Dog Blog

jody |21 | dog person in training. reaper is a 4 year old german shepherd and who I'll mainly post about, but lulu the coonhound will show up frequently as well!

[maisietheyellowlab]

Does anyone have any good resources on dog-dog resource guarding in multi-dog households?

I'm looking for force free resources of any kind, so videos, podcasts, books, blogs, whatever, as long as it's sensible and useful. Please, and thank you!!!

Navi has always been a typical little herding dog who takes it upon herself to "enforce rules" and it was usually not problematic at all, it was moreso a quirk. However, she's tried to guard her bowl and a cardboard box (love that for her) in front of Maisie and a friend's dog in the past month. I'm pretty convinced this is linked to her being in heat, since it's been a tough one for her, but I think we'd benefit from working on this regardless. Don't want it to escalate and create conflict with other dogs and I also don't want her to feel unsafe with her food etc. I already do a lot of things to manage it, and I know how to work on resource guarding between dogs and people, but I honestly don't have that many resources on dog-dog resource guarding and how to effectively manage or solve it.

[securityunit-ese]

'sup have some resources

General Resource Guarding management techniques for "Leave" and "Let it go"

Susan Garret's episode on Resource Guarding and interruption games

Fight! Dog-Dog Aggression by Jean Donaldson (link to ebook) - goes into dog-dog resource guarding

Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson (link to ebook) - doesn't go into dog-dog aggression but good for broader understanding

Feeling Outnumbered the book for multi-dog households (link to ebook)

The Kikopup Dogmantics Resource Guarding Protocol - guide to create a troubleshooting plan

Whole Dog Journal on Resource Guarding (technical troubleshooting for owners)

Graduated Exposure Techniques - Resource Guarding is on page 143. This is a manual for professional dog trainers setting up training sessions, not really for owners.

This blog post series is more about relationship breakdown between two dogs in a home but I'm quite fond of it even though the trigger was not resource guarding. A lot of it still applies even if no fight has happened, just threats:

Dog-Dog Aggression Between Housemates Part One: the Fight

Dog-Dog Aggression Between Housemates Part Two: Bites

Dog-Dog Aggression Between Housemates Part Three: Management

Dog-Dog Aggression Between Housemates Part Four: Training

[dct239394cvvd098dffgggp]

seen a this edible aint shit but for adderall

[hardyorange]

sharing @mumblesplash 's tags:

[weaselle]

reblogging to cast

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

traditional knife 石镰shilian specially used to harvest glutinous rice

[canisitsnotlupus]

You searched for » Canine Conditioning Coach

So many people don't know about this resource and it's SO well organized and great for fitness and conditioning.

[teacup-labrador]

Also amazing is the Facebook group Canine Conditioning and Body Awareness Excercises which is actually linked with this page but there's a lot more discussion happening there and professionals who can weigh in if your dog does have more concerns in terms of mobility and it's absolutely free

[doberbutts]

So I’ve never trained stays and things in public before. This may be dumb, but do you worry about people walking up and messing with your dogs when you’re far away? Or your dogs getting distracted and breaking stay to disappear off somewhere?

No, because they're trained to stay even when people do that.

Distance stays are all about distraction and building up tolerance. I don't start with distance stays nor do I start with a lot of distraction. I teach stay in steps with both my client dogs and my personal dogs.

Step One: duration. I use the 300 peck method to build stays literally one second at a time with me right next to/in front of the dog. 15 is the initial goal, 30 for adding movement, 60 for beginning out of sight stays, and 180 for those long distance stays. Once you hit 5 or so minutes it's pretty simple ime to make big jumps into things like 10 minutes, 15, 20.

Step two: distance. Once again 300 peck to build distance one step at a time. For extra wiggley puppies it can even be a half step or just picking up my foot and putting it back down in place. Movement adds a bit of distraction but it also adds a LOT of impulse control- most dogs want to follow their owners so it can be difficult for them to grasp the concept of remaining in place while watching their owners walk away. Generally speaking 5ft of distance is where I try to start, which is roughly 5 steps back for my long legs or to the end of a regular 6ft leash, and from there I add distance as the dog gets better.

It's important to me to do it in this order because the act of walking away from your dog takes time. Crossing a 10ft distance will take more than 5 seconds, so ensuring the dog can at least stay with you standing right there for however long it will take to complete your 10 feet and back travel time is key.

