Posts filed under ‘Cool Products’
Itchy skin remedy: MICROTEK
It has been so stinking hot here in L.A. , Boogie has been itchy and rashy, and I am extremely grateful to Lauren, who recommended this product to me via flickr.
I went ahead and ordered the Microtek Pet Shampoo and Pet Spray from Amazon.com a couple of weeks ago, and as much as Boogie HATES this stuff (it has a very strong scent), I think it is working. His patchy dry skin has cleared up, his fur is fuller and softer and he isn’t scratching as much as he usually does.
He still has a red and rashy belly with scabby sores but that’s my fault for letting him drag himself on the grass. He looks so cute when he does it!!!
Rate your dog food, and we have a perfect score!
The questionnaire: http://www.k9cuisine.com/RateYourDogFood.aspx (Warning: There are 31 questions)
We have a score of 100. GRADE A!
This is what I feed Boogie:
KEEN from The Honest Kitchen + home cooked meat & veggies. (roughly 50/50)
Home cooked food recipe:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or beef or chicken
- 1 large yam or sweet potato or rice
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 cup of peas or green beans or broccoli (whatever I have in the fridge that’s green)
- pinch of thyme & salt
- water
As for The Honest Kitchen – I have blogged about this food many many times – almost obsessively …here’s an illustration of the THK feeding process that I did way back – and I have been feeding this food to Boogie EVERYDAY for over 2 years, either alone or mixed with other foods. The Honest Kitchen is the first commercial dog food that Boogie has eaten which doesn’t make him throw up, produce squishy poos, and emit super stinky gases. No fillers, no weird byproducts, no allergens like corn and wheat, and Boogie loves it. He has tried all the formulas – Force, Embark, Thrive, Preference, Verve and Keen… with the exception of Prowl, which is for cats. I read somewhere that THK will soon be coming out with a new formula with haddock (Zeal) which I am excited for Boogie to try.
In fact I am such a fan that I joined the THK’s Allies program a few weeks ago with the promise to continue feeding and blogging about this food. To my surprise, a HUGE BOX arrived on my doorstep tonight. I can’t believe it! I now have a gazillion samples of THK food, information pamphlets, a t-shirt and free treats!
I don’t intend to hoard all these food samples for myself (ahem, as tempting as it may be) and I plan to distribute these to friends, rescues, anyone who comes into contact with many pets and their owners.
Interested in trying some free The Honest Kitchen samples? Please get in touch! Seriously.
Boogie’s Photo Shoot with Jesse Freidin
Have you all heard of Jesse Freidin? Jesse Freidin is an award-winning pet photographer based in the Bay area who has a handsome Boston Terrier called Pancake, and shoots very stylish black and white doggie photos with a vintage camera. Website: www.jessefreidin.com
Jesse was in L.A. last month and we were thrilled to have our first professional photo session EVER!
Read Jesse Freidin’s blog post on our BOOGIE-PANCAKE barter.
The shoot took place in my apartment (er… I should have cleaned up some more) because we all agreed that this is where Boogie feels the most confident and relaxed, with no external distractions.
Jesse and Diana (his assistant) were awesome. It was impressive how quickly they made Boogie feel comfortable and happy. Boogie loved them and was surprisingly cheery and cooperative even when the camera was pointed at him. Remember, I have a dog who gets nervous around strangers … He doesn’t even usually like having his photo taken!
Firstly, here are a few pics from our session; some taken from Diana’s flickr set of behind-the-scenes photos.
Today Jesse sent me a gallery of Boogie photos. I am having a really hard time choosing JUST ONE favorite photo to be made into a print, because they are all so great!!! After consulting with Boogie’s extended family, here are our favorites of the bunch:
A classic Boogie SIT pose. When he is waiting for a treat.
Everybody LOVES this one…
Sweetness.
Another huge favorite. We love Boogie’s “sticky lip”. Such a great photo!
A classic Boogie and ball pic… he looks so regal. I love it.
How can I possibly pick just ONE???
Boogie and I also had photos taken with Flat Brutus! This was quite surreal and extremely cool…
[photos via Diana’s Flickr]
The Flat Brutus Project is a very special fundraiser for French Bulldog Rescue and you can read more about it on:
- Jesse Freidin’s Flat Brutus blog post
- This Flat Brutus World Domination blog page
- The Flat Brutus World Tour Facebook page
If you are located in L.A., don’t let this stop you from booking a session with Jesse Freidin. He travels around! 🙂
You can never have too many beds.
Pictured here, Boogie with his rubber monkey in his new bed. (The Mr Roboto cushion that was here has been relocated) Did you know that they sell really CHEAP doggie toys and beds at ROSS? This giraffe-print bed cost only $12.99! Look at the size of it.
