Exactly the opposite of taking candy from a baby, really.

What a good dog!

Sheep Whisperer!

As a petsitter, it's just easier if I have agreeable, complaint dogs that go along nicely instead of a bunch of jerks (literally!) who pull me down the street.  I've worked with all kinds of dogs with all sorts of personalities, and as the results have been so universally positive, I'm starting to get pretty confident in my methods.

I decided I needed a challenge: a really obstinate dog, preferably a big one, with no training or manners, who would be a true test; who not only had no previous training, but maybe was outright defiant -- even aggressive. But where would I find such a dog?

Then I heard my friend Paige at the barn talking to another woman saying things like: He pulled me off my feet!  Then he ran around me so fast he almost got the lead around my neck! He was just out of control!   My ears pricked up. Was this a dog? A horse?  No -- it was a sheep. A Cheviot ram, to be specific.

I asked if she'd be willing to let me come out to her barn to try to teach this rambunctious critter a few leash manners. The answer was a resounding Yes! I had my test subject!

The closest thing I have to sheep experience is the fleece in my slippers. I have never owned a sheep or handled a sheep, except for feeding a handful of pellets to one or two at a petting farm years ago. My imaginary picture of a sheep is a soft, fluffy thing with a lilting "baaaa!" and perhaps a cunning ribbon around it's neck. You know, something like this:

When I arrived at Paige's barn, she cautioned me about the ram. He weighed 120 pounds and though he didn't have horns, I should still watch out for head butting. Probably best not to turn my back on him. He could jump pretty high, and would try to climb the walls of his stall. He had never bitten her or kicked, but he was fast and strong, and he had dragged her a few times. I looked in the stall expecting to see something like this:

And except for the terrifying expression, that wasn't far off, actually. "Chevy" the Cheviot ram was wild and wooly, and his fleece was not a fluffy white cloud but tangled and grey with bits of this and that stuck in it. His face had a passively interested expression. Not exactly "Oh hey! A new friend!" but at least he didn't seem to be sizing me up for attack.

Chevy was easily coaxed to me with a few Frosted Mini-Wheats. He was wearing a dog harness and collar, and Paige had a lead rope attached to the harness so she could grab him easily.

What do we know about harnesses? They make it easy and comfortable for the animal to pull! I knew it would be folly to let Chevy think for an instant that he could pull me around. So after I had gotten him used to me being around and reasonably okay with me touching him, I slipped a sheep halter over his head so I would have good control of him. A sheep halter is a pretty simple device: one strap to go behind the ears, and a noseband. The leadrope goes through the rings on the noseband and tightens when pulled on.

Chevy was pretty sure he was going to die. This thing on his face was just ruining his day and life was stupid and hard and who is this person and why is she so mean, anyway? He rubbed his face on the walls of his stall and tried to back away, then had a little freak-out where he launched himself into the air and bounced off the wall, knocking over his water bucket in his frenzy. I let him have his pity party. When he stopped for breath and stood still, I gave him a few apple treats to munch while he considered this new life event.

So now he was okay with wearing the halter. He didn't like it, but he wasn't terrifically fussed. Resigned -- that's what he was. As he stood there, he would occasionally sniff my gloved hand, as if to make sure I was still the same person who fed him the treats. After a few moments to rest and calm down, we started the next part of the exercise -- leading.

Paige provided me with a stick to encourage Chevy, who planted his feet and refused to move. I pulled gently and insistently on the halter, and tapped the back of his front leg to motivate him to move. It took a lot of tapping. I was starting to feel pretty bad about pulling and hitting this poor confused critter when he actually took his first step! I immediately removed all pressure and praised him, and let him rest for a moment. Then I asked him for another step. It took almost as long the second time, but the third time I asked for a step, he took two, and I was so pleased I gave him an apple treat. Soon he was stepping along well enough -- and stopping, too, which was also important -- that I decided to see how we did outside his stall.

So here we are. I'm leading him with the black line attached to his halter. The stripey rope is on his harness, and I'm holding it loosely to use as back-up restraint in case he should make a serious break for freedom. The wild daisies that grow in the field seemed to be a special treat for him, so I led him from one patch to the next. 

Who's a good boy? Yes --you are! What a good boy! And actually quite handsome, as sheep go. We like you quite a lot, yes we do. Such a clever boy.

Isn't this the look of a relaxed and compliant critter? After an hour and a half of consistent and patient work, he was behaving beautifully and Paige was amazed and pleased. She hopes to run him through the livestock auction next weekend and it will be so much easier now he's able to walk nicely on a lead. Maybe he'll sell for breeding stock, and not meat! Maybe she'll even decide to keep him herself.

Proper leash manners -- they can save lives. And now I can add the title "Sheep Whisperer" to my list of other accolades.

