Joey's first day back

Sheryle drops Joey off early in the morning.
take Joey and Kimo out, early with Hershey
Tuffy barks, yep there's Fifi. Take her out too.

Around Natsunoya wall, up Aulii, up Puna, no Hoku, no Buddha
go up to Kam gate, then WTH take to Joey's house
Fifi runs around a little, Kimo goes up steps and stays there, Hershey sniffs in bushes
head back, Nicole is out with Cleo and waves to me

down Skyline, to Makanani (find an ID card by the stonewall)
visit Maka, Maka in doghouse, comes out to gate, but nobody really greets him
back to Kula, Malia's father greets me and Katarina comes to railing to look
Mamo talking to Deanna

let Joey go as we head to Hershey's house
Joey instead goes to my house, pushes open gate, and goes up the steps
heck leave him there

go to Hershey's house to treat the dogs
and soon enough Joey shows up

leave Hershey home, take Kimo home
bring Joey as I take home Fifi

feeding time, prepare food
Joey comes down, so I feed him first
then Kimo comes down, so give him his food
but Joey wants to eat Kimo's food before finishing his, block him
let Kimo eat until he goes to drink water and let Joey finish the rest

on front steps, Joey crowds Kimo too close, Kimo reacts
fight, step between them until they cool down then grab them
looks like Kimo got bitten in the leg as I see blood, looks fairly minor

barking, it's Koa loose
Joey reacts to Koa, but after sniffing through fence they seem OK

bring Joey with me as we follow Koa home, but he continues to the Miyamoto driveway
never mind, turn back
wait here's Koa again

OK, try again. And off goes Koa again.
let's look at the fish pond.
Toni hears us and comes out to chat
then Troy comes home with son, and here comes Koa again
Koa follows them downstairs and I close the door

more barking, it's the replacement mailman
Joey barks, but quiets as he gets tossed a biscuit
Kimo stays up on landing and gets tossed a biscuit too

take Joey in the back, take a nap

hear barking, how come it sounds like Joey's in the front
it's because he is
it's the neighbor lady with her grandson in the carriage
Joey pushes open the gate, runs out, but then runs back
give them treats as they return
no barking, she stops to chat a bit

[or the did the mailman come after the lady?]

Kimo goes to lie down, but seems a little tense when Joey comes

take Joey in back again, blocking opening with broom
this time, he lies down in chair

watch some Dog Whisperer on DVD (Jake, Kona, Scrout)

barking, it's Big Koa loose
go out to leash him
decide to take him back to see Joey
Joey barks and growls a bit
wait until Joey acclimates a bit, then leave
hey Joey's loose again
take off Koa's leash to put on Joey
then retrieve another leash for Koa
take Koa home
was going to walk a bit, but see the van taking home the kids, so I take home Koa

continue down the street a bit with Joey
it's the first Koa tied up in driveway
reacts a bit to Joey at first then acclimates
take Joey home again

take Joey and Kimo out
talk to June who says her dad is acting strange lately
pets Joey and Kimo, Kimo goes to nip her, luckily June is still pretty fast

Koa loose yet again
this time leash him and take him home with Joey
he lies down in garage and I give him a massage
girl opens door and thanks me for bringing him back

Keith is out as I come back
Kimo barking at him from landing
talk to Pat from yard
Joey goes up with paws on stonewall
Keith acts up and Pat take him up steps and home

take Joey up street again
see June who calls for her cat, but doesn't show up
Malia is out with Katarina, decide to walk with them

feed Kimo and Joey light evening meal

take Kimo in back, Joey follows us, take Joey back in front

A busy dog day for Joey (and for me)

[Thu 4/14, posted 4/15]

Hershey bites at Fifi

took Kimo, Hershey, and Fifi out.

At the Natsunoya parking, some lady rushes out and stops us. She wanted to check whether Hershey was a girl.

She has a male beagle pre-snipped and wanted to give him some action before snipping. Sorry, Hershey's a male too and has already been snipped. She says her beagle is 55 pounds. Sounds fat to me, but she says he's just solid.

Up Puna. See Hoku's gate open and go up. But no sign of Hoku. Continue up. No Buddha either. Wait, there's Hoku looking at us.

Turn around and go up. Call Dottie and she comes out and closed the gate.

Hoku gets Hershey to play, but Fifi wants to play too. Fifi gets too close and Hershey growls and goes after her and looks like he bit her. That gets Kimo going and he gets wild. Grab Kimo's leash and it's quickly over.

Fifi doesn't seem bothered. Don't see any wound, so maybe he didn't break skin.

Then later more excitement. Kimo jumps on Fifi's back growling. Lift him off with the leash. It's over again.

Good thing Fifi doesn't react back.

After that, Hershey didn't seem to want to play much, despite Hoku hounding him.

They play only a little bit and we leave.

They walk as usual with no apparent problems between Hershey and Fifi.

walking Big Koa

Kimo didn't want to go out, so took Hershey for a lap instead. Fifi wasn't out, must have been downstairs because of the rain.

Afternoon.

Keith comes charging out. Kimo naturally responds.

Go out to walk Keith. Full of energy, likes to run ahead. Pat says he's scared of garage doors. Wants to go back when we go out too far.

Take up to the other end. Seems more comfortable there, sniffing the grass. Let him run ahead, but stop at the end of leash. Then run again.

Practice going down the steps slowly. Uh oh, Big Koa shows up on the street.

Kimo going wild. Get BK to come to me and leash him. Kimo gets less wild after a while, then calms down.

Koa pulling me at first, but more to sniff the grass. Then starts getting used the leash.

Then Amy comes walking, so I decide to walk with her. After walking a while, Koa behaves better. By the second lap, he's tiring and walking even better.

Uh oh. Big poop. Go to get bag. See newsaper in bag at Wong's house and get that one.

Pick up poop. Walk some more.

See Mrs. Wong outside looking for Koa. OK time to take Koa home.

Later. Malia comes walking down with Katarina.

Bring Kimo out, but not TOO close. Chat with her by the stonewall. She notices Kimo is losing hair around his eyes too. Kimo lies down on sidewalk.

[Fri 4/8, posted 4/9]

three dachsunds

Take out Kimo. Tuffy barks. Sure enough, I see Fifi up the steps.

OK retrieve her.

Go round the teahouse wall. Visit Maka. The dogs sniff very briefly. Kimo pees a little on their gate. Followed by Maka's much higher volume pee.

See Randy out in the yard with Sonny. Tell him that Sonny doesn't like Fifi. Barks at Fifi as we pass.

Up Skyline, up Puna, Joey's house is being tented.

Ilima, Aulii. See Gary at a house. I guess he just finished doing some work at the house. Chat a bit.

Stop at Steve's house. Fifi is munching on something in his yard.

Come back via the stonewall. Kimo's in front and I hold Fifi behind me.

See RMAS walking. Kimo breathing heavy. Turn around. They come back for their second lap.

Wait til they turn around and I follow, holding Kimo and Fifi on short leashes. Fifi wants to go over to sniff Shammy, but I don't let her.

See lady with dogs going down the street. I thought it was Melissa with Rudy and Blue.

Kimo seems OK, but then Miki reacts a little to Fifi going down the driveway and Kimo briefly loses control.

Continue down to Amy's garage. It turns out it wasn't Rudy and Blue, but a lady with three dachsunds. She's now renting Oliver's old house.

We'll see how Kimo reacts to them next time he sees them.

Kai (the dog)

take out Kimo, see RMAS out, Kimo starting to get excited, Tuffy barking, Fifi hears us and comes up steps.

Duck down to Fifi's house and hold Kimo as he reacts as RMAS go home down the driveway.

OK, take out Fifi. Take Kimo home. Keith barks, Pat is outside and I take Fifi over. Pat pets her.

Later, feeding Kimo in the garage. Kimo goes charging to the gate. It's Wayne and Coco and his wife (I assume) and another dog. They're talking to Mrs. Iha who's out in the yard.

Take Kimo out. The other dog is a white/brown pomeranian who's well-groomed named Kai. Kimo is reacting to Kai. And Kai is reacting to Kimo. Keith is barking.

The wife says Kai acts like an alpha male to Coco.

Kimo calms down after a while and sits. (Thinking back) I knelt down to see if Kai would come to me and suddenly Kimo erupts going into full mode. I hold him by his collar and he's out of his mind.

Wayne and the rest take off back up the street. After a while, Kimo comes back to his senses and we follow them up the street. Then I hear whining on the side. It's Koa by the gate. I go over to pet him.

Then we head home.

Don't know exactly what happened. But I'm thinking maybe Kimo reacted when he saw Kai coming toward me. Kind of doubt they're going to bring Kai to our street again. That's the first time I've ever seen Wayne and Coco come all the way down our street.

[Sat 4/2, posted 4/3]

Kimo chases Fifi

Took Kimo, Hershey, Fifi to the park. Still don't see Fifi's regular leashes. So took her flexi-leash.

On the way, Dottie sees us and stops. Tell her I don't see Hoku when I pass by. She says maybe she's in the back.

Down Hala, turn at Laki. The little white dog (looks like he has mange) comes out and backs, charging as if trying to chase us away. None of the dogs react (thank goodness). After visiting with "Mr. T" for a while (the old pitbull), we head up Kealakai.

There's Siki barking at us, sort of out of control. Sort of like Kimo. The owner comes and picks him up (so not exactly like Kimo, as even I would hesitate picking up Kimo). Puts him down and Siki continues barking.

On to the park. One of the workers says something as we go up the hill. It's "pick up the dog shit." OK, I guess I understand where he's coming from. "Always" I reply.

Up the hill. Myles parents' come down, their two dogs follow them into the car.

Down the hill. To the volleyball court. After a while, Fifi starts running around. Hershey doesn't bite. But Kimo catches the energy and starts chasing. Growls as Fifi passes by. Fifi continues running. Then Fifi sort of reverses and chases Kimo briefly. And the run is still over. The growling was a little worrisome to me. But I think it's OK as they both came to me right after and sat for treats.

Later I sit down on the court. Fifi comes over and practically sits on my lap. Not necessarily good. I haven't set boundaries with her. Kimo comes over and lies down behind me. I guess that's good.

