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Teddy (a.k.a. Lillyboy) goes to
school.
October 15th,
2008
Teddy has now been with us
for six weeks and he has finally settled in as a stable member
of our pack. It took a lot of focus, though, to teach him
the life lessons that he needed to be a harmonious part of our
family. Our main goals were for him to learn
self-control, basic manners and how to be respectful of
everyone and everything. That's all!
The first two weeks took constant
maintenance. Teddy quickly found out that
bullying Hoshi and Kita was an unwise choice. So he
turned his attention to Jackson. He was incessant at his
attempts to pick on him. It would be easy to say that all four
of them were "just playing", but the specifics of
their body language and attitude told a completely
different story. To put it simply, we spent a lot of time
enforcing boundaries and defining rules. When bringing a new
dog home, it's important to look at the situation from an
objective point of view. If we had given
our established dogs preferential treatment, little Teddy
would have been picked on mercilessly. On the other hand,
if we had given Teddy special privelges until he "settled in"
(a very common practice in many homes), our other three would
have rejected him completely and he would have turned Jackson
into a fearful, neurotic dog (given a little time). So
all four of them were treated the same and slowly they grew fond of
each other and united.
Having this experience with
Teddy brings to mind all of the problems that can occur when a new
dog is introduced to an existing pack without any structure.
We see so many situations where a new dog turns aggressive towards
the house dogs, or the other way around. Children get nipped,
the dog becomes very possessive (after a month or so), neurotic
behaviors develop in the new dog or the established dogs, the list
goes on and on. The first gut reaction from many dog owners is
that one of the dogs has to go. But with a little bit of
dedication and the right information, any dog can find peace in any
pack.
So now that sweet side of
Teddy has fully emerged. We could see it under all of the
undesirable behaviors from the start. Now that he understands
what is expected of him and he knows that he is safe, he is thriving
under the numerous benefits of being one of the pack.
We have a new
addition to our pack!
September 5th, 2008
Joy, Rick's
Mom, has decided that she wants a little companion to keep her
company when she's at home. So we went searching for a sweet
lap dog that was also playful and boisterous enough
to keep up with Hoshi, Kita and Jackson, since he would be
staying with us and our pack when she is at work. We didn't
have to look far before we found Teddy, a tan German Spitz (which is
a large version of the Pomeranian) that was surrendered by
an aging man that was no longer able to care for him. It was
clear that he had not received the attention he needed by the state
of his coat. It was so matted that we had trouble finding his
skin, which had several hot spots. He was so tangled, in fact,
that at first we thought he was a girl! He was
surrendered without a name, so we filled out the paperwork with the
name "Lilly" (now known
as "LillyBoy" at the
shelter). We picked him up today from Watermelon Mountain
Ranch, took him over to meet Joy and then had him
groomed. A very cute little guy came out from under
all that hair. Now the work starts!
Teddy was obviously
both spoiled and untrained. At three years old he has no
concept of appropriate elimination locations, he is picking on the
other dogs and is wildly running around doing dominant gestures to
everyone and everything. His natural level
of assertiveness is pretty low, but he is doing his best to
make a lasting impression and take over our pack. Luckily, all
of these issues are easily resolved with a bit of patience, clear
guidance and self control on our part.
Rehabilitation on a Large Scale
Spring, 2008
Starting in March, we had the good fortune to
be able to run the kennels at Watermelon Mountain Ranch for a few
months. We made it a goal that while we were managing the
facilities, any dog that was adopted from the Ranch would be
better off then when they were surrendered. We found our
time there to be a very enriching experience.
Dogs in a typical shelter tend to act out or go
"kennel crazy" because the workers that are doing their assigned
jobs of cleaning the kennels and dishing out food unintentionally
miscommunicate to the dogs about appropriate behavior. Here's
an example: as a kennel worker walks down the aisle to
feed the dogs, they are barking and acting crazy. He ignores
the deafening sound and tries to get through the task as quickly as
possible. The dogs, on the other hand, have been waiting for
this interaction all day. They take the food as a reward for
their behavior and so they connect the dots: it's barking that gets
them the food. Once they put it together, they act this way
any time anyone enters the kennel, in the hopes that this time the
barking gets them what they want. You add to this the stress
of being in tight quarters with so many other dogs, where the only
interaction they can have is face to face aggression through a fence
or the sad alternative which is to try to disappear into the
corner. You add to that the stream of strange faces poking at
them through the fence (an act of aggression) and talking in high
pitch tones (adding tension to an already overwhelming
environment).
