Queen of the High Jump

One of my BFFs Miu is a chronic fence jumper.  I can’t understand why she would want to do that.  DixieLee and I have a really nice fenced yard where we can run and play all we want.  Our fences is a linky chain kind so we can watch the squirrels and chickens run around on the big yard and watch the people and cars on the road.  DixieLee likes to sit in the sunny part and I like to sit in the shade.

Miu also has a nice garden where she and her sister Bumo can run and play too but she says she jumps her fence because she loves being free to find other dogs and critters to chase. Her Mom isn’t so happy about the fence jumping because lots of the critters where they live have rabies and there are many other dangers awaiting a dog on the run.

We can play alone in our yard cuz our pen is right outside of our office windows and Mom can watch us without having to be outside but if you are an escape artist, having your human stay in the yard with you is a good way to break the habit.

When your human is in the yard watching you, he or she can distract you as soon as you get ready to bolt.  We use lots of what our friend Eric the Amazing Dog Training Man calls “positive reinforcement” to break bad habits

Positive reinforcement means offering an alternative to jumping.  Like when your human calls you and offers a toy or a treat or tells you what a good dog you are.  We never get tired of hearing what good dogs we are.  I’m pretty good about going to Mom when she calls but sometimes DL gets so into whatever she is doing, it’s like she doesn’t hear.  That’s when Mom says AAHHHHH using her Stern Voice or shakes THE CAN.  THE CAN is a soup can with a bunch of pennies in it that makes a horrible racket when Mom shakes it.  It’s so horrible that it startles DL long enough to get her back in listening mode.

Dogs need lots of exercise and attention.  If we aren’t getting enough of either, we get bored and look for ways to amuse ourselves.  We get walks and Mom and Dad pet us and talk to us all the time.

Mui’s Mom has tried all kinds of tricks to keep her in the garden.  Their fence is a garden wall which sounds very pretty and her Mom put big colorful pots along the top but Miu knocked them off and broke them.  Needless to say her Mom was not happy.

Dogs are pretty smart when we want to be. Can’t get over the fence, go under.  Dogs can fit through the smallest holes or gaps in a fence.  When we had the fence built, there was a six inch gap between the fence post and the house.  You guessed it!  DL found it right away so Dad banged a pipe in the ground to make the space to small even for Houdini Dog.

Chicken wire can also be used in lots of different ways to help fortify a fence.  There are way too many to make your fence jump proof for me to talk about in this blog so if you are a jumper or digger, tell your human to go on line and find out a way that works for you.

The yard should be a place where it is fun to be and a fence is the best way to keep us safe while we are having fun.

Your Friend,
Zeva

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Zoom, Zoom, ZOOMIES!

Off the couch, down the hall, on the bed, off the bed, back down the hall, back on the couch, to the door.  Mom, Dad and I get tired just watching her but this is how DixieLee starts doing Zoomies.  When Mom finally reaches the door to the pen (Mom’s old and doesn’t move as fast as us) DixieLee bursts outside and does laps around the pen.

At first Mom was worried.  She never had a dog that did Zoomies before.  Of course everyone knows that puppies have lots of energy and run around crazy sometimes but DixieLee is a grown dog.  Zoomies (the grown up words are Frenetic Random Activity Period (FRAP)) are just a dog’s way of letting off steam.

When we didn’t know what FRAPs were, we called them “Crazy Dog” and tried to discourage the behavior.  Even with a big walk, plenty of toys to play with (DixieLee plays with toys all day long) and me to play fight with; she still has lots and lots of energy.  ‘Sides, she likes doing Zommies and smiles and smiles when she stops.

Once we figured out what was going on, we decided we would her do Zoomies.  As long as she was out in the big pen where she (and the house) was safe, it seemed best to let her get rid of her excess energy.  ‘Sides, she was having fun and fun is always a good thing to have.

We don’t discourage her from doing Zoomies but we don’t encourage her either.  We make sure we don’t chase her around or laugh too loud, sometimes that’s hard cuz she looks like she’s having so much fun.

Now Mom and I just stand on the deck and watch her run and run and run until she has had enough.  Then we all go back in the house and I can get back to serious relaxing.

A nice big fenced in pen is the best place to do Zoomies but if your house doesn’t have one, you can still do them.  Sometimes we go into the basement but stay on the carpet part.  Slippery floors are dangerous cuz you could slide and hurt your back or bang into a wall.

If you are little dog you might even be able to Zoomie around the living room as long as you don’t knock over any valuable stuff.

We never know when DixieLee is going to want to do Zoomies, but some dogs have a schedule.  Some dogs like to do them in the evening.  Another common time is right after a bath.

If you do Zoomies and your humans don’t think it’s a good for you, there are ways to help you stop.

Your humans can have you go in your crate and have a special toy to play with until the urge passes.  A Kong with peanut butter or cheese inside will keep your mind off of Zoomies for sure!  The good news is Zoomies only last for a few minutes. 

