The "Dog Listener"

Last night a “dog listener” by the name of Pat Wright gave a talk at my local library. The library anticipated that the talk would be so well attended that reservations were required to attend. I applied, but found that the talk was already full so that I was put on a waiting list. Yesterday afternoon I got a call that there were enough cancellations that I could attend. The community room at the library was indeed full, but I took a sugar cookie (I had to skip dessert to make it there at 6:30, so didn’t feel guilty) and found a seat.

I had no idea how much I was doing wrong, according to Ms. Wright. I’m sure that there are other dog experts with ideas that might differ to some extent, but her talk centered on four behaviors of a pack leader that Ms. Wright urged us dog people to emulate. According to Ms. Wright, most or all problems with dogs stem from confusion over who is in charge.

1. Pack leaders always eat first. According to Ms. Wright, before feeding our dogs we should always eat something ourselves in front of the dog. That signals to the dog that we have taken our share of the “kill” and now the lower ranked pack member may take what’s left. My routine has been to get up in the morning, take Olive for her first walk, come back home, measure out her breakfast into her bowl, then prepare my own breakfast (oatmeal, eggs, whatever). According to Ms. W I am putting Olive in charge of the food and ceding authority as pack leader. In addition, Ms. W recommended taking the food away after a certain amount of time if the dog did not eat it all. In fact, she recommended removing the bowl altogether and storing it out of her reach even if she ate all of the food; in a dog’s mind, the bowl is part of the kill, just as the bones are in the wild. In the wild, if the dog does not eat right away and walks off, something else (another dog, some other animal) will take it.
   
   
   This morning I made sure to eat my own breakfast before giving Olive hers. She seldom eats before mid-morning anyway, so it was not much of a change. In fact, I’m not even sure she noticed. Taking the bowl away is something I am more reluctant to do, as I don’t want to force her to eat if she doesn’t feel right. Olive usually finishes her breakfast by supper time, but sometimes will leave a nearly full bowl past noon. I might start by removing the breakfast bowl at noon, and the supper bowl at bedtime, though she usually eats her supper within an hour or so.
   
   
2. Pack leaders come and go as they please without any hellos or goodbyes. According to Ms. Wright, if a dog goes crazy greeting her human when the human comes home, she is expressing confusion over who is in charge. To make a fuss over the dog (“hi, Fido, did you miss me? Kiss, kiss, kiss) is to reinforce that confusion. The better thing to do is to first do whatever needs to be done, then attend to the dog if she needs to be walked or whatever.
   
   
   Olive doesn’t usually go crazy when I get home. She usually stays in her bed in an alcove under the window near the top of the stairs while I am out, and calmly comes out to see me when I get home. Nevertheless, last night when I got home last night I took care of a few items before taking her out for her late night walk. Again, not much of a change; I’m not sure Olive even noticed.
   
   
3. Pack leaders protect the pack. While we may think we are taking a pleasant walk through the park, in the dog’s mind we are out in a dangerous place. Remaining calm and reassuring signals to the dog that there is nothing to worry about. If the dog starts barking and we start shouting “stop barking! Be Quiet”, in the dog’s mind we are joining in with her barking.
   
   
   This is a bit more nuanced, so that I want to read one of the books Ms. Wright recommended to see what I might improve on. Only rarely does Olive bark at other people or dogs. When she does bark unexpectedly, I can usually calm her down in short order.
   
   
4. Pack leaders take the lead. We should be deciding where and when to do things, not the dog. Ideally, when a human walks a dog on a leash, the leash should form a “J” between the human’s hand and the dog’s collar. When a dogs pulls at the leash and jumps around, she is not sure who is supposed to be leading.
   
   
   Again, I will need to read up on this. I am hoping that the upcoming obedience class will provide ways to establish myself as the leader. Even as I am writing this Olive is pestering me for a walk. Well, I think I could let Olive choose where to poop (as long as it’s not in the house).

Ms. Wright was a student of and English dog listener by the name of Jan Fennell. The book Ms. Wright recommended is “The Dog Listener” by Ms. Fennell. I only hope that the book is better laid out than Ms. Fennel’s website, which is cluttered, confusing, and disorganized!

