It’s about Johnny, my neighbors’ beautiful young German Shepherd.  When the neighbors moved in next door to me several years ago, they brought along their two dogs — Alabaster, a petite, pretty, white Pittie, and Johnny, a magnificent young German Shepherd.  I was happy to meet the young couple and befriend their pets.  But the couple weren’t as excited to get to know their neighbors, which of course is their choice, obviously, but disappointing nonetheless.  Our properties are divided by concrete block privacy walls, so once Johnny and Alabaster were ushered into their new backyard, I was never able to interact with them again …

… Until Johnny began jumping the wall into my back yard.  The first time he came over was quite the surprise.  I happened to walk past my patio door and glance out to see this big guy standing there staring back in at me.  I marveled at his size — large, muscular, a real specimen dog.  Johnny, however, was not trained, even basics like walking on a lead.  He was a good-natured boy, but had lots of nervous energy, making him unable to focus or respond to commands.  It only took a minute or two to recognize that his owners were not invested in managing his behavior.

His owners were away that first time, so I kept Johnny with me in my yard till they returned home a few hours later.  We had fun.  Turns out Johnny loves water — loves it!  The more I sprayed the garden hose for him to chase, the more he loved it.  I loved his child-like joy!  And the more he ran and chased the water spray, the more relaxed he became.  I could see his nerves and anxieties melt away as he played and burned off all his built-up toxic energy.  It was a great time, and I could tell he was relieved.

Our New Normal.

And so began the next three years living next to Johnny.  He jumped the fence on a frequent basis.  I was always finding him in my yard running around.  I adored Johnny but, even tho he was welcome at my home, I couldn’t allow him to keep coming over unannounced.  My own pets were outside with me every day enjoying our yard, and I had no idea if Johnny could be trusted with them.  My dog Bandit is only 11 pounds, and my two cats are quite small as well, especially compared to a 150-pound hyper-active German Shepherd.  I couldn’t put them at risk by allowing Johnny free run of my property.  Johnny might have been friendly and non-threatening, but his size and nervous energy alone could hurt them.  We never knew when he would come over the fence — we just knew that he was always pacing on his side of the fence, and that he would surprise us at any moment.

Johnny’s back yard is higher than mine because we live on the foothills of a mountain range.  So he was never able to jump back over the fence to go home on his own.  And he would freak out — running, crying, pacing, barking, tearing up my grass, my window screens, etc.  I was never angry at Johnny for his anxieties and poor behavior, because it was never his fault.  I knew he was a good dog, who just needed some attention and training.  So I tried to take advantage of the times he was in my yard, and help him burn off pent-up energy so he could learn some commands.  He liked that.  But then the owners would come get him and he’d go back to being ignored and misbehaved.  It was a sad and unfortunate cycle.

Sad Intentions.

It became apparent that Johnny’s time living next door to me was coming to an end.  The neighbors were growing frustrated at having to come get him from my yard so often, and they commented on occasion that they needed to find him a new home.  They listed the typical reasons that people give:  he’s badly behaved, he’s too much work, we have a new baby, etc.  I could tell they were looking for a quick and easy way to unload him, so I began reaching out to people I knew to see if we could get him re-homed safely.  Before I got any takers, tho, the big escape happened.

The Big Escape.

One day last month, I got a notice on NextDoor.com about two dogs wandering a nearby neighborhood.  I pulled up the photo and saw that it was Alabaster and Johnny.  I quickly texted my neighbors that their dogs were loose and the finder had already taken the dogs to the county shelter.  I knew the danger they were in there, and my heart was racing.  The neighbors eventually texted back saying they would go retrieve them.  I texted them again and gave them the two kennel numbers to help quickly identify the dogs and get them safely out.  They texted back saying they were on their way to the shelter.

Later that evening, another post came through on NextDoor.com about Johnny and Alabaster.  It said Alabaster had been picked up by the owners, but Johnny was still at the shelter.  I was shocked to realize the owners had recovered Alabaster but had deliberately left Johnny behind at the shelter.  My heart sank.

Heartbroken But Hopeful.

Posts on NextDoor.com were swirling about trying to get Johnny out of the shelter to safety.  I called everyone I could think of.  Folks were even visiting Johnny at the shelter to be sure he was doing okay and posting status reports on any possible adoptions.  Three days later, the posts stopped.  No more updates on Johnny.  The shelter folks would not let us know if Johnny had been adopted or if they had killed him.

