Steadying June

As a breed, Tollers have been known to lack impulse control. June is an on again, off again poster child for this trait. I have worked especially hard to steady her in agility because she is lightning fast and I often need a good, solid lead out in order to set her up correctly for a course. I must have been feeling overly confident about her start line stays last November when we competed in Ohio, though it could have been the long ride out there or the extra restraint she had to exhibit as a house guest. Regardless, our first run of the weekend was an Excellent Standard run that was best managed by leading out from the first few jumps and calling her over. At least that was my plan. June had other ideas. She was over three jumps and had her nose and a paw in an off course tunnel before I even realized she had broken her stay. I will say this for June, she has excellent brakes and steering, and came off the tunnel immediately though it was too late to salvage our run. Obviously we went back to emphasizing start line stays in our training after that. I also find it helpful to remind her of my presence by doing front crosses, especially during our first courses of a trial weekend, to stress the importance of taking direction from me while running a course. In our Zen agility moments this isn’t necessary, as June directs wonderfully from behind and running her in this manner is definitely a less breathless endeavor for me.

Steadiness is an issue for June in field events as well. In fact this is the main point holding us back from attempting the higher levels of fieldwork, as steadiness is a requirement in the higher stakes. June finished her SHR title last fall and I can now confess my arm was sore after that weekend from holding onto her as I sat on a bucket, waiting for the birds to hit the ground. No judge’s comments regarding June will ever say “lacks enthusiasm”.

I’ve received lots of helpful advice from members of my HRC training club on steadying June. Unfortunately almost all the advice involves some type of positive punishment, from shock collars to riding crops to running out and scaring June away from the bird when she breaks. I simply can’t bring myself to employ these suggestions. They just don’t feel appropriate for a dog who lives to run and retrieve. What I have been focusing on, and what I believe will be the answer in the end for June, is a form of negative punishment (http://www.pgaa.com/canine/general/punishingbehavior.html, http://ahimsadogtraining.com/handouts/training-basics.html?alt=learning+theory)  When she breaks, I take away her retrieve. She’s a smart dog and has been catching on, though it still is a long, challenging process. As always, most of what’s holding her back is my lack of consistency and effort as a trainer. I’d better work on that!

Eta the beautiful and talented

It's been a busy year for Eta. She completed her  AKC CH, WC, CD and RN titles. This made her eligible for the NSDTRC USA's Rusty Jones and Versatility awards. We are very proud of Eta and very grateful her co-owners Mike and Mary have put in the training time to allow her to shine in so many areas. This fall Eta also completed three JH passes, only one more to go! These are some of the photos Eta's owners have sent me of her recent exploits in the field.

Part monkey - all Toller

Or as my friend Amanda would say, "that's how we breed 'em at Zephyr Kennel!"

We've now had four litters in a row where one or more puppies have managed to scale their expen. Pictured below is June's daughter Pond (soon to be known as Zoom). As June was our first climber, it's only fitting that a puppy from each of her two litters to date has followed suit.

I confess, she's only scaling a 24" gate, but in the past when we've raised this most of the puppies have simply risen to the challenge and had further to fall once they hit the top.

Breeding – Balancing faith and actions

Although we have no way of knowing what she’s really thinking, June gives every appearance of being a proud and contented new mother, belying her situation a few days prior to when this photo was taken, when a prolonged labor ultimately resulted in a c-section and the loss of two puppies she was not able to whelp normally.

This is litter number seven for our small Toller kennel and the first time we’ve ever had to use oxytocin to help a labor along or resort to a c-section. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering whether there was something I should have done differently that might have saved June’s other two puppies but I will never know for certain. No matter how much planning and preparation is done, whelping a litter is still a precarious balance between an act of faith and knowing when (and which) action is necessary. I am fortunate I live in an area where I have access to a number of excellent veterinarians who helped to guide our decisions along the way.

June’s official due date was June 19th, as that was 63 days from her first breeding. But I know the 63 day mark is really from ovulation (I’ve read Myra Savant Harris's books in which she stresses this repeatedly), and we did not know precisely when ovulation occurred as the lab result on the last progesterone test we did was invalid due to how the sample was submitted. Still, I was nervous, as I don’t recollect ever having a bitch go past 63 days.

June's temperature started to drop the next morning, on day 64. Even though I knew we could still be 24 hours out from whelping, I called my vet in the afternoon and they calmed my fears. Sometime during the late afternoon I started to see some beginning signs of labor, but it wasn’t until after noon the following day we saw a watery discharge that made me think puppies would be imminent in within the next few hours. When nothing further transpired and labor didn’t seem to be progressing I called my vet again. We went in and had a physical exam and an x-ray done and checked calcium and glucose levels as well. Her levels were normal and there were no puppies in the birth canal so we went home. We went back one more time before they closed to ask for an ultrasound to see if we could locate five heartbeats to match the five pups we knew she carried. We thought we could, so went home again to wait.

Between 7:15 and 8:30pm that night June pushed out three puppies on her own, and then acted like she was finished, though I knew better thanks to the x-ray. About 2.5 – 3 hours after the third puppy had been delivered I called the emergency vet. They recommended I wait another hour and call them back if nothing had changed. As nothing changed, we found ourselves packing up June and her three newborn pups, arriving at the emergency vet around 1am. Calcium and glucose levels were checked again and found to be in normal range. Two shots of oxytocin were administered at ½ hour intervals. The first shot didn’t appear to do anything and the second shot not much more. Poor June simply looked exhausted to me, and I weighed my options with the vet on duty. I decided against a third shot, opting instead to take her home and ride out what was left of the night. The next morning my regular vet called me to find out what had happened. When I explained, she bluntly told me to return to the emergency vet and have a c-section done as she didn’t believe those puppies were going to come out on their own, so that is what we did. Unfortunately, the remaining two puppies were not viable.

