Raymond Yoza (resonant healing)

Duane told me about this guy (since he saw Shammy limping along) and I googled this article about him. 

Dr. Raymond Yoza has been a chiropractor since 1982, but his practice extends to treat far more than sore necks and backs. The gentle doctor performs resonant healing, a form of alternative medicine, on people and pets.

Yoza didn't set out to treat pets. He's been using energy healing techniques on humans for 10 years and has seen how much it has helped his patients. Four years ago, a friend's dog became paralyzed. He wasn't sure if he could help the Australian cattle dog mix, but after several visits, Hinano could walk. Today there's a Christmas card photo of Hinano and family on his office wall.

That was the beginning of Yoza's energy healing practice on pets. Since then, he's treated almost every type of domestic animal: dogs, cats, a bird, a mouse and even some exotics.

Fifi, Tuffy, Jojo in the back

let Jojo in the back

Duane taking out Coco

take Kimo and Jojo out from back, Kimo goes up the steps
take out Jojo and Hershey

wth decided to take out Tuffy, but no leash so go to get one from Fifi’s house
only one leash and Fifi out on steps, ok got to take out Fifi
Tuffy really wants to go, so take off Jojo’s leash and put on Tuffy
Tuffy pulling and Jojo acting up off leash / ok, not so easy
make it down the street haltingly
then decided to take them to the backyard

Hershey doesn’t want to go in tack, so take him home

decide to dig some grass/weeds
Fifi all over me at first
Fifi and Tuffy walk & sniff around
Fifi tries to get Tuffy to play, but no dice
After walking around Jojo settles down on the pillow
but then later a hole in the dirt

ok that’s enough, take them back out
practice slow walking on the street (take two or three steps, and sop when they pull)
Finally take Tuff home / puppy barks at us
take Fifi home

leftover pizza for lunch

feed Kimo (w/ med) and Jojo on steps
Kimo doesn’t want to eat at first, tries to tip bowl, so spill some food on the ground, then he eats
Jojo goes home after eating

Jojo and Shirley

see Malia taking out Kat and Petey in the wagon.

go up to retrieve Shirley and here comes Jojo.

So put the leash on Jojo and bring him up to Shirley's gate. Shirley is there, but no problem with either dog.

Let Shirley out, she goes down, but doesn't go far. Decide to put the leash on Shirley and go to get Kimo leash behind my house. Kimo sees us, but doesn't bark much if at all.

Shirley is tired and wants to go back, but encourage her to go forward.

See Toni outside. She shows me tiny garden fence, about a foot high, which is sufficient to keep Kilauea in. Of course, Jojo and Shirley have no problems jumping over. Jojo pees on a plant and I don't think Toni is pleased.

Tuffy is out. Bring Shirley over, but they both react a little.

Petey acts up, must be Jojo. Malia ties up his leash a little shorter.

Walk back with them. Jojo is a little nervous. Not only because of Petey, but mainly because Musubi is trailing us coming back.

After Malia goes home, I stay with Petey on the front steps for a little while.

I nod off for a few seconds, then I don't see Jojo. I figured he must have gone home.

Then I look straight down to my side and he's right there lying down. (He's on the landing against the steps and I'm sitting on the step right above him. Kimo is on the top landing).

But after a little while, Jojo runs home as I think he heard a noise and got scared.

[4/14/12, posted 4/15/12]

[5/7/13 looking at my log] Later on Snoopy comes to visit and I let Kimo out for a little while.

adopt-a-dog A-Z

If you’re thinking of adopting a dog, there are quite a few things you need to consider, and some of them will no doubt surprise you—at least a little. To guide you through the process, we’ve assembled a panel of experts—William Berloni, director of dog training at The Humane Society of New York; Sirius XM radio’s It’s a Dog’s Life host Greg Kleva; Barbara Lathrop, who’s on the board of directors of Associated Humane Societies in Newark, NJ, and of course, Cesar himself.

Here’s their 26-point tip list....

Dorothy's pit

took Kimo and Jojo across the street to sniff Charlie (and vice-versa)
Harriet and Cindy were walking back, so walk back with them
Duane has to watch his M-I-L, so asks me to walk Coco.
He bends down to switch leash on Coco, and Kimo goes wild.
Not sure why. I'm guessing Coco's energy changed and he was protecting Coco.

Usually Coco doesn't want to walk up the street, but this time he didn't protest too much, maybe because we had a pack of three dogs and three humans. Or maybe he liked Cindy's scent.

