Eulogy

Hi Everyone!  This is Buddy’s mom.  I’m sorry that I haven’t posted in years but as they say, time flys.  Buddy and I worked as a team for a glorious 13yrs. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for me. He was my “right arm”. I have some YouTube vids I did over the years. Not all are posted (I need to do that)

Buddy blessed me with his service and love for 13yrs.  Sadly, Bud had to leave us on December 17, 2021.  He was diagnosed with oral cancer.  Along with his collapsing trachea which was managed through medication.

He passed peacefully on my lap as I watched him gradualyly sink into a deep sleep, never to awaken again.

I’ll always remember him this way … and smile :)

https://youtube.com/shorts/71sharCokrgbFU?feature=

I Am a Dog, Not a Thing

I am a dog. I am a living, breathing animal. I feel pain, joy, love, fear and pleasure.

I am not a thing. If I am hit – I will bruise, I will bleed, I will break. I will feel pain. I am not a thing.

I am a dog. I enjoy playtime, walk time, but more than anything, I enjoy time with my pack – my family – my people. I want nothing more than to be by the side of my human. I want to sleep where you sleep and walk where you walk. I am a dog and I feel love…I crave companionship.

I enjoy the touch of a kind hand and the softness of a good bed. I want to be inside of the home with my family, not stuck on the end of a chain or alone in a kennel or fenced yard for hours on end. I was born to be a companion, not to live a life of solitude.

I get too cold and I get too hot. I experience hunger and thirst. I am a living creature, not a thing.

When you leave, I want to go with you. If I stay behind, I will eagerly await your return. I long for the sound of your voice. I will do most anything to please you. I live to be your treasured companion.

I am a dog. My actions are not dictated by money, greed, or hatred. I do not know prejudice. I live in the moment and am ruled by love and loyalty.

Do not mistake me for a mindless object. I can feel and I can think. I can experience more than physical pain, I can feel fear and joy. I can feel love and confusion. I have emotions. I understand perhaps more than you do. I am able to comprehend the words you speak to me, but you are not always able to understand me.

I am a dog. I am not able to care for myself without your help. If you choose to tie me up and refuse to feed me, I will starve. If you abandon me on a rural road, I will experience fear and loneliness. I will search for you and wonder why I have been left behind. I am not a piece of property to be dumped and forgotten.

If you choose to leave me at a shelter, I will be frightened and bewildered. I will watch for your return with every footfall that approaches my kennel run.

I am a dog – a living, breathing creature. If you choose to take me home, please provide me with the things that I need to keep me healthy and happy.

Provide me with good food, clean water, warm shelter and your love. Do not abandon me. Do not kick me. Do not dump me when your life gets too busy. Make a commitment to me for the entirety of my life, or do not take me home in the first place.

If you desert me, I do not have the means to care for myself. I am at the mercy of the kindness of people – if I fall into the wrong hands, my life will be ruined.

I will experience pain, fear and loneliness. If I wind up in an animal shelter, I have only my eyes to implore someone to save me, and my tail to show you that I am a friend. If that is not good enough, I will die.

I am a dog. I want to give and receive love. I want to live. I am not a thing. I am not a piece of property. Please do not discard me. Please treat me with kindness, love and respect. I promise to repay you with unconditional love for as long as I live.

The Toy

I'm so sad today.  One of my friends are going to be rehomed.  I know what he's going through because it happened to me.  ME! Good Dog Bud!

I was an incredibly cute puppy.  My mom and her mate loved me very much.  She bought me toys and food.  She would go to work each day and leave me locked in the bathroom.  It was cold.  I got bored and looked for things to do after I got tired of my toys.  I barked hoping someone would come and play with me, but no one was there.  I cried then went to sleep. Mom and Dad would come home from work to find me asleep and tell me what a good boy I was.  They didn't know how lonely I was.  I was so happy to see them!  I bounced and wrestled with them but they didn't play with me too long because they were tired and hungry.  So back in the bathroom I was placed.  I whimpered, they would tell me to be quiet.  I never got to go outside because they thought the potty pads they gave me were good enough.  I never really understood what they were but I'd get yelled at if I played with them so I was at a loss as to what to do with them.  Nothing I did with them made them happy.  I was always yelled at when I went potty.  I was so confused.

