Tillman Treats Take Front Seat to Fishing

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Tanner at the Scene of the Crime

Yes! This photo was posed. This weekend Tanner experienced another fishing expedition which played out a bit differently than our last event. I'm busy getting his mind off the fish today, which is not all that easy.

If you missed Tanner's first fishing experience, here's a quick catch up so you can follow

courtesy K.M.
Tanner's First Catch

along. A Hawk dropped a freshly-caught fish while flying over our property. When it landed on the ground, Tanner grabbed it and celebrated like he had just won the lottery.  A neighbor grabbed this shot of him and then I asked him for the ultimate sacrifice--'Drop It!" He performed this Fetch command perfectly and was appropriately rewarded.

Fast forward to this weekend. With Tanner now on an Organic Natural Balance formula, his nose and eagerness for adventure seem both in heightened alert. I'm not sure how to describe it, but the retriever DNA inside him is awakening and our outdoor experiences seem more active, curious and lively of late. Maybe it's Spring; maybe it's his new food. You tell me.

Last night during our final outdoor excursion, Tanner zoomed ahead, obviously bent on locating something his nose was aware of. Burrowing into one large group of Azaleas that tower above him, I quickly lost sight of him as he went after whatever had engaged his senses. I prayed it was not a momma Raccoon with kids in tow.

I heard plenty of rustling before Tanner came out, and as he headed away from me, I thought nothing of the end of this search. While concentrating on Oliver and Jacque, Tanner scooted by me and the next I knew he was waiting on us at the front door. This is unusual behavior for Tanner. Ever the outdoor lover, he's never the first to be ready to go inside. That was cue number one.

Cue number two was the smell. I may not have a dog's nose, but this was a fish, if ever there was one. From the smell I immediately knew that Tanner had either rolled in or picked up a fish, and not a fresh one this time :(.  

I asked Tanner to sit and quickly saw the remains of a fish that clearly had been the supper of another critter--most likely a Hawk like the one in Tanner's first fishing adventure that I linked for you to read at the top. Just barely noticing the smell, I was in awe of Tanner's nose, realizing that he had hit the trail to retrieve this fish almost the moment we opened the door. Dog's noses never cease to amaze me.

My husband grabbed a CET chew to elicit a Drop It from Tanner, assuming it may be a tougher drop with such an enticing odor emanating from it. Tanner's nose followed the chew back and forth, forgetting the fish and dropping it at his feet, receiving a mouthful of chew in the place of the smelly fish. I scooped up the remains and removed it quickly as Tanner took his consolation prize into the house.

Since he dropped it on the front porch, the residual smell apparently remains on the brick and the door mat. Jacque caught a whiff as we left the house this morning and hardly wanted to budge until he scoured the area for possible tidbits. No luck; I didn't leave anything behind except odor. I suppose a good scrubbing with lemon juice is in order.

While I'm cleaning up the fishy smells, it appears that Tanner is busily posting about this episode over at 5 Minutes for Fido. Who knows what he'll have to say about it. Why not stop in and appease him with a comment. It will make him feel good to know someone cares.

For now, we'll be offering some Tillman Treats to the boys in an effort to reward them all for coming inside, despite having to pass by the yummiest aroma of all. They seem quite pleased with this bribery. 

All Things Dog Blog is an NB Insider, sharing Natural Balance information with you. In exchange, I receive sponsored travel to industry events and pet food for my furry family.

Dogs Have Fish Stories Too!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© courtesy  k.m.
Tanner's Proud Catch

Oh how I wish I could let Tanner tell this story himself. What a proud tale it would be. Unfortunately, you have to read it second hand, but it is a fun story for any dog lover to imagine his or her own dog experiencing.


After letting Tanner out to take care of business, I went to grab Oliver and join him in the yard. Before I could reach the door, my doorbell rang and a neighbor appeared, beckoning me to hurry and see Tanner. She was laughing and encouraging me to come quickly, so I immediately knew that this was not a dangerous situation, yet was still intensely curious about what was up with Tanner.


Leaving Oliver behind, I ran into the yard, noting that my friend's car was still running and parked in the street. That gave me pause, wondering what could possibly have been interesting enough for her to stop so suddenly. When she said "Tanner has a fish!", my first inclination was to assume he found a discarded catch from the lake we live on. Then I immediately became worried about the condition of the fish and health issues.


All of this happened in a matter of seconds as I raced around the yard trying to catch up to my dog who was parading around as if to show off his gold medal. Was he ever a proud fisherman!


I finally caught up to Tanner as he dropped to rest a moment on the driveway. My friend was quick to grab the only photo with her handy phone, before I proceeded to be the tough mom and do what I had to do. I asked Tanner to Sit and he slowly--very slowly--assumed the position, peering at me with those soft brown eyes, as if to say, "Can I please keep him, Mom?" 


"Good boy, Tanner. Now, Drop It!" Even as I said the words, I was convinced he would not give up his treasure. Certain I would have to pry it out of his mouth in pieces, I gasped with pride when he opened his mouth and allowed the fish to drop to the ground. All those obedience classes paid off in spades as I collected his catch with a rag and praised him heartily for showing me the Drop It command that we practice in our Fetch games so regularly. Who knew that a game could have such a profound effect on my dog's health and our relationship. I thought of the Weekly Wag Fetch series we just completed and smiled inside.


Tanner watched as I investigated his prize. I was pleased to find that the fish was fresh, and to hear the story of its acquisition from my friend. This gets better yet....


Living on a lake and near a State park, Hawks live all around us. My office window looks out on a favorite hunting ground of one local Hawk, who frequently sits atop the neighborhood tennis court fence, watching for rodents in the grassy areas nearby.


Today's fish had been the freshwater catch of one of these Hawks, whose eyes were apparently a bit bigger than his bulk. As the fish flapped and wiggled, the Hawk lost its grip and dropped it in our yard, only to further lose his victim when Tanner scooped it up and proceeded to parade it around the yard. I'm sure that Hawk was not prepared to take on 70-lb. Tanner.


I still wish I could hear the story from Tanner's perspective. Some of it was told in the coming days, as Tanner inspected the yard, looking for more treasures that had fallen from the sky. Not a bad fish story for a dog, eh?