THREE YEARS WITH KAYA

When I first met Kaya, I just knew she was adorable, outgoing and sweet. I had no idea what a smartypants she was or what an incredible athlete she would become. I had no idea how much she would teach me and how much she would make me laugh. I had no idea how warm she would keep me at night and I had no idea of how many adventures we would go on together.

Kaya and I got off to a rough start...sort of. It just took me a long time to figure out how to get us on the same page so that I was not frustrated and she was not bored. For nearly a year there was a lot of leash pulling, whining, yowling, yelping, jumping and dog park humiliation. I wanted to take her to cafes for leisurely lunches and let her run free on hiking trails but know she'd stay close. I wanted her to show visitors her calm, cuddly side, not a Tasmanian devil impression. I wanted to let her run at the beach and not fear she would ruin everyone's picnic. I wanted her to be patient and loving to every dog she met, not to bug the living snot out of all of them.

But with all the treats and praise, all the discipline, structure, clicking and training tools I tried, none of it was coming true. There was only one other logical thing to try. So I got her a brother!

And everything started falling into place. Looking back, it felt like an overnight change. Without her puppy charm to get by on, many dogs and people were finding themselves overwhelmed or annoyed by all that was Kaya. With Norman she finally had herself a constant partner in life. The type of partner who laughs at all her jokes, who revels in any attention he gets from her, who always pretends to want what she has but doesn't really care, who follows her dutifully from place to place and curls up next to her when it's time to sleep.

Here's a video I took of them at the beach just a couple days after bringing Norman home. A week earlier, I was at the same beach with Kaya and spent the entire time chasing after her, tell her what not to do and where not to go. They still play the same way!



I know now that we still had a long way to go after Norman arrived but he certainly sent us in the right direction. Kaya and I have now found our sweet spot. And she can do all of those things I longed for her to do way back when. But it's not that she became this perfect dog that I imagined she would be. It's that I know her well enough to make it work and she knows exactly what I expect from her.

I won't take her to a cafe if I think she's going to be too bored or hyper. She knows to find a bone to chew on if she's too excited about company. And if they want her on the couch with them, I give her a calm down command so that she knows it's time to put her tongue away and relax.

Using fetch as a reward, I set up obedience drills that she couldn't wait to do over and over. She still makes a beeline for things that may get her in trouble but she turns on a dime when I call her name. She often puts herself in a heel without me asking so that she can get that sweet rush when she hears the word, "free!"

How lucky I am to have this special girl in my life. Still a free-spirit but now one that always wants to be by my side, whether she's running laps around me on a 2 hour hike, keeping me safe when I take the trash cans to the curb or burrowing her way under the covers at night, she's always there.

Related Posts:
Kaya's Adoption Story
A Year with Kaya
Two Years with Kaya
Norman's Adoption Story

THROWBACK THURSDAY: KITTEN WATCH

Way back in the day, when Gina was a tiny thing, she needed access to litter(now she goes outside) and a place for her food that she could easily get to(now it's on a table). Most people know that dogs love cat food and they even love cat poop...ugh. The most manageable solution in my tiny studio apartment was to set Gina's food and litter up in the bathroom and train the dogs to stay out of the bathroom.

Luckily they took to it easily. I only had to tell them "out" a few times and reward them for getting out or staying out. After a couple days, I could even leave them home alone and they would steer clear of the bathroom and its delicious contents.

Norman developed an adorable habit of watching his new little friend while she hung out in "her" room.

One cool outcome of this training that I did not expect is that to this day, Kaya and Norman avoid all bathrooms. Without me even telling them to, they stay out of all the bathrooms at our new house, my parents' house and any other that we have visited. I would never have known how much I would appreciate it but I realized that it's so nice to not have their paws on the wet floor or their wiggly butts in such cramped quarters.

And it comes in handy when I bring Gina to my parents house where I once again have to set up her litter in the bathroom since she cannot go outside there.

Have you ever experienced any unexpected training benefits? How do you cat/dog people keep your pups from their food and litter?

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NORMAN IS NOW A CERTIFIED THERAPY DOG!

Yesterday Norman passed his Therapy Dog test! Our evaluator and head of the program was super nice. She seemed to really enjoy Norman and was very proud after he passed, telling everyone who stopped to pet him about his accomplishment. She seemed genuinely impressed every time he reacted to each test item exactly as she described he should.

To start things off, he rolled over in hopes of a belly rub, of course not knowing us humans had something more serious in mind for the morning. Once we got him right side up, he dolled out kisses in reaction to almost every thing she did. Luckily Norman's kisses are not neurotic and rapid-fire but more slow, methodical and endearing.