When you walk down the rows of a
traditional shelter, you are not seei ng the natural disposition of the dogs. You are
witnessing a very stressed animal in a very unnatural environment
who is responding to the direction of unsuspecting kennel
workers. The animals are doing the very best
they can, but with time aggression, fear, depression, hyperactivity
and neurosis are a common fate for the kennalized dog. All of
these symptoms can be reversed and overcome with a little patience,
and the right type of information and action, but sadly, most people
only see a scary dog or a lost cause. This is where I have a
high level of respect for the thousands of rescue
groups through out the country that save dogs from such
unhealthy environments and place them in foster homes to create
balance and peace within their lives.
 Check out Our
Shelters page to read about the
rescue groups that we are dedicated to helping with their noble
mission. If you run a shelter or rescue and would like to
join in a partnership with us please visit the Contact Us
page and tell us your story. We
have a policy of only working with no-kill rescues and
shelters who are dedicated to the well-being of the animals in
their care.
To accomplish our goals of creating calm balance,
we set in place a program that brought out the best in each
dog. We took great care in matching up temperaments,
controlling behaviors around food, making each day interesting and
fun, providing exercise, structure and deep, meaningful
affection. At Watermelon Mountain Ranch, the dogs that are
social are kept in groups of three to six. In this way
they can have companionship and an opportunity to
fulfill a primal need continue story
This is definitely worth
seeing!
A national news crew was very impressed with our
work and did a three-part series on us!
This news story covers
our rehabilitation work
Program Rehabs Troubled Dogs at End of
Line 
This one is about Rick's
exhausting work to turn WMR into an eco-friendly
shelter
Eco-friendly
Shelter Saves Environment, Money
This last one is about the perpetual care program that
provides a safe haven for pets when their owners can no longer care
for them.
Perpetual Care: The Answer to Pets Who Outlive
Owners
You can also access these stories by going to
www.zootoo.com and typing
"Dillender" into the search field.
We would like to thank Mike Davis for
his belief in our work and for arranging these interviews with
Zootoo.
December,
2007
The event that
consumed most of our attention was the Home 4 The Holidays
adoptathon. Watermelon Mountain Ranch organized the event and
invited several other rescues and shelters.  H4TH has been held across
the nation for many years and we have been informed
that our event has broken every record for number of
animals adopted and retention. 535 animals (dogs and cats)
found new homes. We offered free training to all of
the dogs that were adopted and out of the ones that were from
the Ranch, only four have been returned (as of the end of
March). All four of the adoptive parents that rejected their
dogs refused training. This is a huge accomplishment!
Previous return rates were around 25%. The retention has been
so high for a number of reasons. First of all every
family that was interested in adopting (from the Ranch) received
coaching on how to integrate their new family member, how to create
a peaceful introduction (because Christmas time is full of
excitement) and many were taught how to walk them before they left
the event. Then they were encouraged to attend our 5 week
Canine Care and Obedience Course that came with the adoption.
A high percentage took us up on our offer. In addition to that
we were on call for emergencies and did in-home sessions for the
dogs that were having trouble in their new home. The
dedication of all of the volunteers that worked the event were
priceless in making this a success.
November 10th,
2007
For a week and a half we
had the honor of house sitting an Alpaca farm in Placitas. Our
dogs are part of the family and always join us on these
adventures. So we had a total of 6 dogs, 15 Alpacas, 1 cat and
an unspecified number of Coyotes.  The first goal when going into a new home is to
establish a clear leadership structure and define the rules that
will govern the rest of the stay. Combining two
well-established packs is an adventure in itself. If not
controlled, our three can be pushy with other dogs. So in the
beginning, it was a matter of making the house dogs, TJ, Dusty
and Einstein, feel safe and build their trust in us. For
Kita, Jackson and Hoshi, we had to make it clear that the rules in
our old home apply in the new home and they do not have special
privileges above the other dogs. The first few days took
constant maintenance, but within a short amount of time, the
house dogs were coming when called, following us around and acting
more comfortable around the other dogs. To speed along the
process of integration it is important for all of the dogs to
participate in pack activities. Only pack mates eat
together, sleep together, walk together and have a common
leader.
