Dog Eat Dog?

Let's talk dog park etiquette now, shall we?  A few weeks ago I went to a dog park (the name of which will go unmentioned to protect the identity of the subjects herein) with Dingo, a large Lab named Timmy, and another mixed breed dog slightly smaller than Dingo named Lucy.  I do not normally attend this dog park but Timmy's owners instructed me that he was not to be trusted off-leash so I needed to find a safe place for him to run around and expel some of his pent-up Lab energy.  This particular dog park is separated into a very large area for all dogs, and a smaller area for dogs under 30lbs that do not wish to socialize with the larger dogs.  Given the fact that the dog's in my care ran the gamut of pretty small to quite large, naturally we went into the larger "general admission" section of the park.  

As anyone who has ever gone to a dog park with their dog knows, as soon as you approach the gate all the dogs already in the park run over to assess the "new blood" (or in the case of dogs, new butts).  After some initial sniffing and posturing, everyone usually goes on their merry way.  Unfortunately, on this particular day, one large dog already in the park (who we will call Daphne for the sake of the story) began harassing Dingo and her smaller counterpart as soon as we entered with a relentless barrage of what can best be described as the "pounce, pin, and nip"; in other words, the bigger dog was jumping on top of the two smaller dogs, thereby pinning  them down, and then nipping at their necks.  In the dog world this is a purely intimidatory act.  Most good-natured dogs will modify their play when playing with dogs that are smaller than themselves, often even handicapping themselves by laying down on the ground to get on the smaller dog's level.  So even if this particular dog in question was "playing" as the owner attested, she was sending a clear message than the play was on her terms.   

Daphne ignored both my requests to cease and desist and Dingo and Lucy's pathetic squeals.  I looked up to see if her owner was going to come and scold her dog or, ideally, remove her from the situation, but the owner was nowhere in sight.  Finally, in utter exasperation, I yelled out, "Who's dog is this!?".  A stranger standing close by and witnessing the melee pointed across the park to a woman sitting down drinking a coffee, seemingly oblivious to her dog's brutish behavior.  At this point, I picked up the two smaller dogs who were by now attempting to climb up my leg and yelled out again in the direction of the previously aforementioned man's outstretched hand, "Who's dog is this!!??".  The larger dog was, by now, jumping up and trying to nip at the two little dogs as I swaddled them in my arms.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a minute or two, a woman came over and stated smugly, "My dog is fine.  If your dogs don't like other dogs you shouldn't bring them to the dog park."  At that point, I was pretty incensed but I did not want to create a scene.  I stated matter-of-factly that "my dogs do like other dogs, just not bullies!"  I walked away toward the opposite end of the dog park with Dingo and Lucy still in my arms and the other dog following us despite her owner's instructions to "come" and "stop".  

Daphne did finally stop harassing Dingo and Lucy after her owner stood in front of her and physically prevented her from following us.  I put Dingo and Lucy back on the ground but by then they were so nervous about being market targets that for the remainder of our time there they just trembled at my feet, seemingly proving Daphne's owner's point that they do not like other dogs (I swear they do!).  Daphne did come back every few minutes to attempt another onslaught but by then when I told her to leave she seemed to get the point.  We left the park soon thereafter unfortunately for Teddy who seemed completely unaware that anything was amiss.

I left feeling inexplicably embarrassed.  My friend who was with me that day ascertains that I did not do anything wrong and was completely justified in feeling upset, or as he put it, "If your kid went to the playground and punched another kid, and the other kid's mother called you out on it, would you ever tell the other kid's mother not to bring the kid to the playground if he doesn't like other kids?".  Point taken. 

Upon reflection, however, I know that I could have remained more calm in the situation.  Instead of getting defensive I should have just grabbed Daphne by the collar myself and walked her over to her owner and asked, with a solicitous smile if she would just watch her dog for a moment while my own dogs get acclimated.  Instead of placing blame and causing Daphne's owner to get defensive, I should have been proactive about removing the dog myself.  When you start a conversation with fire you are almost always going to get fire back.  Sometimes it's tough in the heat of the moment to remember to maintain your composure but I guess that's just another of what I like to call my "lessons of adulthood".  

