Back in 1999 I received a phone call from MeiMei Wu, a dog loving librarian working at the King County Library in Bothell Washington. Summer was approaching and with that, as usual the kids section in the library would become a ghost town. Seems that in the summer, along with a school break kids take a break from reading as well.  MeiMei.  asked me if I would like to help her change all that. Because I’m a dog trainer and I have therapy dogs Mei Mei thought I would be a good contact to help set up reading sessions where kids read aloud to dogs. I was not so sure about this idea, “won’t the kids see right through it? It’s like we are tricking them to read? “  On the other hand I thought it would be “cute”, “sweet”, my dog would love it, but nothing that would really have any long lasting benefit to the kids. Of course this ended up that MeiMei had a great idea and boy, was I wrong.  I think not only did we change the summer reading population at the library, we may have changed the world!  Ok, maybe a stretch but I do think time will tell! Only a few weeks into the summer and several news organizations came out to film what we where doing, “Reading to a dog? Helps kids? What?” One of those news organizations was CNN, national news. Next thing we knew, we had gone what we call today, “gone viral!”  I had clients calling me from airports, seems our story was being promoted as a human interest story so it was being seen by a lot of people from all over the world.  It  was becoming obvious that because dogs are non judgmental creatures, they are the perfect reading buddy for a child with challenges. 

Reading with Rover dogs also visit hospitals, brightening up the day of someone who needs it.

 

The line of children at the library became so long that we actually had to make appointments for the kids to read to the dogs. My friend Dottie Snow, who also had therapy dogs and I started recruiting more teams to meet the demands that summer.

I would be lying if I did not say that my motivation in the beginning was slightly selfish, I thought from dog training business perspective  “what a great way to market what I do, get my name out there!” but that all changed when Animal Planet sent a production crew from England to Seattle to film our Reading with Rover program at Woodmoor elementary school. This was going to be part of a two hour Jane Goodall special called “When Animals Talk”   During the interviews, one of the kids, Kassidy who had leukemia since age two made this comment “I think it’s the dogs job to make you feel safe” and this comment was like an arrow that pierced through my heart because I knew what Kassidy was going through so the thought that our reading dogs could create a sense of “safe” feelings for her was remarkable. Reading with Rover is about feeding the heart and soul of not just our community of children but it’s a huge part of our lives, the handlers of the dogs as well.  That summer Kassidy died of leukemia. Her experience with our dogs changed not only my life but our mission. Today we not only help children with reading challenges but autistic children, children with cerebral palsy or other physical limitations. Any child with a special need can benefit from the experience they are having with one of our D.R.E.A.M dog teams. Not only are these dogs special, I have to say the dedicated people that hold the leash and sit back and let the magic happen are special as well.

Reading with Rover has grown from 3 reading dogs in a small library in Bothell Washington to over 120 ready teams, helping kids all over the Puget Sound. Since our segment aired on Animal Planet seven years ago I to this day get emails from all over the world, India, Germany, Australia, England, Mexico. There are now reading dog programs nation wide and also in Europe as well. Their groups have different names but it’s the same concept, dogs helping children by offering some non judgmental humane interaction.  All want to know how to set up a program like Reading with Rover in their community. Amazing isn’t it!  So are we changing the world? I think we are, one tail at a time.

 

Our foster dog, “Wooley Bully”, needs a home!

“Wooley” came to us from a good family but sadly, like many dogs, her “Dog Ma” just didn’t have the time with her busy career to give “Wooley” the time she needed for training and exercise. Wooley came to us at 82 pounds and is now an athletic 60 pound Doodle! She is available for adoption to any family that has kids older than 14. She’s great with people and if anything, she’s the dog who “loves too much”, so we worry in a home with young children, she may accidently barrel them over. She is four years old and since living here at the ranch, has received tons of obedience training. She’s now ready to make the transition to her forever home. She loves to fetch, hike, and is a good watch dog too. She would be best as a single dog. On occasion, she will play with other dogs but it’s people she is mostly drawn too. She would most likely be fine with an older male dog who would let her be queen.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in “Wooley Bully” just email us at info@puppymanners.com. “Wooley” has lived here with us since January and we are just now putting the “woof” out about her. I have personally taken her shopping with me many times and she’s easy to shop with and has great leash manners. And let’s face it… With a grin like you see above, what’s not to love?