I was a bit of a wreck the first week after June’s c-section, worrying she would rip out her sutures, that the incision would become infected or that I wouldn’t be able to keep her quiet (it is June after all!) for the 2-3 weeks necessary for soft tissue healing. My fears were all unfounded. June recovered quickly from her surgery. We are back to our full walking regimen with plans to resume other activities in a few more weeks.

As with her first litter, June is an excellent mother. From day one she has been very attentive to their cries and thorough in both cleaning and nursing them. Perhaps because there are only three, the puppies all seem quite special. I’m very pleased they will be going to equally special homes who have all had puppies from us before.

Fielding Toller puppy inquiries

We are expecting a litter soon and I am currently fielding calls and emails from prospective puppy people. I fret a great deal about matching each puppy to the correct home and take the process of vetting prospective puppy people very seriously. Some people have only two questions; “Do you have any puppies available?” and “How much?”. While these are both valid questions I am prepared to answer, if they are the only two questions I am asked they don't do much to convince me the person is a great puppy prospect. We are deeply vested in our puppies, as are most Toller breeders. Producing a litter takes a great deal of effort, from researching pedigrees to honestly evaluating the structure and temperament of your breeding prospects, to obtaining health clearances, to caring for the dam during pregnancy and the puppies and dam after whelping. We hope to place our puppies with people who either have or will develop a strong passion for the breed, regardless of whether they are looking for their next field or performance dog or simply a family companion. It is very rewarding when I am contacted by a person who has done their research and asks discerning questions.

When communicating with prospective puppy people I don’t generally go on about how wonderful Tollers are. I imagine I might even sound a bit curmudgeonly as I take pains to explain how they are different in temperament than Golden Retrievers, the breed they are most often compared to. I am prepared to discuss the various health issues which challenge our breed, as well as answer any other questions about Tollers. If the person is in the area or willing to travel, I encourage a visit, though note our “kennel” is our home. I also have questions about the person’s interest in Tollers, expectations in a puppy, past experience with dogs, household routine, and even thoughts about vaccination and feeding.

Last year I received a call from a woman who asked me if I would consider breeding a dog who did not have their championship. I was quite surprised by her question but responded “yes” without hesitation. I sensed she was disappointed by my answer and our conversation was not long. I hope she found the puppy she was looking for. While my goal is to produce Tollers who meet the breed standard and are capable of finishing their championship, not all the Tollers I consider for my breeding program possess that title. Sometimes the owner lacks interest or resources, sometimes the dog simply doesn’t enjoy the sport and it shows in how they conduct themselves in the ring. As I was mentored, I look at the whole dog; health, conformation, temperament, working drive/desire/bidability. All are important but must be considered in balance.

Riley at the BYC

Over the Memorial Day weekend I traveled to Michigan for Region 2's supported entry. Known as the "Backyard Classic", this annual event has existed longer than Tollers have been recognized by the AKC. The BYC is always a combination of conformation and field events at a minimum. It is a great chance to catch up with Toller people both inside and outside of our region, to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances as well as make new ones.

I asked Riley's owners if I could bring him along to show as a Special and they readily agreed. Riley is June's only sibling. He is a handsome dog who (pardon the cliche) literally leads the life of Riley with his wonderful family the Eggers. He has not been shown since he finished his championship, but I thought it would be fun to take him out. To my surprise he was awarded Select Dog at the BYC's supported entry. This gives him the first five points towards his grand championship. His beautiful and talented niece Eta was awarded Select Bitch in the same show.

After the show, our friend Brad took some pictures of Riley for me.

Resource Guarding in Tollers

Resource guarding is a normal but generally undesirable behavior concerning something the dog considers is in his possession. Guarded objects may be food, treats, toys, bones and furniture, or may even be a person, since a person can be a valuable resource to a dog. The “guarding” may take the form of a stare or growl, or it may be a more serious response such as a bite. If your dog exhibits resource guarding behaviors but has not yet shown a proclivity to bite, I highly recommend the book "Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs” by Jean Donaldson as an excellent resource for owners who seek to understand and mediate these types of behaviors in their dogs. Your breeder may also be a good and knowledgeable resource, and should be contacted if you notice signs of resource guarding. However, if your dog exhibits resource guarding behaviors and has already shown a willingness to bite, please seek the help of a qualified professional. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a good place to locate a qualified trainer: http://www.apdt.com/petowners/ts/default.aspx.

Resource guarding is not unique to Tollers but I do believe it is more common in our breed than in some others. For this reason, we incorporate resource control into the socialization work we do when raising a litter. Some examples of resource control exercises we practice are:

• Trading toys and bones or other desirable chewing objects with puppies
• Being present during the puppies mealtimes and adding tidbits to their bowl so they associate the approach of a person at mealtime as a positive event
• Turning away from puppies who are too pushy in demanding attention and deciding when to focus attention on a puppy

When the puppies leave for their new homes the groundwork to mediate resource guarding has been laid but is not complete. In fact, it is something that should be incorporated into your training throughout the life of your Toller. To remind new owners of this and to facilitate the learning process, we send out a handout to our puppy people which includes exercises to continue in the puppy’s new home, even when no resource guarding behavior is present.

Here are some additional links you may find helpful:

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/resource-guarding/

http://www.peaceablepaws.com/articles.php?subaction=showfull&id=1282180133&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&type=Pat

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/t5923/ (the last two posts)