Dog behavior can be puzzling to both new and experienced dog owners.
Dogs do not operate with the same motivations as people, so their
actions don’t always make sense to us.
1. Chewing
2. Biting
3. Growling over food
4. Barking
5. Digging
6. Getting in the garbage
7. Jumping
8. Soiling in the house
9. Pulling on the leash
10. Whining or Crying
Took Kimo out (since he was barking). Made a small poop. Then walked to the beginning of the street and back. With periodic stops to pee and eat grass, etc.
As we came back, I saw Frank nearing our house. Frank is the new neighbor's dog, a dachsund. The owner says he not very dog-friendly or people-friendly. But I figured how much damage can he do? So I let him come close to Kimo.
He seemed more curious than anything and came to sniff Kimo. Kimo shied away like he usually does, but then started sniffing Frank. So they mostly were going around sniffing each other. Frank seemed unsure and Kimo seemed apprehensive. But no incidents.
Meanwhile I see and her Teri Ann (or whatever her name is) calling for her dog. I wave to her and she starts walking down.
I tell her no problem, they were just sniffing each other.
She comes to get Frank, but I tell her maybe Frank will follow Kimo up the road. So I take Kimo up the road and Frank follows more or less. Teri Ann comments that it's good that Frank has friends. (Well, I wouldn't go that far yet.)
Anyway, she picked him as he came closer. And so I guess that went OK. Both are now a little more socialized to each other.
It would have been interesting to see Frank and Jojo together.
***
Meanwhile, Kimo continues to be uncomfortable around Kaya. Sometimes I take him out when Cari takes out Kaya. I don't really bring him that close. But still too close because he tends to charge at her. I guess a pre-emptive strike. I thought he was getting better with her for a while after I walked him with Cari and Kaya up the street a couple of months ago.
Back in 1971, actress Tippi Hedren, her husband Noel Marshall, and their actress daughter, Melanie Griffith, brought a full-grown male lion into their residential home in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Tippi
and Noel had recently come back from a trip to Africa, where they’d
seen an abandoned house inhabited by lions. The experience inspired them
to create a film about the endangered big cats in order to raise
awareness and promote conservation, and as animal trainer Ron Oxley had
told them that in order “to get to know anything about lions, you’ve
just got to live with them for a while,” they were determined to do just
that.
Tippi and Noel separated a year after “Roar,” and
Tippi went on to found the Shambala Preserve animal sanctuary, a place
for mistreated and neglected exotic animals. The actress lives at the
sanctuary to this day.
The film that came out of their experience,
“Roar,” was released in 1981 and featured 150 big cats, including
leopards, cheetahs, and cougars. It ended up being a box office flop,
and during production, more than 70 people sustained injuries, including Melanie.
LIFE photographer
Michael Rougier took these fascinating photos which documented the
family’s day-to-day experiences of having a lion named Neil in their
home in 1971.
Peter Chinn, producer of National Geographic’s “In The Womb: Extreme Animals”
series, makes incredible use of 3D ultrasound scans, computer graphics,
and nano cameras to create breathtaking images of unborn animals.
From
baby elephants to penguins waiting to hatch, these images are not only
adorable, but extremely fascinating sights to behold, tracking the
growth and development of embryonic animals from conception to birth.
Dr. Sophia Yin
was a frequent presenter at veterinary conferences and dog training
conferences around the world. Unlike most veterinarians, she enjoyed a
huge fan base of not only veterinarians, but also dog trainers, groomers
and pet owners. Sophia Yin unexpectedly passed away today (September
29).
Dr. Yin's mission in life was to improve our understanding of
animals and their behavior so that we can care for, appreciate and enjoy
our time with them better. If changing the world was a goal, she
achieved that through her many books and handouts on pet behavior. Her
most recent, now considered a bible, "Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats." Through her YouTube page, and Facebook following Dr. Yin reached countless pet owners.
To make the world better for animals - and as a demonstration of her
underlying generosity, Dr. Yin offered a variety of informational free handouts. She could have charged. She did not.
Ever since she was a child, Sophia wanted to be a veterinarian, and
in 1993, her dream came true. But once out in private practice, she
quickly realized that more pets were euthanized due to behavior problems
than medical ones. She went back to school to study animal behavior,
and earned her Master’s in Animal Science in 2001 from UC Davis where
she studied vocal communication in dogs and worked on behavior
modification in horses, giraffes, ostriches, and chickens. She was also
the award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and
at least once won a Dog Writer's Association Award for best newspaper
column, up against my column. Upon receiving her degree focused on
animal behavior, Dr. Yin served for five years as a lecturer in the UC
Davis Animal Science Department. Through these and an eclectic
collection of other animal behavior experiences, she came to realize the
true secret to successful behavior modification: be kind, thoughtful
and patient.
Sophia learned that every pet needs a human who can lead. Not like a
boss, but like a partner in a dance—someone who gives clear signals,
rewards desirable behavior as it occurs, removes rewards for
inappropriate behavior immediately, and sticks to the plan consistently
until the new, good behavior is a habit.
Unfortunately Dog Whisperer has been taken off hulu as of today (9/10/14). Cesar 911 was taken off a month or two ago (I assume the new episodes will come back after season 2 begins -- hopefully).
