Dog Food Review: Kibbles n’ Bits

Some time ago, maybe 10 years, I remember I was fascinated and enthralled with Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food and even fed it to my dogs for a while. Around that time Kibbles ‘n Bits was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine. Consumer Reports had conducted a taste test of several different brands of grocery store dog foods and Kibbles ‘n Bits Original was the winner of that taste test. The press that Kibbles ‘n Bits received from this Consumer Reports article vaulted Kibbles ‘n Bits to the front of the pack of grocery store dog food brands and helped Kibbles ‘n Bits make its way into the shopping carts of hundreds of thousands more pet owners, myself included. I was drawn to the colorful bag and the moist “Play Doh-looking” kibbles with the great fun shapes and colors. I remember that one flavor of the food smelled like spaghetti to me and I just knew my dogs would LOVE IT! They did and, so much so, that when I would switch to another brand of daily kibble, I often used Kibbles ‘n Bits for training treats. I don’t ever recall looking at the ingredient list on the back of the bag and I never doubted that this food wasn’t completely safe and healthy for my dogs to eat for every meal, every day. Kibbles ‘n Bits made me smile and sometimes giggle when I fed it to my dogs at mealtime. With the knowledge of dog nutrition that I have now, I find myself a little mortified looking back on it. I do, though, have a lot of empathy for those that are drawn to this food product. Del Monte does a great job of appealing to the emotional side of pet owning consumers to influence their buying habits.
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients for Del Monte Kibbles ‘n Bits Original:

corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat flour, animal fat (bha used as preservative), corn syrup, wheat middlings, water sufficient for processing, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), propylene glycol, salt, hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, caramel color, sorbic acid (used as a preservative), sodium carbonate, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), calcium sulfate, titanium dioxide, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, BHA (used as a preservative), dl methionine.

Dog Food Ingredients are listed in order of their amount (by weight) in the bag, except for whole meat ingredients, (such as ‘beef’ or ‘chicken’) which are weighed raw before they are cooked and the water /fluid is gone out of them.
The ingredient then, which occurs most in Kibbles ‘n Bits is Corn. The AAFCO definition for this ingredient is “the entire ear of corn ground, without husks, with no greater portion of cob than occurs in the ear corn in its natural state”. This means that the corn *along with the cob* is in the food. While corn is only 54% digestible for dogs, the cob is not digestible, nor does it provide nutritional value. Corn can cause or contribute to problems with allergies, skin problems, and ear infections.
The ingredients *up to* the fat source in a dog food are what make up the majority of what is in the bag of food. All of the ingredients listed *after* the fat ingredient occurs in smaller amounts (Somewhere around 20% of what’s in the bag). So most of what is in the bag is corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, and ground wheat flour.
In Kibbles ‘n Bits , there are THREE grain ingredients and only ONE protein ingredient listed before the fat. In a good quality pet food, the meat protein source should be listed as the first ingredient in the bag. Most of what is in this bag of food is grains. Grains are not a natural food source for dogs, and do cause health issues. With a dog’s short digestive tract, most grains can only be partially digested and little nutrition is absorbed from them.
Beef and Bone Meal is the only meat protein source in this food. It can be easily confused with Beef Meal which is a higher quality ingredient that I would expect to be used in a food I might choose to feed. Beef and Bone Meal is a byproduct made from beef parts which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the entire cow, including the bones, but the quality cuts of meat are always removed. This is an inexpensive, low quality ingredient used to boost the protein percentage. Beef and Bone Meal is less digestible and less usable to a dog than the muscle meat that Beef Meal is made from.
The Crude Analysis of the food states that the Protein content is 19%. This is a pretty low percentage compared to good quality foods. The Crude Analysis does not indicate the percent Digestibility of the Protein and this also should be considered. Low quality protein sources such as Beef and Bone Meal can be as little as 45% digestible. I feed my dogs foods made from high quality protein sources that are 90 to 92 percent digestible and the Crude Analysis of Protein content in the foods that I feed and recommend range between 24 to 42%. The other factor to consider when comparing Crude Protein in Kibbles ‘n Bits to another dry kibble is that you must factor out the moisture content in Kibbles ‘n Bits. A “dry” dog food that has 19% protein, actually contains more protein than Kibbles ‘n Bits because Kibbles ‘n Bits is a semi moist food.
The fat source (Animal Fat) is not a species identified ingredient. When ingredients are not listed according to their species, the animals used can be obtained from any source. There is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on. On down the ingredient list is Animal Digest. It is a cooked down broth used for flavoring, and made of unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The same facts about ingredient sources apply to both Animal Fat and Animal Digest.
After the fat ingredient, the next ingredient is corn syrup, which is a sweetener. Sweeteners have NO place in dog food. They are added to improve the taste of a poor quality food. Dogs become addicted to the sweeteners, making it difficult to switch the dog to a healthier food that does not contain sweeteners. Many substandard foods contain sweeteners, but I rarely see them listed as high on the ingredient list as they are in Kibbles ‘n Bits. Continuous intake of sweeteners can promote hypoglycemia, obesity, nervousness, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis and allergies. Sweeteners should not be present in a dog food that will be fed every meal every day.
Propylene glycol is an ingredient used in antifreeze solutions, in hydraulic fluids, and as a solvent. In dog food, propylene glycol is added to keep moist foods from drying out. Propylene glycol may be toxic if it is consumed in large amounts, and should definitely not be an ingredient in a food an animal will eat daily for weeks, months or even years of its life. In countries of the European Union, propylene glycol is not cleared as a general-purpose food grade product or direct food additive.
Beyond most of the sprayed-on vitamin and mineral supplements added to make the food “complete”, you will see several types of food coloring. Coloring is only necessary to make the food appealing to humans. With the potential risks of tumors, cancers, and allergic reactions, even if those are slight risks, I’d rather feed a non-colored meal to my pets.
I will have to say that I was surprised to see BHA on this ingredient list. It is used to preserve the food and was at one time widely used in pet foods as a preservative. Many dog foods now are preserved with some form of Vitamin C, even if they are otherwise a cheap, substandard food. Most consumers, if they look at an ingredient list, have heard enough about BHA to set that product back on the shelf and choose another. BHA is banned from human use in many countries but still permitted in the U.S. BHA is a possible human carcinogen, and is apparently carcinogenic in animal experiments. BHA is definitely not a suitable ingredient for feeding every meal, every day, for months or years.
Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food is marketed to appeal to the human consumer. It is a grain filled food containing nearly no * real meat*, and is formulated with sugar, salt, and sprayed on animal digest gravy to make it appeal to dogs when it would probably not attract most dogs to eat it otherwise. In addition, the product contains colorings, propylene glycol, and BHA, three types of ingredients that I believe are not safe for continuous consumption. The product is, to me, clearly sub-standard for maintaining the health of a dog. It is, however a great way for Del Monte to disposed of the waste products of their human food factories. With as much grains and sweeteners this food contains, it should be re-named “Cupcakes ‘n Bones”.

