To Stay or Go

Look at me, all on schedule and stuff! Okay, not really on schedule, because it's a day late. Oh, well! Baby steps.

 I'm going to start this post by stating again, that I am not a professional trainer. If you are having serious problems with your dog, seek the help of a trained professional (we go here).

 Alrighty, so Mia and I take a walk every night so she can go to the bathroom (she refuses to go at home, but that's another issue) and basically get some of her wiggles out before bed. If you walk your dog on any sort of schedule, you will undoubtedly bump in to the same people and dogs from time to time. Some of them you will become friendly with, and some you will try your hardest to avoid, either because the person is annoying, or the dog is. If you walk late at night, chances are, it's the dog that's the problem. It's not always the case, but if you have a dog who is dog-aggressive/reactive/fearful/excitable etc., it's sometimes easier to avoid a situation where your dog may be triggered. So, you walk really late at night. But what happens when you avoid situations is, you can't teach your dog how to handle themselves appropriately in that situation.

 Every few days, Mia and I encounter two dogs that I'll call "W" and "B". B would probably not be a problem on his own, but W does not deal well when she sees other dogs and gets all worked up, which gets B all worked up and it's loud and horrible to encounter late at night. Even if it's not my dog causing a ruckus, I feel bad for the people trying to sleep. Anyway, back to my point for this whole thing... W's owner does what I used to do years ago when Brynn and Mia would get worked up: she stops dead and tries to get the dogs to sit. It never happens because both dogs are agitated and not interested in listening to her in the least, which makes sense...

 Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm upset, the last thing I want is someone telling me to relax and sit down. This is basically what you are telling your dog to do and it rarely, if ever, works. Instead, keep walking. You must give off an air of leadership in any training situation, so stand tall and speak calmly. Tell your dog to 'leave it' and if they look away from the distraction, reward them! If they keep focused on the distraction, 'pulse' on their leash to get their attention. As soon as they look away, release pressure and reward them. As you get closer to the distraction, angle your path away from the distraction, so you're on a lawn, boulevard, edge of the path or road as long as it's safe, all the while repeating the pulse, reward system. Once you pass the other dog/person/etc., angle yourself back towards the sidewalk or path. Reward you dog once they're calm and resume your walk as normal. If your dog is really reactive, you may need to move further away at first, like crossing the street, but once your dog understands that ignoring the distraction means rewards ( either praise, treats, or play), you can slowly work your way closer. Training tools such as a Halti head halter, Volhard collar, or other training collar can be helpful when working with dogs who are strong or easily distracted. I have used both with Mia and they were instrumental for getting her to walk well on a flat collar.

If anyone has any other tips, tricks or suggestions, leave them in the comments!

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!

  Okay, I get it. I suck at this 'accountability' thing. But with the new year comes new goals; so along with eating less chips (good luck, me), being more organised (yeah, right) and going to gym more (again, good luck) I have come up with a simple scheme to keep myself on track with this whole blog thing (admittedly it does contain some organising, but the rest of my life is still up for messy grabs!). I hear some people call this idea a 'plan'. It's genius really. You lay out everything you want to cover in your posts, set post dates and generally have a freaking clue as to what you are doing. I should have probably done that when I started. Oh, well! No time like the present, right? And speaking of presents.... Look who got spoiled by Santa!

Mia's stocking isn't even in the picture because it's big and has to lean on the couch or else everything falls out...

  Okay, so I'm sure you're dying to know what this amazing plan of mine is, eh? Alright. Here goes.

• Post more
• Be more writing
• Mia
• That's it

  Alright, you caught me. That's not the plan. Well it is, but it was the very first, very rough draft of the plan. Seriously now, the real plan:

• Mia Reads. It's been ages since I wrote a #miareads post on Instagram and I really hate that because I liked doing them, but it didn't seem like the best platform for as lengthy posts as #miareads deserves/requires. So the full posts will go on here, with an abbreviated post on Insta. Oh, and it'll only be once a month, highlighting all the books Mia and I read that month, except this month, when there will be two because it's my blog and I can do what I want! And I wanted to write a post about the best books I read last year. It'll be great, I promise.
• Training Tuesdays. I'm not a professional trainer, nor do I claim to be, but I have picked up some opinions, tips and tricks while working with Mia that I'd like to share with you. You are under no obligation to take my advice (but it would be kinda cool if you were. Brain control via blog post! Muahaha! If it's ever possible, I should definitely not be the person they put in control of it. Just sayin'.), or even agree with it and I'd be super thrilled if you didn't hate me if my tips don't work for you. That'd be great, kthanksbye! Oh, right, timing! I'll do a Training Tuesday post every other Tuesday, because frankly, I'm too lazy to plan one for every week. Who do you think I am! Wonder Woman? Does Wonder Woman even have a blog?
• Motivation Monday. I'll be posting things that motivate me as a dog owner to be the best possible dog owner I can be, and things that make me want to get out and do things with the best dog ever! Sounds great, yeah? This is where it gets tricky. Motivation Monday's will be posted on the second Monday of the month, unless that week is a Training Tuesday week, in which case Motivation Monday will be the third Monday of the month. Simple right? I think I'd better write all this down...
• Hikes and basic life with Mia! This one is easy because the love I have for this dog makes it impossible for me to keep her to myself. I'll schedule these posts around the others so there isn't a huge block of posts and then nothing for two weeks, but really, these are the ones that are the most fun to write. She's so cute and smart and funny and... I think you get the picture.

  Alrighty! There you go! All laid out super simple and easy to follow. Some posts will be short, others will be longer (seriously, this post may be the longest one yet!), some will have tonnes of pictures, some of them won't. I hope you join us on our journey. Here's a picture of Fern, because she's cute and she 'helped' me write this.

Thinks she's a dog. Not really a dog.

Ugh, I know...

   Okay, okay, I know. It's been a month again. But since I'm as sick as the proverbial dog, I thought now is as good a time as any to make amends and write our next post. Lucky you!

   So, what's happened since our last post? A lot, but most of it isn't noteworthy. Mia had her picture taken with Santa at the Burlington Humane Society, and she hated every minute of it. Fern went too and owned the room like the little rock star she is. As long as she was in my arms, anyway...

Yeah, I made my parents come with us. Fern was pretty interested in the tinsel on the tree. Mia was only interested in leaving.

   While we were at the shelter, we ran into one of the ladies who was instrumental in rescuing Mia and we found out that she's actually from a Native reservation. Which really explains the mixed up mess she is because she's probably inbred three generations back. But whatever. I still love her, crazy genes and all.

   Okay, what else? Mia and I haven't been on a hike in over a month and I'm starting to see it wear on both of us. I have to get her out for a long trek on the next nice day or else she really will go bat-shit crazy, and I won't be far behind her. Both of us are creatures of solitude. We like socializing, sure, but we need time to unwind. Time to really connect and centre ourselves and walking around our neighbourhood three times a day just isn't cutting it. So, into the woods we go.

   Mia will also be going in for some minor surgery in the next few weeks to have a questionable lump removed. I was hoping to wait until the spring so she wouldn't have a poor shaved spot in the middle if winter, especially since the lump is on her bum, but it's been growing faster than expected and I don't take any chances when it comes to weird lumps.

Alright, I think that sums up our little life for the time being. I actually will have another post later in the week because I'm being adult and planning things (sort of). 

This is life

Well, it's been over a month since our last post. Whoops. Totally my bad, guys. Life has been hectic and some things have fallen by the wayside. Since our last post we have moved out of  my grandparent's house and are now settled in back at home, we have been working hard to get Gram and Grandad's house ready for sale and hopefully it's listed by the end of the year. Do you know how much stuff a couple can accumulate in 60 years? A lot.
And now we have internet, we may or may not have been binge watching The Good Wife...
It was also Mia's 7th birthday on November 4th, a day which is always celebrated with lots of cuddles and a few tears. Every year she makes it through just blows my mind because we weren't even sure if she would live to see... well, anything.

Such a happy birthday girl!

For people that don't know, Mia and Brynn were supposed to just be fosters; only supposed to be with us until they were old enough to be adopted. They were a few days old when we brought them home and they needed nearly constant, round the clock care for their first few weeks. They had been dumped by some lovely excuse for a human being on the side of the road in a bag. The vet that was at the shelter the night we picked up our "fosters" told us not to feel too bad if they died. They were too small, too cold and too young to be given much of a chance, but they all made it, except for one. Jackson, as my mom dubbed him, was our third pup and he died 24 hours after he came home, most likely from head trauma from being dumped so cruelly. I don't really feel sad when I think about little Jackson. I do feel a terrible, gut-wrenching fear when I think about what could have happened to Brynn and Mia. The world could have been deprived of their brightness, their love. I could have been deprived of the most life-changing experience. I wouldn't have the job I have, the outlook I have or the life I have now. So much would have been different if that vet had have been right. But thankfully, he wasn't. It has definitely not been an easy road, but I feel lucky that I can share in this wonderful creature's life.

