This is a report from Darren Doran describing his latest training line for Theo. Regular readers of the blog are very familiar with this tracking team from New Jersey. Darren used a new design of tracking shoes, which is produced by Ray Holohan. We will have a separate post about them soon, when Ray is ready to start selling his product.
TRAINING LINE The line is 1000 yds. long. This line was my first line using Ray Holohans buck shock tracking shoes. 4 oz. of blood was used. Blood, feet, and articles were from the same deer. The line will be 36 hrs. old when ran and is set in an area the County burned this spring. The soil is very sandy here. The vegetation is sparse due to the burn and the woods are mostly oak and pine. Visibility is good here and the over story is somewhat open. There are numerous 90’S and one backtrack and one wound bed. Three articles were used on this line and were made from deer skin about 2 X 1 stapled to a 4 inch by 1 inch diameter dried piece of stick.
TRAINING GOAL The goal of this exercise is to work on article identification, stopping and re-starting on the line and the backtrack. I will also start this line as a controlled search and see how Theo does.
ACTUAL LINE It was 71 degrees, overcast and humid this morning. I started Theo in a controlled search about 80 yds. from the line and about 50 yds. into it from the hit site. I asked him to search and “find the blood”. He worked nicely in a left to right forward arc until we hit the line. He took the line back towards the hit site and through it and began searching. He looped back to the line and took it back to the hit site and was about to pass through it again when I alerted him on it. He stopped and smelled the hair and turned around. I gave him a piece of meat and we started tracking.
I thought this was going to be harder for Theo but his tracking speed told me differently. We did numerous stops on the line and I would reward him with a piece of meat and give him water. He restarted nicely. He found the articles and these were too big for him to swallow. Articles in the past were small pieces of skin and hair that he would pick up, swallow and continue tracking so fast I was not able to reward him for finding them. He took all the turns but one perfectly. The one he missed only took a minute or so to require the line. His tracking speed also caused him to miss the wound bed. The backtrack took seven minutes to work out. This line took 33 minutes to finish and does not include the controlled search.
CONCLUSION Theo did real well on this line. What I thought was going to be difficult was very easy for him. He handled the controlled search excellent. There was no mistaking his reaction when he hit the line. Stopping and re-starting was good. The larger articles got him to stop and be rewarded for finding them. The backtrack still needs work but is getting better. Theo has a natural tendency to search forward and away from the last scent. When he circles back he doesn’t always make his circles large enough to cross back over the line. He does handle and when asked to “search here” he will respond. I’ll repeat this line and add 12 hrs. to the age and see how he does.
It was a week ago, on Wednesday, when John and I drove to Newark International Airport to pick up our new puppy from Germany - Kunox der von der Dohlmühle. Kunox arrived in the United States, all happy and wiggly, not showing any sign of stress.
Interestingly, we did not plan to get a new puppy this fall, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself and cannot be denied. It was almost four weeks ago when Stefan Fuß of "von der Bismarck-Eiche" kennel in Germany posted some information on Facebook about a male "von der Dohlmühle" puppy looking for a hunting home due to some unexpected circumstances. When I (Jolanta) saw the pups picture and outstanding pedigree, I knew that we must have him. More about his pedigree and family later.
So many, many thanks go to Stefan who made it all possible and to Annelie Grauer, Kunoxs breeder, who trusted us with her puppy.
John has already started to work with Kunox and this is what he wrote: As Jolanta points out, we were lucky to get a puppy with such an outstanding pedigree forblood tracking. Fortunately little Kunox doesnt know about the pedigree and howgood he is supposed to be. He is a nice, relaxed dog with good social skills around humans and canines. He departed from Lufthansa at NewarkAirport totally relaxed and ready to sleep on my lap all the way home.
Of course the Old Man was especially interested in Kunoxs desire and ability for tracking. The second day after his arrival in Berne we tried the first liver drag of 20 yards. No problem, but he learned what it was all about and had a fine chew on the deer liver at the end of the drag. The next day Kunox had a liver drag twice as long. Clearly it was too easy, but he liked the liver. On day three the liver drag was nearly 100 yards and an hour old. It was windy but Kunox got his nose down in the grass andheld to the scent line. Now he was ready for something more challenging.
