Wave Rooney [VIDEO]

Rooney, my 11 month old German Shepherd mix, loves doing his new trick, waving. He's getting to the point where he'll just sit down and wave at ya! It's so cute :)

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Scamp, Rooney, and me! We did something a little special this year, as you can see in the picture, they were super well behaved "bunnies." Anyways, we hope everyone and their four-legged friends has had a great day so far! :)

The Truth Doesn't Lie

The following blog I have based purely on my personal opinions and experiences. I am not trying to make anyone believe or disbelieve what I'm saying. 

"How do you know what a dog is thinking?" I've been asked this a few times, mainly by people who think I know absolutely nothing about my favorite animal...canis lupus familiaris, otherwise known as, the domestic dog. 

With technology now days, it's pretty hard not to see on dog shows on television, YouTube, or get an email from your buddy saying, "Hey, check this out!" But I'm pretty sure their are people out there thinking, "How do I know this is real? How can that dog tell that guy is angry? Or that lady is scared? There's probably a trainer off camera telling the dog how to react." Or the, "Can my dog really react to paranormal activity in my house? Is that why she's always growling at the closet? Or is it just the new house, and she needs to get use to it?" 

Once again based on my own personal opinions, I believe dogs can sense energy levels. Based on an experience I had not to long ago; I was walking both my dogs, Scamp and Rooney, and a neighbor's dog down the street came charging my dogs and I, barking. I just kept on walking, I was calm the whole time. I could tell he wasn't coming towards us to attacks us, it was more of an alert bark. Since I was calm, my dogs stayed calm. And we just kept walking on; the dog followed us for a little ways, barking, then went off a different direction. Only then did I turn around and look back.

So you see, he could tell I wasn't a threat. But if I had shown fear, my dogs would have reacted, then the other dog would have reacted. It's a ripple effect. 

Everyone out there has critics, haters, enemies, what ever you want to call them, we have them. I'm not going to say that they are the only people, but they are a minority of the people that make us stronger. Because we want to show them that we know what we're doing, so therefore we push ourselves to be our best at what our "thing" is. Whether it be dog training, art, writing, sports, whatever. With out them, we wouldn't have anyone to show up. Because lets face it, if someone tells you everything you do is amazing, great, fantastic, how will you know if it really is?

The reason I say this is because my father is my critic. He's all the time telling me, I'm not old enough to know anything about dogs. He tells me, "I've had dogs way longer than you, I know more." Yes, true, he has had dogs longer than I have, but with the advance in technology I'm able to study up on dogs. I can buy books, watch TV shows and training videos, and read internet articles on new studies and methods. I'm not saying I'm better by anymeans, just more up to date.

He's the kind of person that doesn't believe in energy levels in a dog, he feels a dog will get over fear or excitement. Now, I am the person who does believe in energy levels. I know you can't "mask" your true feelings to a dog. If you're truly angry, but act happy, a dog will sense the anger. In example, my father isn't the cheery kind of person, he's mainly grumpy and dominant, per say. And whenever he approaches my puppy, Rooney, he runs into his doghouse and hides. Rooney can sense he's not calm or relaxed, therefore he doesn't want to be around my father. Rooney is painting a picture through his body language. His head will be low, ears back, tail low with a slight wag, and eyes darting back and forth. All of this is because of the energy that is being projected to him, dominance.

And I'll tell my father, "He's scared, you don't pet a scared dog, that only makes it worse." But he won't listen to me, tells me I'm wrong, he's right, end of story. But when I enter the kennel, calm and relaxed, Rooney comes out of his house tail wagging, running around, rolling on the ground.

So that right there makes me stronger, makes me love dogs more, and makes me want to show the world what I know and can do. Like I said at the begining, this was not made to change opinions on whether or not dogs can sense changes in energy levels. But I'm hoping it opened some new views on the subject...

Kennel upgrade

For the past couple of days I wanted to put the tarp/cover back on my dog's kennel, especially since it's getting warmer. But the fence size is the average 4 feet height, and for the past 7 years I've had the tarp laying flat across. And it's very uncommfertable to stand hunched over for long periods of time under it.

So I had the idea to raise it, to a peak. I've seen kennels like that before, so I wanted to do that to mine. Well, the only thing I really had to use were poles used to hold up the net for the trampoline. We haven't had a net on the trampoline in a few years, and the poles didn't have any use, so I decide to use those. 