Georgia Dog Gym Dog Foods

Georgia Dog Gym Dog Foods

 

Blackwood

Taste of the Wild

Nature’s Variety Instinct

Stella & Chewy’s

 

 

ALL OF OUR FOODS ARE BY-PRODUCT FREE, CONTAIN PROBIOTICS TO AID IN DIGESTION, AND NONE OF THEM CONTAIN INGREDIENTS FROM OUTSIDE RENDERING OPERATIONS.

 

None of the foods that we sell have ever been part of a recall or FDA investigation.

 

Blackwood-

 

What makes this better than grocery store foods is the following:

1. Contains Probiotics that aid in Digestion
2. No by-products. Animal by-product ingredients are generally defined by AAFCO as anything BUT the actual meat protein.
3. None of the ingredients can come from outside rendering plants according to their definitions. Poultry meal is prepared in-house at the Tyson factories that supply Blackwood.
4. Blackwood is a product that allows for elimination of allergens as you move up the product line. Great for dogs with skin conditions and digestive issues.

 

1000- A good starter food for someone interested in feeding better than grocery store or feed store dog foods. It is an Adult Maintenance food.

 

2000- Recommend this for puppies who will be as large or larger than a Cocker Spaniel when fully grown. This is also a good food for dogs who cannot seem to keep their weight on without feeding too much quantity. The product does contain corn which will help with weight gain, and provide carbs for energy.

 

3000- If a dog has skin, coat, ear, digestive problems, this is the food to start a dog with. It doesn’t contain corn or wheat which dogs can be allergic to.

 

4000- For a dog who needs to lose weight.

 

5000- If I am not getting the results that I want with the 3000 with respect to health and allergy issues, I have the client switch to the 5000. It contains no corn, wheat, or soy. Since catfish is often a protein source that a dog has never been fed, the dog is less likely to have developed allergens that react to it.

 

7000- In general, we will not recommend this food. It is super high protein and is generally used to feed sled dogs.  It is suitable for a dog whose metabolism does not allow him to keep his weight on. It is for very very thin dogs or super high drive working dogs. We will recommend to mix it with a regular kibble rather than feeding it straight out of the bag.

 

Puppy Food

Recommend this for toy breed dogs. Anything that will grow to be smaller than a Cocker Spaniel.

 

 

Taste of the Wild-

High Prairie- main ingredient is bison

Pacific Stream- main ingredient is Salmon

Wetlands- Main ingredient is duck

 

 

This food line is called Grain Free because it does not contain the kinds of grains that have traditionally been used as fillers in dog food. You will not see corn, soy, or any type of “flours” in the food. Grain Free foods contain more protein per pound which is the main ingredient in a dog’s diet. (It should be, anyway).

