Fred2Blue

Laurie Williams is a renowned canine behaviorist and owner of Stafford, Virginia’s Pup ‘n Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center. In 2008, Laurie and her Maltese extraordinaire Andrew, starred in the CBS TV reality series Greatest American Dog; the duo overcame all odds (and much larger pooches) to be first-runners-up on the show.

Now, Laurie is blogging for Fred2Blue and fielding your questions on dogs and their humans. Her new column is Ask Laurie!

January 23, 2009 Laurie Writes President Obama!

Dear President Obama,

You’re a busy man so I’ll be brief. I can’t help you with Wall Street, the auto industry or job creation, but I can help you with one pressing domestic issue: the soon-to-arrive First Dog.

I understand you’re scouring shelters for a Labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog for your daughters, Malia and Sasha. The two breeds are good options considering Malia’s allergies, but, and here’s where I can assist, you’ll have your hands full with either choice.

Both dogs are high energy and require lots of consistent training–unless you don’t mind them tackling a visiting head of state, soiling the Oval Office rug or snatching food off an East Room table during an elegant reception.

I’ve trained dogs for 25 years and my tips for living with them might also prove useful as you start running the country and dealing with U.S. and foreign leaders:

Aim for progress not perfection. There will be mishaps. Clean them up and move on.

Set limits. Dogs are opportunists with no moral code. If something looks good to them, they’ll go for it.

Anticipate pitfalls. View your surroundings from their perspective. Remove anything that could prove harmful. Keep a close eye on them even after you’ve established a bond of trust.

While campaigning across the country, you probably missed last summer’s CBS program, “Greatest American Dog.” My dog Andrew was a finalist, but, more importantly, the 10-episode program provided me a platform–I guess we all have them–for showcasing my philosophy of positive training.

Recognizing that you and first lady Michelle Obama are busy people, I’m providing a video (see fredericksburg.com). My goal is to develop a bond between dog and owner that’s based on respect rather than fear, reward rather than intimidation–an approach not unlike your outlook on foreign relations.

Please keep me in mind as you search for your Canine Trainer-In-Chief.

Sincerely,

Laurie Williams

Pup ‘N Iron

November 24, 2008 Paws for Change

Hi Laurie -I heard you are thinking about marching in the inaugural parade for President Obama. Is this true?

Sincerely, Jenny.

Hi Jenny. Thanks for asking!

And YES, God-willing, we hope to be marching in the inaugural parade!

The upcoming inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama and all the pomp, circumstance and events associated with it have been the most anticipated, celebrated, and discussed presidential inaugural event ever.

Despite the typically bitter cold temperatures customary that time of the year, the unprecedented security measures to include machine and personal body searches, hundreds of undercover police and secret service officers, counter-snipers planted on top of buildings, surveillance cameras everywhere, bomb sniffing dogs and circling air patrols, it is estimated that up to 4 million people will descend on our nation’s capitol to take part in the historic festivities. Again, I hope to be there!

Last week, I submitted an application for Blue Grey Spirit Keepers, the local therapy dog group of which Andrew and I are members, to march in the 2009 Inaugural Parade.

When I first approached our group a few weeks ago to see if there was interest in participating I must admit I was a bit apprehensive. The lament over John McCain’s defeat is more pervasive than I’d like it to be in the Fredericksburg area, as evidenced by the lingering McCain-Palin campaign signs some sore losers just can’t seem to take down.

However I was pleasantly surprised at the overwhelming affirmation I received from my fellow BG Spirit Keepers. Hopefully this means that true patriotism and the desire to be a part of history trumps anger and bitterness. Or maybe it’s the dogs that should get the credit. I’ve always believed that dogs have a positive effect on us and undoubtedly are unifiers, not dividers. So along with the 500+ others, our bid for one of about 50 spots is in!

If selected, this will be my second appearance at an inaugural event. In 2001, gasp, my husband and I accompanied friends who worked for the Secret Service to one of the official inaugural balls. Even though I was not happy over the results of the election, in fact I was sick about it, I didn’t want to pass up a chance that might never come again.

Sure, the entire night Mike and I kept thinking “what if,” and there were a few times we had to resist holding our noses, but we attended nonetheless and were grateful for the opportunity. However to participate in this one would not only be an honor but would be one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Getting selected will be a long shot for sure, but mathematics aside I think the odds are in our favor. The vast majority applications will be the usual marching bands, drum corps, honor guards and equestrian teams and I’m happy to let them duke it out. On the other hand, the number of dog groups among the applicants will be significantly lower. In fact, there is a very good possibility we could be the only ones. When I called the Armed Forces Inaugural Parade Committee office a few days before the deadline, the Staff Sergeant I spoke with couldn’t recall any others that had come in up to that point. 400 applications had already been received.

Additionally, our group has another very important leg up. On 9/11 members of our group were called by the Red Cross to act as animal assisted crisis response teams at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center while family members awaited news about their loved ones involved in the attack. As a follow-up, most recently we received a special invitation to attend the Pentagon Memorial Dedication Ceremony on September 11, 2008. I was honored that Andrew and I were among the ten teams selected represent our group.