Brynn and Mia as wee babes

I promise to post more regularly now that we have regular access to internet (yay!) and now that you know what's been going on in our lives, I hope you excuse our tardiness. Now go hug a dog.

To Sniff or Not to Sniff?

    This week we had a huge breakthrough in regards to training. It was one of those things that a passerby would probably not have noticed at all, but I could have jumped for joy. I'm sure I would have scared off any other hikers with my Cheshire cat smile, but thankfully we were alone. What was this breakthrough, you ask? Mia walked without stopping to sniff stuff!

    Okay, it doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it actually is. Have you ever been walking your dog and it feels like you're spending more time standing still than actually walking? Yeah, me too. Mia used to be a big sniffer. To the point of being annoying. She couldn't walk ten feet without having to stop and smell one thing or another. Now, don't get me wrong, smelling new things is very important to how dogs perceive the world around them. It's probably the most important way they process information. It tells them all kinds of things, from how many other animals have passed by recently, if those animals were healthy, if any of them were a potential threat, if there's a food-source nearby, etc. And all that info is processed solely though their noses. Basically, they use their noses like we use our eyes. It's actually pretty amazing and you can read some more about it here. It can also be a huge frustration on your walks. Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Yes, it is.

Her 'up' command went a little haywire...

    I'll preface this next bit by saying, I am no training expert, but this is what worked for us. 

    First, as with any training exercise, you have to have a goal. My goal with Mia was to have her still be able to smell the ground and things around her, but not be consumed by the desire to work out the elemental compounds that are present in the smell. Some people feel that a dog should not smell anything while on a walk and they should be totally focused on the handler, and if that's your goal, that's fine. For me, it's a bit extreme. I want my dog to enjoy our time together, not be concerned if she's looked at me enough in the past ten seconds. And, as stated above, smelling things is very important to how your dog deals with an environment or situation. 

    After you have a goal in mind, teach your dog a basic 'leave it' command. How you go about this varies depending on your training philosophy, but there's a great article that breaks down pretty much how Mia and I learned it, here. 

    Once your dog has an understanding of the 'leave it' command, it time to grab some treats and go for a walk! When I walk Mia, I'm constantly talking to her, giving her praise or direction. I'm also using the leash to give her signals, like to slow down a bit, or to catch up, or as a reminder that I'm still there and she needs to check in, especially if it seems like her ears have stopped working (no lie, sometimes I feel like she goes deaf on walks, that's how little attention she pays to my verbal cues at times). Once your dog moves to sniff something, tell them to 'leave it' and reward with praise or food if they do leave it. Remember to keep moving throughout the whole process, so they associate the command and praise with movement. If your dog did not 'leave it', repeat the command and give a quick 'pulse' on the leash to help get their attention. (Some people feel 'pulsing' or 'popping' on a dogs leash is negative and can harm the dog, but in my opinion, you'd have to be pretty aggressive in you corrections for any harm to come to your dog.) You may need to increase the pressure in the pulses if your dog is ignoring you, and if he's being particularly stubborn, you may need to move in and touch or tap his side to get his attention. Once he's focused on you and not the smell, move on and repeat the process as needed. If he only pauses briefly before moving on, praise and keep moving!

    It can be frustrating at first, especially if you have a stubborn dog who is more inclined to stop and sniff, but firm, consistent training is the key. I also stop once or twice in high 'dog-traffic' areas and let Mia sniff for as long as she wants (as long as it's within reason), so she can indulge in more complex scents. But she still needs to follow her 'leave it's; getting a good sniff doesn't mean she needs to figure out the last five generations of the dog who left the 'pee-mail'. 

    Remember to have fun with your dogs and let us know if you have any other tips in the comments!

