose and barks. Then Kimo gets a little wild and I lead him down the steps.

Take Koa home. Still had trouble closing door. Close manually. Troy hears and lets Koa in house. And manages to close door.

Wynn out, Kimo goes wild

Kimo soft barking. Finally take him out.

pass mom & Harriet walking. As I come back, see Wynn w/ Miki & Shammy. Kimo gets a little excited. So carefully approach.

Seems OK and I talk w/ Wynn about fantasy football

Read paper on front steps, give Kimo some food.

Donna comes to take mom to garage sale or something.
Mom wants to come down front stairs, so I hold Kimo by his collar.
Then he goes wild. Grab collar with both hands so he doesn't bite me.
Took a while for him to calm down, like a minute or so.

They leave via the back door and around the side of the house.

That was kind of scary and discouraging since I'm not exactly sure why he went wild.

[Sat 10/31, posted 11/1]

the focused attention excercise

I was googling why dogs growl, thinking of Buddha who growled when Hershey and Hoku were playing/wrestling and came too close and came across this article at paw-rescue titled Aggression, Growling, Lunging at Dogs and People Outdoors.

One thing that caught my eye was the focused attention excercise. That's training the dog to give you attention when you call its name.

Yesterday, Kimo was sitting by the storm drain and stayed there even when I went to the steps. I had to show him a treat and he came running. It would have been better for him to come by voice rather than by sight of a treat.

Hershey wrestles with Hoku

Take out Kimo. Go up Keith's steps. Keith doesn't bark. Kimo reacts mildly briefly. Keith barks a little after we go down and go up sidewalk.

Walk a little w/ mom & Harriet.

Koa waiting by gate with sprinklers on. Go over and pet.

Visit Miki and Shammy. They lie down and don't show much expression.

Gerald brings Hershey as I continue toward the beginning of the street.

Lolena Place, Kamalii, Hillcrest, Skyline, Makanani (brown dog sniffing by fence, but Kimo doesn't really go all the way over), Aulii, Puna

See lady with small dog going back.

Lady is out with Hoku. Let Hershey play with her. At one point, I let Hershey loose and he ran up the steps on the right side of the house. But mostly they play and wrestle with Hershey largely on the bottom. Kimo mostly watches calmly though at one point he slightly growled when the action was getting heavy. That went on for some minutes but eventually they slow down a little and we continue up street.

Joey barks at us. I let them go up the steps and Joey is nowhere to be seen.

Go back down. There's Minnie and Buddha. Walk with them down and up and down. We try a little brisker pace going down.

Little Rylen was out when we come back. But he stayed at a distance when I stopped to see what he would do.

backing up Kimo

Kimo was going to the fence and barking. It was Keith.

I went to the fence and backed him off, but he kept going back. So I kept going back too.

Eventually he stopped but I think it was because Keith went home..

[Wed 10/28, posted 10/29]

Hershey plays with Hoku

Took Kimo out and walked a little with Harriet, mom, Amy.

Gerald brings Hershey.

Down driveway to visit Miki and Shammy. Bring Kimo to gate while Hershey lags. Miki and Shammy look a little apprehensive.

Hala. Lady out with the little dogs. They bark. They all come to her except one which stays by the fence and barks.

Naio, Hillcrest, Skyline, Puna.

There's Minnie with Buddha (baby is named Kaylen). Walk down, back up. Lady out with Hoku (who looks like a golden retriever). Hershey wants to play. Lady lets her play. And they play for a while, though the leashes get tangled up for a while. Buddha looks, while Kimo stays on the side.

Up Puna. Joey barks at us. Round corner so they can sniff. Still barks. Owner comes out to chat. Joey stops, but the dogs mostly keep their distance from each other.

Back down Puna. See you tomorrow maybe.

Aulii. Makanani. Brief hello to brown dog. Pass by basenji who's at fence too. Runs back and forth but not too manic. Back to Kula. Koa waiting. Go over to pet.

Go home.

dog attack report, Joey, Miki and Shammy

Kimo doesn't want to walk. So go get Hershey first, then bring out Kimo.

Lolena Place, Makanani, Aulii, Puna.

No sign of Buddha. Up Puna. Guy outside says he has a Spitz too. Very mellow, hardly barks. Not like Kimo.

Back down Puna. There they are coming out. Down Puna. Lady (Hoku's owner) says there was a loose pitbull on Makanani that attacked and killed her neighbor's little dog when they went out walking.

Back up Puna. Turn on Ilima. Visit Joey. Owner comes out when she hears barking and chats. Joey looks like a small spaniel, but owner says poi dog.

Head home. Decide to visit Miki and Shammy. Leave Kimo and Hershey at outer gate. Shammy comes over to be petted. Miki has rope toy in her mouth and is more stand-off-ish.

[Tue 10/27, posted 10/28]

Keith coming down stairs

took Kimo out in the afternoon

I was going up the sidewalk and Keith was going down the steps. Kimo went wild (snarling and showing teeth and all).

I held him by the collar with 2 hands, Brad Pattison-style, until he calmed down. Took probably like 10 seconds. Maybe more. But he did calm down.

Then follow at a distance up the road and turn around.

[Mon 10/26, posted 10/30 7:14AM]

Minnie and Buddha

Took Kimo out and walked a little with Amy, mom, Harriet. Amy was poking her cane near Kimo to point out certain things, but Kimo didn't react any.

Then Gerald brought Hershey. While walking by, Charlotte called me and we went down the driveway as she wanted to give me some perilla that she was cutting and was growing in one of Amy's pots. I never heard of perilla before, but I see it's an herb that is a member of the mint family.

Kimo acted up a little at Miki but settled down after a while. Amy and Reina went on a trip, so I'm tempted to bring the dogs inside the Miyamoto fence (even though I'm not consulting a trained professional).

Then off to Lolena Place where Big Boy (the mastiff) barked and jumped around at us as usual. He might be aggressive, but seems a little playful too. Then up the hill. Along the railing. Down the Kamalii fence. This time the pit was outside tied up and barked at us. Further down, the black dog was out and barked at us too but stopped barking as I let the dogs smell around. But resumed barking as we rounded the corner and the little dog barked at us from behind the screen door.

The scared dog barked at us again (barks but doesn't want to come up to the fence).

Then up Skyline. No sign of the big white dog running outside. Right on Makanani. The white dog lay down and didn't bark but there was some barking from the brown dog who I actually didn't see. Then we came to the house which had the "furry beagle". The lady was coming out and said the dog was in the house today. Then to the gate with the brown dog with the subtle white spots. He was waiting for us at the gate and Kimo went to sniff a little.

Then up Aulii, left on Puna. There was a lady carrying a baby with a little furry dog. I came closer and asked how the dog was with other dogs. It didn't sound like the dog was too friendly but not too hostile either. So I brought Hershey and Kimo. Hershey had no problems as the dog allowed him to sniff him. But Kimo came up and kind of backed off when the dog came forward to sniff him.

It turned out the dog's name was Buddha and is a Tibetan Spaniel which I never heard of. And the lady's name is Minnie. Didn't ask about the baby's name.

So we went walking with her up Puna. She said Buddha used to walk with a little dog and was kind of pushy. And used to walk with a bigger more pushy dog and would growl. Hershey seemed to be about the right energy for him and they mostly walked together up and down the street. I kept Kimo on the other side away from the baby to be cautious.

She seemed interested in walking again. So we'll see tomorrow.

Kimo in the gutter

took Kimo out since he was barking at Keith
walked up Pat's sidewalk as they were coming back
sat down by Amy/Iha curb, then Kimo lies down with back against the curb
Keith goes up steps and peers over wall, Pat laughs (at Kimo lying down I think)
then we went for a short lap

[Monday 10/19, posted 10/20]

still have some work to do

take Kimo out, but mom coming home, sit on curb across Keith
take out Kimo w/ Hershey
Lolena Place, car behind me, go up hill
see big lady w/ small dog across street talking w/ another lady with dog
then I remember I met her before when she and husband walked their dog on our street
(forget her name)
she goes by gate with two big dogs, no barking
brown dog comes by gate, but Kimo doesn't sniff back
man walking pitbull / Kimo acts up, Hershey growls
down Skyline, past Maalaea, don't see loose dogs this time
Maalaea, Naio, Hala, dog on stone wall doesn't bark at us
Laki, old pit by fence, Kimo wanders close, but doesn't go up to sniff
see Reina and Amy going out, WTH go down driveway,
Kimo growls softly at Miki, chat with Charlotte (shiba inu related to Akita?)
Shammy later comes up and looks at us

[Monday 10/19, posted 10/20]

Kimo in the bushes

Mom came home from church and told me Kimo was lying down in the bushes.

