What’s in a Dog’s Name

William Shakespeare may have posed the question “what’s in a name?”, but in my opinion, his answer doesn’t apply to everything. Some people think that how a dog behaves is completely dependent on their breed and their training. Even though breed and training do come into the mix, there are a few variables that are overlooked, perhaps the biggest one of the being what you decide to name you dog.

Some of the most common dog names seem to go with certain personality aspects that you can expect from your dog. From famous dogs on television, to dogs that I have met in real life, here is a list of ten common dog names and the personality traits I associate them with.

Lucky: Typically given to pound puppies or dogs that have suffered some injury and overcome it. Ironically a dog named Lucky is likely to have a rather unlucky life despite his consistently positive attitude and go-getter mentality.

Patch: A dog named patch is usually named so because of his coloring. What usually comes to most people’s minds when they think of a Patch, is a knee high white dog with black patches, one of them inevitably being over one of the eyes.  Patches are rather protective of the owners and can take some time to warm up to strangers. Despite being slightly stand offish, he will never fail to come through for his human when he is needed most

Lucy: Shy and docile, a dog named Lucy will always appreciate you. She won’t display her personality around you unless she feels extremely comfortable but once she does your stomach will ache from laughing so hard at her clumsy demeanor and goofy personality. 

Max: A Max is always confident and prefers to be the alpha male in any group. He needs an owner who will train him with a firm but loving hand. Given enough structure, Max will be a great guard dog but will still have plenty of love left over for you.

Bella: With no real personality of her own, a dog named Bella won’t ever contribute much to the atmosphere other than some piddle on the carpet when she gets over stimulated.

Lady: A dog named Lady will surely live up to her name. Poised and ever charming, Lady will rarely need behavior correction beyond her puppy stage.

Buddy: Buddy may be your buddy but because of his overwhelming amount of energy, you need to make sure that you correct his behavior when needed. While he would never intentionally do something wrong just to prove a point, his enthusiasm for the world around him often gets the better of him and he can’t hold off his instincts to pounce and play.

Lola: When named Lola, your dog will definitely become the show girl of your household. Always vying for you attention, she will be quite a handful but when given the amount of attention she requires, she will make a great family pet and companion.  

Duke: A typical man’s-man dog, all Duke wants to do is lay down on a giant pillow in front of the TV after an early morning of flushing geese. He is a stereotypical gentle giant and will never hesitate to give you a big sloppy doggy kiss across your face. Special care needs to be taken to make sure that Duke gets the amount of exercise that he needs because he is not likely to ask for it himself.

Roxy: Sass and personality rule the personality of the pup. Roxys are stubborn and opinionated, especially when it comes to strangers, but they are ever loyal to their human counterparts. She needs lots of interaction with strangers to keep her comfortable and to avoid her becoming aggressive towards those that she doesn’t know.

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Author Bio:
Ron Rutherford is a writer with a passion for nature and a soft spot for Thai food. He currently freelances for havahartwireless.com, which specializes in progressive and humane wireless dog fences.

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New Zealand Farm Working Dogs 4 Basic Training

  By Dr Clive Dalton
 

The pup

Pup at sale waiting for new boss

 Training methods are as variable as handlers and dogs.   But the basic principles are fairly straightforward.  How you apply them depends greatly on your nature, and the nature of the pup.  One thing all trainers agree on - theres no point wasting your time on a badly bred pup.  If it hasnt got the working genes - then forget it.

Pups start to work at different ages, but you would certainly expect to see some action by 6 months of age.  If a dog hadnt shown much interest by 9 months, youd be getting concerned about the costs of keeping it.  It would have to be an especially good prospect based on its pedigree to keep it.  Check with the breeder incase the strain are late starters, before deciding what to do.  It may not be the pup – it could be you!  Talk to an experienced dog handler about your concern.

Be wary of pups that will be keen to take on full work by six months.  Dont let them, as they can so easily get hurt and scared.  This scare may put them off work for an extended period, or forever .

