{{gwi:156528}}
EPHAS (Every Person Has A Story)
âÂÂ"A day in the life" by Luckenson Baptiste Jr., 14 years old. This is how to say Haiti in sign language. L. Baptiste lives in Haiti's only tent city for the deaf and their families.

{{gwi:156530}}

Maybe it will warm up enough to put something in them?

oooooooooooooooh!
VERY nice Chelone!

O, simple but sophisticated, Chelone! Love the brackets too!

-cindy

Continuing from last week here...

This is a Great Kiskadee, photographed by DH in Colonia, Uruguay. It seems they appear in Texas as well.

{{gwi:156532}}

Phoebe Before!

{{gwi:156534}}

(Then a terrible session with the groomer endangering both Lady and Beast. I now understand hating dogs.)

Phoebe After!

{{gwi:156536}}

Before is cuter - but definitely too hot for this weather! We had fun (?!) the other day doing Misty's bath and summer haircut:
{{gwi:156620}}
{{gwi:156621}}
I don't have an 'after' shot - Misty's avoiding the camera :-)

On a happier note, the Chinese wisteria is finally in bloom today:
{{gwi:156622}}

Nope! I vote for the second "look"! But there is still too much "sticky" around the mouth. ;)

The helpmeet always meets with confrontation when he bathes the Huge One. I suspect too much cold water and "beat the clock".

I use warm water and don't hurry..., after I beat Rex into submission, that is... .

(nothing in those window boxes yet)

No Chelone, this was dangerous behavior: snarling, jumping out of the tub even though strapped in, hanging from the clipping table...I mean she was angry and afraid and wanted OUT. I think they should have stopped much sooner and spoken to me.

I'm investigating solutions.

I think it's time to find a different groomer. If things have deteriorated to the point you describe, I very much doubt that Phoebe will ever accept things calmly at the present one again. My guess if that they did something - probably not intetionally - that hurt her and/or scared her and she no longer trusts them. Dogs have long memories; she'll never forget - or forgive -them...!

We do Misty's haircuts because she bit the husband of the groomer we took her to on the street behind us (we were trying to support a neighbour's business :-) Barb and I spent 15 minutes explaining to the lady Misty's abused past and her fear of men. We warned that she would bite if frightened. The woman made no mention that her busband (a police officer!) helped her. We wanted to stay to reassure Misty but she wouldn't let us stay. We hadn't reached the end of the driveway when Misty came running back - followed by the groomer's husband dripping blood from one hand! Misty was literally sh-tting herself with fear :-( What happened was as soon as the door closed behind us, the husband swooped down on Misty to take her to bathe her. From Misty's point of view, a strange man attacked her without warning and she defended herself! That was exactly the sort of situation we were afraid of and why we spent so much time explaining her history of being abushed by a man and why we felt it best if we stayed. I should have refused to leave her when the groomer didn't permit us to stay. The husband understood that it was largely their fault that the bite happened so didn't cause any problems about it. It's been about 6 years since that happened and Misty still growls whenever she sees him on the street. She is so intense about it, I can feel the leash vibrating...

So I really think you need another groomer because it sounds like - from Phoebe's perspective - that she feels threatened and needs to defend herself. And that's a recipe for disaster all round with a dog Phoebe's size.

Yes, and I've moved ahead on things for the reasons you mention...and also because I hate to see the real possibility of anxiety spreading to other aspects of her young life. This has really upset me too. Bouviers do not forget. Nor do their Mamas...

Fear and aggression can nearly always be traced back to obedience work: lack thereof, inconsistent expectations/application/enforcement. Get busy with basic obedience, 'bug. This will only help. You (and the husband!!) must insist on immediate compliance with commands. If Phoebe doesn't comply with, "Sit" within 3 seconds it must be enforced immediately. I cannot stress this enough. Compliance must be immediate and "automatic". She is too big, too strong, and bred to be "independent"... she needs to learn that humans (even the jerks) are superior to her and she must obey them.

This is about the dog's overall safety in a world ruled by humans. The deck is stacked against her because she's a minority... she must learn to do what she's told when she's told to do it, by whatever idiot voices the command. It's NOT fair, but she lives in a world that's stacked against her and any transgression on her part could imperil her.

I am not surprised that the groomer subdued her to finish the job. Failure to complete the job would have meant no pay (as a tradesman, I "get" that), and I'm sure time constraints weighed heavy. But, if a dog won't comply and grows increasingly combattive I'm not sure forcing the issue is the prudent course, either. (this from someone who had horses and knows that time is cheap when faced with a frightened, "stubborn" animal that weighs in excess of 1K). My own experience is that time and patience is very often the cure for bad behavior. When time is not immediately available the telephone usually is! Phoebe needs to be scheduled when there is plenty of time to work with her. But, I think that there needs to be some serious obedience intervention "at home", too.

When we first brought Rex home he wouldn't allow me to touch his feet. It took basic obedience work ("Leave it") and a lot of patience, working with him daily to get him to a place where he was OK with having his feet "touched". Now the we/the vet. can handle him with ease, which isn't to say he "likes" it, but he is compliant and trusting.

It starts with basic obedience work. Summer school, 'bug! and it will be fun and a breeze, too. :) :)

Phoebe has (very) basic obedience. Note the sit/stay in her before and after shots. Even after her ordeal she behaved well in the car and at home.

She was prepped for the grooming for a couple of weeks with meals and "stays" in our tub while water ran in the sink. Perfect behavior. DH has clipped her a bit at times as well.