Looking at the comments, apparently this also happened in November 2012 and they came back in February 2013. Hopefully they come back soon. Or maybe they'll go over to Netflix. I was thinking this because Netflix recently started carrying The Incredible Dr. Pol.
The Dog Whisperer episodes uploaded to dailymotion (by hulu) have also been deactivated. As well as the Dog Whisperer episodes uploaded to youtube by natgeowild.
[10/25/14 - actually there's still a few of the NatGeoWild episodes still on youtube. I count five (Delta and Dong Dong; Peanut, Chico, Leroy Brown, and Tucker; Sadie and Calder; Seven, Sara, and Madeleine, Tillie and Leo)]
Netflix currently has The Very Best of Dog Whisperer, which are 13 selected episodes (2 from season 1, 5 from season 2, 5 from season 3, and 1 from season 4). But now I notice this is scheduled to expire on 9/22/14.
So what's left? The unauthorized uploads to youtube (notably by natsmilan), however generally the video quality of these aren't as good as the natgeowild uploads. Plus no captions.
The first three seasons are carried by amazon.com instant video and itunes at 1.99 an episode. The ninth season is carried by itunes at 2.99 an episode.
***
I see My Cat From Hell will expire from Netflix on 10/5/14, as well as Pitbulls and Parolees. Apparently that's when the Animal Planet series will expire (as well as other channels on the Discovery Communications Network, including the Discovery Channel and TLC).
*** [3/2/15] checking Dog Whisperer episodes on youtube (to test youtube subtitles). Now taken off are Delta and Dong Dong, Chico & Peanut, Sadie and Calter, Seven. Well actually they're there, but made private. The only one left that I can see are Tillie and Leo (titled Tille and Leo on youtube).
Thinking about life before Xena is difficult for the Hickey family. For years, it was impossible to get young Jonny to say a word. It wasn’t that the young boy couldn’t speak, he can read very well for his age, his autism held him back, making him feel isolated and closed off from the world.
When Jonny was 8, however, everything changed. Johnny’s mother, Linda, saw a news story about an abused puppy and decided to follow his recovery on Facebook. When the pup, Xena, was strong enough to attend a fundraising event, Linda brought her family, hoping to meet the brave little guy. Although hundreds of people wanted to adopt the dog, the Hickeys were chosen to raise the pup. Instantly, Linda, her husband and her oldest son started to see a big change in little Jonny.
In DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN: FAMILY EDITION,
renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Milan travels far and wide to help pups
and their families. Millan rehabilitates dogs and trains families to
achieve a balance and natural relationship between people and their
pets, and goes directly into the homes of dog owners to document the
remarkable transformations that occur.
I'm thinking this will be selected and perhaps edited episodes of Dog Whisperer
The reason I say this is because another show is
CALLING DR. POL
Caring for more than 19,000 patients, Dr. Pol has seen it
all. Specializing in large farm animals, Dr. Pol, his family and
veterinary staff care for animals of all shapes and sizes. Unstoppable
and unflappable, this Doc is a legend in the community.
and another is
EXPEDITION WILD
Wildlife expert Casey Anderson knows animals up close. His adventures
into the wilderness are a source of inspiration for viewers and an
education about animal’s natural habitats.
I kind of doubt they are shooting new episodes for the CW. So CW is likely paying to re-air the NatGeoWild shows.
Came home and let Kimo out without putting on the leash
Goes up the dh side of the house
Put then Pat and Keith are out in the area, uh oh
Naturally Kimo gets a bit excited but stays on his side of the wall as I go walk between them
But Keith continues going nuts, so Kimo gets excited and jumps the wall.
Pat gets a little frantic (though not as frantic as Keith) as Kimo gets into wolf mode
I try to stay between them, but Kimo gets close but really doesn't go all the way after Keith
I manage to snare his neck with the line of the flexi-leash and Kimo calms down after a little while. Meanwhile Pat drags Keith away.
I should have learned after all this time. I should always have a leash on Kimo in case of incidents like this. But it mostly happens only with Keith. And maybe with certain cats (but the cats can run away).
An
elderly black lab named Lady, who made headlines for walking 30 miles
to return to the family that gave her up, will get to live out the rest
of her days in comfort at the home of a wealthy Florida heiress. Her new mom sent a private plane to pick her up yesterday.
Lady first landed in a Sedan, Kansas animal shelter after her original owner passed away in 2012, KCTV reported.
She quickly grew attached to the first family that adopted her, but
they felt she was too rough with their puppy and worried she wasn't
friendly toward little dogs. They returned her to the shelter.
She
was adopted by a second family in Independence, Kan., earlier this
summer, but Lady missed her previous home so much that she escaped and
pulled a Homeward Bound, walking 30 miles to reunite with the owners who'd rejected her.
After
that, neither of Lady's adopted families would take her back, so the
old dog boomeranged back to the shelter for the third time.
That's
where Wrigley Gum heiress Helen Rosburg comes in. Well-known as a dog
lover, Rosburg once helped out a U.S. Marine who was going to lose his
dogs by chartering a private plane to transport them across the country (they were too big for a commercial flight).
Rosburg
just hired a private jet for Lady, too. She's personally adopted the
dog, who will live at her 10,000 square-foot home on a 120-acre Odessa, Fla., farm, home to 300 rescue animals.