What do you think? Have you had any issues at your local dog park?  If so, how did you handle them?  Given that a dog park is, for the most part, self governing, it's interesting to see how the politics play out.  Nothing is ever as Utopian as we would like it to be, but the dog eat dog distopian mantra reminiscent of "The Hunger Games" or "Lord of the Flies" is no place for our domesticated four legged friends (or their owners).  That's my own humble opinion anyway (for what its worth).

Til next time.... 

*See above for an example of a big dog (Cider) playing nicely with a smaller dog (Dingo)... :)

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue (Heeler)

In the world of professional pet sitting you're bound to get some unusual requests, so some months ago when I was invited to attend a wedding not as a guest, but as a dog handler for the bride and groom's two dogs, I can't say that I was all that surprised.  More and more people are incorporating their pets into their weddings (or at least their wedding photo's) and I can see why - people's pets are like family and are often an integral part of their relationships.  More specifically, for the wedding I was asked to work, the couple's dogs are what caused them to meet, since the bride is also a dog walker/sitter (like me!).  It was only natural then, that Tucker, an eight-year old German Shepard/Blue Heeler mix, and Chester, a two year old, three-legged Lab mix be a part of the ceremony.

My job, for all intents and purposes, was simply to watch the dogs when they were not needed for pictures and/or the service itself, and, perhaps more importantly, to remove Tucker from the ceremony if he started making too much noise.  Tucker is an extremely vocal dog, probably the most vocal dog I've ever encountered.  He's not a barker per say, but he does a lot of groaning, whining, and whinging to get attention.  Were he a person, he'd be your chatterbox friend that doesn't really talk that loudly but never shuts up.  We all agreed that it was not a matter of if Tucker started squawking during the service, but just a matter of when... and how disruptive it would become.  Unfortunately for ole' Tuck Tuck (as I lovingly refer to him), he did not make it very long before he started whinging loudly and Andrew, the groom, gave me the nod to take him away.   Although Tucker missed his mom and dad say "I do", he did get to enjoy a nice walk in the woods surrounding Moraine Farms instead, which he may have enjoyed more than the service, after all, he is a dog.  

After the service, "the boys", resplendent in their homemade tuxedo collars with matching bow ties, were called upon for pictures.  I was left to my own devices and allowed to enjoy a glass of wine on the house as well as a few delectable appetizers that were being offered up by the catering staff as they made their rounds, trays in hand. Although I was invited to stay and attend the ceremony and after party, I had to decline due to the fact that I had another "charge" scheduled for pick up at my house later that evening; that said, I certainly appreciated the sentiment.  

All in all I have to admit it was a painless afternoon, especially considering it was technically "work".  I got gussied up to attend a wedding, and I even got to sit in the front row!  Most importantly, my fears that Chester, the three legged wonder dog would outshine the bride on her big day were quelled as soon as she stepped into the spotlight.  Sam looked beautiful.  Even the most athletic three legged dog in existence couldn't take the limelight from her on that day.  And that's all any bride can ask for on her day - to shine as brightly as possible with the helpful lights of her closest loved ones to guide and reflect upon her.  And in that respect, Tucker and Chester served their purpose that day.  Mazel!

Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Power of Positive Thinking

"Unfucking believable!  Unfucking believable.  This is just unfuckingbelivable!"  Doctor Holmes, one of  the Veterinarians at Windhover Veterinary Clinic who oversees the care at the Sterling Animal Rehab Center in Walpole, looked up at myself, the Vet Tech on duty, and the Clinic's current intern,  "Excuse my language, " she apologized, "but I just can't believe this.  The lump is gone.  I mean it's totally gone!" 

Betsy, a 10 year-old Golden Retriever, was diagnosed with what her Vets believed to be Lymphoma in late April of 2012. Lymphoma can present in numerous ways but in Betsy's case it appeared as a painless enlargement of the peripheral lymph nodes.   It looked and felt as if someone had cut an overly ripe cantaloupe in half and placed it under the fur and skin on the left side of her neck.  Had Betsy been human, the large mass might have resembled an extremely bad case of the mumps.  In other words, the mass growing around Betsy neck was quite large and if left untreated, likely to get bigger. 