So now my kennel has a nice peak in the middle. Standing tallest at 6 feet and slopes down to the back at the fence height of 4 feet. It covers half the size of the kennel (kennel size 10 x 20) and the tree in the back takes care of the rest for shade. It might not be the prettiest thing to some people, but hey, it does it's job: gives the dogs shade and allows me to stand up straight. 

More pictures below::

10x20 Kennel, concrete blocks cover 10x5 of front

What more can you ask for?

If you don't know already I'm a huge dog person and I love Coca-Cola stuff too. And the other day I decided, "Why not combined the two together?" So I did. Believe it or not, it was really hard to get the picture I wanted. Because I had to keep Rooney concentrated on me and nothing else, AND I had to have my brother take the picture at the right angle.

Now Rooney, being a puppy, got distracted....by everything. But I was finally able to get him to sit, in one place, and not move a muscle until a few pictures were taken. 
 
 Once we were done taking the pictures, of cousre, Rooney just sat there. In that one spot. Wouldn't even move for food. Guess he wants to be a model. I mean, who knows, he might just be the next poster pup for Coke... ;)

Outdoor vs. Indoor Dog Owners

Now we all know someone, live next door to someone, or we are someone who has a dog. I mean lets face the facts, dogs and humans have been together for thousands of years, and it's not changing anytime soon. 

I'm making this blog from an obsevation stand piont, not saying anyone is wrong or right.

With that said; do you have a friend, neighbor, or someone who has a dog that they keep in the backyard or house? I've notice there are many people in my neighborhood who keep their four-legged friends outside in the backyard. I'm not gonna lie, my dogs [Scamp and Rooney] stay outside too. But my neighbors don't tend to walk their dogs. Now a good percent of the people who live here are elderly, and some of them just can't take a Chow mix on a walk the way they could a Chihuahua. And some of the neighbors have health problems too. Now the others, here, are families. For example, there's this one family, a few years back they got a puppy. They would take their new puppy on walks all the time; now that the dog has lost it's cute puppy stage and it stays in the backyard, getting walks every six months or so.

Then there are the house dog people I know. I know people who have dogs that only come out on a leash, never get to roam freely outside. Yes, I do understand that fencing is not allowed in some neighborhoods, some find electic fencing inhumane, others can't afford to have a fence put up, or when living in an apartment you don't even have a yard! But personally, once again this is my opinion, most people have computers, smart phones, iPads, whatever, so they can Google local dog parks, or even ask their friends who have fenced properties if they can bring their pooch next time they visit.

So yeah, that's just something that I notice with many different people. However, I do want to point out, that running around the backyard or going on a poop walk is not enough exrcise for any dog. Hour long walks daily (with your pup by your side) are easy on you and the dog. 

(PS: Whenever your dog is pulling you and you're pulling back, A - you're both working against each other. And B - the walk feels longer than it really is. Trust me, I know.)

Another sad story

Well, I guess I should have been expecting it...but I still didn't want to. The other day my neighbors had their dog put down.

Why? Because she was "aggressive" and, supposedly, had some kind of brain problem. True or not, I don't know. But I can tell you, for the most part, this dog wasn't aggressive. At least, not around me. Now yes, she did get in fights with the other dog they had, BUT the owners, knowing she was aggressive towards other female dogs, brought the second dog home anyway. 

They had this dog for eleven-ish years or so. And to just waste her like that? Unreal.

That aggression they were experiencing could have been fixed if they just took the dog on walks (which it hardly ever got) and showed her who the boss was. For example, if she ever gave a low growl and showed her teeth to the other dog, instead of screaming at the top of their lungs at the dog, they could have snapped her out of it. Screaming just caused all the fights they had.

This dog was clearly dominant over the other dog they had. The owners never saw the small signs, just the fights. A few years back, I was with their dogs and the older dog had her ears forward, tail up, body stiff and higher than the other dog. Her eyes were locked in on the dog. I told the owner, "This is gonna cause a fight." and told them it would be best to remove her. Did they listen? No. Next thing you know the dogs broke out into a fight.

If they just knew how to control her, provided her the proper excercise and discipline she needed, and looked for the small signs of dominance, they would still have this dog.

This is the reason I want to help my friends with dominant dogs. Because I don't want to see them give their dog away, lose it to animal control, or worse, have it put down. I know I would want help if I ever needed it...

Respect the environment y'all

Almost everyday I take Scamp and Rooney for a walk down in the woods behind our neighborhood. Here lately the kids (and even adults) that live next to the woods have become...well...trashy. 

