Pleasant Mountain - Take Two!

Today we went back to Pleasant Mountain in Fryeburg for another splendid hike. It was the first time for a couple of our newest hikers, and they loved it just as much as the rest of the gang! We hit the trail at 9:45 a.m. and got back to the car at about 1:15 p.m., so we had a solid 3.5 hours of hiking. Mike and I were very sweaty by the time we got to the top! Lots of very interesting things happened along the trail today...

The gang treed a chipmunk and they were quite proud of themselves. Angus, Lyla and Jethro were among the leaders on this hunting expedition. I got one decent photo of our little chippy pal, and he was shaking a bit!

Mike and I spotted a snake on the trail and we took video and photos of it...even getting one with its red tongue (ewwww) jutting out at us. The dogs were completely unaware of its presence, nearly stepping on it!!

The bugs (black flies as well as mosquitos) were out in swarms today and that made the hike difficult for the humans and a few of the dogs as well. Tonya kept rolling around on the ground for relief and we sprayed her with our own human bug spray. Lola has hardly any fur on her face and the bugs really attacked her. She swelled up with hives toward the end of the hike and we were incredibly worried about her. She dipped herself in the water and dragged her face on the ground, poor dear. We think she might be allergic to bug bites and hope her vet can provide some relief for her, as we are too afraid to bring her back out on the trail until we have some advice and a plan.

When we got to the summit, we were greeted by a lovely swarm of dragonflies. They are wonderful to see because they eat the mosquitos and black flies!! Yay! You will see a lot of them in our summit photos today! We also encountered two couples on the summit. Jessie and Rosie were all over one couple, who I think were finishing up their lunch! We had to put leashes on them to keep them from ruining our reputation on the mountain.

We had no trouble with showers, thunder or lightning while hiking, thankfully. Almost everyone is swimming now, and Angus was just a total joy to watch in the pools at the bottom of the waterfalls. He loved it! Jessie and Rosie are getting the hang of it, and in the photos you’ll see all FIVE of our Lab hikers swimming together. No surprise there. You can see Casco giving the babies the eye, though. He didn’t want to serve as a life preserver for them!

We had a few mud hens among our pack today. Jessie and Angus and Sophie found a nice mud hole to roll around in. Jessie was black up to her shoulders! I think perhaps the mud provided a bit of relief from the bugs....but boy, did it stink!!

Speaking of stinking....we had a gassy dog in the car today, and wouldn’t you know it, she was sitting right on my LAP! We had Lyla Italian Greyhound/Min Pin Mix with us today as a favor to her momma, and she had the worst gas on both the trip up and the trip back. Thanks, Lyla, for your contribution!! Lol...

We had a case of “human error” with our seating arrangements for today’s hike. Won’t make that mistake again! We decided to try having all the dogs in one area by folding the back seats forward and moving the safety gate behind the front seat. Well, what that did is allow Jessie to try and wrestle with Rosie the whole way to Fryeburg. And when they got done with that, they decided it would be great fun to try and chew the seat belts, the bed liner, etc. Duke joined in on the wrestling, too. The older dogs were very unhappy with all of this. They just wanted to rest and relax while waiting to get to our destination. We even had to move Casco up to the front seat (imagine CASCO on the floor in front of my passenger seat) because Jethro was squishing him and he was crying and threatening to jump out the window. So, it was a mistake, as I said, that we corrected before loading everyone back up for the ride home. Nice, quiet ride on the way home....despite having to stop five times along the way to check on Lola to be sure she was comfortable and breathing normally (due to the swelling/hives).

Anyway, ALL of our hikers are fantastic once we hit the trail. Jessie is a monster on a leash, though, and this made it really challenging for Mike on the bottom portion of the trail when ALL our hikers except Casco and Tonya go on leashes. He had six dogs and I had five on leashes. Jessie nearly pulled his arms out. Not sure what we can do about that.....but it was really challenging not to fall over or get hurt.

Everyone stayed together at all times. Sometimes Lola and Lyla would wander on either side of the trail, but they always came when called or signalled with the squeaker. Lyla LOVED the food rewards. Sophie labored a bit coming up the trail, but that’s likely normal for her breed and we stopped a lot to be sure she had herself under control. She loves to hike! Addie was wonderful yet again and is just terrific all day long. Duke is probably our happiest hiker all day long. He can’t resist eating grass and chewing sticks all the way up....and all the way down. He and Rosie fight over sticks and then Angus comes over and settles things by stealing the stick. Perfect.

Angus continues to amaze us with his love for the trail, and now for the water, too! I just love to watch this boy swim! Molly continues to grow in confidence and had a wonderful time today. She follows Mike now as much as she follows me! Love it! And she’s spending more and more time NOT velcro-ed to our ankles. Yay!

We cannot say enough good things about our Anabelle, who has grown very attached to Mike. She loves their personal time in the car when she’s the last to get dropped at her house, leaning on Mike and wanting a little petting. How adorable is that? And we truly love having her herd the entire pack as we move up the trail. She is at her best in the woods, as are many of our hikers.