Step three: distraction. I already start distraction a bit technically with my client dogs because they're in a group class, but I try to make it fair and put them in aisles by themselves when beginning things like short distances. However at some point I start to position them so they are both staying and recalling past each other perpendicularly- I find most of my clients struggle in multi-dog settings to get their dogs to recall away from/past other dogs and to control themselves around other dogs, so this helps with that.

I also park them in front of high traffic areas- next to the grooming door, behind the cash registers, against the fish wall. If we're doing training outside of my job, I look for crowds of people walking past and park the dog somewhere reasonably out of the way but still sort of in the mix. I vary between working at a distance under this type of distraction, and being right next to the dog, depending on what exactly I'm working on at that moment.

During this period, I'm also teaching a solid stay on place, stay while owner is distracted, and a sit/downstay for greeting. This can help really solidify that stay means pick somewhere to be in the position you were told and stick to that spot like you've been glued. I also start doing a lot of walking around- no more backing up in a straight line but now I'm turning my back, walking to the right or left, disappearing briefly from sight, picking stuff up, fiddling with my phone, chatting with passersby, etc. Depending on the dog's progress I tell interested strangers they can pet the dog as long as it holds the stay. I do this often for Fae when I'm fishing for dog training signups with her on her placemat 10 feet away from me at the front door. People find this type of thing really impressive, but it's all skills we learn past the beginner class.

I also really try to keep this fair and to reward often. That long distance I did with Fae during that photo, I got all that far away from her, waited 5 seconds, and then came back and gave her several treats for it before repeating the process. After 3 or 4 rounds, we moved on to something else, because it can be really difficult and stressful and I'm trying to *lower* stress in her training.

So... no, I'm really not worried about people messing with the dogs or the dogs breaking their stays by the time we hit that point, to be honest. They'll stay, and if people come to bother them, they'll stay for that too. I do move them if I see a dog incoming, or if I'm noticing behavior from people that I don't like such as parents letting their kids run amok. Dogs walking by are fine but a lot of people don't notice Fae on the floor until their dogs are pulling desperately to get to her, and I'm certainly not risking my tiny dog's safety for customer clout. A few have also not seen her over their carts so it's not like I never return to her and pick her up when I see a potentially problematic situation. Sushi by comparison melts into a large, unmissable puddle when told to stay and most people give us a wide berth. I generally have to encourage them to walk by because they recognize that we're training and don't want to disturb. Benefits of having a giant mastiff just rare enough that no one knows what your dog is.

[darkwood-sleddog]

I don’t even know what to call this but understanding Harness Types is important and thus a comparison to something humans wear every day was needed so I made this. I have ~feelings~ about dog gear okay?

[catgirlbulge]

Hey y'all!

I'm really curious if each individual pokemon has at least one person on earth where that Pokemon is their absolute favorite! If possible, reblog this and add your favorite in the tags and I'll try and compile the data in a spreadsheet or something!

[catgirlbulge]

If y'all are gonna be putting multiple Pokemon in the tags im just going to pick the first one i think, no double dipping >:(

[abirddogmoment]

We do a lot of posts like "whats something you regret doing with your puppy/new dog" but instead, tell me something you did with your puppy / new dog that you are really proud of, that you would recommend someone do with theirs.

For me it was enforced naptime. Turns out babies need a lot of sleep and become significantly less bitey if they get sleep during the day.

[wyrddogs]

Enforced naptime is a big one!

I think that mine is making grooming a highly rewarding activity. Kermit is low to the ground and out in the brush a lot, so he’s frequently covered in mud, burrs, etc. Combing stuff out of his ear hair and hosing mud off his stomach is a way of life. If he was stressed out and fighting me, it would be a nightmare. Instead he hangs out in my lap and relaxes. (He even enjoys nail trimming!)

Even the stuff that he really does not care for-- ear cleaning and teeth brushing-- he stays calm for, because he knows he’ll be paid well for it.

I put so much effort into making grooming a relaxing activity that I was able to pull ticks off him, by myself, with tweezers, when he was a twelve week old wiggly puppy.

[mostly-taxes-and-whining]

Yes! Good addition! Envoy doesn't like grooming but he will stay still and let me do nails, bandage changes, tick removal, etc.

