'Birth Order'

We often compare how raising puppies is like raising your children. Just like birth order effected how you raised your children, experience also effects puppy raising. Think about that first puppy (or baby). Every day was a special celebration. You were excited about everything and left nothing to chance. That second puppy (or baby) was also a great joy, yet in many ways a very different experience. And then the third, fourth, fifth... puppy (or baby) and well…let’s just see if our experiences are anything like yours.

FYI: This is intended as a joke. We love all of our puppies and work our hardest to help each achieve their full potential.

Lukas - 15th Puppy

Effects on Set-Up:

1^st Puppy: You had the crate, exercise pen and toy bin all set-up the moment you heard your puppy had been born.

2^nd Puppy: You rushed home to set-up following puppy visitation day. T minus 7 days to arrival.

Nth Puppy: No need to set-up, you’re still working up the energy to take it down after the last puppy.

Stryker & Sully - 25th & 26th Puppy

Effects on Preparing for the First Night:

1^st Puppy: You start sleep training weeks before the puppy arrives home. A little mind-over-matter and you’ll be an expert at waking up every 2 hours.

2^nd Puppy: You don’t bother adjusting your sleep schedule. It didn't do squat last time anyway.

Nth Puppy: Piddle Pads and Sleeping Pills are now your best friend.

Brewer - 1st Puppy

Effects on Puppy Toys & Gear:

1^st Puppy: You purchase every recommended toy in your puppy raiser manual and color coordinate all their collars, leashes and vest.

2^nd Puppy: You check to make sure the toys aren't broken and the collars & leashes aren't snagged, then discard only those still hanging on by a thread.

Nth Puppy: Pink looks good on a boy – Right?

Quinn - 23rd Puppy

Effects on your Worries:

1^st Puppy: At the first sign of distress – a whimper, whine or bark – you run to the puppy and soothe them.

2^nd Puppy: You ask nicely for “Quiet” but when all else fails, “Shut-up” is right in your back pocket.

Nth Puppy: You train your older dog how to drape a blanket over the top of the crate.

Praxis - 22nd Puppy

Effect on Treat Giving:

1^st Puppy: If a treat falls on the floor, you put it away in your pocket and toss it in the trash later.

2^nd Puppy: 10 second rule sounds good.

Nth Puppy: Your puppy eats grass, bugs & wood chips anyway, so you’ll just consider it as frosting.

Barron - 11th Puppy

Effect on Housebreaking:

1^st Puppy: You set an alarm and take the puppy out every half hour, whether he needs it or not.

2^nd Puppy: You take the puppy out every 2-3 hours, IF needed.

Nth Puppy: Here’s the door, there’s the lawn…no further explanation required.

Maizy - 19th Puppy

Effect on Training:

1^st Puppy: If there’s a training class offered within 90 miles, you’re there.

2^nd Puppy: You've got the basics down, now it’s time for some competition training.

Nth Puppy: 5 minutes squeezed in while you wait for the water to boil in preparation for making dinner.

Scout - 12th Puppy

Effects on Vacations & Travel:

1^st Puppy: The first time you leave your puppy with a sitter, you send the puppy with a 10 page instruction sheet, every item they own and then you call and email every 12 hours.

2^nd Puppy: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to grab a bag of food, some toys and jot down your contact information.

3^rd Puppy: Ring the doorbell, hand over the leash and inform sitter to only call if they see blood.

Gypsy - 3rd Puppy

Effect on Medical Emergencies:

1^st Puppy: When the puppy swallows stuffing, squeaker, rock, stick, coin, etc., you rush the puppy to the vet and immediately demand an x-ray.

2^nd Puppy: When the puppy swallows stuffing, squeaker, rock, stick, coin, etc., you carefully watch them for a few days waiting for it to pass.

Nth Puppy: You've seen so many things go in one end and out the other, nothing’s really a surprise at this point.

Food Bowl Myth

I've heard rumors of this mecca to which ordinary dogs travel. Most call it a Food Bowl, but to me it is pure myth.

The myth says that food gods descend three times a day and use their magical powers to grow kibble in a shiny silver bowl. If you drool, beg, stare and whine loud enough, the gods will hear you and you shall be fed. I have searched in vain to locate this magical place but it appears I landed in the only house on earth without one! I thought I had discovered it, however, the only thing growing in the shiny silver bowls I found, was water. What a jip!

