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I'd tell you all of it, But then of course, I'd have to kill you. So- stay tuned for My NCBR FOSTER HOME LIVE WEB CAM.

Just a question I had

Ok, so this is not only going to be LONG,... This is also a long time coming, still it was a series of e mails that are going around in the animal communities and forums, which has prompted me to kind of make a statement, so that I can just sort of address this all at once, rather than to each individual message and e mail I have received over the past 3 days ... which is rapidly approaching the quadruple digits...
Where to start,.. Oh, I know, Ok,.. so-When I get a new foster whose "Dew Claws" are removed, and they have a "Show Dock," (and if you don't know what I am talking about, Google 'em ;)
I will look at the breeders in the area that the dog was picked up, or sometimes the person who is giving the dog up will disclose the breeders info. So I check their pages out,... For the record, I know that dogs are brought in from other counties and locations and people move from other states, so if a dog is picked up 2 blocks from a breeders house, that doesn't necessarily mean that, that dog came from that breeder, Even if they are a 2 year old female, with mammary glands hanging to the floor,.. obviously bred to death, and when you look at the breeders page you see that they are announcing the "New Bitch They are breeding" Nope, demographics doesn't have to play a part in any of this. And again for the record, there is a difference between a Back Yard Breeder, A Breeder, and A Puppy mill. E mail me for the details. I am experienced, I do know the diff. Some people DO NOT. And therefore, don't know what they are doing, they know they want a dog, and that's it, They've heard rumors, been misinformed, and in some cases, informed well, but in ALL cases people come to me with a Whirlwind of info. and it really needs to be deciphered thru.
So, that is what has prompted me to write this today, even tho I am going to bounce around from subject to subject, all of this has a commonality, and that is, "Making sure you are bringing home the right dog," No matter what your past experience might have been.

So often times people tell me, "We went breeder for the Health Certificate." Or, "We went breeder, because of the Guaranteed temperament." I have to chuckle, because "Temperament, is the number one compliant in people giving up their dogs. Varying levels of course, and the things one person will absolutely NOT deal with, is laughable to the next...
But I was just wondering,.. Has anyone else noticed the dozens of links to "Specializing Veterinarians" and or "Behaviorists, Trainers, and Training Groups?" I am not talking about regular obedience training, I am talking about Trainers, specializing in aggression, and severe dominance issues. Resource Guarding etc.
I just think it's kind of ironic, that so many people go "Breeder" for these "Guarantee's" and yet, on page after page, you see lists, of links to "HELP For Your Issues."

They must mean, "Help with your dogs you got from 'Another breeder," Right???
Yeah, that must be it.
Sorry, I am a little sore today after finding out that another person has come to us, crying that the dog they bought from a local breeder began by displaying horrible aggression with other dogs, and that now this aggression is slowly but nonetheless rearing it's ugly head in the face of children. This "Papered" dog after having attacked 4 others, killing 2.... was turned away by his breeder,..who refused to return their phone calls, when the owners came to inquire what to do...
After having spent what I consider to be an ENORMOUS amount of money on Trainers, Vets, Prescriptions, Settling out of court,.. and paying other people's vet bills,.. to the tune of somewhere around $22,000, This families Home Owners Association has petitioned to have the family evicted, if the dog is not euthanized.
They came to us seeking our help,... our advice,.. they love their sweet Boy,...
And upon speaking with the breeder myself, I heard him in not so many words, that this has been happening, A LOT, He clearly has a bitch that is throwing a defective gene, but is refusing to do a damn thing about it.

