Always Trust a Terrier

Or at least you should always trust them when rodent hunting is the topic in question. I don't have any photos of this event since it was dark out. This is just a story of how Sal and Chima taught me that sometimes they know better.

It was a dark and stormy night - really it was - the rain was pouring down and I was not happy about having to join the girls for their nightly potty break aka "evening hunting hour". I was standing in the middle of the yard in my rain coat hoping this would be the time they decided to actually go to the bathroom first rather than casing the nighttime landscape for critters. I know - unrealistic - but a girl can dream.

Not sure you've ever heard a high prey drive terrier with cornered prey but it's not pretty. The girls were pacing around the base of a 5' long bamboo hedge we have that is about 15' high and they were giving their rodent call. It's not barking - more like a scream of a tortured animal. I seriously was worried that the neighbors would think I was abusing dogs in the back yard. Both Chima and Salinas were frantic and screeching and no matter what I said I could not calm them down. I took the poop scoop and started whacking at the wood pile at the base of the bamboo, thinking if the mice living in the wood pile (that I've seen before when the dogs flushed them out) ran out, the dogs could chase them and get the screaming over with.

A photo taken this summer when Salinas decided to climb a photinia hedge to go after a squirrel. There's not much she and Chima will let get between them and a rodent.

Alas, no mice ran out. The girls seemed really focused on something up in the hedge so I said, "GIRLS, calm down! There is nothing in the bamb-" and as I was lecturing them I hit the bamboo with the poop scoop to punctuate the end of my sentence. Imagine my shock and surprise when a very large rat dropped down from the bamboo about 8' to the ground. We all froze for a fraction of a second and then the rat took off faster than anything I've seen before with the girls not far behind. I'm proud to say that I didn't scream (the girls were doing plenty of that) but I did run up onto the deck and stand in the middle of it with my mouth hanging open, and my eyes wildly scanning the landscaping for Speedy Gonzales.

He lived to see another day though, because while Chima and Salinas are experts at flushing out rodents, they are not at all skilled in making the actual kill. They are always too verklempt with the thought of a rodent being nearby to pull themselves together and finish the job.

Anyhow, the lesson for today is when it comes to believing whether or not there is a rodent in a shrub and there are two Rat Terriers nearby screaming "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAT" you really should trust the terriers.

The Story Behind the "Rescue Railroad"

Every couple of weeks you see a post on this blog about the newest dogs that will be arriving in WA/OR foster homes. By the end of 2013 more than 70 dogs will have taken this trip north.

A Rat Terrier in  Fresno California, meeting our Fresno NR volunteer for the first time and being evaluated as a potential future  NW foster dog

Recently I wrote an article for New Rattitude's 'Tude News about the Rescue Railroad - why we foster so many dogs from California up here in Washington and what exactly goes into getting those dogs from the shelters they come into as strays through their arrival at their foster homes.

Salinas and Chima - former strays who were "Rescue Railroad" travelers and are now our current foster girls

In this same issue you can read the volunteer spotlight article about Lynn Bonham - the volunteer in Fresno who does all the legwork of getting our foster dogs out of the shelters, vetted, and onto transport vans heading to the Northwest.

Lynn with former New Rattitude foster girl, Sierra

So I urge you to check out the article and learn the behind the scenes story of how these great dogs end up in our care.

Just in the nick of time

Roswell heads home on Friday to his new brother and dads so I was really happy when Chima finally decided to stop being so aloof with him and play a little. Chima may be a beautiful, serene and stately girl, but once she lets down her guard with you she is a complete goofball. She loves to play chase and in our house no one, not even her sister, will play that game with her since it's a bit like running around with a high speed tank coming after you. Chima is not known for fast stops or graceful turns.

When Roswell first arrived Chima was very interested in him but not yet ready to play.

But Roswell, who IS fast and graceful, took her up on it and I was able to get the tail end of the game on video. You might want to turn the sound off because any game of chase usually involves Tilly and Frodo loudly joining in as the fun police.

Fall Foster Photo Shoot

Early November is one of my favorite times of the year: the moist and mossy smell to the air, crisp coolness, and best of all, the blast of color everywhere you turn - reds, golds and oranges on the ground, in the trees and floating by on the breeze.

If you get a clear day it makes for a perfect photo shoot time with the dogs. Today was such a day so I loaded my pockets with treats, put on my rubber boots and headed out into the back yard with the dogs and my camera.

Chima, always happy to pose for photos as long as there are no critters around that need chasing

Salinas wasn't as sure about this but was coaxed out from the ferns with treats

And Roswell just wished I'd hurry up and pass out the treats

Beautiful sisters

They did great and although Salinas and Roswell aren't big fans of the camera they humored me since I did have a pocketful of delicious and stinky kangaroo treats.

Roswell, wanting this camera thing to be over

Attempts to get all three dogs in the same shot were not very successful

The only one where there was a blurry dog flying out of the shot...

And a final shot of Roswell since his gorgeous chocolate color looks so great with the leaves...

Handsome boy!

Roswell's Adopted: From Ranch to Suburb to City

Roswell was a country stray who spent some time on a volunteers ranch in the Central California before he headed to us here in the suburbs of Western Washington. He's such an adaptable little guy that when we learned a former adopter who lives in downtown Seattle was looking for a second dog to keep their shy Rat Terrier company, I thought that Roswell might be just the dog for them.

On Sunday we took Roswell to Seattle to visit their home and see how he and his potential brother Leo did together in their apartment. We also wanted to see how Ros would respond to traffic, buses, streetcars, etc.

Checking out the cars (and peeing on trees)

As expected he was his typical adventurous self. While he gets a bit nervous there wasn't any freezing or barking or panic - just a bit of extra energy and I'm sure once he's used to the environment that will go away.

Roswell's new home is in the center building about 2/3 way up.  The city squirrels look like ants from up there.

I wish I had photos of him and his brother Leo together but they were too busy tearing around and checking out the view from the windows to pause for a photos shoot.

So, have a happy life sweet Roswell and congratulations to his new dads on their new little furry arrival!

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.