Jethro is all about the food as well as swimming and thrashing through the brush beside the trail. He is a front runner at all times and he enjoyed having Lyla along today to help with that! Lyla was just ridiculously independent in the woods and she, I think, would love to LIVE in the woods so she could hunt 24/7. Nice to have her along today. She got along so well with everyone and had a BALL at the summit playing with Duke. The photos show this!

Mike and I are going to scout a couple new hikes out on Sunday morning so stay tuned for info about that. And there will be NO HIKE on July 8, as DWD will be closed for vacation that week. Of course, we’ll be out scouting locations for future hikes then as well! We’ve decided that it’s probably to dangerous to hike on rainy days, so please use the usual check-in methods if rain is forecasted on a hiking day - check Facebook or the DWD website anytime after 6 a.m. for a message, or call my phone 632-1863 or Mike’s phone 831-9341 to check with us personally after 6 a.m.

THANK YOU all so much for the confidence and trust you have placed in us by allowing your dogs to hike with us. We get so much pleasure out of watching them, guiding them and just being part of their joy on these Fridays! Of course, we’ve both never worked so hard in our lives, but it’s a good way to spend our day! And Casco and Tonya both are doing well as Pack Leaders as well. Casco is sore in the shoulders/paws tonight so we’re not sure if he’ll be able to come every week. After all, he IS almost 10 years old (don’t tell him!).

Hike #2 - Fuller Farms Nature Preserve, Scarborough, ME

It hardly seems possible, but we had just as much fun on this week's hike as last week's. Perfect weather, seriously awesome hikers, and another excellent location. This program is turning out to be the absolute HIGHLIGHT of our week!

The Location: Fuller Farms is a 180-acre tract of preserved land placed in the Scarborough Land Trust back in 2001. It is truly a hidden gem. Take Broadturn Road from Rte 1 in Scarborough at the light just after Dunstan School Restaurant where Pine Point Rd intersects Rte 1 on the L and Broadturn intersects on the R. It's a few miles out, on your R. Lots of beautiful meadow land and rolling fields lead to wooded paths, with wooden bridges over some nice streams for swimming. The trail is about 1.5 miles and we did three loops. There are some trail choices once you are in the woods, and we explored them all. The hikers liked the stream and small ponds the best and we spent a lot of time there, letting them play, splash and swim.

The Hikers: This week, Bailey Yellow Lab stayed home to rest. We added two smalls - Addie Schnauzer (Casco's BFF) and Sophie French Bulldog. Jessie Yellow Lab had her first hike as well! Returning hikers included Jethro Choc Lab, Lola Shar Pei/Boxer, Angus Cairn Terrier, Duke Puggle, Rosie Black Lab, Anabelle Sheltie and Molly Morkie. Ten hikers plus Casco and Tonya for an even dozen. Great group!

Jessie was well-behaved and joyous all day long. Like Bailey last week, she took a header into the stream and I caught it with the camera. This scared her but did not deter her from getting back into the water again and again. She traveled really well in the way-back of the Trail Blazer with Rosie, Jethro and Lola. Jessie lost her pink bandana in the water with the help of our bandana-stealing dog, Rosie. Later, Rosie stripped Sophie of her orange one so we put it on Jessie.

Duke had another fabulous hike. Since he and his Mom scouted out our location last Sunday, he blazed the trail and showed his pals where to find all the good stuff! He likes to eat grass... Duke loves the water, the mud, and especially sticks!

Anabelle once again thrilled us with her joyful running all around in the fields and woods. She is truly in her element in the wild, this one! She is a wonderful and responsible hiker. Concerned at all times that the pack stay together when we're moving along the trail, she's a good helper for sure. Then, when we stop for swimming and relaxation, she goes nuts and leads everyone in crazy chases. Love it!

Lola went nuts straight out of the car and worried us at the outset that we wouldn't be able to keep her in control, as she ignored all voice commands and just ran like a crazy woman, bouncing like a wild bunny through the tall grass. But, it wasn't long before she came into line and decided to allow us to get to know her better and build a little relationship. She slipped out of her collar (she's good at this) twice before the hike even started! So...Mike and I would simply put a hand on her whenever we could to get her to trust that coming to us isn't going to restrict her freedom. As the day wore on, she came to us more easily and allowed us to put her collar back on and later, to attach the leash to it to go back to the car. Lola doesn't eat ANY of our treats during hikes. She sniffs and turns away.

Rosie, like Jessie, fell into the water and it scared her but didn't stop her from going back in again and again. They are getting their water wings, these young Lab girls! Rosie is a fiesty hiker. She loves to pull on everyone's bandanas...including her own. She eats grass and mud and chews on sticks along the trail, and she's not opposed to stopping to wrestle with Jessie or Dukey at every opportunity. Bugs seem to love Rosie and I removed horseflies and a tick from her face along the trail.

