My Office
Image by Me
(I love weekends because I can break from my regular format, which takes about 2-3 hours to prepare.)
This is CJ. He is one of my favorite off-leash clients. He is gorgeous, kind, gentle, intelligent, extremely athletic and a joy to watch as he bounds through the woods. He *always* comes when I call and he has been helpful in finding other dogs when they run off on me. I thought I would take some time to post some of my dog hints and wisdom. I know some of you have dogs, and some of you love dogs, and some of you can't stand dogs, so those in the last group can go have a cup of coffee and come back later.
I have been walking dogs professionally for 3 years now. In that time I have learned an incredible amount and I learn daily as well. The bottom line for me is that dogs are like people in some ways, they have moods and personalities and different styles of *being* in the world. I observe and experience each one to understand which of my many methods will work best. I learn their body language and they learn mine. I try to establish and maintain Alpha position balanced with love and deep understanding. It works.
I am going to start with my equipment list. I have a plastic container in the back seat of my car which holds the important stuff I need, or may need in an emergency. If you have dogs, it is a great idea to have a system like this in place so you are prepared. Inside are the following items:
Weather Gear: I use one of those clear plastic zipper bags that comes with blankets and such. Inside I place 2 light rain jackets (one gortex), and a rain suit. I also have three sets of hand gear, one pair of heavy duty long ones that cover my forearms and are thinsulate filled. One fleece/thinsulate set and one wool. 2 hats, one baseball one wool and turtle fur with ear flaps. I also have Yak Trax foot cleats for icy conditions.
Leashes: I prefer to use a regular leash with most dogs, because I believe in training dogs to be able to walk at a heel position, with their shoulders parallel to my legs and hip. With a retractable leash there is less control, less "messaging". I use a leash which is twice the length of my arm. I lace my right hand inside the loop of the handle and hold the slack with my left. This way, I can give gentle resistance tugs to the dog when their body language tells me they are breaking stride or acceptable distance. I train like this for a portion of every walk. It also allows me the best leverage should I have to yank the dog back from an oncoming person, dog or vehicle. If you let a dog wander with a retractable leash while in a community, they can wander too far and you cannot yank them back with one tug, from an oncoming car or situation of aggression. A dog who is in your control should not be more than an arms length of leash away at all times. They like it that way. I use vocal commands, low and gentle "No" and high and gentle "Good". A mere flick of the wrist can tell a dog left or right. I make dogs wait at crosswalks, using a medium and firm "Wait" followed by a high and gentle "Cross!" to cross streets. Treats. Treats. Treats. Small, frequently and consistently.
I do use retractable leashes on dogs who won't train on the shorter leash, or in the woods with dogs who have not yet earned the points from me to be off leash. Many dogs need and love wandering, they want distance and flexibility, and most dogs need at least 40 minutes of that type of walk a day. I tend to do training walks early in the visit, followed by the treat of less control or off leash in the woods. I bring my retractable with me and switch over at the appropriate time.
Some dogs, the big and "Box of Rocks" variety, need to have a sturdy leash which I wrap around my back, using my full body weight to control. I have several clients who must be walked this way, or they end up walking ME instead. They don't want to learn, they don't want to play, they don't want to interact, they simply want to sniff and graze and push me around.
First Aid Kit: I cannot be emphatic enough about this. HAVE ONE. I have bandages, antibiotic ointment, Arnica pellets (homeopathic for sprains), bee/bug sting stuff, antihistamines (dogs can take benadryl if stung by bees so it works for them, too), Advil, migraine meds, antibiotic hand gel (can be used to start a fire if you are lost in the woods) and a lighter, granola bars, water, hydrogen peroxide, sanitary pads (excellent for wounds that are bleeding heavily, and when used with an ace bandage make a great pressure dressing), ace bandage, condoms (Yes, I said condoms...not for the usual purpose. If a dog has a cut on the leg you can roll a condom over a dressing to keep it dry and clean. You can also inflate one and use it as a splint if necessary, you can also use it as a tourniquet, if need be), sunscreen (SPF30), natural bug spray, a hand crank flashlight, a towel, a large ziplock bag, rubber gloves, a bottle of sterile saline solution for wound/eye cleaning (mine or theirs), dog treats, hand lotion, tweezers, and a pocket knife.
Carabiner clip with a dog tag that reads: "If found please call dogwalker" with my phone number on it. Any time I take a dog into the woods off leash I simply clip this onto his collar so that if he gets lost anyone who finds him will call me first. If they call the dogs owners, chances are they will not locate them, since they are not at home. This way I save time. Once I lost a dog in the woods and spent 3 long hours searching, only to find that he had been picked up by the dog officer within 45 minutes of running off. Never. Again. Ever. That was horrible. Like losing someone else's child in the mall. Awful. Awful. Awful.
