Things Satchel Taught Me

1. You don't have to have a puppy to have a great dog.

J & I knew we wanted a dog when we were getting ready to move into our new home.  I'd lived without one far too long while in college and after while living in apartments I could afford that didn't allow pets.  We didn't have many criteria.  We thought we were "big dog" people, but didn't have a breed in mind.  We wanted a family member and thought we'd find one once we were settled, but before we even moved into our home, we met Satchel, and we knew he was our family.  That he wasn't a puppy at all at three-and-a-half years old didn't register with us.  He was ours and he was already neutered, fully vaccinated, housebroken and knew hand commands.  Sure, he had behavior challenges, just as a puppy does, but he was our family, and we overcame those challenges, and he made us happy for nearly 13 years.  Yes, a big Yellow Lab lived to be almost 16 years old.  He was so wonderful, I wish I'd known him all his life, but instead, I will love him all of mine.

Happy Satchie in the sand along Lake Michigan

2. Behavior problems are behavior problems and then there is carsickness.

So so so so many people accept dog behaviors that are unsafe and evidence of an unhappy dog as "just how it is," when just a little bit of understanding and work can create safety and happiness.
Satchel came with several behavior problems that were very challenging.  He had no discipline.  He pulled on a leash so strongly no Halti, no harness, no gadget affected him.  He had separation anxiety.  He barked incessantly at motorcycles.  He could not be contained in a moving vehicle.  We worked diligently on everything, and Satchel became himself - a truly beautiful and wonderful and perfect dog - except for the hysteria in a moving vehicle.  It took several years, but we finally figured out that Satchel had severe carsickness, so severe that he could become dehydrated within 2 hours.  It wasn't his fault.  It wasn't our fault.  It was just how it was.
Satchel was safe and happy with us and supremely behaved.  He was just carsick.

As sick as he was in a moving vehicle, Satchel LOVED to sit in our cars for hours watching the birds, watching J work in the yard, just enjoying being outside.

3. Family members die and new ones appear.

Satchel's first owner died and Satchel became ours.  It wasn't immediate love for him nor immediately easy for us, but within months, there was no denying that we were a family.  When Satchel died, there was no heart intact.  I was broken and couldn't see, but then Foster Dog came into our life and helped heal me.  Satchel showed me the circle.  Bringing Satchel into our lives, helped heal him, and with both his life and death, he opened my heart for another dog to heal me.

How beautiful you are Sweet Satchie

I thank you My Dear, My Beloved, My Satchel, for teaching me how to be a better Pack Leader.  You are in my heart, my every day, my soul.  It hurts to live without you.  You were a gift.  You still are.

We let Satchel go three years ago today.  I work to honor him every day, and today I hope I've honored him here.

When Will Atticus Be Ready?

At a recent family get-together, The Whole Pack was out in my in-laws' fenced-in yard.  Luna was in the lake, Foster was continually considering how to get under the platform deck to hang out and look for critters, and Atticus was attached to me by a leash around my waist.  Atticus has been home for 7 months and disappeared for two hours earlier this year.  He has been labeled a "Treeing Walker Coonhound," a breed recommended to never be off leash unless hunting.  While I'm not ready to accept that he can never be off leash - in part due to my belief that he is certainly a mix of breeds, and in part due to my belief that if you can train a dog to track a particular scent and tree a bear you can train a dog to stay in your yard - I'm not ready to give him the chance to jump the three, four and eight foot fences in my in-laws' yard.

Particularly when we're in new environments, Atticus needs a little extra attention to stay with The Pack.

I was asked, "How long until you let him off the leash?"  Usually, I can answer a "dog" question quickly.  I have a lot of opinions, and I've answered the same questions a million times, but I didn't have a clear answer for that question.  I thought about it a little more, and then I had a totally true and great answer.  The moment was gone (Don't you hate when that happens?!?!), but I felt more confident about why I was doing what I was doing (Don't you love when that happens?!?!).

How will I know when Atticus is ready to be off leash in my in-laws' yard?  When I feel more confident that his desire to please us is greater than the power of his nose.  A classic Nurture vs. Nature.

You shouldn't base life changing decisions on feelings only so I will support my feelings with some behavioral observations.  I am working on Atticus' recall - he's actually been great from the beginning - but with nature's scent distractions, he's challenged when outside.  Still quite good, but that is one way he shows his attachment.  There are other less obvious to people ways he can show his attachment and respect and I'm looking for improvement in these areas as well.