It couldn't have happened to a better dog.
"Super
dog. Gentle, calm dog," Sedan animal shelter worker Kelsey Loyd told
KCTV, "If I had to pick a dog, this would have been the dog I would
take."
[It's easier to be kind to animals than to fellow human beings because the animals don't know any better. But sometimes human beings don't know any better either.]
1. Dogs are instinctual. Humans are intellectual, emotional and spiritual. 2. Energy is everything in a dog's world. 3. Dogs are first animals, then species, then breed, and then name. 4. A dog's senses - primarily smell - form his reality. 5. Dogs are pack animals with a leader and followers.
Less is always more, and when you find that place of calm energy, you will also find a place of silence. Dogs do not communicate in words. They communicate with energy through body language. One of the only times that dogs naturally get loud is when they bark to communicate with the entire pack over a distance because there is danger lurking.
And yet I see humans get this backwards all the time. Their dog barks at another dog or pulls on the walk, and their immediate response is to get loud. “No, no, NO!” Now this can work in human situations because we communicate with words, and the person who shouts the loudest can often win out over everyone else.
It doesn’t work with dogs, or with animals in general. Why? Because loudness represents unbalanced energy, and dogs will not follow unbalanced energy. What they will do is become more excited the louder the humans around them get.
To a dog, a human shouting in a loud deep voice is just a bark, and barking is meant to alert the pack to danger. Well, if the pack is in danger, it’s every dog’s job to spread the word and take action to protect the pack, meaning that yelling at a dog will just elevate their energy and their anxiety.
I’ve spent a lot of time around dogs, and I can tell you exactly how one dog dominates another: in silence. The dominant dog will place themselves above the other dog, claiming the space and whatever objects are in it. They don’t growl and they don’t bark, because they don’t have to. Their energy and body language send the message: “This is mine. Go away.”
It’s only when the other dog resists that dominance may escalate to other signs, like a low growl, physical contact, or baring of teeth. And, beyond that, it only turns into a fight if the other dog will not defer to the dominant dog.
It doesn’t get loud until it’s a fight.
So if you’re yelling at your dog to calm it down, you will never have a calm dog. You have to see it from your dog’s point of view, and you have to be the Pack Leader. If you want your dog to be calm, then you have to think like a dog and leave the words behind.
Cats and dogs are cute, loyal, and charming—but what’s really going on inside those furry little heads? There are two men who do
know and they’re going to take your biggest pet questions LIVE during a
Google Hangout on Air on Friday, July 25th at 1:30 pm ET.
When Annette and Steve McDonald rescued Norman, an adorable yellow Labrador Retriever, from an Oregon animal shelter they knew by his sweet demeanor that they had found someone special! However, it wasn’t until a fateful trip to the beach that they would learn just how amazing he was!
Shortly after bringing home Norman, the couple found out that he was suffering from a genetic disease in his eyes which left him blind. Although nothing could be done surgically to restore his eyesight, the family said that Norman was adapting fine to his diagnosis and was still able to run and play just like any other pup his age!
One day Annette took Norman to one of his favorite places: the Necanicum River to go swimming. But during that trip, Annette saw a 14-year-old girl starting to drown in the water! Without even thinking, Norman plunged into the waters and made a beeline for her screams for help! By following her voice Norman was able to rescue the girl and bring her to safely to shore unharmed!
Studies show that owning a dog can improve your health, but did you know that it can also provide valuable lessons on how to live a happy life? If you take the time to notice, your dog gives you pointers on how to live life to the fullest each and every day. Here, we've broken down these pointers into six simple steps.
1. Be Loyal: Dogs are faithful, reliable, loyal, and they love unconditionally.
2. See the People in Your Life with New Eyes: After a long day at the office, who or what are you excited to see? Is it your dog's cute mug and wagging tail? There's no better feeling than a warm doggie-greeting. Every time your dog sees you, it’s like they’re seeing you for the first time in years. Try greeting the people in your life with the same enthusiasm, warmth and excitement.
3. Forgive and Forget: Have you ever accidentally stepped on your pup’s tail and heard their awful yelp? Take notice that only a minute later they’re right back to playing and loving you. Dogs don’t hold grudges because they live in the moment. So, take a cue from your dog and choose to forgive, forget, and move on.
4. Live Life to the Fullest: Watch as your dog goes through his daily routine. Every scent is new, every person is special, and every bit of food is appreciated. Take joy in the small things, don't sweat the small stuff, and relish the moment.
5. Take a Hike: What dog doesn’t love being outside? They love going for walks and hikes, and generally being active. We should too, as exercise is good for our mind, body, and soul. Cesar always says that the foundation of your relationship with your dog begins with the walk. It's a great bonding exercise with a multitude of other benefits.
6. Take a Nap: Have you ever noticed how dogs can sleep anywhere? When they need a nap, they aren't ashamed to take a break and recharge. Colleges and workplaces are beginning to open up designated "nap stations" and "nap rooms" to enhance productivity and improve the overall health of their students and employees. Studies show that taking a 15-30 minute nap reenergizes us, and makes us feel more creative and alert. So if you can, try and set aside 15 minutes a day to curl up with your pup and catch a few zzz’s.