 

By-product free- just like the Blackwood, there are none of these ingredients.

 

There are a variety of protein sources in the Prairie and Wetlands formulas. There is only fish in the Pacific Stream. The Pacific Stream then would be a better choice to try for a dog who is allergic to other protein sources.

There are fewer calories per cup in the Pacific Stream, so more of it may need to be fed than of the other two formulas in order to get the same amount of calories.

 

These foods contain no menadione,  and the ocean fish meal added to get the Omega 3 & 6’s comes from Menhadin Fish only.

 

 

Nature’s Variety Instinct

 

Also a grain free food. It’s carbohydrate is Tapioca which may be a help to dogs with allergies to other types of carbs.

The only two protein sources in this food come from Chicken and Menhadin Fish. There are no by-products, no products that can originate from outside rendering plants, no menadione, and all natural preservatives. This is the best kibble we sell and probably the best kibble available on the market today.

 

Stella & Chewy’s Frozen Raw

 

A better alternative to dry food. Each batch is tested to be salmonella and e-coli free. A raw diet does not stress the digestive system in the way that Kibble does. It is easy to digest and with a very short digestive tract, all the nutrients in raw are more easily absorbed than those in kibble. Uncooked food provides enzymes and amino acids that are cooked “dead” in kibbles.

Only organic fruits and veggies are used to make the product. The beef is free of hormones and antibiotics. Only human grade meats are used in the product. 

1. This is the BEST food product that GDG offers, and the best raw product that I have found available.    

 

 

FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONS

 

1. Rotate between 3 or 4 brands of food. Switch foods quarterly. This practice will help to ensure that your dog is not continuously on a food that may contain a borderline or questionable ingredient for years on end. It also helps ensure that your dog gets what he needs when not all foods may be equally balanced in what they contain that your dog may benefit from.
2. Add water to food, not to soften it, but to help combat dehydration that eating dry kibbles can cause. Combining canned food and dry food helps the coat and helps offset dehydration. One part canned to two parts kibble is a good ratio.
3. Feed meals……do not free feed. Feeding habits in your dog are sometimes the first sign that your dog is ill. You want your dog to eat within 10 minutes of setting the food on the floor. If your dog is accustomed to this feeding habit, you know there is a problem with your dog when he refuses his food at mealtime.
4. Feed less than the bag recommends. If you see your dog losing weight, then add more food. Dog food companies sell dog food. They want you to feed the food out so that you will buy another bag. AKC Conformation also skews our ideas of optimal dog weight because conformation dogs are generally carrying more weight (5 to 10lbs more) than what they should.

A Fun New CKC Sanctioned Agility Program

As an agility competitor, have you ever wish that you could write the rules for a sanctioned competitive agility event? Well, last year I was lucky enough to be presented with that opportunity and boy was I thrilled!

For the past few years I have been working with the Continental Kennel Club in a consulting capacity, specifically with the CKC Canine Care and Training Program that the CKC has launched in the school systems with the help of the FFA (Future Farmers of America). The Canine Care and Training program gives students the chance to learn about dogs…..their development, behavior, basic care, and training methodologies. At the end of the program, the students get a certificate which they can present to potential employers within the canine care industry as proof of eduction and experience relevant to the jobs they seek. 

In getting to know Mike Roy, President of the CKC, and the CKC Staff, I have found them all to be genuine, warm, down to earth, and compassionate folks who strive to promote education within the canine professions and to pet owning Americans as well. Mike and his staff attend seminars, workshops, and conferences regularly as part of their own continuing educations in canine husbandry, behavior, and training. CKC promotes a primarily positive approach to training while welcoming all with a respectful and non-judgemental attitude. CKC most closely follows the models of training and canine behavior theory whose greatest proponents are Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, and Jean Donaldson. 

In November of 2008, Georgia Dog Gym hosted its first CKC Sanctioned Obedience and Agility Trial. While several students of Georgia Dog Gym participated and earned CKC obedience titles, the feedback that we recieved about the current CKC Agility Program was that the students had hoped that the CKC agility events would more closely mirror the type of agility events that they were training to compete in. Mike Roy heard that feedback and responded. I was invited to submit a proposal to the CKC for a new “speed” agility program. With a few parameters and guidelines to work within, I got busy writing and, within just a few months, we had a working program ready to launch. 

On March 14, 2009, I will be instructing a workshop on the new CKC Agility Program at the CKC Headquarters near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Rule books for the program can be requested by e-mailing: ckc@ckcusa.com or calling them at 1(800) 952-3376. The new program’s rules should soon be uploaded on the CKC website at www.ckcusa.com 

Georgia Dog Gym will host the first new CKC Sanctioned Agility Event on May 2 & 3, 2009. We invite all agility competitors to come and join the fun!

