Respect and Choice: the Magic Ingredients to Chima's Latest Milestone

So much of working with a fearful dog can be better understood when we try to see things through the dog's eyes. I'm not saying to anthropomorphize the dog, but come on - we are all in the animal kingdom together and there are some behavioral things that pretty much apply across the board.

If you bully a person, chances are they aren't going to want to hang around you and be your friend. They may do what you tell them to do, but they are doing that because they are afraid of you, not because they think you're great.

If you invade a person's personal space, take away their right to make choices about their own body and how they are touched and handled you haven't built up a relationship with that person - no you have broken that relationship.

And if you force a person to do things that are frightening to them, you aren't teaching them to not be afraid since you didn't give them any choice about facing something they fear. Likely nothing will be learned from the experience other than you are a person to be avoided at all costs.

What does this have to do with dogs? Well if we can wrap our head around the idea that these living, breathing creatures with distinct personalities, likes and dislikes, have a right to be treated with respect, then the "training" work we do with our dogs will undergo some pretty dramatic changes. Instead of creating more distrust between dog and human, bonds can be built and I promise you, there will be forward motion in the progress you make when you work together. Don't be a "training bully". Respect the dog and to let go of the need to control everything. Let your dog set the pace.

I say this because I had a pretty amazing moment with Chima on Saturday night. If you remember, when Chima first arrived with us back in May of this year, she did not want to be touched at all (see "Stupendously Wonderful Baby Steps.) Touch was very uncomfortable and she didn't even like me to look at her when I was teaching her cues for "sit" and "come".  We spent a lot of time on the opposite side of the room.

I decided early on that some of the "touch" stuff was just Chima and I had to be okay with that. If she never wanted to snuggle and hang out on the same side of the room as me, that was okay. She was a great dog and that didn't change the fact. We did some touch work with paintbrushes, targeting games, and just basic desensitization and counter conditioning work, but I didn't push things. I accepted her as she was. I loved her for being the dog she was - full of character, a complete goof, a tank with a super-sized motor and one of the most uncoordinated terriers I've met.

Well check out this series of photos. On Saturday Chima jumped up on the couch next to me while I was doing email on my phone. She was between me and the arm of the couch so kind of pinned in and cornered but for the first time that didn't seem to concern her. She sat there rigidly for a bit and then she nudged at my arm, wanting to play our "touch" targeting game that she loves. I was in shock and awe but decided not to play the game, wanting to see if she could relax enough to just kick back and enjoy the moment - relax and nap like the other three dogs on the other end and the back of the couch.

"Whatcha doin'?" 

"Come on - where's your hand? Let's play the targeting game!"

"Well, this is kind of boring."

"Might as well take a power nap until you're ready for a game."

Check out that final photo...  She did it! She figured out I was busy right then and so laid her head down ON MY LAP. Yes folks, she chose to lay there, relaxed, with most of her body touching me. I almost cried because I really didn't think she would ever be comfortable doing this. But I let her make the choice and after 5 months of watching other dogs with me, learning my behavior patterns, and practicing short non-threatening touch linked with big rewards she decided to try out the lap dog thing. It only lasted about 2 to 3 minutes, but it happened, and the fact that it happened at all, let alone for 2-3 whole minutes is huge!

So next time you set an agenda of what you think your dog's personality should be like and what behaviors they should be able to do and when they should be able to do those behaviors, step back and chill out. Let your dog be your partner in the process and let them tell YOU what the timeline will be and how far they are ready to go. When you let go of those expectations and rigid goals, you free both you and your dog up for some amazing experiences and a much happier existence together.

How to use a cat bed

Cat beds seem to be just the perfect size for the 12 pound and under size of Rat Terriers and I have a couple I keep in the kitchen for whichever dogs happen to be in there at the time.

Apparently they are quite versatile and both Roswell and Tilly have their own special way of sitting in them.

On its side it turns into a chair

But upside down is apparently the most comfortable

Whatever the case, at least they seem to be comfortable.

Rescue Railroad: Two New Foster Dogs in Washington

I know it's only been a week but we couldn't wait to bring a couple more dogs into the pack.