Finding an Obedience Class

I have not given up on getting Olive into a herding class at Nutmeg Farms, a training facility not far from Hartford that uses real sheep. I decided, however, that a more basic obedience class would be a better first step, then perhaps we will go to Nutmeg in the Spring.

My town's parks and recreation office listed some dog training classes in its Fall brochure. One, titled "Dog Focus", sounded like a good one for Olive. The class description indicated that it was for dogs who are obedient at home but seem to forget everything when out and about. When we are out for walks Olive gets so focused on squirrels that she is oblivious to everything else. My commands, as well as oncoming cars (!) are completely tuned out while she stares at the squirrel she is engrossed with at the moment. I was looking forward to taking Olive to that class on Wednesday mornings and expected her to do well.

Unfortunately, last night I got an email notice that the class has been canceled. I called this morning about another class called "Out and About with your Dog" that was scheduled for early Wednesday afternoons, and was told that was canceled as well.

I did not want to waste this Fall as far as dog training goes. An internet search brought me to an organization in a nearby town called "Tails-U-Win" that I have heard good things about. I registered Olive for a basic "Family Dog" class on Sunday afternoons beginning October 4. So Olive and I will be going to school together.

I was especially happy to see the name of a woman named Sue Sternberg in their website. I knew Sue some years back when she was the fiddler for the New England contra dance band "Wild Asparagus". I haven't seen her in quite some time, though I did hear that she was a highly regarded dog expert and had left her career as a professional musician to pursue a career in dog training. To my knowledge, Sue is now living in upstate New York, so it is unlikely that she will be at any of the classes, but apparently "Tails-U-Win" uses some of her methods. I checked a box to receive Sue's newsletter.

So soon Olive and I will be off on a new adventure at dog training class. You can be sure that there will be a lot about it in this blog.

At Play

Olive loves to chase after her foam rubber Frisbee (I call it “saucer” when I want her to get it, as opposed to her “ball” or her “kong”). Several times I demonstrated to people how she would catch it while attached to her 26-foot long leash, although Olive has never shown any inclination to bolt. About two months ago I considered that when we went to the local dog park I would take her off leash and let her run. She generally kept close to me and was very good about coming to me when I called her. I decided to try taking her off leash in the wide grassy field behind my townhouse, keeping her leashes handy just in case. I have to confess that I was not surprised that she stayed reasonably close to my back deck, focusing on the saucer and behaving quite well. Since then I often bring her out back after our periodic walks during the day, let her loose to chase the saucer, and have had no real problems. Only once did she run off; when a rabbit ran across the field near us she took off after it. Even then she obeyed when I yelled at her to get back and never was out of my sight. One of my neighbors marvels that she is so well behaved that I can let her loose. I am not sure whether I am technically violating the association rules at my complex, but no one has complained yet. She is clearly under my control. She seems to like that she is able to run and jump in a manner that she never could when she was on the long leash. Border collies require a great deal of exercise, and I am glad to have found a way that seems to satisfy that need.

Some friends brought Olive a “kong” toy, a somewhat conic hollow rubber toy that I can put food in through a hole at one end, about an inch in diameter. It’s a challenge to the dog to figure out how to get the food out. Olive seems to love the challenge, and is learning how to shake the food out. Most mornings she delays eating her breakfast, though she usually eats it eventually. I find that putting a small amount of her dry dogfood in there and sitting with her while she tackles the challenge of getting the food out stimulates her appetite. She will empty the toy, then look at me to see if I will refill it, which I sometimes do. After the second fill, she will often go over to her dish and eat what is left there. This seems to have become a sort of morning ritual for us. I had heard of kong toys, but it took someone buying Olive one to really get her started on it and make me see just what a hit it is with her.

Another morning ritual is brushing her with a soft wire brush. She loves being groomed like that and will lay still, except to shift positions as if she is saying “could you get this side?” It makes for a great bonding time. We do it nearly every day.

It amazes me how many people around my complex now know Olive. Some will even come out while we are walking by to play with her. Most have no idea who I am, but they know and love Olive!

