I spoke with my breeder recently, and the puppy temperament tests will be performed this weekend, and evaluations will soon follow. The temperament tests will be the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests, and the Volhard scoring and interpretations will be conducted after all of the tests have been performed. From there, the breeder will be able to combine physical structure and movement evaluations with the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test findings to determine placements with future homes.
Like many responsible breeders, my breeder thoroughly interviews each future puppy home, and makes selections of the puppy that will best suit each homes needs and expectations. This is much better than allowing puppy buyers to pick the puppy themselves, because the breeder knows the personalities of the puppy so well, after being around them for many weeks. It could be disasterous if a family wanted a mellow puppy, and picked the puppy themselves based on which was the most relaxed puppy in the bunch, and ended up with the wildest, who happened to be sleepy that day from lots of activity. Spending just an hour with a puppy is not enough to know the in's and out's to the puppy, and allowing the breeder to select a puppy for you based on your wants and needs and the Volhard findings will result in the best possible match for you and your family.
Because I want a show dog, the aptitude tests combined with the evaluations will show us which puppy the personality needed to succeed in the show ring, and the physical structure that is closest to being an ideal specimen of the breed standard for an optimum show potential puppy. I highly recommend checking out the link for the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests and learning about these temperament tests, they are truly fascinating!
I'll keep y'all posted when I learn which puppy will be my Hush! In the meantime, here are some puppy butts to look at. Are they not the cutest little fuzzy bums you've ever seen?!?! These particular butts are from a previous litter this breeder bred.
Prissy and Preppy Flamingo gave me the Sugar Doll Award. I love her preppy blog and she is cuter than a bug’s ear! (I know, bugs don't have ears, but if they did they'd be cute)! Her blog is full of great tips on shopping deals and fashion finds, and she always highlights some of the best blogger giveaways in the blogosphere! I highly recommend you check her out!
The Rules!!!Thank the person who gave you the award, share ten things about yourself, pass this award onto ten bloggers (I did 12!) who you recently discovered and think are fantastic and finally contact the bloggers to let them know you’ve picked them for an award.
My 10 things:1. I once was on the "put to sleep list" at a local animal shelter, they'd call me and tell me if I didn't adopt Fluffy he'd be put to sleep. Sad, but it worked. I adopted almost every animal they contacted me about. 2. I picked my car based on my dog... I even brought Milly to the car dealership to make sure she'd have plenty of room. I tried multiple station wagons and SUV's and in the end the Subaru Outback was the car for us. 3. I make the world's best Chicken Noodle Soup, if there was ever a chicken noodle soup contest, I am confident I would be the winner!4. My Kate Spade purse currently has a choke chain, a bag of treats, and a hoof pick in it (among other things). 5. I only wash my hair 1-2 times per week. The only exception is if I go riding, then I wash it after. 6. When no one is home I "canter" around the backyard and pretend I'm a horse. I've been doing this since I was 3, and it's just fun. No one knows I still do this.7. My favorite color is pink, and my favorite saying is, “Pink to make the boys wink!” 8. I pray every night that God will help me find my future Golden Retriever puppy. 9. I love fresh fruit - I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and all I bought was fruit and sparkling water.10. I have an obsession with wine and cheese. My favorite cheese is Constant Bliss from Jasper Hill Farms in Greensboro, VT.So I'm supposed to tag new bloggers that I love! I'm so excited for this!! Be sure to check out some of my favorites, below!
Little Me Queen Bee - I stumbled upon her blog and absolutely adore it! We actually were following each others blogs not realizing we knew each other in real life!
Dog Show Poop- This is one of my favorite dog blogs! It started sort of like my blog, as hopefully a journey through the dog show world, but now it had turned into "the place" to turn for dog show results and dog show predictions. Any dog lover should check it out, as the pictures of the beautiful dogs are just incredible - there are breeds I didn't even know existed!
Losing Weight in the City- This blog isn't new to me, but I haven't read it in months. I stepped on the scale this morning and have gained 4 pounds, so it's time to turn to my dear friend Theo for some weight loss advice!
Desperately Seeking Seersucker – I recently found her blog, and I’m in love! She is really cute, and her posts about her furkids are great to read!