Invisible Fences

Invisible fencing is a technology that's developed in the last twenty years or so.  It consists of a wire buried underground that transmits a signal to a collar worn by the pet within a certain distance. Some collars give a warning tone first, and then what the company terms a "static correction"-- a shock, in other words -- to encourage the pet to move away from the area.

Look out, pal -- you're awfully close to the edge!

The pet must be trained to respond correctly to the warning signal; to move away to avoid the zap. Companies that install these systems usually provide some education for the owners, with a training lesson or a video that shows how to work with their pets to teach them.  Systems bought in pet supply stores have videos or booklets that explain the training process.

I know you're waiting for it: what do I think of invisible fences?

I hate them.

Oh, Karen! You hate everything!  Look at that doggy -- he's got all that big yard to play in, and he seems happy. What on earth makes you hate invisible fencing?

Here's a scenario for y--

Oh, you and your wild scenarios. They're always full of crazy mishaps that could never really happen. 

Like a dog chasing a ball? I don't know about your dog, but mine's part lab and she's a maniac for her ball. The retriever up there in the picture, I bet he's the same way. Let's call him "Buddy". You know he's got a bucket of muddy tennis balls with the fuzz chewed half off.  So let's put him in his invisibly-fenced yard, and let's say he's been very well trained by a competent invisible fence professional.  His owner gives the ball a throw and it bounces outside the "fenced" area. Buddy goes tearing after it and doesn't care about the tone or even the zap because BALL BALL GOTTA GET THE BALL!  Ha ha, retrievers, right? They're so goofy.

Now Buddy is outside his perimeter and has his ball and when he tries to come back -- ZAP! He circles around a bit and tries another way and ZAP! Fortunately his owner (who threw the ball) is there, and can help him out by taking off the collar and bringing him back into the yard. But what if Buddy had been playing by himself? Let's change that scenario a bit: Buddy sees a squirrel, another dog, something irresistible out there and away he goes. Five minutes later he returns, abashed and repentant, and tries to re-enter his yard. ZAP! How does he get home? What happens next?

Or here's another one for you: a stray dog comes into the yard and attacks Buddy -- there's nothing to keep other animals out. Or someone walks up to him, takes his electric collar off, and leads him away with promises of bacon. Or the neighbor kids decide it's fun to see the doggy jump and tease him by pushing or chasing him towards the buried cable. Or Buddy becomes injured or stuck close the the fence line and is repeatedly shocked with no way to escape. Or the collar malfunctions and delivers repeated or stronger shocks.

From experience with a client, I can tell of two dogs that would run to the wood fence around their yard to bark at passersby. The owner decided an underground electric fence would stop this behavior, and put one around the wood fence.. Every time the dogs approached the wood fence to bark, they'd get zapped, but they didn't understand it was the fence doing it -- the dogs connected the zap with the people and dogs they were barking at. The two formerly amiable dogs became aggressive and unpredictable, and were ultimately put to sleep.

Is this dog running free, or in an invisible fence?
You have about 20 seconds to decide if you need to defend yourself. 

And just as a final personal note, it's frankly terrifying for me to see a dog come running, apparently uncontrolled, across a yard towards me -- only to stop short three feet from me because of the invisible fence I can't see. Once those little training flags are gone and the owner takes down the "This Yard Protected by Invisible Fence!" sign because he's sick of mowing around it, there is nothing there to tell me that the dog charging at me is not going to attack.

And even worse is the jerk who has the sign, but the fence is turned off or no longer works, and the dog runs up and does attack. It was a great dane/lab mix, if you're interested, and I had to kick him in the head twice before he stopped trying to bite the shy elderly golden retriever I was walking responsibly on a leash.

So, scenarios aside, let's look at the positive things an electric fence does, compared to a standard traditional fence :

Electric underground "invisible" fence:
-keeps your dog in (except in cases of malfunction/breakage/willful disregard)
-allows a panoramic view of open property

Standard fence:
-contains pets and children safely
-keeps stray/dangerous animals out
-keeps unwanted people out
-adds to property value
-adds privacy
-provides a trellis for vining plants and flowers

All in all, I can't see any reason to prefer an electric fence over a standard visible one.  I have a picket fence in the front yard and my dog is never out there unattended. The back yard has a six-foot chain link fence with locks on the gates and a dog door into the house. I never worry about my dog hanging out back there during the day. Why would anyone want to mess with an electric invisible fence?

Read more about the dangers of invisible fences:

Whole Dog Journal tells of a dog who suffered severe electrical burns.

Dogtime talks about the safety and ethics of underground electric fences.

Associated Press article tells of injured dog, upset owners, and a lawsuit.

Pictures of shock collar damage, which aren't as uncommon as you'd hope.  (Warning: Graphic)

Coyotes: now with 100% fewer rollerskates and anvils.

I live in town now, so the biggest critters I have to worry about are raccoons. For those of you that live in semi-rural or countryside locations, this article has some good tips for you to consider to help keep Fluffy and Fido safer from those wiley coyotes.

Beagle Mayhem!