Duane, Jason, Dude, Coco are walking
take Kimo out
Phil lets Kaya out to play with Dude
notice Izzy is outside the gate
Duane takes Kimo and I go to put Izzy back, she kind of runs away from me
so I go in the gate and eventually she comes in
wth, I go take out Tuffy
have him on long rope that I took from Fifi's basket
Duane notice he's skinny and feeds him, also notice he's limping a bit
take home Kimo
Duane brings Tuffy
I take home Tuffy, see somebody's home, tell Jake that Izzy was loose
but now I worry about Izzy reacting to Tuffy (since Kristen said if I took out Brownie by herself and bring her back, Izzy might go after her)
so I take out Izzy for the first time
see Ann leaving
Izzy pulls but not uncontrollable, walks on loose leash some of the time
take Izzy to Charlie at the fence, but then Izzy starts barking at him and Charlie barks back
have them sit at Duane's for treats
then take them a little away from Charlie and have them sit for treats as Charlie barks at them
ok take them home
first have them sit outside and try to get Brownie to calm down for treats
then take them inside and do the same thing. Izzy sits consistently, Brownie sits once in a while after a while, Tuffy jumps up on wall to get out of the way
Kristen scolding Izzy, she didn't know I was there, then I go talk to her for a little while
An elephant who'd been shackled with spiked chains for his entire 50-year life cried tears of joy when he was finally freed from his horrific captivity.
Raju had water streaming down his face as a daring team of rescuers swooped in on Wednesday night to release him from his confinement in India.
Vets and wildlife experts from the British-based Wildlife SOS-UK were joined by 20 Forestry Commission officers and two cops in the dangerous nighttime operation.
The squad raided the farm in India's Uttar Pradesh region, where Raju — who'd been regularly beaten and abused by his owners, who used him to beg for money — was being kept.
And they claim that, as they liberated him from his manacles, he openly wept because he realized that his half-century ordeal was coming to an end.
"Raju was in chains 24 hours a day, an act of intolerable cruelty. The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue," Wildlife SOS-UK's Pooja Binepal said.
"It was incredibly emotional. We knew in our hearts he realized he was being freed," Binepal added.
Has the domestication of dogs also changed their ability to learn from each other? A recent study performed by the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, seems to indicate that this is the case.
In a simple experiment, the researchers determined that wolves have
the ability to learn by observing a dog carrying out an action, while
most dogs in the study did not. In the set-up, both wolves and dogs
observed a trained dog using a lever to open a box and receive a treat.
Throughout the trials, all of the wolves succeeded on their first try
at copying the actions of the trained dog to open the box. Only four of
the dogs were able to do so and, out of these, only two of the dogs
succeeded multiple times. The wolves and dogs had all been raised
together since they were pups, and had been given equal socialization
among other wolves, dogs, and humans.
The initial studies took place when the wolves and dogs were six
months old. However, to rule out the idea that the results were due to
the wolves’ earlier cognitive development, the study was repeated nine
months later, when all of the animals were adults, with the same
results.
The study concluded that wolves are capable of imitation, and so “are
likely to pay closer attention to the actions of social partners and
thus may have a higher tendency to socially learn from or even imitate
each other’s actions.”
In the context of a wolf pack,
this behavior makes sense. But domestic dogs are descended from wolves,
so why the difference? Researchers still aren’t sure, but they propose
that “dog-human cooperation has likely originated from wolf-wolf
cooperation, potentially by (dogs) becoming able to easily accept humans
as social partners and thus, extending their relevant social skills to
interactions with them.”
***
Interesting. It sounds like (most) dogs have lost the ability to learn from other dogs, replaced by dogs learning from humans.
THERE ARE PET owners. And then there
are those who have a best friend, confidant or
“child” who happens to walk on all fours. For
those in the second group, the book A Letter to My Dog, a set of love letters from 57 pet
owners to their dogs, is proof that to be headover-
heels devoted to your pet is to be in
good company.
The missives are penned by celebrities,
including singer Tony Bennett, actor and
writer Tyler Perry and former basketball
coach Pat Summitt, along with everyday people
smitten with their dogs. The letters are
filled with words such as “hero,” “funny,” “loyalty”
and “unconditional.” Whether they’re
signed with a name, as a friend or in any variation
on the words for parent, each letter
shows the unwavering love these people have
for their dogs.
The idea came up over dinner with
friends Kimi Culp and Robin Layton and
publisher Geoff Blackwell. “I brought up the
idea of doing a dog book, one that, through
letters, would capture the unique and transformational
bond we share with our beloved
pets,” she says. The idea was to show pet owners
and non-pet owners the power of that
kind of unconditional love. “On the spot, a
collaboration was born.”
Erspamer began by launching a blog
where people could share their stories. Culp
went about looking for people to write letters,
which included launching a contest in
schools. Having worked on 20/20 and The
Oprah Winfrey Show, she also put her television
casting skills to work to round up people
willing to talk about their canine companions.
“I was blown away by how quickly celebrities
said yes and how excited they were,” says
Culp, who attributes the willingness to participate
to the fact that the book is “less about
them and more about celebrating their dogs.
Crisscrossing the country, Layton captured
moments of play, rest and, of course,
human adoration. The results are nothing shy
of aww-inspiring.