Everywhere you look, garbage. There are balloons hanging from trees, bottles, milk and orange juice cartons, posters on the ground, and even boards with rusty nails sticking out of them laying right next to the trail. And they use this stuff to shoot at. Do their parents say, "Be sure to clean it all up." you ask? More than likely not, they probably encourage it. Not to mention the people across the street from them are cutting down trees not on their property.

This really makes me mad. I've lived here practically all my life, and these people feel they can come in and do whatever. If they keep this up, there will be nowhere for me and my dogs to go for walks other than on pavement. And that's not fun. They're dogs, dogs like to walk around and smell things. And I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want my dogs (or me) to step on a rusty nail buried under leaves.

And the tree cutters, have set up a deer stand down by the creek. First of all there are no deer in these woods, and if there are, they're just passing through. And right under their stand, in the creek, is garbage.

This is just so aggravating, no one cares anymore...

Doggie photoshoot and bios

Today, like any other, I was working with Scamp and Rooney and taking pictures of them. And when I was going through the photos I picked out pictures I thought showed Scamp and Rooney's personalities. So here are their bios...

Scamp 

Scamp is the first dog I ever got. He was born on May 15, 2003; and he got his name from the rascally character Scamp, in "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure." He is an Alaskan Malamute mix, I'm not entirely sure what else he is mixed with. I sometimes say he's Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, Yellow Lab mix. Because he loves to be in water, so that's why I think lab, but the vet wasn't sure if he was Malamute or Shepherd. After doing some research, I think he has more Malamute than Shepherd. Because he is a major howler, plus he sheds big time in the summer. Scamp is a complete 180 from what he was as a puppy. When we first got him, he was wild and unruly. Now, he's calm, obedient and willing to please. Scamp knows a number of commands and tricks, including: Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Leave it, Get it, Stop, Back, In, Out, On, Off, Up, Speak, Bow, Pose (beg), and Shake (with both paws). And not long after we got Scamp, he learned how to open gates. He'd open the gates and let himself out of the yard, even at the vet. So now I only use that "trick" for whenever my hands are full and I can't open the gate.


Rooney
My second dog, Rooney, is a German Shepherd, (possibly) sheltie mix. Who was also born in May, on the 8th of 2010. He is all energy. He's always moving, can't sit still...at all. So getting that picture you see, was one of a hand full where he was sitting still. For, like, 5 seconds. Anyways, Rooney is a smart puppy. Because of his high energy and high level of excitement, he gets easily distracted, therefore it takes time to train him. But little Rooney has learned a few things, he knows the basic sit, down, come, and stay. I'm always working with him, trying to burn off all that energy he has, which is gonna take a long time. But on the plus side of have Rooney around, he has helped Scamp lose weight. And Scamp has helped train Rooney.

So there's a little bit about my dogs, and I'll keep posting as long as they keep learning!

Crate training

I'm always working on training my dogs, even with commands they already know, so that way I am able to give the command once and they do it. 

Well, crate training for my dogs isn't as important as it is for other dogs, simply because Scamp and Rooney live outside and don't have to be crated when we leave or go to bed at night. However, it is very important for transportation. Because, as we all know, dogs should never roam around a truck bed while driving 45 mph down a road. Not safe. 

Between the two of my dogs, Scamp is more crate trained than Rooney. If you give the command "crate/in" he goes in, no problem. I still work with him on it, even though he knows the command, I want him to know it in different situations. Example being, if I have him in a room with strangers and the crate is on the opposite side of the room. I want to be able to tell him to "crate" and he goes into it and stays until I say otherwise, without getting distracted either.

Now Rooney, on the other hand, will not just go into the crate on command. He knows the command and what it means (a little).

I've tried coaxing him with treats and the whole baby voice routine, but that doesn't help...at all. I've also tried just picking him up and putting him in too. But that has no effect either. What I have found that works, is a combination of both. I'll toss a few treats in the back, and as he goes in halfway, I block him from backing out. I don't shove him in, just sit there, quietly, moving up occasionally so he doesn't get any ideas that I'm backing down. Once he walks all the way into the crate, and turns around, I block the door with my body, I don't shut the crate door. I sit there, without saying a word, and wait for him to sit down on his own. With no commands given. Once he sits, he gets a reward. Then he will be able to put it together, "if I go in here and sit down, I'll get a treat."

And once he becomes comfortable going into the crate, I'll work in the "crate" command. 