People please. I am not anti Breeder. I have SO many RESPONSIBLE breeder friends.... and each of them will tell you that they are all for the legislation of Breeders. Anyone legit, wants the Business of dog breeding Governed. PERIOD.
But, If you think your profile is going to limit you, and your choices/responses/capabilities, to undertake a dog who could possibly develop behavior issues...such as,... You live in a housing community, and or you have close neighbors, or you work crazy hours,.. any thing in your life that might limit your ability to work with your dog, or a position that might be unforgiving if he/she suddenly began to display "Behavioral Issues." Then it is such a good idea to go rescue. Adopting a dog from a **REPUTABLE RESCUE
whose dogs come from FOSTER HOMES, where you can chat extensively with the foster parents about the dogs behavior in varying settings and situations.
Chances are these foster homes, are run by experienced people with a fond but REALISTIC understanding for the breed. It is their DUTY to tell you everything they know about that dog, under every situation they've placed that dog. Many keep journals on the dogs daily behavior,.. and all of them should be willing to put your potential adoptee thru any and all the tests, you'd like to satisfy your curiosity. Keep in mind that we cannot possibly predict/guranantee a dogs behavior in and under different stimuli (Which is what separates us from many breeders who do think they can give you that sort of guarantee, BUSHWAH! But what we CAN give you is our EXPERIENCE and insight, Which is MUCH MUCH more than what you're going to get with anyone making you hollow promises. We don't claim to know it all, but We get awfully close, and you can basically bank on the fact that what we tell you is exactly what we've experienced,... Some of us are even considering "going live" (Webcam) So that you can see your potential new dog, in action, and get a feel for his everyday habits.... Keeping in mind that this is how the dog behaves here under this stimuli,.. Basic behaviors and a dogs nature, whether they are a Good natured, well intentioned dog is something that remains, under most environments. Energy levels, and companionship, are things that will vary depending on the owners. Behaviors such as dominance & resource guarding, are all things that depend on, the leadership of the HUMAN ALPHA. If you see that the dog is responding well to the Human Pack Leader, and isn't exhibiting over the top, out of control behavior, then in the very least you know that the dog has been able to control him or herself, at that point, chances are, if you ALSO ADOPT THE TRAINING ATTITUDE & DEMEANOR OF THE FOSTER PARENT (If that's what's working) then, you too, can achieve that same response if you are SUPER consistent. Bottom line, if you know, and you've seen the dog was able to control himself at one point under a certain stimuli, then he can do it again. It is manageable.
When you adopt from a Rescue, adopt a dog who has been in foster care for at least 2 weeks....
Adopt a dog that has been around, other dogs, Children, cats, neighbors,... people coming to the door,... Maybe the dog behaving under every one of those circumstances isn't hugely important to you,.. The important thing is that you at least have that knowledge. When our eyes are open, we can make decisions about what we are realistically willing to deal with. When we adopt a dog with no history, we just have to cross our fingers. The ability to ask a person who has experience with a certain dog, or a few different dogs, gives you the ability to make choices, to semi-preplan, and that information is PRICELESS.

A good foster home will tell you that, "IN HER EXPERIENCE, the dog has been:______________" But tells you that there are NEVER any guarantees.
A good rescue will always want their dogs back. If a behavior issue is Dangerous, they will be upfront with you about, the facts that they will probably not be able to re-place that dog in a home,.. but they will always take the dogs back regardless just to make sure that the situation is as stated, and not circumstantial.
And doesn't that make you feel good as an adopter to know, that you are not adopting a dog that has been returned due to some wretched aggression issue? As much as we ARE RESCUE, and love our dogs, love our breed, we give them each a more than fair shot, we are also realistic, so KNOWINGLY placing a dangerous dog, whether he is dangerous to other animals or humans,.. is not only, NOT our policy, But it is CRIMINAL, and jeopardizes the future of other Great Companion dogs who might need our help in the future.

But, Crap does happen, Dogs can change, and behavior can slip thru the cracks. NEVER blame a Foster Mom, for misrepresentation. Because think about it... None of us HAS TO BE HERE. We aren't making any money, and most of us SPEND HUGE amounts a month,.. some of us to the brink of poverty, to keep saving lives. It is the Foster homes Goal to determine if a dog is capable of becoming someone's "Beloved Companion." And it then becomes our quest to make sure that that dog goes not only, HOME, but to the home that FATE INTENDED. So, if an unexpected behavior rears it's ugly head? Chances are that foster home didn't HIDE IT, they didn't NOT DISCLOSE T, or misrepresent it, that would serve no purpose at all. There are those so called rescues who are making money at this, paying their mortgage, or rent off the backs of homeless dogs,.. and in that case if you make certain discoveries 1 or 2 days into the adoption, feel free, to speculate all you want, but for the majority of us, we are here to save the dogs. However saving, or adopting out, ONE naughty dog, can jeopardize the future, of alllll the rest. We are NEVER in a hurry to do that.

