A Doggie Do Over

Athena is available for adoption at the Humane Society of Warren County

Athena is going through a transformation. A kind of doggie do-over. She is beautiful and filled with possibilities and potential -- something that has always been true, even before she came to our shelter. But it was when she arrived at the homeless shelter -- some mistakenly would say it's the end of the line -- that she got her big break.  She is part of the HSWC Good Buddy Program, and her Good Buddies (Donna and Emily) are helping her with finding her true potential -- being all that she was meant to be.  Making her more adoptable so that when she finds her forever home, she has the confidence and knowledge to show them just what she's made of.  It's a doggie do-over!

One of Athena's issues is that she jumps.  She is full of energy and doesn't know what to do with it.  So she jumps -- when she wants to leave her kennel, when she wants to go for a walk, sometimes she just jumps because she likes to jump.

Here's the really, really good news.  By the time Athena finds her forever home, she won't be a jumper anymore.  Really!  Her Good Buddy, Donna, has a plan to cure this jumping and it's something we want to share with all of our Good Buddies (and guardians of other Jumpers out there) so that you can put this in your toolbox of ideas that might come in handy one day. 

Here's Donna's plan:

Everytime she enters Athena's kennel and Athena starts doing her jumpy-thing, Donna will turn her back and not engage Athena in any way.  And Donna will wait for the jumping to stop.  No touching, no talking, no correction.  Just cause and effect.  Donna might have to wait a minute, or two, or thirty.  It's a patient waiting game, but it works.  Athena will learn that the effect of her jumping is that she gets ignored.  It's the same way our dogs at home learn when they hear the doorbell it means someone is at the door and barking is required.  (Well, it's true, right?)  Athena may not give up her jumping on the first day, or the second day, but by the third day, Athena should figure out that her jumping creates a dead-end.  Her doggie-problem-solving skills are going to kick in and she's going to figure out that when she stops jumping, she gets hooked up to her leash.  Her kennel door opens and she goes outside to do something fun.  No delays, no getting ignored, no having her humans turn their backs on her.  No words are required, and never, NEVER is negative reinforcement used to teach a dog anything.  It's sorta like magic, but it really works! 


We are so very, very excited to see the progress that Athena makes and we promise to update you!  We invite you to visit Athena at the Shelter and watch her "not jump."

Ask Annie (February 25, 2013)

It's almost bedtime at my house and I snuck into Mama's room tonight and got into some of her laundry, hoping that she wouldn't see me and I would have a good chance of sleeping in her bed tonight.  Then she reminded me that it was time for "Ask Annie" and I couldn't say no.

After last week's post on that nasty little rumor that pit bulls have locking jaws, another reader asked a super good question, and I wanted to share with you what she asked and the information I found to answer her question.

Dear Annie,

Thank you for your fantastic column.

I have a question...

I read on the dogsbite.org website that Pitbull type dogs will bite and shake, causing extensive damage, when attacking another dog or person. Is this true, and if it is, is it characteristic of Pitbulls or will any dog do this?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts.  

Signed Rapunzel.

*****

Dear Rapunzel,

Thanks for reading my column and asking a great question. First of all, here's what I know to be true about dogsbite.org:  It is a website run by a lady named Colleen Lynn. In June of 2007, Miss Colleen was an unfortunate victim of a dog bite while she was out jogging. Because of the dog bite, by a dog that is said to be a "pit bull," Lynn decided to create the website dogsbite.org. She is not a dog expert. I've never met this poor lady that got the dog bite, but I don't like her website and I don't think it tells the truth.

Dogs like to bite, chew and shake their toys, right? I've got a bed full of nylabones and kongs that look like they have fallen into the garbage disposer. All dogs, not just pitties, enjoy biting, chewing, gnawing on their toys, chasing balls, fetching sticks, and when we catch up with our prey we shake it. It is natural for a dog to do this, as it is for a human to use your hands for doing stuff. This kind of play brings out natural hunting skills, even though dogs are domesticated (my mom taught me that word).

A very smart dog expert named Diane Garrod wrote these words about dogs in 2011:

"All dogs have the capability to complete a wild prey sequence of eye, stalk, chase, grab/shake, kill, eat. Toys provide an outlet for what comes naturally, play satisfies. Taking a squeaky toy, shaking it, pulling on it, pulling the stuffing out of it all equate to natural behavior and in fact is a healthy outlet. It doesn't mean the dog will become vicious or go off and kill prey. Dogs have been domesticated for a long time and just as mothers instinctively care for newborns, whether dog or humans, shaking toys is much the same, a natural instinct and something rehearsed without thinking about it. When they discover it is fun to play, then play can be used as a productive training tool and outlet."

She also says that "Letting the dog enjoy this activity with their toy without interruption is important to future development. It allows the dog to release natural predatory instincts on a safe choice, a toy. ... Keeping a dog mentally active releases endorphins into the brain and also creates neural pathways to keep the brain healthy. Toy play should be a part of a healthy day in the life of a dog. It can also be used to teach self-control and as a reward for a job well done."