Time to go. But first Fifi wanted to go to the playground set. Kimo too. Didn't want to force Hershey up, so tied his leash to the lower railing at the bottom. After a short rest, we go home.

[Wed 3/30, posted 3/31]

Shirley on the loose

This morning I take Kimo in the front, but he doesn't want to walk and wants to go up the steps. I make him go up the street and he poops at Tsutsui's strip.

Later I go to put away the trash cans and I see Mrs. Tsutsui out on the steps bringing in Hershey. She sees me. OK, go to walk Hershey.

Take him up the street. Fifi sees us coming back and goes up the steps. OK, retrieve her too. Ann sees me and says her schedule is changing and she'll be able to join our walks.

Kimo watches us walk and stays on the landing.

***

In the afternoon...

As usual, Keith runs down the steps and runs back and forth excitedly at the end of the flexi-leash. Can't really blame Kimo too much for reacting and running down to the landing to the railing and barking at him.

However he seems to calm down a little more quickly now when I go down to grab his leash or block him back from the railing with my legs as Keith goes running back up the sidewalk.

With Keith going up the street, I took Kimo out the other way. He pooped and made his way slowly up in front of Pat's house.

Then later more barking. It was Malia with Katarina and Petey. I come out and have Kimo go up the steps and sit by me.

Then I see Shirley loose up the street. I go up to get her but she runs over to Sanford's house who's outside sweeping.

Then she comes down and comes to me when I call her. I put on my slip leash and take her down the street. Keith and Kimo bark. I pause by my driveway, wait for Kimo's barking to subside, and slowly bring Shirley a little closer. But not too close. And I go up the street.

Shirley periodically pauses as she's probably wondering who's bringing her away from home. I wait until she stops going the "wrong" way and continue on.

I finally catch up to Malia coming back and walk back with her. She walks pretty well next to the carriage. But Petey is kind of zig zagging at the end of his leash.

Kimo and Keith still bark as we come back.

At the end, Petey comes to me and I pet him. Or at least rub his chest. Malia says he's already ten.

Kimo's peeing

Kimo's almost eight now and still has a peeing problem.

He likes to mark frequently when going on his walks. I used to let him not mark so often and tug him along to the designated marking point. But reading about Turid (let them sniff and pee), I've become more lax about it.

More of a problem is his peeing on the lawn chairs in the back where he sleeps (he's not allowed in the house or he'd probably be peeing on real chairs).

Actually he doesn't do it all the time and more often goes to the bushes or to the side of the house by the air conditioner or the bucket with the tools in it or to the potted plants on the hothouse concrete slab.

And he rarely does it on the chair where I now put his water dish. But he still does it sometimes. And also in the garage, on the car tire, or on the railing in the front.

I normally dab it up and spray it. But that hasn't worked yet.

What have I used? I originally used (and still use) Odo Ban because that's what Donna used and she had a big jub or Odo Ban concentrate. Simple Green. Lysol spray (or generic equivalent). Oreck No Return (from Diane, Max's owner -- it worked for Max). Out! Stain and Odor Remover (from Wal-Mart). urine gone! (from Walgreen). Nature's Miracle: No More Marking (from Longs).

Now kdogspa is touting this product called Urine Away. Don't if this is just spam, but the message was allowed at dogwhispererfans. Doing a search of the group, kdogspa has been a past contributor to the group and has never touted this product before. So it might be worth a shot.

Dog Whisperer leaving National Geographic Channel

and heading to Nat Geo Wild

That must mean the ratings are dropping, though I have always thought he had and has the highest rated show on NatGeo. Maybe not. [I hope they're not caving in to the "positives" criticism.] Maybe it's the beginning of the end. Well eight seasons is a really good run (currently on the seventh season).

Well that's another reason to not ditch the Digital Variety Pack. Nat Geo Wild is channel 561. Alas, Oceanic doesn't carry it in HD (yet?). Strangely, 1561 is MGM HD which is not telecast in SD.

Raymond and Lorna Coppinger

Carol Whitney @Pos-4-ReactiveDogs writes that "the traditional model of dominance and submission has been thoroughly and effectively debunked". (So has the moonlanding by the way.)

She cites the book Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolutions by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger. Here's an excerpt of a review.

The Coppingers admit that there is "no appreciable differences" in the genetics of coyotes, dogs, jackels and wolves, and note that these species can interbreed. Still, they say, "dogs have diverged, changed, transmutated from their wolflike ancestors."

Thus, training programs that say the owner/trainer should be the "alpha wolf" and the dog a subordinate member of the pack is wrong, because dogs are not wolves.

The brains of dogs are different from the brains of wolves, just as the brains of humans are different from the brains of chimpanzees, a close relative, they argue. Dogs don’t think and react to signals as wolves do.

Ray Coppinger, who has trained hundreds of sled dogs and sheepdogs, says it is wrong to treat our best friends like wolves. "Asserting dominance over one of my favorite working dogs by pressing it on the ground and snarling at it is preposterous." He stresses that he doesn’t want his sled dogs to roll on their backs and urinate like a subordinate wolf every time he shows up.

Anyway, this interview was interesting and so are some comments at Amazon.

The first half of the book was quite enjoyable and thought-provoking. The authors describe how dogs evolved from scavenger village dogs, rather than directly from wolves. They argue that dogs are a distinct and extraordinary creature, not an inferior subspecies of wolves, with behavioral traits that are different from and often surpassing wolves.

I found the second half of the book, however, to be a bit preachy, pessimistic, and overstated. One main premise seemed to be that keeping dogs as household pets (as opposed to working dogs) is a lose-lose situation for the dog and the owner. Humans lose because pet dogs take valuable resources, time and money, away from our species, resources we should be investing in our offspring. Pet dogs rarely give back to us in terms of affection or whatever enough to make up for what they take from us. Dogs lose because they are slaves to our every whim, often subjected to inadequate care and boredom, and purebreds are being bred for appearance at the expense of their own health and genetic vitality. The author lashed out at showdog breeders.

Point taken, but I think the authors overstated their case, throwing the baby out with the bath water. I don't believe dogs tap us out of resources to an unhealthy degree. If anything the huge dog industry (food, supplies, vet care...etc.) benefits our economy. I know many families who find great joy in owning a dog as a pet, and I think dogs add to a parent-child relationship rather than detract.

I also thought it quite hypocritical, given the author's use of dogs for sled racing, when the author ripped on the use of dogs to assist people with special needs, such as people bound to a wheelchair. The author argued that it is unhealthy and unnatural for the dog, but that sled dog racing was somehow exempt from the criticism.

Fifi chases Hershey

Took out Kimo. Retrieve Hershey. Tuffy barks. Hear Fifi's low howl. OK, retrieve Fifi too. Slow going at first with Kimo periodically digging in, not wanting to move forward.

Lolena Place. Big Boy gets up and barks at us. Up Lolena Hill. Decide to go down Kamalii. Pit bull barks briefly then stops.

Hillcrest. Don't see the wild dog today.

Up Skyline. On to Puna. Don't see Hoku.

All the way up. Then to Ilima. Terrier barks. But the other dogs didn't bark much.

Down Aulii. Decide to cut through to Betty's backyard. Let the dogs loose briefly after checking that the gate is closed. Kimo sniffs. Fifi wants to run. This time Hershey lets Fifi chase him and around they go for a little while.

OK, that's enough. Take them out the other side and see that the gate on that side was open..

***

Later I hear Hershey howling. It's Ann and the baby. Quiet Kimo down and he seems OK. Tell her that Fifi was chasing Hershey today. Think Hershey's getting a little more comfortable with her?

Grateful Stride videos

Grateful Stride is the pet sitting service run by Cesar adherent Lori Reynolds. She's probably the most prolific writer on the dogwhisperer fans yahoo group. (She also likes the Dog Listener Jan Fennell.)

Anyway, in a recent post she mentions she has uploaded a number of videos on youtube.

Waimanalo puppy mill

The Hawaiian Humane Society removed yesterday more than 150 puppies and dogs — some in poor condition — from what the society described as a dirty puppy mill in Waimanalo.

The society also seized a litter of pups born yesterday from the commercial dog-breeding kennel, which the agency investigated but said had complied with the law. Two more litters were born at the humane society, and several dogs were pregnant.

"Their puppies may be adorable in the pet shop window, but their mothers are in hell (from bad breeding conditions)," said Pamela Burns, executive director and president of the Hawaiian Humane Society.

The agency is citing the owner for animal cruelty. Its investigators found excessive waste that affects the animals' welfare, deplorable conditions, a lack of necessary food and water, as well as health issues with some dogs associated with the poor conditions, said Jacque LeBlanc, another society spokeswoman.

The land on which the kennel sits is owned by a woman who owns The Pet Spot at Pearl Highlands Center, according to city and state records. Calls to the pet shop yesterday were not answered.

The manager of the Waimanalo kennel declined an interview.

At 9 a.m. today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear Senate Bill 1522 on regulating and licensing large-scale breeders to cap the number of breeding animals to 50 and limiting the number of breeding to twice in an 18-month period.

***

The timing could not have been better to give a nudge to necessary state legislation to improve regulations for the large-scale breeding of dogs in what have been called puppy mills. Police were called Monday morning about a barking dog in Waimanalo, and the Hawaiian Humane Society came to the rescue of more than 150 puppies and dogs at a commercial dog-breeding kennel.

They would be required to provide each dog under their care with basic food and water, shelter, veterinary care and enough space to turn around and stretch their legs, based on the dog's size.

A licensee would be limited to no more than 50 dogs over the age of six months.

The issue was hotly fought last year in Missouri, the birthplace of more than one-third of dogs in pet stores nationwide. That state's law was made at the November polls, with about 52 percent of the vote, and legislators now are arguing over a proposal to repeal the voter-approved restrictions.

The effort is being pushed by the Missouri Republican majority whip, whose mother happens to own one of what the Humane Society branded the "Dirty Dozen" puppy mills in Missouri.

Legislation has been proposed in Congress to set minimal standards of care for breeding dogs in puppy mills, which too often are forced to live their entire lives in small cages. The Humane Society notes that those dogs have little if any opportunity for exercise, socialization and human interaction.

