Remembering Josie

Three weeks have passed since we said goodbye to Josie.

She developed balance issues about six months ago, starting with a tendency to lean to the right that slowly developed into not being able to stand unassisted. The vet thought it was caused by a tumor somewhere along her spinal cord or perhaps in her brain. She was eleven years old and I didn't want her last months to be full of tests and procedures, so we just kept her comfortable and helped her around as best we could.

She was so brave and determined, right up to the end, but finally the falls became too frequent and my helping guiding hand was not enough. I saw her become depressed and lethargic. Life was just too hard.

It's a terrible and painful thing to arrange to have your dog put to sleep. A lot of my friends reminded me that it's the last kind thing we can do for our pets, giving them a comfortable death rather than letting them suffer longer. And I know that's true. Josie trusted me with every aspect of her life care, and now I had to make this last, hardest, best choice for her.

The day I chose her at the animal shelter, all those years ago, I held her in my arms as the technician injected a microchip into her neck. She gave a loud yelp, and I told her she was very brave and it was over, and she was mine now. I remember her wagging tail. We were officially a team.

She was never much of a cuddler. She was more a dog of action. She'd rest her chin on my lap so  I could rub her ears, but mostly it was a bid to get my attention so we could play. Or perhaps it was mealtime, or time for a biscuit. So I always treasured any time when she would let me really get in there for a good snuggle.  The best times were when I'd throw some blankets and pillows on the living room floor and we'd make a cozy nest and watch movies. Well, I'd watch movies. Josie was there for the popcorn. She'd lie alongside my outstretched legs and we'd be lazy layabouts together.

Now I held her in my arms again as the vet gave her a different shot; the one that would send her into a deep sleep and eventually stop her heart. She gave another yelp and burrowed deeper into my arms and lap, knowing I would protect her like I always did. I told her how much I loved her, how it was okay, she was the best dog ever. I sang to her a bit, and did my best not to get too emotional so she wouldn't worry. And she got heavier in my arms and her breathing slowed, until finally the vet said that she was gone.

I haven't felt right since. Some days everything seems fine, and then suddenly my nose will start to sting, my cheeks will get hot, and tears will start. I talk to her and try to explain how I'll be all right, but it takes time to get used to missing her. 

A deep love, a deep loss. You were the best dog, Josie. I love you.

The Magic and Science of Walking (Part 5)

So here we are, outside. The door is shut behind us and this very good dog is sitting and waiting for the walk to begin. Are you ready? Make sure you have his attention by saying his name so that he looks at you. Use a command that let's him know it's time to move. "Heel" is traditional, but I use a simple "Let's go!" Then step off and we're walking!

Keeping your dog close is a good idea; he's easier to manage and control, and it reinforces in the dog's mind the idea that you are a team, together. Eyes ahead, you maintain a brisk, steady pace -- don't hurry, but keep a definite "we're going this way, adventure ahoy!" attitude. No stopping to sniff things, no dawdling; you're on a big important walk and here we go. It's all about you, human person, and you decide where to go and how fast. You are the decision-maker. 

Now this might be exciting for your dog, and he is probably going to fall into his old habit of charging ahead. That's not how it goes anymore, though, so you have to let him know that there's a better way. Stop, and tell him to sit. 

Look at that! Good dog! Wait for a second or two, then get his attention and let him know what to do:"Sparky. Let's go!" and walk on. 

Oh wait. You say he didn't sit? He's still pulling? 

He's not listening to you. You aren't interesting enough. Remind him that you're there by giving a check on the leash -- a short sharp tug. Do it twice, and if he still isn't listening, then back him up. Walk backwards yourself, and keep checking the leash as you go back: tug, tug, tug. Make a disagreeable sound like "Nah, nah, nah!" to let the dog know you're not happy. 

Notice I'm not saying to pull the dog. A long, steady pull gives the dog something to lean against and resist. The uneven tug and release of checking gives him nothing to fight against -- if he tries to lean, he'll lose his balance. He has to keep moving and readjusting himself. It's uncomfortable for him. 

Back him up three or four strides and ask him to sit again. No sit? Keep backing. I once backed a dog up half a block before he decided that it was easier to just do as I asked.  

What you want to do is make it easy and pleasant to do the right thing, and make doing the wrong thing difficult and unpleasant. Dogs are like anyone else-- they want to be comfortable. Once your dog figures out that walking nicely is comfortable and anything else is no fun, he'll make the right choice. 

Once you get that sit, you can cheerfully continue the walk. Get used to mood swings like this when training. Help your dog recognize what makes you happy and what doesn't as he does it. It's no use debriefing him afterwards ("Now Charley, you did great at first, but then you tried to chase that cat and so next time we need to...") Dogs live very much in the moment, so praise or correct right away. 

As you walk, keep the leash short but not tight. Your dog will learn that he can be comfortable walking close to you, but if he moves away he gets checked. 

This leash has the perfect amount of slack. 

(Kindly ignore that wretched chain collar. It's very hard to find pictures of dogs and people walking nicely together and I gotta use what I can.)

If you hold your dog close to you on a tight leash, he will be where he's meant to be, but he's not learning to stay there on his own. As soon as you release the tension on the leash, he'll feel the freedom and take off. It doesn't teach him anything and it's a lot of work for you. So let there be a looseness in the leash and give him a check if he starts to move too far away. (This is one of the reasons I hate extendable leashes -- they keep a constant tension, so your dog never learns where he can be comfortable.)

This takes timing and practice, and at the beginning you'll feel like you're nagging that poor dog to death. All beginnings are hard. You'll get it. In the meantime, think of it as you and your dog having a little conversation about figuring stuff out. He's learning, too. 

