Ollie celebrates a Birthday

Ollie has a big family

Today we celebrate Stevie's 10th birthday. She is the white and brown dog in the back (R).

Lassie is afraid of Fireworks

Dear Ollie,

Every year just around this time, I hear rumbling noises in the distance and loud bangs near my house. Then, I am graced with the presence of an 80 pound dog panting on my lap. Her ears are down, her tail is twitching and her claws are out. She’s scared and I’m trapped under a bristle tent of brindle colored collie fur. What can I do to enjoy the July 4^th holiday season without stressing out Lassie?

Pet Parents

Lowell, IN

Dear Pet Parents,

Ka-Boom! What you have here is a scared dog. However, it’s natural for dogs to be afraid of loud noises so not to worry. The sounds trigger their nervous system and they may become very afraid, unsure or shy. Running away from the noise is a survival mechanism for dogs. I know dogs that react to the loud sound of a vacuum cleaner by either attacking the large metallic, mechanical monster or running from it.

But this is about your question. If you want to prevent your 80 pound collie from quivering in your lap, I have these suggestions.

Scolding or coddling Lassie won’t help her. Scolding will scare and confuse her and coddling serves to reinforce her fearful behaviors. Instead, you need to act confident and unbothered by the noise and activity outside and distract her by playing a game such as ball.  Also, I like Cesar Milan’s suggestion of going for a very long walk before the fireworks. If Lassie is completely exhausted, her brain will be so tired that she won’t be able to concentrate on the fireworks.

If booming fireworks are being set off by neighbors nearby or if you’re having guests over for a holiday celebration that includes fireworks, find a quiet, secure place to keep Lassie. Darkening the room can help and so can crating. Don’t leave her outside even in a fenced yard where fireworks may be heard in a distance. She may try to dig her way to China or jump a fence.

Some veterinarians sell “Thunder shirts” to wrap around a dog thereby reducing anxiety. Or you can make your own by using an adult or children’s T-shirt. As a last resort, you can get a prescription from your veterinarian for tranquilizers.

Lassie will never understand America’s need to celebrate their independence from Britain by setting off fireworks that have a booming profit margin and I don’t either.

Calendar July 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. because I’m appearing at Westfield Mall by the Humane Society of Northwest Indiana kiosk on the second floor. For a small donation, you can write a question and I’ll answer it in my Post Tribune column.   Pretty neat, right?



Remember: Rescuing one pet will not change the world...but the world will change for that one pet.

I am Charlene and I am a Poop Roll-Aholic

Dear Ollie,

I am Charlene a mixed breed border collie. I also live in Union Township, and I really like living here. I have a large yard, and I like to herd lawn mowers, other dogs and my woman-person's van.

My man-person is my favorite thing in the world. He thinks that I am the smartest dog ever. (He thinks that I am a dog, but I know that I am a real live little girl.) My problem is sometimes I like to roll in bad stuff. I am quite discerning so a nice, fresh, dead carcass is my very favorite. However, when in a pinch, any new poop or swamp water will do just fine. When I do this he calls me RIP, which is an acronym for “Roll In Poop.” I become very embarrassed and ashamed when he calls me this. Also, I must have a bath before I can go back in the house.

Why do I have an irresistible urge to roll in poop and how can I learn to stop?

Charlene



Dear Charlene,

Seriously, I love it when a beautiful female dog talks to me about her favorite fragrance being Eau de Poop. Phew, I get all worked up just thinking about it. Well young lady, you are not human and so you don’t tolerate toiletries, daily showers or, God forbid, the hated shampoo bowl. For me, taking a bath makes a real bad day.

I get it. Your idea of smelling absolutely irresistible is to roll in something that, for humans, is 100 % horrible. My personal favorite in this category, and it sends my humans clear out of the room, is dark, green goose poop. I fall in love with its bouquet in August and it makes my human gag.

One theory or hypothesis suggests that dogs are trying to mask their own scent by rolling in the unthinkable and thus gaining an edge over prey species that might otherwise detect them and flee for cover.

There are some experts in dog behavior that say the more dogs roll in stinky stuff the better equipped they are to tell other dogs where they’ve been and what they found there. A dog streaked with excrescence is viewed by his canine brethren as a story teller.

Given the fact that the average dog has some 220 million scent receptors and a human has a paltry 5 million, really makes me wonder about all this.

Canine society holds story tellers in very high esteem.

Humans hold story tellers in very high esteem, too.

Film maker George Lucas worked on a string of hit movies titled Indiana Jones and the yada, yada, yada starring Harrison Ford. Lucas had a dog named Indiana when he was a child and named this lead character after his dog. Historically, human story tellers do not roll in poop.















Remember:  Rescuing one pet can’t change the world…but the world will change for that one pet.

Bob's Been a Bad Boy

Dear Ollie,

I have been trying to train my high energy dog for weeks to respond to the commands “Stay” and “Come”.

Last week, I was walking Bob; he saw a person and ran to the other side of the street. Before you think that I am an irresponsible owner, let me add that he was on his red leash and pulled with such force that it flew out of my hand. He is very strong dog and gets just a little crazy around people.

I yelled “Stay”, and he stopped dead in his tracks. For a moment, I thought I was experiencing great success. I was relieved that he had made so much progress in his training that he did not dash into the street to chase a car, bike or jogger. Even the neighbors came outside to witness this spectacular show. There was a well behaved Bob quietly sitting on his haunches sniffing the wind, doing absolutely nothing and going absolutely nowhere.

Of course, this behavior required a special treat from me. So, I ran across the street to both capture and reward him. This was I fantasized, what the instructor in obedience class calls, a perfect training moment. Bob was happy to see me and let out a series of little barks but still didn’t move.

Could my training have gone too far? Bob sat like a white marble statue his head turning east in my direction. I rushed to him armed with treats and gushing praise.  And then I saw it. My well behaved dog, Bob, was attached to a leash snared in a budding red rose bush. He wasn’t well-behaved at all. He was stuck. What do I do with Bob?

Signed,

Cynthia (a frustrated owner)

 

Dear Cynthia,

Well, what do we do with Bob? Bob is a very headstrong dog. Of that, there is no doubt. Your friendly neighbors may refer to him as a lovable lunatic or an outboard motor dialed to high. He is energy in motion and everything interests him all the time. A high energy dog will keep on dancing until he is calmed down. Does this sound like Bob? To train Bob requires the   perfect spot with no distractions and no spectators. You need to be calm and forceful at the same time and this training must occur while he is leashed and you are in command. Be sure that you really run him before he trains and this may wear him down for you. Use body language like a hand signal that is the same each time you command a behavior from Bob. Dogs respond to both your body language and tone of voice.  The “Stay” command comes after Bob learns to “Sit”.

Since I am only a dog and not a trainer, I don’t have the expert advice you need to train Bob. I just know from experience what works for me and my human. You can continue your training or check out a book on dog behaviors and training from the library.

I’m thinking that you may need to double your vitamins just to keep up with Bob. Not only that, remember, Bob is pretty smart. After all, he fooled you.

 

No Bites. Kisses!

Ollie-Dog