First meet Tulpen. This guy was spending 12 hour days alone and not getting much time out of the house. His mom rehomed her dogs, knowing her work schedule wasn't fair to them. So 6 year old Tulpen is headed to his Seattle foster home. He's sweet, house trained, confident, and could care less about cats. Good boy, Tulpen! Follow his foster adventure at http://cattierattie.blogspot.com/

And then we had a last minute addition to the trip - Daisy!  Miss Daisy is about 3 years old and had lived her life in and out of the shelter due to her owner being occasionally homeless and having a drug and alcohol problem. Finally the shelter talked the owner into sending Daisy to rescue. Daisy is well socialized, loves kids and other dogs, loves to play, and is an all around great dog. Learn more about her on her foster family's Webpage, www.gigharborratties.com

Smart and Silly

In the few days we've had Roswell in our home he's showed us what a smart little guy he is but also that he is 100% goofball.

I decided to do a bit of clicker training and learned that someone has taught him the cue for "sit" but not much else. We have started to build on that beginning and in just a 3 minute training session he caught on what "down" is. Currently I'm teaching it with a hand signal as the cue but as he get better at it I'll add the word "down." He really seemed to enjoy the training and it was fun to watch how intent he was at trying to figure out the puzzle of what behavior would earn him the reward. Great work, Roswell! I can tell you were born to be a superstar.

And on top of intelligence and great looks this boy is also loaded with personality! He loves to play and is a bit disappointed that none of the other 4 dogs at my house will give him the time of day. It doesn't stop him from trying though. But even if they won't play with him, he's pretty good at entertaining himself as you can see in this video. Silly little guy!

The Little Chocolate Blur

Roswell is doing great and settling in well. I'd love to show you some beautiful fall photos of him sitting outside in a pile of maple leaves but sadly this boy does not have time to pose for a photo. So all I have to show for two solid days of photo taking are 5 pictures that are in focus enough that I can share them.

He's a hilarious boy and really loves people. As much as he loves to move, he always has time to jump up in a lap for an ear scritch.

Chima and Salinas aren't quite sure what to think of him yet. Sal steers clear but Chima is the curious one and spends a lot of time sniffing him and following around allow the following seems to be a bit of posturing to remind him who runs the show.

Things we've discovered in the last couple of days: he tolerates baths really well, he has the cutest little tail nub EVER that wags non-stop, he is loaded with muscles, when lying down he prefers the "full frog" position, and he has a love of trash cans (or at least their contents.)

I'm looking forward to learning more about this little goofy boy and can't wait to share him with you.

Rescue Railroad: New Washington Foster Dogs

We have three newly rescued dogs arriving in Washington foster homes this weekend . You read about our new boy, Roswell. Well, here are the two sisters who rode on the transport with him:

Harper (rear) and Stella (front) are a cute pair of Rat Terrier mix sisters. The girls came from a shelter where they had been sitting for awhile and had run out of time so it was urgent to get them into foster care. They are believed to be around 1 year old and weigh about 14 pounds each.

From what we hear they are shy and gentle girls who need a bit of time to get to know new people but are quite the little love bugs once they know you are a safe person.

Welcome to Washington, Harper and Stella! Harper will be fostered in Gig Harbor and you can follow her on her foster parents' rescue page. Stella will be fostered in Yakima and her adventures in foster care can be seen on the Yapitude in Yakima Rescue Blog.

Introducing Roswell!

We're pleased to announce the arrival of a new foster boy in our home! His name will be Roswell and he's said to be a happy go lucky, energetic guy who does great with other dogs but not so much with cats (seems to be a theme with our foster dogs.)

He's about 3 years old and the guess at his weight is about 14 pounds. We can't wait to get to know this new guy and maybe Chima will finally have found a dog who is willing to play with her. Stay tuned to hear more about this chocolaty delicious tricolor guy.

Continuing our New Mexico name theme, Roswell is named for the famous town in New Mexico, best know for the supposed 1947 UFO Crash. The town has built a tourism industry around the fabled incident so that even with a population of just 48,000 people it is knows around the nation.