A Little Minutae About Dogs: Hanfling, Behavior, Harnesses….

Because of my interest in dogs, my FB feed is full of Instagram & TikTok dog stuff. Some from commercial breeders trying to tell us how ethical they are, but a lot from dog trainers & dog groomers.

In the dog stuff comments, many dog ‘lovers’ complain about how the groomers treat dogs. Frankly, I wish they wouldn’t post anything more than shaving the matted dogs, but they also post videos of dogs with behavior problems.

Sometimes the problems are caused by the dog not being handled constantly at a young age: stacking on the table, being brushed, having feet handled, having owners clean the teeth. Sometimes, the dogs have been handled, but they are just hyper dogs—- then the dogs fling themselves ‘off’ the grooming table unless restrained. Most of us use a ‘grooming loop’ (which we used to call a ‘noose’—but the ‘dog lovers’ objected) to restrain the dog, After All,w e only have 2 hands, and adding another person to restrain the dog only r creates confusion—so some dogs are double tied.

People—-dog lovers—the people who own the dogs’ mommies (the dams) should have handled these puppies & socialized them and gotten them used to grooming. If not the breeder, who? The shelter/rescue? The dog lovers who work at pet shops?

Part of the problem is many people grew up with a dawg and never brushed or trained it, & it was just fine. But YOU went out & bought a designer dog, commercially (or backyard breeder) bred to sell like a commodity, and we dog groomers have to undo the damage you did by not doing anything: loving your dog and ‘being kind’.

Also, so many people who teach grooming were taught by other nonfanciers—‘dog lovers’ who know nothing about dog behavior or dog body language. Most dogs do NOT enjoy being patted on the head: they tolerate it. We know by putting a hand on the ‘withers’ (shoulders) you can calm a dog, and a dog will often like being scratched behind the ears or patted on the side, Then, we have to get the dog used to being brushed, and this can cause trauma as well, but it has to be done.

There are books with illustrations on dog body language, and how to recognize happiness and stress. This is the 21st century! Google ‘dog body language’! One of the first things I learned was to NOT take a dog out of the owner’s arms. The owner should have the dog on a leash and put the dog on the floor, and you should have the owner leave & THEN walk the dog back to the grooming area. You avoid the stress dynamic. I know: some people want to treat the dog like a baby, causing more stress. If an owner makes unrealistic demands, you will not win. Tell them to try another dog groomer.

Of course, we have the owners who bought a nonshed dog, never thought to brush the dog, or are brushing the dog with a God-awful pin brush, not really doing anything—but that’s what the guy at the pet shop sold them, and now is the moment of truth: The dog needs to be shaved. I remember once people brought in an 8-month-old ‘Irish’ Doodle for grooming at the shop I was working for. The dog was a solid felted mat, having been bathed multiple times without being brushed brushing. They wanted us to wash this matted dog AND NOT SHAVE IT—BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO WITH THEIR MATTED DOG ,LOOKING FLUFFY! This happens a lot around the holidays. We don’t do that because the dog never dries.

The guy at the pet shop is not your friend. He sells what he’s told to sell. Even the dog groomers are iffy. Most are not allowed to sell the brushes, combs, and rakes we use. Why? The distributor to the pet shop doesn’t carry the items. Brilliant, huh? And the dog groomers don’t have t THE INTEGRITY to challenge this. This is the pet industry. & we also have groomers who will tell you that RESCUE IS THEIR FAVORITE BREED. Ah…no. Call around and find a groomer who likes hairy dogs and who will show you how to brush your dog.

Finally, ….Do you want to get the dog trained, or are you afraid of hurting the dog? We’re seeing too many dogs wearing harnesses. Why? That’s what the guy at the pet shop (or even the animal shelter!!!) sold them. Unfortunately, if your dog wears a harness, not only may you be constricting the dog’s chest, the dog can’t feel you at the end of the leash. For centuries, dogs all over the world have been wearing collars, and most hobby dog trainers use MARTINGALE COLLARS.

I’m not fond of prong collars, but the thing is—if your dog pulls, if they are wearing either a Martingale or prong, the collar will tighten, and if the dog doesn’t want its neck squeezed, it won’t pull. Trachea issue? Get a ‘Halti’ or ‘Gentle leader’—which looks like a halter, and you lead the dog around by the face.