Here are some aspects of the CKC Agility program that you might find to be interesting:

1. The program allows for schooling (or training) in the ring. 

2. The Novice Level is broken down into progressive skill sets that dogs and handlers need to be able to negotiate sucessfully in order to move up to full standard courses and games. The skill sets have very relaxed time requirements, and allow novices to get accustomed to, and confident in, the ring environment before dogs have mastered every obstacle and skill necessary to compete at the more advanced levels. 

3. Weave poles are not included in Novice or Intermediate Levels. This allows new dogs to get some good ring experience before they have mastered the weave poles. I find that potential agility competitors lose their motivation to train for trials when they realize the length of time it requires for dogs to be reliably proficient at weaving. I believe that establishing rules which allow new competitors to enter competitions fairly quickly,  helps keep new competitors interested in training for agility trialing.

4. In my 9 years of competitive agility, I have heard the opinions of those who say that agility dogs are untrained and uncontrollable. While I have seen examples of dogs who are ill-behaved at ringside, overall, my opinion is that most agility dogs are highly trained and extremely attentive and responsive to their handlers cues. In an effort to establish a safer ring environment for all, the new CKC agility Program will require that all dogs competing at the Intermediate Level  must have completed the CKC Novice Level 1 Obedience title.  The Novice Level 1 Obedience title requirements are listed on the CKC website, and the opportunity to earn that title shall be given at every CKC Agility Trial. Dogs competing at the Superior Level must first earn a CKC Level 2 Obedience title which is an off-lead obedience test.

5. Provided that the CKC Obedience requirements are met, experienced dogs and competitors can fast track up to Intermediate Competition if they have previously earned a Novice Title in Agility through the CKC or any other agility  sanctioning organization.

6. For the first time in the U.S. there will be a sanctioned agaility event which will separate the Border Collies from other breeds. This separation is made at the Superior Level of CKC Agility. This is an established practice in British competition that did not travel with agility rules to the United States when agility competition first started here. I have heard many competitors comment that they would like to see a U.S. sanctioning body adopt this practice.

7. Games Classes will be offered in CKC Agility. Any agility game published in a book of agility games will be allowed, as well as, games created by individuals and approved by the CKC prior to the trial where they will be offered.  This opens agility up to a whole lot of innovation and creativity!

8. The CKC Agility Program will be flexible over time to respond to changes in the agility community and feedback from competitors and judges. In that way the Program leaves itself room to evolve over time.

I certainly hope that this peaks your interest in this new agility program. Your comments and feedback are welcomed. I hope to see you at CKC Agility and Obedience Event real soon!

Our Floyd County Neighbors Violate Property Rights

In 1997, my husband and I were able to purchase 12 acres and a home here in Floyd County. Our dream was to run a small boarding kennel and a hobby farm. What we failed to realize when we bought our dream, was that our neighbors had other plans in mind. It appears to us that the purpose of buying acreage in Floyd County is not to live a peaceful and tranquil life with our family and our beloved pets, but to provide a playground and killing fields for all of the free roaming dogs owned by our neighbors. 

In the past 12 years we have lost 23 of our pets to attacks by roaming neighborhood dogs. While I was going to eventually get around to writing a blog post about owning dogs responsibly, I had hoped that I would only be writing to tell you that we’d lost 22 pets. Tragically, the slaughter total rose by one more yesterday morning, and I cannot find any other way to move forward without writing this down.

It all started about 10 years ago with ducks. When the ducks had grown enough to be taken down to our pond, Jeff was so pleased about it. The ducks enjoyed the pond for less than 36 hours before they were all killed and maimed beyond repair by a neighbor’s dog.

So then we tried goats. There were three separate attacks. The first two, only a few goats killed and injured. The last attack was much worse. We had nine goats, most were pregnant. By the time my stepdaughter saw the attack and called Jeff out to help, seven of the nine goats were dead or mortally wounded. That day we had to hire a back hoe to dig a hole big enough to bury them all.

So, we shored up the goat barn with wire to try to make it dog proof and decided we’d try chickens. Only a few at first.  Within a week, those few were killed.

That was about 5 years ago. After that, we decided we’d have nothing smaller at the farm than a pony. We still had our dogs and 4 house cats. 

Not long after the chickens were killed, I was at my arena teaching a dog training lesson to a client of mine. That morning, both of us watched as two neighborhood dogs ran down and killed a young deer in the woods behind my pasture. My client, a city dweller, was horrified. 

Now you are probably thinking that all these dogs must be Pit Bulls or Rottweillers or some other “mean” breed of dog. I will tell you that, while we had one Pit Bull and one Rottweiller attack our pets, the rest of the attacks have been perpetrated by Labrador Retrievers, Lab Mixes, Boxer Mixes, and Beagle Mixes. 