Molly again impressed us beyond words as our littlest hiker. She felt much freer this time to get out and explore the woods and she even went swimming on her own! She waded right in, swam a bit and then climbed out. Nothing to it! She still prefers to stick close to Mike and I, which is totally fine. Sometimes, the other dogs trample over her as they fly by! She's really great for us and is also good at telling her fellow hikers to buzz off if they annoy her. When we stop for play, she's crazy and runs all over the place, which delights her pals.

Addie had a truly amazing first hike. She is wonderful off leash and stuck near the front of the pack all day. She had no problem with coming back to us when asked...even if it took her a time or two to "listen" to the command or squeak from our recall toy. She ate treats throughout the day and got into the water to cool off. She is perfect for our group and we want her with us from now on!! Casco, of course, was delighted to hang with her for the day!

Sophie Frenchie is seriously athletic and was really happy all day. She runs crazy-fast. She road up front on the floor at my feet with Duke and they are now inseparable. They cuddled all the way home! Sophie does get winded and we stopped to let her catch her breath here and there. She ate treats through the day and drank water as needed, but not as much as I would've liked. I worry about her getting overheated. We'll keep an eye on her. She's a total swimmer, too! Wow!!

Jethro was great on the trail. He's all about Julie's treats, for sure. At the house, he seems a bit anxious and uncomfortable, but I gave him an unbleached rawhide bone post-hike and that helped him relax and chill out. Jethro is learning NOT to jump on the gates and walls at school so please help him with this and don't give ANY attention to him when you come to get your dog or drop off your dog, thanks. It's been a while since he came to the house... Back to the hike - Jethro is independent and we trust him in the woods. He returns to me easily. His greatest joy is racing with Lola and Casco for the lead as we go along. Good boy!

Angus had another stellar day and was just terrific. Judy - if you could establish email contact with me, that would be great. Danceswithdogs@maine.rr.com. Thanks. Angus loves Molly and they stick close during the day. He also was delighted that Addie joined us. Angus rode in the backseat with Addie and Anabelle and Casco and Tonya. They arranged themselves in different piles and were good riders. Angus loves to swim!! We love to watch him do it, too. Angus was simply made to be in the woods. He's totally in his element and is a wonderful hiker.

Precautions: I sprayed all the hikers pre-hike with Earth Animal's Bug-Off! organic tick and bug spray and will continue to do so before every hike. You MUST do a thorough check for ticks after we hike, please. We check but can't guarantee we got all the crawlies. I put paw soothing Musher's Wax on Lola. If your dog's paws seem beat up from the trails and woods, let me know and I'll do their paws pre-hike too. Offer lots of water to your dogs post-hike and expect that their poops will have lovely things like GRASS in them. WHY they insist on acting like cows, I do not know. Casco threw up in the woods and it was mostly grass, for goodness sake! Such goof balls!

Next Time: Not sure of your destination yet, but we're busy scouting.... Can't wait to do it all again!

Our First Big Hiking Adventure with Dogs!

The Hike: Pleasant Mountain via the Firewarden's Trail, which is located on Wilton Warren Road off 302 in Fryeburg, ME. 2.5 miles to summit. 3.2 hours round-trip for our group. A pretty tame hike with waterfalls, streams and pools for cooling off.

The Weather: Couldn't have asked for better - 60's, sunshine and a nice wind blowing on the top 1/3 of the hike. The black flies and mosquitos were out but not too pesky.

The Pack: Age range - 4.5 months to 9.5 years. Size range - 6 pounds to 85 pounds. Breed range - Morkie to Puggle to Sheltie to Lab. Leg length - 3 inches to a yard! Experience range - years of off-leash hiking to first-timers! These dogs totally bonded as a pack, got along famously and were amazing together!

The Car Ride: About 1.5 hours to get there, as we had construction and a.m. commuter traffic to

contend with. Duke Puggle road on the floor, front seat passenger side. Molly Morkie road in Julie's lap. Anabelle Sheltie was supposed to be in the back seat, but inserted herself between the two front seats on the console so she could "help" with the navigation and supervise

Mike's driving. In row two, we had Angus Cairn

Terrier on the left sharing the view out the window with senior hiker, Casco Bernier. Anabelle's hind end occupied the middle of the seat. Tonya Bernier had the right window so she could feel the wind ruffle her ears. In row three (the "way back" gated rear compartment) we had Rosie Black Lab, Jethro Choc Lab, Lola Shar Pei Boxer and Bailey Yellow Lab. Everyone rode really well...with only a few whines of "are we THERE YET?" The ride home was rrrreeeeeaaaallllyyyy quiet.