Key points collected from a wide range of handlers:

·      Voice tones, petting, touching and feeding are all valuable rewards for a dog.  Exploit them fully.

·      Dont over-stimulate or tease a pup, or let anyone else do this.

·      During a pups early life, keep it fully occupied.  Never let it get bored or it will start such bad habits as barking, biting, work shyness and so.  Keep it stimulated – but not overstimulated.  Give a young pup a slipper or a bone as its own "treasure".

·      Keep it where it can see daily happenings.  Some trainers prefer a kennel to a run as it means they have to handle it each day to let it off and tie it up.

·      Teach a pup its name.  This is its alerting signal for life.  Always call it when you go to feed it.  When it wanders, call its name with a “come-here” command.  Use a word and add a whistle if you wish.  Give it a big welcome when it comes back to you.  Pet it and use its name as much as you can.

·      Get the pup used to wearing a light collar.  Its tight enough if you can slip one finger between it and the dogs neck.  When it accepts this, tie it up for a short period (about 30 minutes/day) on a short chain with a swivel in it.  Make sure it cannot slip the collar.  Dont use a rope, as it will learn to chew through it and escape.

·      Make sure going back to the kennel or being tied up is a happy and positive experience.  Be patient if the pup is reluctant.  Help it up or provide a step if needed.  Dont associate this with feeding, and dont lose your cool and boot it into the kennel.

Bonding time after exercise

·      Teach the pup to follow at heel on a lead (check cord about 4m long).  Here teach it the "heel" or "get-in" command. 

·      Teach it the "sit" command by stopping, pressing its hindquarters on the ground while lifting its head.  When done correctly - give plenty of praise.

·      Some trainers teach the "down" or "lie down" command, simply by stepping on the lead to pull its head down while pushing its back end flat.  When done correctly - give plenty of praise.  In New Zealand the “stand” command is preferred as the dog stays on its feet and is clearly seen by the sheep.

·      Teach the "stand" command.  Its probably the most important command - to get the dog to stop and do nothing.  Dogs that will not STOP on command cause so many problems with stock.

"Stand" is taught by either raising the pup from the "sit" position, with one hand on its head while the other lifts its belly.  Or you can stop as you walk along, go infront of the dog giving the command "stand" or "stand there".  With all these commands, use the pups name all the time with positive reinforcement.

·      As well as the "stand" you may want to teach a "stay" or "stay there" command.  Its probably not necessary but can be useful.  A “stay” hand signal can be taught at the same time by holding your hand infront of the pup’s face as you give it.  Then walk away backwards saying “stay there Meg”.

"Stand" or "stay" can be very frustrating for a pup that has spent the last few months being in touch contact with you.   Now you are going to walk away and leaving it with no company.  Naturally it wants to follow to maintain the bond.  Be patient as you are moving to reinforce the bond visually from a distance.

·      One famous NZ trainer of working dogs and gun dogs used to teach these early commands on a stool (see other blog post) just big enough for the pup to stand or sit on.  Once taught how to climb up on the stool from one end, the pup was scared to jump off from such a height.  The trainer then taught it to "stay", and over time could move further and further away (in all directions) without the pup moving.  At any sign of stress, he went back to reassure the pup.

·      Now the "stand" command can be linked to the "come here" command, and the "sit" in any combination.  Dont keep the pup in any of these positions for long, and keep the total lessons short, no more than 10 minutes at time, maybe 2-3 times a day.

·      When giving pups commands there’s no need to shout and roar!  Dogs have very good hearing, and a raised voice should be kept for discipline - otherwise speak quietly.  If more discipline is warranted, then use the "shake-praise" trick.

·      A pat is adequate reward when training a pup.  Dont get involved with methods that rely on food.  Its not very practical and one day youll forget the biscuits!

·      Dont train a pup by tying it to an older trained dog.  Its a great idea that doesnt work!  It’s sometimes used by some experts, but for specific problem solving.

House training

In nature a pup learns its hygiene habits from the bitch.  They normally keep the den clean and defaecate and urinate outside.  Build on this basic instinct when house training.