Still Adjusting

I haven't posted in the past few weeks mainly because I have been spending them trying to adjust to simply having a dog. I love my border collie endlessly and wouldn't trade her for anything. In fact, I am wondering how I ever got along without her. That being said, adjusting my schedule, routine, even my house to having a dog is a long slog.

This summer has been particularly humid; humidity affects me much more than heat does. After walking Olive it takes a bit of time to recover before I can do things like practice my fiddle playing. That has been cutting into my practice time. Housecleaning seems to be a bit more problematic than it used to be also. Not only is Olive tracking dead grass, leaves, and twigs into the house (to say nothing of her shedding), I am less inclined to lug the vacuum cleaner around after a walk in the hot humid weather. I am looking forward to drier fall weather.

Border collies are a very active breed and require a lot of exercise. I normally take her for eight short (about one third mile) walks per day, followed most of the time by playing for some ten to fifteen minutes with her foam rubber "saucer". I really don't mind the walks, as they are much needed exercise for me. Adjusting my schedule around them so that I can get my housecleaning and other things done is a challenge.

I will probably be adjusting at least until we have been together a full year. Winter will pose a challenge, particularly if this coming winter is as severe as last year's. How will Olive react to a decorated tree in my living room? How will I get my Holiday shopping done? No doubt I will find a way, but the first time for any event with a dog will be dicey.

Of course, I am not the only one adjusting. Olive seems to be adapting well to my routine. She has been eating well twice a day, has learned to not bother me when I am napping or sleeping, mostly keeps quiet while I am practicing my fiddle or watching TV in my downstairs room (which she cannot get to due to the spiral staircase). She is starting to learn not to pester me to throw her ball when I am eating. Little by little we are adjusting to each other.

Happy Birthday Olive!

Olive was born, so I have been told, on August 1, 2011. I wished her a happy birthday when she jumped onto my bed to say "good morning", but was unsure how else to celebrate. I took her to the dog park, which she loves, where we found quite a few dogs with their people frolicking before the day got too hot. Olive chased some tennis balls, made friends with a dog named "Lady", and was as pooped as I have ever seen her by the time I called her to go home. I was glad I had brought a bottle of water and her canvas dish, as she seemed especially thirsty. Since we got back I have been indulging her desire to play catch with the foam rubber saucer, play catch in the house with a light rubber ball, and go for walks every two hours. I keep telling myself I should do it because it's her birthday; isn't that, though, what I do every day?

Under other circumstances I would have taken today to drive out to the Falcon Ridge folk festival near the point where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York come together. There was a time I would go with my tent and stay for the entire festival. Now, however, I am still recovering from my week at Ashokan fiddle camp, it seems like a long drive, and beside that, how could I run out on Olive on her birthday? I am still contemplating going out there for Sunday, but will have to see  how I feel in the morning.

Since getting home a week ago Olive has settled back into what passes for a normal routine. I took her back to Candlewick on Tuesday for the day while I went north for a fiddle lesson. She seems to have taken to the place as a child might take to school: happy to go there, happier to go home at the end of the day.

I have been asked why I chose a border collie as a pet. The truth is that after Nanne left Olive with me to "foster" for a month, she decided that she liked it at my house and wanted to stay. I did not choose her; she chose me. Today on her birthday I can honestly say I am so glad she did.

Olive goes to camp

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I was having separation anxiety over leaving Olive at a kennel while I went off to fiddle camp for a week. Olive compounded the situation by being an absolute sweetheart the week before I left her off. I think that she knew something was up as I assembled my tent, sleeping bag, and other gear I would need. On Saturday morning I got up as usual, took her for three walks, gave her breakfast, and finally took a deep breath and drove her to the kennel. It sure looked to me as if she was giving me a devastated look of abandonment when I handed her leash over to the kennel staff member who checked her in.

I had a good time at camp, as I have had every year for the past twenty five years. For formal classes I took a class on English-style fiddling, a class in playing harmony, a waltz orchestra class, and a class on "how to jam" during the sixth and last time slot. The last one was a bit basic, though I still learned a few useful things. In past years I joined a Quebecoise jam session during that sixth time slot; I hated to miss it this year.