[molosseraptor]

With Via and Ash a big thing I did that I haven’t done with previous dogs, either because there wasn’t a need or because I didn’t really see the value, was teaching them to do nothing. We would go places and just hang out. No real training. Just marking and feeding for observing anyone and anything that passed by and for hanging out in a relaxed position and minding their own business. Sometimes I’d bring a chew item or a stuffed food toy, but usually not.

With previous dogs we went places to work from a young age to prepare for competition and as a result, I got dogs with a difficulty settling because there was the expectation of doing stuff. Marius still struggles with this at almost 9 years old. Via and Ash are a pleasure to take places and just hang out with. There’s minimal to no management needed and they’re equally as able to turn it on and work when needed. I’d argue the work is better because they’re not burning a bunch of energy vibrating in place before we get in the ring. I’ve also seen how successful it’s been with client dogs I’ve had since puppyhood both as pets and in performance homes.

It’s definitely something I plan on continuing with future dogs.

[craigslistdogs]

Some people collect figures, i collect malinois misspellings

[creekfiend]

"When I refer to terrier work, I am not talking about ratting or bushing rabbits or working raccoons or possums in brush piles or barns, but honest earth work in which a dog disappears underground and out of sight, and then is dug to by someone with a shovel." I FUCKINT LOVE DOG PEOPLE THEYRE SUCH FREAKS

[creekfiend]

I don't mean DUMB ASS IDIOT SHIT FOR BABIES like RATTING, I mean WHEN YOUR DOG GOES IN A HOLE and gets SO CAUGHT UP IN MURDERING ITS OCCUPANTS that you MUST EXTRACT IT YOURSELF with SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES of HUMAN TOOLS

you fool, you absolute buffoon

[oregonforestdog]

I’ve been reading Temple Grandin’s Animals Make Us Human, and something I found very interesting and powerful, is the idea of the moment before the reward being more pleasant to the animal than actually having the reward. She compares it to looking forward to opening a Christmas present. Which absolutely makes sense: for me personally, looking forward to a vacation is more fun than actually being on vacation.

However, I think of my dog and many GSDs, and that moment before being released to a reward does not seem to be particularly pleasant for them. I think of Ribby and Freya screaming with excitement and anxiety as their collars were put on to go for their walks. I think of Ivan’s whining at the doorway when I ask him to wait before being released to run outside and grab his ball. I think of doing shaping with him, and how he will begin to vocalize when he isn’t clicked on every rep anymore. For them there seems to be a higher level of frustration when they know the reward is coming, but the reward is not right now. I don’t think this is at all the same thing as what Temple Grandin is describing and I’m trying to figure out what the difference is. Clearly there is an in-between state here that I don’t fully grasp. Maybe it has to do with clarity (maybe the dog thinks maybe this time the reward won’t come?), or lack of patience. Or maybe what TG is describing is the moment I give the release (which is still before the reward is obtained) rather than the moment before the release is given. Maybe what I’m seeing is rage rather than seeking, to use the book’s terminology.

When I read that whole lines of GSDs have been selectively bred for barrier frustration, it was like a lightbulb went on for me. This is why German Shepherds make such good guard dogs, barking fiercely behind a fence. This is why GSDs are so easy to agitate to snarling frothing barks in protection work. This is why so many GSD owners seem to struggle with leash reactivity. They are so easy to frustrate. We did that on purpose.

So is that GSDs experience frustration when the reward is coming but the reward is not right now, or is it that GSDs do not like being asked to have self-control before getting a reward? This would be incredibly helpful to understand moving forward. Obviously, lowering a dog’s frustration levels in training is important, but what if the dog, at the end of the day, actually just needs to learn how to deal with frustration? How can I work on building my dog’s self control and simultaneously lower his frustration? And, how can I make sure I am rewarding my dog when he is in an appropriate state of mind, to avoid making things worse?