Samster’s Mommy– This is another new-to-me blog! She has amazing posts on all sorts of crafts, and her life in general. I don’t have kids, but I love reading about Natasha’s on her blog!
Corgi Butts – Who wouldn’t fall in love with their cute faces, and furry little backsides? This blog is a fantastic dog blog, and I encourage you all to follow it!
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of BACON - This is a fantastic blog! You'll enjoy reading all about Central Bark Designs, and their adventures through the Big Apple!
Hyperbole and a Half– This is my guilty pleasure! While she isn’t necessarily the most PC blogger, her posts make me laugh so hard!
In Case Something Exciting Happens– You’ll love reading about Annie’s adventures, and with her two adorable bassets in tow, there’s always something there to make you smile. She has some great recipes and craft ideas, too!
Daily Dose of Jack – I started following his blog about a month ago, and it’s great! He posts so many photos of his Golden Retriever, that it will inspire you to take your dog on your next adventure!
Love, Tina Marie - She started this blog as I'm 26, Now What? But, she's no longer 26, and the blog has a whole new style! Tina covers all sorts of events in the DC area, book reviews, craft projects, television shows, and random rants on life!
Last night, I babysat for two wonderful children that I sit for regularly. Only, yesterday was different. You see, the family had just put down their beloved dog, and the children were distraught over the death of this dog, which had always been a part of their lives. The family warned me ahead of time about their loss, and gave me the opportunity to cancel, but we both agreed it might be a nice positive outlet for the children to have me come over. I was warned ahead of time the children might ask me to read them some books about pets dying, and I was prepared.
"Saying Goodbye to Lulu"was one of the books on death we read last night. This one really captures what it is like for a child to have their best fur friend die. The imagery used makes the story very easy to relate to. Realizing that one day the pain will go away, and the sadness will leave us, and we will be able to love a new dog in the future was a powerful message in this book. The story emphasizes that while we may love a new dog as much as we loved our dog that dies, no dog will ever replace our old dog. New dogs simply add more joy to our lives, but it is okay to not want a new dog right away. This was my favorite out of all of the books that we read last night.
I learned about death at a young age, as my own pets and animals on our farm would die, and each death was like a knife to my chest – the most painful event my little child self could ever imagine. It was always so hard on me - when I was 10 and put down my beloved cat, Tigger, I cried for two weeks straight. With these memories in hand, I felt prepared at least with sympathy for these children and their loss.
When I arrived at the home to babysit, I was immediately aware of the discussions going on. The four year old boy ran up and told me that his dog died. The seven year old girl showed me a card a neighborhood friend had made her, on the outside it read, “I’m sorry your dog died,” and the inside said, “It’s sad your dog is dead.” The cavalier way with which death and being dead was discussed was so unlike the way many adults approach death – referring to it as a “passing” or a “loss”. It was nice in a way to hear death being called exactly what it is. So often, children get confused with death and the terms we apply to it. As a child, I was very confused when I was told we were going to put a horse to sleep. I kept wondering when the horse would wake up, until my parents realized my confusion, and explained death to me.
When it came time for me to put the kiddos to bed they each selected a couple of story books that address the death of a pet. It was very hard not to cry through these books, for they truly are sad, especially when there are red, puffy-eyed children sitting in bed beside you. Despite the melancholy atmosphere, I found it fascinating that these children wanted to hear about death, and kept selecting more books for me to read. It was as though they truly related and gained a sense of understanding about the grief they felt, and the loss of Gracie’s life from these books. I would highly recommend The Forever Dog and Saying Goodbye to Lulu for any child that is grieving the death of a pet.
"The Forever Dog"was another book we read, and my second favorite. This book not only focuses on the death of a pet, but addresses the feelings of grief you might feel - like anger and sadness - when a pet dies. The illustrations and story are both easy to relate to, and give a slightly different perspective to death. This book concludes by explaining that memories spent with a pet will always live in our hearts, long after our dogs have died.