Retrieve Tuffy and a little later asked Cindy which one she wanted. She took Tuffy. Tuffy pulls with her too. I mentioned that I've been putting the leash under his chest and he pulls less that way. So she did that too.

End of walk for Harriet and Cindy. Returned Coco and let Kimo go home. But then picked up Hershey who had been delivered in the meantime.

Went to get Fifi. Kimo was home, so he got Fifi for me. He took the leash out from under Tuffy, but told Kimo it was under on purpose.

Walk back. Duane was still home (getting ready to leave), so took the dogs to him.

Then took them in the gate.

Sure enough, they wandered down the side of house and in the back.

Then Jojo started running around getting all the dogs excited and chasing him.

Uh oh, Jojo and Tuffy jump down into Dorothy's backyard (the pit which has no steps). And after a bit, I see Jojo pooping in her backyard. I hook Fifi and Hershey to the gate and go to retrieve them.

But then Jojo comes running up. He jumped up the wall, but Tuffy couldn't. So I go down to carry Tuffy up and pick up the poop. In the meantime, Dorothy comes out to see what the commotion was. She mentions I should hold on to the dogs, but is overall pleasant. Sorry...

Take home Hershey. Take home Tuffy. Take home Fifi, who wants to run down the steps because she smells her food.

Come out and Tuffy is waiting toward the road. Massage him and pull out old clumps of hair around his neck.

Amy is walking, so walk back with her and Jojo.

[4/13, posted 4/15]

Tracy and Maya

Keith barking. It's Duane coming down with Coco.

Kimo didn't want to walk earlier, but this time he goes down to the gate and I take him out.

Coco doesn't want to go up the hill and Kimo goes to poop at Tsutsui's. Not hard but not that runny.

We "encourage" the dogs up the hill and start walking.

Off in the distance we see a lady walking a dog coming this way. Duane continues, but Kimo starts to tense and then goes wild as they approach.

I hold him up with the leash so he doesn't bite me and to their credit they keep coming. As Kimo slowly comes to his senses, she wants to bring the dog closer, but I tell her I'll walk next to her.

I met her before but I introduce myself again. She remembers my mom as the one she helped home when she scraped the car against the wall. Her name is Tracy and the dog's name is Maya, a lab or lab mix, six months old.

I think Kimo went nuts because Maya might have reminded him of Miki since they're about the same size and color, though Maya is a lighter tan.

So we make it down the street and Kimo slowly winds down. They're not half bad as we reach the end of the street. But then Kimo loses it a bit as we go past Keith's house who's going nuts in the house.

But then Kimo calms down again as we pass Duane coming back and we walk with them to the beginning of the street.

Tuffy is eating or something as we come back and barks softly at us as we come back. But then he recognizes us (or my voice) and comes out near the road. I go over to pet him and Kimo wants to walk past him, but then we do a quick turnaround and go home. It's already getting dark.

another Five

take Kimo out to pee, doesn’t want to walk

go to get Mochi [since I'm watching Mochi and Fifi for a couple of days], Harriet and Cindy are walking so hand Mochi off to Cindy and retrieve Fifi

Gerald passes, tell him to drop Hershey off at his house and I’ll get him later

retrieve Tuffy

here comes Jojo, good thing I have a leash

retrieve Hershey / leave Kimo at home

uh oh, Jojo acting up with Fifi (want to play) / get them under control and go for walk / so the five this time were Fifi, Mochi, Tuffy, Jojo, Hershey.

Sheryl drives by and remarks on the big pack and I tell her that this is without Coco and Kimo.

take them to Betty/Flo’s yard
Jojo wants to play and they get into except for Mochi
but then it got a little too rough for Jojo and he goes under the chair I’m sitting on / Fifi is the one who's now running around and wanting to play
Tuffy wants to hump Jojo and I remove him by grabbing his collar

ok walk some more, see Malia, says Petey has a torn ligament :( - no wonder why he was limping last time I went to take him out

take home Hershey, take home Tuffy, open door for Mochi, take home Fifi, put back cone on Tuffy

Jojo hangs around so I take him with me when I go to pick up Cheryl to and from her doctor's appoinment.

Mid-day, I see Ann out with Mochi and Fifi, she came back to take her niece (or somebody) to the doctor (or someplace). So no need to take Mochi out until tonight.