It’s been a few months now, and I still think of Johnny every day.  I fight the urge to judge his owners and be angry with them.  But it’s hard.  Johnny deserved so much better than he got from them.  My heart will always hurt for Johnny knowing he got cheated … and it wasn’t his fault.  I can only pray our networking helped and that he was adopted and is now in the care of loving, diligent folks who prioritize his wellbeing and happiness.  Miracles do happen.

If you don’t have the time or attitude to invest in training a dog, . . .

                                                              . . .   please don’t get a dog.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post And Another Good Dog Is Ruined. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Socialize your dog from day one — this is very important, not only for his mental health, but also for the overall health and strength of your family as a whole. To exile your dog to the back yard, or to a crate locked away in another room when company comes to visit, or to never take your dog with you when you go out is to rob him of the joy of belonging. It also creates a neurotic personality with bad habits you’re not going to like. He’s part of the family — let’s learn how to treat him like it. 

Socializing Is Easy, And It’s Not Too Late To Start.

Even if your dog is already anti-social. Example: When the doorbell rings, have your dog walk to the door WITH you. Don’t shoo him back or into another room — this tells him the new person must be bringing trouble and that will put Fido on alert. If you’re concerned he may bolt out the door or jump up on the visitor, then put him on a short lead and keep him close at your side. Don’t cinch up on the lead, keep it relaxed. A tight lead tells your dog you’re nervous — you don’t want that. But still have him answer the door with you. Let him greet your visitor.

If you think he may nip, then ask the visitor not to pet him until after he’s sniffed them and is comfortable with their presence. If he’s over-excited and pushes his way ahead of you to the door, use your body to block him. Even tho he’s answering the door with you, he needs to remember that you’re the boss and you go first. SUGGESTION: Keep this gentle leader handy for answering the door. It will allow you to manage Fido easily and effectively without the chaos of him pulling and dragging you and acting out. Click on the ad to view and purchase.

If your dog is mistrustful of new people, then ask your visitor not to “get in his face.” In dog language, that’s a threat or challenge, and you’ve just invited trouble. Put Fido on a short lead. Tell the new person to ignore him – don’t kneel down to him, don’t look at him, don’t talk to him. Act like Fido’s not even there. Chat with your visitor and keep their focus on you, keeping Fido at your side on a relaxed lead. Always remember — your body language tells Fido what he needs to know — is this person okay or not okay? Staying relaxed and ignoring Fido tells him there’s no threat and gives him a neutral space to size up the new person. Once he’s finished sniffing and “okay’d” the new person, he’ll generally sit or turn away. That’s the new person’s sign that they can now greet him by extending the back of their hand for him to sniff and then pet him.

Socializing By Shopping Is A Safety Activity?

I live on the foothills of a mountain outside of Phoenix. We have all kinds of wildlife; mountain lions, coyotes, hawks, owls, vultures, bobcat, rattlesnakes, … We see them every day in the neighborhood searching for food. So taking my dogs outside for a leisurely walk, or letting my cat out to lounge on the back patio can be really dangerous and ill-advised. Instead, I take my dogs with me to Lowes, or Home Depot, etc., any pet-friendly shopping place, and we walk the aisles. Even if I have nothing to buy. It’s a safe environment for my dogs and me, temperature-controlled to boot, and it’s a great way to socialize. It gives your dog all kinds of new scents to enjoy – remember, a dog’s strongest sense is his sniffer.

People don’t always expect to see pets in Lowes or Home Depot, so when they come around the corner into our aisle, they happily come pet my dogs and give them love and chat with us awhile. It’s a very relaxed, positive interaction, and my dogs totally soak up the attention! You’re effectively teaching your dog that interacting with people is a good thing. Perfect way to socialize.

Going to Petsmart or PetCo or any other pet store is super ideal, too, because your dog gets to interact with other dogs as you walk the aisles. Remember, dogs are hard-wired to mix and mingle. It’s in their DNA. All dogs are required to be on leads when they visit pet stores, so that’s an added safety feature. And, on top of the socializing, your little guy gets to do some shopping of his own and enjoy all the fabulous smells of a pet store. Talk about a great day!  🙂

By the way, if your dog is a puller and you kind of dread taking him out in public because of that, consider either of the following gentle leaders. They’ll turn your life around – believe it. You’ll be happily taking Fido out all the time and even getting compliments from people about how well behaved he is. Seriously. Click on either of these to view and purchase and get started on your happy outings together.