The celebration doesn’t stop with the
book. The website (www.alettertomydog.com)
offers expert pet advice, pointers to fun pet
products and the news (to this reporter’s
delight) that A Letter to My Cat is in the
works. The website also lets visitors upload
letters to and photos of their dogs.
ACCORDING TO MANY, we have a cat problem
in the U.S. With population estimates in the tens of
millions, ferals—felines who live their entire lives
outdoors with little or no human contact—are
everywhere. Which means that no matter where
you live or work, chances are there’s a colony nearby.
“People feed the cats, but then they call their
local shelter for help, and the shelter doesn’t know
what to do except tell them to get a trap and bring
them in,” says Costco member Becky Robinson,
president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies (ACA).
Once at a shelter, though, the cats are “not going to
get adopted,” Robinson continues. “Seventy percent
of all cats taken to shelters are killed, and when it
comes to feral cats, virtually 100 percent are.”
It’s not only an unpleasant way of dealing with
them, but an ineffective one: “Euthanasia as a
method of population control isn’t cheap, easy or
quick,” notes Costco member
Dr. Margaret Slater, senior
director of veterinary epidemiology
for the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (ASPCA). Robinson
cites the case of a large
Midwestern county that spent
$185 per cat to eradicate ferals,
numbering into the tens of
thousands of dollars annually.
“We’re talking about a massive
production line that ends the
lives of healthy animals, that’s
cruel and inhumane and a total
failure, [because] there are
more cats than ever,” she says.
That’s why ACA, the ASPCA and other organizations,
such as the Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS), advocate trap-neuter-return (TNR),
in which the animals are safely captured, sterilized
and vaccinated, then returned to their colony. This
stops breeding and limits the spread of diseases such
as rabies—crucial for all cats, says Slater, since
unneutered indoor pets may be allowed to roam.
TNR is also better for the cats: “It stabilizes the
colony and they’re not reproducing, so their health
improves,” Robinson concurs. And while kittens and
a few adult felines may be socialized and brought
inside, most cannot be.
Americans love animals. Statistics tell the story: Since the 1970s pet ownership in this country has tripled from approximately 67 million household pets 40 years ago to some 164 million in 2012, according to the Humane Society.
At the same time, Americans spent more on their pets than ever before, at least $50 billion in 2012, according to the same source.
But all is not rosy in the land of animal ownership. As people own more pets and bring them closer to their family circle, there are inevitably problems. This fact accounts for the immense popularity of shows such as Cesar Millan’s “Dog Whisperer,” in which the dog guru is able to correct seemingly any negative behavior that dogs demonstrate, restoring them to harmony with their families.
Mr. Millan’s mantra is that he does not treat problem dogs,but problem people. That is a theme echoed by Eddie Simon of Danbury, the East Coast version of Mr. Millan. Known locally as “Eddie the Dog Guy,” he has an ever-increasing reputation locally for being able to resolve canine problems.
“We euthanize way too many dogs in this country,” he asserted this week in a phone interview. “We need to try to cut that number down at the same time we need to lower the number of dog bites. Four-to-six million dogs are euthanized each year. The return rate for dogs in shelters is pathetic. I’ve been doing this professionally for a decade, and I know it’s at least one-third.”
Mr. Simon said he believes that the basis for the problem lies in unrealistic expectations on the part of humans. “Most people truly believe that dogs act the way they do in Disney movies, but when it comes to severe behavior problems they behave very differently,” he said. “It’s not that there is a lack of caring people who are trying to help—there are 8,000 registered rescues in Connecticut alone—but there is a lack of information. You can’t be a mechanic if you don’t know how a car works.”
This lack of information can be lethal for a dog. Most dogs are surrendered to shelters because of behavioral issues and, once in the system, are often returned time and again until they are put down. “It drives me up the wall because it all starts with a good dog,” Mr. Simon said. “People just don’t carry the right information. I catch a lot of flack from groups saying, ‘Why waste your time on vicious dogs?’ That California dog [that bit the toddler] didn’t come out of its mother vicious. Every one of my 18 dogs is proof of this. I’ve placed 60 dogs in the past decade, which doesn’t sound like much except that they all were rescued from death row—the toughest of the toughest. Most aggressive dogs can be turned around.”
The first step toward creating a healthy relationship with a dog is recognizing the difference between humans and canines. “I tell my clients that dogs need love, trust and respect,” Mr. Simon said. “Too many people have the wrong response when I tell them they need to be dominant. I try to explain that to be dominant, the alpha, you are the decision maker.”
This, he said, makes a dog feel secure.
“I like to watch wolf videos,” Mr. Simon continued. “When the alpha pair returns to a pack, they present themselves, they stand tall and the others are whimpering around them. But what do we do when we come home from work? We are talking and leaning over making [high-pitched] sounds they can’t understand but that sound subservient. We encourage the dog to take the dominant role by default. This is where anxiety or stress comes in.”
Humans typically try to establish dominance by resorting to obedience training, but this is not the answer, according to Mr. Simon. “Obedience training will not give you dominance,” he said. “You can teach them ‘sit, stay and heel’ and they will be like angels until there is a mailman, a cat or a squirrel. You can put 10 dogs through obedience class and I will bet 10 of them will have that one situation where the owners will have no control. Obedience training is not the natural way they communicate. Teach sit, come, stay, heel—when you have taught them that, it’s not like you are done for life.”
