Tune in tonight at 8:00 p.m. MST/PDT to hear Valerie Wood, author of “Breakfasts with Buster,” on the “My Doggie Says…” Radio Show. Streaming is live on www.1100kfnx.com. Check out Valerie’s web site at www.breakfastswithbuster.com.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Give Your Dog the Best Holistic Health Care
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009This week on the "My Doggie Says…" show: Nancy Kay, DVM, author of "Speaking for Spot"
Sunday, August 9th, 2009Tune in Wednesday night to hear Nancy Kay, DVM, author of “Speaking for Spot,” as she tells you how to be the advocate your dog needs to live a happy, healthy, longer life.
Link to an article in the journal “Tobacco Control” about the effect of second-hand smoke on pets.
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. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”
Why Does Callie Scratch the Floor of her Crate?
Friday, July 10th, 2009Callie loves her crate. She is often fed in it, but not always. She is free to come and go, most of the time. Often she walks into her crate to retrieve a toy, or to lie down and take a nap.
Once in a while, she goes into a corner of the crate and scratches at the floor, as if she’s trying to dig a hole. I’ve never been able to figure out why she does this.
One theory was that she was preparing a place to lie down, as if she was creating a small indentation in some leaves, or in the dirt — much as deer, buffalo, and other animals do. But she doesn’t usually lie down where she has scratched.
The other day, I thought I had it figured out. She had sloshed some water in a corner of her crate, and she was obviously using her paws to dry out the floor. She pawed at it until it was dry.
But this morning she did the scratching thing again, and this time there was no water. So I’m still puzzled. Does she just have a digging instinct? She doesn’t dig in the yard, but maybe we’ve made it clear that’s not acceptable doggie behavior.
Anybody got any bright ideas? Why is Callie doing this?
Be sure to take our poll: How does your dog show affection? You’ll find it in our blog.
Also, follow us on twitter: “Mydoggiesays.”
Pam Dennison, Dog Trainer, on the "My Doggie Says…" Radio Show
Thursday, May 28th, 2009The “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. Listen to past interviews at www.mydoggiesays.com/. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”
Help Your Dog Fulfill Its Social Aspirations
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009Most dogs are social animals, so why not help your dog fulfill its social aspirations? Your dog will make more friends — with people and with other dogs — and it will gain confidence. What better way to endear yourself to your dog than to help it make friends? Which is something it desperately wants to do.
Here’s an article from WikiHow that has some suggestions on how to help your dog socialize.
And here’s one from about.com.
Callie’s very social — both with people and with other dogs.
On our morning jog, we often take shortcuts through the local golf course. So Callie has become best of friends with Jeff, the assistant greens keeper. Jeff occasionally gives Callie a newly found tennis ball, which, in Callie’s world, is every bit as good as a puppy treat — maybe better. When we’re anywhere near the golf course, Callie is obviously looking for Jeff. If there’s a golf cart within 100 yards, Callie focuses on it; she gets excited if she thinks it might be Jeff. Yesterday, Callie did see Jeff in his cart, but he drove away to do some greens keeping business. It was obvious that Callie was very disappointed. She pulled on the leash to chase after Jeff, ears back expressing her frustration.
Callie also likes to make doggie friends. She has about a dozen regulars, but she’s always up for meeting new dogs. Here’s Callie with one of her favorite regulars, Bub McLoughlin, the Goldendoodle cadaver dog. Callie sees Bub every few weeks at Lake Arrowhead village, and every reunion between the two good friends is playful and sporting.
It’s kind of obvious that, if dogs are so social, it makes sense to let them socialize. But I think a lot of owners mess this up. They’re afraid their precious pet might get hurt. So they don’t let it socialize. Or they keep the leash so tight that the dog thinks the owner is afraid of the other dog — so the owner’s dog gets defensive and protective.
The best policy in these situations (outside a dog park and assuming leash laws apply) is to give both dogs lots of loose leash and let them “work it out.” Chances are the other dog is a social addict, too, so they’ll probably enjoy getting to know each other. You may have to work with the other owner to keep the leashes from getting tangled. But the dogs will have fun. On the odd chance that things do get out of hand, just pull your dog away and go find a more friendly companion.
Nurturing your dog’s personality is one of the best ways to build a stronger relationship with it. Almost all dogs have a strong desire to interact with dogs and people. Stanley Coren has an interesting way of saying this. He says that dogs have the intelligence of a 2 1/2 year old child. But he also says they have the social instincts of a teenager. So help your dog be a teenager!
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Merry Christmas from Fred, Barbara, Callie and Okie-Dokie!
And have a great 2009!
Dog Communication: Top Ten Dog-Bonding Moments
Friday, December 19th, 2008The more you communicate with your dog, the stronger the relationship you can build with it. I hear this message over and over as I talk to dog owners, “My Doggie Says…” readers, and the guests I’ve interviewed on the “My Doggie Says…” show. If you are close to your dog, every once in a while, you will experience a special “dog-bonding” moment. Here, from my daily experience with Callie and from some of my guests on the show, are the “Top Ten Dog-Bonding Moments” for 2008.
#10. Just to “kick” things off, my soccer matches with Callie are always very special moments. From the time she sticks her nose through the sliding glass door to invite me to play, right up to the last “noser” it feels like I’m playing with a human — it’s true paw-to-paw combat.