Well, we are excited to announce that we, Puppy Manners, won “BEST of 425” in the 425 Magazine contest for Best Dog Trainers. But I have to say, it’s not just me and Dave. It’s our amazing crew of people that work here. Karen, Nate, Patrick, Dylan, Jamie, Brian, George and Kyle. They care as much about the dogs and Crystal Creek Farms as we do. Just an amazing, caring and dedicated crew of people who take pride in where they work and what they do. Dave and I cannot thank them enough! On top of that, the other BIG win was Reading with Rover, which won for Best Local Non-Profit! That’s an amazing feat because there was serious competition, with non-profits much bigger than us. But in the end, the community spoke with their vote and we are so proud of our Reading with Rover program and what the volunteers and their “rover dogs” do for kids all over the Seattle area.

In other news, we’ve received a lot of questions about our foster dog, “Dusty”, and whatever happened to her? You can read about “Dusty” in this previous blog post. After her DNA test came back, we were not so surprised that she is 52% Doberman and 12% Malamute. But the real shocker was this bit–the results reported that “Dusty” is 12% Pekinese! No wonder she’s such an odd little duck! The remaining 25% is unidentified DNA, which our veterinarian says can be a rare breed not included in the data bank. It’s possible for her to even have some coyote, wolf, or other feral dog breed, which would make more sense due to her extreme shyness and feral like behavior. She came from a litter born on an Indian reservation and it was a feral litter. Her mother is most likely feral as well, so she has some ingrained behaviors that we struggle with, like warming up to people. But there’s not a mean bone in her body and she loves, loves, LOVES other dogs. She is one of the most socially appropriate dogs I’ve ever seen. However, finding a home for her has proven nearly impossible. She simply will never be a dog that can settle in, curl up by the fire place, frolic with kids, greet strangers with a wag of her tail, or be a happy house dog. She is still a bowl of shaking Jell-O with every perspective family that comes to visit and she almost becomes catatonic. Just so sad. Most dogs when they meet families, it’s like speed dating and they know right away “this is the dog for us!” But for “Dusty”? It’s just not in the cards.

Dave, Becky, and Barn Manager, Karen, with "Dusty"

So fast forward to today and I’m happy to tell you “Dusty” has, indeed, found her perfect home! The family is willing to accept her for who she is, not for who they wish she was and she’s such a happy dog! She will let people pet her, people she is familiar with of course, and she is loved and adored by many because she is officially a Bishop! That’s right, Dave and I adopted “Dusty”. We recognized that she loves it here at Crystal Creek Farms and it’s clear she loves to run with a pack of dogs. “Zoom” is getting older and I can’t really keep using her as a “greeter dog” to test a dog’s social skills. Enter “Dusty”, who we also call our “ranch dog” because she has a job and that’s to tire out all the puppies that comes to stay with us and be the official “greeter dog” for new guests. She makes them feel welcome and accepted, which is exactly what we need from her! So everyone can rest in the knowledge that “Dusty” has found her perfect forever-home and she is very happy.

As for our personal lives, Dave had hip replacement surgery a couple months ago and is recovering beautifully. He’s also lost 45 pounds post-surgery! Additionally, I have lost nearly 20 pounds! We decided to start practicing what we preach for dogs, to live well, eat better, and trim the fat! It’s been a pretty amazing journey, but it’s not difficult when you have great family support, which we’ve had from our kids and of course, each other. We celebrated 32 years of marriage this month. I love Dave a lot and am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.

Also new in our lives is a new pup named “Diesel”! Technically, he’s our granddaughter, Reagan’s, dog, but he’s been living with us for a couple months now while Solomon, our son-in-law, builds a fence to keep “Diesel” safely in the yard. “Diesel” has turned out to be an incredibly loving, amazing yellow Labrador from SunnyDaze Labradors in Bellingham. He’s such an exceptional dog, he’s been nicknamed “Special”, which suits him perfectly.