Instead of obedience training, Mr. Simon advocates “behavior shaping.”
“When you take in a new dog, you want to shape its behavior,” he explained. “You want to teach it, ‘This is how we behave when the doorbell goes off. This is how we act when we go in the car.’ Most people cannot block unwanted behaviors. There are so many techniques out there and most work if you have the right relationship.”
The right relationship is essential because most corrective measures do not make sense to the dog otherwise. “I get a kick out of people who use a squirt bottle or rocks in a can,” he said. “The dog is listening to you because you are threatening him or distracting him. Neither will work for long. Time out for a child makes them think about what they have done, but putting a dog in time out in a crate does nothing for it. If a dog goes bonkers at a door when the doorbell rings, most get dragged by the collar to another room. My solution would be to stay right there and calm the dog before it moving to another room. Instead of just blocking unwanted behavior, we also need to show them what we want them to do. ”
Close observation of the animal is also needed. “People will say to me, ‘He loves to sit on the couch and watch the sidewalk.’ To me that means you have a territorial dog.”
He goes back to the theme of love, trust and respect. “I respect them for what they are—dogs. They are so natural and instinctual. They react to what is in front of them without agendas. When people have a problem relationship with a dog, people don’t call me and say, ‘I have a problem with my dog, how do I make it feel better?’ I tell them they won’t have a healthy relationship with the animal if only you get what you want. I tell clients, ‘OK, I know you want the dog to do this, this and that, but what would happen if you said that to your husband?’ I respect what the dog needs, too.”
He advocates teaching two commands, variations of which could be “right” and “wrong” or “do this” and “don’t do that.” “I have been studying animals my whole life,” he said. “What I am trying to do is to simplify. So many first-time dog owners need that information. I want to start a revolution based on behavior shaping.”
When called in to help, he starts with a home consultation. “Training generally works best on their own territory. I would say, on average, out of 10 cases, nine can be handled at home,” he said.
If the dog’s behavior cannot be modified at home, then correction escalates to “boot camp,” which can last up to 30 days. “It’s like picking up an Etch-a-Sketch and shaking it to start over,” he said. He said that if he has three clients who are afraid of thunderstorms, he can take all at once, but if a dog is aggressive he only introduces it one at a time to his own pack. “Aggressive dogs learn so much more from living with balanced dogs,” he said. “There is no question it can get better; it’s a question of what it takes.”
Mr. Simon does not believe that most people are too lenient with their animals, despite the close relationship many people have with their pets. “My dogs sleep on the couch and we have our hugs and kisses,” he said. “But people need to learn timing, when to allow certain things—and this is where people don’t have enough information. For instance, most people confuse excitement and happiness. If you come home and they are dancing on their toes and vibrating, and you say hi, you are feeding their excitement. They are relieved and happy you are home and can see you.” He suggests a more dignified reserve, similar to that of an alpha wolf.
“I do believe dogs can be happy, sad, can grieve—but they are different,” he said. “Dogs are smarter in my definition than people. They live more in the moment’s reality. Emotions don’t run a pack. An alpha wolf doesn’t walk over and tell them he loves them every day. Love, I believe, is expressed through direction.”
He said that in modern American homes, dogs end up being emotional sponges for humans. “That is one cause for aggression and anxiety,” he said. “People expect dogs to be Superman, to be the perfect partner. But we also have to respect their needs. A dog’s behavior is not how he is; it’s a reflection of what environment he is in. By not telling a dog what to do, we are causing stress. It ends up believing it has to carry the weight of a pack leader, which is feed, defend and take care of the pack. This behavior can take over at any point in life.”
Mr. Simon has spent the last decade as a canine consultant and is now in the process of affiliating with an animal rescue operation in Danbury called Tails of Courage. “That will be my new base,” he said. He is also forming a new LLC known as Eddie the Dog Guy. He can be reached via his Facebook page.
Asked what people should carry away about relationships with dogs, he said, “Keep your mind open when you are told that nothing can be done to help your dog.”
For most of us growing up, our biggest question was: What will I be?
But for a rare blessed few, that answer makes itself apparent at such a young age, there is no turning from it.
The gift is bestowed in place of choice, its power too great to fight; one is obliged to just see where it will carry you.
Names such as Tiger Woods, Quinn Sullivan and Yo-Yo Ma are among these.
But before them all was Ginny Tiu.
By the age of 3 she was playing songs on the piano that she had only heard, not been taught. By 5 she found herself at 1699 Broadway, playing for “Uncle Ed” as she called him, or Ed Sullivan for the rest of the world.
She was given audience to President John F. Kennedy, performed for Frank Sinatra and starred with Elvis Presley. The piano was her instrument, the world her audience. She even received the highest of all compliments that can be bestowed upon her by 1960s America: her own line of paper dolls.
But this story is not about what she was given, but what she gave back in return.
There is a sentiment from the New Testament, “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.” Or in French, Noblesse Oblige.
This is the motto of Maryknoll School, which will be honoring Tiu this Saturday at its 16th annual Monsignor Charles A. Kekumano Award and Scholarship Dinner for her lifetime of commitment to those who do not have a voice.