"Living in a human world can be stressful for a dog, and allowing them the ability to practice safe, rules-oriented shaking of their toys actually can help keep their mouth soft, help with bite inhibition and keep them stress free. It is better to grab and shake a toy, rather than a leg or valuable object in the household. ..."

"In addition to providing proper toys, meeting a dog's needs also includes exercise, mental stimulation, activities and training, outings, proper nutrition and lots of care and attention."

Here's my favorite part of what she says ... "the question then is not why does a dog shake their toys, but why not?"

I hear my humans talk a lot about how important it is to be a responsible guardians of their dogs, no matter what breed they are. One thing for sure about us dogs is we love to play, fetch, chase, retrieve, run, jump, chew, lick, scratch ... well, you get the picture. Give us plenty of opportunity to do these things at the proper time and with the proper toys, and the world would be full of much happier, balanced dogs.

So pretty much, Rapunzel, it's not about pitties, it's about dogs. Never stop being your inquisitive self! You're pawsome!

Brain Games

One of the most stressful things in a dog's life is living in a human world, and if our dogs could tell us some things they would like for us to change, here's a few things they might say ... 

• Please throw away our bowls.  Really.  Who came up with the idea of making us eat out of bowls?  (Hint:  It was not the dogs.)  We have Kongs that sit empty most of the time.  Portion out our same amount of food and make us work hunt for eat it out of our Kongs or other "fillable" toys. If your dogs (or Good Buddy) does not have a Kong, offer food in a Gatorade bottle.  Let your imagination soar.  By making us eat out of bowls, you take away one of the chance we have to be hunters dogs.

• Make our food interesting by mixing it with cheese, peas, broccoli, chicken, steamed carrots, rice, peanut butter, canned pumpkin.  (Become familiar with foods that are good and not-so-good for pups). Good Buddies love it when  you show up at the shelter with a baggie full of homemade treats. 

•  Take us for walks.  Everyday.  It's not just exercise for us.  It's migrating.  It's mental stimulation.  We want to sniff and pee on mailboxes and figure out what has changed since the last time we were outside.  It makes us feel like dogs.  We like that alot.  Even if your community has a dog park, please take us for walks.  The two things are not the same and we need both.

• Give us mind games to play.  Want some ideas?  OK, you asked!



• Fill a cardboard box with crumpled packing paper and add dry kibble (or something else very yummy).  It's a puzzle for us to figure out how to get the food out of the tangled, crumpled paper, and it's fun.

• Help us increase our vocabulary by teaching us to retrieve each of our toys by name. Start with our two favorites, and teach us to fetch them by name one at a time, in a room with no other toys to choose from. Use lots of praise, tug, or treats to reward the good fetches. Once we knows the names of two toys, put both on the floor and ask us to fetch them one at a time. Reward correct choices with whatever wags our tail, and by continuing the game. Respond to incorrect choices by repeating the request, and eventually guiding us toward the right toy if we really needs help. If we can succeed with two, try three or more. This is really tough brain work, so be patient and expect us to build up our vocabulary very gradually.

•  These are just a few ideas to get you started.  If you would like to see some more ideas, here's a great little website for more dog play ideas

Happy brain games!

Ask Annie (February 18, 2013)

It's hard to believe it's been a week since we introduced our column featuring the advice of that very wise little pitte named Annie.  She has had quite the week, recovering from being bitten by a doggie playmate when she ran up to him to say hello at a dog park.  No hard feelings, just a sore head and a little hurt pride. She hopes to meet him there again soon and have another chance to be better friends.  Annie is healing nicely and felt it was important to talk about this week's topic, and we thank her for her devotion to the cause.

QUESTION:  Annie, is it true that pit bulls have "locking jaws"?

ANNIE:  I am glad this question is being asked because it's an important one and can be answered very simply.  No. Pit bull type dogs do NOT have locking jaws.  Functionally, the jaws of an American Pit Bull Terrier (that's me) are the same as any other breed of dog.  This isn't just me saying this, it's been proven by expert examination.


Dr. I. Lerh Brisbin from the University of Georgia wrote an article entitled "Discovery the American Pit Bull Terrier") and he said in his article, "there is absolutely no evidence for the existence of any kind of "locking mechanism" unique to the structure of the jaw and/or teeth of the American Pit Bull Terrier."  Whew!  That was good news for me to hear, because I always thought I was just a dog.  That's all I want to be and it worries me when people start saying things about me that are not true.  I'm glad there are people out there like the reader that asked this question, because now you can answer this question when someone asks you, and you will have all the facts straight.

I would also like to say that I heard my mom talking the other day and she said that there is also an erbin lejund a myth going around that somehow "pit bulls" can hold on with their front teeth while chewing with their back teeth.  Whoa!  I can tell you for 100% sure that I can't do that, nor is it possible for any dog, no matter the breed to do that.  My jaws are made just like any other breed of dog.  I might be stronger than some dogs, and there are some dogs that are stronger than me.  We're all dogs.  That's all we want to be.

Thank you for your question -- it was a very good one.  Have a good week.  See you next Monday!