So, I’d say we’re in a good position but I’m keeping fingers (and Andrew’s paws) crossed.

Certainly if ever there was a year for dogs to be included in the inaugural parade, with all the hype and speculation about the first family’s future dog, this is the one. Wish us luck!

November 7, 2008 A Dog for Malia and Sasha

Laurie – I read your earlier post on Fred2Blue in which you answered questions about the kind of dog the Obamas should get for their daughters. Very interesting! Today in the news there’s lots of speculation, and was wondering if you had any additional thoughts on the matter.

Best,

Rachel

Hi Rachel. And thanks!

I remember when I was a little girl and passionately wanted a dog of my own like Malia and Sasha Obama. I didn’t suffer from allergies, but my mother was very resistant to adding a dog to our family for a number of reasons.

Firstly, as a single parent she had limited time and resources to devote to a dog. Secondly, she didn’t grow up with a family dog herself, so she really didn’t understand that connection you can develop with a canine family member. On the other hand, I was a bit of an anomaly in my family. I simply loved dogs for as far back as I can remember. My mother tells me that even as a toddler riding in my stroller, my gaze would often affix on the nearest dog in sight and it was hard to pull me out of the trance.

Okay, so yes, I was the weird one in the family, born with an unfamiliar doggy gene, and finally when I turned 12, my uncle convinced my mother to get me a dog. Mamie, a Beagle and Dachsund mix became the first love of my life.

We played together, I told her all my secrets, and when I wasn’t allowed to go out to play, Mamie was always there. However the most interesting thing about Mamie and my relationship is it was also my introduction to both caring and being the caretaker for another one of God’s creatures. I believe how I treated Mamie set the stage and formed the foundation for not only how I would treat subsequent dogs in my life, but humans as well.

Back in those early 70’s when I was mommy to Mamie, I was a “positive dog trainer” before there was a term for it. I quickly learned that the easiest way to teach her something was to provide a reward when she complied and to repeat it over and over. It worked well and Mamie was a star! She learned many tricks and together we won almost every pet show we entered. Most importantly she was smarter than any of my friends’ dogs.

We had a wonderful relationship and I never had to dominate or intimidate her. I couldn’t. After all, she was the one whose shoulder I cried on when I didn’t make the cheerleading squad. She was the one who laid patiently with me when I was sick. She was the one who kept me from being scared when my mother had to work late. There was just no way I could fathom doing anything harmful or aversive to her. No, I had to learn those compulsive, aversive and intimidating methods later in life from dog trainers who said it was the right way.

Well it’s not the right way.

I had it right 34 years ago when I trained Mamie, and thankfully science has validated positive dog training methods for the past 10-15 years now. We’ve learned that it is unnecessary to dominate or make a dog fearful to get him to perform. Unfortunately during the past few years we are seeing a shift backwards to more aversive methods.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles just about every other dog I saw on the street was wearing a prong collar – you know, those metal collars that look like a Medieval torture device. I even saw a few wearing shock collars – out in public!

Well let me state unequivocally, just because you see a popular trainer doing something on television doesn’t make it right. Being a “pack leader” doesn’t have to mean intimidating your dog. It means being a strong yet kind, benevolent leader to your dog who trusts you to treat him fairly and humanely. It is just never okay to cause pain to a dog to get him or her to perform.

A man’s soul can be judged by the way he treats his dog.
– Charles Doran

So everyone is wondering what breed of dog the Obamas pick or whether or not they will get a puppy from a breeder or a shelter or rescue dog.

I’ve read suggestions from Poodles, to Labradors, to Pugs, to Beagles, to Doodles! Since we want this to be the dog’s forever home, I certainly hope they do select a dog that will have the least affect on Malia’s allergies, first and foremost. It would be tragic to get a dog and then not be able to keep him. However no matter what breed of dog the Obamas select for their family, how they raise that dog is what’s really important.

President-elect Obama’s victory is historic and symbolic and demonstrates our country’s shift towards more tolerance, more unity, humanity and a hope for a better society. It is my hope that the new Obama Puppy-elect will be the recipient of this change and be raised humanely with positive, dog friendly techniques. It is my hope that Malia and Sasha can learn, as I did, that a dog can not only be a child’s best friend, but an example of how to treat others regardless of species.

- Laurie C. Williams

October 22, 2008: Dog v. Cat Issues

Laurie, I am a BIG fan of yours and Andrew’s! I was rooting for you guys to win!
I have a german shepherd/border collie/who knows what else dog that is 4-5 years old. She is EXTREMELY smart. However, I cannot break her of the habit of chasing our 16-year old cat and hitting the cat with her nose. I’ve tried everything to get her to stop.