The inspector general of the U.S. Agriculture Department issued a report last year criticizing the department's inadequate oversight of dog dealers under the Animal Welfare Act.

Hawaii has been graded as one of the nation's cruelest states to animals. It has the weakest penalties of all states for dog-fighting, and is one of the few states that have yet to classify cockfighting as a felony.

Marilyn Pona

For 30 years, Marilyn Pona, founder of Assistance Dogs for Living, has been training dogs: rescued, traumatized mutts; show dogs; obedience-school dropouts; neurotic dogs in danger of exile from their families; and service dogs of every kind.

“There’s one thing nearly every trainer does too soon,” she confides. “Train.”

The usual impulse, she explains, is to jump in and try to impose control immediately. Pona learned patience from her work with service dogs: When you’re transferring a dog from his trainer to his new person, you can’t rush it.

What are the signs that tell you it’s time? When ears and tail change position, the body relaxes, breathing slows, and the dog is not hypervigilant or showing any stress signals—that’s when you know the dog’s finally getting a calming message: This is all that’s required of you.

[via Pos-4-ReactiveDogs]

Koa comes

let Kimo out of jail, go eat breakfast

Kimo doesn't want to walk
take Hershey out for a half-lap, then take home

pick up Koa (still dog-watching until Saturday), retrieve Fifi
retrieve Hershey (had to coax him to come down from steps)

go for a couple of laps until panting / Kimo watching

take Hershey home, take Fifi home, take Koa home
feed the fish, water a little, feed Koa

That afternoon..
take Kimo out for a slow half-lap
poop is soft & yellowish, but at least not a puddle

retrieve Koa
Keith is out, bring Koa closer, Keith gets wild/excited, but Koa wags his tail

dig some weeds w/ Koa on leash with me
take Koa back on flexi-leash

see Fifi out, daughter (Alyssa?) calls Fifi to come and Koa comes to her too

Steven is jogging / take Koa to jog a bit w/ him too, I don't last too long

Tuffy barks at us, wait, but he still barks

feed Koa / visitor left him a full bowl of food, empty most of it back

another day w/ Koa..

[Thu 2/17, posted 2/26]

Turid Rugaas on exercise

Here's another view of exercise by Turid Rugaas (of calming signals fame) [as expressed by Jennifer Ng at Pos-4-ReactiveDogs]

I'm not convinced dogs require a lot of physical exercise. I realize that many trainers use the phrase "a tired dog is a good dog" but I don't agree with this. A tired dog "behaves" simply because he is exhausted - this is temporary and doesn't teach the dog to truly be calm or relaxed, or how to cope with triggers.

And in fact, over time, excessive exercise can create a dog who is very fit and needs more and more exercise to get worn out enough to be tired. But the underlying causes of any behavior problems are not addressed at all, and the physical exercise (especially fast-paced chase games like fetch) actually increases chronic stress and adds to the problem.

I attended the Turid Rugaas seminar that Beth mentioned in her reply. One topic she discussed that really made me think was regarding exercise. I've known that Turid feels that repetitive, fast-paced chase games (like fetch with a ball or frisbee) are unnecessary and detrimental, contributing to chronic stress.

However, she took the concept a step further, indicating that physical exercise really isn't necessary at all. She commented that there is no need to walk a dog strictly for exercise, that such walks are "meaningless." She feels that all walks should be leisurely walks where the dog is allowed to sniff and explore the surroundings. Turid stated that there is no such thing as a high energy or hyper dog - those dogs are stressed. And that dogs are "very good at doing nothing" and don't get bored.

Turid used the example of observing wolves in a naturalistic setting at Wolf Park, where there is very little activity for the majority of the day. There are short periods of activity at dawn and dusk, most of which is slow-paced exploring. And in the wild as well, the majority of time that wolves are active is spent tracking and searching for food, which is not stressful.

The actual chase to catch prey once it is found is pretty much the only fast-paced activity wolves do, and it only lasts for a short period and may only happen at intervals of a week or more. Once the prey is caught, there are many days of low stress recovery, spent eating and resting.

Another example Turid used was border collies, which she says is the most misunderstood breed. Most people seem to believe that BCs need hours of activity every day to keep them happy and satisfied. Turid said that those people should take a trip to Yorkshire and see how BCs really work and live on farms. The actual work of herding sheep is only for short periods at certain times of day, and they spend the majority of the day just hanging out on the farm.

I thought this view of physical activity was very interesting. I have always accepted the fact that a certain amount of physical exercise is necessary, and what that minimum amount is depends on the individual dog. I've also thought that if a dog doesn't get his required minimum amount of physical exercise, it can lead to boredom and unwanted behavior.

However, Turid seems to be saying that this is not true. That dogs don't require exercise beyond normal everyday interactions, and enjoying the mental stimulation from occasional exploratory walk. I would have to say that my experience with my own dogs supports what Turid is saying, but I'd always assumed that my hounds just have lower exercise needs than a lot of other breeds.

Perhaps the traditional assumptions about exercise are wrong. Turid believes that behavior problems in dogs with limited activity are due to other factors, not too little activity. And especially as I think about it more, I think it makes a lot of sense.

Jennifer

diatomaceous earth

I thought I posted about this in the past, but I don't see it so...

Anyway, I was walking with Malia maybe like a year ago and she told me she was using this fine white powder which is called (I believe) diatomaceous earth.

She said it's supposed to help prevent fleas and gave a bottle of it (she had a lot because she bought a bag from a feed store or something).

Anyway, I didn't really use it for a long time. But when I saw (what I thought might be) flea dirt on Kimo, I put some on him.

Don't really know if it helped or not though cause I still see specks of flea dirt on him. (But no fleas.)

*** [6/22/11 a good link]

Food grade diatomaceous earth is OMRI (Organic Material Review Institute) listed, does not poison our pets, and simply dehydrates fleas and ticks that come in contact with it within 72 hours. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled in your home carpeting, on dogs, cats, and other animals, applied in their bedding, and in all dry outdoor areas that fleas congregate. If your pet currently has fleas, it is essential to feed food grade diatomaceous earth daily at double the recommended daily dose to address the tapeworms your dog, cat, ferret, or other pet will have from ingesting fleas.

5/28/12 - some comments

6/15/12 - another link

Hawaii Fi-Do

In this ultra-modern world where laser beams adjust people’s sight and hyperbaric chambers mend their bones, Susan Luehrs, founder of Hawaii Fi-Do, eschews technology in favor of a more natural way to heal people’s bodies: man’s best friend.

“There is documentation that people with service dogs don’t need as much medical assistance, need less care and don’t go to the doctor as much,” says Luehrs, who was formally trained at the Assistance Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, Calif. “Psychologically, they feel better and they don’t use as many meds.”

The idea of formally training dogs to aid the afflicted is a fairly new one. A pioneer in the field, Bonnie Bergin came up with the idea 20 years ago after watching guide dogs helping the blind and wondered why they could not assist people in other ways. Through her institute and its offshoots, like Hawaii Fi-Do, they are training dogs to open doors, turn on the lights, pull wheelchairs, use medical alert buttons and even fetch help if their owner becomes incapacitated.

Luehrs founded the nonprofit Hawaii Fi-Do 12 years ago after having great success using dogs to aid in her previous profession as a special-ed teacher at Kahuku High School.

day 1 with Koa: three's a crowd

Koa is loose in the morning. Decide to Kimo out and Koa home.

Toni is out, preparing to leave with Troy and friend.

OK, go to get Fifi too.

Uh oh. Koa starts growling. Kimo gets wild and jumps Koa. Hold Kimo's leash up and get the under control. Continue.

Down Lolena. Dogs barking. Retrievers reacting (but not super intense). Koa & Kimo too.

Cross to the park. Small dog is in the volleyball court. Bring dogs over to sniff and they do with no problem.

Go up hill. Then practice walking at the basketball court and volleyball court.

Kimo gets excited (Miki barking) and runs back and forth.

walk Fifi & Koa on leash. Kimo follows

then walk Kimo on leash, Fifi & Koa follow

take Fifi home. treat them at door step. tie Koa to water faucet (just in case).

take Koa home / Kimo eats Koa's food

let them walk around in back a bit / correct Kimo before he pees on table leg (or whatever it was)

Kimo on steps / occassinally soft barking at Lana

OK, time to watch some Dog Whisperer on recorded DVD.

Later that afternoon,
Yokomoto out for walk
go get Koa & Fifi and walk w/ him

then see Amy walking
walk w/ her | dogs walking pretty well/panting

go back to Koa's house
feed fish, Fifi drinks fish water
take them inside, Fifi finds a bone and chews it all up

feed Koa, doesn't quite eat all

2/5/11 [posted 2/11]

Fifi and Joey chase each other

shower in the morning hear barking
turned out to be RMAS (didn't think it was them because I didn't hear Keith barking)

take out Joey and pick up Hershey.
But for some reason, Joey started barking at them when he got close

Maybe it was Amy's hat. Or maybe it was because he was barking at them earlier because Kimo was barking at them. Or seeing them walk as invaders when he was in the front.

Hershey sees some rice on the road and has a treat until I manage to pull him forward.

Go down driveway and Amy gives them each a biscuit. Hershey eats it. But it's a little too big or too hard for Joey.

Going back I give it to Hershey. He crunches it and I pick up a piece and give it to Joey.

OK take out Kimo, take out Joey, take out Hershey, pick up Fifi.

Round Makanani wall and I'm kind of letting them pull/lead me.

Up Aulii, up Puna. See Hoku's gate open and up I go. Dottie's outside.

Hershey goes through the other gate. And I hear Lani not too pleased with Hershey coming in. Cleaners are coming. Dottie goes and get him.

Dottie gives me some jerky to give to them. And I have the four of them sitting waiting for their treats.

Then Hershey and Hoku finally start to play/wrestle. But they have an appointment, so off we go.

Don't see BKB. So we head up to Joey's house. One the way, four chihuahuas are at the wall barking. A girl/woman comes out and guides them back in with her legs.

Go in the uppper gate. Fifi wants to run. And soon enough Joey joins in and is chasing Fifi (and vice-versa). Kimo and Hershey wander around doing their own thing.