Jacob: A Life worth Loving

There are some things in life that truly suck. Flat tires, speeding tickets and realizing you don't have enough money to buy your $8 low-fat, extra hot, no whip, vanilla soy latte with an extra shot all fall in that category on a normal day. They make you swear, clench your fists and wonder why you got up that morning. But those are really just annoyances when compared to yesterday. What really sucks is getting a call that your dog cannot stand. What really sucks is realizing that less than four months after your Grandad died, and you promised him on his death bed that you would take care of his dog, you have to put him down. The same dog that you saw everyday after school; the same dog you were afraid would eat your new puppies when you brought them home, but instead he nurtured and indulged them. The same dog that you had to convince your grandparents to keep after he bit you shortly after they adopted them. The same dog who loved your grandparents without limit and reason, and loved you the same. That dog.

My grandparents adopted Jake in 2007 from the SPCA. He was not what any of us were expecting, considering they went to look at small, white dogs and came home with this giant, black beast. They told us that they just couldn't leave him there. He had been curled in a ball as everyone walked by and then as he saw my grandparents, he uncurled and just sat there, staring at them. He reminded my Grandad of my Uncle's Bouvier des Flandres, Jessa, my Grammie fell for his hang-dog face, and after hearing that he had been there for 3 months after being transferred form another shelter, they brought him home. He got off to a rocky start. The shelter had no idea how he was with other dogs, kids or cars. They also had no idea how old he was. One person said six or older, another said he was closer to two-years-old. My Aunt thought my grandparents were insane. How could they bring this thing into a house that routinely saw children of every age come through the doors? It didn't help that Jake had decided if my grandparents were going to be his people, he was going to protect them at any cost. He stared people down and backed them into corners, growled and barked, and one day he bit me. That was almost the end for him, my grandparents were going to take him back. I had to convince them that it was my fault. And it was. I had reached over Grandad's shoulder to get his attention while wearing a puffy coat. Jake saw it as a threat to his person, so he bit me. If I hadn't been wearing the coat, it would have been a bad bite. He immediately knew it was wrong and I have never seen a dog hit the floor so fast. He came over to me to seek forgiveness and after that, he was like a different dog. My grandparents weren't his only people. Now, he still wasn't perfect, but who is? He would beg for food at the dinner table, rivers of drool pouring from is mouth. He would bark at any sound he heard (thanks, Jake, for teaching Mia that one...). He would also steal loaves of bread off the counter and leave every piece of the plastic bag behind in minuscule bits. But we loved him. He tried his hardest to teach Brynn and Mia how to be dogs, and was marginally successful. 

This past few years had been difficult for him. Gram had knee surgery in February of 2015 and then broke her ankle that June , so trips to the park to watch the ducks had been few and far between. Grandad had surgery to insert a pace-maker, so their long walks were much shorter. But he adjusted to both. Then Gram died suddenly in her sleep last July and there was no one to share their morning toast with him, or call him the world's most beautiful boy while giving him a massage. Again, he adjusted. When Grandad started having trouble moving his one hand, and was ultimately diagnosed with a brain tumour, Jake stuck to him like glue. He slept at Grandad's feet and moved from room to room with him. When Grandad had to be pushed in a wheelchair and had to spend most of his day in bed, Jake stayed with him. He adjusted. He was cursed for being in the way, for not moving fast enough, for shedding too much, but he never wavered in his loyalty to Grandad. Ever the faithful hound. 