All of these dogs, however, have one thing in common. They are owned by people who have absolutely no respect for the property and the property rights of their neighbors. These people, who would throw a fit if I parked my car in their yard or threw my garbage on their steps, see absolutley nothing wrong with turing their dogs loose to roam the neighborhood and maim and kill other people’s property.  I spoke a few years ago to a neighbor down the street with a Black Lab. She showed me the scars on her dog’s head where another neighbor had shot the dog for chasing cattle on his property. This woman told me that dogs should be allowed to roam free because that is the way Mother Nature intended for them to live and that is what makes her dog happiest. I beg you to explain that logic to me.

Three years ago, after a neighbor of ours experienced an attack on his goats, Jeff contacted our Councilman and Animal Control. They agreed to make and post signs at both ends of Prater Road which stated the Ordinance regarding the prohibition against roaming animals along with the fine for the ordinance violation. They refused to send letters of notification out to residents of the area which was another request that we made.  The signs have done little to encourage adherence to the law. 

Last year our next door neighbor aquired three dogs. Two Boxer mixes and another Toy mix. The toy is an indoor dog, but the Boxer mixes have been left outdoors and unconfined. While these dogs stayed at home pretty well at first. The roaming began a few months ago. They have dug holes under our fence to get into our pasture to worry our horses. At any time of day you can drive down Prater Road and you will see them up and down the street and lounging in whatever yard they prefer for the moment. That is, when they are not in our pasture worrying our horses.  The toy dog comes in the pasture when it is let outdoors as well and stands two feet from my horse’s face and barks and lunges without stopping. While the dog could not do any kind of damage to the horse, the dog could be instantly killed by a paw or kick from one of my horses. These neighbors do not seem to care. We have a bit of history with them. They were the owners of the Rottweiller who, along with a Pit Bull, killed our herd of goats. My husband caught them in the act and shot them down inside the goat pen. When our neighbor came to get his dead dog, he said he didn’t have any money to pay us for the damages but he would check with his homeowner’s insurance. That is the last we have seen or heard from him. Now it is his dogs who have killed again.

These killings are not the fault of the dogs. Dogs, when left to their own devices, will follow their instincts. A dog with a natural prey drive who is allowed to roam freely, especially if the dog is with one or more other dogs, will quickly learn the sport of killing animals.  It is gratifying for them and it is fun for them. 

In my dog training classes, I spend time educating students about responsible dog ownership. I encourage them to visit Animal Control and pick up a copy of their local ordinances so that they can be familiar with them. I tell my students the story of my losses here at home and I stress to them the importance of safely confining their dogs so that their dogs do not become nuisances or killers. For the most part, I find that I am preaching to the choir when I do this. It is the people who do want to be responsible dog owners who pay tuition to attend my classes in the first place. The population of people who need to hear my message are those who would never consider stepping inside my facility or using my services. They are people with a different view of animals than what I and my clients share. 

I will never understand the reason for getting dogs so that they can be turned loose to roam. For the most part, these people blame their dogs when trouble happens. “He was a stupid dog.” “He was a mean dog.” “He was a stubborn dog.” I hear this blaming when people recount stories of dogs they’ve owned who have ended up shot, run over by cars, become pregnant, been attacked by other dogs, attacks animals or people, gets poisoned, and/or dies of pancreatitis or intestinal blockage from eating garbage and roadkill.  How is this possibly the dog’s fault?

A dog does what he is trained to do. Believe me, that if you’re not spending the time training your dog to do what you want him to do, he’s training himself to do the things he prefers to do.  Domestic dogs are bred to do work for humans. If you do not give your dog meaningful work and supervision, he will find his own work and it will doubtfully be productive or positive work.

Yesterday we lost a member of our family. Alan Jackson was a rare Chocolate Point Siamese Cat. We adopted him 14 years ago after he was found starving and eating dog food out of someone’s garage. My stepdaughter was 4 years old when we got him and she named him after her favorite country music singer. Jeff very quickly attached to Alan and they have been the very best of friends for the last 14 years. Jeff and I came up with a dozen nicknames for Alan over the years. He is known to most of our friends as “Titty Boy”. He was a loud and demanding Siamese, always willing to tell you exactly what he wanted and exactly what he thought about things. He loved food and his life revolved around the happiness of his belly. At mealtime, Alan always took his spot, *on the table* at the left of Jeff’s plate, politely waiting for a handout. Jeff’s time here at home was in nearly constant companionship with Alan. They ate together, slept together, and watched tv together. Alan enjoyed going outside and watching Jeff do chores or work on projects. If Jeff was outdoors, Alan was never very far away from him. Anytime we had company, Alan was the first of our pets that Jeff wanted our guests to meet.  Jeff could talk on and on about Alan’s adventures (both real and fabricated) and Alan’s personality and his likes and dislikes. Those two were like peas in a pod.  Jeff would chase me around the house with Alan in his arms holding out one of Alan’s back paws and saying “Kiss the Foot. Kiss the Foot. It will make you lucky.”  He loved to aggravate me about how Alan didn’t like the dogs and how Alan wanted a “D.F.E” (Dog Free Environment). After Jeff would shower, Alan would get in and lick the water, Jeff said ” Because it tastes like Daddy’s sugar.” 