One day, they brought home this thing they called a "crate".  They put my water and food in it along with my toys.  They covered at halfway for my privacy.  I liked it.

When they were home, they would leave the door open and I could go in and out.   At night, they would lock me in it.  All night long.  When  they left for work, they would lock me in it again. All DAY long!

The little crate they bought me, I came to hate.  It became my prison.  I felt I was being punished and I didn't know why.  I was just a puppy and this first year of my life was one of constant confinement, loneliness and isolation with playtime with my Mom and Dad when they had time.  

One day they brought home a baby human.  The baby didn't have a crate and took all their time.  I never got how and where was the right place to go potty so they took me to a shelter saying that I "was too much trouble" and left me there.

I was one of the lucky ones.  The very next day my new Mom found me.  She teaches me things.  I'm never alone.  I go potty outside because she walks me 3-4 times a day.  I don't get yelled at anymore. There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for her.   

We understand each other.   I love her very much and she loves me.

I'm no longer just a toy.

Mom's away from the computer so I'm gonna put my paw to pen, so to speak, about something that irritates her to no end- lack of courtesy

Look... we know that I'm small and cute, but that's not why she chose me.  She chose me for my abilities and portability. To paraphrase Judge Judy, "I'm not working because I'm cute, I'm here because I'm SMART."

It's really getting out of hand and a bit irritating. Allow me to enlighten you on what pisses us off:

While out shopping we have been:

Getting jumped in front of to bring us to screeching halt just so the person can ask some intrusive questions like, what do I do for her, what is her disability, what kind of dog I am or the mother of all questions - "How do you get him to wear them shoes???"

Mom cringes when she hears someone yell, "Lookit the shoes!" because she knows the questions will start.  You may say "so what?  it'll just take a couple minutes".   Trust me, you are NOT the only ones stopping us to ask the same questions we get asked over and over. It's gotten so bad that Mom has actually written a FAQ to hand out.

Oh but that's not enough.  They reach over and pet me.. and I'm wearing my cape to show that I'm working!  When you see a dog wearing a service dog vest, just consider him "hands off "

And by all means, PLEASE don't try to call me over to you or ask if you can see me - I'm WORKING! 

This also goes for kids.  Teach them about service dogs. Do NOT encourage them to go 'pet the puppy'

Then lastly, there are those who want to show us a picture of their dog who they say looks EXACTLY like me.  In the past 3 years we have met only two other Shorkie owners and only one picture even looked like me. It's about as interesting as looking at pictures of someone's' grandkids and listening to how smart they are.

Puppy on a String

Tips for Easy Walking of Your Dogs

        

I often observe other dogs being walked on extenda leads. As you have realized by now, your control of your dogs are at a minimum.  The extenda lead SEEMS like a good idea until you walk more than one dog at a time using more than ONE extenda lead.  They criss cross and weave together making them basicaly useless.

So what is the alternative?  Put your dog on a 4' leash.  Yup, that is all you need.  You see, an extenda lead goes from zero to 25 feet.  Your dog has no idea of what his boundaries are, so he keeps pulling to the max.  Use a shorter lead.  This keeps the dog closer to you and gives him the added security that his pack leader is close by and with the coyotes out and about, you will be able to readily access your dog for his safety.  You will thank yourself and so will your dog. If you have two dogs, use just one leash with an attachement called a "coupler".  It looks like two short leashes attached to a D-ring that you clip to the clip on the end of your walking leash that you attach to your dog's collar.  The can be found at any Petco/PetSmart where the leashes are sold.