[gustavowasright-deactivated2022]

i would say what you're describing are largely issues of arousal, and to my understanding the SEEKING system and arousal are closely related. i am not a neuroscientist, tho, lol.

some dogs are DEFINITELY more prone to easily entering high states of arousal than others. gsds and mals being a perfect example. which as you discussed makes them convenient for all sorts of purposes. arousal does spring from frustration (i.e. Ivan is probably experiencing extinction during shaping, where the behavior that WAS paying off is no longer paying off the same way, hence the vocalizing. Happy does the same thing if i don't increase criteria smoothly enough - she generally gnashes her teeth instead of barking). but ime arousal can also be a habit - where if early signs of heightening arousal aren't noted, they will continue to escalate. much much more easily in dogs like Ivan the working line GSD than in some others (arousal thresholds absolutely have a genetic component). it's a snowball of emotions.

the marker is said to be the dopamine peak (anticipation vs acquisition). like, when the dog hears the click, that's when dopamine is highest in their brain. i would say the distinction between an instance like the marker of what Temple Grandin discusses re: SEEKING system, where the dog has no frustration, and the other instances of anticipation that you discuss, are that the learner is absolutely clear on what happens next. they consistently get their reinforcer immediately after the click. we tend to follow relatively, if not very, habitual patterns from marker to actually dispensing the reinforcer. even if we have poor mechanics etc etc. vs environmental cues aren't usually remotely as consistent, and the point at which the dog believes they will hear the marker when performing a behavior often isn't clear enough either.

vs when Ivan waits at the door for his ball in the yard, i would guess you sometimes have him wait different periods of time. and doorways themselves ime are a scenario in which arousal can very easily snowball - the dog gets a LOT of reps of just going through doors, so then when criteria change (from their perspective) it's frustrating. i tend to let Happy barrel through most doors like an idiot, so when my dad tells her "SIT, SIT" before he lets her go through, she won't respond immediately; she gnashes her teeth; she will squat vs properly sitting; etc. i bet with Ivan if you tried to reward him with the ball BEHIND, he would still barrel into the yard. i could be wrong i just know Happy would be this way in this instance lol - when she's gotten enough reps of one high arousal behavior under her belt, it's an arduous process to change her expectations.

similarly, i would guess what went on with Ribby and Freya pre walk was similar to teaching a hold and bark. the behavior chain that got reinforced probably included minor signs of arousal and/or frustration, and it snowballed. and i would guess that your walk routine wasn't always exactly the same every time (in length or whatever cues they were perceiving). i know mine def isnt!!

imo what we can do most to help dogs with situations of arousal is examining where we can clarify (to reduce frustration as much as possible), and to practice reducing the significance of environmental cues. ie the leash and the collar not consistently signaling the coming of an event. it just makes some dogs too high imo, especially working dogs who are bred to be obsessive.

ofc managing arousal is way easier said than done 😭 arousal is a beast because it entails helping dogs regulate emotions in a really hard way. it's hard to know every detail a dog is cuing off, it's hard to be very consistent and change criteria smoothly, it's hard to be super observant and spy the warning signs of escalating arousal. i am not trying to lecture btw, this is just all stuff i have been researching for the past several months and i find it really interesting! so wanted to type a few thoughts out, the whole subject is massively complex and i know i'm forgetting stuff to include... but basically i think it has to do with overarousal

[oregonforestdog]

I’m glad you replied to this! And I think you’re definitely right about the over arousal. This is something I really struggle to control. All things considered, Ivan is not that bad, but I still do not like to hear him whining or cry-barking because I know it can escalate really quickly and can be so hard to change. Not to mention, I just don’t want him to be in that state of mind! He should be enjoying himself. Playing with toys is his favorite thing in life, but also something that can easily make him lose his mind.

With Ribby and Freya I never figured out how to help them calm down about the collars. I would try different things but none of it seemed to make a difference. Mainly I would try to wait them out until they settled down, but then because there were two of them, one of them was not getting her collar put on first, and then that would set them off again. There was also this anxiety of, “is it happening or is it not happening?” when trying to wait them out that seemed to make it worse. After spending 20 minutes at the door of our apartment knowing they probably really have to go potty eventually I would have to just grit my teeth and get it done. I think I turned them into marathon whiners because all I ended up doing was building duration 😖

I also think of all the dogs at the boarding kennel where I used to work, that would act similarly when being checked out and reunited with their owners. The dogs would lose their minds at the sight of their own equipment coming out of the bin (we didn’t use it day-to-day during boarding) and the entire process of putting their equipment on, giving them a last check over, and reuniting them with their owners would be fraught with the worst whining, screaming, leash-pulling, jumping, etc that any of the dogs ever exhibited. It always bothered me to see it happening, but how do you prevent it? You don’t have time to wait for the dog to calm down; their owner is outside waiting for them and there’s a line of other dogs you need to check out when you’re finished with the one you’re working on. So what gets reinforced is the absolute worst behavior, and the dog gets the best possible reward for doing it. It’s a shame to not be able to use that incredible reward to reinforce good behavior. I’m sure there’s a way but most pet businesses would not find it worth investing the man hours in making it happen.