She is trusted at our friend's apartment where she sleeps over occasionally, allowing the cat to use her cushion! No, she is not squirrel trained, but she has caught rabbits and baby groundhogs.

She has several tricks which she performs well too. She lives on a quiet farm away from traffic and is trained for that. She uses a leash if she goes elsewhere, or if I am with her solo. I like to combine part of each walk with a bit if obedience. DH will not cooperate with enforcing my code of conduct.

This is a case though where something has happened and no one is talking. I'd trust her with my grandbaby, but not with the groomer, now.
Time for a change.

Sit/stay in the comfortable, predictable surrounding of "home" means nothing, 'bug. Ask me how I know...

I told you about Rex's major meltdown a month/so ago. Our neighbor came over with his new puppy... 6-8 mos. old and primed for hunting. Rex was on leash and flipped out completely when he realized he was not free to run out and interact with the the new dog. It was awful. I was totally horrified by his behavior.

He bolted repeatedly, nearly pulling me off my feet. He barked, he whined, and bolted again and again. I was appalled. And embarrassed!! The helpmeet, his brother, and our neighbor were, too. But the former 2 were all for unclipping the leash and letting Rex go. I DIDN'T DO IT. The dog needed a reality check about who was in charge. I stuck to my guns and kept him on leash and required him to do what I commanded. I enforced it, and he did it in spite of the whining and repeated breaks . I didn't allow him "off leash" priviledges until the new dog was long gone. I have done extensive on-leash work with him in the weeks hence. And have been annoyingly on the helpmeet's "case" with respect to how he handles Rex, too. Behavior has improved, too.

I have no more than ordinary fears about Rex's reliability with people/kids in the relatively predictable confines of our home. But "obedience" in familiar environs is no indication that obedience will supercede circumstances involving distraction and/or physical dismfort.

Obedience work is about imbuing the dog with confidence that compliance will bring comfort and reward. Perhaps your groomer was not disposed to "taking time", perhaps your dog is not as compliant as you think she may be.

Just sayin'. (I have 3 friends who are groomers and I hear their side, too).

I'm not worried about the cause any longer.
Nor the groomer who is now history in my books.
I'd be far more concerned about obedience if I wasn't outnumbered.
I can't get any more stressed than I am already on many fronts.
So caring for her as best as I can is all I am up to.

I'd be very worried about why your dog ("obedience trained" in your estimation) was out of control when the groomer was attempting to do do his/her job. The fact that you say you're "outnumbered" and have acquiesed with respect to obedience sets every alarm bell ringing here on the Compound.

We make the choices that best suit us, 'bug. I "get" that.

Good Grief, Chelone. Get off her case. You obviously don't have much on your mind these days to be riding poor Gardenbug so hard about her dog. Some people have a life.

Hey, we're friends! She's allowed to be on my case. We give each other sh*t and accept it. ;)

lol 'bug

I sure regret posting that unkind comment. I have no idea of your relationship with each other. I could have just stopped reading but no, it was late at night and I was cranky and I didn't have anyone else to yell at. Poor excuse, I know, but the best I have.

LOL, 'bug -- we can pass that around - and accept it or -ignore it like best of friends too!! That's what broad shoulders are for....

Here's a cute moment.... The librarian's Daughter is considering her choices - it's serious work:

{{gwi:156623}}

--Cindy

The view from the cheap seat is always perfect, eh, 'bug? ;)

Update from the Compound, very germane to the topic of dogs and obedience work.

We have seasonal "neighbors" who live 3 "doors down". They have 2 Bull Terriers, one a male who is deaf, the other is a female and is always on leash. Lest you think that "on leash" means anything get this:

On their daily walk with their "under control" dogs they stopped to speak with my BIL who was at his mailbox collecting mail. Conversation was pleasant, relaxed and but when my BIL idly reached down to pat the female she bit him! She nailed him, breaking the skin on his forearm. The woman on the opposite end of the leash made no correction to the dog whatsoever. She simply hauled her away and made profuse apologies to my BIL. So much for a leashed dog being "under control"!!

Back story: Wrecks ran across the road sporting the full Mohawk and barking his head off a few years ago. Both the helpmeet and I were "on duty" and I was the one who raced over, apologized, and saw that all was OK. An adrenalin rush was all that occured. However, some weeks later the same scenario transpired and the woman gave Wrecks a face full of pepper spray. We're practical people and to our minds she was well within her rights. We had no problem with the pepper spray. WE INCREASED THE OBEDIENCE WORK AND SUPERVISION! Unbeknownst to us she pepper sprayed the neighbor's dogs, too (great dogs and basically harmless, but if you don't know the dogs/"neighbors" you wouldn't know that).

I asked BIL if the bite had been reported. NO. The law clearly states that any dog bite that breaks the skin is to be reported to the police dep't. Think the woman on the (out of control) end of the biting dog's leash called the authorities to report the bite?? I've driven past her a few times since the bite and she looks away whenever she sees my car. She knows who I am and she knows our dog. The scarey one who makes a lot of noise but has never bitten anyone.

Basic obedience. Every single day, at every single opportunity, and insist on immediate compliance. No one ever thinks THEIR dog is capable of such disobedience/misbehavior but they are! And THAT'S why I am such a harpie when it comes to this topic.

Food for thought.

And to Peaceofmind, if you read frequently you should chime in. We're fun, thoughtful, and occasionally "tough" on each other... just like "real" friends! Really!