Hike Highlights: The saints and angels conspired to make this quite a spectacular day in every way possible. We had absolutely NO mishaps, issues or problems. The weather was gorgeous. The dogs were incredibly well-behaved, happy and downright joyful to be free in the ME woods. Mike and I slowly and steadily let our fears and worries float away as we headed up the trail. This pack was amazing. At the summit, we were almost tearful as we watched our whole pack zooming around enjoying the beautiful views, the meadow-like lushness of the mountain top and the wind zipping along. We were at the top of our little world! Along the route to the summit, we encountered a foursome of hikers with a Shepherd named Lara. They were so impressed with our pack and Lara wanted to continue up with our crew! We shared snacks

and a bit of lore from our travels and continued on up. When we got back to the car post-hike, they'd left a note in the dust of our back window -- "bark bark!" Indeed!

The Hikers: Lola was ridiculously energetic and happy on arrival. She tore through the woods

non-stop, zipping up and down the trail, buzzing through streams, leaping over fellow hikers -- it was hilarious. She was a pack leader for most of the way up, blazing the trail for us. She probably got 50 miles to our 5 under her belt for the day with all the running around she did!

Jethro was another trail blazer and hike leader. He is so fit and agile, we were truly in awe. He showed the younger Labs all about water play and swam several times in the shockingly cold pools below the waterfalls. Like Casco, Jethro loves to tear through the pucker brush alongside the trails. He stuck close to Casco and the two became good buds by day's end.

Rosie was our youngest hiker...but she is already well-versed in the art of hiking with humans. Her parents take her out almost every weekend. Rosie was a riot in the water, which she loves

but isn't completely comfortable in just yet. She got in over her head and was splashing up a storm. Hilarious! And she made sure that no stick was left untasted along the trail's edge. She and Duke and Bailey had fun carrying them together and playing tug.

Molly was our tiniest in size...but that means NOTHING. She has more energy than anyone in the pack. She took her time getting comfortable being off-leash and free and stuck close to Julie's ankles for most of the way up. When we got to the top, though, she went wild and showed us just what she's made of. Lola couldn't get enough of chasing her 'round the mountain top with Angus. On the way down, Molly was relaxed and traveled ahead of Julie with the pack!

Bailey is a goofy goober. His big body doesn't quite move the way he wants it to at times...and he lost his footing (or Angus pushed him -- who knows?!) and he splashed face-first into a pool at the beginning of the hike. The photos of this are amazing! He got himself sorted out just fine and wasn't opposed to more water fun later on. He's a great hiker and stayed with the pack at all times. Bailey did seem to be limping a bit near the summit...maybe in the right front leg.

Since he's such a big, hearty boy, I would recommend supporting his joint health with a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. Casco's been on one for years and we swear by it for keeping his joints and bone structure healthy. Ours is vet-prescribed, so ask your vet about it ASAP.

Angus was simply fantastic all day long. He was off leash very quickly after the hike began and never ever waivered from staying with the pack. He interacted well with everyone in the pack and loved the whole experience. He loved riding with Casco in the back seat and they are now good pals (yay). Angus got into the streams and waterfalls with the rest of the pack and just loved getting wet and cooling off. He worked hard, played hard and was bleary-eyed and blissed-out on the ride back home.

Duke Puggle was the BOMB on this hike. He'd NEVER been off-leash before and let me tell you, you'd never have believed it. He is a master hiker and outdoorsman. The whole experience was just fantastic for him. He loved being with Bailey (his BFF) again as well as with Rosie. They shared sticks, ran through the woods and streams and at the summit, had a wrestling contest. Duke rode like a champ in the car, too. Mike and I thought he had the best space - on the floor at my (Julie's) feet all cozy on a soft towel. He looked so content!

Anabelle Sheltie also amazed the human pack leaders on the hike! She stuck close to us at times and always brought up the rear...making sure that the pack was together and all were accounted for. But....there were times when Anabelle couldn't resist going bonkers and ran through the woods and fields along the trail with wild abandon. The rest of the pack couldn't help but chase her, which she loved. The photos of these rampages tell the story. She was an absolute delight to have in our pack, in every way possible. When we got back to the car, we loaded everyone in....but Anabelle didn't want to cooperate. I think she wanted to keep hiking! I sat down on a log and waited with her until she decided to accept a cookie and a promise that we'd bring her back to the mountains soon.

The Next Adventure: The Pack Leaders are still plotting and discussing the next adventure...but we will say this: EVERYONE is invited back next Friday! We were so energized and thrilled by their love of the trail and their ability to stay together. Couldn't be more pleased!! Drop 'em off here next Friday between 7 and 8. Who knows what's next.... Our first hike experience will be tough to beat, that's for certain.

When A Dog Gets Bitten....

I now have first-hand experience with dog bites. Tonya was bitten on the ear on Friday by a terrier-type dog in our neighborhood. The experience has left me with a myriad of feelings and thoughts.