When she surprised him by pinching his butt he turned around and licked the air, hoping her hand would come meet his tongue. When she grabbed his cheeks and stared him in the eyes he licked her face. When she squeezed him around the neck he tried to reach around to lick her, getting the air again instead. When she pulled out a hair he licked her hand. When she brushed him he licked her arm. When she rubbed him with a cane, he licked the cane. When she pinched him between the toes he licked her hand. When she approached him with the walker he licked it and then licked her hand. When she held him off the ground, he reached up and licked her face. When she dropped a metal can on the ground he went over to lick it. When she opened the umbrella in his face he stepped back, then walked up to it and licked it. And so on...

We did the test in a parking lot so the evaluator was able to enlist strangers throughout to see how he was with new people. He received pets on the head from of a couple big work men, licked the hand of an old lady who walked by with a cane, sat in the lap of another lady and licked the faces of couple giggly kids.

And he took it upon himself to lie down and stare off into the breeze any time we talked for more than a couple minutes. The hardest part was probably leave it because the evaluator used dog toys instead of food. We've practiced a lot with food so he's got that down but those new(used) toys looked oh so sniffable. He had his eyes on them but didn't try to touch them and that was good enough. Good news is I don't think there will be too many of those on our visits.

The last test item was to walk by 2 different dogs and ignore them while we shook hands. He did seem pretty eager to meet them when he saw them(he even tilted his head at the little one) but he listened to a sit and watch and then walked by like a gentleman.

In the end, the evaluator checked off Unconditionally Accepted which means that he is accepted to the program with no further training or restrictions needed! She also said he is the first Pit Bull in their program and she was very excited because she knows how sweet they are.

I actually think Kaya could have passed the test because she has a very solid temperament, great obedience and loves attention from strangers but I know she is way too ADD and energetic to actually be a good Therapy Dog...so she'll remain my own personal Therapy Dog;)

He also needed a vet evaluation and I was actually able to get him in later that afternoon. She had to check out his health, rate his disposition and acceptance of being handled. I was a bit worried when a dog across the hall started barking and shrieking, while at the same time another dog started yelping and throwing himself at the other side of a door joining our rooms. Norman put his ears back, looked around and whined a bit but forgot all about it when presented with a treat:) Norman actually finds the vet's office more exciting than almost anywhere else with all the smells and attention(perhaps on par with the pet store) but he left a good impression and passed that test as well.

I was so proud and excited that I ran straight to Whole Foods and bought him a steak and some raw bones to enjoy later (of course Kaya got her share too). I can't wait to go on our first visit!

Would your dog be more like a Kaya or a Norman...or something else?

Related Posts:
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Norman's Adoption Story

NORMAN: THE HEART STEALER

Yesterday I re-posted an old entry about my early hopes for Norman to be a Therapy Dog and I announced that he is finally taking his certification test this week! Here are a few more examples of why I think he's got what it takes...

In yesterday's post I described Norman's ability to take the chaos of the Pet Expo in stride when he was just a little puppy and we actually went back a year later. This time Norman was not so much a pudgy puppy but a strapping young lad which meant he got a little less lovin' but was cool and collected nonetheless. We watched a CGC demonstration and just as the speaker was talking about how a dog should properly greet someone, she glanced out in the crowd and said, "There, just like that dog." I looked behind me but then realized she was pointing at Norman, who was sitting politely by my feet as a photographer knelt down to pet him. This guy had his undivided attention while Motlie was growly wrestling with a new friend a couple feet away.

Since going to our first Pet Expo, I've brought Norman to many busy events, places and festivals. He's been to the San Francisco Pride Parade, a Dia De Los Muertes Festival, Hollywood Boulevard on New Year's Eve, America's Cup Boat Race in San Francisco, 4th of July Fireworks, Rodeo Drive, Peaks & Paws Dogs Festival, Menlo Horse Show and plenty of others.

I also take Norman shopping with me all the time, from tiny fancy boutiques and gift shops to Nordstrom and Macy's. He goes to Home Depot, H&M and Target with me often. He's also been to Old Navy, Staples, Best Buy, American Apparel, the AT&T store, the Apple store, Urban Outfitters, Sur La Table, record stores and many others. We even hit up Versace, Chanel and Louis Vuitton when we visited Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where he was surrounded by a steady stream of excited tourists. Have they never seen a dog before? Norman is a dream to shop with. Any time I stand somewhere longer than 2 minutes he lies down and waits endlessly. I often drop the leash and browse the immediate area, leaving him to rest. I know he's silently scanning the room for potential new friends but he doesn't bother those that ignore him.

Hangin' with my dad at All Saints in Beverly Hills.

