The weekend is almost at hand! I'm looking forward to taking my guide-dog-puppy-in-training, Kera, to a "guide dogs welcome" Pool Party tomorrow - it should be a real adventure! One of the families that has raised several Guide Dog puppies for the SouthEastern Guide Dogs program is hosting a good old-fashioned North Carolina Barbecue (meaning specifically pulled pork will be served... none of this hamburger and hot dog stuff that we used to refer to as Barbecue when I was growing up in Seattle, Washington!) at her house and she has pointedly invited all the guide dog puppies in training to learn to use the swimming pool.

I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. Although Kera is by breeding (Golden Retriever x Labrador Retriever = Goldador) a "water dog" she has not had much exposure to the water yet! The apartment complex where I live does have a pool, but I haven't dared push the limits of the management's generosity by seeing if they will let Kera be an exemption to the "no pets allowed" rule, simply because of her guide dog status. I've been tempted to argue that blind people need to swim, too, but I don't think they would buy it.

So, as a result, Kera has never been in a swimming pool before! She has had a little bit of exposure to water in her life - in the bathtub, wading in streams/ponds on our hikes, and getting the occasional squirt with the hose during a car wash last summer. For the most part, though, she is not overly-comfortable with water. Especially deep water. She's fine running and splashing in a few inches of stream. She'll drink from a pond, so I know she's not afraid of the water itself, murky though it may be. However, when the hose is on and spraying in her general direction, she'll shy away from it. When she takes a bath, she won't lie down in the water, she will only stand still, and hesitantly let it be poured on her back with a bowl.

She's never had a bad water experience, so I don't think she's traumatized with water, I think it's just very new to her. I'm going to take the approach of letting her get in slowly. Hopefully there will be stairs available, so she'll feel comfortable easing her way in at her own pace, rather than just jumping in like a wild dog off the edge. (That's how my boyfriend gets in, so maybe it's a skill she'll pick up from him as the afternoon progresses...)

I think that the presence of other dogs at the pool party will help. She'll be able to follow their example, and learn how to doggie paddle, go after floating toys, and get in and out safely. I will try to take some good pictures and report back on her progress next time! If you have any tips for helping ease Kera's transition from "Land Lubber" to "Water Dog," please let me know by emailing Emily@gifts-for-dog-lovers.com

*****

Father's Day is Almost Here! It's on June 20th this year, so you have just over a week to find and order the perfect gift! Make sure to allow time for shipping. If he's a dog lover, be sure to check out the page with Dog Lovers Gifts "For Him" to start your ideas flowing!

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Memorial Day, which took place at the end of May, is a somber, important holiday, but I decided to have fun that day, nevertheless.

Looking in the newspaper, I was able to find a small, local ceremony put on by the local chapter of the American Legion and it was wonderful. I took Kera along with me for a little socialization, and it turned out to be a good experience.

When we arrived, we had to park a few blocks from the park where the ceremony was taking place and walked Kera over to the park when an unpleasant incident occurred.

Now, I don't know if it's just a "puppy thing" that she'll grow out of, but as my dog-loving friend Kristi has told me before, "Exercising your puppy will empty your puppy" and it did. That's right...you guessed it... not more than one block from the car, and two hours since her last success, Kera had to poop!

Gross, I know. My boyfriend says I shouldn't even write about stuff like this. Sorry, :( but there is a moral to this story so just hang in there.

In fact, "GROSS" is probably what the owner of the property where the poop landed would have thought the next time he came out of his house. "GROSS" is what the other ceremony attendees would have thought as they walked by the scene of the crime. "GROSS" is what I thought when I cleaned up the mess.

Fortunately, I had some clean-up supplies with me... I don't leave home without them... and found a trash can nearby.

I share this "gross" part of the story with you because I think it's a good reminder of the importance of always carrying clean-up bags when you're out with your dog, even if you think you won't need them.

There's nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when you see your dog start to "go" and you realize you are unprepared to do anything about it. (Since Kera is a guide dog puppy, I guess I should admit that several of her accidents have taken place indoors: The airport, the mall, and the quickie mart. I wasn't quick enough running my errands, I guess! Fortunately, in every instance, I was able to clean up the accident quickly to avoid harming my relationship with the generous store owners who are willing to let guide dog puppies come and practice in their stores.

Anyway, as embarrassing as it is when you see your dog start to relieve herself in an inappropriate location, it is ten times worse if you are unprepared to clean up after her!

As responsible dog owners, we all need to clean up after our dogs. As gross as dog poop is to us, it's even more disgusting for the person who steps in it unaware, who doesn't know how cute and adorable the dog is that it came from, and doesn't really like dogs in the first place!

