doggydayjob:

candidcanines:

So, as an aspiring photographer, it’s really difficult just starting out. I’m trying to get my name out there by word of mouth, and by offering prices that just can’t be beat considering the quality of the work. I’ve been thinking of getting some part-time employment. A little extra money can’t hurt, especially with three dogs and a hamster to look after. I still haven’t gone to any training classes with my dogs, and I wanted to start Helo in a class early. It’s never too late, but the sooner the better!

I’ve been considering other options as well. Right now I just can’t afford the equipment that would make my life as a photographer much easier. The laptop that I retouch on is crapping out on me. I doubt it will last a few more months. It’s just old and reaching it’s end. I need a new one, but the one I want is between $800-$1,200 (depending on whether I get the one from newegg, or the one from Best Buy). Then I’ve been wanting to save up for a new lens better suited for portrait-style photography, and close-ups. 

I’ve been thinking about joining a program at an animal behavior college to learn more about canine behavior, and whatever else they may be able to teach me (I’m very interested in dog nutrition as well). Then I also considered a vet tech program, but training would be more rewarding for me, personally. If I don’t do anything with animals, I’d go into either web development or graphic design. Honestly, though, I would be happiest working with animals. I just don’t see myself making very much money as a dog trainer.

I know several dog trainers in the area, and most of them volunteer their services such as at the Merrimac Dog Training Facility where I’d like to go. The ones who get paid work at a pet store… I wouldn’t mind offering my training services free to help the animals (that alone would be extremely rewarding), but I still have bills to pay at the end of the month, and several mouths to feed.

I really want to start volunteering at the Animal Aid Society again, and I also thought about going into wildlife rehabilitation. Again, volunteer work isn’t going to pay the bills, and I’m not getting enough photo shoots to live off of photography alone.

My fiance is also looking for other employment. Working for my dad is the worst thing he could have ever done, but it was just supposed to be temporary until he got back into a drafting position. He could get into any company because his skills in drafting and design exceed the expectations of someone his age, but he just hasn’t put in any applications. Apparently he’s “taking a break.” I can understand that. He used to work 65hrs a week, making $16.50/hr. The income was nice, but it was a lot for him, and he was getting burned out after almost four years of the same routine, with barely any time for himself to relax. Plus his boss was an ass, so when a good excuse came around, he took it as a way out.

But now he’s not even making minimum wage. Every month it’s a hassle to make sure his $600 truck payment gets paid, along with his credit cards and the monthly bills. It’s really a big difference, and we’re still not used to it. I know money isn’t everything, but if you can’t pay your bills, you’re on the street. I have three dogs to feed, plus my fiance and myself. And by my late twenties, I’d like to think about having two-legged kids for once! I want to get this house rebuilt before then, and actually have a privacy fence around the backyard so the dogs can hang out more outside on a nice day.

Ever since my mom died, everything went downhill for my dad and he isn’t doing anything to pick it back up. He’s just letting his company rot, and although we’re trying desperately to help, we just can’t take it anymore. We’re not getting paid for the work we do. I’ve been answering his phones, and my fiance has been doing the jobs — and it’s hard labor, not desk work. We’re tired of not having any money.

I need to figure something out. I’m not giving up on my dream as a photographer, but for right now I think it would be best to pursue another career until we can get back into being financially stable. Money can put a lot of stress on a person, and I think it’s one of the reasons I’ve been a butthead these last couple of months to my dogs and everyone around me.

I think I might put in an application at an animal boarding facility — preferably a family owned business, but there is one nearby that I’ll probably check out. I’ve boarded my dogs there a couple of times, and actually will be keeping them there overnight this Saturday. That might be a good time to ask if they are hiring. I think I would have an impressive resume for that kind of work.

Being a dog trainer can be pretty lucrative, especially if you become specialized in several areas (agility, obedience, aggression, etc.) I’m working on becoming a dog trainer myself, and I have a BSc in animal behaviour. I’d suggest skipping the degree for now. (I actually got mine because I wanted to get my PhD and become an ethologist and professor, but my health took a downturn and here we are.) You’d be much better off doing an internship with a trainer in your area. This will get you lots of hands-on experience where your mentor will correct your blind spots and show you new training techniques. If you can’t find someone willing to take you on, many trainers I’ve met have started out in places like PetSmart. The only really redeeming quality of these stores is that you’ll be able to meet a lot of people and build your customer base while collecting a steady salary.

