the new dog

So the big day comes when you pick up the dog. Everybody is excited and happy as you drive home, and you all come bounding up the walk, throw open the front door and let the dog off-leash and inside…

And you’ve just planted the seed for a lot of future issues. In human terms, you’ve unleashed a juvenile delinquent.

Just as we orient kids going into middle or high school, teach them the rules, and answer their questions, we have to do the same thing for our dogs. Unfortunately, we can’t give dogs a rulebook and a pat on the head and say, “Read this. It will explain everything.”

The message you send to your dog the moment she enters your home for the first time is critical, because it immediately establishes the ground rules in your dog’s mind. If you just let her run in the door, the message is, “Here! Everything is yours, and you can do what you want.”

By opening that door, you have told your dog, “There are no rules, boundaries or limitations.” You know where that goes: She eats shoes, won’t be housebroken, constantly begs, climbs on the furniture, jumps on people... And then you visit my website trying to find out what is “wrong” with your new dog!

The process of bringing your new dog into the home for the first time should be very deliberate and specific.

Here are the eight essential steps:

1. Remain Calm
When you pick the dog up, everyone must remain calm. It can be tempting to greet the new family member with excitement, but this is not the time to do it. Accept the dog into your space, but do not give more than a minimum of attention or affection yet. You’re about to remove the dog from a place that’s become familiar and take her to somewhere entirely new. And remember: This step must remain in effect through the entire process.

2. Take a Long Walk
When you get home, keep your dog on the leash, because you’re now going to go on a long walk through her new neighborhood. This serves two purposes: It will help drain her excess energy and bring her to a calm state, and it will get her used to the new smells, sights, and sounds.

3. Introduce Your Home
After the walk, keep your dog on the leash for a proper introduction to the new pack den — your house, apartment, condo, etc. Bring the dog to the front door, but do not let her enter first. If you can, get her to sit or lie down as you open the door. Then, you enter first, not allowing her to follow until you invite her in.

4. Take the Tour
Once inside, keep your dog on the leash and lead her from room to room. Do not let her sniff or wander around. Use the leash to keep her at your side. Spend a little time in each room before moving on to the next, and make sure each time you go first into the next room. Do not let the dog follow you into the next room until you give permission. If you have a backyard, patio, or other outside area, treat it the same way.

5. Remain Calm
During the tour, don’t say very much and use only body language or simple sounds, like “Tsch!” or a finger snap, to communicate. Your dog is overwhelmed right now, so the less stimulation, the better. This will help keep her focused on you.

6. The Dog’s Place, Part 1
Once you’ve completed the tour, bring the dog to the place where the food and water will be and offer a reward with some water and a few bits of food (but not a whole bowl yet; your dog is still on her leash, remember?)

7. The Dog’s Place, Part 2
Likewise, if you have a special place you’d like the dog to stay when she needs to be out of the way of household activities, take her there. This is where you can finally let her off-leash. That place can be where her bed is, or a spot in the corner of the living room where you want her to lie, or her crate. By letting her off the leash here, you are telling her, “This is yours.” Don’t be surprised if she immediately decides to settle down and ignore the family for a while. This doesn’t mean she hates her new home. It means that she has found her place in it.

8. Act Naturally
Once you’ve completed the above process, go through the rest of your day as you normally would. This also applies to the entire pack. You can acknowledge the dog if she joins you, of course, but don’t go overboard with affection yet. Just as you’re still getting used to her in the house, she’s getting used to being in her new house. You’ve gone a long way already toward teaching her that this is your territory and you make the rules. Now, she’s going to observe so she can figure out what the rules are, and who’s who in her new pack.

And now the fun and fulfillment of having a dog in the family begins. If you’ve gone through these eight steps, you will have claimed your territory, allowed your dog into it, and established who the pack leaders are.

easy-going dog breeds

Looking for a laid-back dog that’s just as happy relaxing at home as he is playing in the park? Check out these breeds that come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes to match your lifestyle  —and throw pillows.

3. Pug.  A breed that adapts easily to any situation, from living in a home with a big yard to residing in a small apartment with minimal exercise, Pugs are known for being playful, social and willing to please, according to the AKC. While they’re popular companion dogs, they also excel in dog shows. They need minimal exercise and because of their short coats, require little grooming.

4. Chihuahua.  An excellent city dog because of their size, Chihuahuas are known for being alert and dedicated to their owners. They require minimal exercise and grooming but can be sensitive to cold temperatures. An extremely intelligent breed, they may try to be bold and park to protect their owners, but their toy size make them rather ineffective guard dogs!  [don't think I'd call a chihuahua easy-going!]

7. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. An adaptable and easy to train breed, The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is compatible for city or country dwellers and families with varying degrees of activity. Flexible in their need for exercise, they are happy sleeping with you on the couch or going outside for long walks, according to the AKC. While the breed typically weighs 13 to 18 pounds, many are larger. Moreover, many experts consider Cavalier King Charles Spaniels well suited to families with children.

10. Shih Tzu. Obedient and trusting lap dogs, Shih Tzus are bred to be companions and thrive on attention. With an upbeat, playful attitude, the breed is gentle and affectionate with children, according to Discovery.com. While they enjoy short walks, they are generally just as happy romping around your home as they would be outside. Because of their intelligence, they can be stubborn and require a strong, consistent hand in training.

Greyhound Rescue Rehab

In 1999, Christine Johnson asked her husband, Chris Procopis, if they could adopt a dog, but he was deathly afraid of them, having been bitten three times as a paperboy during his teens. Chris thought he had his wife stymied when he agreed, saying, "OK, sure—but only if the dog doesn't bark, shed, drool or smell."