Day four: This time I laid out a line with droplets of deer blood through the labyrinth of paths in our running enclosure. There were many right angles to overshoot, and I let it age forfour hours. The line was only about 150 yards long, but there were many complicated turns. Kunox marched through it with ease, never overshooting a turn by more than five feet before checking and correcting himself. At the deer skin he approached with caution, but after my assurances he grabbed on. The prey drive was there! He actually preferred shaking the deer hide to eating the deer heart treats.
I kind of like this puppy!
This puppy loves his food, even home-grown kale. We need to take just a little bit of weight off him.
He is a low-key pup that can just relax and sleep while we go about our daily routine.
Kunox has met most of our dogs and proved to have good social skills. Mielikki is a good playmate as she is patient and gentle with him...up to the point. She set some boundaries by now for Kunox and one of them is that he is not allowed to hump her (he tried).
Kunox has been accepted by his new family; the picture shows Paika and Sky
Kunox licking Billys face
Kunox has a very good switch: he is on in the field...
...and off in the house. Dont you love a puppy that you can take a nap with?
??
Kunoxs dam is Gwendoline der von der Dohlmühle, who just three days ago won the International Vp test in Italy with maximum number of points of 280. Gwennies mother Elsebeere von der Bismarck-Eiche got 268 points. Both got their CACIT (Certificat d’Aptitude au Championnat International de Travail) and became International Working Champions.
When we were in Germany in 1999 we visited Manfred Siekmann of von Rominten kennel. He is an extremely knowledgeable and accomplished breeder and handler, and we learned from him a lot. At the time his male Nurmi von Rominten was flying high as a blood tracker. I think he won Chorin Suche blood tracking championship twice. We loved the dog, and we saw him again on subsequent trips. He got to live to be 15. We always wanted a puppy sired by him but it has never worked out. The sire of Kunox is IACh GS BSS Doktor von Rominten, who is linebred tightly on Nurmi, and is an outstanding dog in his own right.
This picture of Tom Munoz was taken at the 2011 UBT Trackfest in Arkansas. Tom is holding Jack (Joeri/Greta son) and Meg (mom to the current puppies).
Tom and Jackie Munozs puppies have turned two weeks old. A couple of boys are still available to serious blood tracking homes (see pictures below)! Both parents of the litter are active, accomplished blood trackers.
Dam of the litter, Meg, is a granddaughter of Agata v Moosbach-Zuzelek, and she was sired by Nicki von Velbert, who was imported from Germany. The pups were sired by eight-year-old Fred (Frederick der Trakker Yergz), a full brother to Gail Bergers Pepper. Freds lines go back to Asko von der Drachenburg, Sabina von Moosbach-Zuzelek, Traelborgs Herbert "Skyder", vom Dornenfeld and Springwoods.
Tom and Jackie Munozs website is at www.alabamadeertracking.com. They can be contacted at deertrackingdog@gmail.com or 256-426-3199. Pups are in Alabama.
Doggone Safe Canada is a strong partner to the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society. Through materials and monetary support from Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society has a sustainable dog bite prevention program established in 10 schools and an outreach program in additional 11 schools.
Dog bite prevention education is cardinal in rebuilding a country- Liberia where nearly 85% of the population lives below USD 1 dollar per day and the means of accessing anti- human rabies vaccine is nearly impossible. Dogs are part of the family circle but suffered as the result of rabies and the dog meat trade. When there is an outbreak of rabies, killing had been the only easier and common method used by community people. This method failed to eliminate or reduce the spread of the deadly and neglected disease. In partnership with Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society introduced the dog bite prevention program in various communities and schools in Lofa County, Liberia targeting mainly children- the main victims of dog bite. The program is making an impressive improvement in the fight against the spread of rabies and the killing of dogs as the mean of curtailing the spread of rabies. Today, as the result of LAWCS intervention, dog bite incident is drastically reduced in the communities where LAWCS is working and people continue to live happily with their dogs.
