Today was a BEAUTIFUL sunny Sunday in Seattle! Not the first day of Spring, but the first day it really felt like the flowers would begin to bloom. While I’ve enjoyed playing on the snow-packed mountains with the pups, I’m thrilled for the abundance of warm weather, fur-friendly activities. Below is the beginning of our 2010 Spring/Summer must-do list. Lots to do, but I’m sure I’m missing a ton of hidden, creative and downright fun ideas, and that’s where you come in. Big and small, all ideas are welcome and appreciated.

Dogland Approved Activities

• Hop the ferry and float your way to the San Juan Islands for a relaxing weekend with your dog(s)
• Step into action and walk for a cause. We had a great time participating in last year’s Walk for the Animals and can’t wait for round two. September 26, 2010 (we’ll post more on this later)
• Escape the bustling city and head south to the Oregon Coast where you and your pooch can pop a tent and unwind to the sounds of the sea
• Grab your pup, then grab a brew at Norm’s Eatery & Ale House
• If you only have an hour or two, visit your local dog park (Magnuson’s our favorite), stroll around the neighborhood and let your dog socialize and smell the activity around them, or get a heart pumping exercise in with a hike through one of the thousands of Washington trails

Above all else, don’t forget to keep your dogs cool in the heat.

Happy adventures!

Winnie and I have a long-standing battle on where and how she rides in the car. I say it should be in the back, she thinks it should be in the front, on my lap. Completely frustrated (not to mention scared for our lives) Alex and I bought Winnie a car harness that enables us to strap her in using a seatbelt in the backseat. Problem solved.

Well, for a while.

If you know Winnie, you know she is nothing if not determined. That little stinker manages to wiggle out of her harness or unbuckle her seatbelt about 60% of the time. It’s usually just when she’s super amped up, like when we’re on our way to Doggie Day Care. She knows the route and knows exactly where we’re going.

In the past month, the problem has gotten worse. I fight back and by pulling over when she wiggles her little way out and buckling her back in, but it’s a giant pain if you’re on a tight schedule. I also tighten the harness everytime before I put it on her, and I don’t know of any other way to lock the seat belt than by buckling it.

Any other thoughts? More fool-proof solutions to keep her buckled in? My next stop is tranquilizers, so all suggestions are welcome.

Had the first appointment with Bark Busters this weekend. All in all, a good experience. The method is sound, and our trainer (David) is knowledgeable and clearly knows what he’s doing. He let us know that our biggest challenge with Winnie – surprise, surprise – will be in getting her to pay attention to us and to respect us as the leaders of our pack. While we saw results with David coaching us at every turn, we’ve continued practicing with Winnie 20 minutes per day with mixed success.

Bark Buster’s philosophy is that dogs act out when they are unsure of their rank in the pack and feel insecure about who is in charge. For peace in the home, this requires dog owners to communicate with their dogs as canine pack leaders do to clearly demonstrate who is the Alpha and who is the Omega. This includes growling – yes growling – at your dog. I was skeptical at first, but don’t knock it until you try it! Growling at your dog when it’s not behaving serves as a warning to it that it’s acting out of line. You growl to get your dog’s attention (the HARDEST part about training Winnie without treats…ug), then when you have a brief moment of attention-giving submission, you correct your dog into the appropriate behavior and praise it as it complies. For instance, if you’re trying to break your dog of the habit of freaking out every time someone knocks on your door, you should do this:

Knock at the door

Dog rushes, barking the whole way, to see who is there 

Owner: “Grrrr”

Dog: looks at owner

Owner: crouches down to a welcoming position “Come”

Dog: goes to owner

Owner: “Good dog. Sit. Stay.”

In our home, it sometimes looks like that. Most often, we have to add a few more growls and loud noises before we get her attention, might have to grab her leash and pull her to us and it can take a while to get her to focus on a sit/stay. Winnie is an incredibly high-energy dog that would rather focus on everything around than my or Alex’s voice. Even David called her a “pill” and told us she’s one of those dogs that will take a lot of work and creativity on our part to consistently capture her attention. Wonderful.

