Ruff n Tuff Dogs we are!

Patsy, Eddie, Mickey and Timmy - 4 Terriers are go! Click on photo to enlarge the rat-pack!

Meet the ladies either side of my knees ...."Eddie" my first pure bred JRT.....and "Patsy" my Parson Russell Terrier - my first two dogs and my "introduction" to the world of Terriers...some time back now! And then along came "Macho Mickey", with his tan and white face - another pure JRT, standing to my far right side - suits his name, hey?! Which led onto...

Timmy, standing next to Mickey and almost pure white (apart from tan spots on his ears and a splodge above his eye!) .... Patsy and Mickey's son! So Timmy is half Parsons and half Jack, 5 years old and a little odd - Why? Because he is not truly a Terrier...by breed "Yes" but by instinct "No"! Timmy helps me in the small animal enclosure here, daily he comes in with the rabbits and the closest he gets is to rub noses with the dominant male bunny! He walks freely about in their run, no harm on his mind at all and these small animals know that so they are not afriad of him, he is the same way with the cat and the chickens! I don't think Mickey, Patsy and Eddie are very "proud" of him - I sure know what these other 3 would do in such a place as many rats and pigeons would testify if they hadn't lost out on run-ins with these dogs!

Eddie and Patsy will be 9 next year - Patsy slowing up ...well she never really did "quick" in the first place - unless she hears the "Eddie Cry" from somewhere in the garden out back which roughly translates to "rats!!" - though usually means flying rats - pigeions! I think Patsy's kennel club name "Right You Are" means "right on human, I'll be there soon ... sometime....when I am ready...right you are!" But Eddie is not slowing up - she still managed to chase a hare across 3 fields this week...no real chance of catching this fast mover but that didn't stop her trying!

Patsy, Eddie and Mickey are all "ruffntuff" pure bred Terriers - a truly great breed line. If you check out their web site you will see some fabulous pictures of some great dogs ... who look very similar to my lot here and may well be some of their exteneded family members! ... enjoy: http://www.ruffntuffterriers.net/

Many remark on how Eddie "is such a cute puppy" even now and Mickey "such a great looking boy"....Timmy however has been told "he is a very pretty girl"! Ooops never mind Tiny Tim, just as well I am not a breeder hey everyone at Ruffntuff!

I just love my Terriers...this truly is a "ruff n tuff pack" here at the beach! - in the background you can just see little Jack and Bob (well his tail anyway) trying to get in on the terrier photo shoot!!

Hey Mickey!

Hey Mickey you're so fine...you're so fine you blow my mind..hey Mickey!

Words from a song I know but this is very true of Mickey! This is my chap just recently 6 years old....but why does he blow my mind -

I am a dog psychologist and Behaviour specialist BUT why does he sit up in his rocking chair and wave both front paws at me with his tongue sticking out?!!

Actually I do know why - and "no" it is not a trick I taught him - he figured it out all by himself .... it is because it gets my attention - result Mickey wants! One of the ways dogs learn is through obeservation, so he trys something he has seen us humans do - wave, then copies it which makes me smile and say "who's a clever boy then" which praises his actions = reinforcement...so now he does it all the time!!!

Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes!!!

Peter, as some of you know, was red-zone aggressive towards other dogs - now he is not!

Just today he played "doggie tennis" with me on the same beach where another pack of dogs were sitting with their owners, he ignored them focusing on me his Pack Leader!

Cesar says "we don't get the dogs we want - we get the dogs we need" - So - Why did I need a very aggressive Fox Terrier called Peter Pan in my pack??!

To show me that I needed to change from being just an owner of a large pack of dogs, some with problems, into a Pack Leader owning and sharing my life with balanced, happy dogs! Peter taught me that he was not an aggressive dog, he was not born aggressive - he was an insecure dog with too much anxious, frustrated energy - which led him to act-out aggressively encouraged through lack of structure and leadership - I had a lot of work to do back then!

I truly believe that to do nothing then nothing in our dog's behaviour will change - dogs with problems will go on acting-out.

Some say: " But just last year" ..... or .... "just six months ago Peter was dangerously aggressive to other dogs" - I say: "That was then - this is now, move-on - Peter has!!!" - Peter has moved on thanks to the inspiration I gained from Cesar Millan plus a lot of hard work from me and Peter too, who is successfully rehabilitated living his second chance in life - returning to nature's way as a balanced dog.

For people who stay stuck in the past they not only stop themselves from moving on but they stop others including dogs! = Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes!

I believe every dog is entitled to balance - so if you have a dog with problems then first look to yourself - our dogs are our mirrors - in some way they reflect back at us our own energy. I did, accepted what I saw (that was the hardest part) and changed!.

Everyone has to start somewhere/sometime - Why live in last year....Why not live in today - you can start "your today" at any time?! My personal drive was to give my dogs a balanced life through commitment - being open and honest, willing to learn from past experiences, studying to fill the knowledge gap and rehabilitating Peter!