The neighbor’s dogs killed Alan Jackson. I found him yesterday morning in the empty lot across the street from our home. He was lying in the leaves frozen.  The agony in his dead face haunts me.

We buried Alan yesterday afternoon, next to Jaymie, Carmen, and Logan. The graves here are becoming too numerous to count.

 

Cyndy Douan, MHDL CDT

Kingston Kennels, LLC
Georgia Dog Gym, LLC

Trey- One Month Mark

Trey, the Border Collie that I am fostering has now been with us for one month. The change in him has been remarkable. He is responding to his grain free high protein diet very well. He looks more like a healthy Border Collie with the weight he’s gained. His skin is coming around and he’s no longer snowing with dandruff. He looks beautiful. 

I have been in and out of town a good bit over the past few weeks so for that time I took him back over to stay at the dog gym. While there he’s met and interacted with all of the staff very positively. He has also met a few people for the first time and has been more eager and less withdrawn with them. 

Trey continues with the annoying habit of marking indoors which we are working to curtail. I am just not very certain about the progress we can make with this.

Considering Trey’s history of free roaming and not having to be confined, I was afraid that, after a time I would start to see Trey become anxious and upset about being kenneled. Surprisingly, Trey is just as happy to be indoors and be in his kennel as he was when he first arrived. Perhaps it is a security for him that he needs. 

I have spoken with someone I know who keeps sheep and he is willing for me to bring Trey over and try him out with the stock. Now it will just be a matter of trying to find the time to get together to do that. I will video that and post it here when we do it. 

Trey enjoys the company of my female Border Collie puppy, June. I still have not allowed him to be around other dogs because his body language makes it very clear to me that he is anxous and not comfortable being near some other dogs. He does seem fascinated with the little dog playgroups. He watches them in the opposite play yard when he is turned out and runs back and forth along the fence……….possibly with a desire to herd them. 

I let Trey meet the gym cat Wynona today. He noticed her from a distance and perked up, but when we got within a few feet, he tried to pretend she didn’t exist. He wouldn’t approach her or look at her at all. It may at least be a positive sign that he respects cats and could live with them peacefully. 

Trey crawls up into my lap now when I sit on the floor. He will put his paws up on my shoulders and will sniff my breath. He is overjoyed to see me and only wants to be near me and be stroked and petted. Such a sweet, sweet soul.

Video of Trey one day after he arrived.

This is video taken on December 19, 2008. Trey is exremely withdrawn and trying to hide. He does not know how to be on a leash and he does not want to go outside of his run.

done

Video of Trey 10 Days After He Arrived Here

This video shows about the best day we’ve had in the last 10 days. It was shot on 12/28/08. Trey is barking and excited to see me (and sneezing and snorting too!).  He is following me around a good bit more and returning to the security of his run only a couple of times. He sits in anticipation of treats. He is also asking for more petting and not so quick to leave me after I pet him. I considered it a huge breakthrough when Trey put his paws up on me to get the treat. That was a big move toward confidence and trust. 

Trey barks at the other dogs when I let them out and again when I let them in. He is barking at the dogs. I see a lot of this behavior with dog friendly dogs at the kennel, but I also see it with dogs who are not so good with other dogs. I can see that some of the dogs feel uncomfortable with Trey’s attitude and do not want to go near his run. Some of them show their teeth when he approaches their runs. I am getting a feeling that Trey is not going to be one to get along with other dogs. I don’t think he’s had much socialization with them. I sense that his fear of outdoors has to do with the other dogs who are turned out in the adjacent kennel yard while I have him out exercising. Today was the first day that Trey went outside without me taking him with the leash. He followed me to the opposite side of the yard where the trees are, but as soon as he saw the dogs running around in the other yard, he turned back and made a bee line for the back door to try to get back into the kennel. He will not go near the chain link fence that separates the two yards.

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Beginning of a New Year

I woke up this morning wondering just why it is that I’ve felt this undercurrent of gloom and sadness over the holidays. On the surface, I feel just fine. Peachy, as a matter of fact. I’ve enjoyed the holidays and I am excited about the prospects of the coming year. 

So while I took my morning coffee and headed on down to the kennel to give the dogs a run and some breakfast, I decided that maybe it would be a good time to take stock of the year that’s passed so that I could once again remind myself what all I have to be thankful for. 

The result of that “taking stock” wasn’t quite what I’d anticipated. It’s really kind of stunned me when I take it all in as a whole, because I guess I never dwelt on any of the parts for very long, at least not long enough to get the sense about it that I have now. 