Your dog does NOT need to be 8 yards away from you to go potty.  When he has to go, he'll go.  Dogs are not that modest :)

My Shoes

The trick to train your dog to wear shoes is through positive reinforcement, proper sizing and patience.  How would you act if someone had put something on your feet forceably that were ill fittng and uncomfortable and you never knowing if they were ever going to come off or what the heck to do with them anyhow and the person who put them on you was laughing at you?

Buying dog shoes and slapping them on their feet then laughing at them while they panic is not the way.  Their FIRST experience with shoes will be the one they remember.

Here is how I trained Buddy to wear shoes:  I used a 'high value' (to him) treat of roasted chicken.  And be CONSISTANT. Do it the same way, in the same sequence, everytime.

Day One:  I put the shoe on the floor and let him check out.  When he showed interest and started to sniff it, he got a bit of treat.  I did the following when I would have him on my table for his daily combout:

I'd take the shoe and let him sniff it- and give him some of his treat.  (Choose his favorite treat and use it ONLY for this shoe training)  Run the shoe gently in his foot- then more treat when he lets you. I would then switch gears on him so he would not get fixated and began to proceed with the daily grooming.

After a bit, I would take the shoe (and this is the important part) and put on one foot, treat him and take it off immediately and treat him.  Your dog should be pleasantly perplexed :)  Praise him and act like the shoe is the greatest thing in the world and HE let you put it on his foot!!!  Try then same sequence again.  Groom a bit, he sniffs the shoe as you hold it up to him, treat, put one on his foot, treat, take it immediatly off his foot- treat.  He has got to know letting you put it on is as good as letting you take it off.  This is enough for the first day.  Finish his grooming.

Day Two- get him to his grooming place This should be a separate location he can count on as his business spot.  A place where he gets groomed and taught things.  Have you noticed that hiding his brush/comb by your recliner to spring on him after he hops in your lap for relaxation doesn't work?  Dogs do no like to be BS-ed.  It might work once, after that it's "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me".  Dogs are NOT dumb!

That being said, start grooming a bit, bring out the shoe- treat him (he's got to understand that whenever that shoe appears and touches his body, something good is going to happen.)

Put the first shoe on- Treat, praise, make it like it's the biggest party in town!  THEN put on another shoe (if he's getting the idea) using the show, sniff, TREAT, put on shoe, TREAT.... then take off BOTH shoes and give a 'jackpot treat', i.e. a bigger amount of his treat.  That is enough for day two.

Day Three :

Same sequence as above, but THIS time, leave the shoes on (just those first two) and place him on the floor.  As soon as he is on the floor, praise and give him his treat.  Observe him.  If he is curious and taking it well, leave them on for about 30 seconds then TREAT! PRAISE and take them OFF.  (I TOLD you this was going to take patience)

Day Four:  Same as day 3

Day Five:  Same sequence  (let him sniff shoe- treat/touch shoe to foot- treat/ take off shoe- treat/switch gears, groom/go back to shoe (sniff/touch foot/treat treat treat after each interaction with the shoe) 

Then do the same with the back feet. TREAT BIG TIME!  He let you put all 4 on!  Now if he's  as happy about it as you are, go ahead and put him on the ground.  TREAT as soon as he hits the ground.  Don't give him time to think about anything else other than he has things on his feet and he gets TREATS.

My key training tip is, "IGNORE the behavior you don't want (meaning, no treat given)' reward the one you do"  

If your dog panics, meaning that he is agitated and trying to tear them off, say nothing, just remove the boots and no treats, no scolding.  This is a new sensation for him, just go slow.  He'll learn soon enough, Shoe ON- GOOD! Shoe Off- NOTHING (no praise, no treat- just consider this training session closed.  Try again tomorrow.)

Now walking around funny in his shoes for the first time is not panic.  He's getting a feel for them and they are adjusting a bit to his foot.  If he panics, you will know it.  But with patience and following these instructions he should be in all four and walking in a week.  