David did give us a good tip for potentially turning her energy down a notch: changing her diet. Right now, Winnie eats Iams kibble, the same thing she ate at the Humane Society. David pointed out that Iams top ingredients are all high-carb foods, which will eventually turn into sugar in her system. We might as well be pumping her full of candy. He recommended that we gradually switch her to a dog food that is higher in protein-rich ingredients. The change in her diet – combined with our daily training – will hopefully result in a calmer, more well-behaved dog in about 4-6 weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

After nearly six months with Winnie, we’ve reached a breaking point, and something has to change.

Don’t misunderstand me; Winnie isn’t going anywhere. We love and adore her. However, we find ourselves at a critical point in our relationship with her where it’s time to get serious about course-correcting her destructive behavior.

I’ll be the first to admit that we haven’t been as diligent in her training as we should be. Winnie (like many dogs) requires continuous reinforcement to succeed. We’re busy, sometimes we’re lazy in enforcing the rules, and too often we let her win. Though we invested in weeks of positive reinforcement training, practiced that training at home for hours and hours, give her regular exercise and have managed our house to the point where no trashcans sit on the ground and no food is left unsupervised anywhere, we are failing to properly channel Winnie’s excessive energy into something good and to reign in her bad behavior.

At the end of our rope, what have we decided to do? Throw money at the situation and bring in an expert.

In a couple of weeks, we’ll have our first appointment with David from Bark Busters, a franchise of in-home dog trainers based in cities across the globe that promise to train even the most untrainable of dogs. Bark Busters offers a few different levels of service for your dog, and the program we’ve opted for involves inviting David into our home for a 2-3 hour consultation and intensive training session for Winnie, with unlimited consultations over the course of the next 12 months. He’ll help us learn how to communicate better, set boundaries that we all understand and (ideally) leave us with a plan we can implement to successfully correct Winnie’s destructive behavior.

Via Dogland Adventures, I’ll chronicle our experience with Bark Busters and the resulting training program we implement. I recognize that the first step to success is in acknowledging that the bulk of responsibility in Winnie’s success lies in our ability to enforce routine and continuity into our daily interactions with her. Just as I know Winnie is good, smart, kind dog who wants nothing more than please us, I know that we can return her good intentions and establish order in our pack that makes everyone happy.

I’d love to share a cute and funny picture of Ruckus and Kaiya donning this year’s Halloween costumes, but unfortunately they’re having no part of the dress-up game so many dog owners partake in… and understandably so. I mean who doesn’t love to see a Dachshund dressed as a hotdog, Ferdie dressed as a bee, or Champ dressed as our favorite Disney character. I know I do! However, I made a pact with my huskies when they were very young that we’d stop at the occasional scarf, and even then I know I’m pushing my limits.

So while I don’t have any treats of my own to offer, I do have a few photos graciously provided from friends, the internet and fellow Dogland bloggers.If you’re looking to strut your dogs diggs in front of your fellow Seattleites, check out the 5k Pumpkin Push at Seward Park on October 24. Dogs are welcome!

However it’s not Halloween if you don’t have some tricks to accompany your treats. Here are a few tricks to make sure you and your pooch have a scary safe time!

• Chocolate is hazardous to dogs, so be sure to keep your loot far from Fido’s reach. Unfortunately if they find the bowl they’re likely to eat every last piece, foil, wrappers and all. If this occurs make sure you call you veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1 (888) 426-4435.
• Keep pets safely inside, rather than out in the yard. The noise and commotion from trick-or-treaters might spook your pet, and there is always the risk that pranksters may release your pet from the yard. If you happen to be a cat lover as well (like me), Halloween can be a dangerous time for them. Make sure the ID tags are on and up to date.
• Lit pumpkins and wagging tails do not go hand in hand. Keep pumpkins out of reach to prevent burns and fires (not to mention smashed pumpkins). If consumed in large quantities, pumpkins can cause stomach issues and intestinal blockage.
• Putting your pooch in a costume can be fun and funny, just make sure it fits comfortably and your furry friend isn’t restricted from moving or breathing in any way. Also check to make sure there are no loose parts that could get caught and strangle him. It’s a good idea to never leave your dog unsupervised while he or she has their costume on.