It seems that 2008 brought with it quite a bit more in the negativity department than I really have cared to think about.  It was this year that I lost Jaymie, my 14 year old Golden Retriever who was my right hand in my business for most of the years that I have been a pro trainer. I lost a friend, Danny Thomason, and a cousin, Melinda Carter, to suicide. I saw it coming with Danny, and I could not stop it or did not do enough to stop it, or could not have done anything that would have stopped it. Poor Melinda was only 13 years old. I lost Dunny, our 29 year old horse, and Merrylegs, our 30+ year old pony.  It is really a tough thing to put an old horse down…..

I lost more than six months of competitive agility training and trialing with Riff after he was seriously injured during a competition. I lost my courage to do frisbee disc with Riff because of the accident and nearly lost my courage to trial him in agility again.  My dreams of taking Riff to USDAA Nationals someday, are, I believe, gone as well.

I feel a deep sense of loss over the IACP. Having co-founded the organization and being it’s very first member and having been a Director of IACP for more than 10 years, giving it up and letting it go has been extremely wrenching.  Having spent so much of the last decade of my life being a leader in this organization, letting it go meant losing a big part of my life. It was the right decision for so many reasons, and I would not go back and change that.  It may be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Losing IACP meant losing a lot of other things along with it, including a sense of “place” in the world and many of the connections with people that I had, for many years, enjoyed.

I did lose weight this year! I also lost some hair and the ability to read small print without glasses…….

I had a very curious loss of someone who I thought might have turned out to be a close friend to me. I inadvertently found her puppy at the county animal control and in my attempts to help her by rescuing the puppy and getting it medical attention for an intestinal blockage, I found out that the puppy had been purposely signed over to animal control. I also ended up losing the puppy, who had incredible perfomance potential. I had to re-home the puppy because I could not look at her without torturing myself over the betrayal that both the puppy and I had endured.

Although I’ve looked for the exact quote and cannot find it;  as it was told to me, the Dalai Lama says that the greatest human suffering results from our attachments to others. Looking back on 2008, I cannot tell you how true this statement rings for me.

I wonder now if I’m feeling so “peachy” because the Hurricane of 2008 is now over and that there’s hope that 2009 will bring soft breezes, calm waters, and many sunny days. Once again, I survived the storm and managed to ride out the waves, hanging on tight to my little boat, and bailing like crazy to keep from sinking in the water. If nothing else, I am a good survivor. I truly believe it’s what I do the best.

Not all that occurred in 2008 was bad. In fact some of the bad, I can see good in. 

My husband tagged me with a new nickname this year: “The Bulldog”. He said something like “no matter what happens, you just won’t lie down, will you?” My response was something like “lying down is something I don’t see as an option”. 

There were terrfic amounts of good this year thanks to my Bulldog nature! I have just about the greatest, sweetest little Border Collie puppy in the world. She has been the light of my life this year. My Riff finally won his first high in trial and finally won a Performance Steeplechase. Little Toot won a Performance Steeplechase this year too. I got to take just about the best vacation in Paradise. I have a staff at Georgia Dog Gym who is just absolutely wonderful! (Thank you Missy, Kathy, Lindsey, Beth, Mecca, David, A.J. & Denise!) I paid the last payment on my van this fall and it is now MINE! I met a whole lot of great people this year through the work that I do as a trainer. I enjoyed training a TON of really fun dogs!

I think this year I did more “living in the moment” and “appreciating the gift of the day”. I am able to find my peace and hold on to it in a way that had been very difficult for me. All of these things I am excited to bring into the New Year. So I think that looking back at this year and acknowledging the bad along with the good is maybe the thing that I needed to do today. 

So, I’m off to see what the rest of today is all about. The sun is shining and the breeze is soft.

I’m alive, and well.

What is a Relationship?

There are times when I feel a special call to help a dog.  I have often thought it to be God’s way of showing me just one more aspect of dogs that I need to explore in order to answer some of the questions that I wrestle with.  One more clue to help me fit the pieces of the puzzle where they may belong.

So a week ago, Trey arrived. The phonecall is like the same call that I get several times a month. Someone has a stray dog that they can’t keep and can’t find a home for. These folks were looking for a referral for a Border Collie Rescue. Unfortunately, the nearest on of those is more than an hour away. I replied that the only closest alternative would be the county Animal Control, but that if they did not want to do that………….”just drop the dog off here at the gym and I’ll figure something out”.  WHOOPS! I said it without even pausing to think.  Somehow in my gut, I knew the dog was supposed to come here.

In my training, I emphasize the importance of “relationship”. I push my students to examine the kind of relationship that they have with their dogs. I talk “teamwork” in my agility classes. I evaluate new training students by observing the quality and quantity of “relationship” that they have with their dogs. I work with so many people on improving their relationships with their dogs.  I look for moments when I feel dog and handler “connecting” and in my own dogs I work harder on relationship than any particular training issue or training concept. I want the dog to want me and want to be with me, and want to be involved in what I am doing.

There are trainers who debate the relationship issue. Some argue that you must first have a relationship with a dog in order to train it, while others say that, with any dog, your training is where you begin and relationship with the dog will follow after that. While I lean toward the former, I have tried the latter on occasion and have seen where it can work.  