LAWCS presently has 5 teachers volunteering as dog bite prevention presenters in their various schools and communities.
These volunteers were trained and empowered with dog bite prevention materials to conduct activities with their school children.
13,949 students were trained during the awareness program.
Below are the schools and number of students educated during the program:
You may be surprised to learn that dogs can say a lot more than "woof", but they say it with their bodies not their voices. Make sure that your kids know how to speak dog. Even if you dont have a dog, you can be sure that many of your childs friends do.
Most dog bites to children are by a family pet known to the child. Most dog owners dont know the signs warning of an eventual bite and although they may be supervising they are surprised and shocked when a bite happens. Dogs dont bite out of the blue, and the dog will have been giving warnings, but no-one was listening Just because the adults dont know stuff, is no reason for kids not to know it.
Dogs are everywhere and the vast majority are nice dogs. Nevertheless, all kids need to learn how dogs communicate and when to stay away or leave them alone. Treating dogs respectfully is good for kids and dogs.
Watch and sing along with this fun and educational video from The Family Dog, dog trainers in New Jersey.
Catch up! Participate! Plan your conferences for 2015! Check out all the latest in canine science from November here, thanks to the magic of Storify (if you dont see a beautiful array of handy snippets below, please click this link to view)
Further reading: Cobb M., Paul McGreevy, Alan Lill & Pauleen Bennett (2014). The advent of canine performance science: Offering a sustainable future for working dogs, Behavioural Processes, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.10.012 Hecht J. (2014). Citizen science: A new direction in canine behavior research, Behavioural Processes, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.10.014 Bradshaw J.W.S. & Rachel A. Casey (2009). Dominance in domestic dogs—useful construct or bad habit?, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 4 (3) 135-144. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2008.08.004
Gosling S.D. & Oliver P. John (2003). A Dogs Got Personality: A Cross-Species Comparative Approach to Personality Judgments in Dogs and Humans., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85 (6) 1161-1169. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.6.1161
Rob and Diane Richardson from New Hampshire are looking for their blood tracking dog Bella. In Dianes words: We were doing a wounded deer track on 11/14/13 at 379 Jarvis Hill Rd, Claremont, NH and just as Rob was reeling her in to call a halt to the track and the night, Bella somehow got off her gear and zipped off still tracking the buck. We searched all night and never found her. She ALWAYS comes to Rob so this is very unusual. Bella is a Southern Black Mouth Cur (looks like pit X Lab mix to some people) red/yellow/tan. about 50 lbs. 23-24" at shoulder and last seen wearing a green nylon collar that has her name, license (Unity), Rabies tag and Microchip tag. She is people and dog friendly. Traffic naïve and will run in front of autos without thinking. She is a trained (licensed by NH Fish & Game) Blood tracking/Wildlife recovery dog and is trained to track wounded deer. She may still be in pursuit of or with the buck she was tracking - do not shoot her! Bella has SEVERE food allergies and needs a specific diet!!!
If found in need of medical care transport immediately to her vet Claremont Animal Hospital. $100 reward for her safe return no questions asked.
Diane & Rob 603-542-7344 or Claremont Animal Hospital 543-0117 or the Claremont Police Department.
The CLASSY Awards is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the USA, recognizing the most outstanding philanthropic achievements by charities, businesses and individuals nationwide.
More than 2,000 nominations were submitted to StayClassy for consideration. After a vetting process, StayClassy posted each nomination as an article on the CLASSY Awards Achievements Blog (www.stayclassy.org/stories) to put a national spotlight on amazing philanthropic stories. Doggone Safe rallied their supporters to generate at least 100 Facebook ‘Likes’ on their article to qualify them for the judging round. Out of thousands of nominations, the judges narrowed the list down to the Top 25 most inspiring and impactful in each category. Doggone Safe is a finalist in the category: Most Effective Awareness Campaign.
The Top 10 Finalists will be determined by public vote and announced on August 30th. The winners will be recognized live on-stage at the Oscars-style CLASSY Awards ceremony in San Diego on September 17th.