So- PLEASE, if you think you are the kind of person who is limited in the behavior surprises you might be able or willing to deal with, Adopting a Rescue Dog from a foster Family, is probably a good idea,...

*****REPUTABLE RESCUE =
Call and ask the "Special Needs" coordinator of your local SPCA if the rescue you are considering is reputable and find out if they have EVER been cited for anything! Feel free to contact California's LARGEST Humane Society, The Humane Society Of The Silicon Valley,... @ 408-727-3383. You can ALSO
discuss any bad experiences you might have had, and concerns, conditions of a foster home etc.. with them, and I know they would be happy to point you in the right direction for your county.
A reputable Rescue should also be 501C3, Licensed by the STATE, and The FEDERAL Government. You should ask them if they carry THEIR OWN 501C3 or if they use another Rescue's numbers to operate. If they are new and just getting started, using an already established Rescue's number can be common,.. but if it has been over 90 days,.. and that rescue STILL has not obtained their own numbers. Concern yourself with that. When a rescue is shut down for whatever reason, their certification is taken away. DO NOT ASSUME, that because a rescue has a website, has foster homes, and links to reputable affiliations, that they are also REPUTABLE. I can name 2 local rescues RIGHT NOW, where the person running the rescues, are not even permitted By law to own their own pets, let alone run an organization.
If a rescue person wants to meet you at a park,... Worry. If they want to meet you in a parking lot? Worry. If you can't come to their house, question.
If a rescue person tells you that they have been in operation for over a year and they carry their own name, but are operating under someone else's
nonprofit numbers? Call and inquire with your local SPCA, not shelter, BUT SPCA,..or HUMAN SOCIETY,..WHY. Why doesn't this group have their own
Non Profit Status?
Please feel free to e mail me with any questions you might have about determining whether a breeder or rescue is reputable, If I feel that one is not, my information will come strictly from filed and county STAMPED paperwork, and NEVER word of mouth or gossip. There is way too much mudslinging and breeder/rescue slamming going on out there and the dogs are paying the price.
Enough is enough.

Lesson numero Uno...."The Come"

A training session should always begin with a well exercised dog. I CANNOT stress this enough. Even if it's 10 laps around the yard,... A tired dog is a well behaved dog.
Always begin by going over things you know that your dog already knows.
If your dog can speak? Say, "Speak" and reward him enthusiastically.
Beginning with some good self esteem, is a GREAT place to start.
Never ask,..TELL.
And please keep in mind that if you are training an adolescent dog, that whatever HURTS OR SCARES YOUR dog at this point in his development, will affect him for the rest of his life, NOTHING fearful or scary can be UNLEARNED after this stage in the game,... so make sure that YOU begin in the right frame of mind as well.

So, lets talk about "Recall."
Not, the recall you're thinking about, but, "The Come."

What is the numero uno question I get from adopters?
"How can I get my dog to come when he's called?"

First of all, take note, I AM HUMAN, I make the same mistakes as everyone else. For example, the other day, a friend of mine, and I are out in the creek playing with our dogs, and her's take off. (Not that mine was any better behaved, my lil gal is just a might too chubby to follow suit- Hypothyroid, we'll talk about THAT, another day! ;)