Alternatively, have you considered opening a dog boarding place or doing dog walking? With as active as you are with your dogs, dog walking or boarding sounds pretty natural. (A tired dog is a happy dog, after all!)

I would actually LOVE to have my own dog boarding facility (it would have a limited capacity as I would love to have a piece of property for my house and my boarding facility where the dogs could be treated like my own, so the owners are at ease when they go out of town). I’m actually interested in applying to work at one (as I mentioned in my earlier post).

Either that, or as a receptionist at a vet clinic (I’d like to make more than $8/hr). As for training, I’d like to understand basic obedience, and maybe aggression. If I do an internship, would I be able to become certified from that? I have a friend who was taught by another trainer, and now she is certified. I sent her an email and asked if she knew of anyone who might be willing to work with me. I would also like to volunteer at the Merrimac Training Facility, and maybe move up to rally and/or agility training!

I don’t see myself being able to board dogs anytime soon, especially since my fiance wouldn’t like it (if it were done at the house). He’s not a big dog person like me, I guess! I think dog walking and training would be right up my alley. I could even set up a local dog socialization group (I already formed a meetup group where we get together once a month at the dog park, or for a walk — it’s been really nice).

supfruit:

I used to live to convince people into spaying or neutering their pet.
It used to thrill me, the challenge, breaking down their argument, sharing the facts, seeing minds change or, usually, protest what they believe to be some sort of liberal conspiracy.

I have lost my enthusiasm for the actual fight.
I, instead, am just overwhelmed by the facts. I can’t heave a truth bomb as far as I used to be able to. Knowing, seeing, being involved in too much of it, having met and forgotten more pathetic animals than I can even remember, I’m, undoubtedly experiencing compassion fatigue.

I’ve seen people do evil, awful things to animals. I have gotten there in the nick of time to keep puppies from dying. I have also gotten there too late. I’ve lost count of the number of dead animals I’ve put into plastic bags. I’ve lost count of the number of parvo puppies I have seen, but I have seen about a half dozen survive. And though after the first one, I swore that I would not lose count, I have been a part of more euthanasias than I could recall; Though I have cried over, drank to forget, and ruined relationships blabbing about all of them.

And, the thing is, all of that stuff, every last bit of it, all of the dreadful and disgusting things I have seen and all the torment every neglected animal has experienced, could be prevented if we didn’t have to argue about spay/neuter.

So, I’m sick of it.

In fact, recently, I hopped from one role in the organization where I work to another. Specifically because my current role involves, literally, presenting a surgeon with an anesthetized animal ready to be sterilized.

Without being a surgeon myself, this is the closest I can get to the end of the process I have fought so hard to promote since I, stupidly, picked working with pet dogs to be my “career path.”

Ha.

It’s actually quite relaxing. It’s like a part of me that worked really hard can retire.

So, in case anyone is inclined to ask me, ever, why they have to neuter their damn dog, here ya go:

Spay/neuter is BASELINE standard of care for all pet dogs. It’s bad medicine to advise a dog owner to keep their pet dog intact.

For REAL advice on dog behavior, and why neutering is essential to your dog’s longterm health and success as a pet, talk to REAL experts on the topic. For crying out loud.
Dr. Ian Dunbar (the inventor of puppy training and the godfather of positive dog training)
Dr. Patricia McConnell (the academic translator of dog behavior —the literal dog whisperer)
Dr. Karen Pryor (the backbone of clicker training, which is now the main tool used in precision training for complex activities on all sorts of species)
Dr. Bruce Fogle (author of “The Dog’s Mind” in which he explains the chemical process an unaltered dog must go through to control its body, all of the time, versus that of a castrated dog)

And even if there are valid risks, albethey minute, associated with neutered a dog, WE (dog nerds and professionals) ALL TRULY KNOW THAT THE MAIN REASON TO NOT NEUTER A DOG IS THAT THE OWNER IS UNEDUCATED ABOUT THE REASONS THEY MUST NEUTER THEIR DOG.
Many, many, many, many more dogs die prematurely because they were not neutered than will ever die, or even become unwell, because they were neutered.