Norman also has a way of worming his way into people's hearts who didn't necessarily want it or expect it to happen. Even my own parents thought I was nuts for bringing home a new puppy when Kaya was a puppy herself...until they met him. After 2 days, they were ready to sneak him into their suitcase.

My mom's first visit with her new "grandpuppy."

Last month my cousin came for a visit and he had never met my dogs before. He was resistant to their affection, telling me he was not a dog person. He would gently push them away and tell them to leave him alone at every interaction. Ironically, he said he was a cat person but Gina wanted nothing to do with him. On his third and final night of the visit, I walked into the living room to find him lying on the couch with Norman lying on top of him. My cousin was stroking Norman's head and talking to him quietly. He then told me, "If I do ever get a dog, I want him to be just like Norman."

I didn't get a photo of them together but you get the picture...

After my nephew was born, my sister-in-law stated that she would never let her son near a pit bull. I was disappointed, knowing how cute and special it would be to see him enjoy Kaya and Norman. She had even met them before, spending 2 vacations with them and she seemed to really enjoy them. So when we brought Norman to L.A. to join them on their trip, I was concerned that I would have to keep Norman from the baby the whole time. Norman has been around children and babies. I've watched him lie still perfectly still as squealy toddlers approach him and then run away at the last second...repeatedly. Other times, when we are out hiking we run into groups of camp kids and girl scouts. If given the opportunity, Norman will plant himself in the middle of them, hoping as many tiny hands as possible will give him a belly rub or ear scratch.

An evening cuddle with my brother & sister-in-law on a pre-baby visit.

However, on our first day in L.A., my brother brought the baby into our hotel room and plonked him on the floor right next to Norman. Norman sniffed and kissed the baby, prompting him to giggle and reach out for Norman's tongue. When my sister-in-law entered the room, I held my breath but she smiled and that was it. The next day she was holding my baby nephew and dipping him down to Norman's face, resulting in a lick to the face every time, all 3 were enjoying the game. And by the end of the trip, she was begging my brother to get a "Norman" of their own.

Not to mention the fact that my parents did not even want any of the dogs coming to L.A. and since they were driving and paying for the hotel, I more or less had to abide. Though when I said to them, "When you say no dogs, you mean just Norman, right?" "Of course," they replied. And it turned out to be easier having him along than any of us thought it would be. He had no concerns over staying in hotel rooms, he was quiet as a mouse and was happy to shlep along on all of our many meals, shopping trips and sight seeing missions. Upon checkout, the hotel employee even said he was the calmest, most easy-going dog they have ever had stay there.

My favorite recent Norman story and perhaps the one most closely related to therapy work is about a family friend of ours, a very sweet older gentleman who is battling cancer. He's become thin, weak and tired from the treatment but he was able to come to the house for a couple hours with his wife a few weeks ago. We all went to sit down in the living room and he sat on the couch next to a napping Norman. My mom told him he could sit on the other (dog free) couch but he insisted that he wanted to sit next to Norman. Norman had never met our friend before but within a minute he had shifted his way over to our friend and laid his big noggin' on his lap. For the next hour Norman drifted between slumber and looking up at our friend as he stroked his head, face and ears, until they had to leave.

Then the other day my mom reported to me that he hasn't stopped talking about Norman since their visit and how much he appreciated their time together. He has a little dog of his own that he loves but he said there was something about the stillness of Norman and the eagerness of a dog of his size to be so close that was so comforting to him. He said he can't wait for another Norman visit.

I see how Norman brightens people's day, whether they are friends and family or total strangers. And I see how much joy he gets out of it too. He is sometimes so calm when we are out that he seems kind of mopey but I know it's all worth it to him if just one person stops to say hello. He perks up, his tail wags, his eyes light up and with any luck, he gets the chance to deliver some kisses. He has an amazing way of matching people's energy level as well so he knows just when he should rest his big head in someone's hands or when he should show them the full butt wiggle. He knows when a little kid needs him to stay still or when they want their whole face covered with his tongue. He's got big chocolate eyes that he'll lock onto yours and he's got all the time in the world, just to sit by your side.

Does your dog have Therapy Dog aspirations?

Related Posts:
Norman is Now a Certified Therapy Dog!

Norman: The Perfect Advocate
Norman's Trip to Southern California

PUPPIES!!!

When going over the nicknames I use for the pups, I forgot to mention a major one I have been using since they were young! As I've said a lot in the past, most of our outings are off leash so they are used to a lot of recall. Sometimes I need to call both of them at the same time. Instead of calling them individually by name, their collective name is Puppies!

They always come running with glee when I call this out.

I wonder what people might think when I call out puppies! and two 60ish pound dogs come barreling around the corner.

