A Ten-Minute Thunderstorm Leads to a Week of Trauma

July 28, 2011 at 11:59 am · Filed under Injuries

Last weekend, at five in the morning, there was a thunderstorm. These are rare where we live — really rare. Like, once-a-year rare. And this one was loud. My husband and I both hopped out of bed expecting to see that the school across the street had been hit by a meteorite, or the flames of an oil refinery explosion by the river a mile or so away. But there was nothing. The street was quiet, and so far, dry.

Danny, however, was not reassured. He was trembling. While the cat (he’s no longer a kitten at one year and 14 pounds) ran to the window to fight off this new, loud foe, Danny shook in terror. For the first time in his life, he was allowed into the bedroom, where I crouched around him and squeezed him tight. Doug got back into bed; the next morning, he told me he could feel Danny shaking the furniture. A lightning bolt would flash, I would warn Danny (not that it did any good), and he would recommence trembling with renewed verve.

Eventually, a few drops of rain fell, and ten minutes later, it was all over. We let Danny sleep on the floor in the bedroom.

Little did I realize, though, that this one thunderstorm would linger in our house. Danny’s big ears have never been keen on loud noises. If there’s too much bass in a movie’s explosions when we’re streaming Netflix, he heads for the landing on the staircase. He is not a fan of fireworks, but neither am I. I’m sure he, too, realizes that someone could lose a finger.

Last night, someone in the neighborhood had three leftover fireworks, apparently, and they shot them off at 9:45. Recommence trembling. I moved from the couch to Danny’s bed in front of it and held him with one arm while I finished watching So You Think You Can Dance. This morning, city workers started doing maintenance on the grounds of the school next door. It’s loud, but not that … oh. Recommence trembling. Under my desk.

I’m sincerely hoping for a quiet August … and September … maybe the rest of 2011 … so that Danny can put this traumatic, noisy July behind him and go back to being a mostly brave dog. Maybe the cat can give him pointers.

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Eli Learns the Rules of Tug

July 13, 2011 at 4:13 pm · Filed under Active Dog Games, Active Dog Training, Activities, Shelter Dogs

Eli, my pet pal at the Oregon Humane Society, is a very smart young dog. We got rained out of playing fetch outside today, and there was a group of kids doing who knows what in the indoor play space, so we retreated to his kennel.

And what’s the best indoor game ever? Tug! But only if you know the rules, which Eli was a bit sketchy on at first. Here is his learning curve, presented as a play for your reading enjoyment:

Eli sez, play tug!

Eli: Growl! I pull on the rope!

Me: Yes, you do. Okay, time to drop it.

Eli: Growl!

Me: Drop it.

Eli: Extra loud growl!

Me [turning around completely]: Fine. I don’t play with dogs who don’t play by the rules. I’d rather pick the dirt out of my fingernails. [counting to five in my head]

Eli: Growl! Growl? [drops rope toy and sits]

Me [turning back around]: Good drop it, Eli! Good dog! Here’s a jackpot of treats, and I’ll pick up the rope and play again! Hooray!

End scene. Or, more accurately, repeat until he gets the idea and drops it on command.

Once he could drop it when I asked, I’d tell him to “take it” and hold the rope out for him to grab with his teeth. Light bulb! “Drop it” doesn’t mean “game over;” it means “drop what’s in my mouth”! We played that way for 15-20 minutes. He got really good at it before I had to go, and he thanked me for teaching him by putting his nose against mine and staring into my eyes with that patented border collie  stare. Disconcerting, but I knew what he meant.

If you live within driving distance of Portland, Oregon, and you’d like to adopt Eli, please feel free to comment here or contact me. I’d be happy to help you meet him!

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Team Danny Gets a New Member

July 11, 2011 at 5:15 pm · Filed under Activities, Running with Dogs

Saturday night, my friend Nicole came over. I hadn’t seen her for weeks. She mentioned that she was thinking about taking up running again, after a years-long haitus. “You totally should,” I said, and blabbed on about the monthly Urban Adventure Run, which has prizes, and the two races I’ve run for animal charities, and the 10k trail run I’ll be doing at the end of the month. Why yes, I had been drinking. Astute of you to notice.

“You should come with Danny and I some morning,” I said. “We go out at least three times a week.” This is the kind of off-the-cuff invite I can offer now that Danny’s so much better behaved.

Damn if she didn’t take me up on it. Nicole called Sunday night and said she’d done four miles in the park that day and felt surprisingly good. Could she join us? But of course!