Now, the collar doesn’t train the dog, but you will find it easier to get the dogs’ attention if the dog knows you are at the end of the leash & can feel you. Only guide dogs, sled dogs, and tracking dogs should wear harnesses.

I bring all this up because my dog club had a graduate of our puppy class consider rally class, and the owners had never trained a dog, and our instructor allowed them to use the harness. The owners of this Doodle dropped out after the first rally class. They were overwhelmed.

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What Good Dog Breeders Do

I’ll return to my ‘regular’ blog subjects next week, but I see from my stats that many people come to this blog from what I’ve blogged about dogs. Those blogs get shared a lot. I have about 200 regular subscribers, but many of the posts have been shared hundreds of times.

I started blogging because I loved dogs enough to learn about them, but a guy (Dan London, out of business for years, & who thinks integrity is a character flaw—like Trump) tried to make my life hell because I refused to work for him—& give him credibility he didn’t deserve. Beware of dog businesses where they address how much their employees ‘love dogs‘ but have never trained a dog to off-leash reliability, have never brushed their own dog, and think ‘breeds’ don’t matter.

There is some confusion among alleged pet lovers: this is the 21st century. there are no ‘accidental’ breedings—just irresponsible pet owners who refuse to manage their pets’ fertility…& they seem to think that the rest of us who are responsible should bail them out. Sort of like people who feel children are a gift from God, but can’t take care of them, so we must morally take care of those kids.

That said, “I’m not a breeder, my dog just had puppies,” is not an excuse or explanation for NOT taking responsibility. If you can’t manage your pet’s fertility, your should be neutered. Yet, the ADOPT DON’T SHOP crowd blames breeders NOT causing the problem of surplus pets—-& tries to guilt the rest of us into solving a problem we haven’t caused. How is that working?

This is what breeders who love their dogs do:

First, when planning the breeding, they do all known genetic and health testing of the breeding dogs. Even when doing this, sometimes dogs are born with genetic defects. I have friends who breed Golden Retrievers, and they have at least 3 generations of dogs that are OFA (CERF) (that means the dogs have had their hips xrayed, fair, normal, or excellent), yet still, when their offspring pups are xrayed at 2 years of age, some have a form of hip dysplasia, It happens. Same with deafness (BAER tests) and Juvenile Cataracts (dogs developing cataracts before age 3). If you love dogs, you want to avoid breeding dogs that will be disabled.

Once the pups are born, they are raised in a normal ‘noisy’ environment, where they get to hear sounds of regular life. After all are accounted for, the breeder checks for cleft palates and missing toes. These problems are more common in toy breed dogs (including designer mixes) and bracheocephalics, and usually humanely euthanized.

Those breeders trying to guilt you into taking a puppy with a cleft palate (which would need surgery) are unethical.

Breeders who love their dogs and puppies will have the litter on an absorbent, nonslip surface. Many use washable pads to avoid paper waste. They will also have what may be described as ‘crib toys’: items hanging down for puppies to interact with. Good breeders want their puppies curious and stimulated.

When the weaning process starts, breeders start cutting toenails and ‘stacking’ puppies individually on a table. Breeders do this not just to get the dogs used to being picked up and handled, but to get the dog used to being groomed. We call this ‘training’ BEHAVIOR SHAPING. Also, if they breed bracheocephalic dogs—especially the coated ones (Shih Tzu, Affenpinschers, Brussels Griffons), they get the pup used to having their muzzle held while combing under the eyes. This is so important. If this isn’t done every day until the pup gets used to the grooming motions (the genetic reaction would be to flinch and move away, but this must be overcome), the groomers will not be able to do this without risking injury to the eyes, and the dog will have to be sedated for grooming.

Once the weaning process is underway or completed, breeders put collars on the puppies, and may have them drag a leash, or the breeder may take individual puppies around and coax them.

Once the pups have had their first shots (and wormed, if necessary), the pups can go to new homes, usually between the ages of 8 to 12 weeks. It’s important for puppies to learn to play and fight with their siblings. It’s a known fact that ‘singletons’ and dogs taken too young (under 8 weeks of age) often become unnaturally aggressive towards other dogs.