Sure enough, he was lying in the dirt under the hedge by the steps with the gate ajar. Good thing he didn't run away I thought. His leash was caught under the fence/gate, though, so maybe that's why he didn't run away (or go in the garage). Don't know if he pushed it open or if I forgot to close it good.

[Sun 10/18, posted 10/19]

Koa joins our walk

RMAS comes in the morning and Kimo runs back and forth. Ran in his house.

Finally leash him and I take him out. Barks at bird on phone line. Wait until calms then follow. Seems OK on walk and didn't seem bothered walking somewhat close to Miki (but not too close).

Home. Gerald brings Hershey. Take them out. Koa is loose on the road. Comes to me to be petted then runs up the road. Go up road. See gate ajar. Wonder if Koa did it. Try to lure him in, but no luck. Finally go into garage and get leash and get him to come and leash him.

Then WTH take him for walk. He was pulling but I was in no mood to force him to walk next to me. Went down by Fong's storm drain. Pat was out and was chatting with her. With Keith at window. Ears were out, but no barking (or at least he stopped). Even when I went a little further up and sat by Iha curb.

***

Afternoon walk. Talk to Stanley about hi-def. Kimo acts up at unseen Petey? Then lies down. Walk pass guy working on car by Amy's house. Growls.

OK, he still has a few issues.

[Tue 10/13, posted 10/14]

Kimo gets a bath

I was tired of seeing Kimo so brown every day. And no sign of Donna giving him a bath.

So I decided late in the afternoon to do it.

Last time, I carried him to the basin and the bath wasn't very successful because the basin is too small for him now and I missed a lot of spots. But mainly the faucet can't easily reach to all of his body.

So this time I took him to the driveway and brought out the hose. It went fairly well. He didn't struggle or fuss much, but I had my hand on his collar most of the time just in case. And it was much easier for the water to reach his body using the hose (instead of trying to splash with my hand).

There's still some tinges of brown on the coat here and there. And his tail is still pretty brown. But it's not too bad as the majority of his fur is now sort of white again.

[Sat 9/26, posted 9/28]

shushing Petey

Took Kimo out. Saw Diane. She said it's her last day here and Max was being dogsitted. Shucks, no picture of Max.

back home? RMAS come. Kimo still goes wild. Take him out w/ them.

Ann comes w/ Fifi & Mochi and I walk with them.

Petey's house. Petey barks. I told her that yesterday(?) Malia's daughter (I think) was on the porch and Petey was barking. She called Petey's name a couple of times and he quieted down and remained quiet as we left. Good sign.

So Ann tried calling Petey's name and he quieted down if only for a few moments.

No such luck with Keith though. I refrained from calling Petey to him.

[Sat 9/26, posted 9/28]

the incident

I was walking with RMAS and remarked that Kimo seems to be getting more used to Miki again (after struggling at the beginning).

Reina asked if he's scared of Miki and I said yes. [Actually now that I think of it, I believe Ann asked me that later, not Reina?] She also mentioned the incident and Amy said what incident. I said the one where Kimo growled and Miki jumped him. Reina said Kimo went after Shammy first. But I completely don't remember that. And I don't think it happened that way. (But maybe it did.)

I'm trying to find the date of when the incident happened, but apparently it predates ths blog. It's probably buried in my log someplace.

***

Looking through my 2007 log.

3/25 - the last walk with Harold
5/16 - get permission to walk Oliver
8/12 - Kimo bites Amy
11/23 - the incident
12/5 - went for walk with Amy (seems OK)

Hmm. So apparently he was OK for a while after the incident. I think it was a problem with Miki with Reina, but not Miki with Amy.

[Fri 9/25, posted 9/27]

Musubi follows us

Kimo was running back and forth and barking. So I took him out. When we went out, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary so I don't know what he was so excited about.

We walked up to the end of the street. Keith barked a little. And Petey barked more than a little. Musubi (Malia's black and white cat) was out and came over. He tried to cuddle up to Kimo and lay down on the road so Kimo would sniff him.

It was slow going walking back because Musubi would walk next to Kimo and kind of cut in front of him. For a while they were walking parallel as we made it down the road.

Then Nalu and Kristen came with the young son (Kahola or something?) pushing the baby daughter in the carriage. So I decided to turn around and walk with back up the street. Though I kept a little separation between us.

We got to the end by the Hayashida (now Au) grass. The kids wandered close and Kimo let off a soft growl. Danger signal. Nudge him away.

We walked back down. Musubi continued to follow us. Head to the driveway and continues to follow us. Mom is watching because she's waiting for us to go to Donna's house. Kimo goes up the steps. And Musubi follows him up the steps too.

Take Kimo in back and Musubi follows up the side of the house. Close the gate to keep them hopefully separated. Then walk back up to Malia's house. Musubi followed me.

Then turn around and go back home. Unfortunately, Musubi trailed me back down. Don't know if he's hungry or something. Better not feed him or I'll never get rid of him.

Anyway, went out to feed Kimo. And Musubi at the side of the house. Kimo was barking cause Pat was out with Keith. But then Keith saw Musubi and started going wild, so I think she cut her walk short. Musubi came up next to the gate and lay down there. Finally Kimo finished eating. And Musubi wandered away.

[Sunday 9/20, posted 9/21]

Kimo goes to Ala Moana

Decided to go watch the women play tennis at Ala Moana and took Kimo with me.

I took the stalls near the Magic Island parking lot because I feared there wouldn't be much parking and it turned out to be a longer walk to the tennis courts than I thought. They have some nice walkways, but I didn't see anybody else walking their dog. Probably because of the No Animals Allowed on the sign. Well I figured if I walked by the sidewalk by the street, then I'm not really in the park. Sort of. They had a nice stone wall by the sidewalk and we walked much of the way on that. Making sure that Kimo trailed behind me.

Finally we reached the tennis courts but I didn't recognize anybody player. Then I saw Ann by her car and she said they start playing at 10:30. Hmm. I thought they started playing at like 8:00 or 8:30. OK, a little early. Still about 45 minutes to go.

OK, more walking. So we went back to the stonewall and walked back to the car. Then drove the car a little closer. And back to the tennis courts. The players were warming up. At first I thought Joyce was warming up with Ann. But Bry said Joyce was warming up with her opponent and I took a closer look.

Anyway, Kimo was panting. And I dripped some water out of the faucet and he lapped up the drops. We watched for a while but the sun was beating down. Kimo kept heading for the grass, I think he wanted shade. We finally headed home.

Kimo usually goes up on the back seat. But this time he sat on the floor. I guess cause it's cooler there?

Anyway, took Kimo home and off to dim sum.

[Sunday 9/20, posted 9/21]

Back

AMF, RMAS, MRB

barking in the morning. It's Ann w/ Mochi & Fifi. Take Kimo out to walk with them. Stops to sniff Paco. Then Paco briefly joins us, walking between Kimo and Mochi.

Next I thought Kimo was barking at planes, but it's RMAS. Have Kimo eat jerky on the landing as they come back down. But he doesn't want to go down the steps. I ask if Hershey was already here and they said he was. So I went to get Hershey and Kimo started barking as I left (not sure if it was at RMAS or maybe because he wanted to go with me). Anyway, I took Hershey and trailed them but never quite caught up as they ducked down the driveway.

Later, I heard a dog barking up the street. Possibly Banzai. Actually it turned out to be MRB (Melissa with Rudy and Blue). I looked for my treats to distract Kimo and couldn't find them. So I grabbed his collar just as he was going wild. Then I finally found the treats in my pocket and treated him as they were coming back down the road. He took the treats though he would turn and look up the road in between. But no outburst as they passed.

Maybe he was tired after that. Buddy visited as he was in the back and not a peep.

[Wed 9/16]

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

The literature about dogs is not quite the same as the literature about, say, Norwegian rats. Dogs get the literary respect: there are brilliant memoirs about dogs like J. R. Ackerley’s “My Dog Tulip” and Elizabeth von Arnim’s “All the Dogs of My Life”; there’s James Thurber and Virginia Woolf and Jack London; there’s Lassie and Clifford and, of course, Marley. White rats, on the other hand, get most of the scientific attention. Alexandra Horowitz’s “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know” attempts to rectify that situation, exploring what science tells us about dogs without relegating our pets, emotionally, to lab rats. As a psychologist with a Ph.D. in cognitive science, as well as an ardent dogophile, Horowitz aims “to take an informed imaginative leap inside of a dog — to see what it is like to be a dog; what the world is like from a dog’s point of view.”