#9. Ted Kerasote, author of Merle’s door, gets a couple winners this year. His concept of dog’s “reading the news” is a great insight. Next time you take your dog for a walk, notice how much sniffing it does. Ted says it’s a dog’s way of “reading the news.” He says, “It takes me some time to read the newspaper, why shouldn’t a dog have five or ten minutes in the morning to ‘read the news.'” Sniffing is a dogs way of checking out his world and discovering what’s going on.
#8. Carla Genender, author of “Dog Sense,” gets two spots, too. Carla did such a good job of observing dogs, their personalities, and their interactions that she learned a lot about human interactions. By watching her dogs, she learned that it’s a good idea to “speak up about things that are important to you.”
#7. Gordy Leitz and Owen Keefe are K9 police officers in Scottsdale and Mesa, Arizona. They had such great appreciation for their K9 service dogs and their predecessors that they led the charge in creating a monument to the 17 Arizona police dogs that gave their lives in service to the community.
#6. Jean, a reader of “My Doggie Says…” called me and said, “Your book helped me get through the holidays. I lost my husband in the fall, and my Golden Retriever, Nala, is my best pal now. ‘My Doggie Says…’ helped me feel closer to her through some difficult times.”
#5. A “My Doggie Says…” reader stepped on her deaf dog’s tail. Because she had taught the dog some sign language, she moved her fist in a circular motion on her chest to say “I’m sorry.” Her dog put its paw on her fist and followed the circular motions. She was blown away by the dog’s sensitivity.
#4. While “reading the news” in the dark one night (dogs have the advantage of being able to do this), Callie started sniffing around Barbara’s car, and after a complete circle of the car, she found our daughter’s hat that had fallen out of the car. She sniffed it from a distance, and then gradually closed in.
#3. Callie’s fervent request, “Can’t I please sleep in the hallway for a while?” Callie usually sleeps on our bed, or nearby, in the bedroom. But one night something was bugging her, and she did a quick little inspection of the house. When I tried to get her back into the bedroom, she looked me in the eye and sent a message that was totally clear: “I’d really like to sleep in the hallway for a while.” Sometimes, it feels really good to understand your dog’s messages and let them make their own decisions.
#2. Carla Genender’s observations of dogs led her to another insight about human relationships: “Allow yourself to be vulnerable.”
#1. This is my all-time favorite. It’s from Ted Kerasote’s “Merle’s Door.” When Ted tries to get Merle to go bird hunting, which Merle doesn’t like to do, Merle retrieves a pheasant, but instead of presenting it to Ted, Merle spits it out at Ted’s feet and backs away from Ted’s “job well done.” Merle was saying, “Ted, I can do this, I just don’t like to.” And, of course, the communication was completed when Ted got the message and decided not to make Merle hunt for birds any more.
Here are the Top Ten Dog-Bonding Moments as heard on the “My Doggie Says…” show on December 15, 2008.
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. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”
A Dog's Life After Crate Training — Callie's Crate is Her Castle
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008Callie is the first dog we’ve crate trained, so I didn’t know what to expect — especially after the crate had served its purpose of helping housebreak Callie. Some people said, “She will continue to use her crate, but I couldn’t imagine how. Now, I’m beginning to understand.
Callie’s crate training went as well as we could have hoped for. It was her place to eat, so she wasn’t going to soil it. Perfectly simple theory — and it worked, with only one or two small accidents when she was just a few months old. She quickly learned to go outside to go potty, and to “squeak,” if she needed to be let out.
Callie is perfectly housebroken now. So there’s no need for the crate any more; right? Well, not exactly. If we leave Callie at home alone, we still put her in her crate — mostly to protect her from herself. We probably won’t always do that. But, aside from that, Callie’s crate has taken on a life of its own.
When we’re around the house, Callie’s crate door is propped open, so she’s free to enter the crate or leave it. She still gets most of her meals there, so it’s a special place in her mind. It also houses her water dish, which she visits frequently. And her puppy pad. So she has good reasons for visiting her crate.
But it’s also become Callie’s own storage place for favorite things. It’s now the home of about a dozen balls of all different kinds. It is frequently the home of “Stinky,” Callie’s little stuffed puppy security object — upon which she sucks quietly almost every night before falling asleep.
Once in a while, Callie manages to steal a sock from me or Barbara. She knows she’s not supposed to do that; you can see the guilt on her face. So when she does it, she runs immediately into her crate and deposits the sock toward the back. She obviously thinks her crate is off limits to people.
It’s neat that Callie likes her crate and thinks of it as a special place. Once in a while, she even goes into it and lies down for a few minutes, knowing that she will be able to walk out when she wants to.
A dog’s crate is its castle!
Animal Assisted Therapy: Mary Lou Jennings, of Phoenix Children's Hospital, Talks About Animal Assisted Therapy on the "My Doggie Says…" Show
Saturday, October 18th, 2008Mary Lou Jennings, of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, talks about the Hospital’s Animal-Assisted-Therapy program on the “My Doggie Says…” radio talk show. Learn how the program’s dogs help patients recover faster!
The “My Doggie Says…” Radio Talk 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. The show is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Go to the iTunes store, click on “Podcast,” and search for “My Doggie Says…”