Any suggestions???
Helene Domi

Hi Helene,

Thanks so much for watching the show and supporting Andrew and me. Because you described your dog’s behavior as a “habit,” I am assuming you’ve had both your dog and the cat for a while and this behavior is not a new one. I am not a proponent of “breaking bad habits,” but rather encourage and train people to not allow undesirable behaviors to become habitual to begin with. It’s so much easier to teach a dog what we like and to reward and reinforce those behaviors than to try to get him to stop something that he already has been reinforced for repeatedly. Let’s face it, for your dog chasing the cat and head bumping her is fun and brings her great joy. I imagine she has done it dozens and dozens of times, and in essence has been reinforced dozens and dozens of times. So in order to break the habit you would either have to punish the dog severely enough as to make it so undesirable to chase the cat – WHICH I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH AND DO NOT RECOMMEND, or to find something the dog desires MORE than chasing the cat, which will be very hard. Your dog is genetically wired to herd and chase things. This being the case, the quickest, least aversive and less intrusive fix at this point would be to limit your dog’s access to the cat. Put up baby gates, leave the cat in another room, etc. I think your cat will really love you for it!!

October 20, 2008: What’s going on with my Greyhound?

Dear Laurie– My husband and I recently adopted a rescued Greyhound. Zuzu is a gentle soul with the kindest eyes but she is scared out of her wits. She’ll whine and shake when she sees sliding glass doors and stairs.

Frankly, I don’t know what to do to settle her down. Any suggestions?

Laurie: Sadly, retired racers have usually not been socialized at all. They spend their lives at the track, in kennels and rarely see the outside world. So I would definitely start introducing her to things both inside and outside of your home slowly and positively. It must be handled very carefully, so you might consider seeking the help of a behaviorist to guide you through the desensitization process. Additionally, medical intervention might be in order if her anxiety gets out of hand so you should definitely consult your veterinarian. There are also natural remedies available that help ease anxiety as well. A holistic vet could help in those areas.

October 18, 2008: Does my dog need a dog?

Dear Laurie – We enjoyed watching you and Andrew on Greatest American Dog!

Our dog Augie is 1 year-old neutered golden retriever/collie mix. We adopted him from a local SPCA and he is a great dog. But he seems to need a lot of attention which our kids (6, 7 and 9) only occasionally give him.

Does Augie need a canine companion? If so, can you provide us some advice on the kind of dog and does gender matter?

Laurie:Hi there and thanks for watching the show. First question to ask yourselves is are you ready for TWO dogs? While it is possible the two dogs would bond and provide each other with an outlet, it is also possible that you could end up with two dogs clamoring for your attention!! You might want to consider enrolling Augie in doggie daycare. That’s like “rent a bunch of dogs..” He could attend daily or even just several times a week and get out all his energy with a bunch of dogs that don’t have to come home with you!! If you are ready for another dog, I’d want to meet Augie before recommending a particular breed, size or gender, but as I said, make sure you have the time for another mouth and four paws in your home!

September 4, 2008: What kind of dog should the Obamas get?

F2B: We’ve heard that once the election is over, Michelle and Barack Obama might be bringing a dog into the home. What is more, we’ve heard that – because their kids have pet-dander allergies – the Obamas might be thinking about getting a Poodle. In your esteemed opinion, what are the upsides and downsides to this popular breed?

Laurie: Poodles are indeed a very trainable breed! In Stanley Coren’s book, The Intelligence of Dogs, Poodles are ranked #2 (out of 110 breeds) in intelligence according to data gathered from over 200 dog-obedience judges. They were second to none other than Border Collies. Not too shabby!

I consider the Poodle a breed that can be trained to do almost anything from basic obedience to agility, tracking and even water retrieving. A lot of people don’t realize that Poodles were originally bred to be hunting dogs. And one of the best things about Poodles is they come in 3 different sizes (toy, miniature and standard) to fit a family’s specific needs.

However, one thing to consider is that Poodles do require regular grooming to maintain their curly coat and prevent it from growing too long.

Since the Obama family is young and certainly on the go, out of the three sizes I would recommend a Standard Poodle, the largest out of the three.

F2B: Are there other non-shedding breeds they should consider?

Laurie: There are actually quite a few breeds that are considered “hypoallergenic.” Among them is the Maltese, and of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention them! In addition to Andrew, I have two other Maltese and find them to make wonderful family pets. And as Andrew demonstrates they are very trainable, obedient and loyal. Maltese have hair, like humans, rather than fur, so people with allergies do very well with them. They are a toy breed and normally range in size from 4 to 8lbs. Maltese also require regular grooming to maintain their long, luxurious coat. Many opt to get them cut short in a “puppy cut.” Greatest American Dog Judge Wendy Diamond’s dog Lucky is shown in this shorter clip. At first glance you’d never even know that Lucky and Andrew are the same breed!

F2B:What advice would you give them regarding timing? Bringing a doggie into the family, especially if Sen. Obama becomes President and the family moves into The White House, would be a big challenge. Should they wait and if so how long?

Laurie: I would definitely advise the Obamas to wait until they are settled into their new digs before adding a dog to the family. But this will give them adequate time to research the various different hypoallergenic breeds and determine which might best fit in their family. It will also give them an opportunity to visit various breeders should they decide to start out with a puppy. But I do hope they will also consider a shelter dog or rescue. People would be surprised how many purebred dogs are given up each year. Most national breed clubs have rescue divisions all over the country, and many rescues are listed on petfinder.com.

How symbolic would it be for the President of Hope who will lead this country into a brand new day to also give hope and a second chance to a rescue or shelter dog by giving him a forever home?