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WHEN THEY HEAR A NICKNAME

I recently wrote this post about the dogs' and Gina's nicknames. One thing I didn't get into is how interesting it is to see their reactions to their nicknames vs. their actual names.

The thing I have realized about nicknames is that once animals learn them, they always respond the them positively. As much as I have heard trainers say never to use your dog's name when you are scolding them, it is pretty much impossible to do. Your first instinct when your dog or cat is doing something wrong, is to yell out their name to try and get their attention. Though unless I was to start saying ilovekaya, Chubbie Wub Wubs and Squeaker in an angry tone, all they know is that life kicks ass when they hear it. It's definitely been helpful in positive training exercises.

When Shaka was around I was working with her a lot on her fears, nerves and doggy depression. At first, I instinctively used her nickname, Honeybee, whenever she was super excited and happy so she made a really positive connection to it. Later on, I realized it was helpful to use it when she would tense up and it would make her feel more at ease with the situation. I loved getting her all riled up and happy using her nickname because she was usually so mellow, it was such a great feeling to watch a withdrawn dog get super psyched about something!

Sometimes nicknames come in handy for Kaya and Norman too. If they are losing interest in a training exercise or distracted when we're out and about, I can throw out a nickname and they look at me like, "Who me? Oh! Hi! Awesome, yes, yes yes!"

And once in a while I like to say, "Squeaker! How dare you?" to Gina when she's up to no good...only to make myself laugh because let's face it, she doesn't give a damn when she's in trouble.

Have you found nicknames to be useful in training or do you keep them just for silly times?

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BOOT CAMP UPDATE (WITH VIDEOS)!

Back in September, I posted about working on sharpening up our training skills that had been slacking all summer. So far so good! I've amended some of the steps and I've added another step so here's the rundown...

Step 1 is morning training walks. Well, they haven't always been in the morning but we have been going on leash walks around the neighborhood almost every day! We do these in addition to our hikes so they are more for training than exercise. I was going to walk the dogs separately but it has been going well walking them together so I didn't need to. Something helpful I've learned is to make sure I have treats in either pocket since they walk on either side of me because I was giving Norman treats from across my body and he was learning to sort of walk in front of me and look back at me instead of next to me. Giving him his treats from the side he walks on has helped a ton!



Step 2 is heel. I was going to teach them a true "heel" but instead I have worked a lot on strengthening their "here" command which is like a soft heel. When I say "here" they know they have to walk closely by my side and not venture off 'til I give them the go ahead. They should be paying attention enough to turn with me and stop when I stop, preferably with a sit and eye contact. They already know this but it wasn't going very well. But after a lot of practice they are now better at it than ever! Norman is even learning how to get himself into position without a food lure! Though I'd still like to teach them a true heel some day.




Step 3 is recall. Recall practice is going awesome. Since they spend so much time off leash, their recall really has to be sharp. Kaya's recall has always been good but it's even better now. We've been seeing plenty of deer lately on our hikes and sometimes she'll run off on a high speed chase into the woods but with just one "Kaya come" she will make a flyball style turn and come running back to me. Norman's recall has never been as good but he's improving a lot.



I should mention that they do not need recall because they might run off or lose me. We can go on a 2 hour hike without me saying a word to them. It's more for immediate distractions like calling them away from people who are afraid of them, barbeques they are not invited to, stuff they shouldn't sniff or eat and dogs they shouldn't meet. Along with set up recalls like the one in the video, I also practice in practical situations with distractions.

Step 4 is learn a new trick. The new trick I decided to teach them is to go between my legs and sit positioned underneath me. I've worked with them several times on it and it's been a lot of fun. Kaya of course is really getting the hang of it and Norman has no clue but he enjoys getting treats. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be because it is such an odd position for them to be in but it's really fun and the dogs love it. I'll try to make a video soon!

Step 5 is Kaya's relaxation. This is one that I've added to the list and perhaps spent the most time on. Kaya has just been way too excitable in our new house and ignoring all my pleas to cool it so I came up with a system to help calm her down. I've made some posts about it so I won't get into the details but I'm so proud of her! Of all the amazing tricks and skills she has, this is the hardest thing for her.

I feel so much better now that I've jumped on all these things. Their lack of response to me had really become one of those niggling things that was really getting to me but I knew I never had the right to get mad at them being that I was the one who was not reinforcing and practicing these things with them. They are doing so great that we often get comments from random people on hikes, around the neighborhood and my own contractors are impressed! But most of all, I feel like our connection is so much stronger and I can trust them in situations that before would have been chaos.

I've learned that it's better to have goals that you're aiming for and maybe never quite reach than to walk around wishing things were different but not doing anything about it!

Has anyone else been working on refreshing their training skills now that summer's over?

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