But Christine did her research and discovered greyhounds. Not only is this breed tidy and quiet, but, as she quickly learned, kennels were teeming with the retired racing dogs—and they were in need of homes. "In the late 1990s, around 40,000 dogs were being put to sleep each year when they were injured or too old to race," she says. Working with a rescue group in Glastonbury, CT, she met a 90-pound dog named Parris who had been returned by a family because he was skittish and uncomfortable around children. "We didn't have kids and I just wanted him to be ours," says Christine, who took Parris home that day—after just a quick call to her husband.

At first, Chris was stunned. "I agreed to a dog, not a horse!" he says with a laugh. "It was like someone had left a pony in the living room of our tiny condo." He also feared that a dog so fast it can zip through an electric fence without feeling a shock would be high-strung and require constant exercise. Instead, he says, "I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they're more like giant cats who like to curl up on the couch and hang out."

Months after Parris joined their family, the couple went to a greyhound adoption event, where one of the dogs walked right up to Christine and stuck her nose under Christine's arm. Now a convert, Chris took one look and said, "We're taking her." Christine started thinking about the thousands of greyhounds that needed homes. "I had to do something," she says. In 2000, she formed a nonprofit, Greyhound Rescue Rehab (GreyhoundRescueRehab.org), an all-volunteer organization that saves, fosters and finds homes for retired racing greyhounds. "My only regret is that I didn't learn about them earlier," says Christine.

Luciano Aguilar

I've this guy doing segments on America Now.

Luciano Aguilar did not always have a love and passion for dogs. Ironically, throughout his entire childhood, he was actually afraid of dogs. Aguilar's childhood fear stemmed from his limited and mostly negative, exposure that included being barked at, chased and cornered by dogs. However, as a young adult, this long-lived fear was overcome when Aguilar joined the United States Air Force at the age of 18. In the Air Force, he served five years of his 10-year term as a Military Working Dog Handler. During the last 5 years in the Air Force, Aguilar worked in the elite Presidential K9 Unit, whose primary mission was to secure Air Force One, aircraft transportation for the U. S. President. During these years, he secured Air Force One for Presidents Clinton and Bush, and also secured the arrival of President Reagan's body transport into Andrews AFB, MD.

Once Aguilar's 10-year term in the Air Force was completed in 2005, his passion for dogs led him to the start-up of a dog-training business in Los Angeles, Ca. Using his well-trained dog Ajax, Aguilar promoted his business by holding demonstrations all over the Los Angeles area, showing off his skills in parks, expos, busy streets, always drawing a crowd. Aguilar expanded his business by holding dog-training seminars across the country, including to audiences of law enforcement officers and fellow dog training professionals. In addition, because of his expertise in Bite Prevention, Aguilar was invited often to speak to children in local-area schools and to employees of the United States Postal Service.

In 2009, Aguilar made his first appearances on Spanish television on the popular shows Sabado Gigante, Alarma TV, and El Gordo Y La Flaca. Aguilar's appearances quickly crossed over to the English television market. For three consecutive seasons starting in 2010, he has been the resident "Pet Pro" for the nationally-syndicated TV show "America Now". On "America Now" he has taped over 100 segments, sharing his knowledge of dog behavior and dog ownership, and gaining much experience working in front of the camera.

...

I wonder if he has any videos on the internet? yep

Those are pretty old.  Here's the video I saw today:

How to avoid a dog fight

And some recent ones

What to do if a dog attacks you

Doggy door training

Dog safety for kids

Go fetch?  Or not...

More here (at the bottom)

LMGTFY

Tuffy is back out

With the JWs visiting today, I went to take out Kimo and retrieve Fifi. 

On the way, Kimo made a small poop that was fairly firm.  Later he made some bigger poops that became less and less firm, but not that bad so I could pick them up.

Nearing Fifi's house, what's this?  Tuffy was tied up in the yard again.

I was saying hi to him, when Nalu and family came driving home.  He told me he took Tuffy out because Izzy was eating his food and he was getting too skinny.

Jake and Taylor jumped out of the car and wanted to go walk Tuffy.  First I told them I was going to get Fifi.  Then came back for Tuffy.

Tuffy was back to his old pulling tendency, so I had Jake loop the leash under his chest to slow him down.

After a while, they got tired of being pulled so I took Tuffy's leash and let them walk Kimo.

Kimo walked fairly well with them though out in front most of the time.  Jake couldn't help himself and went to pet Kimo.  Kimo looked but didn't do anything.  And I told Jake not to pet him because Kimo gets scared sometimes.

So on we went down the street, going to the side when cars came by.  Down the road, one more car.  It's Nalu and Kristen.  I guess they had to go someplace.

Up to Coco's garage, who started to bark.  Maybe because he hadn't smelled Tuffy for a while.  Duane let Coco out, saw how skinny Tuffy was and took him inside for some food.

OK, some more treats at the garage.  Sewer workers are here.  Take Kimo home.  Then take Fifi home.  Treat Izzy and Brownie and Tuffy.  Izzy barks for food and Brownie is kind of scared around her.  But at least Izzy sits for food.  Brownie doesn't though, which is OK I guess for quick get-a-ways in case Izzy goes after her.

Anyway, good to see Tuffy outside again (for selfish reasons).  Though not so good to see him so skinny.

Duane's plan is to fatten him up now. We'll see how long Tuffy is out.  It's probably been almost a year since he was out.