In looking back, and reflecting,...I see that we are standing there both going "Hoarse" calling their names,...
"Graaaaaaaaacie, IVORYYYYYY, Gracieeeeeee, Ivvvvvory..." They, of course, kept running.
So I had to think deeply about this, and put this into perspective. WHY, did they keep running? I saw that after hearing their names the first 3 times, they did stop and look back. So, Duh, what's this tell me?
The command was missing.
They looked up, the "attention getter" was there,..Their names.
"Yes?" They might have said. When there was no follow up, they kept going.
So, lets altogether, forget the names. When we are serious and we want a dog to do something because their safety is in jeopardy, Let's forget the names. If they are standing in the middle of the street, the last thing we want them to do, is stop and stand there and wait for a command, we want them to MOVE. SO that's where we are going to begin. WITH THE COMMAND. FORGET THEIR NAME.
Oh and backtracking a bit, please remember,.. NEVER call your dog over to punish them. Never do the, "Come here, young lady, pointing at the ground thing"... Like we remember our Mom's and Joan Crawford doing. That is Un-Good! If you are going to do the calling your dog pointing at the ground thing? Lets give them a shock, and have them arrive to Ginormous hugs, treats, bells & whistles! If you make "Coming" a Happy event, it will take you leaps and bounds farther, Especially in the dog who's goal in life is to "People please."
Ok, here's another scenario... So you're in the yard, and your dog is playing with his, toy,... dogs associate Words, as sounds, and they always associate a word with exactly what they are doing that that very moment. PERIOD.
If your dog is playing with his toy, and you want him to learn the word toy, every time he is playing with his toys, say the word, "Toy." This is also the way we teach the word, "Come." When you are sitting in your chair out in the yard, and you see that your dog is headed your way, Say, "Come, Come, Come on!" (Happy voices) Keeping treats with you at all times is the way I trained my dogs, (And stained every pocket of every pair of pants I own, but hey, when it's a crucial time, my dogs also know, I am serious, and that coming, for their safety, is essential)
If your hangin with your dog, and he lifts his paw for whatever reason,...say, "Shake," When he's getting into the car? "Hup," when he's coming your way, "Come," My Mom taught her Doberman how to smile by saying the word, smile, every time he made a certain expression. This is the very best technique, as it's applied, you see the progress almost immediately.
Working with your dog is a "Lifestyle" not a, "Let's take two hours out on Sunday to teach Rex to Sit."
Have a talk with all the members of your household,.. tell them, this is how we are going to approach training, and agree, to all begin doing this today, and decide on certain words, the same words (Commands), that you will all use. Gracie won't come, if Jamie is saying, "Here Girl," and April is saying, "Come Here" and Mom is saying,... "Come." Everyone has to apply the same word. One syllable is best. Low tones,.. but not mad, Firm. Each of you must understand that this is the most important command of all. This command will save a dogs life, and therefore must be rewarded with the highest amount of enthusiasm you can each muster. Jump up and down, freak out, Hip Hip Hurray, Start a wave if you have t o, but make sure that the dogs knows you are, Flippin Frantically Excited about his arrival!!

All of this can begin right away. If you insist on taking time to "TEACH YOUR DOG" then I INSIST that you have taught your dog to Sit, and to Stay, before approaching technique 2.

Technique two, is done in stages. Like teaching your dog fetch,... you do it in "Stages of Feet Apart." What's that mean Shea? Ok, well, Assuming your dog knows how to SIT, and to Stay,.. ON your 4 foot LEAD, You sit, and stay your dog. YOU holding the lead say, Come. Give the lead a tug. He comes to you,.. you reward him. Rinse and repeat.
Here we go again. This time you have your 6 foot lead. Sit and stay your dog, and continue with the above instructions, You will continue this at 4 foot intervals until you are at 50 feet.
Now we start all over again, however this time, we use NO LEAD. Sometimes in a dogs mind, having the lead on, means "Control," YOURS. You may find he gets more distracted off lead, or even simply, might refuse to come. If he does, just go get him, and bring him over to where you wanted him. We don't want to reinforce his, "Ignoring you." He has to know you mean business. If you find that the distractions are just too much, sometimes it's better to hang it up for the day. You want to make sure that he is always doing what you say, being rewarded and that this lesson has been the picture of consistency.
Once we are thru all of this,.. it's a GREAT idea to then repeat all of this, with your back turned to the dog. NO eye contact, after all, in a recall situation it's much more realistic that your dog can't see your face or your panicked expression.