The breeder should ask you if you own or rent your home, and ask for proof. Animal shelters know one major reason they get dogs back is, “Landlord won’t allow.” Chicago Animal Care & Control—our open admissions CITY DOG POUND —-asks to see a signed lease and they call the landlord as well. I’m shocked at how many pet buyers never consider any of this. Many breeders will ask how long the puppy will be alone during the day, or what arrangements you’ve made for a dog walker. Some will suggest dog daycare. I discourage daycare for a puppy under 8 months old, Why? Most dog daycares are not run by people with ‘dog experience’ : that is—by people who’ve worked in kennels as well as trained dogs, & recognize dog behavior. Loving dogs is not enough. I’ve worked for several businesses that put young puppies with mature toy dogs, ‘because they’re all small’. What happens is that the older dogs bully the puppies. This also makes aggressive dogs.

The breeder will also suggest a crate and why crate training is so important (if your dog is sick or injured, it will be in a crate at the animal hospital—& the dog is always safer in the car in a crate)

If the breeder is selling coated dogs (shedders and nonshedders), she will show you how to brush the dog, and explain what grooming tools you will need and where to get them. I worked for an Afghan Hound breeder, the late Fredric Mark Alderman. He didn’t sell you a puppy if you had never had an Afghan until you spent an afternoon grooming dogs with him. He didn’t want to hear that you had no idea how long it took, or how often it needed to be done, or that you needed a grooming table and a stand dryer.

A breeder who loves their dogs will give you written feeding, grooming, and housebreaking instructions, as well as a pedigree. They will have you sign a contract that says that if you can’t keep the dog, you will return it to them. Keep in mind, everyone wants a puppy. As they mature, they go down in value, not up…unless your dog matures to be a show dog.

A responsible shelter or rescue would also give you care instructions.

This is the 21st century. It’s easy enough to get pet care information. However, it’s a free country. You don’t have to control your impulses or pocketbook. However, if you really are concerned about dogs ending up in shelters, don’t buy or take a puppy from a dog owner who tells you the litter was an accident. that’s not your problem.

I Love Dolly Parton. However…..

I was going to do a book review, but last night I watched Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala on CBS, and, having worked with dogs (for almost 60 years…Yikes!), it was the train wreck I could not ignore, I guess I could go online & find out which idiots were responsible for producing this, but it doesn’t really matter. They weren’t dog lovers, that’s for sure!
Dolly—& the entertainers who performed—- were marvelous. I liked the vignette she did on dogs trained to help the physically disabled (they were from Canine Companions for Independence, a well known nonprofit which supplies trained dogs for free to those who need them),

This show could have been so much better without the dog fashion show. You know, capitalism doesn’t exist to meet needs—-it creates ‘wants’. you see it, you want it.

I have owned sighthounds for over 40 years, and unless we have a measurable windchill, my Salukis and Whippets (& now, a lurcher who looks sorta like a Greyhound) go out without coats. They have never shivered. A sweater is a fashion statement, If they need coats (we fanciers tend to call them ‘blankets’—like racing dogs wear). we buy garments to protect them from the chill.

It was sad to see so many obviously stressed out dogs dressed up in glorified doll clothes. Clothes made of satin and lace, with embellishment doodads. All these ‘garments’ would need professional dry-cleaning—using poisonous chemicals….but who thinks of that? I know, I’m a curmudgeon. Chemicals? Seriously? Yes.

You could see by their expressions and body language that these were not ‘happy’ dogs that had confidence. Even the dogs ‘cuddled’ in the audience were overwhelmed. You could tell that (for the most part) these were not ‘show dogs’.

Why do I even mention showdogs? Because dogs that are used to being ‘shown’ are used to strange situations, smells, and noises. If you’ve never been to a dog show, go! The noise you’ll hear will be from blow dryers (I kid you not) being used by obsessive people grooming at the show. You won’t, for the most part, hear barking. It’s funny going to an obedience or other performance trial, seeing the rows of crates & dogs lining up to go into the ring…no noise.