Keeping your mind busy also works.  Get your humans to play learning tricks with you like “down” or “leave it”.  I know this works cuz I get zausted when I have to think too much.
Zoomies are natural for some dogs so humans shouldn’t get angry at their puppies for doing them.  For most dogs it’s just a stage.  DixieLee on the other hand… what can I say? 

Love from,

Zeva (and her crazy sister)

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Neither Rain Nor Snow Nor Dark of Night

I like to watch television with Mom and Dad.  We especially like the commercials with the dog family riding in the car.  What I don’t understand is why they laugh when all of the dogs bark at the mail truck but when DixieLee and I bark at the mail truck we get scolded and sent in the house.

We get scolded when we bark at the man who comes in the big brown truck too.  It’s not like we bark for no reason.  Dogs have an exceptional sense of smell but we don’t see so good.  When the big brown truck comes in our yard and the man starts walking toward the house, he doesn’t really look like a man.  He’s dressed in all brown just like his truck and he’s always carrying something like a big box or bag.  It could be an alien or zombie monster for all we know. 

Mom says we should like the man in the brown truck cuz he brings our food every month.  Like we can be bribed with food.  Okay, so we can be bribed with food for some stuff but that doesn’t mean we are going to let someone come near our house.

All I know is when the mail person and the man in the big brown truck hear us bark, they get scared and leave. It’s our job to protect our house and we take our job seriously.  Mom says it’s her job but she’s not all that good at keeping people away.  Sometimes she even lets them come inside!  Doesn’t she realize what could happen when they come in our house?  Our cookie jar is sitting right there in the kitchen where anyone could see it and steal our treats!

Our Mom is real smart about some stuff.   She said watching is just as good as barking and she may be right.  When we watch real good, the mailperson just stops and then goes away.  Sometimes he doesn’t even stop.  I guess he knows our house is protected by good watchers.

The man in the big brown truck doesn’t come by so often so he doesn’t know that we are as good at watching as we are at barking so he comes right into the driveway.  He leaves us no choice but to bark.  We bark very loud and can’t hear Mom say to be quiet so she shakes a can filled with pennies (it makes an awful sound) to get our attention.   She tells us we can have a cookie if we go into the house and be quiet.  Did I mention that we absolutely cannot be bribed with food?

Maybe once the man in the big brown truck learns how good we are at watching, we won’t have to bark at him either.  It worked for the mailperson and for our neighbors chickens who like to eat the bugs in our yard.  But that’s a story for another time.

Your good watching friend,

Zeva

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Gone Missing

Every day on Facebook (if you don’t follow us, we would like you to) we hear about dogs that got lost and their families are looking for them.  Getting lost can be very scary for a dog.  Imagine not being able to find your family.  You rode in the car so you are far from your house.  How will you find your way home?  Where will you find food?  Where will you sleep?

I know it’s hard but don’t panic.  Try to stay near where you got lost because chances are that is where your humans will be looking for you and they will be doing all kinds of things to help you find them again.  Here are a few things they should do:

1.  Call the local animal shelters and animal control.  Shelters help people find lost pets all the time.  They know people who will help you look and do things like hang up fliers.

2.   Make up posters using a recent photo.  Hang the posters all over the place.  Places like grocery stores, vet offices, pet stores and any place lots of people go to.  Be sure to ask if you can hang up a flier.  Most places will be happy to help.  Post them at road intersections and at play grounds and dog parks.

3.  Walk and drive around the area several times a day.  Talk to the people who live there.  Give them a flier with your phone number so they can call right away.  Ask them to check their garages and shed or any other place a pet can hide.  Mail carriers know the neighborhood and the pets that belong there very well.

4.  Use Social Media.  There are lots of sites that are dedicated to helping find lost pets.  We get notices from Granite State Dog Recovery all the time. They are super good at helping pets get back home safely all the time.

5.  Don’t give up.  Your pet is trying to find you so don’t give up on finding them.

Dogs, never leave home without your tags!  Cats that go outside should wear tags too.  Wearing up to date tags can help your humans find you quickly if you get lost.  Make sure your microchip information is correct too.   If you do not have a microchip, get one.  It doesn’t hurt and microchips are a good back up.

I hope you never get lost but if you do, remember that your humans are doing everything they can to get you back safely.

Be safe,

Zeva

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Like Cats and Dogs

I have to admit that I don’t know much about cats.  We don’t have any living in our house or working at the Studio.  I do have lots of cat friends on line, especially on petpav.com, so I decided to find out why cats make such good pets.

It seems, although I would dispute this, cats are the most popular pet in the United States.  They sure do have a presence on the internet.   Grumpy Cat himself has a huge following.

Like dogs, cats make great companions, are entertaining, affectionate and offer unconditional love but they definitely are a whole different species.

 

1.  Cats don’t make very good alarm systems.  The mail person steals our neighbor’s mail every day and their cat just sits in the window and watches.  Even if she wanted to scare him away, cats have very little voices.  How is a human supposed to know we want to go outside or are hungry if we don’t jump around and bark hysterically?

2.  Come to think of it, cats don’t need to go outside much.  They have litter boxes so they get to pee and poop in the house.  They don’t have to go outside in the rain or snow or when it’s really dark outside.  That could be an advantage for humans who live in the city where they have to go out with their dogs in the rain and snow and really dark nights.