Like the way the children discussed death, dying and being dead with those exact words – the books did not sugar coat anything. They explained how “being put to sleep” is not sleeping, but is where the dog stops breathing, his heart stops beating, and all life leaves his body. The books also explained the grieving process through the ways the main characters reacted to the deaths of their pets. The loss of a pet is usually the first experience a child has with death, and if not the first experience, it is usually one with the most impact. To have that four legged friend you’ve played with your entire life, and seen on a daily basis, suddenly gone is very difficult to comprehend. Children often don’t realize that pets have a very different life span than humans, and this complicates matters. Through my research, I’ve learned the most important thing a parent can do to help their child through this terrible time is to be completely open and honest with the child. Using words like “euthanasia” that children do not understand will only complicate things, but explaining death in a very matter of fact way will make it easier for the child to grasp what is happening.
I wish that books like these had been available to me growing up. There are now so many books to chose from that address this touchy subject, and I think they really help children understand in a way that family discussions might not.
I would love for you to let me know things you have done that WORKED to stop pulling on walks. Please post your comments! This post is to educate you about what tools and methods are out there, but in no way endorses one over another. The importance of this post is to share with you things that may enable you to SAFELY walk your dog, because I would rather see people walking a dog SAFELY and using artificial aids, than being dragged down the street and endangering themselves, their dog, and other walkers.
I know when I adopted Milly she was a saint at the SPCA off leash, but as soon as I walked out of the building and towards my car she was pulling so hard on the leash I wondered, “What have I gotten myself into?” Milly came with free obedience classes, but the evening the classes were held on conflicted with a class I needed in order to graduate college, and I never was able to use that valuable perk of adopting locally vs. buying from a breeder (in case you are wondering, many rescues and shelters will have some sort of perks – whether it is free pet insurance for a few months or free obedience school - to encourage you to adopt). I had never adopted an adult dog before, and none of the dogs I had growing up ever pulled on their leashes, because I dedicated most of my free time during childhood to training them – I never had formal training in dog whispering, but I did manage to figure it out as I went along, and the results were pretty amazing. Sweetie was able to leap over large frightening obstacles that even an agility dog might balk at, and was trained to do things by my snaps – hand raised even an inch meant sit, hand lowered an inch was down, hand moved forward an inch was shake – she was able to read my slightest cues, and was simply a joy to own and train.
Back to Milly – boy did she pull, and pulled hard for years! In fact, she’s only now getting over it after I’ve figured out what really works. Milly is the type of dog who responds very well to positive training, but usually to “really get something” she will need one or two corrections (ever) like a quick pop on the collar. Many people will disagree with this training, but I’ve found for me, the positive with the reinforced correction really does work for her. I tried a variety of products in my effort to get her to stop pulling, and it was very frustrating having a dog behave beautifully off leash, but rip my arms out of the socket (quite literally) on leash. I finally realized no product is a substitute for good training, but some, combined with proper training can really help.
I have compiled a list of suggestions a friend of mine that posts on the Golden Retriever Forum shared with me, and added some of my own, try to present the best tips and tricks that work to prevent pulling while walking your dog(s).
Correction based method: My first suggestion is to wear your dog out before a walk – play fetch in the backyard, run around the house with them, pretty much anything you can do to get them tired, listening to you and less distracted. Then, take your dog on a walk (only walk one dog at a time for this method). Use a regular collar or a martingale for this - do not use a PRONG collar (more about prong collars later). A common mistake people make is start with a nagging light correction "no... stop," light pull on the leash, and so forth... slowly building up the correction until the LOSE IT. From the very beginning you should LOSE IT - your first correction needs to be serious enough to STOP the behavior, immediately. If you slowly build up, you're building up your dog's tolerance for corrections and essentially TRAINING him to ignore signals and corrections from you. This common mistake applies to ALL training where correction based methods are applied, not just this particular method. When I finally stopped trying to correct Milly with a take give, and applied this method the first instant she pulled, the results were amazing. The pulling did not end over night, but it went from her dragging me down the street, to a taught leash after only one correction. So no, the results were not perfect (perfect would be loose leash walking while healing) but they improved A LOT.