How did it happen? Well...there's this house at the very end of a dead-end street where two small dogs live. They guard their property fiercely, often throwing themselves against the window and door barking madly as we leash-walk our two Labs past their house. They also bark incessantly at any and all other dogs they encounter when their owner is leash-walking them around the neighborhood. So, it's clear that they practice leash aggression every single chance they get. We like to take our dogs to the large, grassy field just beyond the end of the street where these psycho dogs live. Our dogs have taken to lunging and barking back at these dogs if they are in their yard (on their tethers) as we pass by. Shame on us for not choosing an alternate route and avoiding this obvious hazard. On Friday evening, my husband was passing by the house when the door opened and the terrier was let out on his/her tether. The terrier flew to the end of the tether, all barky and snarly and crazy. Tonya lunged forward...onto the terrier's property and within his/her reach and the terrier nabbed her, leaving a two-inch gash in her ear.

I treated Tonya's injury with a steroid spray from the vet that we use for her other skin ailments such as allergic rashes and hot spots. On Sunday afternoon, I noticed that the entire ear was hot, swollen and seemed to be filled with fluid. Off to the Animal Medical Center (i.e. the emergency vet) on Warren Avenue we went on Sunday afternoon. $180.00 later, we learned that Tonya has a very badly infected ear along with cellulitis (that's the term for all that fluid inside her ear flap just above the wound). She's on antibiotics and we are applying hot compresses to the ear along with gentle massage to see if we can move that fluid out.

This morning, after a sleepless night watching over my sick baby, I was newly aware of the sounds of barking dogs in the neighborhood around me. My dogs aren't very friendly to other dogs when we leash walk. They get overly excited and sometimes can look scary to other dogs. Sometimes, they can be very challenging for me and Mike to control. Dogs in yards often defend their property lines if they are left outside on a tether, have an electronic fence system, etc. Walking your dog can be like running the gauntlet, it seems. So....what to do? In our situation with the terrier, we KNEW of his/her behavior pattern. We resented the owner for not DOING anything about the crazy dog....yet we still walked our dogs by their house. In hindsight (and with now-empty pockets), this was a stupid thing for us to do. Lesson learned.

We will now be sticking to the route that is "safest" for us and our dogs. We will be more diligent to choose walking routes that don't lead our dogs by places and things that freak them out or trigger them. We will avoid houses where we KNOW there are uncontrolled, freaky dogs who will be triggered by the sounds of our dogs walking by. We will be more careful to use the restraints on our dogs that allow us the best control of them. Flat collars sometimes just aren't enough when you're walking two powerful Labs.

It's an imperfect world and you can only control yourself and your own animals. You cannot expect other dog owners to do the right thing and you must be prepared and realistic when you walk your dogs. THAT's the lesson I've learned. Hopefully Tonya will begin responding to the antibiotics in the next 24 hours or we'll be back at the vets for an IV. Poor baby. And this much I know is true: she did NOT learn her lesson. If I were to walk her by that house again today, she would repeat the SAME behavior in reaction to the psycho terrier. She needs me to be in control. In that, we failed her. Sigh.

Bringing a Second Dog into the Mix

Several of my DWD families have recently acquired second pups as companions for their now- adult dogs. Lots of people ask me my opinion about the timing, breed choice and the whole idea in general. I'm no expert, but I do have two dogs myself and have observed many of my customers go through the process over the years. Here are some thoughts.

Most trainers will tell you that waiting until your older dog is at least 18 months or older before getting a second pup makes sense. You want the training and maturity of your older dog to be stable before introducing a new pup. Often, a family enjoys their first pup so much that they get a second one too soon, causing the older pup to regress in training and behavior as the focus is less on him/her and more on the new pup. I agree with the trainers on this one. You worked hard to get your older pup trained and on a schedule that works for both of you and don't want to mess that up and make life harder for yourself needlessly.

On the other side of the age issue, I think it makes sense to get your second dog while your older one is still very active and energetic. The ideal time would be when the older dog is between 18 months and three years or so. This way, the dogs can enjoy each other's company for a good chunk of years with the same or similar aging time table.

Speaking of enjoying each other's company, please realize that this isn't guaranteed to happen. In fact, my two Labs aren't bosom buddies. Casco, my older Lab, tolerates Tonya and not much beyond that. Many people think they'll be doing their older dog a big favor by getting him or her a playmate or friend and they are greatly dismayed when the two dogs don't become BFFs. Often, in an effort to "make" the dogs get along, humans will step into the relationship and reprimand the older dog for being "mean" to the younger one. If your older dog is truly a social dog who greatly enjoys the company of other dogs, it's more likely that s/he and a second dog will get along and play well together. If your older dog could take or leave other dogs, is more interested in being a companion to YOU, and/or has not been well-socialized as a pup, chances aren't so great that s/he will form a close, playful bond with a new addition to the family.