Much Changed ... SO ... Much Changed - I am who I am today ...not yesterday....training other owners and rehabilitating dogs, I share my journey with my rehabilitated pack, you and your dogs too! To enjoy coaching from me - you just have to ask me for help!

Meet the whole pack!

If you check this photo - you truly can see all 13 pack members! Enlarge by clicking on the picture - enlarges the photo not the pack! - Don't miss Jack - the little Chihuahua mix who is the sandy coloured dog by my feet! Or the "flying" English Setter "Loopy Lucy" to the far left - being black and white she can seem to merge in with shingle!

So this is how we walk 13 dogs in one go - We lead-up, all dogs get a little excited so it's leads on and sit back down again in our courtyard! Then we "wait" and "wait" ....until all dogs are in a calm mind-set! Any other energy would be unstable energy and not the beginning of a migration walk with all dogs taking follower position. I mean could you imagine, I dare not, if we left with the dog pack leading the walk??!!!

Off we go - humans first that's be me and Simon, after about five minutes of slow paced moving forwards, a few "waits" to get the dogs to focus on us not each other and then we're into the walk. We walk for about 20 minutes on lead, a few are off but walk behind us. Then we get to a beach I have nicknamed "Russell's Cove" - it is the Jack Russell's favourite beach with cliffs which have very interesting grass and holes! Here the whole pack go off lead - a reward for having walked in follower position so well. They get to play around while us human Pack Leaders keep watch ready to put leads on if any unsuspecting passers-by happen upon our pack! - Remember I always go "leads-on" to show to other humans that the pack are under control - at CrystalDogs we lead by example!!!

Then it's back home in the same way we came out - 20 minutes migration walking, humans back in first, dogs get to rest ... then eat ..... then rest some more....

WOW This truly is a dog's life at the beach!

Once agian - HAIL CESAR - we could never have got the pack this balanced without you!

Nancy's Dog - A New Relationship!

And finally...........

Kaela will need to be conditioned to having a Pack Leader as this philosophy - Cesar's Way, is probably a new way of living for her , training a dog in obedience is very different, and her energy on a walk tells me she has probably not been too well socialized within the contexts you meet on your walks. So the more you practice these walks with her the way I have described the more she will move-on acting the way you want her to, and the old behaviour gradually becomes extinct. That is why you need to correct her behaviour when she begins to show the first signs of acting-out, then redirect how you want her to behave - if not then she cannot understand that what she is doing is unacceptable or what she needs to do instead - be very clear and keep it simple.

With structure - rules, boundaries and limits this will lead to a balanced life together. It takes time, patience and consistency to convince a dog you are in charge as their Pack Leader, with a 4 yr old rescue many old behaviours may need to be counter-conditioned ("re-learned") to your rules -this is discipline and dogs love to live within such a structure that is nature's way. Remember too that dogs live in the now she will have moved-on to her life with you now, but will still need to learn your rules etc. Any excited energy she displays is not a natural state for a dog, so they always prefer to return to balance with our help and calm assertive energy.

Also, Husky type dogs need plenty of exercise - this is a strong working breed - they can go for hours of walking/running work! Adding a back-pack and mental challenges during the walk such as changing direction or indeed teaching them to pull something via a harness can help to release energy from this breed mix. It maybe that you need to release some of her pent-up energy before going for the migration walk e.g. running her/treadmill/retrieve games etc They can also be very vocal so you are lucky there!

So the philosophy for you I suggest is "Cesar's Way" (have you read the book?) and for Kaela his formula to rehab her behaviour on a walk and accept you as her Pack Leader is "Exercise and discipline before affection".

Remember you are doing great in the home - harness that energy you use inside and take it with you outside on the walk - be confident, firm yet kind, walk tall keeping your eye level above that of your dog and remain calm - no tension on that leash, relaxed smile (but not over happy as a dog can read this as a human signal to get excited) and breathe steady it works!

Helping Owner understand Dog Behaviour

HI Nancy - Kaela is lucky to have you give her a new home and for her to be in a home who follow Cesar's Way is great news! Along with Cesar, Kaela will help you learn so much about achieving balance and what a wonderful relationship human/canine is. One good thing about not having had experience of owning dogs before is that you won't have picked up any bad habits!!

When dogs pass by other dogs, or indeed are confronted with any context out on a walk, it is up to the Pack Leader to choose the dog's option of reaction. Remember dogs only have 4 choices - their mind works by choosing fight/flight/avoid/submit, as Pack Leader you never choose fight that leaves 3! Lets use passing by another dog as the context - So be very decisive and either "avoid" - teach your dog to ignore the other dog and allow physical space for this keeping your dog's attention focused on you, "flight" - move away from the other dog e.g. turn and go in a different direction, "submit" - have your dog relaxed and calm preferably either in a low phsyical position e.g. sit or down when the other dog passes by or keep walking, moving forwards confidently leading Kaela this moves the mind on from acting-out/protesting. As the pack bond builds, she will learn to trust and follow your choice of response, ignoring distractions.