Jake had a few medical problems of his own that we were dealing with at the same time. He had surgery to fix a twisted stomach a few years back which left him without a spleen. As a result he had to have regular blood work, which showed he was hypothyroid. Easy fix; just a pill twice a day and he'd be fine. He also had multiple lumps that had to be monitored for excessive growth or irritation. One had grown between the muscle layers of his back leg and made it difficult to bend. Another was on his chest, right in front of his leg, again causing mobility problems. His hearing was practically non-existent. The only sound he seemed to hear was Mia when she barked. As he aged it was clear that his mobility would be the deciding factor in how long we could wait before making the ultimate decision. Not only were his lumps impeding his ability to get up and walk around, his hips were arthritic and painful. He had trouble on slippery surfaces and his appetite was waning, choosing to only eat canned food and turning up his nose if he had eaten the same thing the day before. I knew his time was coming to end, but I had wanted to have one last holiday with him. Life lesson: you don't always get what you want. I have been living at my grandparents house since Grandad died, sparing Jake from moving to our house with it's hardwood floors and losing his home. He had always been a late riser, preferring to stay in bed until 10 o'clock or he got hungry, whichever came first. So I thought nothing of it when I couldn't get him up before I left for work at 6:30am. He's just being lazy, I said to myself. Then when my dad couldn't get him to stand up at 8:00, my panic level rose a bit more. But it was okay, it wasn't desperate yet. Then my brother got him up and outside a few hours later. Finally! The relief was short-lived. He fell while outside and couldn't get up again. That was it, I was leaving work to see what was going on. By the time I got home, Jake was back inside and resting, but I could tell he wasn't comfortable. He was ravenous though, so I gave him his breakfast and made the decision then and there that he couldn't keep living with legs that refused to work. He needed to be free. Phone calls were made, tears were shed, an emergency trip to McDonald's was made, and his people rallied around him to make his last hours full of love. One of our vets came to the house and we said good-bye as he rested peacefully on his bed. I wasn't how I had planned it, but it turned out just as I had pictured it. Our old man, surrounded by his people, heading off to find Gram and Grandad in whatever realm our souls go to. As we drove him to the cremation facility today, I was hit by a realization that this was it. There would be no more semi-disgusted exclamations of, "Oh, Jake!", when he was drooling for food. There would be no more popcorn covertly thrown his way, or absent minded pats as I passed him in the hall. This was it. This was good-bye.

Life sucks sometimes, but we have to remember that those moments aren't what defines us. It's how we deal with life's shitty bits that defines us. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to loss this year. We deal with it every day, but we can't let it take over all the time. It's been hard for me to admit, but it's okay to be sad. I just can't let the sad be everything. So I as I looked back at Jake one last time, I did so with a smile as I remembered all the good times, and the bad. Life isn't worth living if we don't have both.

Jacob Alexander
A life worth loving, 2007-2016

Sometimes Local is Best

It's easy to forget there are gems in your own backyard, especially if you're like me and desperately want to hike mountains and paddle on oceans, both of which my city has exactly zero. But then I remember I have the Royal Botanical Gardens practically right down the road and it's (mostly) dog-friendly! It's not as adventurous as mountains and oceans, but it sure is pretty!

Yesterday we explored Hendrie Park, and I couldn't believe that I had never thought to take Mia to this amazing spot. I could have kicked myself! One of my best memories is when my Grammie and I came by ourselves and walked around the gardens and then had a quiet lunch in the Tea Room. There is just something about Hendrie Park that makes you feel peaceful and relaxed, which makes it a perfect place to spend a gorgeous autumn afternoon. Now, it takes a lot to make Mia feel relaxed, especially when she's somewhere new, and while she didn't necessarily qualify as 'calm', she did very well (even if I did have to revoke her flexi-line privileges in the first five minutes...). She hid behind me when a nice lady wanted to say hi, because, as per usual, she drew a crowd of admirers and, as per usual, had no interest in playing the well-brought-up lady and ignored everyone. Better to trust me to take care of the stranger-danger than to bark her fool head off. One spot she did really enjoy was the Morrison Woodland Garden because no one else was there because it was most like a hike, which is her favourite. And there were benches. Girl loves benches.

This bench was dedicated to Dr. R.C.B. Webster and says, "for peace, quiet and a good book". I think Dr. Webster and I would have gotten along.

The RBG also launched the International Sculpture Collection, which, as the name suggests, features sculptures by international artists. If you want to learn more about the sculptures or artists, you can do so here.

She thought these kids were real and this was as close as she would get.

Hugs are her favourite!

Artsy-fartsy

This piece is called 'On the Wings of Love' and it may be may favourite. It looks way better in person. Trust.

She desperately wanted to splash in the reflecting pools. Sorry beebs.

There were people around so she wouldn't sit in front of this one...

Cutest little gargoyle there ever was!

Always take a moment to smell the flowers.

All in all, it was a successful day! If you're ever in the Burlington/Hamilton area, you should check it out. There is an entry fee (unless you feel like buying a yearly pass, like us!), but there's also a few restaurants, a gift shop and activities for the kiddies as well, so why not make a day of it? It's a great place to spend some time exploring, whether you like to hike, learn about different plant species, or if you'd rather stroll around the well maintained grounds. Have you ever been to the RBG? Let us know in the comments!