Just do this when YOU are not rushed and have time.  As animals think in pictures and emotions, it helps to visualize a happy dog with his shoes on getting his favorite treat. (don't SCOFF!  TRY IT!)

Dog foot protection should be mandatory in Arizona.  Temperatures differentiate between 10 to 20° from the air to the ground. While it may be a comfortable 90° for you, down by your feet the temperature is approximately 117°.  During the summer, the ground retains heat, it does not cool down Shoes

The trick to train your dog to wear shoes is through positive reinforcement, proper sizing and patience.  How would you act if someone had put something on your feet forceably that were ill fittng and uncomfortable and you never knowing if they were ever going to come off or what the heck to do with them anyhow and the person who put them on you was laughing at you?

Buying dog shoes and slapping them on their feet then laughing at them while they panic is not the way.  Their FIRST experience with shoes will be the one they remember.

Here is how I trained Buddy to wear shoes:  I used a 'high value' (to him) treat of roasted chicken.  And be CONSISTANT. Do it the same way, in the same sequence, everytime.

Day One:  I put the shoe on the floor and let him check out.  When he showed interest and started to sniff it, he got a bit of treat.  I did the following when I would have him on my table for his daily combout:

I'd take the shoe and let him sniff it- and give him some of his treat.  (Choose his favorite treat and use it ONLY for this shoe training)  Run the shoe gently in his foot- then more treat when he lets you. I would then switch gears on him so he would not get fixated and began to proceed with the daily grooming.

After a bit, I would take the shoe (and this is the important part) and put on one foot, treat him and take it off immediately and treat him.  Your dog should be pleasantly perplexed :)  Praise him and act like the shoe is the greatest thing in the world and HE let you put it on his foot!!!  Try then same sequence again.  Groom a bit, he sniffs the shoe as you hold it up to him, treat, put one on his foot, treat, take it immediatly off his foot- treat.  He has got to know letting you put it on is as good as letting you take it off.  This is enough for the first day.  Finish his grooming.

Day Two- get him to his grooming place This should be a separate location he can count on as his business spot.  A place where he gets groomed and taught things.  Have you noticed that hiding his brush/comb by your recliner to spring on him after he hops in your lap for relaxation doesn't work?  Dogs do no like to be BS-ed.  It might work once, after that it's "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me".  Dogs are NOT dumb!

That being said, start grooming a bit, bring out the shoe- treat him (he's got to understand that whenever that shoe appears and touches his body, something good is going to happen.)

Put the first shoe on- Treat, praise, make it like it's the biggest party in town!  THEN put on another shoe (if he's getting the idea) using the show, sniff, TREAT, put on shoe, TREAT.... then take off BOTH shoes and give a 'jackpot treat', i.e. a bigger amount of his treat.  That is enough for day two.

Day Three :

Same sequence as above, but THIS time, leave the shoes on (just those first two) and place him on the floor.  As soon as he is on the floor, praise and give him his treat.  Observe him.  If he is curious and taking it well, leave them on for about 30 seconds then TREAT! PRAISE and take them OFF.  (I TOLD you this was going to take patience)

Day Four:  Same as day 3

Day Five:  Same sequence  (let him sniff shoe- treat/touch shoe to foot- treat/ take off shoe- treat/switch gears, groom/go back to shoe (sniff/touch foot/treat treat treat after each interaction with the shoe) 

Then do the same with the back feet. TREAT BIG TIME!  He let you put all 4 on!  Now if he's  as happy about it as you are, go ahead and put him on the ground.  TREAT as soon as he hits the ground.  Don't give him time to think about anything else other than he has things on his feet and he gets TREATS.

My key training tip is, "IGNORE the behavior you don't want (meaning, no treat given)' reward the one you do"  

If your dog panics, meaning that he is agitated and trying to tear them off, say nothing, just remove the boots and no treats, no scolding.  This is a new sensation for him, just go slow.  He'll learn soon enough, Shoe ON- GOOD! Shoe Off- NOTHING (no praise, no treat- just consider this training session closed.  Try again tomorrow.)