A Charitable Event to Remember
The 3rd Annual CLASSY Awards competition will culminate at a red-carpet awards ceremony on Saturday, September 17 in San Diego, California. It will feature celebrity appearances, chart-topping music talent, nonprofit and technology leaders, and thousands of CLASSY Awards supporters. More than $150,000 in cash and prizes will be donated to support the charitable efforts of the 12 National CLASSY Awards Winners.
This year’s CLASSY Awards weekend will also feature the CLASSY Collaborative, a day-long networking event on Friday, September 16 at the W Hotel San Diego. Participants will have the opportunity to meet, mingle and share ideas with some of the foremost leaders in philanthropy, technology, innovation, and entertainment.
How You Can Help
Doggone Safe needs your vote in order to make it into the top 10. Doggone Safe is a finalist in the category: Most Effective Awareness Campaign. You may also like to vote in some of the other categories to help support other terrific charities. There are two others who are helping Doggone Safe with promotion and we hope that you will take a look and consider giving them your vote as well. These are:
Rock to Stop Violence - Rock N Roll movement to end violence and abuse and to seek support for survivors of violence and abuse. Finalist for Best New Charity
Amanda Evrard - Amanda is the the volunteer coordinator of Helotes Humane Society, and also volunteers with Homeward Bound and San Antonio Great Dane Rescue. Finalist for Young Non-Profit Leader of the Year.
Tips for politicians, census takers and others who go door to door. This hand out is available from our Free Resources page.
Parent Education Pamphlet, Poster and Child Education Postcard
This 2-sided, 6 panel pamphlet, poster and postcard were created in partnership with the Emergency Nurses Association, San Diego Chapter and are available from Child Safety Solutions. For pricing and ordering information please call Tammy at 877-669-7233.
Poster
Postcard
Stickers
The stickers are not new, but they are back. For pricing information and to order, please visit our store
The holiday season is coming up and with it the inevitable spate of parties and family celebrations. These events are great fun for the people, but can be very stressful for dogs. Here are some tips to help keep both kids and dogs safe and happy during family gatherings Holidays Are Stressful for Dogs
The holidays are especially stressful for dogs due to changes in routine and the comings and going of visitors. Many dog bites happen at this time of year.
When visiting a house with a dog, children should be taught not to approach the dog (even if the dog has been friendly on other occasions). If the dog comes to them they should stand still like a tree and let the dog sniff. Only if the the dog is wagging and panting and coming to them for attention, and parent and dog owners are supervising and have given permission, should a child touch the dog. Dog owners should gauge their dog’s reaction to visitors. If the dog is overly excited, barking or growling, cowering away, trying to hide or otherwise showing signs of anxiety or aggression, the dog should be kept separate from visiting children for the ENTIRE DURATION of the child’s visit. The dog should have its own place in a crate or another room with toys, a bone to chew on and its special bed or blanket so that it can be happy and comfortable and away from guests. Even dogs who seem happy with visitors should never be alone in the room with visiting children. No preschooler, toddler or baby should be allowed to be near your dog unless you personally also have your hands on the dog and can prevent face to face contact between child and dog and can prevent the child from hugging or otherwise bothering the dog.
Greeting People at the Door
Dogs should not be allowed to greet visitors at the door. This is for the safety of the dog and the visitors. Keep the dogs in separate room or crate until the visitors are settled and then allow the dog to say hello if appropriate. If you are not sure about your dog, then leave him confined or keep him on a leash. Make sure that the dog associates visitors with something good for the dog, such as special treats or a stuffed bone.
Not the Time to Train the Dog
If you do perceive a problem between your dog and visiting children - THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO WORK ON IT. It is not reasonable to use visiting children to help train your dog. Take preventative measures to ensure that your dog does not have the opportunity to bite and once the holiday season is over seek the help of a dog behavior specialist who uses positive reinforcement methods to solve the dogs problem.