Head home. Down Puna. Stop by the pitbull. Fifi and Joey go by the fence. But the pit just remains lying down looking at them without much reaction.

Stop by Maka's gate. They all go to sniff except Hershey.

Take them home. Kimo comes out. Tell him that Fifi and Joey were chasing each other.

Later with Kimo and Joey in the front, Kimo goes wild at a yellow firetruck or some kind of fire vehicle. Turns out it's Nalu driving.

I grab Kimo and wait for him to calm. But he escalates and gets even more wild. I look and see Joey nipping at his tail. Kimo catches the heel of my hand (look later and no blood, just kind of a bruise). And I have Joey move away from Kimo.

Kimo lies down and I try to comb some flea dirt (or whatever it is) from his underside. He soft growls. I see Joey at his tail. So maybe that's why. Or maybe he doesn't like his hair geting pulled. So I have Joey move away again and comb more gently.

Then after a little while, though all seems OK, I take Joey in the back just in case.

Dogs and Devotion

slide show from the book by the Monks of New Skete

twitter popularity contest

Just curious to compare twitter followers (not to rank them or anything)

Cesar Millan: 173,734, 262,040 (7/26/11), 425,291 (5/31/12)
Best Friends: 32,862, 39,229 (7/26/11)
Victoria Stilwell: 11,322, 20,516 (7/26/11), 33,259 (5/31/12)
Dog Tipper: 11,768, 14,787 (7/26/11)
Training Dogs Info: 11,576
Patty Vieira: 11,457
Best Friends Network: 9955
Andrea Arden: 4553, 6753 (7/26/11)
Hawaii Pet Magazine: 5176, 5596 (7/26/11)
Zak George: 4755 (7/26/11)
Steve Rankin: 3223
Natural Dog Training: 1779, 2963 (5/31/12)
Steve Dale: 2018
Karen Pryor: 1817
Brad Pattison: 748, 1737 (5/31/12) Nicole Wilde: 1450
Bark Busters: 1043
About.com (Jenna Stregowski): 1018
Rewarding Behaviors: 968
Sophia Yin: 953
Justin Silver 894 (5/31/12)
Dog Training San Diego: 870
APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers): 772
Kathy Sdao: 591Bark Tutor: 496
Angie Woods: 336
Tamar Geller: 314
Doggy Training World: 213
Lee Charles Kelley: 203
Leeburg (Ed Frawley): 167
Neil Sattin: 151
Stanley Coren: 123
Sherry Woodard: 54
Nicholas Dodman: 41
Michele Wan: 37
Martin Deeley: 5
Pamela Dennison: 2

Keith barks with Pat home

In the afternoon, I put away Pat's trash can and Keith barks at me. He usually doesn't bark at me, but Pat is home.

I go up steps to talk to her. Keith is frantic behind the door. I carefully open the door and let him out on the steps blocking him from running down. He remains excited but excited friendly.

Eventually I let him out enough so he can see Kimo. After the initial reaction, Kimo lies down back to Keith. And Keith likewise loses attention.

[Tue 1/25, posted 1/26]

follow us Sonny

take Kimo out, retrieve Hershey, retrieve Fifi
see Jennifer & Sonny
Sonny still wants to charge at Fifi
so have them follow us to get Sonny used to Fifi

see Dottie & Hoku
take the dogs up
Fifi wants to get Hoku to play with her, but Hoku doesn't quite get it
Hoku wrestles with Hershey instead

have the dogs sit for treats
Hoku barks, wants Hershey to play

BKB show up at the gate. Take the dogs out to walk with them.

See Joey's gate open. Kimo runs up and in.

Stop by Maka briefly.

Walk on Lolena Wall, Kimo in front.

Go home.

retrievers back off

took Kimo out a little late, Hershey already in the house
see Mr. Wong walking / retrieve Fifi
down Lolena
retrievers barking with feet up on fence
Kimo bends down under fence and barks at them and they back away
I correct him and he calms down

down Kealakai, up Laki, Kimo and pitty sniff. Sit on wall with back to pitty. Lady next door comes out and says hello.

up Hala
take home Fifi

Kimo wants to go down driveway. Slowly go down giving treats
Miki snoozing. Treat Kimo by fence.
Miki wakes up. Not much reaction either way.
I guess that's good.

[Mon 1/24, posted 1/25]

Hershey in the house / Fifi wants to play

took out Kimo, poop doesn't look too bad
retrieve Hershey
retrieve Fifi / lady w/ baby at Nalu's house, Fifi goes up to her
lady in car waves to me. Minnie?
Lolena Hill: Kimo poops again, Big Boy doesn't bark at first
Aulii, Puna, see Hoku tied up. Take dogs up to visit briefly
Joey's house. Let the dogs walk around
back down Puna. Hoku's gate now closed. Hershey whines. Neighbor calls Hoku. And Allen lets the dogs in (though Hershey ran out before gate closed)

Hoku and Hershey start playing. Hoku wants to play too, but Hershey growls at her.

Later Dottie comes out and wonders where Hershey is. He's in the house!
Runs around madly. Jumps on sofa. Jumps on dining table where I finally catch him.

Fifi trying to get Hoku to play. Hoku seems unsure what to do.

Finally Hoku lies down. OK, time to go home.

Leerburg

Leerburg.com has been mentioned by samkarl2002 (Peggy and Willie) over at DogWhispererFans.

It's a website selling dog training DVDs and equipment, but also has "over 16,000 pages of dog training information."

Not sure where the name comes from as the owner is Ed Frawley along with Cindy Rhodes.

There's also a bunch of eBooks and articles and Q&As.

Hmm. I see I mentioned him before in a previous post about "balanced" trainers.

Fifi joins in

took Fifi along with Kimo and Hershey today

Up Aulii, then Puna.
Let the dogs sniff by the gate. Kimo and Fifi sniff, but not Hershey. Then continue. Dottie sees me as she's going out and lets us in.

Alan brings some dog biscuits and Lani is watching.

Hershey and Hoku start to play. More like Hoku chasing Hershey. Then Fifi wants to join in and sort of half-chases Hershey too. Hershey gets tired of running and goes on his back. Looks a little scared and kind of growls away Fifi.

Meanwhile, Kimo is sitting next to me. Went to help Allen set up a table and Kimo wanders to Lani. Kind of warn Lani that Kimo bit a neighbor and she keeps away after that.

Hershey goes partly down the driveway, so I figure it's time to go. Go up Puna. Apparently Buddha not home (or sequestered away).

See Joey's gate open. Go around and see Cheryl on phone. Treat Joey a bit and continue on.

[Fri 1/7, posted 1/8]

Alprazolam

Alprazolam is the med that the vet prescribes for Kimo for New Year's Eve.

What is it? LMGTFY.

Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety disorders and panic disorder (sudden, unexpected attacks of extreme fear and worry about these attacks). Alprazolam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.

Kimo in the house again

I was in the back with Kimo and Harriet and Stanley came to visit my mom.

I opened the door to go in and Kimo ran in and jumped up on Harriet. I yelled not to touch him and got the slip leash and went in.

Kimo went to the hallway and into the spare bedroom to sniff. Then into mom's room to sniff. Jumped up on the bed and down. Finally snared him and brought him out to the parlor. Had him sit down as they chatted and then took him out after a while.

Later I went outside for something and when I went back him, he ran into the house again. Snared him again and took him out.

As I write this (a few hours later), he's quietly lying down in his doghouse (hiding since he heard some thunder earlier).

the latest bite

I went to put on some bacitracin ointment on Kimo's wart (or whatever it is -- it's a little growth on his nose which became bigger and bigger). I've done it before, but more like a quick dab from the side. This time I wanted to apply it more evenly.

At first he wanted to lick the ointment off my finger. Then my approach (sort of from the front I think) must have put him over the threshold and he went wild and bit my hand.

After a few seconds, Kimo came to his senses. I looked at my hand and surprisingly and fortunately, the wounds weren't too deep. Little more than breaking the skin. I wound up rinsing it and putting the ointment on my hand. Then I let Kimo lick it.

Stubborn that I am, I didn't give up. I had Kimo lie down. Placed one hand on his neck in case he wanted to get up and applied the ointment. Success (?)

[12/22/10, posted 12/23]

The next morning (today as I write this), I looked and the wart had fallen off his snout. I don't know whether the ointment helped or not. But I'm happy to see it gone.

Kimo in the house

It was rainy and I opened the backdoor and didn't really block the door.

In comes Kimo. I decided not to shoo him out this time and see what he did.

He made like a drug dog and went to sniff in every room of the house.

It sometimes seems like Kimo looks/sniffs for something, but never finds it. Maybe he remembers something in his past and keeps trying to find it.

[Sun 12/19, posted 12/20]

Kimo under the shelf

Kimo was lying down behind the hothouse steps.

Then a loud firecracker.

Now lying down under the shelf in the hothouse slab.

All evening.

Starts to rain in the early a.m.

Lure him out with chicken jerky and take him down off the slab

Feed him a little.

[Sat 12/18-19, posted 12/20]

Fifi and Miki and Shammy (and Kimo)

Kimo was barking to go poop early, so I took him in front and went for an early stroll.

See Reina coming in car. As I come back, see Fifi outside and decide to go down driveway to see how they react to Miki.

Miki barks at Fifi (they don't really get along as Miki barks at Fifi and Fifi growls a bit at Miki sometimes), Kimo goes wild. Told Reina that I was trying to get Kimo used to Miki barking and that she could let Miki bark. Hold him 'til calm and wait til RMAS go out and follow.

Fifi at first was lagging, sniffing so as to avoid getting close (I assume). She was a little anxious and pulled some. Then eventually she wanted to go right up to Shammy's butt and sniff.

Kept following with no real incident, though I don't think Fifi ever relaxed completely. Followed them down the driveway and gave them treats as Reina treated Miki and Shammy back behind their gate.

Then walked some more. As we walked by Keith, Kimo might have gotten slightly excited. Then Fifi wanted to sniff Kimo. Kimo didn't like the idea and went wild. Not sure if he bit Fifi or not. If so, Fifi didn't seem bothered. Held Kimo up until he regained some sanity and walked back. Seemed OK. But I think Fifi might now have the idea that she shouldn't sniff Kimo.