Anyway, I’m realizing I tend to train in a haphazard way and if I really want more clarity and less anxiety I need to break things down further and be more thoughtful about them. It’s amazing how the deeper you get into the details, the more of them you notice. There’s a world of difference in the way my dog looks and acts when I say “fetch” just before I throw his ball, vs how he looks and acts when waiting at the front door to get his ball. I need to find a way to make the latter look more like the former, just not sure how to make it happen.

[rockin-reaper]

The infirm old lady on her sickbed..... knocking on death's door.....

[doberbutts]

Cambridge BOAS Research Group. 2,920 likes · 1,860 talking about this. The Cambridge BOAS Research Group consists of clinical researchers, surgeons/nurses, and geneticists, investigating respiratory...

Followers who are genuinely interested in how breeding brachy dogs can be done responsibly and how we are collecting and then using this information to ensure the dogs are not harmed by their physical traits, I’d give this page a decent look-through as there’s everything from scientific papers to videos of tests to example dogs and more. Really quite interesting stuff!

[intriga-hounds]

What weird irrational fears do your dogs have? One of mine is terrified of balloons and skateboards, and the other hates the sound of soda cans opening.

zoe and oliver are both afraid of Everything. houston is the only golden retriever afraid of water. sivi is terrified of children, especially if they are on a scooter.

[labrasmore]

Duma is absolutely terrified of feathers and feather boas are the scariest things she’s ever seen in her life

[rockin-reaper]

Lulu is afraid of bowls that wobble, ESPECIALLY metal bowls that wobble

[ainawgsd]

The Jamaica Dogsled Team is a team of sled dogs and mushers headquartered at Chukka Caribbean Adventures in Ocho Rios, located in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. The dog team is made up of strays rescued by the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and offers dryland dogsled rides, along with the adventure center’s other outdoor experiences. In addition, the two mushers Newton Marshall and Damion Robb, compete in sled races throughout the US and Canada, using leased dog teams. (Jamaican dogs taken out of the country are not allowed to return due to quarantine regulations.) Country music singer Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is the team’s major sponsor.

Keep reading

[darkwood-sleddog]

I was living vicariously through your sledding with the dogs and this year I said fuck it “imma make myself a dog sled”. The husband bought me a heavy duty sewing machine and now I’m just turning out dog harnesses like a mad woman cause there are so many colour combos I like and I’ve only got two dogs...XD. Question tho. Do you have any good sources and types of harness and each ones use? I can’t seem to find anything but adds.

If you are interested in harness making HERE is a great article by Shilon Bedford, who is now retired, but was a very renowned harness maker in the community, which describes how best to fit and measure a dog for a harness. This should be a good reference for those making their own harnesses for pulling.

OKAY, jumping into the history of harness design:

Historically dog harnesses made by Europeans and Native peoples differed greatly. Early European designs took after draft horse harness (we even took carting horse commands like Gee and Haw and used them for directional commands). HERE is a nice article with some historical reference photos of European designs.

Below: Canadian Inuit Dogs with European style “Leather Collar Harnesses”

Below: Dog team in European style leather horse collar harnesses

MUSH: A Beginner’s Manual of Sled Dog Training by the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers, Inc is a great reserouce book for any musher. They describe these European style harnesses:

The leather collar harness is no longer in racing use. Of historic interest is the leather horse collar style. It was extremely popular in the early days of the All Alaska Sweepstakes. The harness is completely made of leather with a padded leather collar being its main feature. To distribute the pull evenly, the two side straps are attached to a hard leather curved loop set outside the soft padded leather collar. A belly band, side straps and a single tree complete the harness

Here is a diagram of common sledding/pulling harness types we see today, most of which are based on the X-Back which is a Native design:

A.) the X-back aka the Siwash Harness was designed by native peoples and was used to run fast trap line runs. (Mush: A Beginner’s Manual of Sled Dog Training, Charlene G. La Belle, Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers Inc) 

X-back styles would have been used because a trap line would be in a tighter space, dogs wouldn’t necessarily have the width behind them for a spreader bar like we see in freight harnesses and European harnesses. This is also conducive to the Fan-Hitch style of hooking up dogs. Fan-hitch is a traditional way of hooking up dogs and is still seen in Greenland. It looks like this: 

When running in a fan hitch, you would also want a harness that is flexible as dogs may change possessions or be close together. Also there are different kinds of fan hitches: Canadian & Greenlandic! HERE is a nice article on that from the online publication The Fan Hitch which has a ton of great information about inuit sled dogs.

Below are some photos from Peary’s Arctic Expeditions around 1909 of dogs wearing native style harnesses. The harnesses were typically made from seal skin, thus we get a more flexible design we still see today as opposed to the rigid materials used in the European style harnesses (wood and more traditional leathers would have not been available to the Inuit).

There is a really nice article about an Inuit Dog Harness from the late 1800′s from Greenland that now resides in the Ski Museum in Norway. This harness, called Astrup’s Harness, was lended to Jonas Warme Moe to study and recreate with modern materials. HERE is his blog post detailing that, along with some nice photos of a Greenland dog modeling the harness.

Below: Greenland Dog wearing recreated Inuit style harness

 It is meant to give the dog full range of movement. This is best for dogs that have a nice straight gait. A dog that doesn’t run straight will find that this harness may twist or tangle. 

You can find a x-back from many retailers, pretty much all sledding harness retailers will have one since this is the basic harness. X-backs are what we think of when we first think sled dog harness and they tend to best fit sled dog breeds. In my opinion, it’s best to start with a standard x-back and then adjust to see what your dog may need differently.

Below: Siberian Husky in modern x-back style harness

B.) this is the Sidepull Harness or as it’s better known in some circles the “half-harness” or “shorty harness. The Howling Dog Alaska Distance Harness is a good example. 

Interestingly enough, when I was looking for examples of Siberian native harness to compare to the Inuit Harnesses above I found several photos of modern Chukchi people using half harnesses with their dogs.

The middle dog was an Iditarod competitor with the Russian musher Mikahil Telpin. Unfortunatly I do not have a lot of reference of what the Chukchi would have used historically since many historical photos of dogs of Siberian origin are of dogs being mushed by Leonard Seppla, who used European style collar harnesses as far as I can tell.

A short harness allows pressure to be taken off the dog’s hips (an x-back does put some pressure on the hips of the dog if the item they are dragging is much lower than the spine of the dog). This harness is good for dogs of nearly all body shapes because it is only half the length of the dog and is not meant to take advantage of the dog’s full body power. It’s best for extreme long distance since the dog is not pulling through the full extent of its body and is popular with Iditarod mushers. Here’s an article by Iditarod musher Aly Zirkle on why she uses short harnesses.

C.) the H-back harness. This harness takes aspects of the x-back and mixes them with the Horse Style harness. Like the shorty harness the H-back was designed to help take pressure off the hips of the dog. A popular example is the Dragatten Multi Sport Harness or the Non-Stop Freemotion Harness. H-back harnesses can come with or without a spreader bar (see in the freight harness). What differentiates this harness the most is the style of the cross straps on the back of the dog. H-backs are often used to fit long and broad dogs which is why they are pretty popular with mushers who use pointers and pointer cross dogs as well as those doing long distance.

Below are examples of an h-back with and without a spreader bar modeled by an Alaskan Husky:

D.) The freight harness or with some adjustment to the design, a weight pull harness. These harnesses are made for the big guys and for pulling heavy weight. Freight Harnesses likely originate from mixing native siwash style harness and heavy duty carting harnesses from Europe.

Freight harnesses usually have a much lower attachment point than other harnesses because it takes pressure off the hips when pulling large loads. They also usually have a spreader bar, but not always.

These kinds of harnesses can also be helpful to dogs that are tall. With a traditional x-back, a tall dog may struggle to correctly pull to their full power since they are tall and the weight is low thus their tug line is not at an optimal angle. 