Family Gatherings
Family gatherings at a relative’s house are the source of fond memories for many. The relative’s dog may not enjoy these events as much as the rest of the family. Noise, confusion and changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Even a normally calm and docile pet may become agitated enough to bite under the extreme circumstances of a boisterous family celebration. Supervision may be lax if each adult thinks that another is watching the children. Children are the most likely victims of dog bites in this situation. Doggone Safe offers the following tips:
Put the dog in his crate with a bone or favorite chew toy, at least during the most hectic times – guests arriving and leaving as well as dinner preparation and serving.
Assign one adult to be in charge of the dog, to watch for signs of stress and protect from unwanted attention from children.
Signs of stress include: The dog yawns or licks his chops.The dog shows the white part of his eye in a half moon shape.
If the dog shows any of these signs, then he is worried and wants to be left alone. Put the dog in his crate or in a room away from the guests with a favorite chew toy or bone.
If the dog licks his chops, yawns or shows the half moon eye when a child approaches or is petting him, intervene immediately and ensure that the child cannot access the dog.
Do not allow visiting children to hug the dog. Dogs don’t like hugs and kisses. Even if the dog tolerates this under normal circumstances he may not tolerate this from strangers or in a high stress situation with lots of noise and people.
Other signs that the dog does not welcome attention from children (or adult) guests include the following:
The dog turns his head away, walks away or tries to hide under furniture.
The dog freezes and becomes very still, with his mouth closed. He may be staring intensely at the person who is bothering him and may growl. This dog is a few seconds away from a bite.
The dog growls or raises the fur along his back.
Assign one adult to supervise each baby or toddler with no other tasks expected.
If you have multiple dogs, consider kenneling them, crating them or keeping them in another room during large gatherings.
Supervise at all times.
Download our handout with a summary of tips for parents and dog owners
Articles:
Visit our article library for some articles about keeping kids and dogs safe during the holidays. Scroll through the list looking for those articles marked with a candy cane. Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release with more tips
Members:
Doggone Safe Members: Download the Doggone Safe Holiday Press Release that you can edit to send to local newspaper, radio and TV media to promote your business and disseminate our safety messages. Join Doggone Safe.
Reprinted from the Family Paws Parent Education blog
As the holidays approach and you make your plans keep in mind that stress and changes in routine can impact our dog’s behavior.
Often we get frustrated and are on edge as there is so much to do to prepare for dinners, visits and other celebrations. The following is a glimpse of some of the confusion our canine family members may experience. Keep in mind that as you are busy rushing around your dog is observing and sensing a change in you. They may “act out” if and when usual attention seeking methods do not work.
This is predictable and can be avoided by being aware and maintaining some of the usual routines your dog is comfortable with. Plan and prepare ahead for success.
I wrote this years ago (2005) with my dog Carin in mind. This is what I imagined when I put myself in her shoes on a busy morning like this.
Hi, My name is Carin. I am a spunky young and beautiful female dog. I am writing to share an experience with you that many of us dogs feel needs to be addressed and understood by all of our 2 legged friends. So, here is the story. This morning was different then most. My 2 legged friend got up before I was ready and convinced me it was time to go “potty” in the dark. Seems a bit backwards from my point of view and I was a bit thrown off. Anyway, I went with her odd idea of going potty before the sun went up. It is only every now and then that she does this odd routine change. This means our whole day is unpredictable. What is she thinking!?! As I am out there doing “potty” she is rushing me. What is wrong with her!?! Geesh, I have not gotten an opportunity to sniff properly to strategically place my gift to the earth. “Let’s go Carin.” She says as she heads for the door. As I turn away from the opportunity to explore and leave more gifts, I wander behind her back indoors. I head for the bedroom but no, this is not where my 2 legged friend is headed. She is really confusing me. I follow her to the kitchen and figure I will just snuggle up here for a nap and ignore her apparent memory loss about the sun coming up and our relaxing time in bed together for a morning cuddle. Seems she has forgotten altogether about that as I watch her from under the table. She even nudged me with her foot once not paying attention to my being there. Something is definitely different about today...
For those of you who are not already aware, for the last 2½ months I have been on a diet. My parents and my weight loss warden, Dr. Brooks, keep telling me I should not think of it as a diet but rather as a healthier way of eating. I think they forget sometimes that though I display an inordinate amount of brain cells, I am, after all a dog and find that concept disconcerting and unreasonable.