Angela just posted here about the joys of (and preparations for!) camping with your dog.  What if you want to head to one of Seattlites’ favorite escapes, the San Juan Islands?  Dogs are allowed to travel by ferry, but a few tips before heading out.

• Driving onto the ferry is probably your best option with a dog, although they need to stay on the car deck (and so should you – frequent car horns and ferry noises can cause anxiety for a pup who’s been left alone in the car for an hour and a half).
• If you need to walk on, dogs are allowed onto the ferry deck, but not in the passenger decks.  Be prepared to stay on the car deck for the full trip.
• Each ferry has a small, (very) informal area for passengers with dogs, usually at the front of the boat.  There are a few chairs, but be prepared to sit amongst equipment and with any other dogs that might be making the trip.
• Buying tickets: there is no extra fee to walk on with your dog, but getting your “human ticket” can be a pain, since you can’t bring Fido into the waiting room at Anacortes.  I recommend driving through to purchase your ticket in the vehicle line and then cutting off to the parking lot.

Several San Juan and Orcas hotels and camping sites are dog-friendly – be sure to check before you head out.  If you make it to Eastsound on Orcas Island, there is a great dog park in town to tire out your canine companion.  Muddy beaches abound on all islands, so be sure to bring an old towel!

Sometimes, my dog can be the devil. People don’t expect it from Winnie. “But she’s so cute! She’s so sweet!” Yes, she is both of those things about 80 percent of the time. But, the remaining 20 percent? Welcome, Mr. Hyde.

Winnie is good-natured, but she’s sassy. Where this behavior tends to rear its ugly head most frequently is on runs when she insists on fighting over control of the leash. (Looks like: her growling and grabbing the leash in her mouth, either pulling it in a game of tug of war or jumping up on me to try and get me to tug back.) It’s embarrassing, it’s irritating and it can be unsafe. She almost caused a biker to crash on the Fremont Bridge a couple of weeks ago…yikes!

I’ve tried several tactics for discouraging this behavior including:

• Spraying Bitter Apple on her leash
• Rubbing hot sauce on her leash
• Wrapping aluminum foil around her leash
• Turning my back and ignoring her for 60 seconds
• Moving her harness hook from her chest to her back, removing the leash from her sight
• Rewarding her every 30-60 seconds with a treat on runs when she’s behaving well
• Telling her to ‘drop it’
• Offering her a rawhide in exchange for the leash to bite

Nothing. Works. I’m at the point of trying a gentle lead (this is after she’s destroyed two harnesses and is working on destroying her third), and if that fails, I’m seriously considering a muzzle. It’s simply unbearable to run this dog on a leash, and I’m at my wit’s end for how to correct this behavior.

Any suggestions??

Has anyone asked you lately why your couch is wearing a fur coat? If you’re like me and your couch is like mine – i.e., not actually wearing a custom fur, but a generous and pervasive coating of dog hair – then carding may be a good option for you and your pooch. After adopting Ferdie (50% Husky, 50% Australian Shepherd, 100% shedder) and witnessing the clumps of fur he dropped around the house like an endless trail of fuzzy breadcrumbs, I turned to The Pet Stops Here in Bellevue for some advice and was offered this mysterious service.