3.  Cats are easy to entertain.  They are happy just sitting in a sunny window or playing with a laser pointer.  But entertaining a dog gives humans exercise.   Taking us for walks and playing catch or tug of war is good exercise for dogs and humans.

4.  Cats spend a lot of time grooming themselves.  Dogs are pretty clean, except for DixieLee who can track dirt across the entire house even when it hasn’t rained in days.  And we do like to roll in smelly stuff we find in the yard.  Maybe that’s why cats never have to go and get a bath.

 

I guess when it comes right down to it both cats and dogs make great companions which makes us more alike than different.

 

Another thing cats and dogs have in common is shelters are filled with cats that need furever homes.  So if you are looking for a companion who is entertaining, affectionate and offers unconditional love but can’t have a dog, a cat may be just what you are looking for.

 

Hugs,

Zeva

 

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Walking On The Wild Side

We just got back from a big walk.  DixieLee and I love to go for walks with our humans.  Mom is a big walker and a fast walker too.  Dad, not so much.  He tries to say he walks slower because I have to stop and smell every post and tree and pee 100 times not cuz he is old.

It was hot on our walk today.  The best time to walk is the early morning or at night when it is cooler but that’s not always possible.  There was a nice breeze today but the roads and sidewalks still can make our feet burn so our humans walk on the pavement and we walk on the grass.  We are very careful when we walk on the grass.  Some people put chemicals on their grass to make it look pretty.  Those chemicals are very bad for pets and can make you sick or even died.  Parks are good places to walk because there are usually lots of trees to make shade.  If you have to walk on pavement all the time, you can wear doggie booties to protect your pads.

Dad was sweating a little so he knew to drink some water but dogs don’t sweat, we pant, so our humans need to watch carefully to make sure we don’t get dehydrated.  When we go for long, long walks, we take along water and little bowls that fold up so we can have drinks too.  Mom keeps them in her knapsack but I know some dogs that have vests and carry their own water.

We live near town so most of the time we can walk on sidewalks.  Sidewalks are safer than roads but there are places where we need to walk on the road.  We make sure we walk facing traffic and that we dogs stay on the inside.  The inside is the best because it has the grass but also it is easier for cars to see big humans than small dogs.

Having a good harness or collar and good leash is very important.  We have good non-pull harnesses.  One time a big dog ran off of his yard and wanted to fight with us.  DixieLee was ready and able.  If she hadn’t been on a leash somebody could have gotten hurt.  Make sure you always have your tags on too just in case your humans get separated and lost.

If you do go for walks at night be sure to wear a reflective vest or collar.  There are lots of good products available that are very fashionable.  Be sure your human wears something reflective or at least light colored clothes too.  Have your human bring along a flashlight so other people and cars can see you coming and you can see other animals like skunks or porcupines before you step on them.

Walking is great exercise for humans and dogs so I highly recommend that you take your humans out for a walk as often as possible.  A fit human is a happy human and a tired dog is a good dog.

Be safe out there,

Love,
Zeva

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Can We Talk?

I love the sound of my Mom’s voice.  Well most of the time that is.  She has this way of saying my name when I’ve done something she isn’t pleased with.  You know what I mean.  I bet your Mom says your name different when you’ve been bad too.

My Mom talks to us all the time.  I like hearing the funny stories about things she does and people she meets when we aren’t with her.  I heard that it is healthy for people to talk to their dogs.  Dogs are great therapists because we are good listeners and we don’t judge.  We are also really good at keeping secrets so you can tell us anything.

We are wonderful companions for children and the elderly. We are happy to spend hour and hour with them so they can talk to us when everyone else is busy.  

Talking things over with your dog is a good way to make decisions. I especially like it when Mom asks my opinion.  The other day we were making a gift basket and she asked if I thought it had enough treats in it.  After careful consideration I said we should add just one more of the big cookies and she agreed.

It’s good for humans to talk to their dogs because it strengthens the bond between us.  I like it when Mom tells me what that I am her best Zeva dog and Dad tells me how pretty I am.  It’s true that we are more sensitive to body language than the average human but we do understand words.  What dog does not know the word “cookie” or “treat”?  Chaser, a Border Collie, understand about 1000 words!   Lots of dogs understand 200 or more words.  Just so you know, some of us are good spellers too.  V-E-T does not spell dog park!    

 My friends Bumo and Miu’s Mama sings to them.  They love it because she changes the words and makes the songs about them.  They say she has a very pretty voice. We’re glad our Mom only talks to us because we have heard her sing and it is not pretty.

Mom talks to us like we are grown up humans.  I’m glad because I don’t like it when people talk baby talk to me.  And, she usually has something important or at least somewhat intelligent to say.  I remember one time at the dog park when a lady said to her dog, “Don’t pee on your sister’s head!”  Mom started laughing.  She said to the lady, “I thought I was the only one who ever said that.”

Does your Mom or Dad talk to you a lot?  If so, what is the best thing your human says to you and what is the silliest.

Your friend,

Zeva 

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