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Mick is learning to earn the privilege of a walk. He wants to wear his new Gentle Leader head halter because he knows he’ll have a good time. He’s not quite ready to walk long distances with it. He’s still getting used to the feel of it on his face but he doesn’t have to think about it much because he’s busy working to earn reinforcers. We want him to forget it’s there. One step at a time.
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Fourth in a series I offered to help Placitas pet parents with their poisoning problem and, well, they took me up on it. The next morning Gretel, a big hound who I already knew as a wild and active girl, lumbered listlessly through the door. I almost didn’t recognize her. Her gums were pale, her respiratory rate increased. A quick check of her blood showed a serious but not-yet life threatening anemia. And, yes, she’d been allowed to roam loose. This dog was going to make it – if we moved fast enough. To reduce the risk of more bleeding I gave Gretel the antidote for diphacinone poisoning, vitamin K1, by injection through a very tiny needle. Only mild sedation was necessary for her to relax enough so we could slide the stomach tube down her esophagus. Up came dog food mixed with suspicious-looking pellets that Amos deftly collected in…
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Head halter training – Start slow and positive Lurching, jumping, growling, barking – are we having fun yet? Ah, no. A head halter, like this Gentle Leader, makes it easy to derail a dog’s attention on people and other dogs so you can have a more peaceful walk. First, that wild child needs to learn that only good things happen when he wears this contraption. Here is the first baby step.
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Third in a series There were no Nextdoor or Facebook apps in the late ‘70s but word spread fast. A meeting was quickly organized at the elementary school in Placitas featuring Dr. Firestone, a local pediatrician, plus a young veterinarian with sweaty palms. Ah, that was me. Being sought out as an expert on a toxin I had only just learned existed was a bit daunting. I spoke with Dr. Claire Hibbs, veterinary pathologist at the newly created New Mexico Veterinary Diagnostic lab. He sent the information he had by US Post. (No faxes then either) My first conversation with Claire, a man old enough to be my father, involved another recent poisoning – an accidental event. Being the inveterate instructor the good doctor could not help but ask me that agent’s mechanism of action. When I spit out the answer, I got the sense that he was hoping I’d…
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Mick and I have practiced his new trick, “Night, night.” He’s watching me intently because he’s ready. Even though he gets it, mostly, I help him do it right. He earns the treat at the end and gets praise and physical contact as he rolls onto his back. He wins throughout the whole event. He’ll do it faster and better with more practice. We have good fun together.
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Dogs’ brains are built for fun with their people. You can make it easy for them to work-to-earn treats, praise, and most important – physical contact. When I show Mick the treat, he’s ready to learn how to give me what I want. So I move the treat so he can follow it as I tell him, “Mick, Night, Night!” Since he doesn’t yet know what I want, I show him. He gets the food, petting, and praise even though I helped him make it happen. Check out Mick’s next video, Learning Dog Tricks – the Light Dawns
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Second in a series The sudden loss of “Big Blue” triggered a derailment in the brains of the two young men who loved him. He was special to them and, yes, he was allowed to run loose but so were lots of other free-spirited Placitas dogs. It was a time of peace, love, and rock ‘n roll. When you only hang out with like-minded folks you can forget that that there are others who may see things differently. If a neighbor is bothered by your dog showing up at their house you would expect them to say so. The possibility of nefarious behavior toward pets was dismissed out of hand. Surely this was an isolated event. After the grief sunk in to Big Blue’s people I offered to keep his body for them until they decided whether they wanted to bury it or have it cremated. They called the next…
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First in series He couldn’t even raise his head, his gums were pale, his pulse weak and thready. Had an injury caused this black German Shepherd mix to bleed internally? Was he anemic from an autoimmune disorder? Had he been poisoned? I remember wishing he could tell me what happened. Only a minute earlier this big dog had burst through the front door, just not under his own steam. His 80# self was hefted by a couple of burly bearded men, so highly agitated they were shouting over each other. They’d found their dog barely conscious only 30 minutes earlier next to their home in Placitas. They were frantic for a miracle. Martha, the quiet example of composure, was the usual first stop for our clients but had been bypassed this time. She immediately joined the action by inviting these rough but earnest men into an exam room to gather…
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The Gila Wilderness is among my most favorite places in part because wild animal encounters are to be expected. The rattlesnake in our campsite wasn’t unusual; the javelinas who sauntered past one evening were somewhat surprising. One was foraging. It was later and darker when I caught the other guy. Well, here’s lookin’ at ya, kid.
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