Betsy, like most Golden's (sadly), is prone to cancer -- this was  not her first cancer diagnosis -- so her owner, Mary Anne, has chosen to steer clear of chemotherapy that might negatively affect Betsy's quality of life or any type of radiation treatments that have the potential to exacerbate the cancer or encourage other cancer growths.   Instead, Mary Anne has chosen to treat Betsy non-traditionally with Chinese herbs and weekly acupuncture appointments that I have, as Betsy's "driver" (yes, Betsy has an entourage - she is a "V.I.D."!) had the privilege of  witnessing.

The acupuncturist who practices at Sterling, Ann Murphy, is nothing short of a present day miracle worker.  Like stories of Jesus, factual or fabled, she seems to have the power to heal with her hands.  Anne is also the one who suggested and has been supplying the Chinese herbs, specifically Ganoderma 18 by Seven Forests, which Mary Anne has been administering to Betsy daily. 

Anne explained to me that there is no word for cancer in the vocabulary of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  "According to TCM, good health depends on normal flows of fluid and energy (blood and gi).  These flows are responsible for nourishment and discharge.  Poor flow (stagnation) can lead to accumulations such as tumors, cysts, etc.  Normalizing these flows through acupuncture and Chinese herbs  tends to promote healing, recovery, and general well being" (drshen.com).     

Betsy's "team" has been treating her tumors holistically since April 10th, 2012.  By early July Mary Ann insisted that the tumor had shrunk (she is a master of the art of positive thinking) but when Dr. Holmes measured it, she found that although it had not grown, it really had not decreased in size either.  This in and of itself was good news because lymphoma is known to be an especially aggressive cancer.  According to Wikipedia, untreated dogs have an average survival time of just sixty days (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoma_in_animals#cite_note-13).

On July 30th, as I was picking Betsy up for her treatment, Mary Anne was giddy with the news that Betsy's tumor was gone;  however, this was her own personal assessment.  Dr. Holmes had yet to evaluate Betsy since a couple weeks ago when the two equally strong-willed women got into a friendly debate about whether or not the lump was shrinking, with Dr. Holmes backed up with her medical degree claiming that the numbers don't lie, and a smiling, persistently positive dog owner insisting that  mathematics and science (and veterinary measuring tools) be damned.  Mary Anne was starting to remind me a bit of Steve Jobs with his "reality distortion field".  But it would seem that some people truly have the power to will things true. 

I consider myself to be a pretty open minded person, but I'm also someone who rarely believes in absolutes.  I think life is painted in varying shades of gray, with a few brush strokes of black and white used sparingly.  When I was a little kid I wanted to believe in absolutes - good and evil, heaven and hell, a higher power, and happily ever after.  I actually agonized over these concepts.  Now as an adult, I realize that there's mostly no such thing.  My fence-walking has led me to be open minded yet skeptical of most things, acupuncture and eastern medicine included.  I saw that physical therapy and acupuncture had definitely helped Betsy when she tore her ACL and also when she was suffering from a fever and indigestion issues.  But cancer?  I mean, cancer still manages to outwit the most intelligent doctors , the most devoted exercisers and healthy eaters, the newest technologies, the young, the clean and toxin free-living, and generally the overall healthiest of people.  Cancer is, in my mind at least, the human race's greatest foe and overpopulation's greatest ally.  I believed that there was a good possibility that all these treatments could help Betsy.  But I was not absolutely convinced like Mary Anne.  And it seemed neither was Doctor Holmes.  Until now.

When Doctor Holmes, ever the consummate professional started cursing, I knew she was flabbergasted (in her defense, she apologized for her potty mouth after the initial shock of her findings).  With her jaw agape, she confirmed what Mary Anne seemed to will true.  The tumor was gone.  Completely gone.  Doctor Holmes had never seen anything like it in her professional career.  She muttered something about writing up the case in a medical journal of some sort.  I was overwhelmed not just by Dr. Holmes findings, but also to her reaction to her findings.  She was absolutely blown away.