The ranch is literally hoppin’ with fur and has been a great place to spend the summer. As fall quickly approaches, we will take one short trip to Alderbrook Resort for a few days. We will not be bringing a dog, something we haven’t done in over a decade. A trip for just me and Dave on a well deserved vacation and we can’t wait! It’s amazing whenever we go somewhere without a dog, as I find myself actually looking for dogs to connect with… I just need them in my life, I guess. I guess if you have to have an addiction, wanting and needing to pet a dog on a daily basis can’t be unhealthy… Right? �

One last thing before I sign off! If you haven’t checked it out yet, head over to our Vimeo Page, where you’ll find several short videos of dog training tips. Several of them are simply iPhone clips and others are more in-depth training videos. All of them are fun to watch and extremely informative. Be sure to leave comments on the ones that help you most and please, feel free to make request for specific videos and we’ll do our best to go over those topics soon. Thanks for sticking around for our updates! We love our clients and readers and as always, we do our best to address your puppy training needs as they come up. Thanks for reading!

This is one of the most common questions we hear–How do I teach my dog to stay? Dave put together this awesome video where “Zoom” and I demonstrate how to begin teaching “Stay” and the difference between it and “Wait”, which is a pretty big difference. So sit down, relax, and leave a comment below! We’d love to know what you think.

When first entering my office, most people notice a photo I have of what appears to be Tom Cruise with his arm around my dog “Magic”. Imagine their surprise when I say, “It is!” Here is the story behind that photo…

If ever there were a dog trainer “moment” in time, the day this photo was snapped in 2001 would be it.

“Magic” and I were hired by an animal agent and were sent to California to meet up with Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and director Cameron Crow for the movie Vanilla Sky. (Don’t buy it or even rent it, unless it’s just to see “Magic”. She’s the only good moment in that dark story). The whole experience was pretty surreal. We were to meet a camera crew at dawn in Malibu beach. “Magic” was afraid of the waves at first, having never seen a beach before. But as the day went on, her true Labrador nature started to show and quickly felt right at home with this giant body of water and endless supply of frisbee-tossing people. I’m sure she thought she was the “star” of this movie. Then Penelope Cruz came out and she and “Magic” had still shots taken. A girl and her dog, on the beach, in deep reflection. Except Magic was foaming and shivering with excitement from chasing frisbees. At first, Penelope was a bit scared of “Magic”. But once she settled, she snuggled up to Penelope and some beautiful shots were taken of this stunning actress and this relatively unknown star, my sweet girl. Later in the afternoon, I was asked to drive by Cameron Crow’s production office so he could meet “Magic” and discuss the scene they wanted her to play.

I got there on time but Mr. Crow was looking at the dallies (not sure what that is but I think it’s Hollywood lingo for scenes shot that day). After about 30 minutes, Mr. Crow came in, followed by Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. I was not expecting anyone but Mr. Crow, who coincidentally, lives in our hometown with rock star wife Nancy Wilson (from the famous 80s band Heart). Tom Cruise was so nice. Collectively, they asked what tricks “Magic” knew and I immediately put her through her paces. Then they asked if we could practice the scene she had with Tom. Essentially, the scene was Tom coming to Penelope’s apartment to pick her up for their first date. As she lets Tom in, “Magic” was to rush him and well, how do I put this… They wanted the dog to be a “crotch bumper.” Just go head first into Tom’s business and be an inappropriate greeter! Say what?! The obedience trainer’s dog? I had no idea how I would get her to even go near Tom’s “zone” but luckily, I had a stroke of genius! I gave Tom a tennis ball and asked him to toss it for her a few times. After a few throws, he stuffed the tennis ball into his pants pocket and “Magic”, out of frustration, went for the ball by trying to bump it out of his pocket. That’s my girl! A total inappropriate greeting, on command! I was pointing to the zipper of Tom’s pants telling “Magic” to “Get it, you know you want it!” After a few practice runs, Tom took pity on her and threw the ball about 20 more times before we left.