Later that night after coming home from the party at Aunty Laura's house, I take Kimo out and to Mochi's house. After letting him sniff for awhile, I take them for a lap in the drizzle/rain. Tuffy sits on the grass outside and wants to come. (Sorry.)

[4/9/12 - posted 4/10/12]

Jojo and Tuffy

here comes Jojo (after not coming for about a week)

take Kimo and Jojo out, Kimo’s first poop OK, then makes a big soft pile
take Kimo home

decide to see how Jojo is with Tuffy.
Jojo cautious at first, then no problem sniffing him, Tuffy still pulling

RMAS come out, take Tuffy and Jojo to Betty’s yard
Jojo wants to play, but Tuffy doesn’t

go for a lap then take Tuffy home
one puppy is curious and stays at the fence, the other backs away then comes to the fence and barks at us
take Jojo to the gate but starts to growl at them
Tuffy still not sitting consistently for treat

head back home, but see Stanley walking with Cindy (his daughter visiting from Minnesota), so walk with them
hear she walks her neighbor dogs too, so retrieve Fifi for her to walk
she does a pretty good job

Jojo wants to play with Fifi so let them loose and they play on Melinda's front yard before running behind Melinda’s house

Duane see them playing so he brings out Coco (who still hasn't pooped yet)
Starts to go walking with us, but Sheryl comes out with hands on hips
end of walk for Duane

take home Fifi
Jojo goes home soon after I take him home

Kimo sniffs Tuffy and..

Took Kimo out in the morning. Poops at Tsutsui'. Still soft.

Went up to Duane's side, but I guess they still sleeping.

So go toward the beginning of street. Tuffy comes out on the dog run. So bring Kimo over to sniff. Uh, oh. Kimo goes nuts (in full wolf-mode).

Go to the stonewall, hold Kimo's leash up so he doesn't bite me. Sit with back to Tuff who remains relatively calm with me facing Kimo still in wild wolf mode. After a while, Kimo runs out of energy and calms down, but Tuffy jumps down from the stonewall.

Nalu said Tuffy's tail was still wagging. Tell him I going grab a leash and walk him. So I walk Tuffy and Kimo together. Roy looks on and sees that now they seem OK.

At first (unlike the last time), Tuffy is forging ahead. So let him go to drain his energy. Then after a little while he comes back to the pack.

Go to end of street and back to house then partway back and back to the end. Then let Kimo go home.

WTH, walk him with Fifi too. So take him to Fifi. Take Tuffy down steps and leash Fifi up with me sitting in between.

Then take them for a couple of laps. On the second lap, they start to tire a bit and I can easily walk them on my side.

Take Tuffy home and have them sit for treats. OK, that's enough for the day.

Wait. Here's comes Duane and Coco an hour or two later. Anson invites him to see his refurbished tub. Leaves Coco in the garage. So go over to see Coco.

And WTH, walk up with them. Retrieve Tuffy. And take him for another walk, but kept it short this time.

Tuffy doesn't look good

Jojo comes around 6:30

take Kimo and Jojo out, retrieve Hershey (who just arrived)

Duane catches up to us

go back with Duane, take Kimo home

retrieve Fifi

RMAS coming out, so walk with them a bit, then the Wongs come out so walk with them

Amy unable to delete messages from Outlook Express [so visit her after the walk]

take Fifi home, take Hershey home

Jojo goes home when I go in the house

visit Tuffy, looks like he has a big wound and flies all around it (doesn’t look good)

go home and get some antibiotic to put on it

take him out for a short walk

show Amy, doesn’t look good to her either 

the next day

open door and Kimo runs in the house, after sniffing around, bring him out front

Jojo is here so take him and Jojo out when I see Duane and Coco coming / Jojo spitting up grass or something

see Kristen outside, talk with her about Tuffy, says Nalu taking him to vet today / Ben walks back with us to get his sprayer

take Kimo home and retrieve Fifi, Hershey is here

see RMAS out, walk with them a little while and then decide to go long

down Lolena, Hala, visit the old pitbull, down Hala, to Naio, up Maalaea, to Hillcrest, up Skyline, see Malia driving out,  to Puna, Hoku barks at us (but nobody responds), up Puna, Lulu has a small dog (that looks like Coco) and they both bark at us

pitbull barks at us coming down, down Skyline, pick up some broken glass, to Makanani, Jennifer waves at us

Kamalii, pick up a beer can, go on wall, beer can full of dead roaches

take Hershey home, give treats, Jojo wants to play as we leave but take them to back yard