Took Fifi home and treated her. Kimo stayed up on the stonewall. Lured him down and treated them together with Fifi below me and Kimo on the step above.

Fifi goes long

RMAS
bring Kimo in front, don't force him to follow at first
go up Tsutsui's steps, goes wild as they pass
retrieve Hershey, catch up at end
decide to retrieve Fifi as she came out of her "cave"

Lolena Hill, BigBoy acts up a bit
Makanani, Skyline, see Betty w/ Kaylen (no Buddha) and Jennifer w/ Sonny
let Sonny sniff Fifi and surprisingly Sonny charges, luckily Fifi is cool
I tell Jennifer that Kimo did the same thing the other day (when the dog in the van came to his fence)

Walk the three dogs with Betty and Kaylen since Hoku's gate is open (and apparently isn't home)
Betty tells me that Joey's house got sold

Sure enough, Cheryl came out and told her that her cousin sold the house w/o consulting her and it was done by a virtual stranger real estate agent over the internet (even though Cheryl has had years of real estate experience)
It's hard for her mom because she's 81 and has lived there for like 60 years. Sheesh.
And that same cousin used their vacation house in Maui for the last few years.
Sheesh.

Then Betty (the dog) comes up being walked by her lady owner this time. She asks the dogs names and tells me that Kimo has lost weight.

Kimo barks in the afternoon.
The dog in the van is back.
Walk Kimo up and the down the sidewalk several times to see if I can get him used to the presence of the dog. I think it's a pitbull. Seems pretty mellow and quite obedient to the owner.

Kimo is sleeping in the garage as I write this. Maybe he's tired from all the walking and barking..

Kimo, Hershey, Fifi continued

RMAS comes by. Barking. Take Kimo out.

Don't force him to follow them. Instead go to Hershey's house and retrieve Hershey.

Slowly up the road, see RMAS coming back. Decide to retrieve Fifi.

Had Kimo on long line and Hershey on leash behind me (didn't want to force Hershey down steps or get Kimo "trapped" in a small space on steps) as I sat on steps and waited for Fifi to come up. The idea was to feed them small bits of treats to get them used to the situation.

Then RMAS returned and went down the driveway and Kimo went off. Took a little for me to regain control since he was on the long leash. TGIDK came out to look and we chatted a bit. Then off we went.

Saw Mr. Wong coming back from his walk. So we walked and chatted as we came back.

Decided to treat them down the driveway by their "garage". All seemed to be going OK, but then apparently Miki spotted Fifi and barked. That set off Kimo and I grabbed him. He stayed in wild mode and I had to hold him for a while. Long enough for Kimo to come out of the house and check what was going on and for Amy to come out and look too.

Took Kimo to the gate and he remained a little excited. Tried to get him to lie down by the gate and he squealed like he didn't want to. Finally he seemed calm enough and I went over to chat a bit with Amy.

OK, still work to do (or undo)..

Dogs Decoded

"Dogs Decoded" reveals the science behind the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs and investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs—with surprising implications for the evolution of human culture. Other research is proving what dog lovers have suspected all along: Dogs have an uncanny ability to read and respond to human emotions. Humans, in turn, respond to dogs with the same hormone responsible for bonding mothers to their babies. How did this incredible relationship between humans and dogs come to be? And how can dogs, so closely related to fearsome wild wolves, behave so differently?

***

Watching it, I see that it's actually lightly edited version of The Secret Life of the Dog with an American narrator substituted.

coping with pet loss

For Makiki resident Joyce Tsuji, Toro was a companion and confidant, a reliable morning alarm clock and an occasional "bedtime hat."

The fawn-colored tabby, a stray who hung out under Tsuji's car and eventually worked his way into her heart, was a beloved pet for more than five years.

"Toro became family from the moment he adopted me," Tsuji said.

When her cat was diagnosed with lymphoma about five years ago on top of a bowel syndrome, the animal was too weak for surgery, and Tsuji had to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize her pet.

Losing Toro left a a void in her life. She said she cried just as hard when she lost Toro as the day her grandparents died.

Five years later Tsuji still misses him.

This kind of grief for pet owners is very real, according to Julie Ann Luiz Adrian, a veterinarian and assistant professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo who co-authored a study last year on the emotional impacts of the loss of a pet.

Joey walks with Buddha and the gang

RMAS out, Keith barks, take Kimo out a little later

Hershey not home yet. Gerald comes in Doreen's car w/ Hershey (getting a colonoscopy). Kimo acts up. Guess he's not used to the car (or Doreen). Hershey hesitant to come out (can't blame him).

up Aulii, Puna, see Hoku, but go get Joey

then see Betty outside. Buddha leaves the stoop to sniff Joey.

drop off Hershey with Hoku. Jennifer is out with Sonny, chat a little, then go back

go back to see Betty, Joey goes to door
Kaylen agrees to go walking, so we all walk together (one day I'll have to bring my camera). Nicole out w/ Cleo too

pick up Hershey, bring Joey up. Hoku follows Joey around like she wants to play with him. Allen stops Hoku from following and has her lie down.

take Joey home.

***

later that day, big Koa is loose

Kimo wild. Go out to get Koa on leash.
Wander over to Kimo behind fence. This time, Kimo doesn't go wild. And they sort of sniff each other through the fence.

Take Koa home. Somebody taking Mr. Wong home (who I saw at MacDonald's a couple hours earlier). Walk and chat a little w/ Sam and Stanley. Tell them mom in hospital.

[Tue 11/9, posted 11/11]

Joey with Kimo and Hershey

Keith barking excitedly in the morning, it's RMAS. Kimo joins in.

Take Kimo out to Hershey's garage. Reina says Kimo looks a little disturbed (or something). Then he goes wild as they pass. I hold his collar as he's in his wild state and ask him if he's a little disturbed? (or something)

Follow. Seems OK after that.

Then we see the man walking his pitbull down Lolena. Though we're a distance away, Kimo starts to get excited. I remark that Kimo doesn't like that dog. Amy remarks he doesn't like a lot of dogs. I say he has to get used to them. Reina remarks what about their dogs, it's been three years. I reply he's used to them in the wrong way.

Up Aulii.

See Fred being walked on Aulii. Follow him. Turn around and let Fred follow us. [At least I think this was before I retrieved Joey]

To Puna, Joey's house, retrieve Joey. Doesn't bark. No problems.

Take them down. Hoku comes to gate. Let them sniff.

Back to Joey's house. Let them loose in yard. Hershey wanders around. Kimo likes to go inside Joey's room downstairs and sniff around. Have to watch him so he doesn't pee. Joey follows me around as I go looking to see where Hershey and Kimo ran off to.

[Mon 11/8, posted 11/9]

Joey walks with Kimo for the first time

take out Kimo, up Puna, decide to go to Joey's house

knock on door, ask permission from Cheryl's mom to take Joey
unlike the previous day, see no problems between them

take them out for walk, I had the slip leash on Joey and he struggled a little wanting to wander off, but mostly seemed accepting of it.

pass Dottie's house, gate closed, Hoku tied up. Dottie is up with Allen and Lani. They're moving something today.

back to Joey's house. Then see Nicole come out w/ Cleo. So go back down.
let Joey sniff Cleo and vice-versa.

Driveway door open, so go up and let Joey sniff Hoku and vice-versa. Joey seems a little intimidated by the size of Hoku. So turn him around and let Hoku sniff his butt. In the meantime, Kimo stands on the side.

Sun 11/7, posted 11/9

dogs rise in status in China

BEIJING — Xiangzi — meaning ‘Lucky’ in English — is aptly named. A trim Siberian husky, his owner, a sports marketer named Qiu Hong, pampers him with two daily walks, a brace of imported American toys and grooming tools, $300 worth of monthly food and treats and his own sofa in her high-rise apartment.

When city life becomes too blase, Qiu loads Xiangzi in the car and takes him out for a run — on the trackless steppes of Inner Mongolia, seven hours north.

Twenty years ago, there were hardly any dogs in Beijing, and the few that were here stood a chance of landing on a dinner plate. It remains possible even today to find dog-meat dishes here. But it is far easier to find dog-treat stores, dog websites, dog social networks, dog swimming pools — even, for a time recently, a bring-your-dog cinema and a bring-your-dog bar on Beijing’s downtown nightclub row.

How this came to be is, in some ways, the story of modern China as well. Centuries ago, China’s elite kept dogs as pets; the Pekingese is said to date to the 700s, when Chinese emperors made it the palace dog — and executed anyone who stole one.

But in the Communist era, dogs were more likely to be guards, herders or meals than companions. Both ideological dogma and necessity during China’s many lean years rendered pets a bourgeois luxury. Indeed, after dogs first began to appear in Beijing households, the government decreed in 1983 that they and seven other animals, including pigs and ducks, were banned from the city.

China’s economic renaissance changed all that, at least in the prosperous cities. “People used to be focused on improving their own lives, and they weren’t really acquainted with raising dogs,” Qiu said. “But with the improvement in the economy, people’s outlooks have changed. There’s a lot of stress in people’s lives, and having a dog is a way to relieve it.”

Mostly, though, it appears that Beijing dogs have, as in the West, become objects of affection — even devotion — by their owners. On a given weekend, hundreds of dog owners flock to Pet Park, a 29-acre canine spa east of Beijing that includes a dog-and-owner restaurant, a dog show ring, a dog agility course, a dog cemetery and chapel, a dog-owner motel, an immaculate 600-bay kennel (where visitors must step in a disinfectant vat before entering) and two bone-shaped swimming pools.

Joey crowds Kimo

take Kimo out, poop a little firmer.

Ohana Doggie Daycare

Chris and Kim Barretto, owners and managers of Ohana Doggie Daycare, are making it their mission to expand the bond between canine and human by providing a safe, fun and stimulating environment for man’s best friend. The 5,000-square-foot Kakaako facility offers room for all breeds and sizes with both indoor and outdoor play areas.

“The concept of our business is Hawaii’s largest and first cage-free doggie day-care and boarding. We have two rooms, little tykes for the smaller dogs and the large room for the larger dogs,” says Chris. “We also have two Web cams in both rooms for ‘parents’ to view their dogs.”