In the end, PLEASE remember, that you should never use "Come" when playtime is finished. They learn fast that "Come" represents no more fun, and saying good bye to all of his pals, and freedom. So never teach "Come" as a means to an end. It's sort of like taking your dog out for a walk, and the minute he goes potty, you turn around and go back to the house. Eventually your dog is going to learn to hold it for hours, and will never relieve himself... hence on those rainy days when you'd like to wrap things up quickly,.. you'll be very sorry you didn't heed my advice!
Although I NEVER advise anyone to leave a lead on their dogs when they are left unattended, if they are going to be within view, leave the lead on your dog while they still are mastering the "Come." Let them drag it around behind them. Like I said, dogs will always exhibit more control while on lead,.. than off,.. and you can quickly grab that lead, and give it a tug, "Come" and REWARD,.. No matter what... Reward.

Copyright Shea Rich/Nor Cal Boxer Rescue

New Doggy Intro's

Ok, so this is a portion of my resonse to a potential adopting family, about bringing THEIR dog to meet the dog they hope to adopt. (Did that make sense?) Anyhoo- I thought it carried with it some useful info- So here it posts,.. Tah dah!----------

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PLS Note that this varies from Males to females.... Females tend to be more territorial. (Hmm, sounds like a few "Human" women I know,.. Eh hem ;)

BUT- That will be fine. I think it's a good idea to introduce your own dog to their potential life mates.,... BEFORE making a decision to adopt. But doing so, "off of the HOME TURF," the INITIAL outcome, doesn't hold much weight with me.

Usually the tail-tell (Pun intended!) is bringing the new dog to the resident dog's home. ESPECIALLY when the resident dog is a FEMALE.
Archer is so gracious. In MY experience, (Only no scientific basis for this I think;) I have found that new dogs coming into an already established pack will n-o-t behave normally. Even away from the pack (Includes his humans) and outside, he is acting directly on behalf of his new pack....They see that they are in a new environment where the Humans are finally treating them the way they have been craving,..accepted into the pack by the resident dogs... and of course, as RESCUE Boxers always feel like they need to earn their keep, (IE: Working breed) I find that that their instincts kicks into overdrive, and they may scramble thru each of their innate and sometimes "Learned" behaviors to see which one is the one they should apply. A lot of times, that means becoming slightly and temporarily dog aggressive. Protecting their new Mom from a K-9 interloper = earning their keep. Obviously this is not the behavior that will stick with a dog friendly dog such as Archer,.. In a good home they eventually understand that all they have to do to earn their keep, is, be a companion, and look really cute at crucial moments,.. like after eating Dad's Rib Eye, from off of the counter! They don't understand what it is you want from them, at first. They remember being treated GREAT in the beginning before, and think what went wrong, why didn't that continue, how did I end up tossed outside? WHAT DID "I" DO WRONG, That I can do RIGHT THIS TIME??? I don't know why it is that they immidiately get into the "Protect Mom from Other dogs" But 200 Plus Rescue boxers later, I have had EVERY single Foster, go thru some period of this, at EXTREME varying levels.

SO, what you can take away from this, is just exactly how he will behave in his first few days with you. That's about it. As long as you set and keep your boundaries within the first 48 hours, Everything from that point will just get better. Dogs will try EVERYTHING within the first 48 hours to see just exactly what it is they will be able to get away with, and of course, we are all, as new adopters, EXTRA Lenient, and loving, to make them feel comfy, and so that they know, we are the good guys....we are different from those awful ickie people that gave them up. In reality, this is when we should clearly be establishing our boundaries. I put it to, novices (Which you are not) like this,.. If you were dumped in a foreign land- not knowing the language, wouldn't you want to FIRST know the rules? What it is, that would get you into hot water, kicked out or even put you in jail? Lol... Wouldn't you want to know your limits, the things- NOT to do to keep you in the new lands good graces? It adds security, and comfort, peace of mind. They understand that, BY you- setting FIRM boundaries, you are keeping them out of trouble and in essence, loving them. Makes sense right? You know all of this. You're a Boxer owner! (That's a very precarious statement, just a tad backwards ;)

So bringing your baby Rosie, is great, I'd love to meet her, but I never give that much weight in determining future relationships,... unless they just fall madly in love. A lot of times, if they REALLY hit it off, that does stick. They will still have to decide who is going to be the alpha in the relationship, and that won't happen until they are on the home turf.