In my case, I knew my older Lab (two years old at the time) was a HUGE fan of people but was dominant around other males and had an aloof personality. Our decision to bring a second Lab into our home was based on a desire to be of service to a non-profit service dog agency. We understood that we would be fostering a puppy for a couple of years and participating in a rigorous training program with her. She would be away at "school" on weekdays being trained at the training center. We thought this would be a good chance for us to see how Casco would do with a second dog without it necessarily being "forever." Casco remained his aloof, standoffish self throughout the first year while Tonya was a pup. Tonya is very sweet-natured and really wanted to be Casco's best friend and cuddle buddy. He would have NONE of this. In fact, he would "yell" at her if her paw even touched him while they were sleeping. Sigh.

Tonya ended up being "ours" in the end, after she was released from the program due to health issues at 18 months of age. Our two Labs have never once fought with each other. They've simply worked out a relationship based on Casco's boundaries and limits. Despite being the same breed, they are two entirely different dogs in every way. He's an American Lab - tall and lanky with a huge head and long snout. He's hyper and bull-headed. If you ask him for some love, he'll go and get his tug toy. She is an English Lab - short and stocky with a block head and a short snout. She's mellow and sweet-natured and would never think of jumping on a human. She's happy to lie by your side and have her belly rubbed and her forehead kissed. For us, as their owners, we've learned to respect the relationship they've worked out. Yes, Tonya would've loved to have a housemate with whom she could share a bed every night for an eight-paws-entwined cuddlefest. Yes, Casco would've loved to shove her right back out the door on the very first day we brought her home. In the end, we've got two fantastic individual dogs who tolerate each other with respect and who occasionally run around in the field together and wrestle....as long as Casco ALWAYS wins.

Casco has always been very independent and totally trustworthy with the full run of the house from about six months of age. Tonya is more fearful and has a lot of concerns, so it turns out that Casco has been the perfect "babysitter" for her. I think she'd be a dog with some anxiety and separation issues if it weren't for her solid, predictable older bro keeping track of her while we're working or away for a few hours. Casco's never been one to cuddle with us and he gladly handed that nightly duty over to his younger sis. He watches with a look of semi-disgust on his face from his cushy corner dog bed while Tonya lounges on her back our bed pillows while we watch TV and pet and kiss her each night before sleep. So...they've worked it out and we've worked it out so that everybody gets their needs met for the most part.

Three DWD families have brought a second pup into their homes this spring, and another family is expanding in July. In the case of Lucy Bedlington Terrier (about 2 years old), her human mom's choice of another female Bedlington as a baby sis for Lucy is working out amazingly well. Lucy is proving to be a tolerant, kind and fun older sis. Ivy Rose has a sweet personality and they are playing well together, after about five weeks or so together so far. Brodie Westie's mom chose a female Westie pup as a companion for Brodie (he's about 14 months old). Brodie just loves his little sister, Kaylee, and they play quite well together. Kaylee is more tolerant of and interested in children than Brodie is and we're hoping that Brodie learns that kids aren't so bad from seeing/experiencing his sister's joy at kissing babies and tots. Bailey (about 2.5 years old) is what we affectionately call an "apartment-sized Lab." She is a mixy-mix of who knows exactly what! Her parents rescued a second mixy-mix this winter. The new sis is a female Dachshund/Pekinese mix who is just full of love and energy. Pika, the new pup, has presented some issues that Bailey did not. The parents of these two dogs are very committed to training their dogs well and have sought out both in-home support, 1:1 training sessions at a training center and some specialized classes to suit the needs of their brood.

Last spring, two of my DWD families with female English Bulldogs bought siblings from the same litter, each bringing home a second female E.B. as a companion for their older gals. The integration of these younger bullies into the families has been a bit more of a challenge. The two older Bulldogs, Lola and Mosley, were about two when the younger sisters arrived. Lola and Mosley spent a lot of time together, visiting at each other's homes and spending at least a day each week together here at DWD. Lola was very slow to warm to her new baby sister, Trixie. Recently, Lola has decided she really doesn't care for Mosley's new sister, Charlie, so much either. They get into feisty, violent fights and Charlie has developed some fear around Lola. This is frustrating and challenging for the two families, who had visions of bringing up the four dogs together, sharing responsibility for dog-sitting, etc. At this point, they are considering bringing in a trainer to see if they can do anything about Lola's issues with Charlie.

So...it's a mixed bag, this life with more than one dog in the house. Lots of times, it works out great. Other times, it's an adjustment of small or large scale, depending on the situation. If I had it to do over again, would I have two dogs at the same time? Would I choose the same breeds? I think that people have different needs and wants at different times in their lives. One of my newer customers who has been a Lab owner for years and just switched to an English Cocker as her new companion told me that she recently met a lovely elderly woman (in her 90's?) on a plane and that got to talking about their lives with dogs. This woman had owned all kinds of dogs, all shapes and sizes and temperaments, in her life time. She told my customer that there is a breed for every stage of a person's life. I like that idea.... Maybe my next dog will be a little Schnauzer. Who knows??