After nearly a week of unsuccessful attempts to locate the Food Bowl, I consulted my wise mentor, Merit. He nearly fell off his Place laughing so hard - How Rude! When he regained his composure, he informed me that his magic bowl did not arrive until he was eight months old and that even when it did arrive, it only produced a small percentage of his daily rations and the price... even more torturous lessons involving #theskillthatshallnotbenamed {Impulse Control}. How will I ever survive in this crazy place?

You see, my human has this philosophy that if I have to earn my food, then I will work harder and extend more effort toward my training...
I must concede that she is right - Don't tell her I said so. It took me awhile to give into the idea that food isn't free around here, but now that I'm on board, I am learning quickly and picking up many new skills. At only 7 weeks old, I am already staying on my Place with distractions, targeting with my nose & paw, and doing Sits/Downs/Stands and finding Heel position all on a verbal only command - Yep, I rock! I must admit that training has become a lot of fun and I get more excited each day to use my brain to think harder and learn more. As long as I'm hungry, I will always have time for more training, and since I'm a lab I guess that means I get to have this much fun FOREVER!

I can't speak for other dogs and their Food Bowls, but this pup is happy to remain in a place where the Food Bowl is just a MYTH.

1 Days Food to Training Ratio - Merit (L), Trust (R)
*Trust earns hers one piece at a time. Merit works for small handfuls.

Mismark Misfits

Let the puppy proofing begin!

This week the Mismark Misfits (currently a group of one - me, Merit) is adding another member. My puppy raiser just can't seem to resist us 'dirty puppies' so when the opportunity arose to add another mismarked Labrador puppy to the OccuPaws' training program, she couldn't volunteer fast enough.

However, in order to ensure that each of her trainees get ample time and attention, there is only room for two full-time puppies. Unfortunately, this means Praxis will be moving onto another puppy raiser. Given that he is VERY dirty, we have decided to name him an honorary member of the Mismark Misfits. He is welcome back anytime and already has plans to visit when I am away for other training. On the bright side, his new puppy raisers will also be getting a baby puppy soon. This means Praxis will finally get his shot at being a big brother. It's the best job ever! I hope I prepared him well and was a good mentor along the way.

As for me, I wasn't real sure about getting a baby sister. "The Boys" have always ruled this house, making our environment a blur of noise and dirt. But, given my new baby sis is already dirtier than I am, I figure she's probably ok. She is a Black and Tan Labrador, whereas I am a Brindle Labrador. Where I have speckling of tan on my feet, chest, face and butt, she has solid tan markings.

Merit @ 8 wks

New puppy @ 6 wks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My puppy raiser has always claimed that my extra coloring is what made me extra smart and extra special.

BUT, my new sister has more color.

Does that mean she'll be more smart and more special??

I think I'm going to need to step up my game. Bring it on little sis!

Surgery

Sometimes as puppy raisers we are called upon to perform duties and make tough decisions beyond the scope of raising and training. Today was a particularly difficult day, as two cherished members of our household underwent surgery.

Having brandished a needle and thread back in middle school for Home Economics, I was deemed the reigning "Expert" and assigned the role of lead surgeon. A duty I did not relish.

The first patient on my table was Moose. He is best buddy and bunk-mate to Praxis. However, a minor head/antler wound put him out of commission several days ago. Moose's surgery was quick and relatively painless - for me at least, Moose didn't say much.
My second patient was Gator. Gator is widely known across the country as 'Merit's baby'. He has traveled to many dog shows and racked up enough air miles to circle the globe. However, nearly a year's worth of loving left Gator with a gaping hole in his rear-end. Gator is no stranger to the operating table, having received his first surgery following a pee incident and a perilous trip through the washing machine which left him in dire need of back surgery. After twenty minutes and a few choice words, the tough decision was made to amputate Gator's tail. This required several cosmetic surgeries and Gator will never look the same again.

Both boys anxiously sat in the waiting room (laundry room) desperate to find out if their friends would survive. Proof of life came after the wash cycle where both Moose & Gator remained intact, but only those who emerged from the dryer in one piece would be returned to their partner.

When it comes to raising puppies, there is no such thing as an uneventful day....