The Barrettos run a 24-hour operation, so a night attendant is always on hand to care for the canines that board at the facility. Daycare is available daily (Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.).

18th Ave Bark Park

Took Kimo & Hershey out
went for a short lap, then decided to take them to the 18th Avenue Bark Park

Good sign for Kimo. As we came to the gate, the two medium sized dogs that were there came to the gate. Instead of shying away, Kimo went to the gate and they sniffed each other. Hershey was the one who stayed away from the gate.

Kimo still shy as he walks away when dogs persist in sniffing him. But if they turn away sometimes he sniffs their butts. At least no snapping at any dogs today. He didn't socialize much though, preferring to walk away on his own. He did though bark at a couple of trucks that drove by.

Hershey tried to play a couple of times. But mostly stayed by himself too. There was one particularly high energy dog (a boxer?) that was a little worrisome as he seemed too pushy to engage the other dogs. At one point, I think he tried to engage Hershey and Hershey let out a yelp. (I assume, I wasn't really watching directly.)

After a while, Kimo went to the gate to signal that he wanted to leave. So I took his leash and walked him the other way. Both Kimo and Hershey wandered and sniffed around for a while and we left.

When I first got there, there was only one lady carrying a baby (I think) walking around and having her two dogs follow her. By the time I left I think there were about four people there (all women) and about five or six dogs (not including Kimo and Hershey). But there was only that one really active dog running around. It was a little more crowded than the Moanalua bark park.

I considered also going to the Humane Society dog park, but decided one park today was enough.

***

In the afternoon, Hershey was howling. Mrs. Tsutsui was out with him. I went over to look, and the cat was in the bushes (but Helen couldn't see him). Garrett was coming down too, so maybe he thought Hershey was howling at him.

Since Garrett was out, I talk Hershey walking behind his truck. Then Mr. Yokomoto came out for his walk early because he thought it was going to rain. So I walked with him.

On the way, we saw Koa loose on the road. So he kind of hung around us as we walked. I let him in his gate. And then caught up with Sam. But as we came back, Koa was out of the road again. I don't know how he gets out, but I think he squeezes under the gate.

As we walked past my house, I retried a leash and leashed up Koa. And continued the walk (leaving Kimo at home). We went to the Yokomoto house, where Sam was taking his break between laps, then I went to take home Koa and put the plank at the bottom of the gate to block him. Then I took home Hershey.

Then Sam comes walking again. Kimo was up, so I took him out with the slip leash and we walked up the street and back. Kimo walked pretty well. Not much pulling to sniff or trying to stop on the road to lick himself.

***

Still later that afternoon. Barking. Keith was out with Pat. Then I see Snoopy out and Keith went nuts. And Kimo goes wild.

Snoopy exits going in back of the Sakamoto house and I play some food fetch with Kimo. Kimo got a little anxious/excited when Keith was going up his driveway, but didn't lose control.

So a pretty busy day for Kimo.

Kimo was pretty quiet in the evening, snoozing in the garage. He got up to bark when a strange car/truck drove past, so I took that opportunity to take him in the back.

[Thu 9/30, posted 10/1]

Fifi outside

Koa loose in the morning, take him home
gets loose again, but then he runs off

Kimo lying down, so take out Hershey
here come RMAS, walk down w/ them, Kimo sees them and runs up and down steps

retrieve Kimo and walk w/ RMAS

Kimo (the man) reports that Fifi is tied outside because she bit the baby (not viciously, but the baby is crying). [But, as I write this, don't see Fifi tied outside most of the time, so maybe she's back in the house or moved?]

take Kimo & Hershey up. See Rylen out. Cross street. Man reaches down to pet Kimo who's facing away. Kimo sort of scoots away but doesn't turn to bite (good sign). Told him he used to bite people who did that.

See Sonny in doorway. Go to greet.

Up Puna. See Buddha in doorway

go back down, see Hoku w/ Dottie, bring Kimo & Hershey and she lets us in

Hoku wants to play, barks at Hershey to get up as he's lying down. Hershey plays some, but goes under under the truck and lies down when he doesn't.

[I believe it was this day.] Went back to Buddha's house. Betty comes out to chat for a while. Says Kaylen didn't want to go out today.

[Tue 9/28, posted 10/3]

[Tue 9/28, posted 10/3]

dog day Saturday

took Kimo out

young woman with nice shorts (if you know what I mean) taking out brown boxer (or something) barking at us, they go down Lolena

Meanwhile I go via the Natsunoya wall. I see Rylen taken out on cemetary side so I cross the street. Kimo not so scared and they greet briefly.

Maka's gate. Kimo pees a little

Skyline, Puna, Joey barks at us, Ilima, Aulii, Lolena wall

The brown boxer (or something) is loose and comes running at us. The young lady yells that he's friendly (or something) and I kneel down as he comes running to me and grab his collar and she retrieves me. It looks like she lives at Big Boy's house (the mastiff) along with another dog.

Go home. Koa is loose and I get him to come to me by the front fence.

Then Kimo starts going wild and Koa acts up at him in response. I thought it might be RMAS but I don't see anybody when I look.

Take Koa home. See RMAS coming. Go to the curb and sit with Koa. Koa remains calm, but Miki acts up a little. I asked if they were just coming and they said yes. So I said Kimo must have been acting up at some other dogs and they said yes there were other dogs. So evidently it was Rudy and Blue.

Take Koa home. And walk down behind RMAS. Kimo runs up and down. Take him out & walk with them and he seems mostly OK after a little while.

***

Later that afternoon, Kimo is barking at a boy walking down our street. Turns out Roxy is missing again (somebody let him loose) and he's looking for him.

[Sat 9/25, posted 9/27]

right on the head

took Kimo out in the morning
then see RMAS up the street and Koa loose

called Koa (well more like slapping my thigh) and he ran down. grabbed him by the collar and escorted him to my steps so I could retrieve another leash. he squealed. maybe I was a little too forceful or maybe he was reacting to Kimo who went wild when he was going up the steps.

Anyway, held them for a while until they calmed and put the leash on Koa. Walked out and by that time Gerald came with Hershey and took them all out together.

Koa still pulls and Kimo doesn't really like to walk up the hill so we made our way slowly up. By that time, RMAS were heading home and down the driveway, so we stayed at a distance until they were gone.

Did a little walking practice back and forth. And made it to the end by the old pee wall. Koa was ready to pee on the wall and Kimo walked right in the way (or was it the other way around?) and Koa peed on his head. No reaction from Kimo.

On the way back I chatted a bit with Charlotte then saw Jennifer's cat was out. The cat arched his back but didn't run. Koa wanted to go after the cat and I had to hold him back. Meanwhile Kimo went nuts and I held him by the collar until he regained his senses. Then I had Koa come to me and lie down. All the while, Hershey stayed at a distance from the commotion.

Then took Koa home. (The garage door was open.)

And hosed off Kimo's head.

[Mon 9/20/10, posted 9/21]

progress

took out Kimo and started walking (slowly, trying not to pull him) up the street

Here comes RMAS. Kimo starts breathing a little heavily but doesn't go wild as I walk on the makai side and RMAS on the mauka side. Turn around and follow them.

Keith goes manic and Kimo lost control briefly but quickly regained it. And we continue walking.

Gerald drops off Hershey and we walk the rest of the way.

Decide to go to Puna.

No Hoku, see Buddha at the front door. Kimo aloof, but encourage him to sniff and he does so a a distance

No Joey either.

See Hoku on the way down, but nobody around to see us. Can't play today anyway since it's tai chi day.

In the afternoon, took Kimo out for short walk, trying again not to pull him. Then went home.

Keith comes out, runs down barks at Keith, but then stops rather quickly.
Have him come up to the top landing and doesn't react much even when Keith running wild on leash coming back. And that's without treats. I'd say that's progress.

[Tue 9/14/10, posted 9/16]

sitting at the curb

Sunday morning, RMAS comes. Keith barks. Kimo barks.

Take out Kimo, but as we go up the street by Iha's house (across from Keith's house), he sits at the curb with his back to Keith!

I guess I taught him that because sometimes I would sit on the curb and have him sit like that and give him treats as Miki and Shammy were being walked. Kind of funny.

[Sun 9/5, posted 9/10]

charging the fence from the other side

Kimo was loose, take Kimo out & take Kimo home

Sue drives by and sees me and I walk Kimo home. And she parks up the street to meet me.

Then comes Cat, Bob, Lori. I let them go up the stairs and close the gate. Then I let Kimo loose. He charges the fence and growls. I grab his leash and he goes wild. Eventually he calms down. Disappointing, especially since Kimo knows them from tennis.

Then come Bry and Joyce with Kimo up the steps. Is anxious at first. But then looks friendly as he sees Joyce. I let them decide how to go up. Bry decides to go to the garage. Joyce kind of wants to go up the steps, but goes through the garage too.

[Sun 8/29, posted 8/31]

sociable dog, cooperative humans

Have you ever wanted to take your dog to work with you, but couldn't get the idea past your boss? According to an article in The Economist, you might soon have some ammunition on your side.

Christopher Honts and Matthew Christensen, under the guidance of Stephen Colarelli, Ph.D., at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, wondered if the mere presence of a sociable, well-behaved canine in the office might make co-workers more likely to co-operate.

Judie Mancuso

Laguna Beach animal welfare advocate Judie Mancuso spent a year and a half trying to get the state Legislature to pass a law requiring that pets be sterilized. A week ago, the bill, AB 1634 -- alternately reviled and cheered -- was finally rejected in the state Senate.

On the tortured road to its death, the bill was amended almost a dozen times, watered down and even name-changed. Breeders and opposition groups howled in protest and said legislators were taking away their rights to handle their animals as they saw fit.

Mancuso, whose voice sounds as though it belongs to a plucky girl cartoon character, had created the original proposal along with Los Angeles city staffers and L.A. Animal Services general manager Ed Boks. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) became the bill's author and legislative torchbearer.

The goal was to stem the euthanasia of hundreds of thousands of animals in the state's shelters annually by mandating people alter their pets. Fewer animals being born meant fewer strays and owner-surrendered pets being housed in the shelters, Mancuso and company contended. "You're just trying to prevent animals coming in the front door," said Mancuso, pictured here smooching a pooch in the Central Valley SPCA shelter in Fresno.