Now walking around funny in his shoes for the first time is not panic.  He's getting a feel for them and they are adjusting a bit to his foot.  If he panics, you will know it.  But with patience and following these instructions he should be in all four and walking in a week.  

Just do this when YOU are not rushed and have time.  As animals think in pictures and emotions, it helps to visualize a happy dog with his shoes on getting his favorite treat. (don't SCOFF!  TRY IT!)

Dog foot protection should be mandatory in Arizona.  Temperatures differentiate between 10 to 20° from the air to the ground. While it may be a comfortable 90° for you, down by your feet the temperature is approximately 117°.  During the summer, the ground retains heat, it does not cool down completely by the morning or evening and becomes cumulative over the summer.  Chances are if it's too hot for YOU to go barefoot it's too hot for your dog also. (and no, their feet are Not THAT tough!)  Check their feet after a walk, if they are getting reddened, consider not taking them out in the day.  The patios heat up fast.  If your dog is out and yipping... get him in the house.  He's not having fun!  Either get up WAY early or WAY late to walk your dog... or get him boots.

And that's how I do it.

 by the morning or evening and becomes cumulative over the summer.  Chances are if it's too hot for YOU to go barefoot it's too hot for your dog also. (and no, their feet are Not THAT tough!)  Check their feet after a walk, if they are getting reddened, consider not taking them out in the day.  The patios heat up fast.  If your dog is out and yipping... get him in the house.  He's not having fun!  Either get up WAY early or WAY late to walk your dog... or get him boots.

And that's how I do it.

Home Alone

The good Lord has given this wonderful being called a dog which comes with a sacred contract in which we are to take care of him and in turn, he comforts us in our hard times, in our loneliness, in our sickness and our joys.

Perhaps you are now single for the first time in your life and have decided you want a puppy!  So you get a tiny bundle of fluff and hurry home in anticipation of a lifetime of happiness with no memory of how hard it was to train a dog.  Actually, it's not the dog that needs training, it's the new owner.  But it's just a dog you think, all you have to do is show him once where to potty and he'll understand. How soon you will learn.  You have to take him outside and be PATIENT while he sniffs everything and eventually he'll go.

So you get frustrated.  Your interactions become less amiable to your new friend and the yelling begins.  The little guy has no clue what is going on because all you sound like to him is Charlie  Brown's teacher.  Worse yet, you leave him alone and hope he can figure it out somehow.  Does a human child just "figure it out"?

Let's say your dog has somehow learned.  You go about your day.  While he waits.

You work a day and he rejoices at you return but you're tired.  So he waits  until you take him out.  But he can't hold it anymore so he makes a mess and you yell.

He wants to play but you'd rather not be bothered and wonder why he won't just sit quietly in your lap....  It's because he has had no mental stimulation all day.

Your next day begins and you close the door on the little face that has to again be alone all day.  He decides to make his own excitement to stave off his boredom and HIS loneliness.

He begins to explore and finds wonderful things!  Your socks!  Your shoes! The loose carpet edge, and he begins to have SOME kind of fun.

You come home to find your house in shambles! Your dog happily greets you and is greeted by you, the only one he knows, his caretaker and master home at last, only to be screamed at.  You've had a rough day so you decide to go out to dinner with your friends leaving your dog home alone again.

He's bored out of his mind so he begins to call for his pack leader (YOU).  Your return is met with your neighbor's complaint about his barking.  You immediately interrupt his greeting with yet another scolding.

Who does this puppy turn to for comfort, for teaching, for acceptance when everything he does seems to be wrong?  Who can he trust?

This scenario is living hell for a dog.  Put yourself in his place... How scared and bewildered would YOU feel?

Before getting a dog, or ANY pet.. Examine your priorities.  A dog will love you unconditionally... Will you do the same?

You are all he has.