Sometimes other dogs who have unstable energy prompt a reaction from my dog, for example in your situation faced with an approaching aggressive dog may mean your dog responds with a growl, to a playful dog they may want to join in etc. This is a dog making its own choices of response - you need to correct this and choose another response - the one you want, I teach all my dogs to "avoid" - ignore everything! In order for a sound "pshht" correction, touch correction or leash pop correction to work it must be done as soon as a dog changes from alert energy to fixed energy (begins a stare/focus on the other dog), or indeed from the migration energy to alert - a follower follows - a leader is alert! The correction needs to be done early before the acting-out gets too intense otherwise it may not work as the dog is totally focused on what she is doing. These corrections need to match the dog's intensity - not to low or too high and never with frustrated human energy - always calm assertive: I find I say to myself "I am your Pack Leader, I protect you so I am dealing with this"! With an over-excited energy dog I tend to stop and "wait out" the acting-out (This is No Touch No Talk just pure calm assertive energy), once the dog is again calm submissive then I "reward" with carrying on with the walk.

Nancy - I hope this helps you to understand - feel free if you need more to ask more after I have posted the next part for you on how to help your dog to balance with you, either here via comments again or personally via my email suzie.crystal@yahoo.com

Mastering The Walk

Hi Nancy, Welcome and thank you for your question. Firstly I would like to say that to master being a dog's Pack Leader outside of the home is harder and can take a little longer because of all the distractions, changing contexts etc, any dog needs firm yet fair, calm discipline and time to learn how to follow their owner and trust in their direction as leader of the walk - this is the special bond crated by walking in pack migration style.

To master the walk here are some of Cesar's tips from his book "Be The Pack Leader" and my top 5 - they work for me!

1.Ideal time for a walk is when you are not in a rush. A good point I have also made is how we "see" the walk - it is to be an enjoyable journey not a chore. If you feel it is something you need to "get out of the way" then a dog will pick-up on this and the bond will weaken.

2. Wait until the dog's mind is calm before beginning the "going for a walk" ritual - excitement is not the right energy to begin a walk - Calm Alert or Calm Submissive is the right energy!

3. Keep your human energy strong, calm assertive - know what you are doing you as the Pack Leader always has a mission or intention - you are the leader of the walk!

4. Only leave the home/garden when the dog is again calm submissive, else stop and wait. Walk with the dog behind or beside you - never in front else the dog is leading the walk!!

5. Allow some time for a "sniff break/toilet break" then begin the migration ritual - moving forwards in tune with each other - the challenge is to not allow sniffing, looking round etc, this is all about migrating ignoring distractions! Once the dog is in the "zone" their body language will be ears back but not pinned back or tense, movement forward at a steady pace, tail hanging naturally, body relaxed not tense with the muscles working to walk and the mind focused on/commited to the migration.

I allow a "reward" for good behaviour which is some off-leash time, this is still with my dogs under my control I still direct them what to do - this is not "their free time" though they can pretty much sniff away and play too - but I am in control of starting and stopping this activity which both begin and end with calm submissive behaviour - that is key!

I'll put up another post next to more specifically answer your questions.

Wolves, Domestic Dogs and Martin Clunes

We have been watching Martin Clunes and his dogs in the documentary which talks of how dogs descend from wolves, I'll tell you Eddie agrees - she watched the whole programme and particularly interested in the "howling", thankfully my pack didn't join in!!

I completely agree that we need to be our dog's Pack Leader! Cesar's Way, The Dog Whisperer, is "Be The Pack Leader" and that is why he has such huge success treating dogs and their owners, rehabilitating back to balance. So I for one am pleased Martin referred frequently to the need for a Pack Leader, this is how I live with my pack and help my clients achieve balanced relationships too. Even if there is just "one dog" and one human (or many humans - the family) the human and dog relationship is a pack - the human(s) must be the Pack Leaders! This programme reached many I am sure who may now understand more about dogs needing to be dogs, not surrogate humans!

One thing that was not explained was in the second episode about the release of the wild pack of dogs - you may be wondering why so many males (7 I think) were released into the wild with just 2 females? It is because in nature the pack dynamics are "more males than females" to avoid fighting among females who can fight on until death, the ratio needs to be higher in favour of males. In my pack the ratio is 8 males to 5 females - this works to help avoid my females fighting. Many people have multiple females without realising the "potential behaviour problems if two females are social rank climbers - dominant energy dogs, especially if they are also similar in age", it is common for this to lead onto aggressive inter-female fighting - the problem is that even 2 females alone can be too many in an environment and this is not about the physical size of the environment, it is about dynamics - the psychological space within the pack. BUT there is a way to have two such females in balance living together - Human You Need To Be The Alpha - Be The Pack Leader and have both females as equal ranked followers - it works!

Also, I hope a bonus from this documentary is that people will stop breeding dogs with physical problems and mental health issues - Let's get dogs back to nature and being/looking like dogs - Oh and that includes "dressing them up" - there is no need and I assure you any dog prefers to romp in a field rather than "wearing a designer coat and being carried around"!!

So anyone with any comments on this programme?