I have long been friendly with a couple from Massachusetts that goes to the camp every year. I discovered that they have a border collie of their own. It was nice to commiserate with someone who missed "Angus" as much as I missed Olive.

Normally I sleep late on Saturday of the camp, have a leisurely breakfast, break down my tent, pack up my gear, and take my time getting back home, stopping at a large shopping mall in Danbury Connecticut for lunch and to look for a birthday present for my dad, as well as to pick up anything that I was kicking myself for not having during the week. This year I broke down my tent and packed on Friday afternoon, partook of our Friday night "review" program (each class gets up and performs), and sacked out in my sleeping bag on an empty bunk in the dormitory. I got up at 5, showered, loaded what little I had left into my car, and was on the road by six, stopping for coffee at a diner along the way. My excuse was that my sister was throwing a family gathering Saturday afternoon that I wanted to get to on time. I have to admit that wanting to get my dog back was also a factor.

I got home around 9:30, emptied my gear onto my living room floor, and arrived at the kennel around 10:30. I was told that Olive ate well, had a grand time with the other dogs, played catch with a staff member during her daily individual play time (for which I paid extra), and seemed happy the whole week. They brought her out fresh from a bath, she looked at me as if to say "oh, is it time to go home now?" and gave me a kiss. She hopped right into my car for the ride  home, and pulled me straight to the front door when I got her out. After a short time for her to savor being back home and sniff at that pile of stuff in the living room wondering what it was, we went for a walk, then another. At 2:00 we went to my sister's, where Olive had more fun training all the people there, including a little girl who couldn't have been much over four years old. Olive delighted all by showing how she could catch her doggy toy in midair, over and over and over......

After the party was over we went home where Olive collapsed on her bed and slept soundly through the night. Today she seems quite back to normal, pestering me for walks and to play catch. Nice to know that she was fine at the kennel and all my worrying was overblown.

I am contemplating going to a similar fiddle camp in Maine later in August, which I hear still has some room for additional campers. I feel much better about leaving Olive at the kennel. Hmmmm.....stay tuned.

Olive goes to daycare

A bit apprehensive about leaving Olive in a kennel for a week, even though Candlewick is spotless and seems very well run, I decided to give her some experience with their doggy daycare program. I had a meeting to attend last Wednesday, so I left her at Candlewick for some four hours.

Candlewick conducts an evaluation for each candidate for the daycare program. Dogs that don't quite fit in are not allowed into the daycare program, though they may come back for grooming services or overnight. I am happy to report that Olive passed with flying colors. They even provided a "report card" and posted a photo of her on their facebook page!

 

 

"My dog is an honor student at Candlewick Kennels"

 

 

Olive's first day at daycare

 

 

To give her a bit more experience and attempt to establish with her that Candlewick is a good place, I left her there again yesterday while I went north to Amherst for a fiddle lesson. Since I would be at my Tuesday supper group until around 9:00 p.m. I arranged to have my sister pick her up around 5:00. Olive was dropped off at my home and left inside with food and water. She seemed perfectly fine when I got home, while my sister reported that, according to the staff, Olive was exemplary. Perhaps they should provide bumper stickers proclaiming "My dog is an honor student at Candlewick Kennels". I might also keep an eye out for one that says "My border collie is smarter than your honor student".

 

I am still apprehensive about leaving her for a week, but I do feel better knowing that her experiences at Candlewick so far have been positive.

 

 

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At the dog park last Monday I ran into another dog person with a border collie. Her dog "Tess" got along well with Olive. This person told me about an operation in a nearby town that trains dogs as herders, including a program to train goose dogs. The operation is run by someone who travels around the world training herding dogs. As soon as I got home I found "Nutmeg Farms of Portland CT" on the internet and called them, leaving a message. I got a call back within a few hours. An introductory class will be offered in September. I asked to be signed up. Yes, Olive already has a good idea about how to herd sheep, but I don't have any sheep for her to herd. Nutmeg Farms does. That is something to look forward to.

 

I mentioned that I am interested in training Olive as a goose dog. That may be doable, but I was told that to use Olive in that manner I would have to be licensed as a wildlife officer in Connecticut. The penalties for not being licensed are stiff. That is something I will have to look into further.