I do remember vaguely back in the day when my family would ask if I’d like a “treat” and then turn around and give me a dog bone. I felt like Hannibal Lector since only he would want to eat the bones of other dogs. (Please don’t tell Mom and Dad because I’m not allowed to watch those kinds of things but when they leave the room, I “accidentally” roll over on the remote and change the channel.)
Dr. Brooks also suggested that I keep a food diary because little items seem to add up so quickly calorie-wise. You’d think with all the examinations he’s given me, he would have noticed I don’t have any thumbs but thank goodness, at least I do have access to a computer. My having to “watch my weight” bothers my Mom and Dad so much more than me because like so many others, they equate love with food. When I go in periodically to get weighed, they always hold their breath and advise me to only stand on one paw.
My much older (counting in dog years) two-legged siblings are actually quite jealous and insist they were never regarded with the same devotion afforded me. They must think that cooking for me daily and serving my water chilled is not an entitlement. The nerve of them to count the number of times I go to the vet and compare it to the number of times they were taken to the pediatrician! Not for publication is also the fact that my Mom carries around pictures of me and none of her children/grandchildren.
Everybody thinks theyre being so original when they tell my folks they really should put a saddle on me and keep me in a stable. Speaking of everybody, my Dad who doesn’t like to go out much, now enjoys it because he considers me quite the chick magnet. I’m not worried about the stability of my home though, because dogs chase cars all the time but they wouldn’t know what to do with it if they actually caught one. That’s my good old Dad!
I know there isn’t one of you out there who has not tried every new weight loss measure that comes around on a monthly basis. My last hope was the macaroni and cheese ex-lax one that had me parked in the backyard for nine hours straight. Even though I’m extremely well-trained, I wasn’t able to obey the command to “sit” for at least four days. Now, my four-legged friends, I am delighted to say I have found one that not only works, but actually tastes good. Of course, I’m speaking about CANIDAE Platinum dog food. As a devotee, I now walk around the house singing my new anthem “Oh CANIDAE, Oh CANIDAE.”
The glucosamine chondroitin in the CANIDAE really keeps me hopping, as well as the carrots that are now my “treats.” Not only have I lost 10 lbs. in just under three months, but I’ve also been able to throw away my glasses. The greatest thing is that my pecs have stayed the same but my butt appears to be quite a bit smaller. I’m hoping that when Colliewood comes calling, Al Poochino can play me and, perhaps, Kibble Shepherd can be his leading lady. Al may think she’s a little long in the tooth at this point, but we all know the miracles of botox.
Since I’m not supposed to think about eating so much, you’d think that when I’m left at home my folks wouldn’t turn the TV to the Food Network. I know they keep hoping they’ll come home and find that I’ve fixed a nice dinner for them, but watching all that stuff just makes me hungry. Then again, if you don’t have thumbs, it’s difficult to turn a nice rib-eye.
Even though I love the taste of CANIDAE Platinum, my ultimate goal is to get my mind off of food and think of other things. Perhaps next time you’d like to hear about my neutering experience. Now that story is a real cut-up!
This is a report from Darren Doran describing his latest training line for Theo. Regular readers of the blog are very familiar with this tracking team from New Jersey. Darren used a new design of tracking shoes, which is produced by Ray Holohan. We will have a separate post about them soon, when Ray is ready to start selling his product.
The CLASSY Awards is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the USA, recognizing the most outstanding philanthropic achievements by charities, businesses and individuals nationwide.
The glucosamine chondroitin in the CANIDAE really keeps me hopping, as well as the carrots that are now my “treats.” Not only have I lost 10 lbs. in just under three months, but I’ve also been able to throw away my glasses. The greatest thing is that my pecs have stayed the same but my butt appears to be quite a bit smaller. I’m hoping that when Colliewood comes calling, Al Poochino can play me and, perhaps, Kibble Shepherd can be his leading lady. Al may think she’s a little long in the tooth at this point, but we all know the miracles of botox.