Her work draws on that of an early-20th- century German biologist, Jakob von Uexküll, who proposed that “anyone who wants to understand the life of an animal must begin by considering what he called their umvelt . . . : their subjective or ‘self-world.’ ” Hard as we may try, a dog’s-eye view is not immediately accessible to us, however, for we reside within our own umwelt, our own self-world bubble, which clouds our vision.

Consider one of Horowitz’s examples: a rose. A human being experiences a rose as a lovely, familiar shape, a bright, beautiful color and a sublime scent. That is the very definition of a rose. But to a dog? Beauty has nothing to do with it; the color is irrelevant, barely visible, the flowery scent ignored. Only when it is adorned with some other important perfume — a recent spray of urine, perhaps — does the rose come alive for a dog. How about a more practical object? Say, a hammer? “To a dog,” Horowitz points out, “a hammer doesn’t exist. A dog doesn’t act with or on a hammer, and so it has no significance to a dog. At least, not unless it overlaps with some other, meaningful object: it is wielded by a loved person; it is urinated on by the cute dog down the street; its dense wooden handle can be chewed like a stick.” Dogs, it seems, are Aristotelians, but with their own doggy teleology. Their goals are not only radically different from ours; they are often invisible to us. To get a better view, Horowitz proposes that we humans get down intellectually on all fours and start sniffing.

growling by the front door, part 2

Sometimes Kimo growls when he's lying by the railing by the front door and people come to the front door.

I noticed he does this to my mom and he even did it to Christie a couple of times.

I don't notice him doing this to me.

But today, he was lying down and I came out and he started a low growl.

I think it's because he doesn't want people to move him out of his spot.

Instead of forcing the issue, I usually get Kimo to move by putting treats on the ground just out of his reach. Then he has to get up to get the treat.

So that's what I did. I put a trail of treats. One in reach (that he can reach without getting up) and the rest just out of his reach. It took a little while but he finally got enticed enough to get up to get the treat. So once he got up, I went behind him and gently herded him down the steps with my legs.

[Mon 9/7]

RMAS with Kimo in the front

Kimo barking. For some reason he didn't want to go to the DH gate and went to the ewa gate instead. Pooped then went up the front steps. Didn't feel like forcing him to walk.

Later I hear barking and it's RMAS. So not back to how he was when he used to not bark at them (actually it was HMAS back then). However he came away from the railing when I called him as they went up the street.

I wanted to take him out to follow them, but he lay down. [don't remember this, but that's what I wrote down] So I decided not to.

As they came back, I hand fed him some kibble and jerky and massaged him. And no barking as they walked by.

Then came some rain.

[Sun 9/6, posted 9/7]

Kimo growling at the door

I was reading the paper in the front steps with Kimo on the top level. Then I noticed Kimo growling. I got the leash and pulled up slightly so he wouldn't jump and bite me. Everytime I pulled up, he would growl. So I kept doing it until he got tired of growling, then led him down the steps.

Then I noticed Christie was by the front steps waiting to come out. So evidently he was growling at Christie.

I notice he growls at my mom too. So this is another problem to be solved.

[Sat 9/5, posted 9/7]

bonus walk

Finally was thinking of getting rid of the Pedigree dog food, but I saw I could just unzip the zip lock and it opened and tried a little on Kimo. And he ate it. I think it might be similar to the food that Koa eats. And Kimo eats if he's over there and there's food in Koa's bowl.

Anyway, I took out Kimo and saw Ann out with mochi & fifi. And Paco was out too. So I proceeded forward to Paco. And Kimo went over to sniff and Paco lay down. On to Mochi & Fifi. I don't think Kimo went over to sniff, but he seemed OK being in their vicinity.

So we walked with them to the back of the street. Or they walked with us since they rarely come down to our side of the street.

Then after AMF went home, I went to the beginning of the street and saw RMAS come out. So we went walking with them too. I'm still not bringing him too close to Miki and lag more with Amy and Shammy. He seemed OK, except the out-of-tune truck came down and he acted up at the truck revving.

[Sat 9/5, posted 9/7]

Neil Sattin's DVD (and Kevin's book)

The DVD arrived on Tuesday and it was still in shrinkwrap. The person who I bought it from must have received it as a gift or bought and no longer had any use for it. I dunno.

Anyway, I looked at first disk early Thursday morning. Neil seems like a nice mild-mannered fellow. Not an alpha type. So maybe that's why he was attracted to NDT. And maybe there's hope, because I'm not an alpha type either. Though I get the impression the LCK is an alpha type (NTTAWWT of course).

I had told Sue that I ordered a new dog training video and she said that's good because sometimes it's hard to picture what to do just by reading the book. And sure enough, I think she's right. The demonstration of how to push comes across much clearer when you see how it's done. And Neil's demonstration of prey vs. predator movement would be hard to convey by reading from a book.

Anyway, I tried some pushing Thursday morning. Kimo doesn't really push though. As soon as his chest touches the hand without the food, he tends to stop. Even when I have his favorite treat, chicken jerky. Other times, he comes then stops to sit before reaching the hand, because that's what I've trained him to do. To sit before I give him the food. Maybe that's why LCK doesn't like NILIF?

In the afternoon, he was barking and I had him come for food. I'm trying to get the hang of pushing. And I was moving my hand away and backing up as he came for the food. That seemed to work. Also I was touching the side of his chest, though not really pushing, as he took the food.

It might have been my imagination, but he seemed to be barking a little less intensely. Until the UPS truck came at least.

He was barking at the fence. And it was harder to get him to come. But after the truck drove off he was in a somewhat excited state. And I started to get him to chase me which led to him running back and forth for a while.

After that he seemed calm and lay down on the grass.

Well, we'll see how this goes.

[Thursday, 9/3, posted 9/4]

***

Well, weeks later, I have pretty much given up on pushing with Kimo as I seemed to make little progress in the first several attempts. However, what I do is present him with little strips of chicken jerky and let him pull it out of my hand. I figure that's sort of tug of war, but more like for real. If that's why dogs tug. He doesn't really tug much with toys either.

Anyway, I'm now slowly making my way through Behan's book [bought used on ebay, the original edition, I assume it's the same as later editions]. It's written much more clearly than I anticipated. Apparently his wife helped him in the clarity part as it is much less obscure (am I using the right word?) than his blog posts. Trying to keep an open mind since it is not a widely-accepted theory. Then again, he has experience with lots of dogs. And if it works, it works. [9/27 a.m.]

[6/12/10] As I continue to slowly go through the book, I'm struggling. Kevin uses unfamiliar terms, terms that he just made up to explain what he's thinking. I guess I kind of understand what he's trying to say, but my problem is trying to understand exactly what every word in his sentences mean. Plus Kevin is a terrible writer, using his unfamiliar terminology and really long run-on sentences (and more thoughts in parentheses in an apparent attempt to clarify what he just said). It would help if Kevin used an editor (provided the editor is not also from outer space).

I think once I get past the chapters on theory (of which I think is questionable -- but that doesn't really matter) and get to the actual training, it should get clearer.

***

Here's a review of Neil's DVD and Neil's response to the review. The reviewers seem pretty-informed and are of the positive school (which seems to be the accepted approach these days). Oops, actually it's Kevin's response, not Neil's. The comments following the review are interesting with input from Kevin, LCK, and Trisha (apparently the big four, along with Neil, of the NDT universe). [9/27am]

***

[6/12/10 via naturaldog on twitter] That Mutt blog (Lindsay Stordahl - who seems like a very nice person by the way she writes) relates her experiences on using pushing with her dog, Ace. She's having better success with Ace than I am with Kimo. The idea of taking the dog's breakfast with you on the morning walk sounds interesting. Maybe I might try that. Or maybe just remember to bring the treats cause Kimo's really not that attracted to his regular kibble.

Kimo went wild again when he saw Miki and Shammy coming down the street. If I could get him to push (or play tug) [instead of just holding him] when that occurs, I can see where that would have been helpful.

Kimo attacks broom

I was sweeping the back slab and Kimo was lying on the pillow.

I gently touched him with the broom in an attempt to prod him off. And he went wild and attacked the broom wrapping his legs around the broom. Good thing I used the broom.

After a while he calmed down a bit (though it was kind scary in the meantime) and I steered him off the area as I continued sweeping.