I saw a Pumi (the ears gave the breed away), a Saluki (wearing a ridiculous outfit), what I thought was a Barbet (not wearing clothes, but brushed out, big, black, and wide, that I’m sure was being mistaken for a Doodle of some sort). I saw Asian Fusion trims on Maltese & Yorkies. None of these dogs looked like they were having a good time, In 1 segment when someone was reading, and all the dogs were on mats ( down/stays—in obedience talk), the Afghan got up and walked off the stage. The other dogs held their stays, but I’m sure the Afghan had had enough.

I’m sure most people thought all these dogs were cute, and might have learned something. They were entertained by humans, but it could have been so much better. A trainer could have done a bit on teaching off leash walking, or directing a dog to go away to a target. They could have shown barn hunt, water eetrieving, explained dock diving and scentwork. They could have done something on agility, and lure coursing, They could have given a grooming demonstration showing all the different brushes, combs, and what works on different types of coats! Sure, they can do it again—but will they insist on the dog fashion show?

I know, I’m not their market. Older teenagers and college girls are the ones buying dog dresses. I’m sure their are no college loans. They won’t be going out drinking instead of saving money for a home. Thinking about that is merely irritating. Thinking these women thought the dogs were having fun because their owners are into fashion or pseudo fashion? This is how things fall apart.

Color Linked Personality Traits in Dogs

When I started this blog over 10 years ago, I was a dog groomer. I’ve addressed this before, but when I started learning to groom dogs, in the late 1960s (as a teenager) EVERYONE involved in grooming and training dogs was a DOG PERSON: Meaning everyone was a competitor, or worked for a competition, They all knew the value of learning about breeds, breed/dog structure, animal behavior and husbandry, genetics, and doing our best to understand dogs.

Things have changed. Many of the ‘old timers’ have died and now I am an old timer. The pet industry got a bit more sophisticated about marketing goods, animals, and services, and got less ethical as time went on. The ‘fancy’—as we call ourselves—is small. Are there even 10,000 of us in the USA?

I’m a member of 4 dog clubs, and I’m, sure the average age of our membership is 60. All that indigenous knowledge will be forgotten. Many of the breeders will be forgotten.

I learned about dogs not just from mentors, but from experience. One thing I learned from PAYING ATTENTION was that in many breeds, dogs of certain colors may behave aberrantly. 

I worked for t one of the top Miniature Schnauzer breeders in the country. Miniatur Schnauzers only come in 3 colors: black, black & silver, & salt* peper, Those mostly white with party patches (& blue eyes)? No matter what those AKC papers say, there is no way those dogs can be purebred. But that isn’t the issues I’m addressing, The breeder, for a time, had several black & silver bitches. gorgeous dogs. She had bought them to include into her breeding program, but ended up selling the, She told me they were way more hyperactive than the others, and screamers. I didn’t really think about it at the time, but my sister recently bought black & silver Min. Schnauzer…and it’s true. He’s very hyoperactive and noisy.

I was working in a grooming shop in the early 2000s, and I had several clients with Tibetan Terriers. They come in as many colors as Lhasa Apsos. ”Lion color” in s ; popular (a black masked reddish/fawn. But so are black & white parti-colored Tibetans, and they were all more nervous and noisy int eh shop than the Tibetans of other colors.

I was working for a German Shorthaired Pointer breeder who was also a field trial judge. He was telling us about a client who had a black Labrador Retriever that died, and now she wanted a chocolate Lab. He told us he tried to talk her out of it, for the very reason they were all much more hyper active than the blacks and yellos. It was the reason few regular hunters wanted them.

I was telling all this to a French Bulldog fancier who compete in performance, and she remarked at how interesting that was.  She told me that if you wanted a performance Frenchie, you should get a fawn or brindle, that the parti0coloreds & piebalds didn’t have any attention span.

I am sure this color linked personality has to be true in other breeders, but I don’t have enough experience with that many.

What I do have experience with is designer dogs—the Doodles. Only breeders who breed pets as livestock are breeding mixes, and the irony is thay pull that “F1″ BS, as thouhg theyknow what they’re talking aobut, They know neighter genetics or statistical odds.