Jojo doesn’t feel like playing, dig some nut grass, Fifi tries to get Jojo to play for a bit, but doesn’t really take

take Fifi home,

see Nalu home with Tuffy with a cone (got antibiotics, said he was his mom’s dog and they got him in 2002 when he was young, but not a puppy)

Jojo goes home w/o coming in / dig some weeds at Amy Pang’s house

[that afternoon]

take out Kimo to poop

Stanley going out to walk / retrieve Petey and walk with him / Tuffy now has a cone and a dog run

Charlie runs out on road to meet Petey / hold Petey away from Charlie, let Charlie smell his butt

go for another lap / meet Fifi from the wall, Petey growls a little and Fifi steps back

Hershey howling / sit down and try to get Hershey used to him / try treating Petey and treat when he waits (impulse control) / unsuccessful getting him to sit though

take home, Shirley comes over for treats too.  she sits for the treats

[the next day]

take Kimo out for a lap, Tuffy with cone, Fifi whines

visit Charlie on the way back (was in his doghouse and came running up the steps)

Kimo poop still soft, poops multiple times

oatmeal

go to feed Kimo / here comes Jojo, ok feed him too / here comes Mr. and Mrs. Wong / ma wants to go walking with them

ok take her out w/ Jojo / lady at the end of the street walking barefoot with her grandson, walk with them

ma chatting at the Wongs house

take out Kimo to pee / Reef brings out Charlie to sniff 

[3/29-31/12 - posted 4/16/13]

Kimo sniffs / leash retrieval

Brought Kimo in the front. Started sniffing madly around the new(er) Toyota. Looked under and noticed a flap under the engine was hanging low, but didn't notice anything else.

But Kimo kept sniffing, so I thought a cat might have gone up the opening and into the engine.

So I took Kimo to the front steps, went to get my key, opened the hood. And sure enough a cat took off up the street.

Kimo kept sniffing and soon enough Jojo shows up.

So I leash them up and take them for a lap.

Coming home, I see Kimo made some poop in the garage. Don't know when, maybe yesterday? So I clean it up. But then when I look around, Jojo is gone.

Darn, he still had my leash on. I go up the street to look for him and can't find him.

So I drive to Henry's house. Henry doesn't know where Jojo is. In fact, he still doesn't know that Jojo comes to visit my house almost every day.

He tells me to go look next door. It's a house with no door and in fact with no wall on one side. Two of the dogs are there (Joshua and Miki(sp?). Miki barks at me, but I think Joshua remembers me and doesn't bark.

I go back up to talk to Henry and scoop another bottle of mixed nuts. As I talk to Henry on the front steps, the dogs come over and up the steps. Miki is cautious, but Joshua seems OK (he always used to bark at me in the part). And, sure enough, here comes Jojo with the leash attached.

After talking for a while and letting him know that a couple of neighbors complained (he wonders if he should tie him up -- I told him Jojo not going to be happy -- he cried all night last time he did that -- I tell him maybe a fence..). He still wants to take me and mom out to dinner. Then he tells me to come inside to see some of his photos.

After a little while, I tell him I have to go make breakfast. Naturally Jojo follows me in the car.

Jojo stays in the front for a little while, then decides to go home.

Meanwhile across the street, Lana's son is constructing a dog house for Charlie.

new dogs on the block (Izzy, Cubby, and Charlie)

I left Kimo in the front this morning (since he wanted to go out poop). I was going to quiet him when I heard the paper guy. But I fell asleep until he woke me by barking at the paper guy...

Jojo arrives. Harriet walking. Kimo soft growls at her as she walks past.

Then see Duane and Coco coming, so I take out Jojo and Kimo.

Notice two biggish puppies at Nalu's house. Must be new dogs. [Izzy and Cubby, I find out later]

Decide to retrieve Fifi and walk back.

Duane lets Coco go, so I let Fifi and Jojo go. And there they go. They run behind Melinda's house. After a while, Jojo comes back up. And Duane goes down to see where they are. And here comes Fifi.

Take Kimo home, but he wants treat at Hershey's house, so treat them there, then take Kimo home. Walk Fifi a little more and take her home.

Eat my oatmeal, then give Kimo and Jojo some food. After that Jojo goes home.