As soon as the pup wakes up, take it outside on to grass and praise it for performing.  Never punish it after an "accident".  Keep the pup in a small area in the house to make it realise that the area is its “den” where it will not naturally perform.  You can extend this area in time once it is performing outside.

The young keen dog

Keep it keen.   Once the dog is into regular light work, here are some general points:

·      Establish a regular daily routine and stick to it - unless the dog goes "sour" and won’t work when you’ll have to go back to the beginning.

·      Dont exhaust the dog - work it within its physical limits.  Work must be fun and enjoyed by the dog.  Dont work a dog when you’re feeling tired or in a bad mood.

·      Keep a regular routine of commands going, and keep checking proficiency.  This helps to strengthen the dog-handler bond.  You can put whistles to word commands at any time that suits.  Simply give the word command followed by the whistle or vice versa.  A good dog will learn very quickly.

Teaching Stop, and Start

Once you have the pup under control so it knows its name and will sit or stand, and then come to you, then let it show its natural instinct with stock.   Now is time for some fun- just let it go in a small paddock with some quiet sheep that are used to dogs, and see what happens

The pup may be so keen that it will forget everything that it has learned so far.  Dont worry, it will soon pick these commands up again once it has steadied down. 

Some very successful trainers dont bother to teach a pup anything until it has started to work stock.  They have no problems putting the commands on the pup later.  The last thing you want to do at this stage is cramp the pups natural instinct to work.  It doesnt matter if its work is a bit rough - just encourage it to keep going.  But keep an old dog handy to prevent or clean up any impending disasters - and incase the neighbours may be watching!

Fast heading pups are likely to get into more trouble than huntaways, which are usually more steady.  This early working instinct is to chase and go around stock.  Make sure the pup can catch whatever it sets out to chase.  Here an old dog is useful to help out and guarantee success.

You may need a little bit of encouragement to get the pup to go after stock, especially if you have overdone the initial commands.  Border shepherds use a "Sh-sh" sound to alert the pup and excite it to GO.  But seeing stock is often enough for a keen pup, but you might have to excite a late starter.  Any noise will do as long as it’s different to those already used.

Teaching directions

Here exploit the dogs circling instinct to the full.  Dont worry if it keeps going round and round stock at the start.  You can stop this by meeting the dog half way round the group, and sending it back in the other direction.  Its here where you can teach a "go away" command.

But "go away" is too simple a command, because you’ll inevitably want the dog to either "go right" or "go left" around stock, or "come right" or "come left" back to you.  Put these direction commands on the dog while it is at this circling stage with a small group of quiet sheep.  A signal with your arm or a stick is useful here too.

Commands to get the dog to go away from you (or cast) can be for example "get away" for circle right, or "get back" to circle left.  And then for commands to get the dog to come towards you could be "come away" for one direction or "come bye" for another.  Some dog handlers may just use "over" and "back".  Remember the dog doesnt speak English - it is responding to sound.

After sheep have been used for a week or so of dog training, they get sick of the whole business and wont go anywhere.  They seem to want to jump into the trainers’ arms to get away from the dog.  They become too friendly and need to be changed for sheep less man/dog friendly.

A good routine is to get the young dog to start by standing or sitting at your heel.  Then making sure it has seen the sheep, cast it on either the right or left hand to gather the sheep.   Keep sending it off on each side, as often they may prefer one particular side.

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Why Do My Dog’s Eyes Glow in the Dark

By Tamara McRill

Ever spot a pair of demonically glowing green or red eyes in the dark, only to realize they belong to your cute and cuddly dog? What really gets to me is when I’m the one outside and I see the floating bright orbs peering out my window. You know, it’s that split second where you’re torn between wanting to turn and run or bust in to save your pets from...whatever “It” is.

But of course, “It” is your dog’s (or even cat’s) eyes glowing in the dark. It turns out there is even a very scientific – and reassuring – reason their eyes shine so eerily in the darkness.

Tapetum Lucidum

No, that’s not the starting phrase of an exorcism, although it is Latin. It means “bright tapestry.” The words are also the scientific term for the light-reflecting surface between a dog’s optic nerve and retina.

