Dog training

Nigel and his den (crate)

One of the first things we have noticed with Nigel is that he will not enter (what used to be) Ray’s wire crate. That crate was Ray’s “safe zone” in that nobody touched him when he was in there. Given that it might be necessary to put Nigel in there at some point, our thinking was to repeat the Ray perspective i.e. If you go in there, you are quite safe and nobody will approach you.

In this situation, training typically involves throwing treats in and encouraging the dog to go in after them. Nigel is highly food motivated but, unless he can reach in to get the treat (and with his feet staying outside the crate), then the treats just stay there. It is interesting to watch him assess the treats from different perspectives as he walks around the crate. We have no doubt that he will soon go in quite happily, and perhaps even chill there periodically, but it is going to take some time.

We were talking today with our contact at the Dog Guides and we learned an interesting piece of Nigel’s history. Apparently, he was adopted some time ago by a couple who decided to move from Ontario to Alberta to be with their children and very young grandchildren. The grandchildren (3) were all under 3 years old and there developed a problem with Nigel. His idea of interacting was likely quite rough when considering such young children. After some nipping and scratching, it was decided that Nigel would have to be returned to the Dog Guides here.

Taking that history in the context of his crate behaviour with us, I cannot help but wonder whether his final period in Alberta was spent in a crate? One can only speculate what his previous owners were thinking when they decided to move so far away and into an environment with such young children but, as I often said about Ray’s start to life …. His previous owners have no idea what a very special dog he turned out to be and, just like Ray, Nigel’s previous owners’ lack of foresight and consideration of his needs, simply became our treasure.

“C’mon guys. Who could not love me eh?”

So who is Nigel?

Nigel was born just over two years ago, and was taken into a training programme offered by our local Dog Guides training facility.  Unfortunately, while he apparently did respond quite well to the training, he did not meet the necessary minimum performance expectations of a future service dog. He was therefore deemed to be a “Career Change” dog and was posted on their website as available for adoption.

We met with the Dog Guides representative this afternoon, during which time his shortcomings were discussed, and it was ultimately agreed that we could foster him for a month. At the end of that time, we could either return him …. or proceed with a formal adoption of him.

He has only been here a very short time but his personality is starting to show already and, unless he really surprises us in a negative way, I think it is pretty safe to assume that he will be living with us for many years to come!

One more benefit of self-publishing!

A short time ago, I published (here) a Post about various aspects of self-publishing (link below).

Publishing your Book!

My general message was that anybody who has a dream of publishing their writings should do so, even though there is a strong possibility that the financial costs involved may never be recouped.

As some of you already know, there can be great pleasure in simply holding a copy of your first book. Imagine then the sense of satisfaction when a copy is sold and, further, the big smile on your face when you read a review and realize that your book has impacted another person sufficient for them to express their views publicly.

Another cause for self-satisfaction would be when the owner of another Blog decides to review your book! Not only are you getting the benefit of another perspective on your endeavours, but your work is then exposed to their readers with the resulting sales potential.

“Who Said I was up for Adoption?” has just been reviewed by Tiana Kelly who authors Sit, Stay, Blog – link below:

https://sit-stay-blog.net/2021/09/17/who-said-i-was-up-for-adoption/

Thanks Tiana and, being a dog person yourself, I was so pleased that you saw aspects in the book which could help new dog owners develop a relationship with their dog.

Some memory!

“Some memory” could be a facetious statement about my memory, which is showing distinct challenges as a result of aging, but my memory was not on my mind when I started this Post … but rather Ray’s memory!

When Ray moved into our home in 2013, we needed a way for him to tell us when he wanted to go outside (for body function reasons!).  He had no issue with using the garden as necessary,  but we were not always out there on his timing. Our solution was to hang a small bell on the handle of the back door, and showed him that when the bell rings … the door is opened. He caught on to that very fast and everything was fine until ……………………………..!

Ray decided that he wanted to go outside at around 1:00am one night and so he rang the bell. The door was opened for him and, with flashlight in hand (must look out for skunks, raccoons and foxes), he was lead out into the garden. If all was clear, then he was unclipped from his leash and allowed to do whatever he needed to do. After a number of “early hours” bell ringing, we realized that he simply wanted to be outside. He then started to resist coming back inside and, as we both needed our sleep, we had a decision to make.