Despite passing the Assembly last year, the beleaguered bill never had an easy road. Sterilization exemptions for many dogs and cats in the original bill (show dogs, service dogs, etc.) still didn't please opponents. The service dog pictured below that showed up last year in Sacramento with its owner to protest the original bill was actually never in any danger of being altered.

The final version of the bill required sterilization only of pets that were cited for being unlicensed, running loose or impounded, and they had to be guilty of those violations several times.

But Mancuso says the real problem was the backstage battling between some senators and bill author Levine. Some senators were against any bill from the get-go. (One Democratic senator told Mancuso's people working the Senate that there were folks in his district who ate dogs -- and not to count on his vote.)

Levine says it costs the state $300 million a year to shelter and euthanize animals. "I'm disappointed the Senate didn't deal with this," Levine said. "Just because breeders say there isn't a problem out there doesn't mean it's not there."

***

Note: This is the person who [some on] dogbehaviorscience is fighting on bill SB250.

cradling therapy

Dear. Dr. Fox: I have two 1-year-old Pomeranians. Calvin has shown signs of being an alpha dog since we brought him home at eight weeks. He seems to know his place with the family (eight children live at home). The problem occurs when other children come over to play.

He tends to pick one and dominate the youngster. He actually bit one little girl twice. And there are certain people in the neighborhood whom he wants to go after.

He has also started wetting when he sees my husband. He will snuggle up to my husband at night, showing no signs that he fears him. My husband never had a dog and expects Calvin to understand more than he is capable of. He has chased the dog down angrily, punished him for running out the door, etc.

Is there a way to stop these behaviors? The dog's, I mean; I don't think I can do anything about my husband's. -- P.M., St. Louis

Dear P.M.: Husbands can be a problem. Many flunk basic obedience school. Your spouse should learn that getting frustrated and angry at the dog will cause fear and confusion.

Calvin could benefit from the cradling theory described on my website and in my book "Dog Body, Dog Mind." In this book you will also learn how to better communicate with Calvin and help him not to act aggressively toward visiting children. In the interim, keep him in another room or on a leash when children visit; and when on the leash, he must sit and stay. Above all, he needs to learn self-control -- what Ivan Pavlov called "internal inhibition."

[staradvertiser, 8/21/10]

***

What is cradling therapy?

Simply cradling a puppy or kitten in one’s arms is part of the process of animal socialization that is as gentle as it is profound. Pups and kittens soon learn to accept being picked up and gently held in one’s arms without struggling, and enjoy the intimacy and security of close physical contact.

Submitting to and accepting such handling is integral to effective and proper socialization or bonding with the human care giver. It greatly facilitates subsequent training and communication. If and when the animal struggles while being cradled, the gentle embrace becomes firm resistance that immediately softens and yields as soon as the animal ceases to struggle, begins to relax, to accept cradling restraint, and starts to trust.

This gentle psycho-physical ‘judo’ can help in the behavior modification of adult,hyperactive, and poorly socialized companion animals, often with a history of being over- indulged and having no sense of boundaries. They have limited self-control that Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov called internal inhibition. Cradling conditions the animal to accept restraint, develop internal inhibition or self-restraint; and above all, helps the animal develop the kind of trust that is the keystone for a strong and sustaining human-animal bond.

Hershey goes swimming

Took mom to church to help with the luau and decided to bring Kimo too (since I was bringing him in front anyway).

When I came back, I decided to drive up to Puna since it was now a little past the time I usually leave (it was Hoku day). I retrieved Hershey and encouraged/pulled him to the front seat.

Went up Puna, found parking at Skyline near Puna. Noticed Hoku's gate was open, but no sign of Hoku (or anybody). Buddha's gate was open too. But no sign of Buddha (or Betty). So I went to Joey's house.

Went up the steps, but no sign of Joey. Headed for Ilima and Joey runs out but remained quiet. He warily came to the fence. I think something might have scared him from coming to the fence because he used to come to the fence and bark. Fed him a little. Then went to the back gate and treated the dogs a little more.

Walk on Ilima. Only one of the two terriers barked and the other dogs didn't bark. Maybe they're getting used to us.

Down Aulii and back to Puna. Decided to go up Hoku's driveway. There's Hoku tied to the iron rail.

Took the dogs to the pool area. Hershey went to the narrow ledge by the pool, apparently lost his balance and plop, he was in the water. He paddled to the side and pulled himself up. No problem.

Then I decided to take the chain off rail and let the dogs play on leash. After a while of that, I walked them to Buddha's house. Hoku mostly didn't pull and wanted to play more with Hershey. But when she did pull, she was hard to control (mostly because she's so big).

Went back up the driveway and then I saw a car coming up. It was Allen. So the dogs got to play unleashed with the gate closed.

After playtime, got them back in the car and decided to drive up Alewa drive and to the Na Pueo park (nobody was there, but didn't get out).

[Fri 8/20, posted 8/22am]

behavioral effects of spaying and neutering

Although there are scattered reports in the literature of apparently adverse effects of spaying and neutering on canine behavior, there are very few quantitative studies and most of these have employed behavioral measures of unknown reliability and validity.

The present study used the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ)© to investigate the impact of spaying/neutering in various dog populations, including (1) a random sample of 1,552 dogs belonging to 11 common breeds and (2) a convenience sample of over 6,000 dogs of various breeds recruited via an online survey.

The results of the study suggest that spayed female dogs tend to be more aggressive toward their owners and to strangers than intact females, but that these effects of spaying on behavior appear to be highly breed-specific. Contrary to popular belief, the study found little evidence that castration was an effective treatment for aggressive behavior in male dogs, and may exacerbate other behavioral problems.

Further research will be needed to clarify the relationship between age of spaying/neutering and these apparent effects on behavior.

[via nienke @pos-4-reactivedogs]

*** [2/7/13]

more on the subject from the angryvet [via dwf]

getting past Roxy

Keith barking in the morning gets Kimo running to the side gate. Sure enough it's RMAS.

Take Kimo out. See Hershey is here already. Take Kimo up Tsutsui steps. Amy with Shammy brings in blue bin. Kimo goes wild. Have to hold leash up, Shadow-like.

Follow at a distance. Eventually catch up to Amy and Shammy. They go down driveway. But then Kimo wants to go down driveway too. Sniffs around Oliver's area. Time to go. Wave to Kimo in the house as I think he's waving to me, but he's doing his stretching exercises in front of the TV.

Go to Makanani via the Natsunoya wall. Traffic. Run toward end to run away from traffic.

Up Aulii. Then to Puna. Don't see Hoku, but see Buddha's gate open. See Betty in the yard. She says Kaylen is sick so no walk today. Buddha is at the door. Kimo goes over to door. Betty opens door, but Buddha runs back in the house. Later I open the door, Buddha doesn't run away but doesn't come out. Betty says he's trained not to run out of the house. It's working. Betty hears Kaylen crying and she brings her out.

Chat a while and head to Hoku's house. Let Kimo walk around and sniff a bit. Went up the steps a couple of times. Evidently likes to go up steps. Hoku and Hershey wrestle and chase. But after a while, Hershey seemed to tire out and Hoku barked at him because she wanted to play some more. Then they both tire out. Time to go.

Up Puna. No sign of Joey. Ilima. The terriers bark, but the other dogs across the street don't bark. Their owner seems to have good control over them.

Decide to turn into the street behind our house. The little dog (Roxy) is there. Kimo sniffs her with no incident and she doesn't seem to have a problem with Hershey either. Walk past her to the stonewall. Jump down. The wall seems a little high for Kimo so I carry him down. No problem. Hershey jumps down.

In the afternoon, I I hear some light barking. It's the mailman who likes to give Kimo biscuits. He was in the driveway tossing biscuits over the fence. Kimo would run up the steps away from the biscuits. Then later come back to eat them when the mailman backed off. I told the mailman Kimo's shy.

Still later, Kimo was barking at Keith on the street scampering around at the end of the leash. Took Kimo up the other way and stopped to look as Keith was coming back down. Keith acted up as he passed out house even with Kimo not home.

Head to Yokomoto house. Sniffs around the garage, then see June with her light tan cat. Kimo gets close to the cat and the cat doesn't run away. Chat a bit with June as she says her computer acts quirky when she shuts down. And learned the name of the cat is Tiko, a small male.

Kimo around in circles

decided to take Kimo and Hershey to the park today.

Went down Hala first, then down to visit Pitty, then up Kealakai, then to park. Didn't see the two dogs in front that I saw across the street from the park this time. Maybe they moved them to the back?

A lady (Myle's mother? I forget what she looked like) came with two small dogs and took them to the volleyball court. I took Kimo closer and the smaller younger dog went to the fence and barked at him. Kimo didn't seem fazed. And I took them up the hill.

Finally I came back down and went to the fence. The little dog came to the fence but seemed more playful this time. They left and we went him. Played a little come to food.

Then decided to try it outside. I went out and had them come to me. Hershey came, but Kimo went out to the fence by the hill. I went over to get him and he started running madly around in circles. After he started running out of gas a bit, I lured him to me with food. And we went to the playground set before leaving.

[Thu 8/12, posted 8/13]

progress?

Today Kimo was in the garage and heard the mailman. Instead of barking at the fence, he came up to the front door. Maybe he was waiting for his treat?

Later, I was sitting inside the house by the door with Kimo on the other side of the door. And noticed Keith was going out with Pat (or vice-versa). He didn't run down the steps and bark like he usually does. He just lay there and looked. Maybe Pat kept him from running down the steps? Or maybe he felt really lazy.

Then I went out, sat next to hime, and had him tug jerky from me as Keith walked by. He didn't have any flareups though I noticed Keith acted up briefly a couple of times.

Hey, maybe this thing is working..

[Wed 8/11, posted 8/12am]

do not attempt the techniques you are about to see without consulting a professional

As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, experts agree that one of the contributing factors to the 4.7 million dog bites that occur each year may be owners mimicking what they see on T.V.

Dr. John Ciribassi, past-president of the AVSAB explains why punishment can cause aggression.