I saw this today and just had to share it. What lovely work these people are doing, giving these dogs a whole new life after their service to the science industry. I was very surprised to see the beagles lose their fear and start exploring, running, and socializing so quickly after being introduced to the new situation. I wonder if they had time to play together indoors at some point before this. Maybe they really are just that adaptable and plucky.

If you'd like to learn more about the Beagle Freedom Project, check out their website at http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/ for more videos and information. Then go outside and play with your dog!

Wee Birds and What They Want

Yesterday while I was walking a dog, I almost stepped on a baby bird on the sidewalk. I thought it was dead so I tugged the curious dog away and kept walking, but something made me turn back after a few more steps. I took a closer look, and it turned out the little guy was still alive. I can't think of anything worse than dying on hot asphalt in glaring sunlight, so I picked him up to move him under the shady protection of a nearby bush.

It was a nestling robin. I didn't take a picture, but I found one that looks about the same age and stage of development on the internet. 

Not particularly cute, but sweet all the same.

He may have fallen from his nest, or maybe a parent bird kicked him out for reasons only known to birds. I don't know how long he'd been on the ground. He wasn't making any noise, and struggled feebly in my hand, head wobbling. I settled him in the shade, wished him luck, and walked away.

Then I spent the next three hours arguing with myself about whether I had done the right thing.  I almost went back three times to pick him up and bring him home to try to hand-raise him. What stopped me? Well, for one thing, it's a federal offense to keep wildlife in captivity without a license. For another, I know nothing about feeding and caring for baby birds. And also, he could be injured or sick in ways I couldn't see which would make my efforts futile even if I were an expert. For all I know, he may have died two minutes after I walked away. 

It's interesting how horrible you can feel even after you've made a decision you're sure is right. Hours later, one of my friends said I could have taken him to a wildlife rescue. By that point, I figured it was far too late to go re-rescue the little guy. And wildlife rescues are probably busy enough without me bringing in one more common robin to deal with. Robins are hardly endangered, and the loss of one would not make a huge difference in the population. 

But I resolved to learn more so that the next time this happens, I'll know exactly what to do. 

There are two kinds of young birds you'll find on the ground: nestlings, like the one pictured above, with developing feathers, still partly naked and kind of grotesque-looking, and fledglings, who are older, have their feathers and can hop and flutter, but haven't got terrific flying skills yet.

Nestling: Feed me! All day, all the time!

Nestlings need your help. If you can see the nest they fell from, try to put them back. It's not true that parent birds will reject young that have been handled. Birds don't have very good senses of smell. So get the ladder and put the little one back in the nest. 

If you can't see a nest, then take a sturdy box or plastic container, line it with soft cloth or toweling, and nail it to the tree, high enough up that it's out of the reach of pets (and curious children) and put the baby bird in that. Parent birds have raised their babies in these, but I bet they wonder about our sorry nest-making skills. 

If you can't get the baby back into some sort of nest -- maybe there's a tree-climbing cat that has noticed what you're up to -- you might decide to take care of the baby yourself. It won't be as fun as you think. Baby birds need constant feeding. We're talking about every fifteen minutes all day long, sunrise to sunset. Once it's dark, you're relieved of duty -- at least with robins. They'll sleep about six hours at night -- but once the sun comes up, it's time to start poking food into your new baby's open beak. And it has to be the right variety of food. Birds eat grains, insects, worms, fruit -- all kinds of things, and if they don't get enough of the right vitamins and minerals, they'll die or not develop properly. So don't think you'll just poke a worm in there and be done with it. 

Besides the fact that it's a federal offense to keep or raise wildlife in captivity unless you have a special license. 

You're really better off taking it to a rescue. If you don't know where one is, you can take the little critter to your vet, and they will know who to call and what to do from there.

Fledgling: I'm chill, bro. Don't make it weird.

Fledglings are usually okay on their own. If you find one on the ground and it looks all alone, go away and watch it from a distance for a while. A parent bird is usually nearby, foraging for food, and will probably return within half an hour to feed the baby. This time on the ground is important for fledges, as they learn how to find food on their own and get to explore a bit. They are hardly ever "abandoned".  In the case of crows, there is an entire team of older birds that keep an eye on the younger birds, so even if a parent is killed somehow, other birds will still see to its care. 

Keep pets (and curious children) away and leave it alone.

If you are convinced that a fledgling is in danger, line a shoebox or similar with soft cloth or paper towels and put the bird inside. Don't attempt to feed it, but take it to a vet or rescue and let a wildlife professional take over. Because, like I've already said, it's a federal offense to keep or raise wildlife in captivity unless you have a special license. 

Okay, now that the birds are all safe, let's take care of one last little thing: if you are interested in becoming a wildlife rehabilitator, you can start that journey here: http://www.nwrawildlife.org/  

Tasty Toy?

Nothing makes a puppy happier than a new toy to play with. But what if that toy... is a lemon?