The torment that an intact male dog must go through, with his incredible sense of smell, knowing, his whole life, that there are ladies out there who need him…
Check out Craigslist “Lost Dog” postings some time. Or the flyers inside any vet clinic or shelter anywhere, in any community, in any region.
90% or more of the lost pet dogs, anywhere, are intact males.
80% of bites are inflicted by intact males.
The average dog in a shelter in any community is young intact male.

Bad things happen to boy dogs allowed to keep their testosterone. 
They are testosterone drunk, unable to focus on anything, truly, other than the smell of that girl dog who walked by two days ago, or was maybe a mile away a few hours ago.
His sense of smell + testosterone drive = a fella with a lifelong case of blueballs, in constant torment, agitation.
Neuter your dog, and you will see that, suddenly, his loyalties are truly with you. His focus doesn’t have to be diverted, he’s, now, alive to be your pet, not to perpetuate his species.
You cannot have it both ways. You cannot allow a dog, whose focus and adoration you want, to have the drive to procreate. Or you will always be the second-most important thing.

And, besides, it just shows the world that you know enough to have a dog.
Get real, neuter your dog, and quit projecting your own insecurities onto a helpless, hormone-driven creature. Do your boy a solid and give him a break from the torment of anxiety-fueling testosterone.

I couldn’t agree more.

obsidiansnowkennels:

I’m often contacted on “How do I correct my dog when he growls?”. My answer is always the same. You don’t.

Now, I’m not saying you should praise your dog for growling because I’m not. However, what I am saying is why would you take away the most obvious warning sign there is to a bite? That’s like taking the ticking away from the time bomb. It’ll still go off you just don’t know when anymore.

Heal the cause, not the symptom.

Burn this saying in your memory. Remember it everytime your dog growls. Growling is just the symptom not the actual cause. And if that’s not the cause then what is?

Causes

• Fear/ Uncomfortable
• Precious Resources
• Playing
• Pain

If you are able to fix (note I said fix and not correct) these underlying causes you will have a happier dog that has one less behavior problem.

This is an excellent piece of advice. I’m fascinated to have the chance to experience this type of situation with Helo, as he tends to show these warning signs. If the other dogs don’t back off, he will bare his teeth and even snap or pursue the dog that makes him uncomfortable (usually a very annoying dog who insists on harassing him). I usually try to get Helo’s attention away from the obnoxious dog, and lead him to a safer area away from the other dog where he can relax. 

Helo is turning six months old, but I can’t stress enough to the public how important it is to socialize your dogs! I hope that with more socialization, Helo will grow more comfortable around dogs who like to bully. Sam, for example, is great at avoiding these types of dogs. She will ignore them until they get bored and leave her alone. Helo, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to understand that by reacting, he’s getting the other dog even more excited and likely to continue annoying him.

Helo is not aggressive, but he does get very frightened when a dog overwhelms him. He will first run away with his hackles raised and tail tucked. Usually the dog is the kind to follow him and ignore his body language. Helo will then start to growl and bare his teeth at the dog. If this doesn’t defer the dog, Helo will actually start snapping at the dog.

As the owner, I am responsible for “fixing” the situation — even if it’s someone else’s dog causing the problem, you can’t expect them to correct their dog’s unacceptable behavior. In my experience thus far, it has been other people’s dogs annoying mine and the owners don’t do anything about it (which is most likely why the dog behaves the way it does in the first place). One of these days their unruly dogs are going to mess with the wrong dog, and someone’s going to get hurt in a nasty fight.

The sad part is that it could all be avoided.

If I leave Helo in a situation that he is clearly uncomfortable with, his fear is likely to become aggressive in the future. I have been trying to make all of his experiences with other dogs as fun and enjoyable as possible. I lead him away with a new distraction if I see that he is getting uneasy around a particular dog. Once he relaxes, we can try to go back (usually by then, the dog ignoring his warnings will have found a new dog to annoy so that Helo can play with the better behaved dogs).

ihavelotsofdogs:

I don’t believe in keeping dogs outside unless they are working animals (livestock guardian dogs, for example). But my dogs LOVE to be outside. I mean, if it were up to them, they’d be outside all the time. Obviously they aren’t, but after like, an hour or so inside they’re at the door, begging to go out. They love to run and play with each other, they love to lie in the sun (or the shade), and they love to roll around in the grass. 