What is carding, you ask? Actually, I don’t entirely know myself. Even after two visits. According to their website, “Carding is the process of eliminating excess hair from many of the shedding breeds. Carding can remove between 60-80% of the coat that you would ordinarily find around your home.” The groomer I spoke with described it as removing the downy undercoat of dead hair that would normally find its way onto your couch. Or car seat. Or pillow. Hair blobs floating languidly about the house and coming to rest in my Lean Cuisines were my personal last straw. Whatever the precise details of the process (similar to hand stripping), it works. After just one session, Ferdie’s shedding was drastically reduced, and after the (free) follow up session 5 days later, he was as close to a shed-less dog as a Pound Puppy.

At around $80 for a two session process, it’s admittedly a little painful to drop more on carding your dog than on a Gene Juarez haircut. Barely two months later, Ferdie is already in need of another session. But what a beautiful two months.

Back to the couch coat – the easiest hair pickup tactic I’ve discovered is a wide roll of masking tape. I tried using lint rollers, but peeling sheet after sheet got to be a hassle. Just pull out a section of tape and wrap it back around the roll, exposing the sticky side and attaching it back on itself. I also carry a roll in my car for when the “Ferd-mobile” has to transport non-dog passengers.

A case for Shelters…

I grew up with mutts. As a child, my best friend was a little Humane Society Wire-hair Terrier mix that I adored more than anything else in the world. After he died, my family adopted a Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd mix from a Kansas City shelter that instantly won my heart for her sweet nature and kind soul. Next came a Black Lab mix rescued from a small rural Iowa shelter that – through loyal affection and an intense passion for life – became the third dog love of my life. The most recent dog to steal my heart, Winnie, is another Humane Society find and a mix of unidentified breeds + raw cuteness.

I’ve never owned a pure-bred dog. I’ve met plenty that are wonderful and that embody the best traits of their breed. In my heart of hearts, however, I know that I will always be a mutt-advocate and therefore a shelter advocate. I volunteer a couple weekends a month as a matchmaker at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and few things beat the joy of watching an orphan dog find its forever home.

I think that for plenty of people – particularly for those who need a special breed for home health (e.g. allergies) or happiness (e.g., no shedding, strong breed preference, etc.) reasons – working with a breeder is a fine thing. (And working with a breed rescue is an even finer thing.) But for me, there is no greater motivation in making a dog a part of my life than in saving its life. There are just too many unwanted dogs at shelters and rescues to make working with a breeder an option in my world.

Listen, I’m speaking to you as the mother of two loving, gentle, free-spirited Siberian Huskies. I love them to pieces, adore their personalities and can’t imagine my life before crate training, puppy teeth, dog parks and long hikes. However, heed my warning…

huskies are not, I repeat, are NOT for everyone.

So, what makes me so qualified to have not one, but two huskies? Well, quite frankly, had you met me 2 years and 4 months ago, prior to Ruckus, I wouldn’t have said I was. I had to become a husky owner the hard way. Ruckus taught me. Had I known how much work Ruckus would have been, how much time Jeff and I would have to spend exercising him seven days a week, how many books Jeff and I would have to read to learn the characteristics, how many times Jeff would have to patch the fence, or that I’d have to come home at lunch to keep him company because huskies, more than most breeds, suffer from loneliness, I don’t think I would’ve thought I was capable.

So what did we do then, we got Kaiya. Crazy I know, but there was a method to our madness. In addition to being adorable, loving and needing a home, we thought she’d be perfect for Ruckus to 1) keep Ruckus company, 2) give him a playmate, 3) hopefully calm him down, and 4) give him something to chew on other than me or our furniture. And it worked, but now we need a third husky to do the same for Kaiya.

It took a lot of time, energy and sacrificing and after several long months and through a lot of trial we learned what it takes. Then again, I don’t have children, of the human sort anyways, I live close to work and I love the outdoors and enjoy exercising and don’t believe in hitting animals (if I did, Ruckus would be dead). All of this, combined with the fact that I had Jeff there doing just as much, in fact more actually, made it possible for us to be good husky owners. If you can master the skills, they are the greatest, smartest and coolest animals you’ll ever meet, but then again I’m their mom.