So Monday morning, we met halfway between our houses (actually, I think Nicole got the raw end of the deal and our meeting point was closer to my place than to hers). We ran three miles with only one little leash-biting freak-out on Danny’s part. It was next to the ball field where we have very occasionally played fetch in the past, and sometimes he remembers that as we go by and tries to convince me we should play again. Now. Get this leash off me!

He recovered quickly, and Nicole and I went back to discussing running shoe sales and fall races that end in wine tastings. She said she’ll probably take a couple days off, but she’s game to go out with us again. Coach Danny’s skills have lured in another team member. We’re going to need shirts or sweatbands or something, now that neighborhood friends Kristin and Nicole have both on Team Danny on occasion.

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Easier, Colder, Cheaper, Longer-Lasting Kong Stuffing

July 6, 2011 at 6:10 pm · Filed under Active Dog Games, Feeding the Active Dog

Eons ago, I wrote about diabolical Kong stuffing, which involved a lot of layers and yummy bits and stuff. While this is good as a treat, Danny needs some help with a couple of things:

  • Not eating so damn fast
  • Cooling off after a walk or run
  • Staying busy when it’s too warm to do much of anything

Enter the simplest, coldest, longest-lasting Kong ever. Here are the steps:

  1. Put a serving of your dog’s food in a bowl.
  2. Add some water.
  3. Let it sit until the food is mushy.
  4. Cram it into however many Kongs it will fill.
  5. Freeze overnight.

Voila! Kongs filled with the same nutritious stuff you give your dog every day with no new ingredients that might weird his digestive system out, plus a little extra water, which we know he can use. This morning, 20 minutes after our 3.5-mile run, I gave Danny his small Kong filled with this stuff. It took him nearly 45 minutes to finish it — a record, I think. He’s eating frozen dinner from his bigger black Kong right now. Tomorrow will be cooler, so I’ll wash these out tonight and fill and refreeze them in preparation for the next hot day.

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The Dog at the Top of the World

July 2, 2011 at 5:34 pm · Filed under Activities, Hiking with Dogs, Traveling with Dogs

Snow: Eat It, Dig in It, Roll in It, Bite It

Well, he thinks he is, anyway. We took Danny hiking last weekend, a 6.5-mile jaunt to the top of a ridge in the Cascade Mountains (that’s Mount Hood in the background). It was probably our longest hike ever, but that wasn’t what made it special for Danny. What he liked best was the snow.

Where we live, we get maybe one snowstorm a year, and it doesn’t usually last very long. We’re more of a rain-soaked region. Thus the stack of towels designated solely for cleaning muddy paws and drying damp ears. So when we encountered something like a foot and a half of snow on the trail (in 65-degree weather), Danny was ecstatic. More than ecstatic. He was leash-bitingly overstimulated.

He learned that he was aloud to bite it, eat it, dig in it, roll in it, jump into piles of it, and pretty much do anything he wanted in the snow without getting in trouble. It was too much for his Kelpie brain to process, and he went into a frenzy. I worried that if we didn’t turn around, he’d exhaust himself and my husband and I would have to carry him back down. I did not want to hike holding the ass-end of my 50-pound dog for three miles.

I used the techniques we learned in Reactive Rover to bring him back to neutral — turns out that works as well for reacting to snow as it does for reacting to dogs. He calmed down and proceeded as if he’d been born in Alaska. We all got snacks and water at the top, and we all took sound naps in our hotel room at the bottom. Having an active dog can be challenging, but being able to hike through snow to a summit like this makes it all worth it.

Danny at the Top

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Fourth of July Pet Safety Tips

June 30, 2011 at 5:52 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

I know that the folks who find this blog are probably pretty dog-savvy already, but it never hurts to post the Oregon Humane Society’s July Fourth Pet Safety Tips as a reminder. A few highlights that bear repeating:

  • Make sure all your animals — even indoor-only cats — have collars and tags in case they get spooked and take off
  • Walk dogs before dusk, when fireworks are likely to begin
  • Don’t take your dog to the big fireworks display. If he freaks out and runs away, he’ll be in an unfamiliar neighborhood to boot
  • Sensitive dogs (like many active and herding dogs) can be closed in an interior bathroom where the noise is muffled a bit, or in their kennels if they feel safe and comfortable there

One of my favorite shelter dogs, Mesa, was believed to be a Fourth of July runaway. She came to OHS in mid-July a couple years ago and, because she was nine years old, she stayed until well into the fall. She did eventually find a new home, but she could have avoided the extended pit stop at OHS if her previous owners had taken a wee bit more care. Don’t bet that owner!