"A typical scenario is a client with a 3 year old dog who was presented because of aggression directed at strangers that the dog meets either on walks or when guests come to the home. Initially the dog barks at people as they pass and backs away if approached, indicating that the aggression is due to fear. The owner is referred to a trainer or watches a show that demonstrates the use of choke chain or pinch collar and verbal or physical corrections. Because the dog now feels pain when it encounters the person it fears, the aggression escalates. As a result, now the dog lunges, snaps, and bites in situations where it used to bark and back away. In some cases the dog is so aroused it learns to redirect its aggression towards humans."

Unfortunately, these bite incidences are not surprising. According to a recent veterinary study published in The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior (2009), if you're aggressive to your dog, your dog will be aggressive, too.

Says Meghan Herron, DVM, lead author of the study, "Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation such as alpha rolls [holding dogs on their back], do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses."

These techniques are pervasive in many T.V. shows and some popular books. For instance, The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan routinely demonstrates alpha rolls, dominance downs and forced exposure to things that cause fear or aggression, and has depicted Millan restraining dogs or performing physical corrections in order to take valued possessions away from them.

[original article by Sophia Yin]

[And again the comments are probably more interesting than the article.]

another reactive dog

Kimo was lying down and it was kind of drizzly, so I decided to just take out Hershey instead. Went to the beginning of the road and came back and encouraged Hershey to come up the side of our house which he is reluctant to do.

Kimo started barking (at something he heard?) so Hershey got even more reluctant. I went in the gate and Kimo started running around back and forth. After a while, he got some of the excitement out and I took them both out.

Up Lolena Hill. There was some work going on the graveyard, so I took the dogs outside the fence.

Makanani. Precious is home. Still a bit excited behind the gate. Kimo seems to want to go to the fence. Guess he didn't learn from the last time he got bit by her.

Past Sonny's house. Didn't see Sonny at first. But then Sonny's head appeared behind the door. Kimo wanted to go down the steps and I let him loose. He went to the door. Jennifer was home and opened the door so Sonny could stick her head out. Kimo went close but didn't really sniff her. Jennifer said she closed the door because the neighborhood dogs were barking at the gas man.

Up to Puna. Don't see Hoku but the dogs wait by the gate -- evidently waiting for me to take them in. A little later, I see Dottie walking up with Hoku. They play a little on leash, but Dottie has to take Lani to Pali Momi for some procedure.

Further up. Let Kimo go up Joey's steps. Kimo sits behind me while Hershey stays near the bottom of the steps. There's Joey looking at a distance. He doesn't come to the gate, then disappears.

OK, around back. Joey is on the steps near the back door. Treat the dogs, but Joey just lies down and looks at a distance though later he sits and looks.

Ilima, back down Aulii. I see what looks like an old lady digging grass at Steve's house. What do you know, it's Steve. Tries to pet Hershey but Hershey stays at a distance. Kimo sniffs him. Tell him Kimo is the one that bites and don't make any sudden moves. So he doesn't pet him.

Go to Lolena Wall. A couple of caucasian young women are coming up with a medium sized short-haired brown dog with a muzzle on. I stop by the end of the wall. They stop by the other end of the wall. And it seems we're waiting for each other to move. After a while, I offer to go down the hill but they say where I am is fine. Then I see them treating her and praising her. So I figure it must be a reactive dog and they're trying to get him used to other dogs.

So I just sat on the wall with Kimo sitting behind me next to me and Hershey on the ground. This goes on for more than a few minutes. So I figure I'll give Kimo and Hershey some treats too. Finally they make their move, calmly walking by. No incidents. As they pass, I asked "reactive dog?" They affirm and I say "this one too". They thank me "very much" as they leave. They must be into R+. Cool.

one fence at a time

When Mikael Hardy moved from Atlanta to Greenville County, S.C., she discovered a frightening way of life. Some of her new neighbors kept their dogs chained up outside every day and every night — oftentimes emaciated, sad creatures with empty water buckets and no food. "I saw all these chained dogs, and I said, 'What is this?'" Hardy says. "I knew I needed to save them."

Last year, Hardy, 40, started knocking on doors, asking these neighbors if she could build them a fence, get their dog spayed or neutered, and provide dog food, toys and veterinary care. For free. "At first they thought there was a catch," she says. "They probably thought I was on crack."

Since August of 2008, however, Hardy has persuaded almost 60 different owners to allow her to build a fence and provide romping room for some 70 dogs. The only requirement: each owner must spay or neuter their dogs before construction begins, paid for by Hardy and her nonprofit, PAWSitive Effects. Incredibly, Hardy has a 90-percent success rate. "We've approached this as a friendly venture, I keep on talking and eventually they say yes," she says in her fast Southern drawl. "It is just so emotionally and physically abusive to keep these dogs at the end of a chain."

Why pets are good for us

Watch a Lassie movie and spit into a cup. It doesn't sound like it, but this is cutting-edge research. By analyzing saliva, researcher Cheryl Krause-Parello can tell that merely watching a dog in a movie lowers people's stress.

In recent years, research has demonstrated the healthful benefits of pets. Now, investigators are trying to figure out why pets are good for us. Krause-Parello, assistant professor and director of the Center for Nursing Research at Kean University in Union, N.J., learned that people feel better after watching a Lassie flick because their levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, take a free fall.

another dog day

RMAS came in the morning with Kimo still in the back. Kimo started running back and forth excitedly and I sort of walked to his back to pseudo-chase him and keep him running. Finally we went out to the front. They were gone by the time we made it up the street. Then Gerald came by and dropped off Hershey.

We made it to Amy Pang's yard which Hershey deemed a good spot to poop. The second one didn't come out smoothly partly going on the leash and it looked like a blade of glass was sticking out. Hershey tried to rub his butt on the lawn to get it off with no success. Finally, I couldn't stand it and (carefully) pulled out the blade of grass.

OK, go another lap and go home.

Later Uncle Wilfred (with Uncle Henry and Aunty Laura) come to pick up mom and Aunty Snips to visit Uncle Bobby. Kimo didn't want to move from top landing. (Maybe it was the car and all the people and he figured it was safer to not move.) After tugging a couple times on his leash, he stiffened and growled. Aunty Snips mentioned if I had a treat (to lure him I assume). I got a piece of chicken jerky out and he munched on that. Then he was sufficiently "loosened" up for me to lead him down the steps.

That afternoon, I hear barking. It was the dogs barking at big Koa loose lumbering on the street. I got my leash, went to the street, and when he saw me, he came to me. I knelt down and he licked my face.

In the meantime, Kimo was going nuts behind the fence. I took Koa closer and Kimo was doing his best wolf imitation. He kept it up for a while and Koa seemed oblivious to it. But eventually he gave it up and moved away from us, though still by the fence.

So we headed off up the street. And the owner (Stefan?) and Christian came down the street to retrieve him. I let him off the leash and they shooed him home.

Then in the late afternoon/early evening, more barking. It was Malia walking Katarina with both Petey and Shirley. I took Kimo out, but he wanted to go the other way.

Then I noticed the haole women who I see often walking large dogs at a brisk pace, walking a new young dog (it looked to me) and they stopped as he was sniffing our palm tree. That's the first time I ever saw her at our street. I was at Iha's curb and we stopped. Keith was barking his head off, but Kimo seemed in control. But as they came back, he went over the threshold. I had to get up and hold the leash up so as not to get bitten. Then I managed to grab his collar and hold until he calmed down.

After that, we slowly followed. By that time Malia and crew was coming back. When Petey saw us, he went over his threshold and redirected on Shirley (poor Shirley). I stopped and Malia had Petey sit. After they were composed, they continued home.

OK, turn around and follow them at a distance.

Malia got home and tied the dogs to the car and was still in the garage. We passed them and Kimo went to sniff for YokoCat. Then we headed back home. They were still there, but remained calm as we paused a little while.

Good enough. Go home.

[Tue 8/3, posted 8/4]

Victoria challenges Cesar as alpha dog

This was an interesting article about the "competing" shows of Cesar and Victoria and the alpha-dog "myth". For one thing, it was at time.com.

Actually more interesting are the comments which are naturally divided but seem more in favor of Cesar (numerically anyway). [At pawnation too.] (Reference to this article was posted in dogwhispererfans, so the comments there are naturally enough pro-Cesar.)

Though I'm a Cesar fan (which doesn't mean anti-Victoria), I can see where some of the positive-only trainers are coming from as they encounter dogs that have been damaged by punitive training methods. Tamar mentions it in her book. And Turid on her website (have to look it up). I don't necessarily see that as anti-Cesar though since I don't see him as a punishment trainer and is against punishment methods himself. (He does use adversives, but so does Victoria (or did anyway). And after watching them for a few years, it seems to me that both of them have evolved their methods and are becoming less and less adversive over time.)

Another name has come in the discussion Stan Rawlinson (the original Dog Listener who is apparently at odds with Jan Fennell's techniques). [Just what I need, more confusion.]

[see also balanced trainers, women vs. men dog training]

*** [copied from Steve Dale post, but fits here better]

Funny. As I continue to watch Victoria Stilwell, I notice more and more of Cesar's concepts being used in her show [like body blocking and maintaing calm energy]. And Cesar using a lot of positive methods on his show. Oddly, I seem to notice a lot of these "positive" trainers speaking negatively about people, something Cesar rarely, if ever, does. [R+ for dogs, P+ for P+]

***

[7/14/10] Maybe not. Today I was looking at IMOTD's last episode called Victoria's Outdoor Secrets which was basically a highlights show. Featured near the beginning was actress Nicole Sullivan (the dogwalker on King of Queens). She mentioned she had been using a guy from the "alpha" camp and Victoria came down hard on "them". Funny, I had thought she had been on Dog Whisperer but I guess not (since I haven't been able to dig up that episode that I thought I had seen -- maybe it was another actress). Anyway, I'm happy that Nicole has her problem solved (I assume). Note: The IMOTD episode she was on was Hollywood Hounds.

***

[5/14/11] Here's some more opinions. And still more (surprisingly uncensored considering it's on the Discovery Channel/Animal Planet forum). And so on.

*** [3/1/17]

Victoria Stilwell proclaims why she isn't (and never has been) a 'purely positive' dog trainer