As of right now, Rooney will go into the crate with no problems, but we are still working on putting the word "crate/in" into the training. And Scamp is learning the command from a short distance, hoping to go further soon.

project DOG logo

I was playing around in photoshop and made this. I'm just gonna say this is the "project DOG logo." After all, photoshop was giving me the hardest time ever. And not to mention I didn't have a silhouette picture of Rooney, like I did Scamp, and the only full body picture of Rooney I had was of him in the woods. Not a good combination, black/brown/tan dog plus leaves. Thankfully there was some snow on the ground, made a little more easy...a little.

And after all the trouble photoshop was giving me, I started thinking, this blog is gonna be all about dogs (not that it wasn't before). Ok, maybe the occasional concert story too. But mostly about me and my dogs, and other dogs we, I, know too.

Backstory

Here's a short little blog on how Scamp and Rooney got their names...

Scamp
In August/September-ish of 2003 I got my first puppy. He was small, playful, and had the cutest floppy ears. I got him at a small pet store not far from my house. A lady walked in with him to buy some puppy food. She told us his story, of how he was a stray found in her boss' yard and they were trying to find him a home. I begged to get him. And the answer was yes every time I asked.

She said his name was Jack, and I didn't like that name, at least not for a dog. And around this time I was obsessed with "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure." So, guess what I named him?

3 years later, I ended up loving Rascal Flatts. How does this tie in, you ask. Well, one day I was on dictionary.com for homework (or something), and I looked up my dog's name, Scamp. In the first sentence of the definition was the word 'rascal.' Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. I just found it to be interesting...

Rooney
Now I already told how I got Rooney (blog before), so I'll just cut to the chase here. When I saw his name was Johnny, I knew it had to go. Now, yes, I will admit, I did name him Rooney after Joe Don Rooney, BUT there's more to this story.

I also wanted a name that wasn't "common" around here. But not too bizarre either. Almost all my friends have dogs with names that end in -y or -ie. So I wanted something that had a flow to it too. So, Rooney just seemed to fit what I was looking for.

And that's pretty much how my dog's got their names...

Meet Rooney...

7 years ago I got my first dog, Scamp, an Alaskan Malamute mix that fit his name perfectly. He was the kind of puppy that loved to bite when...well, whenever. Mostly play, but at some points, aggression. It didn't take us long to break that behavior. He was a quick learner, for the most part. Got basic commands down, learned to proper way to walk on a leash, and plus a trick or two. And recently I had noticed that he was just slowing down. Just would lay around in the yard, waiting for someone to play. So I, who had been wanting another dog for 5 years, started looking online for another pet.

I went to the local shelters web site and saw this little puppy. Johnny, his name at the time, was a small 5 month old (until the vet verified he was 4 months) German Shepherd mix. Now me being a HUGE German Shepherd lover, I wanted this dog....BAD! So I begged, and begged, and begged. And after days of asking, plus the five years before, I finally got my second dog.

September 10, 2010 was the day we brought Rooney (his new name) home.


Scamp, at first, was like "Oh, yeah I got a new friend!" now, some days, I think he looks at me like "Why? Why did you bring this home?" The reason I say this, is because we soon found out, not only does Rooney have German Shepherd in him, but possibly Shetland Sheepdog "Sheltie". First of all, that makes determining his size harder than usual. You look at a Sheltie next to a GSD and it's like, "Yeah, I don't know..." So picking out the right size crate, has been a challenge.

And since he's been with us he's been through 4 collars, in 5 months. The first one (an ajustable snap kind), the plastic clip broke. The second one (a plain nylon), he chewed up. The third (choke chain), he out grew. And number four (another plain nylon), he chewed up...again. How he managed to chew those two up is unknown, because he was wearing them... Plus, not to mention, he chewed a dog tag, ON his collar, up. So now, he's on collar number 5, and has managed not to chew it up...

And for about 3 months now, I'm pretty sure he's planing an escape route out of the dog lot. He is always jumping on the doghouses, let me remind you, these are igloo houses. Not that it's not impossible, but how he does it when it's iced over, I don't get. Plus he's made several attempts to jump the fence too.

And when he eats, I can guarantee you, he can eat a whole bowl of dog food in 2 minutes or less. He's a speed eater. Not aggressive, you can take the food from him, but he just wont slow down. No matter how many times he's fed a day, either.

It is nearly impossible to drain his energy. I ride my bike with him, where he is running, and when we are done he's like he's been pinned up all day. I road my bike around a mile and a half with him, and it hardly did anything...

So other than all of that, he's a pretty good dog. Weird, but good.