“I do what I do because I cannot not do it,” says Tiu, who resisted receiving the award at first. “I can’t stand if you see a person or an animal in need and you can do something about it, not trying. I don’t feel I should be getting an award for doing something that just feels right.”
She was swayed by former honorees Larry Rodriguez and Mi Kosasa, who told her that this award would give her a new audience for her message to help people and creatures alike that are true victims and need a hand.
This urge to help others transcends even her conscious memory. Her father used to tell Tiu about interviews they would do when they first emigrated from the Philippines when she was a mere 5 years old.
“They would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up,” says Tiu. “My dad would have to translate for me, and he told me that I said I wanted to be a missionary nurse. Where did that come from? They didn’t tell me to say that, I just wanted to be a nurse because I liked caring for people and trying to make them feel better.”
This dream never came true for the prodigy – her musical skills were too big to ignore, so she played the 88s at Carnegie Hall and other symphony houses the world over nine months out of the year.
Always on the go, she never attended regular school and despite that, or maybe because of it, she developed a very keen sense of what a human should be.
“It is important to not just teach our kids to be smarter, but to be better people,” says Tiu, who still performs at 53 by the Sea and Halekulani. “I have had a wonderful life, traveling, performing, meeting celebrities, but there is no greater joy than when you can help someone, whether it is an animal or a person, and you know that you have made their life better.”
It was discovering this joy that finally pinned Tiu down; a life spent traveling the world was finally locked down by the love of canine companions.
“At any given time I have between six and 10 dogs, some are mine and some are foster, so it makes it hard to travel,” says Tiu, who serves as vice chairwoman at the Humane Society. “I always say I am a prisoner of love, I don’t mind. The views (of the world) only touched my eyes, whereas these little guys touch my heartstrings. You see it, that is nice, take a picture, it doesn’t get too deep, but with these guys it is new every day, it never gets old.”
This love even forced her to move homes, as her oceanfront condo in Honolulu had a cap of only two dogs per unit, so she got herself a house in East Honolulu with a yard where they would have room to run and play.
Sometimes people ask her why she concerns herself with trying to help these few, when literally 9,000 dogs are euthanized in this country every day just because of space constraints.
“What makes me cry is when I see people or animals that are hurting, it really bothers me, and I just want to do everything I can,” says Tiu, the sister of former first lady Vicky Cayetano. “Why do you bother? You cannot even make a dent, but I tell them you can’t do it all, but it is not going to stop me from doing something.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who cares deeply for those who are truly vulnerable, do as much as I can to make things better for as many as I can.
“It’s not just an animal, it is another living creature.”
And now I find that Fifi has cancer. Kimo texted me that they took her to the vet and found out.
I shall appreciate her last days.
[3/8/15] Fifi passed away a few weeks later. She was getting weaker and didn't have an appetite.
I tried to feed her raw chicken which she ate for a little while. Amy suggested hard boiled egg which she fed to Shammy and Miki before they passed. And I tried hot dog which she ate one day.
I still took her for walks, but she would pause after walking a number of yards. In her last days, I took her and Kimo up to the park up Alewa Heights [6/21/14]. She walked around the track though paused to rest after a while.
I think she wanted to go back after that because the next day or so, she looked like she wanted to go in my car.
I'll remember her wiggling her butt when I came to get her. The way that she had to be first when we were treating the dogs. And the way she would head to Duane's water faucet after making the trek from her house.
It happened a couple of months ago and Ann told me about it. What happened was that Mochi was acting up and apparent Kimo (the man) grabbed him to pin him and Mochi went limp. I'm guessing he might have had a heart attack.
I used to mostly see Mochi from the balcony when Kimo and Ann lived upstairs. He always reminded me of a muppet. The muppet dog.
In recent months, they would let me take him along on our walks. I think he was part of the last five dog walk I had. Kimo, Jojo, Joey, Fifi, Mochi. Or maybe it was Tuffy instead of Joey. Maybe Tuffy because I have a video of the five of them in my backyard taking treats from me.
I usually think of him when I go to pick up Fifi from the steps and I don't hear him squealing because he wants to come. Another one that I shall miss.
A week or sos ago, when I was in the front yard, Duane mentioned that he was talking to Chris and that Kona has passed away. She was taken to the vet who found cancer.
Kona was a black dog with white feet. When we first met her, she was a shy dog. She would be at the fence, but when we came over to meet her she would run down the steps.
There was one time, Chris came home and saw me using his hose to wash down Kimo's soft poop and he requested me not to come on his lawn anymore and not to go to the fence to scare his dog. OK, not a problem. Sorry about that.
But Chris was still friendly waving or returning waves when we passed by. Though we never talked much.
She wasn't taken on walks very often, but when they did, Kimo would always bark at them when they passed by.
The most memorable incident [I see it was four years ago] I had with Kona was when I was walking Koa (Eddie's dog). Kona didn't like Koa as he would always get loose and go to the then-empty lot. And Kona would bark territorially at him. So that must have been on her mind as there was the front door was open with a baby gate (I think). Kona jumped the gate and went after Koa. I pulled her off and held her. I didn't think there was much damage, but I recall seeing a little blood on the back of Koa's neck.
But in general, Chris Ann told me, Kona had no problems with other dogs, and apparently was fine with her kids.