Tonya's Visit with Dr. Ruth Dalto

Last Friday, Tonya (my 6.5 yr old Black Lab) and I met with Dr. Ruth Dalto at her Yarmouth office for help with Tonya's allergy issues. Dr. Dalto is a holistic vet who offers some alternative approaches to canine health such as chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and energy work. With Tonya's long history of itchy skin, rashes, hot spots, ear infections and other allergy-induced ailments, I felt it was time to try something other than traditional veterinary medicine.

In 2007, we spent several hundred dollars to have Tonya screened for food and environmental allergies. It had been quite a while since I'd reviewed the test results. I thought I'd put Tonya on a food that was "safe" for her. Just before leaving for our appointment, I printed out the ingredients list from her current food from the maker's website. When reviewing that list later with Dr. Ruth, I was horrified to see that peas were in her food. She is highly allergic to peas. Did you know that food manufacturers often add new ingredients and subtract others at their own discretion? Sometimes, it can take months before those changes even show up on the label. I suspect this is what happened with Tonya's food. When I first chose it, peas weren't on the ingredients list. Lesson #1: review your dog's food label often for any changes, and check the maker's website for any recipe changes that may be listed there. Sigh.

Dr. Ruth made another comment that really struck me. I've had Tonya on an ocean fish-based food because she's not allergic to fish. Dr. Ruth said, "We don't know that she's not allergic to fish. They didn't test for fish." Oh my! This seemed too simple to be true, but it was. Often, vets suggest diets with fish as the protein source and potato as the starch for dogs who are allergy prone. But....the most common allergy screening panel doesn't even test for fish allergies. Duh. Seems like a no brainer. Lesson #2: feed your allergic dog ONLY those items that she's tested NEGATIVE to on the screening. In Tonya's case, she tested negative to three protein sources - pork, venison and lamb. Beef, chicken, turkey, duck are all proteins that she IS allergic to, so those are out. Also out are any products that may contain some derivative of those proteins, such as bone meal (a major calcium source for dogs on raw or homemade diets), and marrow bones and rawhides for gnawing.

So, based on our discussion, my dry, bagged food choices for Tonya were extremely limited. In fact, I only found one or two that I could buy locally that are free of anything she's allergic to (all of those proteins, plus rice and wheat and peas and soy and a few other things). She is now on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, Venison & Sweet Potato Formula. There is a dry kibble and a wet canned food. For gnawing and chewing, she can have pig's ears (gross...) and a dried sweet potato chew carried at most local pet suppliers.

Had I not found this bagged and canned diet for Tonya, I would've pursued home-cooked or a raw diet for Tonya, mixing raw ground pork, lamb and/or venison (with bones) with vegetables (carrots, kale, etc) in juiced form (so her digestive system could make use of the nutrients), a calcium source (other than bone meal), an oil with Omega-3's, etc. If the dry/canned diet doesn't "work" for Tonya, I plan to go in this other, more expensive, time-consuming method. Of course, she's totally worth it.

In reviewing the allergy test results, we also noted that she's allergic to three grasses and three major trees. These allergies are affecting her currently, as all of these trees and grasses are coming into season. Dr. Dalto added a Chinese herbal formula, in pill form, in hopes of giving Tonya some relief of her incessant itching. We've noted some small improvement after several days. Two weeks' worth of pills cost about $25.00.

We dealt with Tonya's allergy issues first, and spent a lot of time figuring out what more I could do to improve her health and well-being via food and supplements. Then, we spent a whole lot of time on Tonya's emotional issues. Emotional issues? Huh? In actuality, I have always known Tonya is a fearful dog. She is not the typical exuberant Lab who runs up to every human with love and drool to share. She lowers her head and stands still when meeting people. She'd prefer not to be acknowledged or attended to by strangers. In fact, her "fear issues" along with her allergies caused her to be dismissed from the service dog program she was in as a pup. Fearful, hesitant dogs don't make great service animals, understandably.

Dr. Ruth is somewhat of an animal intuitive and she does a lot of hands-on energy work with patients. Our first session found the two of us seated on the floor beside Tonya, each with a hand on Tonya. Dr. Ruth ran through a battery of questions concerning all aspects of Tonya's health, including mental, spiritual, emotional and physical issues. I was told to share any "messages" Tonya might send to me energetically. At first, I was hesitant but within just a few moments, I kept getting messages I couldn't ignore. As we went along, I felt freer and more confident in sharing what Tonya seemed to be "saying" to me. One strong message was that Casco, our older Lab, doesn't like her. Another was that she missed her Mom. Later, though I really didn't want to "hear" it, it seemed that Tonya was "telling me" that she wanted a little boy dog/friend. Good grief!

Trust me, I'm a grounded person. But, I'm also a spiritual being and am open to alternative forms of "knowing." I did not expect this revelatory spiritual energy healing session, but here we were. And Tonya was hurting in many ways, apparently. Dr. Ruth goes through a process of removing those negative thoughts/emotions/energies at the end of the session. Wow.