Anson sees me outside and calls me over. Says it looks like Jojo is peeing in the garage. "Not good." Well, not much you can do with a loose dog. You have to catch him in the act when you see him. Or call the humane society. Tell him he lives over the next street and just jumps over the wall.

That afternoon, I see the granddaughter with their new dog (Charlie). Kimo sees him and starts to react slightly. So I take him out. As I walk by, they both bark at each other. The son brings out the dog who comes out to sniff. And Kimo sniffs back. I was worried that Kimo might lunge while he was being sniffed but he didn't.

See Stanley and Sam walking. And Cheryl's mom walking with the aide. So I go up there and chat a little. Coco is out by the gate but doesn't bark at us. And after a while, Musubi comes over and lies down by me. So I rub his belly.

Then I go over to the garage and chat a little. Then walk a little.

Then walk with Stanley for a lap. Kimo makes some soft poop, so I think he's still a little sick though his eyes look better.

Then Duane comes down with Coco. He meets Charlie. But I think I hear Coco growling.

Petey progress(?)

I saw Ann walking up the street with Malie. Didn't see her coming back for a while, turned out she was chatting with Duane and scooping a bottle of wine.

Decided it might be a good time to take out Petey. Petey was excited to see me so I spend some time sitting down until he calmed down a bit. He also looked like he had a new hair cut.

Duane had already walked Coco earlier, but when he saw me with Petey, decided to take Coco out again. He walked ok for some stretches but still lunged at him.

Norman might have saw us walking and here he came with Kat in a carriage. So we turned around and went walking with him again toward the beginning of the street.

Petey had a new red collar on that looked a little loose. And on one of his lunges his collar slipped off and he went after Coco. Luckily Duane was fast enough to grab Coco and pick him up.

So then I reversed the leash to make it a slip leash to use that.

After we returned, I adjust his collar and decided to take him across the street from Kimo. Then I brought Petey to the driveway and had him sit for treats. Kimo barked a little but then stopped after a while.

Then we went for another lap. And when we came back decided to chance it and bring Petey closer to the fence.

Too close. They both acted up and since Petey couldn't reach Kimo, he bit my leg. The inside of my thigh just above the knee area. His teeth are pretty sharp and I see four tooth marks/scratches, but no blood.

With that I put Petey on his side and had him lie down and relax. Kimo continued making some noise but as he settled I gave him some treats. And treated Petey after he got up.

OK, time to take Petey home. Still was little excited as he hopped on the couch next to me. And I had him sit for treats before I left.

So we'll see if things go better next time..

Nui

Two years ago, I shared a very personal story in this column about the loss of my dear and loyal friend Zeus. For nearly 15 years, my black Labrador was at my side, always giving, always there. On Jan. 10, 2010, I had to make the most painful decision of my life when I had to let him go. Zeus was suffering, and saying goodbye left me depressed and alone. At times the emptiness was unbearable, and I often wondered if I could ever love another dog again.

On Jan. 14, nearly two years to the day that we said goodbye to Zeus, we opened our hearts and home to Nui. Let me start by saying Nui (which means big in Hawaiian) is truly a gift. She’s not a puppy and she’s not a black Labrador, but she’s absolutely perfect. She is a gentle, 6-year-old ridgeback, who adores my family. And as a few of you predicted, Nui unexpectedly walked into our lives.

Kevin Martin, pet investigator

As an investigator for the Hawaiian Humane Society, Kevin Martin doesn't regularly bust down doors like his counterparts on the reality TV show "Animal Cops."

But Martin and the 11 other officers on staff do knock on doors to investigate animal cruelty complaints and rescue cats from storm drains, pick up strays and corral aggressive dogs on the loose.

They were also instrumental in rescuing more than 150 neglected dogs living in filthy conditions at a Waimanalo puppy mill last year.

Although the Honolulu officers aren't being followed around by camera crews, they get their share of action.

The Hawaiian Humane Society logged more than 15,800 calls in the last fiscal year alone, including 1,827 rescues and emergencies, 1,543 cruelty investigations and 2,160 reports of loose and aggressive dogs.

a rainy day

Kimo was on the front steps most of the day near the front door.

But the rain and wind got so heavy that he was cornered between the wall in the door.

I finally brought him in the house and after letting him sniff around some, I had him leashed next to me while I was at the computer. After a while, he lay down on the rug.

Later I took him back outside and there was a loud thunderclap that shook the house. He took off for the garage and went up the back steps.

He wanted to come in again, but I left him in the steps.