[The next day he jumped right off without much protest.]

Wednesday 9/2, posted 9/5am

dogs revert to predators

A dog pack blamed for the killings of a Georgia couple is a reminder of the fragility of mankind's pact with canines. Underlying the relationship between the species is a simple expectation: We feed them, they don't kill us.

Dogs are so much a part of American life — valued members of or even substitutes for human families — that it can be easy to forget they are still animals with teeth and the ability to use them if instinct demands it.

Add the lack of an owner and steady meals, and dogs can quickly begin to resemble their wolf ancestors, teaming up in packs for hunting and protection. They may look like pets, but behave like predators.

That is what investigators believe Sherry and Lothar Schweder encountered along a country road in Georgia a week ago. They say a pack of wild dogs killed Sherry Schweder as she took an evening walk and fatally mauled her husband when he went to look for her. Authorities euthanized more than a dozen dogs they suspect were involved.

Very seldom do dogs kill people in the United States: At least 20 Americans have died so far this year from dog attacks, a handful fewer than have died from lightning strikes.

But it is not unusual for dogs to use their teeth on people. Dogs bite about 4.5 million people in the U.S. each year, and nearly 900,000 of those, about half of them children, require medical care, the Centers for Disease Control says. More than 31,000 Americans needed reconstructive surgery after dogs attacked them in 2006, center figures show.

James Serpell, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society in Philadelphia, said the number of dog-bite cases is remarkably low, considering how closely humans and dogs live together.

"Frankly it's a triumph that dogs don't bite us more often than they do," Serpell said. "Any dog will bite if you provoke it sufficiently, or if it's in pain, it will defend itself. Potentially any dog will show predatory behavior, especially if it's very, very hungry."

Still, the statistics prove plenty of dogs bite the hand that feeds them. The CDC says adults with two or more dogs at home are five times more likely to get bitten than people with dog-free households. What gives?

Predatory behavior — hunting for food — is just one of many reasons canines, whether wild or housedogs, may attack people, experts say.

Spaying or neutering might help some dogs in some cases, such as reducing aggression toward other dogs, but won't make much difference in predatory behavior such as pack attacks on humans, said Dr. Wayne Hunthausen, a veterinarian and director of animal behavior consultations at Westwood Animal Hospital in Westwood, Kan.

Dog bites also may be caused by medical problems; possessiveness over food and toys; fear aggression resulting from genetics or poor socialization; redirected aggression, such as when a dog fights with another dog and goes after a person who intervenes and protection of territory from a stranger.

"Just because the dog sees you as a source of food doesn't necessarily mean there's any respect there," said Hunthausen, a past president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

In Georgia, a man living in the area where the Schweders were killed said he had fed the dogs and never had a problem with them. He didn't believe they had killed the couple.

Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a former president of the American Veterinary Medical Association who headed a task force on dog attacks, said it didn't surprise her that the dogs hadn't attacked that man but would go after the couple.

Many dogs, including packs, are fine with people feeding them, but if someone strange enters their territory or stares at them, it's a different scenario, she said. She also said it wouldn't have been surprising if the pack had turned on the man that fed them.

"I can put food in a wolf's pen and put it in, and put it in, and put it in, and the wrong thing happens, and I'm toast," Beaver said.

Dogs were domesticated tens of thousands of years ago. In some ways they are far removed from wolves — principally in their willingness to cozy up to humans. In other ways, they seem surprisingly close to their ancestors.

A strong predatory instinct was key in the wild, and the more important a trait is to a species' survival, the harder it is to breed out, Hunthausen said.

In some breeds — ratting dogs such as terriers or hunting and herding dogs — the prey drive was fostered or tweaked through breeding to achieve behaviors humans wanted. That strong predatory drive is one reason some dogs chase joggers, bicyclists and even cars.

"The faster something moves, usually the more likely it is to release predatory behavior," Hunthausen said.

Pit bulls, historically bred for fighting, are the breed that seems to most frequently make headlines for aggression. Earlier this month, two pit bulls killed their owner's brother and a mixed-breed pug in a Leesburg, Va., home.

Hunthausen's instructions for children who encounter strange dogs are similar to those suggested by grizzly bear experts: Stand still like a tree or curl up and stay still like a rock; don't move or make eye contact. Unlike grizzly bear-related guidance, he said if he met with a pack of wild dogs and had a chance to get up a tree or to another safe spot, he would probably take his chances and run for it.

Research shows in general, how many wolf-like traits a dog has is related to how little or how much a dog looks like a wolf, said Beaver, a veterinarian and professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery.

For example, Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes are nearer to wolves genetically than Chihuahuas or toy poodles are, Beaver said.

In general, domestic dogs are closer to wolf cubs than to adult wolves, she said. Like wolf cubs, dogs bark a lot and are dependent on a leader, Beaver said.

Interestingly, one way domesticated dogs differ from wolves is in their response to food rewards, the University of Pennsylvania's Serpell said. While humans can use food to motivate dogs to follow commands, wolves, though smart, tend not to see the point, he said.

If humans kicked dogs out en masse, some could live off the land and hunt in packs, Serpell said. Future generations would probably start looking something like dingoes, he said, referring to domestic dogs-gone-wild in Australia.

"I think most of them would die, actually, if humans weren't around," Serpell said. "They just would not be able to cope."

Coco

Since I had already taken Kimo out early, I decided to take Hershey separately. In the distance towards the begiing of the street, I saw a man with a small dog. I had seen them before but never in our street.

As we drew closer, Hershey was hesitant in approaching. I encouraged him along and met up with the man. I remember it was a pom mix. I said pom/chihuahua, but that was the other dog on Makanani. This one is an eight-year old pom/fox terrier mix.

Name is coco. Coco and Hershey. Should remember that. Man's name is Wayne. OK, let's see if I can remember that.

[Fri 8/28, posted 8/30]

it's not working

Kimo was barking at 7:00 (after howling at 6:00). It's RMAS earlier than usual.

Instead of taking out Kimo, I decided to go out on the road to greet them. I pet Miki and Kimo was barking. Then I moved up in sight of Kimo and stopped to pet Miki in sight of him. No sign of the barking abating. Reina says it's not working.

So I decided to retrieve Kimo and trail them. I think Kimo showed some signs, but managed to contain any outbursts. And for a little while, he was right on Shammy's tail.

[Friday 8/28, posted 8/30]

Joel Silverman

Hey Joel Silverman (host of Good Dog U) is still around. (Found while searching to see if Animal Planet cancelled In the Dog House. It's not scheduled for the next couple of weeks anyway.)

He now shaves his head and has a book out.

Koa out again

took Kimo out and Koa was out on the road again. What is it, like four days in a row?

I had brought an extra leash today just in case, so I leashed up Koa and took him along. He was pulling so I went for a little walking practice. Don't know how much it's helping, maybe a little.

Took him home, went downstairs, nobody home. Back up the stairs. Koa sat by the door in the garage like he wanted me to let him in the house.

Sorry. Close garage door. Head home.

I saw the plank of wood that I had placed at the bottom of the gate was pushed over, so evidently he escaped under the gate. So I added another plank.

No sign of RMAS today, maybe they gave up walking to my side after yesterday's incident?

[Sun 8/23, posted 8/24]

Brad vs. Victoria

Early Sunday a.m.

Decided to watch my DVR.

First In The Dog House, where Brad said treats are no good for the dog.

Then It's Me or the Dog, where Victoria is doing nothing but training the dog with treats.

And they're back to back on Animal Planet. But no Brad scheduled for this week. Hmm.

[Sun 8/23, posted 8/24]

was it Koa or Miki? / going long

Kimo was barking as RMAS came walking by, so I took him out.

I was trailing them a bit as we headed back toward the beginning of the street heading up by Hershey's house. Kimo started to go wild and I grabbed him and made him lie down with a squeal. Soon after, I saw them pause and saw Amy pass Shammy to Reina. Then I saw why. Koa was loose.

I patted my thigh to call Koa and he came running. And RMAS went on their way.

I didn't have an extra leash with me. So I tried to pick up Koa. He squealed and Kimo went wild. So I walked Koa back while bending over holding his collar.

I retrieved the other leash and left Kimo on the steps. He was barking like he wanted to come with us as I took Koa home.

I was Wendy (or somebody) who had come back and left the garage door open. She opened the door and let him in the house. I told her it wasn't too good because other people were walking their dogs. But she didn't respond much to them.