When applying this correction method you do not have to be mean, and I would not suggest it, because constant shouting and yanking on the lead will condition your dog to ignore you. I have no problem with you giving some slack to the leash, turning around rapidly and yanking very hard in the opposite direction while shouting, "No!" or "No Pull!" Often times this abrupt, and forceful correction will be enough to stop the pulling, and after that simply stating, "No Pull!" in a firm voice with slight tension on the leash is all your dog will need to stop pulling. This is an example of "losing it" at the first instance of pulling, and not allowing your dog to be conditioned to ignore your cues, commands, or orders. When your dog does not pull, throw him a party - feed him, kiss him, give him a treat, a belly rub, a squeaky toy, whatever he likes best in this world - let him have that thing. Really reward him for this positive behavior! Like I said already, correcting this way does work, but it isn’t going to work over night. And in case you did not know, please use a flat leash, not a Flexi or other type of retractable leash when doing any training.
For the sake of urgency, you can use a prong collar to stop pulling. Never give a hard correction like I describe above on a prong collar (unless your dog is a literal monster). Prong collars are self correcting and you need very little skill to use one. The biggest rules with using a prong are to fit it correctly and not yank hard on it. In order to properly fit a prong collar you can remove the links from the collar (I chose the photo of a prong below to show you how the links are removable). Positioning the collar is also important, you want the collar to sit high on the neck, fairly close behind the dog’s ears. Very often I see people using prong collars that are not properly fit, and this can hurt the dog, and is not very effective. If you do not know how to properly fit a prong collar ask a dog trainer, or even your veterinarian. With a well fitting prong collar the dog will condition himself not to yank hard on the leash. However, there are some dogs that seem immune to the prong - if your dog is this way do not yank harder, but instead use a different method. After buying a prong collar for Milly, and properly fitting it to her, I was overjoyed with the results. Many people think prong collars are cruel because all they see are spikes digging into a dog’s neck, but the spikes are quite dull, and set on an angle – the result is when a dog pulls on the leash the prong will gently pinch the dog’s neck. I actually put on Milly’s prong collar to see how it felt, and it does not hurt – I even harshly popped/yanked on the collar while wearing it, and that hurt a little, but not too badly… though I would not recommend snapping/yanking/jerking a prong collar on your dog, because after all, it is a self correcting aid, and harsh corrections are not necessary. I have seen dogs stop pulling wearing a Halti/Gentle Leader (I'll discuss these below) and they clearly look in pain, but I have never seen a dog in a prong collar look distressed or in pain. With a prong, a dog should never have a retractable leash on, and you should never tie a dog wearing a prong collar. A prong collar should only be on the dog when you are actively on the other end of the leash.
Choke chains are wonderful tools and a favorite tool of many trainers and handlers, but in untrained hands the results can be devastating (and severely hurt your dog).You should never use a choke without first having a genuinely good trainer's instruction on the proper use. If used incorrectly, you can ruin your dog's response to corrections, at best, and at worst, you can seriously damage your dog's neck and windpipe. It is hard, active work to use a choker correctly, but in educated hands they can be very effective. A dog should NEVER have a tight leash on a choker. It should always be loose, no matter how many corrections you have to give to keep it that way. The leash should look like a J from the collar to your hand. If it doesn't, you're not using it right/actively enough.
Haltis, Gentle Leaders, and fancy harnesses are all the rage right now. I see them all the time at the dog park, and there is an entire aisle dedicated to them at Petsmart! I have tried many of them, but I no longer use any of them. I strongly believe in the importance of being able to safely walk your dog, without having your arms ripped off - if you need one of these devices in order to walk your dog, by all means use one. While they are not a replacement for proper training, they can be a great tool in ensuring a safe and happy walk. I will not endorse the Gentle Leader/Halti, because a dog’s snout is extremely sensitive, and I often see dogs that clearly look in pain being walked wearing one of these. As far as fancy harnesses go, many train your dog to pull by putting pressure on their chest or armpit area, think this sounds counter productive? It is. This is the same reason a sled dog will pull when wearing his harness.
I will say, I had wonderful results after shoulder surgery when I tried the Sporn Harness, though now that I have really trained Milly not to pull I see this was not a replacement for good training, but instead an aid to help me walk my dog in a manner that was safe to her, other people walking on the sidewalk, and me. Looking back on it, I wish I had used the prong collar, rather than the Sporn Harness, because Milly never walked on a loose leash at my side using the Sporn, but instead a loose leash a few steps in front of me. The last image in this collection of photos is the Sporn Harness.
