Callie talked me into playing soccer with her when she was eight weeks old.  In this photo, she’s a few weeks older, but not many.  As you can see, she’s not much bigger than the soccer ball — which is only about 2/3 inflated.  I would kick the ball, and Callie would race across the yard to trap it under her tummy.

As Callie has grown, her soccer skills have improved.  She still invites (begs!) me to play soccer at least once a day — and sometimes more.  She still races across the yard and traps the ball.  Sometimes, she puts one of her front paws on the ball and poses, as if to say, “I am the conquering hero!”  The other difference, now that she’s older, is that she does “nosers.”  If she were a person, you’d call it a “header,” but Callie’s nose gets in the way of her forehead, so it’s a “noser.”  Here are a few photos of Callie doing nosers.

It’s amazing to see the ball literally “pop” off her nose.  It makes a loud sound, because the ball in under-inflated.  I try not to overdo it, because I wouldn’t want Callie to hurt her nose.  It was never a problem until about ten days ago.  I kicked the ball high for Callie to do a noser, and she jumped up, but turned her head away from the ball.  After she did a few of these, I decided her nose needed some rest.  Fortunately, it rained so hard in Southern California that we couldn’t play soccer for a few days, anyway.  After things dried out, we tried a few gentle nosers, and, sure enough, we’re back in business.

To fully appreciate a “noser,” you have to hear one; we’ll get some noser video up on this blog in a few days.

The thing I love most about my soccer games with Callie is that it’s her thing.  I love playing with her, but it was her invitation originally, and she still invites me to play every day!  What better form of dogbonding?

The “Dog Appreciation Lessons” CD, eighteen “best of the best of” clips from the “My Doggie Says…” radio talk show (KFNX 1100 in Phoenix) is up now on CD Baby.  Click on this link to see it.

Maryna Ozuna, founder of Kinaesthetics and a guest on the “My Doggie Says…” radio talk show on January 6, 2010, wrote the following comments on the articles on this blog.  She really “gets” the dogbonding concept.

I thought you brought up really important points about the dialogue that should be part of our relationship with our dogs == that I realized for me was invisible and automatic, but wasn’t for my clients. Since then, I have been playing with making that piece of the puzzle more explicit. What I have always said was that part of the dog’s reward for doing what we need them to do, when we need them to do it, was what I call “dog time” — which for e.g. would be your frisbee time with Jamie, or ball time with your young pup. It has been really interesting making that piece of the puzzle explicit. It is so much a part of the warp and woof of my daily life that I don’t even think about it.

Some examples from myself and clients just in the last few days. A yearling Papillon belonging to a client of mine. Naughty, naughty when he came in, but bright, and very funny, and very opinionated. When he went home, we needed to continue crate training, but he threw a hissy fit when the crate was put in the laundry room. Put his crate in the bedroom and draped with a cloth (cold here, and he’s a little bit of a thing) and he slept through the night again. I didn’t care where the crate was, (we had some strategies for where he needed to be when they were away at work for right now), as long as he was crating and relaxing. He made it clear where he wanted the crate — no impairment to the training protocol, — so why not put it where it made him happy.

A silly one with my horse. I added in some supplements into his winter food. I mixed them in. He likes those pellets a lot, so I was frustrated when he kept flipping his rubber grain pan upside down, scattering his feed everywhere and basically having a temper tantrum. I finally figured out that he wanted to get to the good stuff — so now I pile it on top in one pile. Again, doesn’t matter to me, as long as he eats everything, and doesn’t grind it into the dirt. He’s happy. I’m happy.

Then, an example, a little sadder in detail. I recently lost my two old terriers. I thought after the last one went, that I would move the crates around in the house to consolidate, and moved my 3 yo Shiba’s crate into the spot where one of the terriers had been. She would have nothing to do with it. She is a very dominant dog, were I not to intervene, the pack alpha bitch, co-leader with my old boy shepherd and my medic alert dog. So, she is very much allowed and encouraged to have an opinion. Well, she came unglued. Cranky, volatile, pouting, moody. We lasted ten days, as I had moved one of the client dogs in her spot, and then said, “ok, ok, already,” and moved everything back. Took her a few days to get over her pouting, but now she’s back to normal. Again, I don’t care where her crate is, and she CERTAINLY did!, so why not do what makes her happy.

You have made me realize that really, my whole day from am to nightfall is a constant dialogue of what we want to do next. Do they want to come with me, or stay home? Do we need to stop and go for a walk, or ok to run more errands? Indeed, the whole process of potty training really involves paying attention as opposed to imposing training. So, for e.g. today I was out and about with the dogs teaching a lesson, and Lily was a little fussy in the car — which she never is, and meant that she had not gone this morning on am walk — so I turned the car away from town and went down to a trail along the river. We walked, she pottied, the male played, and all was well in the universe. We went to town and I got bones as they have been looking at their dog food bowls the last few nights like it was the most boring thing they had ever been subjected to…..and on it goes, a constant dialogue.