Then I went to get Kimo, headed up and down the RMAS driveway. Amy and Reina were still outside and I told them I took Koa home. I told them the garage door was open and he must have run off. Reina said nobody came to get him. I said they probably don't care. Amy said I should adopt him.

Anyway, press on.

I decided to go long and walk to the church to see if Ally needed help. On Judd there were the bigger black dog and the smaller brown dog running back and forth barking. The brown dog was running around in circles bouncing off the wall. After watching them a little while, wondering if they were going to calm down (I think they did a little bit), I went on.

The husky wasn't home today. Kimo might have been looking for him as he sniffed the gate.

Saw Ally with a policeman by the church parking lot entrance. She said she had enough help for now, but she might need help later.

Walked in, but didn't see Donna or Christie. So I went out the front gate to Bachelot. Then to Kuakini, Liliha. On Bachelot, Kimo was pulling like he wanted to go back. I went back a little but then I proceeded down the road again. Kimo started pulling again, so I was curious to where he would lead me. I was surprised when he turned into Sereno. (Google Maps says it's Elena on the Liliha side). He turned into a driveway where there was a doghouse kind of like his. But suddenly a dog ran out from the house and started barking at us. OK turn around. The guy next door asked if I knew them, but I said I wanted to see where the dog would take me.

Enough of this. Back to Liliha. No Chibi. Left on Judd. Saw a garage sale sign, so turned up Mahalo, sidetrack to Eheu, back to Mahalo, Twin View, Alewa. Decided to cut through AOP, bumped my head on a tree branch (forgot to duck). Went through the back of Chung's yard. Saw Steve out, no car in garage, but he didn't turn to look at me.

[Sat 8/22, started 8/23, posted 8/24]

RMAS after the walk

I took Kimo out in the morning and retrived Hershey.

As we went up the street, Amy was leaving out a bag for the CP or BB folks. It was brand new clothes she said. Clothes that she bought for Wynn that still had tags on it. I said unused, not brand new. She said brand new.

Anyway, on to Lolena Place, cross the graveyard, down Kamalii (with no dogs barking for a change), to Hillcrest, up Skyline. I see the haole woman who I often see fast walking her biggish dog turned into a driveway on Skyline. So that's where she lives. I usually see her in the afternoon. But maybe she walks mornings too?

Then to Makanani. The big white dog was looking at us from behind the fence. But then his brown partner started barking (though I didn't see him) and the white dog followed suit for a little while. But mostly just looked.

Then to the old brown dalmatian (or whatever he is). He just lay in his house looking at us. And no sign of the young one.

The basenji was next, kind of running back and forth, but not barking (I guess he doesn't really bark). But he looked excited so I kept Kimo away.

After going home, didn't have much treats to give Kimo and Hershey (forgot to load up), so I broke a piece into four tiny pieces.

Kimo was home and started barking. I took him out to see what was going on and it was RMAS. I took Kimo up to follow them up the street and he was composed. Coming back he acted up because Keith was going crazy jumping up and down at the window.

Then I drew nearer to Reina and Miki. Kimo acted up again as Miki turned to me. I got him back under control. But then I had to go take mom to church to help out with the luau. (Meanwhile Hershey was laying quietly on the steps looking at us.)

So Kimo's not quite back yet. But maybe getting there.

Yahoo groups

Yesterday morning, I was browsing through Yahoo groups for dog training and two caught my interest enough for me to subscribe (so I could read some of the messages).

One is Pos-4-ReactiveDogs.

A reactive dog is a dog who reacts strongly and/or shows high levels of stress and anxiety, when faced with mild to moderate exposure to specific stimuli, and/or toward certain environmental situations.

This list has been created as a safe place, or haven for people who live with, love and work with anxious/reactive dogs, and who are dedicated to helping these dogs by using a methodology that is respectful toward dogs and on their (the dog's) terms

I guess that sounds like Kimo since he goes wild at certain dogs walking by. Or attacks when being disturbed from his sleep (or sometimes just resting). Or being removed from a spot where he's lying down. Etc.


The other one is Volhard Training whose names I recognized from their Dog Training for Dummies book.

My first impression: the messages in both groups look interesting and the group members seem respectful and helpful.

Gayle and daughter

In the afternoon, Kimo was barking and running back and forth in the back.

I thought it might be Keith, but when I took Kimo to the front, it was Gayle (and her two or three dogs) and her daughter (I presume) with another dog.

I took Kimo up the steps and had him lie down. He lay with his head near (or on, I forget) the railing. And I had my hand lightly on the back of his neck in case he acted up.

I massaged his neck as they came walking back and he reacted only slightly as they passed.

I guess that's good.

[Wed 8/19, posted 8/20]

Musubi visits

I heard Kimo barking in the back and it was Musubi (or the one I call Musubi anyway -- the one who looks like has shaved hair around the eyes).

Kimo's OK with Musubi outside, but he barks at her (I think it's a girl) when he's behind the fence or railing.

I took Kimo out to the front yard. Kimo pooped. And Musubi came sauntering over the wall and got close to Kimo. As I mentioned before Musubi seems attracted to Kimo. Kimo went over to sniff her and later she lay down belly up. That's kind of what Paco does too.

I went to take him up the street and Musubi slowly followed at a distance. Gerald dropped off Hershey near the fire hydrant, but Hershey smelled Musubi and pulled to go after her at the Tsutsui yard.

Pressing on up the street. Hershey pooped. And as I picked it up with the plastic bag, it was soon evident that the bag had some holes in it...

WTH, press on. Soon Reina came up the driveway with Miki and Shammy. No Amy this time, I guess because Wednesday is golf day. I watched Kimo and he got a little agitated and had a quick outburst.

I got him back under control, but decided to turn around anyway instead of following. Especially with the poop on my finger.

Go home. Kimo goes up the steps. Take Hershey in the garage with me to wash hand. Hershey was hesitant to go in. I thought he was always hesitant to go in the back (or to Koa's place) because he's scared of them. But maybe he's always hesitant in unfamiliar places.

Anyway. Wash hands. Take dogs to Hershey's house for their treats. Go back home.

[Wed 8/19am, posted 8/20]

Neil Sattin

I thought I had written about Neil before here, but I guess not really.

Anyway, like Lee Charles Kelley, he's a follower of Kevin Behan's Natural Dog Training. Which makes him unusual since pretty much everybody else is of the alpha school or positive school (or a mix).

He has a website/blog and facebook page. Here's his profile from facebook.

My journey to the method started with my dog Nola, who had a brief history of corporal punishment from her previous owners that left her rather skittish around other humans (except me, for some reason). She pretty much wanted to kill about 4 out of 5 dogs we encountered, and she had a tendency to run off into the woods as well, leaving me to wonder if I’d ever see her again.

I attacked the problem with all of the fortitude and perseverance that a college graduate could muster. Stacks of books, tips from other dog owners, advice from trainers, and hours of time spent together. I quickly moved from my Monks-of-New-Skete approach, but no matter what I tried, I could not help her with her anxiety, or her seeming desire to hurt other dogs. At one point I had a correspondence with a well-regarded dog trainer and he thought that the solution to Nola’s aggression issues was to have her euthanized. Well, yeah, I guess that would work!

Sometime during Nola’s sixth year I decided to foster another dog, Buddy. It was back to Google for me, to try and find some solution to the problem. That was how I stumbled upon Kevin Behan’s website. Everything I read on his site made sense, not just in terms of how he explained dog behavior, but also in the way that his ideas just resonated with me on some core level. What he described was a way of tapping into a dog’s deepest instincts and seeing the world through their eyes (or, more accurately, feeling the world through their heart). Rather than looking for ways to suppress a dog’s natural energy, he spoke of channeling it into obedience behaviors. The first time I saw Nola flip from being aggressive to play bows, I knew that I had stumbled onto something amazing. I wanted to find out more. Now, years (and an apprenticeship with Kevin) later, and having witnessed many other dogs similarly affected, I can say without hesitation that Kevin’s work is truly important in the canine community.

[now I see this mostly came from his blog post, how I became a dog trainer below]

* * *

Well, I've seen Cesar and Victoria. And while I've made some progress I think, Kimo still gets wild, he still attacks, and I still get bitten (and I've been been working on him for nearly three years now). What do I have to lose?

I think I'm going to get Behan's book. I think I'll get a used one on ebay. Slightly cheaper than from Amazon. As far as I know that book hasn't changed since first being published in 1992, so I'll go for that one since it's the cheapest.

And I see Neil's DVD cheap on ebay. Well cheaper than the $65 list anyway. [Hint: it ain't there now, because I ordered it.]