Below: Some examples of Freight Harnesses

So what differienciates a Freight Harness and a regular H-back with a spreader bar? The attachement point! Observe how the spreader bar in a regular H-back sits above the tail and how it sits BELOW the tail in a freight style harness!

Many outfitters make freight harnesses but the Non-Stop Nansen Stick Harness is popular amongst mushers I know. For a unique freight harness, Howling Dog Alaska makes their Wheel Dog Harness which has a lower attachment point and design like many freight harnesses, but does not include a spreader bar. I’ve included it above (the yellow harness) as reference.

The spreader bar in a freight design is to keep the harness from pinching the hips of the dog, but many people like the Wheel Dog harness because it does not include a spreader bar. Spreader bars can be at risk of breaking since many are made of wood. Non-stop solves this issue in their design by having their spreader bar made of aluminum. However many mushers try to eliminate as much metal as they can from their dog’s set ups. In long distance mushing you want as little metal on your dog at any given time. Touching metal can make dogs more prone to frost bite. Spreader bars can also interfere with the gait of the dog if not properly measured and adjusted.

Well I hope that was helpful! 

[campfirecanines]

communicating boundaries != aggression

I see this mix-up happening a lot at my current job and it drives me nuts, especially when puppies are involved.

All the situations I’ve seen are similar to our family being concerned and startled when Gunner grumble-growled at them for trying to move him off the couch by lifting him by his butt. He doesn’t like to be moved by his butt and he’s telling you so by making that noise - it does not mean he wants to eat you and it certainly doesn’t mean he’s aggressive. My dogs are allowed to communicate their boundaries so long as it does not involve their mouth. If their mouth becomes involved, YOU are being the aggressor and have ignored their original warnings (via body language, vocalizations, and probably them attempting to leave the situation entirely).

When a schnauzer puppy comes in for his first groom and starts grumbling because you keep moving him around in ways he’s not used to, has communicated multiple times that he doesn’t like X, and he’s been putting up with it for an hour, it also doesn’t mean he’s aggressive. It means he’s reaching his limit (and he’s a schnauzer). Goldens and doodles and whatevers may not growl in these situations, they may be more likely to whine/cry/hide when they are reaching their limit… but that doesn’t make all the other dogs aggressive.

This expectation for ALL dogs of all ages to behave like this perfect, idealistic golden-esque canine drives me nuts, and I am seeing it most often with the #adoptdontshop type crowd… who I personally feel are often lacking in their knowledge when it comes to different breeds.

It’s really driving me nuts, y’all. They rather have a dog behave by communicating its boundaries via submission, despite lauding themselves as fear-free and positive and all this, than a dog who may be more confident and more naturally inclined to say “HEY. fuckiNG stop! touching! me!!!” By which I mean, again, a whine vs a growl. Or even prior to that, hiding/making themselves smaller vs confidently moving away and ignoring you. (lololol just picture a dog trotting away, head completely away from you, and you go after them and try to grab them by their butt/hips again, and they turn and growl. UH YEAH because they think you’re an IDIOT for not unDERSTANDING what they are effectively communicating!!! you jerk!!!)

And any dog not acting within the parameters of the former gets labeled as aggressive in some way or another, with no regard whatsoever for their breed and its natural inclinations. Schnauzers are not bichons.

I think I’m just repeating myself at this point lmao. I hope I’m making sense. And then it drives me crazy all over again when they’re trying to shape the dog into an adult that once again only fits within this very specific mold… where they should all just be goldens or something… gets along with everybody, no growling, soft, goes to the dog park with no issue, blah blah blah.

The expectations we put on dogs is uh, sometimes a bit ridiculous, especially if we are also just throwing out their breed personality entirely. Maybe they just extra don’t understand how a smaller dog would act like anything but a bichon or havanese.

[rockin-reaper]

YES THIS

It seems like a lot of people just have an idea of a dog in their head and think that any deviation from it is "bad" when its just the dog communicating in a different way. Its really baffling to me because literally all it does is make it more stressful for the dog AND for yourself. Like, yall, just chill out.... stop worrying about having your dog fit this idealized mold...... Like, a dog is its own individual! Get to know them, spend time understanding how they communicate with you, respect their boundaries! Its not hard, people just make it out to be difficult because they're not actually listening to their dog, they're applying this fictional Ideal Dog to their real life dog and getting confused and upset when the two don't line up.