Ray was estimated at 2 years old when he adopted us from our local shelter, so he was old enough to establish a routine for his body. He would relieve himself completely on his daily walks, so we thought that he should be encouraged to do the same before we go to bed.

A few days later, he rang the bell in the early hours, and he was ignored! His solution was to keep hitting the bell with his nose until somebody got up and took him outside ….. where he did nothing but lay down on the grass. The bell was subsequently removed from the door handle.

Ray, once again, adapted very well to his new circumstances. Now fast forward to August 2021, and Ray is now around 11 years old.

Carol was out shopping and I was sitting in our general kitchen area (the back of our home), so Ray would normally be curled up on one of his beds, or on “his” chair, or stretched out on the floor in front of the refrigerator! We now have a small flashlight hanging on the door handle.

I suddenly sensed some movement, and looked up just in time to see Ray side-swipe the small flashlight which went flying across the room. He then stood facing the back door, but with his head turned and looking at me. I can only conclude that he remembered  the bell routine from long ago!

Ray had a developed a single “Woof!” routine for when he wanted attention, so I can only assume that I did not hear him that time. Perhaps I was dozing?  🙂

Way to go Ray! You have always been one very special dog.

Ray Update.

We are still working on Ray’s issues but, as is usually the case in life (at least based on my experiences), there is rarely a “black and white” answer to anything.

Ray’s unrest during the night could be the onset of “doggy dementia” where he is imagining things that really aren’t there. Perhaps he whimpers at night because he does not like being left on his own. Perhaps he is simply hungry, or perhaps his food is giving him a problem.  Perhaps he has a medical condition?  Perhaps he has more than one of  the above.

The easiest one for us to address was his food so, after consulting with his vet and a dog trainer friend, we have switched his food to one apparently more suitable for a senior dog. Also, instead of giving him two meals a day, we now give him four (reduced quantity of course!). If digestion was the problem, then we should have resolved it. If hunger was the problem, then his fourth meal of the day should now resolve that.

The result? An improvement in a number of areas. He has not been sick for a while now. He is more alert on his walks, and has his silly moments which we hadn’t seen for a while, so we are concluding that things have improved for him. However, we are not “there” yet as he is still active (seemingly at a reduced level) throughout the night.

This seems to be associated with nocturnal “house sounds”, but he has lived here for almost 9 years so perhaps that is the “doggy dementia” possibility. It could also be that he does not like us two going to  sleep and leaving him alone because he is very attached to us. It could also be that he is taking his guarding tendencies too seriously as he gets older. We are currently trying him out with some music throughout the night. So far we have tried music by Libera, Enya, Leonard Cohen, Stan Rogers and an Environmental recording. We’re still working on it!

Stay tuned!

Communication with Ray!

I have a PC in my bedroom and, as I was working away on it yesterday, I heard the clicking of paws on hardwood floors getting closer and closer.  I watched the bedroom door opening and, not unexpectedly, Ray appeared. He came right up to me; stood there, and stared (he can hold amazing eye contact). Continue reading →

A Ray update!

This Blog was started in 2014, a little over a year after Ray moved in with us. Ray not only triggered the book “Who Said I was up for Adoption?”  (click cover in right side column for more information) but also this Blog. Having said that, he has not been getting much coverage here recently! Continue reading →

A pause for paws!

We are very fortunate to have a covered front porch, so we can sit outside and be sheltered from the sun. We take advantage of that at every opportunity, particularly at lunch time, and Ray has no problem joining us and stretching out on his mat … unless we just emptied a yogurt container, in which case his job is to clean it out before we recycle it!

Ray has always amazed me at how much dexterity he has if food is involved and, despite the limitations of his paws, he can quickly stabilize the container for as long as is necessary!

Nice work Ray, and great show of creativity!

A dog’s perspective!

Living with Ray in those early years was a massive education for me.  Because Ray was my first dog, I not only had to learn how to interact with him; how to establish mutually acceptable behaviour patterns; how to “read” his body language, but also (as a context for this Post) how to try and see the world from his perspective. If I could understand his view of the world, I might be able to understand him! Continue reading →