Neil also has a blog at this website though it hasn't been updated frequently after the inital burst.

Like LCK's blog (or almost every blog for that matter), it doesn't have a table contents for easy lookup, so I think I'll start putting the contents here (as I read the posts).

What is this blog about?
How to play tug of war with your dog
How I became a dog trainer and people trainer
How to be calm, assertive, and relaxed -- be the moose!
How to Turn a Negative Mindset into a Positive Mindset through Acceptance, Forgiveness, and Action

OK, I'm wrong again.

Here's the listing of his blog posts.

And a neat guide to training incorporating some of those posts.

* * *

Hey that's cool. A comment from Neil himself. This is even more of an honor than when LCK send me a haiku after I added him on twitter.

I don't know why the item doesn't show up on eBay now either. Since I ordered the DVD, maybe I should now order Kevin's book. Though I'm kind of leery because I've have had a hard time deciphering Kevin's terminology on some of his recent articles. Maybe Neil can translate.

* * *

I was wondering how Neil found my blog. So I did googled Neil Sattin site:blogspot.com and found my post as the second result. The first result is an interview with Neil at Barking Buddha Doga. And I also see LCK's blog mentioning Neil several times.

* * *

[4/2/10] I see (via Twitter) that Kevin Behan has a new book coming out and that Neil recorded an 80 minute interview with Kevin.

Very interesting interview. Especially liked his anecdotes. It turned kind of metaphysical with some unfamiliar words, so was difficult for me to grasp much of it (kind of like his book). Hate to say it, but I think Kevin would come across as kind of a nutcase to the general populous, since his theory is so far out of the mainstream. Neil mentioned that the publisher of his new book is also the publisher of Deepak Chopra. So I guess that would make Kevin the Deepak Chopra of dogs.

I don't really get Deepak either. For example, "When your consciousness becomes fully grounded in that unity that transcends the conventional notions of good and bad, right and wrong, then you will find the absolute security you are seeking." WTH does that mean?? Actually I guess it somehow relates, since the premise is that dogs don't really have a concept of good or evil. Somehow...

Sheesh. All I'm trying to do is get Kimo to behave (or more accurately not misbehave).

*** [10/21/18]

saw this article about NDT via twitter.  It's very readable since it's not written by Behan 8)

How smart are dogs?

Using adapted tests designed for human children, psychologists have learned that average dogs can count, reason and recognize words and gestures on par with a human 2-year-old.

"They may not be Einsteins, but are sure closer to humans than we thought," said Stanley Coren, a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia and leading researcher on dog behavior.

He said the average dog can understand about 165 words, including signs, signals and gestures. They can also count to about 5, he said.

"I mean, we're not going to make them an accountant or something," Coren said in an interview with CNN Radio.

The smartest dogs, he calls them the "super breeds," are on par with a 2½-year-old, recognizing up to 250 words.

* * *

[8/18/09] LCK begs to differ.

Kathy Sdao

Kathy is a professional animal behaviorist in the Karen Pryor school. I found her via RBTD on twitter.

The linked article was "Forget About Being Alpha" (feed treats instead). Kind of the opposite of Brad Pattison. [Here's another related article (also found via RBTD) on old-school vs. new-school training.]

Kathy has some other interesting articles on her site.

another day with Miki & Shammy

Kimo peed on the chair leg (the chair next to his doghouse) again. Hasn't happened for a while, but I guess it's better than peeing in the house.

RMAS come again. I took out Kimo and went up the street. Amy tells me she's cancelling her alarm system. She was cleaning up her overflowing toilet and forgot to turn off the alarm and says it's too humbug to turn off and on I guess.

Anyway, I let them pass back down and went to get Hershey and trailed them again.

This time, we managed to catch up to them (didn't quite get there yesterday). Well at least Hershey caught up to Shammy. Reina and Miki were still in the front. Kimo remained calm.

They turned around and I put my hand on the back of Kimo's neck just in case. But he seemed OK. They were going down the driveway and Miki started barking. I think at Paco. Then Kimo instantly reacted by going wild. I had to hold the leash up for four or five seconds until he calmed down.

Almost.

Then to Makanani. The basenji was there, the rubbish truck was coming and the man opened the gate to toss his rubbish in the bin. And I took the opportunity to toss my poop bag in along with some styrofoam thing I picked up at his neighbor's grass. The basenji came at the fence. Kimo got a little near and the basenji took a bite in the air. I pulled Kimo away, but Kimo didn't show much reaction.

Then past the white and brown dogs, who didn't bark at first. Then up Skyline and down Puna. The black dog was on steps but stayed there and didn't bark. But as we got to the next house, the dogs in the house barked and the black dog ran to the fence and joined in.

Then back to Makanani. The basenji was there. I had Kimo sit and pulled some burrs off his fur as the basenji looked on. Just to try to get him used to us. Then we headed home.

[Tue 8/11/]

trying again with Miki & Shammy

The dogs were barking, it was RMAS.

Took Kimo out and went over next door. Hershey wasn't there yet, but soon enough Gerald comes and drops off Hershey.

I let RMAS pass, holding Kimo to control him, then we slowly followed up the street and stayed at a little distance. Kimo was mostly calm. At least no outbursts.

Then off to Lolena Place, Kamalii. Turning the corner there were two pit bulls (or mixes, one barking, one somewhat calm). I never saw them before, only heard them barking (I assume it must be them). Then Hillcrest, down Skyline, Maalaea, Naio. When I came to the place with the bunch of small dogs, I only saw one brown furry dog not barking at us. But as we got closer, a few of them ran out and started yipping. The furry dog started barking but stopped as we walked away. Then to Hala.

Decided to go down Laki. There was a tame pit bull looking at us. At least he wasn't barking. But soon a small little white dog (not tied up) on the driveway we passed started barking.

Turning the corner up Kealakai. The corner house had a couple of water dishes, but not sign of a dog. As we passed, the dog charged to the fence and barked at us. It was the old brown dog that I thought was gone. He stopped barking. I brought Kimo to the fence and they sniffed.

[Monday 8/10, posted 8/11]

make that two days in a row

I heard barking in the morning and went to the front to look. It was Reina and Amy walking Miki and Shammy. That's two days in a row.

Somewhat later, I took Kimo out and went to retrieve Hershey. As Kimo came over to sniff, Hershey went into a submissive position lying on his back with hind leg in air.

Then we went up the street. RMAS were coming back from the beginning of the street so I had the dogs sit while they came back. Kimo lost it once and I grabbed the back of his neck to settle him down. Then had him lie down.

Meanwhile Koa was behind the gate whining for me. So after they went down the driveway, I went over to pet him. Hershey was scared and didn't want to go close, so I had to kind of drag him. I guess Hershey is scared of Koa too.

Then down the road and cross the street. The Filipino man was walking his little chipom. He said he had stones (I guess kidney stones) and had to have an operation. I noticed some missing hair on his leg and found out the dog is 10 years old. Kimo didn't seem inclined to sniff.

Then we came to the black gate. The brown dalmation (or whatever he is) was lying down, but I lingered for a while and he and Kimo sniffed.

Then further down, the white pit bull (or whatever he is) was by the gate but not barking. Later the brown pit bull (or whatever he is) was gated by the front door of the house started barking. And as were made our way past, the white one started barking.

Then up Skyline and down Puna. The black dog saw us but didn't bark. Then started barking some as we made our way past. I think these dogs are getting used to us.

Then to Aulii and back to Makanani. The basenji was behind the gate along with the elderly man and a young girl. The basenji postured then came to gate. Kimo didn't seem interested in going over.

So what is that? Kimo plus 10 dogs? Not counting Nalu's two dogs who half-heartedly barked at us. Sort of out of obligation I think.

getting better? but still dangerous

I still maintain that Kimo has gotten better, but he's still not safe.

Donna and Christie were in the back with Kimo and I was inside on the computer.

I hear some screaming in the back and I run to the back. Kimo is growling at them. I pick up the leash and try to leash him as Kimo goes wild. He nips at me and gets my thumb. A few seconds later he calms down a bit but I see blood dripping to the ground. My blood. He calms down further and I go to wash my hand with the hose.

The bleeding didn't completely stop (slow ooze) until the next day. It's still kind of numb as I write this the next day.

Christie said what happened was that Kimo jumped on her and she grabbed his paw to take him off. That's when he started growling. I think I made it worse by running outside and confronting him with the leash. That might have heightened the intensity. I should have just stayed between them until he calmed down. Or at least not put my hand in harm's way.