I have been updating Boogie’s Daily Walk Log. Boogie has been a very very good boy.
This week will be interesting because my friend’s two dogs – one of whom is a newly adopted rescue boston-mix – will be coming to stay. Which is another reason why you can never have too many beds lying around. I will have my camera ready!
Back home with Boogie!
I am home from my 10-day trip to Japan and it’s wonderful to be walking, playing and snuggling with the Boogs again. I missed him and thought about him everyday!
I was very tempted but no, I didn’t buy him a kimono in Tokyo.
Nor did I cave for this full body dog wetsuit.
While I was away Boogie stayed with my friend Lisa and her family. On the right – Pics of Boogie with Michael and 6 year old Wednesday, whom Boogie loves and followed around everywhere. Boogie has stayed with Lisa’s family before and he is very attached to Wednesday. Slept with her under the covers, cried when she left for school, growled at big strangers who approached her…
According to Lisa, Boogie was a good house guest except for the time she put him in his crate. He barked and cried and shook the crate so hard for an hour, that she decided to let him roam free around the house when she was out. Boogie also whimpered and trembled, if left alone or ignored. Sigh – Separation anxiety in a new environment…
One day, Lisa came home after being gone for about 1 hour, to find Boogie up on the dining table (!) and he had gone through the bowl of oranges. There was an orange in Boogie’s mouth and there were oranges on the floor. “I guess he thought they were balls!” said Lisa.
I wish we had a photo of Boogie and the oranges! 🙂
So Mr. Boogs and I are getting back on the training program this week. (“Look at that”, recall, Sit/Release etc). So far, we have had two long walks and Boogie has been great. The hairs on his back stood up when he saw other dogs, but no reactivity and he turned towards me instead which is a good sign that he hasn’t forgotten his training. 🙂
DVD: The Language of Dogs
I got around to watching this 2-disc DVD today and it was very interesting.
Sarah Kalnajs is a behaviorist who does temperament testing on shelter dogs to figure out what the dog’s “behavior problem” is (assuming that this is why the dog was surrendered) so that the shelter can decide on whether the dog is adoptable, and by whom.
To be honest, it was quite stressful to watch because there is a lot of footage of dogs displaying anxious behavior.
The first part of this documentary is about dog communication and body language and there are many examples displayed by a variety of breeds. The signals are divided into the following categories:
- Signals of Stress
- Calming Signals or Appeasement/Non-Aggressive Signals
- Distance Increasing Signals (which could lead to aggression)
- Distance Decreasing Signals (inviting interaction, friendly)
- Displacement Behaviors – some behaviors that dogs do when they are unsure what they should be doing
- Ritualized patterns of behavior that are odd… eg, if the dog has been trained this way, or socially inept, or abused, or has OCD…
Sarah K makes it clear that we have to look at these signals in context rather than in isolation… We should look at the whole body and what else is happening.
Stress signals aren’t necessarily a bad thing or a cause for alarm. But it is important that we notice them because they are usually triggered by something that we (or the environment) are doing to the dog that may be invasive.
Some notes:
– Slow movement or lack of behavior IS a behavior. A dog may not move much; he may not appear scary or stiff, but if he doesn’t offer any behaviors, and shows little or no movement or interest in food or whatever we are doing, this can be interpreted as a stress signal.
– A wagging tail, contrary to what we have been taught as kids, DOES NOT mean that the dog is friendly and wants to be petted. If the tail is high up and wagging fast, this signals “arousal” and could in fact lead to aggression.The only time that it is safe to pet a dog is if his tail swishes around in slow big circles like a “windmill”. Not that this applies to Boogie, who doesn’t even have a tail.
– Distance Increasing signals (eg, hard eyes, ears forward, heightened posture, tail up, excessive barking etc.) = “Back off”.
– Distance Decreasing signals (eg, playbow, easy windmill tail, tongue flicking, relaxed posture, submissive grin, soft eyes, rollover etc.) – we should NEVER punish these signals or the dog might stop offering them. Sarah Kalnajs also says that we should also never punish a “growl” because the dog will then skip the growl and go straight for the bite. (We think that in a previous life, Boogie used to be punished for growling/barking, which is why he is a “silent biter”)
– When a dog lies down and shows his belly, this does not always mean = “Pet me” (or friendliness)
She distinguishes between the “Rollover” and the “Tap Out”. The former is when a dog’s whole body is relaxed and/or wiggly and he wants a belly rub. But if a dog lies down and shows other signs of stress, and then gets back up again after you retreat, this is a submissive “tap out”. He does not want to be touched.