Dog Park – The Ultimate Socialization.

And let’s not forget about dog parks. What an awesome day for a dog, to be able to run and play and socialize with other dogs, burn off energy, and make new friends. Be very sure your dog is current on vaccinations AND bordatella. Bordatella will help protect him against respiratory ailments that other dogs in the park may be carrying.  NOTE: don’t forget your poop bags! Here’s a proven favorite – click to view and purchase.

If your dog is a little older and can’t keep up or wears out quickly, consider a backpack or stroller for him so he can still be included in your outing in a safe and comfortable way.  For my senior dogs, I have this fabulous little Pet Gear stroller. It’s been a lifesaver for sure. I can actually fit 4 tiny dogs (under 8lbs), 3 small dogs (under 12lbs), or 1 medium dog (under 20lbs).  See us here on one of our lovely walks?  Tell me those little ones don’t look happy! There’s a great little storage bin underneath where you can store the dogs’ food and water dishes, pee pads, leads, treats, blankets, or whatever you might be shopping for! This stroller is the BEST! And the dogs can go ALL day in this stroller or backpack very comfortably. So plan your picnic, or shopping, or whatever, and don’t worry about cutting your day short because of a worn-out pooch. 🙂

You’ll also need a collapsible water dish to take along. Never leave home without the water dish! 

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post Socialize Your Dog. appeared first on BareFootPets.

To teach a pet effectively, you must first learn to speak your pet’s language. It’s a whole different ballgame than teaching children. Once we figure that part out, the rest comes easily. Pets communicate more through body language than through talking. Your voice can actually be a big part of the problem. Example: your dog is looking out the front door and sees someone walk by the house. He starts barking and barking and won’t stop. So you tell him “no,” but you have to raise your voice to be heard over his barking. So why doesn’t he stop barking when you holler at him? Because, in a dog’s world, you’re just joining in the fun. You’re “barking” with him, and that’s pretty exciting for him. So what did you really teach him? That barking was good. Surprised?  Read on.

Teach With Body Language Versus The Spoken Word.

So how do you be a good teacher and stop the barking then? First, break his focus from the thing he’s barking at. Toss a sock, or a lightweight stuffed toy at him – something that won’t hurt him. You can be way across the room, but if you toss something at him, he’ll see that as an extension of your actual touch, and it will distract him from the barking. Then you can call him away from the door in a soft, happy voice, no hollering or scolding needed. If he’s a bit stubborn, tho, and goes back to the barking, then repeat the toss, and this is when you’ll use body language. Step fully between him and what he’s barking at. Don’t just lean over him, step fully in front of him. Use your body to block and redirect his focus onto you. If he tries to go around you and back to barking, you must continue using your body to block him.

Another very important tip–always keep your energy happy and calm. No anger, no tension. Continue blocking him until you see him “yield.” Yielding is when he gives up–turns and walks away, or just sits down. It’s a signal that he’s acknowledging you as the boss now. You have learned to teach him effectively, in his own language, and this is all accomplished using body language. Now you can praise him. You’ll realize quickly what a relief it is to be rid of the frustration and stress and chaotic hollering. Your home will become peaceful again, filled with happy, positive energy, and your dog will be more relaxed knowing that you’re in control. Now that’s something to look forward to.

Think Like Your Dog – Teach Her With Positive, Fun, Love.

Remember, pets aren’t as capable of logic and analytic thinking as people. So don’t expect them to reason and figure out what you want on their own. And they will respond much better to happy, positive encouragement than to negative correction. Scolding and trying to “guilt” your pet into good behavior will always fail, because he isn’t wired up to think like a human. That negative approach just ends up with an unhappy pet filled with stress and anxiety, continuing to act out, and an unhappy you as well. Try the simple tips above, become The Quiet Teacher, and be consistent. It may take a few times before he gets the message. But be patient – he will.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post The Quiet Teacher. appeared first on BareFootPets.