So Kimo is still prone to these episodes when he goes wild and strikes unthinkingly. But this time he was reacting to me trying to leash him from the front.

[Sun 8/2, posted 8/3]

The reappearance of Miki and Shammy

Decided to go long with Kimo. Went down Kealakai and saw a couple walking further down where I usually turn. I went all the way to the end until Keola and turned left to Lanakila. There was a terrier and another dog barking. Then onto Kuakini, picking up some trash here and there, and then up Bachelot. The house with the dog had the gate open, so obviously no dog outside today. Then to Bates and Liliha. No sign of Chibi. Right on Judd, down Bachelot, to Bates. Notice a dog behind the fence which was looking at us but not barking. Debated whether to take Kimo to the dog but continued on. Then I saw the owner come out. So I decided to chance it. But Kimo was balking at coming close so I didn't force him. Told the owner he's shy. Back to Liliha. Saw Chibi down the driveway and a older man walking noticed they were the same breed. Chibi saw us but didn't come. Then I called for him and he came running. And I held my fist up to sniff. Kimo didn't seem interested though. Though I finally coaxed him for a brief sniff. Then left on Judd. The Husky was sleeping by the gate. He woke up and was friendly. But once again, Kimo wasn't interested. Though finally they had a brief sniff. Up Iholena, Lolena, and back home.

Was reading the paper on the front steps and Kimo started to bark somewhat fiercely. It was Reina and Amy with Miki and Shammy. I don't think they've walk this was for over a year (since Koa was coming out on the street and growling at them). I held Kimo as they went up the street to Keith's barking. I ripped up some chicken jerky bits to give to him as they came back. Keith was going wild. But Kimo was mostly munching. He acted up a bit as they were passing. But I enticed him more with the jerky and that seemed to work. I remarked to Reina that I hadn't seen them this way for a while. Reina said she didn't want to walk the dogs by herself in case Koa shows up. But it's not as bad with her mom she has the golf club. And can presumably chase away Koa with it.

Gidget the chihuahau

She charmed millions without ever saying a word, and managed to make fast food tacos adorable. Gidget, the Chihuahua best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign, died from a stroke on Tuesday night at age 15.

"She made so many people happy," says Gidget's trainer, Sue Chipperton. PEOPLE met both Gidget and Sue at a Hollywood animals photo shoot in February, where the pup was a consummate pro and delighted the crew with her playful nature.

The mostly retired actor lived out her days lying in the sun – "I like to joke that it's like looking after a plant," says Chipperton – and entertaining at shoots when her trainer brought her along. "Gidget," says Chipperton, "always knew where the camera was."

400 animals rescued

About 50 volunteers from Oahu and the mainland rescued nearly 400 dogs, cats and birds last weekend from a Waianae no-kill animal shelter in one of the largest operations of its kind in the state.

They set up an emergency shelter in Kalaeloa on Saturday and transferred animals Sunday from the Animal Haven, whose operator had died.

Although some animals had to be taken to veterinarians, they all had treatable conditions, according to Jennifer Kishimori, co-founder of the Oahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Animal Haven, a nonprofit shelter that took in abandoned animals for 17 years, was created by Bonnie Pang, who died in her sleep July 13. Her death left her husband of 32 years to look after the dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks and chickens Pang had collected.

"My wife had a very bad habit and an inability to say no," said Norman Pang. "Sometimes people would take advantage of her, but her primary focus was to help the animals and make sure they had a place to stay."

Pang realized he would not be able to take care of the animals and handed them over to the Oahu Society.

***

[9/4/09] On July 13, the day Norman Pang's wife, Bonnie, died, he got a call offering help with more than 400 dogs, cats and birds his wife had cared for at their rural Nanakuli home under the name Animal Haven — which he described as a no-kill hospice for abused, abandoned and unwanted animals on the Leeward Coast.

The call was from Jennifer Kishimori, vice president of the O'ahu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"I said a friend of his had called, and I asked how could I assist him," Kishimori said. "And he said, 'I'm not able to care for all these animals. My wife passed away. And I need help.' "

What followed over the next five days involved three animal welfare agencies and what's been described as the largest animal rescue operation in O'ahu's history.

And although Pang has not been cited, arrested or charged, he is facing possible prosecution for animal cruelty — even though some animal activists say that's not the case and that Pang's cooperation is what made the rescue operation a success.

"I thought they were here to help me in my time of need," said Pang, who believes he has been the victim of a "spiteful vendetta" that has damaged his name and reputation. "But it's evidently not turning out that way."

Two days after his wife's death, Pang signed a surrender statement giving Kishimori's group full ownership of all the animals at the shelter. Because the O'ahu SPCA is barely a year old, Kishimori requested the assistance from the Humane Society of the United States, which has resources and experience in animal rescues. The national agency accepted and flew a small team to Hawai'i.

Pang had specifically told Kishimori he did not want the assistance of the Hawaiian Humane Society because his wife, who began the animal shelter nearly two decades ago, disapproved of the society's euthanasia policy. That, and the fact that the society had taken Bonnie to court in 1995 for cruelty to animals, although a judge dismissed the case.

On July 19, members of the O'ahu SPCA, assisted by the Humane Society of the United States, began moving dozens of animals from the Pang residence to a hastily prepared emergency animal shelter in Kalaeloa.

But during the move, Pang said he noticed a man and woman from the national Humane Society videotaping and photographing emaciated and sickly animals that had recently come into the compound.

"I questioned the guy about what he was doing," recalled Pang, 64. "And he said, 'Oh, we're doing a training film.' And I says, 'You sure you're not using it for evidence against me?' And he said, 'Oh, no, no, no. We're doing it for the training film.' And I took their word that they were just doing it for training purposes."

Later, Pang said a video of the rescue appeared on the national Humane Society Web site describing the shelter as a "hoarding situation," and featuring emaciated dogs and cats along with descriptions of "open wounds" and "external and internal parasites."

Still photographs from that Web site have since shown up on the Hawaiian Humane Society Web site along with negative characterizations of Animal Haven as a "hoarding/breeding operation."

Inga Gibson, Hawai'i state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said her organization turned video footage and still photographs of the Animal Haven rescue over to the Hawaiian Humane Society when it was asked to do so.

"Any time a request is made (for) information related to a possible criminal investigation, we have a legal obligation to provide that information," said Gibson, who pointed out that the Hawaiian Humane Society is an animal control law enforcement agency, which Gibson's organization is not.

Had the materials not been turned over, she said the Humane Society of the United States could be susceptible to charges of withholding evidence in a criminal case.

Gibson said it is standard procedure for her organization to post videos and still photographs of rescues on its Web site as a way to keep members informed about what the agency is doing.

Pam Burns, CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, said it's up to the city prosecutor's office to decide if Pang has violated the law. She said because the Pangs would not allow her investigators to enter the property, it wasn't possible for her organization to make a firsthand assessment.

However, based on the national Humane Society's video footage, photographs and personal statements of one of that organization's on-site rescuers, she said, "We believe that it (Animal Haven) was in violation of the animal cruelty law."

Others don't see it that way.

Alicia Maluafiti, president of the O'ahu SPCA and former community relations director for the Hawaiian Humane Society, said the Pang residence has long been known as a shelter of last resort for sick and abused animals on the coast.

"We believe that Mr. Pang is doing everything he should be doing, and for that he doesn't deserve to be prosecuted," said Maluafiti, who thinks the Pangs, out of kindness, accommodated and cared for as best they could the never-ending menagerie of forsaken creatures they inherited.

"They were overwhelmed. It was through no fault of their own that the people of the community continued to dump their animals there."

Added O'ahu SPCA's Kishimori, "When she (Bonnie Pang) received most of these animals, they were in horrific condition. It wasn't as though she neglected them. That's the way she received them. I'm amazed at what all she did with all these animals — although she was in way over her head."

Maluafiti and Gibson both say the rescue operation went smoothly and quickly because of Pang's cooperation and assistance.

Of the more than 400 dogs, cats and birds taken, only three had to be euthanized. Approximately two thirds of the remainder have been adopted or are in foster care. The rest are doing well and are being cared for by volunteers at the temporary shelter.

separate walks

I was going to walk Kimo, but he signalled that he didn't want to go by running in his house.

So I took Hershey out instead.

Then when I came back, I tried again and he ran back in again. But eventually he didn't run in and I took him for a short walk.

In the afternoon, after finally seeing Star Trek I took him out again and noticed the black tip of his ear was gone. I guess it was a scab after all. Now his ear looks close to normal.