Now I will discuss non tool based training, or the "be a tree" method. The key to this method is to stop walking as soon as your dog starts pulling - you must not take another step until the leash is loose. You can be silent while standing like a tree, or you can say, "No!" and then praise your dog when the leash loosens with a sweet voiced, "good!" to encourage your dog. If you are patient this method can and does work. You can also do this using food as a reward for loose leash walking, but you do not have to. Another way, and my personal favorite, of using the tree method is to actually turn and walk the OTHER WAY when your dog starts pulling (as opposed to simply standing still). As soon as your dog pulls you simply turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. You must not stop walking the other way until there is a loose leash in your hand, and a dog at your side. My boyfriend actually had great results with Milly doing this, but he was very patient and really set his mind to it. Sometimes on walks he would have to turn around 20 times, but with-in a few walks Milly was not pulling on the leash.
Another method of training your dog to stop pulling is using the Clicker Method. You can train a dog to walk however you want, and some advanced freestyle performers even clicker train their dogs to walk backwards! Many trainers, handlers and dog owners use clicker training for fancy dancy prancy heelwork, or advanced obedience, but not for everyday nice walking on a loose leash. This method certainly does work for training your dog for everyday walking, though. Clicker training is a very positive way to teach your dog to associate the click of a clicker with a reward - good behavior = click/click & treat. Clicker training is frequently taught in obedience classes, as strictly positive training is en vogue right now in the dog world. You can pretty much use clicker training to teach any trick or behavior you want – from loose leash walking, to freestyle dog dancing!
Finally, if your dog pulls on his/her leash throw away your Flexi/retractable leash, donate it to a local shelter, sell it in your next yard sale, etc. Flexi leads train a dog to walk on an always taught leash with resistance, and teach your dog that he/she can keep walking forward after whatever their heart desires. If your goal is to have your dog walk on a loose lead you will never accomplish this by sending mixed messages when you occasionally (or regularly) use your retractable leash. Also, especially with a dog that pulls, a retractable leash can be very dangerous. There have been cases of people’s fingers being chopped off by these leashes – the dog takes off, person is struggling to maintain control, the cord of the retractable leash gets wrapped around the handler’s finger, and the next thing you know they are missing a finger! There have been many instances of someone walking their dog on a retractable lead, cresting a hill, and running into another dog or person - resulting in people getting tangled up. You have little control of your dog with a Flexi, Flexi’s have been known to break, the box type handle where you hold a Flexi can be very difficult to grip (especially because it is designed to hold with one hand) in an emergency, if you accidentally drop the leash, or it is jerked from your hand, the clanking of the box on the pavement or the ground often will scare your dog and it could run into traffic, etc. Simply Google ,"problems with retractable leashes," and you will probably reconsider ever using one again! I know I stopped using mine about two years ago, and I don’t think I can think of an instance where I would use it. Perhaps, I might possibly use it with an extremely well trained dog on a hike, but even that is questionable.
Finally, while not a training method, in an emergence that requires safe and controlled walking of your dog you can put your dog's collar very high, above the top of his windpipe (there's a little bump you can feel in the throat) and hold the top of the collar between the ears on the base of the dog's head. As long as the collar is up above this bump on the neck, it won't choke the dog and he's basically powerless to pull you. A friend on the Golden Retriever Forum explained how she has walked some real untrained lunatics, even aggressive dogs, through big crowds with this method. I have had to use this method with a dog I was dog sitting, while walking on a crowded street, and it really does work. It is not training, but it's a way to handle a dog that's going nutso when necessary, without harming him in any way, or harming those around you. How do you think some handlers walk five dogs they barely know through a crowded show hall? They do so with fine, thin choker collars in this position on the neck. A thin show choke collar is pictured here.
Please share any methods you have used in the comments section!
Do not forget there is still time to enter the second PUPCAKE GIVEAWAY!!! The drawing will take place on July 24th using a random number generator!! Good Luck!! :)
I hope you all have a VERY FUN FRIDAY!!! And I hope you have the opportunity to do some fun activities with your four legged friends this weekend.
When I was little I started the Greensboro Annual Dog Show in Greensboro, VT. One of my favorite classes at this dog show I founded, arranged, and put on as a 10-13 year old was the "Dog Owner Look Alike Class"... boy would that be fun to judge! With reminiscence of my youth I present to you this look-a-like.