Then later I took him in the back.

For dinner, I gave him some warmed up frozen chicken and he gobbled it up after figuring out how to eat it. And soon his bowl was empty.

It's still kind of damp in the back. I had his dog bed that's usually in his dog house out. So I threw in the doggie towel in his house for him.

dog personalities

some broad generalizations:

Terriers are energetic, fun loving, and playful companions. People who own terriers are said to be flexible and able to focus on the task at hand. Just like the dogs, terrier owners are often feisty, brave, and competitive. They are extremely talkative and have good sense of humor.

Labs and golden retrievers are friendly, good-natured, and make wonderful family pets. Owners of these breeds put their families first and said to be easy going and carefree. Labs and goldens are known for having an active lifestyle and loving the outdoors. People who own these breeds are social butterflies who are honest and lovable.

Beagles are inquisitive, loyal, and willing to learn new things. Owners of Beagles tend to be open to new experiences, curious, and willful. Beagle owners make great friends and bring laughter and joy to everyone’s lives. They can also have a mischievous side.

Cocker Spaniels are sweet, respectful, and gentle. Owners of this breed are charming, trustworthy, and affectionate. Cocker Spaniel owners are said to lead busy lives but put spending time with their family first. They maintain a group of close lifelong friends, which they much prefer to spending time with strangers.

Dachshunds are stubborn and brave, often acting as if invincible. When owners of dachshunds want something, they don’t give up until they get it. Dachshund owners love gardening and just like the dogs, digging up things. They can sometimes be bossy and often dislike not getting their own way.

Rottweilers are determined and are often described as intense. This breed commands a certain amount of respect and is considered to be a courageous breed. People that have rottweilers are confident and are loyal and devoted to their friends and loved ones. They are laid back but quick to react if someone rubs them the wrong way.

People who own bichons enjoy being pampered and are considerate of their appearance. Bichons are naturally sociable and are the happiest when they are part of a family or among a group of friends. Bichon owners are self-assured and gravitate towards a classy lifestyle. They are often wine connoisseurs and art aficionados who enjoy dining at 4-star restaurants and being seen around the town.

Mutt owners are fun loving, open minded, and carefree. They enjoy coasting along and riding the wave of life over following strict and rigid plans. They don’t sweat the small stuff and keep their eye on the bigger picture. In their spare time, mutt owners are often seen volunteering at or spending time with their diverse group of friends.

stress in canines

Like us, our dogs can and do experience stress. Just as stress can make us feel afraid or hyper or edgy or irritable, it can do the same to our dogs. It is a well established fact that chronic or long-term stress will likely have a detrimental effect on an individual's behavior, health and overall well-being. As responsible guardians we have a responsibility to help prevent stress in our dogs lives and to help them deal with stressors when they do occur.

While we and our dogs need to live with a certain amount of stress; it is imperative that we understand that whether the stress is "good" or "bad," short term or long term, it will have a physiological effect on the body. Stress has the potential to make one ill and may cause behaviors that damage relationships with others. It also increases arousal and reactivity, which frequently increases aggression. As a pet behavior consultant, it has been my experience that most behavior problems with pets, especially the more serious such as aggression and separation anxiety, are the result of stress. The susceptibility to stress varies with each individual dog or person. How an individual responds to stress is often affected by a combination of inherited genes and events within the organism's environment.

When something stressful happens (e.g. we are surprised by a snake, we are in a car accident, etc.) the body falls under control of the Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System (SANS). The SANS is part of the body responsible for controlling the flight or fight response. Essentially the body goes on auto-pilot to protect us from the perceived threat. This is all controlled by a series of stress hormones and neurotransmitters that activate and deactivate various systems within the body.

The SANS is closely associated with the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that deals with the expression and experience of emotions, memory and aggression. It is the most primitive part of the brain and is very involved with instinctual survival mechanisms. It is separate from the cerebral cortex, which is thought to be the "thinking" part of the brain and the site of conscious thought and intelligence. Note that the brain is hard-wired to always remember negative emotional responses to help ensure our future safety.

There are four key things to remember about a dog under severe stress: 1) their body is reacting instinctively without thought, 2) the increased level of arousal/reactivity that is part of stress increases the probability of aggression, 3) when under stress the ability to learn is severely disabled if nonexistent, and 4) if under chronic/frequent stress, it can take many hours or even days for the body to return to normal, which is why chronic stress is so debilitating.

