Buck is in most of the photos because he is the "official" tester dog for any new dogs coming into the DDC.  (The rule is if I’m not comfortable letting my dog play with a pup I’m not going to make a clients.)

Above Amber is a little afraid of the dogs, notice the other pups are ignoring her but their body is relaxed, the fur is down, the tail half down, the ears down not making direct eye contact.  Eventially she warmed up and now even instigates play.

Here Buck has direct eye contact, his tail is up, his ears are a little back, it is hard to see but his lips are drawn back and up into a dog smile, his body is a little curved toward the dog.  The hair up along his back philo erection tells us he is aroused (often people think it is a sign of aggression) In fact his front end is on the way down he pounced into a play bow and took off running with his new buddy Bruiser right behind.  Even the play is kind of a test depending on if he plays but keeps me between him and the new dog or if he runs off and has a good time with the new guy.

This dog has Buck feeling a little uncomfortable.  Notice his body is curved away, he has a big submissive smile on his face, his ears are pulled back, and the body leans away from the new dog, his tail is down but still waiving, His hair is up along his back side.  (If you could see the other dog he is all forward ears pulled up, looking intently at Buck, also hair up along the back.)  He is not neccarly a bad dog or an aggressive dog and the moment could pass, but the difference in greeting behavior is apparent between the different dogs. 

Particularly for folks bringing dogs to dog parks and meeting strange dogs in the public, know your dog and be able to determine what he is telling you.   

Manage the dogs and the cat keep them separate unless they are supervised at all times. This actually is kind of a household rule, River lives in a crate unless we are home then he is free to roam the house. However originally he was in the crate or baby gated into the kitchen that allowed us to ensure his safety while he and the dogs sorted out their relationships. Chewy was introduced to a head halter before introducing her to the cat so that she was comfortable in the equipment before we added the excitement of the cat. The head halter provided a measure of insurance so that she did not grab or chase the kitty. Later he instigated chase me games but this was after she learned his rules.

 T  The first dog he met was Torrie, Torie is the leader of the pack, She has plenty of prey drive but treated him like a new puppy sniffing and finally bathing him from top to bottom. The fact that he was a kitten and apparently loved the mothering probably helped. I introduced every single dog one on one to the kitten then waited until they were all comfortable with him and vise versa before adding two, then three, then four…. He came into the house in August and did not get turned loose with the dogs until December. Ursa and Aron are the most difficult since they tend to have a relatively uninhibited bite while playing. So, they are not even allowed to chase the cat in “fun.” Interestingly you can tell by the cats behavior he will play back and forth with the GSD and maul the beagle relentlessly, yet hides quietly on top of the couch or table under it when Aron and Ursa are around and getting frisky. I think rigid household rules are important and they don’t necessarily have to be “fair”I expected Xena to be the tough one but after several minutes of intense focus and nose to nose with the cat she relaxed licked his face and has ignored him ever since. Unless she is searching for him in training then he is the greatest thing out there.

By Christmas River was pretty much a part of the family and right there wanting to know what “Santa” brought him.

There are a lot of reasons for dogs to dig.

• Some dogs dig to escape the yard so they can go on to bigger and more exciting things.
• Some dogs dig because they are bored and it is something industrious to do to pass the day.
• Some dogs dig because they are hot and it is instinctive to dig down to the cooler damp dirt.
• Some dogs dig because they are hunting  (the girls pictured are hunting moles from the yard. They had a field day with the 17-year cicadas!).
• Unfortunately, most dogs simply dig because it is fun! Digging falls into those ‘instinctive’ behaviors that are difficult to actually make go away.

what is causing the dog to dig, and we might have some success redirecting him to a prefered activity. Some suggestions to start:

• If the dog is digging to escape or out of boredom. let’s give him some alternative things to do in the yard. Perhaps he is not a dog that likes being outside alone, so don’t leave him outside unattended for long periods of time. Alternatively, make time in the yard more exciting for the dog. Try adding a playmate (okay, a second dog is extreme, especially since you may well end up with two dogs digging to get out!). Put toys in the yard and rotate them so there is something different in the yard every day. Interactive toys, buster cubes, or treat balls may keep him entertained for a while. Hide favorite toys or part of the dog’s meal in Kongs around the yard for him to find. In short, make the yard more entertaining for your dog.
• For dogs that are hot, provide shade and access to cooler areas. Maybe even provide your pooch with a wading pool (the pool can also provide more entertainment in the yard).
• Dogs that are hunting are tough! If it is moles, they are generally in the yard because they are eating grubs. The solution is to get rid of the grubs,and the moles will move on. It may take some of the motivation out of digging. Poison is usually NOT advised for moles, as the goal is to stop the digging not make the dog sick.
• For dogs that dig just for the heck of it (because they can!), or because they are driven to embrace the notion ”If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” … provide them with a sand box area they are actually allowed to dig in. You can designate an area simply by taking a spade and turning over some dirt. Or, get that kiddie pool full of sand. Hide some prizes for the dog to find when he digs and treat it like housetraining. Watch the dog, and as soon as he digs in the wrong place, stop him and move him to the correct place where you then encourage him to dig.

when you plant or do any kind of landscaping that fresh turned earth will be an open invitation to dig, so limit your dogs access to those areas.