The tapetum lucidum is what makes dog’s eyes react to light exposure differently than human eyes, essentially reflecting the light back through their eyes like a mirror. The rods and cones make use of the multiplied light to see better in the dark. Dogs and other animals with the structure, like cats and deer, can use very low levels of light to see.

Different Colors

In addition to superior night vision, this reflected light is also what produces eyeshine in dogs…that surreal colored glow that comes out in their eyes at night. What I find fascinating is that not every dog’s eyeshine is the same color.

My chocolate lab, Wuppy, has brown eyes that have a predominant phosphorus green eyeshine. One of our mixed breed dogs, Cody, has one blue eye and one brown eye. His eyes glow a dark red when hit with light in the dark, although the blue eye is more intense.

The colors of a dog’s eyeshine aren’t limited to red and green, either. They can be all shades of blue, orange, yellow, turquoise or even violet. The specific color reflected depends on the amount of zinc or riboflavin in the eye cells.

Red glowing eyes at night are the result of blood vessels reflecting light. This is common with white dogs who have blue eyes.

Some dog breeds are known for certain eyeshine color, although the tendency isn’t a guarantee that’s the color they’ll have. Yellow labs tend to have a light yellow shine, and black labs a deep yellow or green. Miniature Schnauzers are known for turquoise glow.

Outside Influences on Color

The eyeshine color can also depend on other factors, such as the kind of light being shined in a dog’s eyes. Headlights, halogen lights, flashlights and lights with colored filters may all produce a different glow in the eyes of the same dog. The intensity of the light is also a factor, as is the distance between the light source and the dog, and where you are standing in relation to the dog’s location.

I have photos of Wuppy where his eyes glow green. But in other photos, all taken during the same nighttime romp, the colors range from red and orange, to yellow.

You can often tell eyeshine color by taking a photo of your dog with the flash on, with them looking up at you. Just try not to get them right in the eye with the flash. If your dog is younger than 16 weeks, their tapetum will probably be blue or violet. The color of their glow may change as they get older.

What color do your pet’s eyes glow in the dark?

Photos by Tamara McRill

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Say Cheese! Your Dog’s Smile Could Win FREE CANIDAE!

Does your dog’s beautiful smile melt your heart? Does your pooch grin wide enough to eat a banana sideways? And do they like to eat paw-licking-good dog food? Well then, fetch your camera and get ready to capture those dazzling doggie smiles!

Why? So you can enter your fabulous photo(s) in our new contest for a chance to win some FREE dog food! Is that BOL (bark-out-loud) awesome, or what?

The Grand Prize Winner will receive 6 months of premium quality CANIDAE pet food and a chance to be featured on the CANIDAE website or Facebook page!  Ten runners-up receive a 5lb bag of their dog’s favorite CANIDAE Life Stages formula.

Could Your Dog Be the Next CANIDAE Star?

Wanted: Dogs with winning smiles, happy expressions or gloriously goofy grins. Must be willing to work for pet food. Amateurs encouraged to apply.

Your Assignment

Take your best shot that showcases your dog’s sweet face and sunny disposition. Next, submit your high quality photos by visiting the CANIDAE photo contest page on Facebook.  Large file sizes preferred with 5MB as the maximum size.

You can submit as many photos as you like before the contest closes on May 31, 2013.  Then you and everyone else can vote for your favorite entries. CANIDAE staff will pick the final grand prize winner and the 10 runners up.  Your votes will be factored into the final decision, though, so be sure to vote often and get your friends to vote for their favorite photos as well!

The Rules 

No purchase or payment is necessary to win. To enter, you must be at least 21 years of age and a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident (green card), or a legal resident of Canada. CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company employees, vendors and their immediate family members are not eligible. Immediate family includes only spouses, parents and children.

Terms and conditions apply. All photos submitted become property of CANIDAE and may be used for commercial purposes including packaging, websites and any type of marketing or advertising material.