[Thu 7/30, posted 7/31]

adopting 30,000 horses

Thousands of wild mustangs have lived for decades on federal land, protected by the government and sustained by allocations to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). But now the BLM says the program—w hich had a budget of $36 million last year—is overwhelmed, and the horses are in danger.

Since mustangs have virtually no natural predators, herds will double every four years if left unchecked. To prevent overpopulation, the BLM removes thousands of the horses from the wild each year and seeks to place them in adoptive homes. But adoption rates have declined by 36% since the 1990s, leaving thousands of homeless horses in temporary facilities at government expense. Without an influx of new money, the BLM may have to begin killing horses with no adoption potential or selling off horses for possible slaughter.

* * *

Madeleine Pickens, wife of oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens, is an animal lover. As a horse breeder and a philanthropist, she has always considered that people must be responsible for the care of animals.

Wild horses, which date back to the time of the Spanish conquistadors, roam free on federal land in 10 western states and share that land with herds of cattle. To ensure that there is enough food for both wild horses and domestic cows, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management thins the herds, keeping the mustangs to about 27,000. They round up the rest and auction them off.

Recently, the land available to the horses has been drastically reduced by 19 million acres, so the government has had to round up more and more mustangs. Now, 33,000 horses live in holding pens, each horse costing $1,500 a year to feed. By law, if they can't be auctioned or adopted, they are to be slaughtered.

Faced with the prospect of losing these animals, Pickens took action, announcing that she would adopt the 33,000 wild horses that are in captivity.

Pickens said she is in negotiations to buy about 1 million acres for her wild mustang sanctuary in the West, a land mass slightly larger than Rhode Island. And it will be a place where anyone can go and see these wild horses running wild. She would not say where exactly.

"I think a lot of people would love the opportunity to go and see what America's really like, to see our true heritage, which is the wild horses," she said. "Once the horses are installed, families will be able to pull up in the RVs. We'll have hopefully log cabins, little hotels. Children will sit outside and have bonfires."

Pickens plans to have the sanctuary open within the next year.

"I can't wait for the day that the first horse is turned loose and you'll just see him kick his heals up and gallop away with this herd together," she said. "It's going to be so beautiful."

For more information on Madeleine Picken's project, visit her Web site: www.madeleinepickens.com

[via CoachJuneJones (football coach of the SMU Mustangs)]

*** [12/15/13] watched Wild Horse, Wild Ride on Netflix.  Recommended

a lucky 100 horses a year get trained and adopted.  One was adopted and became the SMU mascot.

another trip to the park

After two days of not walking, due to drizzles, I finally took Kimo and Hershey out again. And decided to take them to the park too.

Since my old Corolla is dead, I had to take them in the other Corolla. Kimo jumped in readily, but Hershey didn't want to go in. Probably because he's scared of Kimo. So I took Kimo out and then had Hershey go in. It was still a bit of a struggle but eventually he went in.

The park was empty when we got there and both dogs went sniffing around mostly on their separate ways. After a while, Kimo went climbing up the hill. There was a guy walking at the top of the hill. And Kimo barked at the guy.

Then a big guy brought a little black dog. Kimo went over to sniff and the dog kind of pushily sniffed back. Kimo jumped back and growled but there was no follow up aggression. Hershey initiated play and they chased for a little while. But the black dog seemed more interested in the tennis ball on the ground.

I tried to get them running by showing them food and trying to get them to chase me. But they didn't run consistently. Mostly a fast walk. However at one point, Kimo broke into a run and circled us widely a couple of times.

* * *

When I got home, I took the little mouse to Nuuanu Pali Road and set him free.

[Wed 7/29, posted 7/30]

Kimo and the bee

Kimo was going after something in his doghouse this morning. It was one of those big black bees. I tried to block him with a broom, but it didn't slow him down much.

Finally I lured him out of the house with some jerky. Blocked him from going back in and removed and tossed the bee.

[Mon 7/27 a.m.]

[Friday 7/30 a.m.] Kimo goes after another bee in his house. I swept the bee into the plants in the back but Kimo was still pursuing. Then I got the rake out and touched him on the side to try to block him. He paused momentarily but continued his search. (At least he didn't go wild at the rake.) Finally the bee popped out on to the grass and I raked it up and tossed it over the fence.

Then I took him for his walk. Hershey wasn't here today, but I took him up Puna anyway. It was quiet for a change, no dogs barking. Only the pitbull made a little noise as we came back down. No sign of the white and brown dogs. And the brown spotted dog was lying down in his house looking at us and not bothering to come out.

Indy and Spider go for walk

I was going to help in Kari's move so I decided to take Kimo out for a ride (does that make any sense?)

I headed to Makiki and turned up to look at the intersection where Butchy says the gangs hide out. But the hedge is actually sort of on a wall and gate. Hmmm.

Then I passed the park where I saw a lady in a hat with a big dog. I thought it might be Momi so I parked a little down the street and walk Kimo up. They were leaving when I was coming up and she motioned for me to come since she thought we were pausing because of her big dog (actually it was more Kimo sniffing and peeing). But it turned out not to be Momi and they drove off.

Since I was there I walked Kimo up by the pumping station and around. Then we sort of ran back. Not really in great control, but better control than most times in the past.

Then we went to Donna's house. As we came to the back, Donna opened the door. And Kimo went up on her. Donna put a little screen barrier to block the walkway on the side of the garage and Kimo kind of wandered around in the brush and sniffed. In the meantime we did a little weeding.

Then I took Kimo home and went to buy some sushi and pizza.

There was still time, so I decided to go to Cathy's mom's place to visit Spider and Indy. It was quiet when I drove into the driveway, but soon enough the barking began as I went to the back gate. Then somewhat surprisingly the barking subsided as I brought out the jerky. Indy readily went for it, but Spider was kind of cautious. So Indy wound up with most of the treats.

Then Cathy leashed up Spider so I wouldn't get bitten again and I treated them inside the gate. Then I wanted to take them for a walk. Indy didn't want to get leashed, so I told Cathy to put the treat on the other side of choke chain loop and Indy popped her head right through.

Then we went for a walk. At first I was going to walk them both, but decided to take Indy and Cathy took Spider (and a watergun). Indy was kind of acting on the choke chain and Cathy thought I might have been choking her. But it was more her struggling on the choke chain. And I made sure that the chain was high up by her jaw so it wouldn't choke her throat. Indy settled down a bit, but Spider was lagging behind. So I went to get him, but the choke chain high up high and walk them both.

Indy still struggled a little and I put them both on my left side with Spider on the outside. And they walked better that way though they were still a little active and ahead of me. Coming down a hill I saw a girl bringing her dog into the house. I thought they might act up at the sight of the dog, but I don't think they saw the dog and so they didn't.

Coming back, I let Indy in the gate and left Spider just outside the gate with me. That way I could treat both of them without Spider taking the food. Plus get Spider more used to me since he was under control with the leash.

Then I brought out the rawhide bones. Spider took it somewhere in the back and came back. In the meantime, Indy was chewing on her bone and snarled off Spider when he wanted to come take it. I went looking in the back for Spider's bone. But Cathy said he already ate it. I found that hard to believe since Kimo takes like a month to finish his bone.

I tried going back out the gate then back in. Spider still barked but less intensely.

Well, we'll see next time.

[Sun 7/26, posted 7/27]

Hachiko (and other dog movies)

TOKYO (AP) - Richard Gere stars in a Hollywood remake of Japan's long-cherished story of Hachiko, a faithful dog that died at a train station waiting for its master. But "Hachi: A Dog's Story" is more about the dog than about Gere, the 59-year-old actor said Wednesday.

"On this movie, I was definitely second-class," he told reporters at a Tokyo hotel.

The movie premiered in the U.S. at the Seattle International Film Festival in June, and opens in Japan in August.

The story of Hachiko [ is a legend among Japanese, a pet-loving nation that honors self-sacrificing loyalty.

Hachiko, the story goes, always used to wait at Shibuya train station for its master, a professor at the University of Tokyo.

Even after the professor died, the dog waited every day at the station for a decade, until it died in 1935.

People were so moved they built a statue of Hachiko at the station, which remains a popular rendezvous spot for Japanese today.

*** [12/29/13]

Hachi is currently on Netflix.  Another Japanese dog movie is Quill: the life of a guide dog.  Another happy/sad movie.  And more movies like Hachi.

And be sure to check out the 100 dog movies reviewed by crox.  (Well, maybe not.)