All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label puppy energy. Show all posts

Friday, July 16, 2010

An Interview with Xena, my Super Sweet, Senior, Retriever Mix, Rescued Rover

Xena

Showing off her Gray Snout

We'll call this an interview with Xena, an idea that came from one of our readers. Xena is clearly the senior citizen at 13 1/2, and I am often asked "How do you meld your dogs' various needs?" Today we'll get Xena's take on the pack atmosphere, living with an almost 4 year old Golden Retriever and a 2 year old Papillon:

Xena:

"I'm clearly the head of this household, and the matron (duh!). These kids need whipping into shape and I'm fulfilled by having this a part of my 'job' around here. Each time a new pup, kitten or rabbit has come into the house, I have taken it under my wing, washed its ears, cleaned its backside when needed, and generally let them know when their behavior needed some work. It's a momma dog's job, and I took on that role long ago. Such is the life of a rescue--spayed before my first litter. Tisk!"

"Growing up in this house was a very busy time. With two boys and a girl I always had plenty of kids around to play with. I loved going to the park for family gatherings and having my daily walks with different family members every day. Variety is the spice of life, right?"

"Now that I'm a senior citizen, I appreciate the consideration that my housemates give me. Tanner is bigger than me, but we still enjoy a good wrestling match. He is a nice playmate that seems to know how far to go with me; I do have my limits."

"Oliver is finally coming out of the adolescent stage and respects my space these days. I guess our mom taught him that, cuz I sure didn't. Well, maybe that's not true. I did ignore him when he tried to play with me. That's great because now he uses Tanner as a jungle gym, instead of me."

"I'm glad to get out for my walks, but also happy to be dropped off at home when we reach the halfway point. These youngsters I live with have lots more stamina than me these days. I like the sanctity of the senior citizen ward; that's what we call the front porch. Have a good walk, guys; it's Xena's nap time now."

Sometimes it's good to get the straight scoop from the dog herself. If you ever have a question for Xena, Tanner or Oliver, feel free to write to them with their name in the subject line. They love receiving mail. Their email address is LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. They'll answer your questions over at their new blog, 5 Minutes for Fido. Their site includes short tips and commentary from the dogs' point of view.

You can also find some of the most popular posts from All Things Dog Blog at the link below the header: Best of All Things Dog Blog. I suppose it's time for me to update that a bit. Thanks for reminding me. Happy tails!

Related Reading:

Senior Moments: Helping Your Dog Stay Young
Managing the Exercise Needs of Your Older and Younger Dogs

Watch for: An Interview with Oliver, coming soon to All Things Dog Blog

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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Dog-Friendly Workplaces:
Insight from an Insider

by Carrie Boyko

Dog-friendly offices are not exactly a commodity. Rarely do I encounter a business that has a dog on site, except for the occasional 'night guard'. This is definitely NOT the tree I'm barking up.

In seeking to meet and talk with someone whose medium to large business has an open house policy for friendly dogs, I had only to mention this dilemma in front of my husband. After all the people I had spoken to, it turns out hubby is well-acquainted with our expert for this article.

My husband's long time friend, John Cassidy, has run Klutz publishing, as its co-founder, since its beginning. He graciously agreed to an interview on this arguably politically-confused topic.

After pummeling John with a barrage of questions far too voluminous to publish, I decided to synopsize the interview in favor of the more useful questions that might help business owners that are considering such a venture.

As suspected, John shared the beginnings of his office's dog-friendly policy as a casual and fairly low-rules setup. When an employee with a well-behaved dog expressed interest in having his furry friend tagalong to work, John felt there was no particular reason not to okay it. From what he shared with me, it seems there was a pay off for the company throughout the years. Read on and I'll fill you in.

I was particularly interested to learn how problem situations were handled, when John passed it off as simply as "the HR lady took care of it with a probation, that passed without further incident." When I inquired as to the number of these incidents, he could only remember one--in all these years. And what, I asked, was the apparent problem? It was a hyperactive pup that lost his office privileges. No surprise there.

While at times there were as many as 4 dogs in the office, they did not generally spend time together, but rather with their owners, a point that John felt was key to the success of the plan. His fairness doctrine considered dog owners as well as their counterparts, and assured that the dog-averse were respected equally by not being overwhelmed in a dog park-like environment.

Finally, John's comments about the pros of allowing dogs in the office were most enlightening:

"I think a dog in the office made a lot of people--probably most--feel as if management was on their side. More informal, more human, more family. We actually see tons of kids brought to work and they're a lot noisier...The benefits the dogs bring to the spirit of the place outweighs their liabilities."

"My bottom line is that a well-behaved dog, or even a few, brings a sense of benign management and family friendliness to a place that works to most everyone's benefit....Unless you have tight quarters and a whole passle of dogs, I'd suspect everyone's preferences could be met."

Well, John, I'd say "That's that! I think you hit the nail on the head."

My office has 3 dogs in it; how about yours? The comment link is at the bottom of the post. I look forward to hearing about your experiences. Or perhaps you'd like to learn more:

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Managing Your Puppy's Endless Energy

by Carrie Boyko

Let's face it, your first couple of months with a new puppy is going to be challenging, no matter how perfect your puppy may turn out to be. This post is designed to help you with just one of the many challenges a puppy will present: his seemingly endless energy. Here's some tips:

Physical exercise is key: Long walks, runs, and vigorous playtime will all result in a tired pup who needs to rest. This will be your chance to get something else done.
Mental energy needs to be drained also. This can be done with training exercises, practicing discipline like 'stay', and challenging toys that encourage your puppy to develop problem solving skills. In the photo above, Oliver tries to remove the ball from he tube; this is a wonderful problem solving toy that doubles as a chew toy--totally indestructible for Oliver's small teeth, yet soft and satisfying to chew on.
Treat balls are another form of problem solving that also will keep your pup following the ball around the floor, as he tries to figure out where the yummies are coming from, and how to get them flowing faster. And what a hoot to watch a pup with a treat ball. They never bore of this toy.
Leash training should begin as soon as your pup comes home. Walks will begin as short laps around the block, encouraging your little one to follow you with sweet talk and an occasional treat to keep him moving. Gradually add to the length as he begins to follow you eagerly.
Safe chewing toys such as Kongs, some ropes, Nylabones, and filled ceramic bones all serve the same purpose; I call these busy bones. Anything safe to chew that will occupy your puppy for 15 minutes or more is a good way to tire him out while he's in his crate or you need time away from him.
Always remember to reward and praise your puppy when he behaves appropriately. If you leave, and then return to find him quietly resting in his crate, make a big deal out of it. Lots of affection at these times will help to get the point across: this is what you want from him.

Related Reading:

Busy Bones and other Boredom Busters

More Ideas for Filling Busy Bones

Also, Check out my latest guest post at:

Dog Care Journey

Socializing Your Puppy or Dog: It's Never too Late

Visit Adopt a Dog Park

Help protect our precious dog parks