When stressed a dogs behavior will often change. Common behaviors that are often stress induced are: being restless, an inability to relax, poor sleeping habits (less than 17 hours of sleep per day), excessive sleeping, becoming jumpy/hypervigilant, irritable, destructive behaviors, excessive self-grooming, loss of appetite, obsessive/compulsive behaviors (e.g. shadow chasing), an inability to focus, hyperactivity, increased urination and defecation, and vomiting and diarrhea.

In order to reduce our dogs' stress we first need to understand it. Once we have identified the cause there are many approaches to eliminating the stress. The easiest way to deal with a dog under stress is usually management - removing the dog from the situation/context where the stress occurs. While this does not solve the problem, it is a temporary fix which will make the dog feel better. If this is a context/situation the dog will need to be exposed to in the future, it is advisable to work with a qualified and credentialed behavior consultant (see Selecting A Dog Behavior Consultant - http://tinyurl.com/4o6a7t ) to help get the dog over this fear. Few dog guardians are successful resolving this type of issue by reading books, attending seminars, or watching programs on TV. In my experience they usually make the problem worse.

A behavior consultant will consider a number of methods to help your dog deal with their stress. They will almost always recommend a behavior modification protocol, which is a specialized training program for your dog's situation. A dog training class is seldom recommended for a dog with stress-based issues such as anxiety and aggression, as it often puts a dog in a situation where they will be stressed and learning cannot occur.

Additionally a behavior consultant may also recommend changes in diets, treatment with complementary therapies (Bach Flower Remedies, herbs, homeopathy) if they are so qualified, and if they are a veterinary behaviorist they may recommend the use of certain drugs. A behavior consultant should always be working with your veterinarian.

Stress can make us feel miserable and it does the same for our dogs. If you have a dog living in stress - take steps to help them as soon as possible!

[via diana @ pos-4-reactivedogs]

[Personally I take this as another viewpoint to explain behavior. Others have other viewpoints and I think they all have some merit.]

Petey and Shirley

I saw Malia leave and Duane took Coco for a walk.

At the last minute, I decided to take Petey for a walk.

When I went in, Shirley was on the couch and Petey was nowhere in sight. I went to get Petey and he was all excited.

Shirley didn't run away this time and I took both of them out.

Pat was out and Keith was barking. But Pat remembered Petey and I brought him and Shirley over.

I walked them up and down a few times (not all the way to the beginning of the street). Kimo barked, but he was mostly barking at Keith.

They walked fairly well, though out in front. And Shirley started pulling as we headed back to their house.

After I took them home, I sat on the couch and Petey was still excited. After a while, Shirley came over and went up on the couch on my left while Petey was on my right. Petey remained excited and started licking my face. (Why do dogs lick your face?)

A couple of times, it looked like he was lunging after Shirley who was lying down facing away. (Maybe he was trying to claim me and keep her away. I lightly corrected him once.) I continued holding him gently by the collar and after quite a while he calmed down (as evidenced by the absence of his heavy breathing).

As I was leaving, he got excited again and I went back to the couch to get him calmed down.

Then I tried leaving again. He seemed a little calmer, but not all the way.

I think Petey's main problem is that he gets/remains in an excited state. I'm going to see if I can get him to relax more.

We'll see what happens next time.

goodbye Koa

A van drove by and Kimo was barking.

It was Eddie. He brought Koa to say goodbye. He said he's going to take him to the Humane Society because he couldn't find a home for him.

But then he mentioned something about his father's place with a concrete area and he built a dog house for him. So it sounds like he's moving there.

Eddie said he was in a clean and sober house and couldn't bring Koa with him. And apparently he didn't want to burden Toni any longer. So now Koa has to move.

Good luck to both of you.

***

I'm glad I was able to take Koa walking with us for the last few days as I saw his blue rope leash out in the driveway. I took him out this morning with Jojo and Hershey and walked with Duane and Coco.

And yesterday, I had Fifi, Jojo, and Koa in the backyard.

***

Later that evening, I took Petey out for a walk. I saw Toni outside and stopped to chat. She told me that Koa is going to a warehouse in Mapunapuna next to the Sony building and be a guard dog. And that Eddie is going to work there part-time.

So at least Eddie will be able to see him. And that Eddie might come over to her place to do some cleanup work maybe once a month.

[Apparently, Koa was becoming a bit of a burden to Toni. And Eddie considered moving back downstairs. But Toni thought it was time to move on.]