I'll get off my soapbox now, I know a responsible dog owner like you would never forget to pick up after your dogs, but if you see another dog owner on the street who has forgotten his clean-up supplies, please offer to give him some of yours, so he can learn to be responsible, too!

If you disagree, let me know at Emily@Gifts-For-Dog-Lovers.com.

If you need help remembering to bring bags to clean up after your pet, this handy Bags on Board Doggie Clean-Up Bags Dispenser attaches to your leash so you'll never be caught unprepared again!

*****

Anyway, back to the story.

When we arrived, there were all sorts of big army vehicles on display. A Hummer truck with camouflage and gun mounts, a huge helicopter, even the local fire department had shined up a red engine to park on exhibit.

A few folks had brought their dogs. I think bringing dogs to a big crowd event like this is a great way to introduce them to sights and sounds they won't get at home. These types of "Exposures" can help them be more well-rounded, better-behaved, and happier.

There were lots of kids there, too. It was a great exposure experience. Little toddlers wobbled up to embrace Kera or pat her on the head, babies cried, flags waved and since Kera was in her guide dog puppy uniform, we even got an Army photographer to take our picture! :-) If you like attention, there's no better way to earn it than to come to an event with a cute puppy dog on your arm!

Once the actual speaker began his presentation, the hubub died down, but there were still some entertaining highlights. Kera enjoyed the Star Spangled Banner (for which she respectfully followed my command to "stand" in order to show proper respect) and her ears really perked up for "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes!

However, it wasn't until the very end of the ceremony that they really got her attention. In fact, I would say "attention" is the wrong word. More accurately, I would say they really freaked her out!

Unfortunately, she panicked a little at the 21 gun salute and broke her "stay" command to run behind me with her tail between her legs! I think it reminded her of fireworks - with the loud sudden reports and the smell of gunpowder wafting on the breeze, but since the seven gunmen only fired 3 times, she was able to recover quickly from her panic and her tail soon returned to it's normal "ready to wag" position.

That was a good lesson for me. If your dog has a phobia or fear of something, as Kera has with fireworks, it's best not to force a big, scary "exposure" to the feared stimulus on your dog all at once.

Extended exposure to a scary experience will only induce protracted fearful reactions and your dog will be too panicky and scared to logically examine the situation and realize that nothing that threatening is really going on. Forcing your dog into a scary situation will only serve to reinforce the fear and fear-response. That's why I'm going to be extra careful when I introduce Kera to the pool this weekend.

Whether your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, the hair dryer, taking a bath, or listening to fireworks, the key to helping him get over that fear is gradually introducing the stimulus for short periods of time, preferably at a distance, and rewarding the dog for any confident or at least "neutral" behavior. In time, your dog's curiosity will get the best of him and he will go find out more about that scary inch of water in the bathtub or the loud sucking monster in the basement and you can be sure to praise him for his excellent progress.

Lacking that bravery or boldness, he may simply grow inured and be able to ignore the stimulus and focus on something else, like his favorite bone. You can reward that behavior, too.

Since Kera is afraid of fireworks, I'll avoid taking her to the big town fireworks display, like I did last year (that was my mistake - taking her to a potentially frightening event where we could not leave or distance ourselves from the stimulus when she became overwhelmed).

Instead, I will perhaps leave her tied in the yard as the neighborhood kids set off some small fireworks a few blocks away. If she handles that ok, I'll praise her, and maybe we'll eventually be able to get a little closer to the fireworks. If she's afraid, I'll try to distract her with something else, or take her further up the street where she can hear and smell the fireworks even less distinctly.

Have you ever had a situation in which your dog was afraid of something? How did you handle it? Did your dog become more or less fearful? Let me know at Emily@Gifts-For-Dog-Lovers.com

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Well, that's it for now, thanks again for subscribing to the brand-new newsletter. I have already heard from some of you, and gotten some great dog pictures which I will be adding to the website soon! Feel free to get in touch and tell me about your pool parties, family barbecues and any other great experiences you have with your dog!



Having Doggone Good Fun!

Emily Cunningham

P.S. Don't let the decision on whether to offer your aging pet medical treatment be a financial one. More and more pet owners around the country are investing in pet medical insurance to ensure their pet recieves the very best treatments modern medicine has available! Find out how to prepare to protect your pet from "economic euthanasia" at http://www.gifts-for-dog-lovers.com/pet-health-insurance.html

Copyright, Emily Cunningham. 2004

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