 Okay, there's some stuff to work on. Go for a walk! I'll see you next time.

A Brief Interlude to Talk About "Checks"

I use the word "check" a lot, so I want to make sure we're clear on what I mean.

A "check" is a quick tug and release on the leash. Some other terms used by trainers are snap, pop, jerk, or correction. It takes an instant and is over, like a poke or a sneeze.

It is not meant to move the dog by dragging, or choke the dog. It's meant to get his attention back onto you so he's ready and listening when you give a command. It's meant to caution and redirect him if he isn't where he's meant to be.

I found a quick video, since the one I made doesn't want to load. I don't know who this person is, but she's demonstrates a nice leash check.

(After the short video plays, there's more in line after it that are full of silly gimmicks and "training tools" that you do not need to pay any attention to at all, ridiculous stuff.)  

Which leads me into a talk about the amount of force to put into it. You will have to figure this out yourself, because every dog is different. Some are delicate little flowers who get nervous or worried at the slightest touch, and some are hard-headed linebackers.  And it's nothing to do with size or breed -- I walk a 75-pound pitbull that worries if I so much as clear my throat, he's so willing to please, and I also walk a 10-pound chihuahua-terrier mix that I could wallop with a hockey stick and she'd not back down.

I will say this: use as much as necessary, but as little as possible. If your dog ignores you, you need to use a little more pressure. If he cowers or cries out, you're too rough. Try it first in a safe place, at home, where there are no distractions. Just put the leash on and wait, then give a little tug when your dog isn't expecting it. See what it takes to make him turn and look at you; "What's up?" And be sure to tell him what a fine and lovely pup he is for that. Every time he looks at you to see what you want, he's being the best dog ever, and you reward him by being kind and showing him what a nice person you are. Make him want to pay attention.

After the first few times, you might discover that you don't need to use as much force. Your dog has realized that the check on the leash means something, and he's more responsive. You can lighten up, congratulations!  Or maybe your dog is testing you to see if you really mean it and he decides to ignore your check on the leash. Get after him with a second, more stern check to let him know he must listen to you.

Okay, now back to dog walking.

The Magic and Science of Walking (Part 4)

So what does all this sitting have to do with walking? A lot, actually! 

It puts your dog in a position where he's looking up at you, ready for whatever you do next.

It opens communication between the two of you. You have one sound that you both know the meaning of.

It lets your dog know that when you make sounds, he should pay attention or he might miss out on something. Will you make other sounds that might pay off with more treats? What an exciting person you are!

It makes it very easy to put on the leash when your dog is sitting, rather than prancing around excitedly.

So get that leash and let's get walking!

 Oh dear.

Let me back up a little bit.

Your dog is much too excited to listen to you at the beginning of a walk. He's probably been laying around for a good while and is bored, restless, and full of energy. Trying to teach your dog not to pull when he's like this will be frustrating for you both. Burn off some of that rocket fuel first! If you have a yard, go outside and play for a while, doing something your dog enjoys like playing fetch. If you don't have a yard, play inside. One of my tricks is tossing a favorite toy up the stairs, which gives the dog a good workout running up and down, (though this can be hard on the joints so be mindful of puppies or senior dogs). Fifteen minutes to half an hour of off-leash chasing and scampering will take the edge off and make your dog more willing to slow down.

When it's time to put on the leash, don't get your dog jazzed up by saying "Wanna go for a walk? Oh boy! Let's get your leash! Hooray!" and so on. That's just adding fuel to the fire. Be calm and quiet. After the leash is on, have your dog remain sitting while you put on your coat, get your house key, check your phone, or whatever. Just a minute or two will help him get the idea to relax.

Then, taking the leash in both hands (need a refresher on that grip? It's here.) and keeping your dog close, open the door and step outside.

Have him sit while you close the door. Did you bring treats? Now it the perfect time to treat, after he sits.

What if he didn't sit? What if he's dancing around like a fool, jumping and straining and pulling? Then you drag him back into the house, shut the door firmly on the fun outdoors, and ask him again to SIT. Use a strong tone, but don't shout. Say it once and wait. If he's not paying attention then give a check on the leash -- a quick jerk just strong enough to get his attention back on you where it belongs. It's not a punishment; we're not trying to hurt him, but we need to be firm and let him know that this behavior is not acceptable and we'd like him to do something else: SIT.

If he sits, let him know he did right by saying "good" or "thank you" -- mild praise. Then open the door and try again.

We want him to step outside, then sit and wait for you to say it's okay to go on. If you take him out again and he shows no improvement, then take him inside, take off the leash, and do something else, ignoring him. No fun outside walk for him.  Don't scold. Don't yell. Don't explain like he could understand. You're not giving any attention to a bad dog who doesn't listen to you. Bad, not-listening dogs don't get the treat of a walk. Bad, not-listening dogs can just sit inside and think about how that certainly did not go the way they thought it would.

And believe me, your dog will be wondering what the heck THAT was all about. Let him stew over it for about ten minutes. Just ignore him. Go polish your shoes or put in some laundry or unload the dishwasher. You're a busy person; got no time for a bad, not-listening dog to drag you around, no sir.

Ten minutes up? Call your dog to you, have him sit, put on the leash, let him relax for that minute or two, and then try again: out the door and sit.

Is he listening better this time?

You may have to repeat this a few times; your dog is learning a few things and he might not get it right away. He's learning that you are in control and the way to get what he wants is to do what you want. Just like he learned that to get a treat, he must sit, he will learn that in order to go on a walk, he must sit when asked.

If he sits, he gets to go forward. Refusal to sit means he doesn't get to go on the walk.

Once your dog is sitting nicely and waiting while you shut the door, Congratulations! You're ready for part five.