 The other aspect that made those 10 days a special
treat were the lovely alpacas. All of our dogs are
from herding breeds yet have never been exposed to stock and
the very first moment they saw the large alpacas they were very
excited. Alpacas are very different from the regular herd
animal. Instead of running from a dog, they bend their
very long necks down and stare the dogs straight in the face.
It was a hallmark moment when Kita first met them.
She ran up with all the enthusiasm in the world, yet
jumped back and hid under Rick's legs when one bent down over
her. She is a very determined dog though and now she holds the
record for the most spit on cattledog. It was fascinating to
watch our dogs around them. They had an ingrained desire to
see all of the alpaca together in a tight group.
If any of them strayed or the group spread out too much our
dogs would get very agitated and run around them until they
rejoined the circle. Chuck believes that alpaca are above
being herded and he gave our dogs a "C" at best.
Considering the circumstances and the fact that our
dogs haven't been taught how to steer in any direction, we
think they did an admirable job. But then again, that's a
parent's pride talking.
Check out the rest of our
10 day adventure: Chuck and Dianne's Alpaca
Farm
October 14th,
2007
There is a trail in Placitas called the Piedra
Lisa trail. The write-up on it sounds really nice, so we have
gone out several times to hike it. Each time we head out,
though, we find a really nice looking trail that isn't labeled but
heads out in the direction we wish to go (the mountains). We
haven't been disappointed once - but what's there to be disappointed
about - beautiful scenery, quiet trail, time with our pack - sounds
like heaven to me. Check out some of the pictures that we took
while hiking:
Hiking
in Placitas
October 6th, 2007
Today was
the official start of the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta. We have been enjoying the morning views of colorful
balloons for weeks so this was a real treat. Our day had a
different focus, though. It was evident that our dogs needed
some nature time so we packed up and headed out for a day long hike
on trailhead 140 up to Sandia Crest. It was a wonderful
experience and our dogs our thanking us by sleeping soundly.
In a continuing effort to increase our stamina, Rick carried a 50 lb
back pack for the 5 1/2 hour mountain hike. For the next
stamina building exercise, maybe we'll go with 20
lbs.
September 30th,
2007
 One of the facinating
individuals that we've met since we've arrived in New
Mexico is the world renowned photographer D R Goff. We met at
the Placitas wine tasting and found that we both had something that
was of value to the other. He has two Standard
Poodles, Jacque and Ramon, and so we traded a Dog Training session
for a Photography shoot. His dogs are so well behaved that we
definitely won out on this
deal.
He brought us
out to his property, La Mesa Roja
in the Jemez Pueblo area and took some
wonderful pictures in the most vibrant setting. If you're
looking for beautiful land that comes with peace and quiet, you
should definitely check this place out.
The Month of September,
2007
The whirlwind of activity for the
past 15 months has finally paid off. We have met some amazing
people and our first month of business in this new market is
going remarkably well. Here are a few highlights and
stories that have defined this period for us.
Our
Welcome: Before moving we sent out informational
packets to all of the local vets and shelters. Within a few days of
arriving, Watermelon Mountain Ranch gave us a call
and invited us out to their shelter. They identified some of
the dogs that have been overlooked for adoption for various reasons
and we started working with them individually to make them
more adoptable.  We are sponsoring in
home training for several choice dogs, such as Lucky.
Check out your
choices for adoptable dogs on the
"Our Shelters" page. Sophia
and Lee DiClemente, the founders of Watermelon Mountain
Ranch, have greeted us with open arms. They invited us to
their adoptathon on Coors Bypass the weekend after we
arrived. There we worked with the dogs and helped adoptive
parents prepare for the homecoming of their new family
members. We also did some coaching for some frazzled
owners the day after adoption. Sophia mentioned that this is
the first adoptathon that they have ever
sponsored where no dogs have been returned. We can't
take credit for all of that, but hopefully we helped.