One, when the dog food in the bin is exposed, Atticus must not put his head in the bin to eat cups and cups of food.  When the food bin is open in my presence, Atticus is excellent about looking to me for permission, and he never receives permission to stick his head into the bin for feasting. When the food bin has been left open outside of my presence, Atticus has enjoyed many many many mouthfuls of food.  He no longer pulls anything out of any garbage around the house.  He no longer takes anything off of counters.  When presented with a food bin opportunity though, he is still taking advantage.  Sometimes; not all the time.  When he no longer does this at all, I will know that he has respect for the rules even if I am not right there.  That is true discipline.

Showing how disciplined he can be while waiting for his dinner.

Two, Atticus has this tremendous sense of urgency when we're walking.  Everything interesting is not only 18 inches outside of my arm's length, the need to investigate is immediate.  He has greatly improved his walking manners, greatly, but they still need some work.  When there is no longer frequent tension in the leash, I will know that he is understanding that we are walking together, and the point of The Walk is for him to follow me.  I do not agree with The Walk being "His Walk," and I'm not waiting for him to "outgrow" the pulling and urgent behavior.  We work as a Pack on our walks, and it's challenging, and sometimes not even fun, but I see him remembering tension in the leash means slow down, and walking in front of me is unacceptable.  Not all the time, but more of the time.  I remember how it was when he first came home.  It was as if he'd never encountered this leash contraption connected-to-a-human thingy.  He has shown me he is working, and he knows I appreciate his work.  He's getting there.

Pulling with a friend.
Sometimes I ask them if they have an appointment to get to that I don't know about!

I also need to work with Atticus on things that will fulfill his scent tracking needs.  We have done some work with that in the house, and if I work with him inside and outside, he may be more interested in the game playing possibilities while we're outside than in jumping over a fence to follow a scent...and be hit by a car...or fall through the ice...or be considered a stray...and I don't even want to think about it.

Atticus is VERY interested in this thing I keep calling a "snake."

So when will Atticus be allowed off leash in a yard?  I'm not sure, but I'll give him a chance soon, after some more recall, discipline and scent tracking time!

Should I tip?

I've been asked recently, and saw a bit of a debate on the topic, about tipping your pet sitter.  Some say "Yes!" some say "No!" and some say "No way, why would I?"  Here's my take on it.

I walk multiple dogs three days per week.  I am not tipped.  I do not expect to be tipped, but I do appreciate when my clients pay me even when they are traveling with their pets because they know I have set aside that time for them every week.  I don't expect it, but it is a kindness in our relationship that has lasted for nearly a decade.

I rarely see my clients, the human ones.  I am walking with their dogs because they cannot be home to do it themselves. I am trusted with their canine family members, keys to their homes, and codes to their garages and front doors.  It is a very personal relationship with my clients being vulnerable.  They can't really know if I've shown up, or if I've snooped through their homes, or if I've stolen something.  They trust me with virtually everything they have, and I do not take that trust lightly.  I am honored by how much faith they have in my honesty and accountability.

Sometimes clients will leave a little chocolate treat, or a selection of fruit, or some other kind of snack or beverage for me because I walk with their dogs in the noon-ish/lunchtime-ish hour.  It is so sweet, and it makes me smile.  I always leave a thank you note along with the note about how their dogs enjoyed, or did not enjoy, the time we spent together.

Sometimes clients will leave me a little gift from their travels or simply from a trip to the grocery store or mall.  I have even received a luxury dog bed for my burrower Foster.  My clients tell me kind things like they cannot pay me what I am worth and therefore they want to show me in other ways how much they value me.  It is all very kind and beyond appreciated, but still, I do not expect it.

Again, I rarely see my human clients, and these kindnesses often feel like evaluations.  I do not think my clients see them this way, but I see these gestures as ways of telling me I am doing a good job, and that always feels good to me.  I can know that they value my work by their continuing to hire me, but a note or a chocolate or a bottle of water or an extra walk's pay gives me confidence and builds our relationship.  It's just nice.

So should you tip your dog walker or pet sitter?  I don't know. I don't expect it, but I know it is hard to find someone you can trust with the whole of your possessions and at least some of your family members.  I would pay well for the service and value the relationship.  However you show your appreciation is up to your personality, but I will say my clients are getting more than someone to walk their dogs, and I have received more than monetary payment and chocolates.  It's a long-term relationship that has gifted us all.

One Pack

Good Lord, it's been six months since Atticus came home and we've had many adventures and learning experiences and I didn't blog about a single one.  Uucchh.  I have no discipline for writing.  I also don't think you'll be interested in 97% of what goes through my mind, but Good Lord, it's been a while.

I was asked a question nearly six months ago, and it struck me as so unusual that I thought I would write about it.  I thought about writing for quite a while, and then I asked people what they thought for a little while, and now I'm going to try to remember what I felt and what people said.