Praxis and Merit are happy to report that they have been reunited with Moose and Gator.

Let's hope they all remain in one piece from this day forward!

Service Dog or Pet?

It is inevitable that every day when one of our trainees goes to work, we will encounter someone who wants to tell us about how their pet dog should/would be a wonderful service dog. They usually say something to the effect that their dog is so well-mannered, loves people, was so easy to train, etc. The reality is that even with two years of intensive training, careful puppy selection and overflowing support and resources, maybe if we’re lucky, 1 out of every 3 dogs will become a guide dog. Another may be suitable for a different working career (service dog, assistance & mobility, hearing alert, diabetic alert, etc.) and the third will become a phenomenal pet.

While almost any pet dog has a quality or even a few that would make them a good service dog, the high standards of service work demand that the dog possess every one of the following criteria:

·        Adaptability – While many pet dogs thrive under their daily routine, service dogs are the adventurers, the ones always living on the edge. In a single day they might be expected to navigate crowds, lay quietly in a café, travel through city traffic, or board a plane and spend a few days living and working in an entirely different environment. Anything goes and they have to be ready to handle it all.

·        Confined Spaces – By some miracle an 85 lb Labrador can cram his entire body under the seat of an airplane, under a desk chair, on the floor in front of your car seat and absolutely love it. Claustrophobia and personal space are terms completely foreign to a service dog.

·        Dog Distractions – A service dog must be friendly around other dogs, however, their desire for playtime cannot override the task at hand. A service dog is so focused on their job that lying under a diner table with four other puppies is just another lunch meeting.

·        Drive – Lazy and Crazy dogs don’t make good service dogs. A service dog needs to have a desire to work for their partner. They must be able to transition for sleeping to assisting and back to sleeping at a moment’s notice. There’s no vacation days, no half-a**ing and no “I’ll do that later”. Every task requires their full effort and attention both for the safety of their partner and themselves.

·        Health – Everything from allergies to dysplasia can prevent a dog from being physically sound enough to become a service dog. Supporting your human partner 24/7 places rigorous demands on the health of a dog. Something as simple as eating, sleeping and pottying can be done at different times and lengths on any given day. Retrieving, bracing and traversing a multitude of terrains requires a true canine athlete.

·        Leash Manners – No matter what temptations and distractions arise a service dog must maintain a loose leash at all times. No prong collars, chain collars or other walking aids allowed. Impulse control is an absolute necessity.

·        Loud Noises – Clapping, Screaming, Sirens, Horns: If it makes noise, regardless of how loud or annoying, a service dog has to tolerate it.

·        Memory – Depending upon their partner’s individual needs, service dogs are expected to learn anywhere from 50-300 commands. With so many things to learn and not enough time to practice everything, every day, these dogs must rely on their superb memories. Sometimes months go by between performing a particular command, but when their partner asks them to assist with something, they’re expected to remember how.

·        Petting – A service dog must sit quietly to be petted. Being surrounded by a large crowd of people touching them anywhere on their body cannot scare or excite a service dog. Backing away and jumping up are not permitted behaviors.

·        Quick Recovery – Our goal as puppy raisers is to raise a “bomb-proof” dog i.e. a dog that can go-anywhere without being phased, stressed or startled. The reality is that every dog will startle at something. So the measure of a service dog is not IF they startle but rather their ability to quickly recover and resume working as if nothing ever happened.

·        Strange Surfaces – Carpet, Wood, Metal, Wet, Sticky, Pokey, Unstable: Regardless of the surface type or texture a service dog must cross it in order to get their partner to their destination.

·        Stranger Danger (NOT) – No matter who you are, what you look like, or under what circumstances you met, a service dog does not know a stranger. They are comfortable and friendly around anyone.

It’s true that your pet dog probably possesses some of the qualities listed above. Why not? They’re a great dog. However, to be a service dog, they need to possess them ALL!

What about the dogs who possess everything on this list and are still dropped from the program? A service dog is both born and trained. With every positive experience and exposure our hope that these dogs learn to love their job not just tolerate the day-to-day grind. But, the reality is that some dogs would just be happier doing something else. It’s disappointing, but no one wants to see a dog live an unhappy and unfulfilling life.

For those dogs who excel in all these areas and love their work, there is nothing that will stand in their way from a perfect partnership!