I am finding myself pointing out more and more things that I just take for granted. And yes, you’re absolutely right — having a well behaved dog has nothing to do with their not having a vote…

Having problems with your dog?  Even minor ones?  Get help from a Pet Dog Trainer.  This is the message of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, who are celebrating the month of January, as National Train Your Dog Month.  Listen to Michelle Douglas, President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, as she explains the benefits of training your dog — on the “My Doggie Says…” Radio Talk Show.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews dog whisperers, dog trainers, authors of dog books, and experts on all aspects of dogs and dog behavior and dog nature. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Check out the dog-relationship books written by all of the authors who have appeared on the “My Doggie Says…” show.

Also, remember to take our on-line poll:  “How does your dog show affection for you?”

Maryna Ozuna has some great stories to tell about successes with “Canine Kinaesthetics” — as well as some very interesting basic concepts.  Here’s the podcast of her interview on the “My Doggie Says…” on January 6, 2010.  Some very useful concepts in understanding dog behavior and in dog training.

For more information about “Canine Kinaesthetics,” click on this link.

You have until Friday night, January 15, to win a free MARS Wisdom Panel Mixed DNA test kit valued at about $80.  See the details here.

Maryna Ozuna will be the guest tonight on the “My Doggie Says…” Radio Talk show.  Listen as she explains the basics of “canine kinaesthetics.”  Click here to see Maryna’s web site.

The “My Doggie Says…” show helps listeners gain a deeper appreciation for “Man’s Best Friend.” The show is broadcast live from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday nights, on KFNX 1100, Phoenix. It is streamed live on www.1100kfnx.com. Host Fred Haney interviews experts on all aspects of dogs and dog ownership. Listen to past interviews on this blog. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”

Barbara The Marathon Runner got some new running socks for Christmas, and she put them in a tidy little pile with some other presents.  And then, magically, they disappeared.

Well, we’ve learned where to look when socks disappear — in Callie’s crate!  Sure enough, that’s exactly where they were.

I love Callie’s attitude about her crate.  She’s the first dog I’ve crate-trained, so I wasn’t sure what to expect after we met the basic goal of house-training her.  That accomplished, Callie uses her crate a lot — voluntarily.  Most of the time, the door is open, so she’s free to come and go.  Sometimes, she’s fed in her crate, but not always.  Her water dish, always full of fresh water, is in her crate.  Frequently, she sleeps in her crate for part of the night, but not always; it’s her choice.

Maybe more important, many of her toys “live” in the crate.  Callie doesn’t always put them there; sometimes we do.  But many times during a day, Callie walks into her crate, selects a toy, and carries it in her mouth to another part of the house.  It’s fun to try to figure out why she chooses a particular toy.  In the case of “Stinky,” her stuffed doggie security object, it’s obvious.  She retrieves Stinky every night before bedtime, so she can suck on it and “wind down.”

So maybe it’s not surprising that, when Callie finds a wayward pair of socks, they end up in her crate.  I think it’s cool that she feels some sense of ownership toward her crate.  She probably thinks “a dog’s crate  is its castle,” so that it should be off-limits to humans.  And we generally respect that, except when it comes to missing running socks.

Curious to know the breeding of your mixed-breed dog?

Start the new year by finding out the makeup of your dog’s breeding.  Knowing your dog’s breeding can help you know how to feed your dog, how to manage its health, and how to exercise it.  All in all, it’s a great way to take better care of your dog, and your dog will love you for it.

Enter the contest by writing a short essay about your dog — as a comment to this post.  What are your guesses for your dog’s breed mix?  Why?  Why would you like to know your dog’s breed mix?  Write the best comment, and you will start the new year by knowing your dog’s breeding background.

Contest deadline is midnight, Friday, January 15, 2010.  Callie Golden Retriever’s decision will be final.

Learn more about the Wisdom Panel test here.

Did you have some ideas for the two breeds that make up Dante’s DNA?

Dante, a mixed breed dog, belongs to Dr. Stacy Fuchino, of the P.V. Village Pet Clinic in Redondo Beach, CA.  A few weeks ago, we made a deal with MARS Veterinary Services to give Dante their “Wisdom Panel Mixed-Breed DNA Test.”  Then, last Wednesday, Dr. Fuchino met Dr. Angela Hughes, an advisor to Mars Veterinary Services, to find out the final results.

Dr. Fuchino had guessed one half of Dante’s dog breed puzzle — miniature poodle.  But he was stumped about the other half.  The result from the MARS Wisdom Panel Mixed-Breed DNA test:  Papillon.

So, Dante’s personality is a blend of miniature poodle and papillon.  According to the AKC,  “carrying himself proudly, very active, intelligent, the Poodle has about him an air of distinction and dignity peculiar to himself. Major fault: shyness or sharpness.”

The other half, the papillon, according to the AKC, is “happy, alert and friendly. Neither shy nor aggressive.”

So, the puzzle solved, Dr. Fuchino says, “Now I know why Dante is always bouncing off the walls; it’s the papillon!”  Knowing this will change the way I feed him.  It will also change the way I manage his health and his exercise.  Actually, we’re going to start some agility work right away, because papillons need a lot of exercise.”

Listen to the interview with Dr. Fuchino and Dr. Angela Hughes, from MARS Veterinary Services:

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are his life, his love,  his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”    Anonymous quote, from “51 Puppy Tricks,” by Kyra Sundance.

You will want to hear Kyra Sundance tell how to train your puppy!  Learn Kyra’s specific techniques and how to teach your puppy the “Ring a Bell to go Outside” trick.