Anyway, we had a pretty nasty nor’easter last night, and it’s gross outside. We hadn’t had rain for a while before the storm, so at least the ground isn’t saturated, but it’s still all muddy. Yesterday, my dogs were freaking out because they couldn’t go out in the rain. They just sat at the door whining, and when we let them out to do their business, it was incredibly difficult getting them back in again. Today is not rainy, luckily, but I don’t want them rolling around in the mud so they’re inside and they hate it.

Does anyone else have dogs like this? Do you have dogs who just LOVE to be outside? If so, how often and for how long are they allowed out? I don’t want to just leave them outside for a long time, but they also are not alone- they have each other to play with- and we have a perfectly secure fence. They have lots of room to run and play and they just seem miserable when they can’t go out. Does anyone else have dogs like this?

My dogs LOVE to be outside, too. If it were up to them, they’d probably stay outside. Unfortunately, our property isn’t fenced in so the only time they go out is to go potty, or to play on a nice day when I’m willing to play outside with them (or at least supervise to make sure they don’t get carried away and accidentally go out into the street). Generally they avoid the road, but you can never be too cautious. I just couldn’t leave my dogs outside without being present because I have to know they are okay!

I used to say that even if I did have a fenced in yard, I probably would never leave them outside without being out there with them, but recently I’ve been dreaming about the day we finally tear down this house and rebuild it. I really want to put in a privacy fence around the backyard so the dogs can go in and out whenever they want. Normally Sam and Helo want to be where ever I am, so I don’t even know if they would go outside without me to begin with.

I think even if I did have a fenced in yard and let them out, they’d probably do their business and sit at the door waiting to be let in. God forbid I’m not in sight! At least two of them are attached to me at the hip. Motley could care less if I’m around or not. She would probably love the extra freedom, and get the others to run around with her like they do in the front yard for a bit during potty breaks.

But we also go to the bark park Mon-Fri from 3PM to sunset if the weather is nice. I don’t know if I really want to go today since it rained all day yesterday and is probably wet and muddy. I don’t feel like giving them baths tonight. It’s such a chore! And if they come home dirty, they’ll have to sleep in their crates because I don’t want muddy dogs on my bed!

My fiance’s mom lets their Beagle out several times a day to get some fresh air. They also don’t have a fenced in property, but they have a tie-out in the backyard and on the front deck. Lexi normally lets them know when she wants to go outside, and when she wants to come back in. Typically she’ll relax outside, lay in the sun for a bit, and when she’s had enough of the great outdoors, she’ll bark and paw at the door to be let inside.

I think that when I finally have a fenced in property, I would let them outside a few times a day for at least thirty minutes to an hour each time. That seems like a reasonable amount of time, especially considering they get 2-3 hours at the dog park Mon-Fri (if the weather permits). Fortunately, none of my dogs really like bad weather so they are perfectly content to stay inside when it’s raining or storming… Snow, on the other hand, is the best time to run around outside! Sam especially LOVES the snow, and will even go out in a blizzard, but try to take her out to potty in the rain and she’ll pee right there on the steps! LOL!

(via ihavelotsofdogs-deactivated2013)

cleverlikewhoa:

If your pup has dry skin or allergies, I highly recommend coconut oil.

I’ve been giving Payton about a tablespoon a day for the past month, and his coat is amazing!

Since October, we’ve been taking Payton to the vet on and off for some serious skin issues, but after different medication, specialty shampoos, etc. all we had were expensive vet bills and an itchy puppy.

My friend, who sees a holistic vet, told me her pittie mix was having similar problems. The only two things that helped her dog: coconut oil and a raw diet.

Since my brother is a vet in Arizona, he’s told me some horror stories about raw diets gone wrong and said he did not recommend them to anyone. BUT the coconut oil sounded like a great idea! 

My friend’s dog licks it right off the spoon, but Payton likes his better on his food. 

No joke: his itchy spots are gone, he’s not scratching incessantly, and his coat looks AMAZING!

If you have any questions, let me know! Thought I’d share the love!

This is pretty neat information! Fortunately, none of my pups have any issues with their skin or coat, but I might just start adding a little bit of coconut oil just to see what’ll happen. People always comment on how soft their coats are, and how they smell so nice! I use a soap free, all natural shampoo by Tropiclean. I swear by it!

batmanimal:

For my birthday this year, in lieu of a party or fancy dinner, I had a bunch of friends come over, eat pizza, and play with my dog. Specifically, they helped me teach him how to be a good host – no jumping on your guests, Batman!