The things is, had the same outcome occurred on a human, my overly analytic mind might have guessed it could have been due to the "placebo" effect, or some sort of psycho-somatic  B.S., but dogs do not have the capacity for this type of rational thought.  For the placebo effect to work, a high level of cognition is required, cognition of the type that dogs lack. 

 After I dropped Betsy off and went into the office I share with my dad I put Ann's business card on his desk and told him to call her and make an appointment. My dad does not have cancer, thank god, but he does have a whole list of other ailments. This was not the first time I asked him to call Anne, but this time I recounted the story of what I had just seen, the same story I have just shared with you now.   Lucky, as we lovingly refer to him, might just be the greatest skeptic of all, but even he was persuaded.  He called Anne and when she expressed doubts about him wanting to drive all the way down to Walpole when he could find a practicing acupuncturist much closer, I insisted he endure the dreaded Expressway to see Anne explicitly.  He actually agreed, without much persuading needed on my part.  He has an appointment with Anne this week.  And if Anne can make Lucky, the most ardent of skeptics a believer, than she truly is a miracle worker.

 Lucky's treatments and prognosis to follow.  This story, like our endless journeys on this planet is, to be continued...

Meet the Newest Member of the Dingo's Dogsitting Team, Becky!

Meet the newest member of the Dingo's Dogsitting team, Becky Brandt! Becky and I grew up on the same street in Swampscott and have known each other since we were little kids.  After stints living all over the world, we both ended back up in the same small town in which we grew up (although we no longer live on the same street).  


Becky is a mom to Lucas, 10 months old, a part-time massage therapist, and now a part time dog-walker helping me with walks in and around the Swampscott area.  She is an avid animal lover and has owned dogs all of her life.  Her warm, quirky, and laid-back personality meshes well with dogs of all kinds.  Becky, we are happy to have you and thankful for your help!

"Get A Job, Sir!"

I think that certain senior citizens, my dad included, are like Border Collies, or really any working dog breed - they need a job to feel happy and fulfilled.  Take that away from them, and problems abound.  In dogs this may manifest into aggression or destructive tendencies.   The elderly can become depressed and reclusive,  listless and unhappy. 

A relaxing retirement seems  like the prize at the end of a long life, but for some, a job provides meaning and purpose and punctuates one's life.  This is not dissimilar to the life of a dog.

 If you own a working dog especially, but really most dogs will enjoy a fun activity, consider trying one (or more) of the following:

• Agility - in, out, over and through this sport is all about working as a team
• Animal Assisted Activities and Animal Assisted Therapy - the warm head of a friendly pet can soothe a lonely heart
• Bikejoring - some dogs love to run. Adding the responsibility of teamwork adds to the fun.
• Canicross - dog powered running for those who want to share their running goals with their best friend
• Carting - channel the desire to pull into harness work that lets the dog feel useful and skilled
• Coursing and racing - root instinct drives the joy of running with purpose in coursing and racing
• Disc Dog or Flying Disc - if there was ever meaning to jump for joy this is it, jumping with achievement
• Dock Jumping or Dock Diving - dogs who excel in this sport are love to show they can do it further and better
• Dog Parks and Dog Walks: Socialization and Off-leash Play - a joy for the social dog, think tot lot
• Dog Scootering - some dogs love to run. Adding the responsibility of teamwork adds to the fun.
• Earthdog Trials - instinct, drive, and flying dirt - what more could an earthdog want
• Flyball - excitement, speed, and focus, a sport for dogs driven to do it faster
• Flygility - racing and teamwork to build confidence and a sense of belonging
• Games - the most basic of interactions, fun ways of practicing skills of hunting, fetching, working together
• Herding - it's all about the dog's instinct and desire to control and direct movement for the pack leader
• Hiking, Backpacking and Dog Walks - sharing our quiet moments, our contemplations is the essence of being a pack
• Hunt and Field Trials - working as a team is what drives these dogs
• Mushing - for dogs who love to pull and people who want to let them
• Obedience - precision, focus and a great activity for perfectionist dogs, those who love to get it exactly right
• Performance Art (Tricks) - curiosity and a willingness to try new things makes this fun
• Pet Facilitated Therapy - for the dog who loves attention what better way to get it than visiting people in need
• Precision Drill Teams - the excitement of success, of meeting a challenge and being a part of the team
• Pulling - great for dogs who love to pull, and people who want to let them
• Racing - for the dogs who love not just running but being faster than the next one
• Rally Obedience - more focus on teamwork, less focus on precision, fun and relaxed for human and dog
• Ring Sport - a sport that says "I can be a contributing member of the family" Some dogs thrive on responsibility
• Rollerblade - a fun way for dogs and humans to share exercise and fresh air
• Schutzhund - tracking, obedience, protection, schutzhund is all about what a well rounded dog is all about
• Search and Rescue - for some making a difference is important, that includes dogs, they know it matters
• Skijoring - dogs love to pull, people love to ski. Put the two together and you have skijoring