The later part of the DVD shows behavior sequences when shelter dogs are being assessed. In most cases, Sarah K performs certain actions to elicit the problem behaviors (eg, touching the dog’s body or food with a fake arm-on-a-stick)… and offers explanations of what is going on. Some dogs appear totally friendly, then turn suddenly and bite!!! (HELLO, Boogie!) Sometimes the warning signals are really subtle; sometimes they only come out when food is present or when a person does something to freak the dog out, eg, touch his tail.
It is sad to know that some of these dogs will be euthanized if they don’t pass the temperament test… like one puppy that showed subtle signs of aggressive behavior that she believed would get worse in adulthood. I don’t understand why this puppy was considered untrainable.
There are also heartwarming examples of dogs who improve after spending time in a foster home with TLC (away from the stress of the shelter) and become place-able in forever homes, which reaffirms for me why rescue and fostering is so important.
Cool stuff
1. DOOG waist belt
I have been searching for a good-looking waist belt and I like that this one looks and feels more like a flat wide belt, and less like a bulky fanny pack. I want to be able to carry a lot of stuff when walking with Boogie and this is perfect. I love that there are lots of pockets for treats, keys, wallet etc. and and you can also attach a leash to it! How geeky is this – there is even a velcro flap for attaching a tennis ball! http://www.doog.com.au/product.htm
2. THE THINKING DOG by Gail Tamases Fisher. (Thank you, Sarah!) I may have to order my own copy. The Thinking Dog is written from the perspective of a traditional “Compulsion-Praise” trainer who crossed over into “Clicker (Marker) Training”. The book covers the principles and mechanics of the three major dog training methods and also, the technical and mental challenges you and your dog might face you when crossing-over. (Yep) There are also detailed instructions for clicker training. The tone is really engaging, encouraging, and uplifting, with no bashing of other techniques. Super helpful.
3. HUGE LATEX MONKEY – on sale at Helping Udders, where a percentage from proceeds goes to the Rescue of your choice! Because a dog like Boogie can never have too many toys. The squeaky sound that the monkey makes is already extremely annoying, but I hope that this toy will last a longer time than all the others…
4. BOOGIE PAINTING by Brian Rubenacker. I am a huge fan of Brian’s work. I drew Brian’s bostons and he sent me this painting of Boogie in exchange which was stuck at the post office for two months (and presumed to be lost) because stupid USPS did not send me a delivery notice until this week. I am so thrilled that it wasn’t delivered to the wrong address or lost!
[Boogie – the one on the right – is eagerly waiting for a treat]
Also interested in…
1. Clickerleash –I am looking forward to their new version which is supposed to be smaller and lighter than the current version.
2. Dog training “Food Tube” (thanks, Ripley’s blog!) – for dispensing soft treats like wet dog food, cheese, peanut butter etc. so your hands don’t smell like meat.
3. H2O4K9 water bottles. oooh so pricey, but they look so cool!
4. Nina Ottoson’s Dog Brick puzzle . Another pricey item. It sure looks like a good game for a serious dog like Boogie. (Right? Right?) I wish they would send ME a free sample. 😉
Turid Rugaas DVD
I have just watched this DVD by Turid Rugaas the dog expert & author of the book by the same title, and I am totally baffled that this information is not more publicly available.
I am also amazed that a show like The Dog Whisperer which carries on and on about “calm submission” does not have anything to say about Calming Signals and how dogs use these to communicate their need for calmness and conflict resolution.
I learned so much from this DVD and it’s only 48 minutes long. In fact it answered several questions about Boogie’s behaviors that have been festering in my brain.
Here are some things I learned:
– Dogs are born with these calming signals. They are part of a dog’s natural makeup and heritage. Puppies know this stuff and as they mature they get better at it, if they are allowed to socialize frequently with other puppies and people.
– Dogs live in packs so *conflict resolution* is a highly important part of their natural behavior repertoire. Conflict resolution is more important that obedience. An example: If your dog is at the dog park surrounded by dogs and you call him to you and he doesn’t come straight away, acknowledge that he has to *peace-out* with the other dogs before he comes to you. This is polite social behavior.
– When a dog is wagging his tail, this doesn’t necessarily mean he is happy. A wagging tail = arousal and excitement.
– There are two types of Playbow. There is the playbow when the dog wants to play and he will jump from side to side in this position. Then there is the playbow when a dog jumps backwards and wanders off like he is not really interested in playing. In this case, he is doing the Playbow as a calming signal to the other dogs to let them know that he is friendly. Boogie does this all the time!!! Check out my earlier blog post and video.