*** [6/2/12]

While out with Kimo, Jojo, Fifi and Tuffy this morning; Toni saw me and came out on the road with Kilauea.  She informed me that Koa got run over by a truck at the warehouse.  Sad end.  But I think he had some good years living at Toni's place.

[6/7/12] I remember when I first met him.  He used to get loose and would come near but not all the way to me.  Then finally I gave him some food through the fence at Jennifer's house (he was on Jennifer's side and I was on the other side).  That did the trick.  And after that he would come to me.


I will miss him coming to my house when he was loose (so I could take him home).  And him lying down with his head by my leg when I sat down next to him (so I could give him a massage).

R.I.P.

time marches on

Jojo arrives at 5:00 AM
go back sleep


Duane comes with Coco / take out Jojo, leave Kimo in back
Harriet coming, Duane hands off Coco to me

decide to retrieve Koa (see his leash on car)
Gerald arrives with Hershey and Helen, retrieve Hershey, Harriet short chat with Helen

RMAS come out, bypass them, Jojo behaves but Koa growls make him look forward

one more lap, Kimo going out, says Ann might take out Fifi and Mochi, Fifi howling, WTH take her out

Cheryl sees me walking back with Coco, Jojo, Koa, Hershey, Fifi

mom comes out on the street to walk, see her with Harriet

take home Coco

Jojo acts up, wants to play with Fifi, Koa starts to growl / kneel down to hold Fifi and to keep Jojo away, they calm down

Jojo acts up again, let Hershey loose, let Jojo and Fifi loose

where’d they go, see Hershey at Nakano house, and Fifi and Jojo loose too

go get them / wth go for walk up Aulii,

up Puna, Hoku barks at us

go up Puna and back down / this time there’s a car/truck in Hoku’s driveway, Allen sees me and comes down to chat

tell me his wife [Lani] passed away and that Betty’s son’s house is for sale (I noticed last time) / time marches on..

take home the dogs, looks like Koa wants to go home but we go to the end of the street

Ben pau work at Duane’s house, tell him I can take him home


take home Koa, take home Fifi

bring Kimo in front, take home Ben (Jojo comes with us)
turns out he lives on Thurston street not too far from the apartment dad owned

[2/14/12, posted 2/21/13]

Petey too

Kimo barking early a.m., take in front to poop
barks a few times in front, notably at paperguy
 
no Jojo, decided to take Koa out, use Joey’s pink leash / then retrieve Fifi too
 
see Coco outside, take dogs to fence, Fifi seems OK, but Koa growls at Coco
 
wait around and then Cheryl comes to take out Coco
 
go to see if Kimo comes out, open gate and he wanders out to pee/poop,    catch him with the slip leash, then put on the black leash
go walking with Cheryl
 
was going to take them to Fongs, but Lana and Anson come, so take them to my back yard
Koa wiggles on grass, Fifi slurps from the water hose, Koa seems to want to drink too, but Fifi dominates the hose
Kimo stays by himself and at one point was behind the shelving on the hothouse slab / handtrim some tall grass by Tsutsui fence
take Kimo in front, take Koa home, take Fifi home
 
Malia walking Kat and Shirley / see Kilauea on the road, return him / massage Koa who lies next to me / Malia sees me and smiles seeing Koa lying next to me, asks if I can walk Petey too since he's been acting up in the evening (sees something behind a board or something), I say sure

Cheryl takes out Coco / Kimo lies down
 
take out Kimo later, take in back ewa side, but he goes out dh side and runs to Keith’s side, finally catch him when he goes up steps
 
decide to walk Petey
Shirley comes over, give them small treats, Musubi comes over too

take Petey out / go to my driveway to see how Kimo and he react, have my back to Kimo but they react facing each other
go over to sit by storm drain

So that was Petey's first day.

[2/11/12, posted 1/21/13]

Jojo greets Cheryl

take out Jojo when Cheryl and Coco come down
retrieve Fifi
Jojo pees on Cheryl’s pants
Jojo active, wants to play with Fifi
let them play, goes in back of Cheryl’s house, then Jojo jumps into Tanabe’s yard
Hershey arrived, pick up Hershey, Kimo comes out, so I walk four

[1/8/13 I saw this in my log from almost a year ago and it was too classic not to put this in the blog]

Cheryl wasn't too pleased, but was good-natured about it.  And Duane laughed when I told him (he said Cheryl didn't mention it).