Batman was very good and we showed off all our commands (sit, down, shake, heel, “to the Batcave”). One thing my friends kept saying was, “Wow, you give a lot of treats!” Which is true, I give a lot of treats over the course of the day. The treats I like best are those that are small enough for him to eat in a second or less. Zuke’s Mini Naturals in Salmon flavor are a particular favorite of his -– they have 2 calories each, which is good if you’re watching your dog’s weight.

But my friends weren’t worried about Batty’s waistline so much as, “What happens when you don’t have treats? Won’t he stop performing on command?” My answers were, “I always have treats,” and “Yeah, eventually.” This drew some consternation, as my friends thought Batman shouldn’t be doing it for the treats, but for praise and love. This surprised me a little. I mean, he’s a dog. He works for food. Would you work for someone who didn’t pay you?

Praise is nice for Batman, but not as good as treats. And petting is not particularly valued in the dog world. Dogs are not primates. You don’t see wolves in the wild patting each other on the head for a job well done. Batman will tolerate my hugs, but he doesn’t particularly enjoy them, and he sure as hell isn’t going to work for hugs. That’s like being paid in Schrute Bucks. Your love is not legal tender in the dog world. Sorry.

Also, remember that we ask our dogs to do a lot of things they wouldn’t do in nature. Like “shake” and “sit pretty.” Heeling is a classic example. As Michael Ellis points out, dogs don’t naturally trot in a straight line with their heads pointed up at the sky. Treats help lure the dog into position, and help develop muscle memory, so eventually this unnatural position feels normal to them.

For example, I’m guessing I’ll need treats or a toy or something Batman wants to work for in order to get him to do a sphinx down (a straight down from a stand, where all four legs go down at once and the back legs are neatly tucked under like a sphinx) for the first 100 or so iterations before he does it on command reliably. He’s already starting to go into a sphinx down instinctively when he wants something from me (usually his yellow ball). It would have been a lot tougher to teach him this without treats at the start — both to get his attention, and to lure him into the precise position. 

Maybe there are people who can raise puppies and train them perfectly using praise and pets alone. More power to them. I am not so arrogant to assume that just because I can’t do it, then no one can do it. But since this blog is called Batmanimal, let’s talk about my insufficiencies some more.

Batman will work for my praise if we’re home and he’s not distracted by better offers. But if we’re out on the field, with a bunch of different dogs running around us, I would not rely on praise alone to get him in a perfect heel. In a situation like that, he has to want — really want — what I’ve got for him, and hugs don’t cut it.

That said, some dogs will work for the sole purpose of pleasing their humans -– I’ve seen it happen with people who share a special bond with their dog, and it’s really lovely. But it takes time, and Batman’s been here for 3 weeks. I can’t expect him to be a devout member of the Cult of Jennie already. 

In the meantime, there are treats and toys, and no aversive techniques or punishments, ever. No yelling, no choke chains, no hitting, no nose-bopping, no anger. What does that do? It establishes a powerful association in his mind: “Whenever this person is around, good things happen to me, and only good things.”

Am I bribing him to achieve this positive association? Hell yes. So what? What is the alternative, really? Not give him a treat when he holds up his end of the bargain, out of a misguided human principle that he “should” want to do it for nothing?

It’s important that Batman sees me as a fair leader. Being fair means, you do something for me, and I do something for you. And it all happens in the moment, where the transaction is valid. For us, that means a lot of treats because we train constantly. It’s only a minute or two at a time, but we train at various intervals from sun-up to sundown. It might seem like a lot, but by the time he grows into an 85 lb mass of muscle and fur, I will be glad I worked with him so much at this age.

I really like your point of view. I have a very strong bond with one of my dogs, but all three seem to want to please me regardless of the reward. However, I agree that hugging and petting do not represent natural canine behavior. In fact, hugging can be very offensive to some dogs. I always try to get others to realize how much we humanize our dogs, but a topic as simple as giving treats instead of love and praise makes so much sense to me that I can’t believe I never thought of it before.

It could be because my dogs are happy to do what I ask whether I have a treat in hand or not — although they definitely pay a lot more attention when there’s food involved! Or because my dogs seem to be ecstatic when I love on them. But what I like about your opinion here is not because it seems like a more natural way to reward your dog or that it’s an effective way to boost their motivation, but because I think working for what you receive is a good concept for any dog to learn.