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New Pet Pal: Meet Eli

June 29, 2011 at 5:33 pm · Filed under Active Dog Games, Active Dog Training, Shelter Dogs

Eli Waiting for Me to Throw the Ball Already

Eli here is a border collie at the Oregon Humane Society who’s just under a year old — and very much an active dog. He gets walked twice a day every day, I take him out for an hour of walking, training, and fetch twice a week, and he runs with another volunteer on Thursdays. We are nowhere near wearing Eli out.

Luckily, he’s also super smart. He came to the shelter knowing basic commands, so I’m keeping his skills up while he waits for his new home and teaching him some new stuff, like drop it. He loves fetch, but he drops the ball long before he brings it back, so we’ve got something to work on. He’s also hyper-aware of his surroundings, being a herding dog and all, which can make him seem skittish. I’m going to try some confidence-building games with him, like tug, and see if that helps.

I think Eli is cute and fun, and I can’t understand why a young border collie hasn’t been snapped up yet. Any suggestions from the peanut gallery on how to make Eli the most adoptable dog ever? What have you looked for in a dog when you’ve visited a shelter?

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Get Your Own Coach Danny!

June 27, 2011 at 1:51 pm · Filed under Activities, Dog Walking, Running with Dogs, Shelter Dogs

I just came across a post on the Kaiser Permanente web site that says having a dog in the house makes it far more likely that you’ll get out and take a walk with your four-legged friend. That might be a big, fat “duh” for most of us, but KP points out two other lesser-known benefits that come with walking the dog:

  • People who walk regularly tend to live longer
  • People who walk are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s

Having a dog — whether it’s a super-active Coach Danny or a slower, older Basset hound — means you’re far more likely to walk at least once a day for at least 30 minutes. That number will make you and the dog happy and healthy for a long time to come.

My totally inexpert recommendation for potential adopters? Look for a dog who’s in the same shape you are. If you’re a little out of shape but want help getting out the door, find a happy tail-wagger who could stand to lose a few pounds himself. You’ll be on the same page, which is less frustrating for both human and canine than a marathoner adopting a Lab who’s been, let’s say, living large. Very large. Or a couch potato adopting a sleek Catahoula who could run circles around a race car. All day. Every day.

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Race #2: Run for the Love of Dove

June 22, 2011 at 12:31 pm · Filed under Activities, Running with Dogs

My second-ever 5k race was also for the benefit of dogs — and wildlife, this time. The Run for the Love of Dove event benefited the DoveLewis animal hospital’s Stray Animal and Wildlife Program, which treats any and all animals, domestic or wild, who’ve suffered an injury. It started at the Lucky Lab, a local brew pub, so swag for finishers included a DoveLewis key chain bottle opener. Sweet.

Coach Danny’s training worked again. This was my first timed race, and I finished in 27:31, which I was happy with. I did not realize that they would be taking pictures at the finish line, though, so I’m looking down at the cable that reads our timing chips so I don’t trip and making a very serious face. Not 5k fundraising fun-run worthy. Now I know for next time — look up and smile big as you cross the finish line, KHG.

But again, Danny didn’t run with me, though dogs were welcome. (Dogs are even welcome at the pub, if they sit outside with their people and don’t pick drunken fights.) He’s just too wound up when there are other people and dogs around, even if he means well. He’s just happy, but bouncing and barking for three miles is not really the best way to show it.

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Danny Tries: Outward Hound Back Seat Hammock

June 19, 2011 at 12:25 pm · Filed under Traveling with Dogs

Outward Bound Back Seat Pet Hammock

Danny in His Outward Bound Back Seat Pet Hammock

Danny is pretty happy to ride in the back seat of the Subaru, especially if I open the rear passenger window for him. Heaven. But my back seat was covered in mud and dog hair from happy hiking excursions, and he had put a couple scratches in the rear center console.

I asked around on this blog for suggestions and got a great one — a rear seat hammock. I mentioned it to a dog-walking friend at the humane society, who said he’d gotten one on Amazon for, like, twelve bucks. He said all he did was take it out and shake it every once in a while to get rid of the dirt and hair. Sold! I ordered the Outward Hound Back Seat Pet Hammock (I’m sure this or something like it is available at many different retailers).

Installation was easy peasy; the straps just go around all four headrests. There are straps with toggles that slide between the seats to hold it in place, and slots for any kind of seat belt-harness apparatus you might have. Danny doesn’t seem to notice any difference or care, but he is more sure-footed, and if he does lose his balance, he can’t drop into the foot well behind the front seats.

 

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