At a minimum, this energy healing part of our session really put me in touch with who my dog is, on an emotional, personality level. I have been much more sensitive to her needs this past week and to attending to her signals that I had been overlooking or even ignoring on a daily basis. We will return to Dr. Ruth in about 10 days for a follow up to see how Tonya is doing. More on that later....

Dealing with The Allergic Dog

One of my Labs can eat anything, roll in anything, swim in anything and no bad things happen. No itching, no barfing, no runny eyes, no ear goop. My OTHER Lab however.... This blog is about THAT Lab.

Her name is Tonya and she's a 7-y-o Black Lab with a sweet disposition. She's one of those Labs who, if no one was around and the opportunity presented itself, would happily eat an entire 30-lb bag of dog food, or a half-dozen donuts, or a whole pan of brownies. She simply LOVES food. Unfortunately, food does NOT love Miss Tonya. Her food allergies are multiple and strange. Because she had a puppyhood filled with ear infections, hot spots, paw licking, fur scratching and Prednisone, we took the plunge years ago and had her allergy-tested, to the tune of about $400.00. You'd think life since then would have been somewhat simpler: avoid the foods she's allergic to and all will be well. Not so.

In addition to her food allergies, Tonya also has some allergies to environmental stuff like grasses, flowers, trees, etc. We'll get to that later. Her list of food allergies is curious and surprising. For instance, she's allergic to turkey and duck, but not chicken. She can't have most grains. She must avoid peas. Peas?! We must check and re-check the ingredients list when we give her ANYTHING at all to eat. Food companies are always being bought and sold and their recipes evolve and change over time, without the consumer being notified. One day, no peas. The next day, peas in the same food!

And then there are treats. Everywhere you go these days, well-meaning folks want to give your dog a biscuit or treat. At the bank, pet supply store, hardware store and the vet's office (mine offers Milkbones, of ALL things!), Tonya is offered a treat. The look on people's faces when I lunge for their hand as they reach for Tonya's mouth with a biscuit in their clutch is sometimes horrifying. They look at me like I'm a psycho-dog-mother. In a way, I am. That biscuit could keep my dog up all night itching or set off an ear infection that will require a vet visit and antibiotics. And...Tonya will eat ANYTHING. This does not make my job any easier.

This spring, Tonya has been really, REALLY itchy -- to the point where she's itched her fur off in several locations. Her eyes are runny and swollen. She's got scabs all over her body where she's drawn blood from her itching. The vet put her on a prescription anti-histamine. We were advised that sometimes, after being on a certain food for a while, a dog with allergies can develop new allergies to their current food. We were reminded that raw beef bones are bad, as is rawhide, for a dog with allergies. So...what's she supposed to chew on, a frozen carrot? Poor baby!

If your dog is showing signs of food allergies and you're not yet at the point where you're ready to invest in allergy testing, the smart thing to do would be to eliminate the most common allergens, starting your dog on a food that has NONE of them. Chicken and beef (due in large part due to the hormones and antibiotics in cheap meat), corn, wheat, soy and dairy are often the foods dogs are allergic to. Lesser-bought protein sources like fish, venison, buffalo, etc. are generally "safer" proteins for allergic dogs. Removing ALL grains from the diet is also advisable. Treats, bones, rawhides and other chews should also be removed from the diet. Ingredients in some supplements and vitamin tablets can also set off an allergic dog. Once your dog's allergic reactions have subsided, you can always test an item by reintroducing it to see whether your dog has issues with it. Keeping a food diary is also a good idea. This way, you'll have a record of food brands, treats and whole foods that your dog has had bad reactions to and what those reactions were.

As I mentioned, Tonya also has some allergies to plants, grasses, etc. So, the vet suggested that it might not be food at all that is bothering her currently. It could be spring allergies. That made a lot of sense to us, as she'd been pretty comfortable through the winter on her grain-free, salmon-based food. Of course, Tonya likes nothing better than to rub her itchy face and body in the fresh grass. She literally grinds and drags her chin and cheeks through it any chance she gets. Dogs with allergies shouldn't be bathed often, as this strips their skin of essential oils which are actually helpful. We were advised to take her to the ocean for a swim weekly and to rinse her with the hose or let her air dry. The salt water helps her skin lesions and scabs to heal and is soothes the itch a bit. We also brush her daily with a few different brushes to keep her skin cells shedding and rejuvinating and her tendency to scratch her fur off to a minimum. This seems to help a bit.

Tonya has been uncomfortable and itchy for several weeks now, and has been on a daily regimen of both OTC and prescription antihistamines which provide only slight relief. On the up-side, she's lost 8 pounds this year and looks healthy and fit, other than having a patchy looking coat. If you have a dog with allergies, know that the path is crooked, uphill and strewn with boulders, but help IS available in many forms. For us, next steps include considering home-cooked meals and seeking the advice of a holistic vet.