Are humans committing a "genocide" against pit bulls? Cesar Millan says we are.
"Our
ignorance level is growing way too out of proportion, to the point that
we believe that getting rid of a breed is a solution," this country's
most famous dog trainer recently said to HuffPost. "Genocide. It's a
genocide."
Are humans committing a "genocide" against pit bulls? Cesar Millan says we are.
"Our
ignorance level is growing way too out of proportion, to the point that
we believe that getting rid of a breed is a solution," this country's
most famous dog trainer recently said to HuffPost. "Genocide. It's a
genocide."
In the upcoming TV special "Love My Pit Bull"
-- watch it on Nat Geo Wild on April 18 -- Millan looks at the ways
that humans have failed pit bulls and pit bull type dogs (those that
look like pits, even if their actual breed is a mystery). Among those
ways: dog fighting, widespread neglect and abuse, laws restricting
ownership, media sensationalism, and euthanasia rates so high that a Los
Angeles shelter worker chokes up on camera talking about her work.
Dogs can be incredibly smart but—when it comes to trusting humans—they
are as naive as a little kid who doesn't know what a lie means yet.
Watching these dogs getting completely confused when magician Jose Ahonen mades a treat disappear right in front of their eyes (and noses) makes me laugh and awwww at the same time.
Last week, I gave an Ilio Dentals’ Teeth Treat to each of my best friend’s three dogs. By all three of their accounts – if their rapid consumption and wagging tails were any indication – they loved the treats.
That was exactly the kind of reaction that Ilio Pet Products co-owners David Pang and Michael Choy received when they debuted the product at the Pet Expo in 2011.
“We were throwing these things on the ground, and the dogs were just inhaling it,” Pang says.
Ilio Dentals’ Teeth Treat, formerly known as Gum-bone, cleans dogs’ teeth and freshens their breath. The spear-like shape is designed so that the dog will slow down its chewing to optimize the treat’s cleaning capabilities. (According to Pang, the treat is so tasty that the dogs were eating it too quickly!) Plus, it features natural products – including chicken and fish. Teeth Treat also is gluten-free.
Pang and Choy, who launched Ilio Pet Products in 2007, wanted to create a line of dental treats to address the pervasive issue of periodontal disease in dogs.
“Most people do not brush their dogs’ teeth,” Pang says.
In the next few months, Ilio has plans to unveil a new line of products that aim to address a number of issues that dogs face. The first of these will be Zen Bone, a treat stocked with lavender, valerian and kava designed to calm down hyper canines. Zen Bone is set to be released in April.
In developing products, Ilio has what Pang describes as sort of a “backwards” process. While a lot of large companies may begin with a financial bottom line, Ilio first creates the best possible product, and then determines how much it will cost to create it.
“If you do your job right, the philosophy at the company is that the money will come,” Pang says. “If you start with the money, you are going to have a whole bunch of problems.”
Teeth Treats and other Ilio products can be found at stores including Longs Drugs, Walgreens and various pet stores. Teeth Treat had a buy one, get one free deal last month, which still is available in pet stores while supplies last.
Some miracles happen right on time. Others take a little longer. For
13 little pups born at Christmas two years ago and then put in a box and
thrown into a dumpster, there were three miracles one after the other.
First, a store clerk heard them whimpering in the dumpster and went to
investigate. She called in Community Animal Rescue and Adoptions (CARA)
in Jackson, Mississippi, which wasn’t sure the puppies were old enough
to survive. Next, they discovered an address in the box and tracked down
the man who’d thrown them away. They persuaded him to give up the
mother, who was reunited with the pups and carried on weaning them. The
third miracle was that within months all 13 puppies had started new
lives in new homes as far away as Pennsylvania.
But for Goldie, their mom, things didn’t go as well. CARA volunteer
and board member Laura Lillard recalls: “Goldie was so happy when we put
her back with her puppies. She was a great mother, very protective, and
she had a lovely, happy-go-lucky nature while she was weaning them all.
There really was something extra special about watching her take care
of these puppies.
She continues, “But when they were all adopted, she became really depressed. She stopped wanting to go out and exercise.
She didn’t want to eat. She just seemed confused. Everyone here loved
Goldie, and staff would come in on their own time to work with her.”
In the seven+ years that Kimo has lived with me, I had never clipped Kimo's nails. Not only would it have been scary to do so, but they were also worn down by our frequent walks.
Well, lately the walks haven't been as long (he doesn't seem to enjoy walking that much any more) and I noticed the claws on his right paw were long and the top of his right paw was darker than the other paw. I don't know if the paw had been injured or just dirty.
Anyway, it didn't seem his nails would get worn down anytime soon, so I figured it was time (to try) to clip his nails.
I found the nail clipper that my sister used (I assume) when Kimo was young, that I had never used and brought it out. I held Kimo's collar and brought the clipper near to his feet. Didn't get much reaction.
Then I positioned the clipper and clipped off the tip of his nails. No reaction. So I did it to the other two nails that were protruding.
So still long, but better than before.
That was yesterday.
I decided to cut the nails shorter. This time Kimo wanted to pull his foot away as I applied the pressure to his nails. But no big reaction (as in no trying to bite me). And the job was completed successfully.
Sorry. No big dramatic story. (Well not so sorry :)