I think that is a great start for my Doggy Treatise. I will post more as time goes on. For now, though, have a great weekend and keep an eye open for Keen suff, M'kay?
I have been walking dogs professionally for 3 years now. In that time I have learned an incredible amount and I learn daily as well. The bottom line for me is that dogs are like people in some ways, they have moods and personalities and different styles of *being* in the world. I observe and experience each one to understand which of my many methods will work best. I learn their body language and they learn mine. I try to establish and maintain Alpha position balanced with love and deep understanding. It works.
I am going to start with my equipment list. I have a plastic container in the back seat of my car which holds the important stuff I need, or may need in an emergency. If you have dogs, it is a great idea to have a system like this in place so you are prepared. Inside are the following items:
Weather Gear: I use one of those clear plastic zipper bags that comes with blankets and such. Inside I place 2 light rain jackets (one gortex), and a rain suit. I also have three sets of hand gear, one pair of heavy duty long ones that cover my forearms and are thinsulate filled. One fleece/thinsulate set and one wool. 2 hats, one baseball one wool and turtle fur with ear flaps. I also have Yak Trax foot cleats for icy conditions.
Leashes: I prefer to use a regular leash with most dogs, because I believe in training dogs to be able to walk at a heel position, with their shoulders parallel to my legs and hip. With a retractable leash there is less control, less "messaging". I use a leash which is twice the length of my arm. I lace my right hand inside the loop of the handle and hold the slack with my left. This way, I can give gentle resistance tugs to the dog when their body language tells me they are breaking stride or acceptable distance. I train like this for a portion of every walk. It also allows me the best leverage should I have to yank the dog back from an oncoming person, dog or vehicle. If you let a dog wander with a retractable leash while in a community, they can wander too far and you cannot yank them back with one tug, from an oncoming car or situation of aggression. A dog who is in your control should not be more than an arms length of leash away at all times. They like it that way. I use vocal commands, low and gentle "No" and high and gentle "Good". A mere flick of the wrist can tell a dog left or right. I make dogs wait at crosswalks, using a medium and firm "Wait" followed by a high and gentle "Cross!" to cross streets. Treats. Treats. Treats. Small, frequently and consistently.
I do use retractable leashes on dogs who won't train on the shorter leash, or in the woods with dogs who have not yet earned the points from me to be off leash. Many dogs need and love wandering, they want distance and flexibility, and most dogs need at least 40 minutes of that type of walk a day. I tend to do training walks early in the visit, followed by the treat of less control or off leash in the woods. I bring my retractable with me and switch over at the appropriate time.
Some dogs, the big and "Box of Rocks" variety, need to have a sturdy leash which I wrap around my back, using my full body weight to control. I have several clients who must be walked this way, or they end up walking ME instead. They don't want to learn, they don't want to play, they don't want to interact, they simply want to sniff and graze and push me around.
First Aid Kit: I cannot be emphatic enough about this. HAVE ONE. I have bandages, antibiotic ointment, Arnica pellets (homeopathic for sprains), bee/bug sting stuff, antihistamines (dogs can take benadryl if stung by bees so it works for them, too), Advil, migraine meds, antibiotic hand gel (can be used to start a fire if you are lost in the woods) and a lighter, granola bars, water, hydrogen peroxide, sanitary pads (excellent for wounds that are bleeding heavily, and when used with an ace bandage make a great pressure dressing), ace bandage, condoms (Yes, I said condoms...not for the usual purpose. If a dog has a cut on the leg you can roll a condom over a dressing to keep it dry and clean. You can also inflate one and use it as a splint if necessary, you can also use it as a tourniquet, if need be), sunscreen (SPF30), natural bug spray, a hand crank flashlight, a towel, a large ziplock bag, rubber gloves, a bottle of sterile saline solution for wound/eye cleaning (mine or theirs), dog treats, hand lotion, tweezers, and a pocket knife.
Carabiner clip with a dog tag that reads: "If found please call dogwalker" with my phone number on it. Any time I take a dog into the woods off leash I simply clip this onto his collar so that if he gets lost anyone who finds him will call me first. If they call the dogs owners, chances are they will not locate them, since they are not at home. This way I save time. Once I lost a dog in the woods and spent 3 long hours searching, only to find that he had been picked up by the dog officer within 45 minutes of running off. Never. Again. Ever. That was horrible. Like losing someone else's child in the mall. Awful. Awful. Awful.
I think that is a great start for my Doggy Treatise. I will post more as time goes on. For now, though, have a great weekend and keep an eye open for Keen suff, M'kay?
posted by Julia Farley at
Saturday, March 08, 2008
<< Home