"So is he like J's dog?"

That was the question, and oh yeah, now I remember how I felt!

What the what????

"Pardon me?" I asked, trying not to let my voice rise to the ridiculously loud level it can when I'm surprised or irritated, which was how I was immediately feeling thinking I'd heard 'So is he like J's dog?'.

"Is he more J's dog?"

Quizzical-faced pause while trying not to look judgmental.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Well, I just mean, he's with J right now and it seems like he might like J better and be his dog."

"We're not 'his or her' kind of people.  We're a family."

The polite conversation didn't end there, but the whose-dog-is-he portion of the exchange ended.  I don't think it ended because the person completely understood me and it all made sense, but more likely because the person did not understand what I was saying at all and dropped it.

I could have jumped on the exchange as a 'teachable moment,' but some times I'm just tired of the moments, and many times, no one wants me to be his or her teacher anyway.  We are One Pack.  We are not two teams labeled Humans and Dogs.  We are The Pack.

As a pack, J and I have had a few dogs, five actually.  Each pack member has, and had, his and her own personality, and likes and dislikes, and quirks and needs.  Each pack member is part of "We," and not a "His" or "Hers."  Yes, Satchel was drawn to J as if the sun rose upon J's entrance, but Koko looked to no one but me in our home.  Luna did not realize until she was about 3 years old that it was me she loved like no other, and Foster Dog is happiest while lying on J's lap.  All four of these loving canines have preferred to be in the massage room with me at any time of day, and even if J has chicken in his hand, a walk with me is the number one desire.  There is no "You are J's dog, and you are Leanne's dog."  We are a family, and we each have an energy and a place that makes each of us happy.

Atticus whines and yelps when I walk away from him while J holds his leash.  When he is told he can jump into bed, Atticus leaps to lie next to me.  When J rolls one pant leg up, or is wearing cycling shorts, Atticus can focus only on J.  J behaving this way means Atticus will be running along side J's bike for a "bike run."  Besides, tracking a scent, there is nothing that makes Atticus more happy than a "bike run."  So whose dog is Atticus?  He's ours.  Not his. Not hers.  Ours.

We also don't have separate packs in our family.  Humans are outnumbered by dogs in our home, but there is no human pack and dog pack; there is The Pack.  I'm always surprised when dog behaviorists are labeled "outdated" for using the concept of "dominance" in their observations because those who seem to dislike the word "dominant" often use "alpha" when describing their pack environment.  Merriam-Webster (2013) provides one definition for "alpha" as: socially dominant especially in a group of animals.

I have no research to back up my observation.  It's just something I've noticed along with people asking me, "So who's the alpha?" when looking at our dogs.  I always respond with, "Me."  Often the follow-up question is, "No, with the dogs.  Who's alpha?"  I always respond with, "Again, me."  Sometimes I'll add, "They've chosen, and in some ways been forced to live with humans.  I'm the most equipped to teach them and keep them safe to live among humans.  I have to be alpha at all times."  I do recognize that dogs know humans are not dogs.   They play completely differently with each other than they do with us, but ultimately, it is me who has to have the only word in guiding them.

In the canine world, unwanted behavior is punished, and deferent, desirable behavior is rewarded.  We do that in our home as well.  When you take a toy away from your pack member, I will remind you that the toy is mine by stepping on it (Punishment by you not having access to it).  You will walk away from it (Deferent, desirable behavior), be told "That's right," (Reward), and I will give the toy back to the pack member from whom you took it (Reward to that pack member's deferent, desirable behavior).

During feeding time, there is a place for dogs to wait until their meals are prepared.  Those who wait and stay in the proper location are called to their meal stations first.  When everyone behaves equally well, all are told "Okay," and each pack member goes to his and her meal station.  Everyone is rewarded equally when everyone does what I want, and when they see this over and over and over without fail, they learn to trust my consistency, both in my demands and in my fairness.  I am alpha, and I encourage every human who interacts with My Pack to behave as I do so that The Pack recognizes all humans as socially dominant.  I do that because in any situation involving humans and dogs, any mistake made will always be blamed on the dog.  It is my job to protect My Pack, and that is one way to protect them. (If you want to talk about dogs as protection, that's a whole other topic!)

So, there is One Pack.  My dogs are My Pack and The Pack, and I am the Leader of My Pack and The Pack.  I am a member of My Pack and The Pack, and no one belongs exclusively to me or to anyone else.  We belong to each other.  We belong together, and to keep us together, I work every day to keep us safe, harmonious, and happy.  That's an Alpha's job.