Now for the blunderous part of the story. As I was packing up our things, getting “Magic’s” leash on, Cameron Crow told me how beautiful and well trained she was but he feared she was not thin enough for the part. Yes, you heard it right, even dogs are pressured to be thin in the industry! “Magic” was not over weight and I let him know that I could not take her weight down and he understood. Quickly realizing the odds of me EVER being in the same room as Tom Cruise, I got out my camera and asked if I could get a photo of Tom with “Magic”. He was so gracious about it. He really is a nice guy. “Magic” loved him and he clearly likes dogs. So, the actual scene went to some smaller, black mix breed who, by the way, didn’t even have a decent crotch-bump. But, during the movie, when Tom picks up a picture frame in Penelope’s apartment, it zooms in on a gorgeous photo of Penelope Cruz and her dog on the beach. “Magic’s” big close up. I remember Dave saying “That’s our girl! There she is!” and I think the whole theater woke up and wondered what we were so excited about.

People often reprimand me for requesting a photo of Tom with my dog and not myself. But this photo is priceless to me. I miss my “Magic”. She afforded me so many opportunities as a dog trainer. In a world where black dogs are not adopted, thought of as taboo in some countries and go unwanted, she had an amazing career. She had a part in the film Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock, she modeled for catalogs, did commercial work. She was even used in a promotional video for a corporation and got paid big bucks to drink out of toilet! She could not believe her luck, getting paid to do things she loves. Not every dog can say that. And not every dog trainer is so lucky to have a “Magic” in their life.

Here are some photos* taken during filming. We’ll start with our “star” of the day.

*Photos taken by Carly Chaney.

1. She’s almost house broken. If I withhold liquid after 7PM, she can make it through the entire night without an “accident.” However, if she has a bit of Root Beer (or “Beet Brr”, as she likes to call it), I can guarantee she will need a “wee wee pad”, aka “Pull Ups”.
2. She doesn’t eat the furniture, but I have caught her chewing on inappropriate objects. For example, pencil erasers, paper clips, and pennies.
3. She’s a bit of a “resource guarder,” as she doesn’t like to share her HPGs (Hard Plastic Guys) and/or her “Chickens”, aka “chicken nuggets.” She actually growled at me the other day. I thought about squirting her with a water bottle but we thought a timeout would be more effective. It was.
4. She doesn’t drink out of the toilet, but I did catch her splashing in it the other day. When I found her, she exclaimed rather bluntly, “I’m playing in your toilet!” Thank heavens for liquid sanitizer, although I have caught her drinking that too.
5. Right now, her recall (“come here” command) needs some serious work. When she’s in the yard and I call her to come, she runs the other way. Eventually, I resort to shaking a bucket full of HPGs (again, Hard Plastic Guys) and she cannot resist and comes running. Like a cookie to a puppy, positive reinforcement is often the best solution.
6. Something she’s getting better at on every outing is resisting the need to greet strangers because, as I have explained to her, not everyone loves being greeted with sticky hands or being licked on the face. On the other hand, I don’t want to squash her friendly spirit and sociability. There’s a fine line between keeping them social and not letting her end up someone else’s little puppy.
7. A tired three-year-old is a well-behaved three-year-old. Sure, she gets a little cranky. But that doesn’t last long and then she falls asleep, usually in the middle of chewing on something, like a “binky” (pacifier) or, as I’ve mentioned, an HPG.
8. She loves to jump on the bed and when you say “off”, she won’t do it.
9. She loves to play with other puppies but she’s often guilty of having “third dog syndrome,” otherwise known as the peace keeper. She doesn’t like conflict, although that doesn’t apply within the context of her toys (see #3, regarding resource guarding).
10. Above all else, the biggest similarity I’ve found between her and a puppy is her undying love, devotion, and loyalty. She truly lives in the moment, doesn’t care about the future, and doesn’t look back. I wish that would last forever.