I’ve always counted relationship, be it good or bad, to be a part of any of our interactions with dogs.

But I have now encountered a dog who I believe has never experienced any relationship at all, I think, ever, with any human. He’s not feral or wild, as I would expect, and I know he’s been around people. It is just as if he lacks an opinion and lacks a preference when it comes to people.

When Trey came here a week ago, he’d never been leashed, and he could only crawl along the floor and look for anything to hide under or inside. He did not cringe in the back of his kennel and try to warn off anyone who approached him, which is what I expected with a dog who seemed so afraid. Trey just laid down by the gate and would not move or look at me. I could approach and touch and stroke Trey and he would not move away. In another day his tail would wag softly when I approached, but no other change was evident.  He accepted my presence without trying to escape, but nothing more.

Trey did not know how to take food from my hand. He would not look expectantly at me for food nor approach me to be stroked. If I tossed food on the floor, he would eat those bits, then wander to a corner and lie down, never expecting that I’d offer another bite. I could guide him toward me with a leash and then stroke him, but after I stopped stroking, he would not ask for more. Trey did not appear to be afraid of me and he will accept whatever I give him, but Trey expects nothing. Nothing at all. 

I don’t believe that Trey has ever been abused in the sense that we think of dogs being beaten or kicked. I just don’t get the sense that anybody ever made an effort to have a relationship with this dog…….for good or bad……..

Trey is the perfect picture of a working sheepdog. Black and White, smooth coated, pricked ears, and a blaze. He has funny big feet. Trey is underweight but has terrific muscle tone. He should, as he’s spent at least the last 3 months hanging out at a horse farm, running horses. I wonder if he was ever someone’s farm dog and if perhaps he was simply used for simple chores and then put away in the barn. Maybe that’s my romantic dream anyway.

It’s been a week since Trey got here. He gets excited when I go down to the kennel now. He will take food from me easily now and has learned “sit”. He finds security in his run and when he is unsure of what to do, he will go back to his run. He has never wanted to spend any time outside. I can barely convince him to stay out long enough to potty. Trey will follow me around a little bit inside the kennel, but trots back to his run frequently. Today was the first day that he asked me in a subtle way to keep stroking his neck after I’d started stroking and then took my hand away.

   I brought a couple of people into the kennel to see him yesterday, and he did what I anticipated………..

Trey immediately regressed as soon as he realized there were strangers with me. We were right back at day one behavior. While Trey bounced back quickly after the strangers left, his response makes me wonder how much, if any, real and sustained changes I can make in Trey’s outlook on life.  I suppose only time will tell.

I think, if anything, it is the drastic contrast I see when I compare other untrained dogs to this untrained dog. The others seem to always come to me with at least an opinion about people, whether good or bad. I cannot ever recall when I’ve experienced a dog who exists in a completely relation-less world.

Where I Find My Peace

Jeff and I have been married now for nearly 14 years and while we’ve worked very hard together for all of those years, the time has passed quickly. Jeff and I have really good and deep discussions about all sorts of things. We are alike in some ways, but very different in others. Every time we’ve gotten into a discussion about goals and what we most desire in life, my answer to Jeff has always been that, above all, I desire peace in my life. For 14 years, this statement has been, I think, the most difficult for Jeff to understand. I think though that he is finally coming around. Last week, when I turned the tv on, Joyce Meyer was giving a lesson on peace. Thanks to the internet, Jeff and I were able to watch it together that evening. http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Podcasts/podcastdownloads.htm  (the December 12th video dowload on Hold Your Peace.)

Jeff asked me where I find my peace and I explained. Peace is inside of me and I feed my Peace by finding things that calm me and restore me. Memories of places I have been and found “stillness” help to bring me peace. My relationships with my dogs also bring me much peace.

I have spent most of my days over the last 20 years speaking with people over the phone and in person about the chaos and upset in their lives. For 20 years I think I’ve been a good listener first and somewhere after the listening and empathy, I have tried to be a help to my clients in fixing their dog problems. I have wished, much of the time, that I could be better at teaching and showing people how to find the peace and stillness that their dogs can bring them.  I suppose, though, that much like Jeff, who had never considered peace to be in his list of desires, many other people haven’t considered the value of peace either. So, I continue to plant the seed with the hope that, in time, it will take hold and begin to grow.

I invite you to listen to Joyce Meyer speak about holding your peace. Then think about that lesson and how you can use it to improve the relationship that you have with your dogs. What can you do to stop the upset and aggravation you sometimes (or often) feel? Maybe posting your suggestions here will give ideas to other people.

We can find the peace we seek within our animal companions. We may have to take some actions to do things a little differently, and change is hard, I know. If you desire peace and go after it the way you would a promotion at work or finding a way to buy that new iphone you’ve had your eye on, you will make it happen.

Yours Truly,

Cyndy Douan