– When dogs mark, there are several reasons –
1. He could be marking his territory
2. He could be stressed about something
3. He could be using this as a calming signal to another dog/person.
4. If two or more dogs are marking something together, this is “being social” together.
Did you all know this stuff about marking? I certainly didn’t. I always wondered why sometimes when Boogie sees another (friendly) dog the first thing he does is go mark a tree. He seems to mark more often when there are more dogs around. I always wondered if he was being “dominant” and showing the other dog who’s boss, but now it’s good to know that this could be a response to stress or a conflict-resolution behavior.
Turid also says that if we are walking our dog and if a stranger approaches and our dog goes off to one side to sniff or mark, we should let him do it. (According to BAT, this is a “functional reward”. I let Boogie do this anyway, and I also praise him because it is a friendly alternative to lunging)
– Because dogs don’t like conflict, sometimes when two dogs play too rough or get too close, a third dog will run in and split them apart. According to Turid, the dog who is splitting up the action is not “jealous” or trying to be party-pooper. He is doing his part to prevent potential conflict. He will barge in from either the side or the back, not front on. The splitting-up behavior is a calming signal to the other dogs.
– Another calming signal is to walk in a curve around another dog/person. This is a social skill that we can help our dogs develop by leading them (on-leash) in a wide curve around the other dog/person. The more stressed or agitated our dog, the wider the arc and the further the distance, and as he shows signs of being more comfortable we can make the distance smaller, but still in a curve, because in the dog world this is polite behavior and we want to reinforce it.
– Turid points out that most people greet dogs the wrong way and this is so true. Most people lean over a dog and pet him on the head or stick their hand in front of his face. To dogs, this is stressful stuff and the dog may then turn his back on you, lick his lips, turn his head away or walk away past you (as calming signals). Or in the case of Boogie, he will cower or bite you. The correct way to greet a dog is to give him your BACK or your SIDE and pet him on the side of his face or body. This communicates to the dog that you are no threat.
– As we learn to read a dog’s signals we can change our behavior. If we see that a dog is stressed, we can make the choice to change our position, turn our heads or turn our bodies around to make the dog more comfortable.
This information is so valuable! Thank you to Sarah for lending me this DVD.
P.S. The DVD is much better than the book because you get to see dogs moving and interacting. Just try to ignore the cheezy muzak soundtrack 🙂
Related link: Turid Rugaas website
My Pet Product Idea of the Week: Clicker-Treat-Holder
I know, I am such a dork. But last night, when I saw Wes fumbling with a clicker and handful of treats , and then again this morning when I was carrying mail in one hand and leash in the other, clumsily trying to get at the treats hanging from my waist, I said to myself – There has to be an easier way. Somebody needs to come up with something that makes clicker-training more convenient. This is why I often leave my clicker at home when we go on walks (and use a verbal marker “Yes!” instead) – There’s just too much stuff to carry!
Of course I am clueless about the mechanism behind a gadget like this one. Someone tell me – is this even possible?
“Behavior Adjustment Training” DVD
I will write more about this later but want to mention a very interesting, awesome DVD that I ordered recently.
It’s a seminar on BAT – “Behavior Adjustment Training” given by Grisha Stewart, the dog trainer who answered my question on this Dogster Good Dog Blog last year.
In a nutshell, this is a training system that focuses on reducing fear and aggression and reinforcing friendly behaviors so that dogs learn to control their needs using socially-acceptable behaviors (no barking/biting) and gain self-confidence in the process.
Doesn’t this sound PERFECT for Boogie?
The process takes a lot of time, patience, and “set-ups” and we would need professional help to try this, but anyhow, I still learned a lot about dog behavior and psychology from this DVD, which helps ME not to stress-out.
What sounds great about this training is that the main reward is not food, but giving the dog what he really wants, which is DISTANCE or INFORMATION to feel safe.
There are lots of details to take into account – timing, proximity, body language – most importantly, keeping the dog “under threshold” (stress-free) in order for the learning to be effective. When a dog is “over-threshold” ie, has emotionally-crossed over into that reactive uncontrollable-growly-lungey-zone when his owners no longer exist – oh yes, we know this one well – it is too late.
Unfortunately in life, shit happens when sometimes dogs and strange people appear out of nowhere …
Regardless, I love having more knowledge about what’s going on. When I feel more attuned to Boogie’s body signals and CAN communicate with him, this makes me so happy and gives me hope.
–> Many examples on Boogie’s Walk Log!
Here is the info on BAT and below is a YouTube clip with an excerpt from the DVD:
*Update: Here is a simpler explanation of BAT
There is also a BAT/Functional Rewards Yahoo Group where dog trainers and dog owners do Q&As and discuss their experiences.
Just read:
Sophia Yin: How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves <- loved it!
Next on my reading list:
Leslie McDevitt: Control Unleashed <- highly recommended by lots of dog trainers!
Boogie's blog 