*For the complete list, and more information, see here: http://www.dogplay.com/index.html

Lemons into lemonade?

What do you think is worse, the smell of a skunk or the smell of a small decomposing animal?  Now combine both those smells and that is what I was faced with yesterday!  What to do when one very large dog finds and rolls in the decomposing carcass of a long-dead skunk?  Use the retrievers love of water and fetch to your advantage and take her to the beach!  I'm happy to report that after two hours playing in the ocean, most of the skunky smell was washed away.   The smell of wet dog is far superior to the smell of dead skunk.  Just take my word for it.

I May Be Anthropomorphizing But...

Reason #2 why I love my job: the feeling of complete and total love and adulation I receive from my four-legged clients upon seeing them after an extended period apart (and by extended I mean minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months.  The actual time elapsed matters not).  Now, I may be taking a few liberties here, but I liken this type of genuine excitement to my presence to that of a rock god on stage being applauded by his most zealous fans.    Granted my audience is a lot less discerning, with minimal capacity for rational thought, and very low IQ’s relatively speaking, yet, it feels good to be loved, no matter from where that love emanates.  In my case it just happens to come from the four-legged, wiggly bummed variety.  That’s okay.  I’ll take it!

Professional Pet Sitters Week is Right Around the Proverbial Corner

Dingo’s Dogsitting encourages pet owners and pet lovers alike to celebrate Professional Pet Sitters Week, March 4-10, 2012. This international week of recognition seeks to educate pet owners about the advantages of in-home pet care, as well as to encourage the public to explore professional pet sitting as a viable and rewarding career opportunity.

Professional Pet Sitters Week was introduced by Pet Sitters International (PSI) in 1995. PSI is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters. 

There are now more households with dogs (43 million) than children (38 million); and the need for pet-care services is at an all-time high.  

Since 1994 PSI’s membership has grown to nearly 7,000 independent professional pet-sitting businesses that service more than 740,000 pet-owning households each year.

“Professional pet sitting has become an important service industry in the past 15 years.  Many professional pet sitters put in long hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, so they can provide personal in-home care for pets of all kinds,” says Patti Moran, president of PSI.  “The tireless efforts of these small business owners and their staffs to provide optimal care to pets and their owners truly deserve recognition.”

Dingo’s Dogsitting has been a member of PSI since 2010 and offers services to pet owners in and around Greater Boston and the North Shore.

For pet owners, at-home pet sitting provides a unique alternative to boarding facilities or having to rely on family and neighbors to check in on their pets. Pet sitting goes beyond simply feeding and caring for pets. Professional pet-sitting services often offer dog walking, care of special needs pets, pet transportation services and pooper-scooper services, in addition to basic pet care.

This year, Dingo’s Dogsitting plans on making the most of Professional Pet Sitters Week by offering a 15% discount to all new clients.

  

I invite anyone interested in learning more about the advantages of hiring a professional pet sitter to visit my Web site, http://www.dingosdogsitting.com/. 

To learn more about PPSW and how you can participate, visit the PSI Web site, http://www.petsit.com/.