We have also started
working with CARMA who places dogs in
foster homes until adoption so they can gain household skills
and adoptive owners can have practical insight into their
temperament.
The Move: It took us 4 days
to move from Washington to New Mexico. We camped for the first
two nights (in Oregon and Idaho), but Utah had a rough storm
system running through it, so we stayed in hotels the last
two nights. All of our dogs are trained as service
animals which helps keep them calm in public settings and
the fee for the pet deposit was waived. They were
incredibly well behaved because we created a pattern that
was consistent with their daily routine. Each morning we
would pack up our  campsite or hotel room (similar to getting
ready for work), then we would drive to a nearby park and bikejor with
them. They came to trust that they were going to get
their exercise so they calmed down and waited for it to
happen. As soon as we would get in the car they would mellow
out and settle in for a long ride. Jackson has had a
pattern of car panic which has improved since we
adopted him. This trip was very therapeutic for him, because
he could be lulled by the gentle vibrations of the car and the
stress of seeing other vehicles and the scenery rush by
became desensitized. On the other camping trips we
have gone on, we drove in the van, which has no
windows, so he was sheltered from his fears.
This voyage gave him time to cope and move past
his
fears.
The
storm system that ran through Utah definitely added a
sense of adventure to the trip. I was driving behind
Rick to keep an eye on our overloaded trailer and be
a buffer between him and other vehicles, since his vision was
limited. We were driving down a road with a six percent grade
and only one lane each way with no passing for the majority of the
decline. The high winds and heavy rain made the trailer
swing back and forth behind the van. I put my hazards on
so that the cars behind us would give us space.
But a huge semi was not respecting that signal and was
tailgating. Behind him was a long line of
cars. All of the sudden, all three of our dogs sat
up and stared intensely at me. I had not made any new
sounds or changed my position at all.  I was surprised for a moment as I
glanced at them through the rear view mirror, then it hit me: I was
very stressed out. As I was worried about external
factors, the dogs were only focused on me and a change in my
attitude, which I did not notice, was causing them to become
uncertain. My appreciation for my lovely pack increased
dramatically and I had to smile to myself. Without saying or
doing anything, I focused on relaxing, breathing deeply and
finding a slight amount of humor in the situation.
After a couple minutes they were still staring at me.
I felt more relaxed, but it wasn't good enough
for them. So I worked on it some more. After a
short time, all three of them laid down and went back to
sleep. I did an internal check and felt a peace with my
surroundings. One of the beautiful things about living
with dogs is they keep you in check. For their peace
of mind, I had to be calm and stable, something I wouldn't have
even thought of without them. Thank
you Jackson, Hoshi and
Kita.
August 26, 2007
Well, the big day is
almost here. We have 6 days left to finish packing, and then we will
be on our way to Albuquerque, NM. We should arrive on
September 4th, and be ready to begin client sessions by the
5th. We have had a wonderful time working with all of our clients
and the staff at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society here in the
Tri-Cities, WA, and we would like to thank everyone for their
support as we've been preparing for this transition in our lives.
The journey there will be
it's own adventure (that we will chronicle here) as we will be
camping along the way with our pack. When you travel with 3 dogs
hotels aren't really a good option, and we have never liked paying
for them just to rent a bed for a few hours, so camping is usually
our solution.  We'll let you all know about what
works and what doesn't in keeping them under control during this
move. Dogs prefer to have reliable patterns in their lives, and
shaking up their world by packing everything up and driving them
across the country is bound to be a stressful time for them (and
us). We camp with our dogs regularly, and we have developed an
association with the car that they always go fun places when they
ride in it, so we're hoping they will have enough established
routines to carry us through. We also intend to stop about
every 2 hours to exercise them to keep their energy level under
control and create a feeling of migration for them to make the
transition smoother (which is why the trip will probably take 4
days). Most importantly, for a successful transition we must
stay calm. We're working hard to find ways to vent our stress away
from the dogs and to make sure that we are always in control and
relaxed around them. They need to be able to count on their leaders
being solid. We'll let you know how it
goes.
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