By entering the contest, entrants agree to have their submitted name and photographs displayed on the CANIDAE website and used by CANIDAE for any purpose, at any time, without any fee or other form of compensation. CANIDAE reserves the right to disqualify users, without notice, for any reason.

Prize Information

The Grand Prize Winner is limited to one bag of pet food per month (any CANIDAE formula) to be determined by pets size, age and breed at the discretion of CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company.

The 10 runners-up will receive a 5lb bag of their preferred Life Stages Formula. Final decision on selecting the winners is at the sole discretion of CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company.

Winners will be notified via the email account used to enter the contest and will have 48 hours to respond before an alternate winner is selected. CANIDAE reserves the right to modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice and is not responsible for email delivery failures or other technical issues.

Time to get clicking! Submit your best photo(s) today via the CANIDAE photo contest page on Facebook.

Top photo: Sally9258
Middle photo: Rennet Stowe
Bottom photo: Umberto Rotundo

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Is Your Dog’s Collar on Securely

By Tamara McRill

Putting on a dog collar should be an easy task, right? Pick one that fits your dog’s unique personality, slip it around his neck (not too tight), fasten, give your woofer an affectionate head rub and you’re good to go. At least that’s what I always thought, but it turns out there’s more that goes into making sure your dog’s collar is on nice and secure.

I found this out the hard and heart-stopping way, with my chocolate Labrador, Wuppy. We were all geared up to take a walk in our new neighborhood, which is super exciting when you’re a dog that loves the adventure of new locations. When Wuppy and I set off, he bounced right out of his collar!

See, Wuppy has a generous waddle – the loose skin around a dog’s neck – which, combined with his bouncy behavior makes keeping him in his dog collar a little tricky. Luckily for me, our older dog, Cody, was also in the yard with Mike. So Wuppy bolted straight to the two objects of his hero worship.

Go By Feel, Not Sight

The first thing I learned when I started researching how to properly make sure my dog’s collar was secure was that I was doing it wrong. No shocker there – he did escape. I was looking at Wuppy’s collar to see if it looked like it was loose enough, when I should have been feeling it.

A good rule of thumb for flat collars, which are the most common, is to make sure you can get two fingers underneath it. You simply slide your fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck. If there is more space than that, try tightening it up a notch until it is tight enough to comfortably allow your fingers underneath. If you can’t get two fingers under the collar, then loosen it up because you could be accidentally hurting your dog’s throat.

Check the Buckle

This is something we are in the habit of doing with all of our pets, since our dog Cody is older and has some health issues that prevent his collar from being tightened securely. His buckle comes loose a lot, and even at his slower pace the collar could come undone if we don’t make sure the buckle is properly fastened. The most common thing we have to adjust is the prong, which comes up a lot, with his collar being so loose. It’s also what we have to occasionally adjust on our other dogs.

If your dog’s collar has a plastic fastener, such as a side release or breakaway buckle, you’ll want to make sure it comes together like it should, before taking your dog on a walk.

Be Vigilant for Secureness

Of course, ensuring the collar has a great fit isn’t a “one time and you’re done” activity. You have to keep periodically checking that it is on your pet securely, since neither the collar nor your dog will always stay in the same condition as when you first placed it around their furry neck. Besides buckle wear, the collar fabric can also get worn out or stretch just enough for your pooch to slide his head through. Collars can also become fragile over time and get rips.

Puppies and young dogs can grow out of their collars, sometimes quicker than you think; be sure to frequently check that the collar isn’t too tight. Older dogs also can gain and lose weight, which will affect the fit of their collar.

It’s also good to work on mastering sit and stay commands, as well as keeping CANIDAE dog treats in your pocket when you take your pooch for a walk. Sometimes, even with the most vigilant of checking, dogs still manage to wiggle out of their collars. For your dog’s safety, it’s good to have some backup training and an enticingly tasty bribe if this happens.

What kind of collar does your dog wear? Has it ever slipped off before?

Top photo by jespahjoy
Middle photo by lindyi
Bottom photo by Tony Alter

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