Always on call...

and very glad for it to be so...especially today, since Kenny and Joya's apartment was visited by the exterminator! I got them out of the house pronto and we had a great time going for a stroll through the Slope for a couple hours. I found a flatware tray I've needed for a while along with a few kitschy old horror movies, and the spring weather was invigorating, body and soul. The dogs really enjoyed the beautiful weather too; they took full advantage and did tons of socialization. They were both really happy to be out of the house, and enthusiastic to return to a familiar place no longer in flux.

I won't say going sometimes a month between days off isn't tough, but I should get one tomorrow and, on the whole it balances out. I'm fortunate enough to be supported by doing what I love, even with enough time to maintain a blog on the side. And after all, I can always catch Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me tomorrow!


Here they are afterwords, all pooped out in their moth-free home.

One of the last of a breed

I'm a sucker for a real-life anachronism

Bella and Max, a rematch

Claiming the Ball

Keep-away from Max

After a bath, subdued

Later, not so much

Nothing beats relaxing with a bone after an active day!

One day, child, all this will be yours

He's Ba-ack!

Stanley had his first walk in tandem since his surgery, yesterday. As usual, he was all about the lovin'!

The day after Earth Day; NYC life and politics

Alright, I'm overdue for a soapbox post, so here it is, and on something I do feel very strongly about.

As many of you no doubt know, I don't drive and very rarely take public transportation. Biking is easily the fastest way to get around the city and it simply makes more sense from a public policy standpoint as well. But day after day, millions of New Yorkers and New York commuters get into their cars, usually by themselves with very little cargo, and hit the roads at rush hour. Then they crawl through overcrowded arteries, bang on their horns and get frustrated. The next day they do it all over again. To cite the old truism, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The main reason people don't bike is the perceived safety risk, but biking with the proper precautions -- a helmet, reflectors, a horn and at night bike lights -- is actually safer than travelling by auto. 97% of bicycle fatalities involve riders not wearing helmets. We are zero-emission transportation and take up far less space than cars. And the more bikes there are on the streets, the safer it is for everyone. Yet the typical reaction to us by drivers is purely irrational -- when I pass a car in a traffic jam it's not like the car would be moving any faster if I'd never left my apartment, yet so often the driver of said car reacts with aggression. And the collective, public policy reaction to the bike flowering that's taken place here in the last decade seems to me even more irrational.

New York's Critical Mass has been besieged by hordes of cops since the RNC 2004 ride, with the police routinely engaging in behavior exponentially more threatening to public safety than the riders. The bicyclists follow traffic regulations during this ride, so the police had to make a new set of rules to continue to harass the event - rules which will now be used to stifle many of the most effective forms of public expression and demonstration, and on all sorts of issues.

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a far-ranging, practical common sense sustainability initiative, as our city grows and sea levels rise. I did not vote for my fellow Bostonian, mainly due to his development stances, but really think these policies deserve support. Today however, the local airwaves are aflame with negative reaction mainly focusing on the congestion pricing aspect of the plan. At the same time, in Brooklyn, the first demolitions were scheduled to make way for Bruce Ratner's so called "Forest" City mega-congestion development.

Also today, the city council overrode the mayor's veto of its anti-pedicab legislation. It is distressing to me, in this supposedly progressive and forward looking enclave, that after so long bikes still seem out of place to most people and worthy of suppression. Often violent suppression by spontaneous road raging drivers, and organized, premeditated violence on the part of the police department. If we can't do it in New York City, what hope is there for real changes that are needed in our wider society to avoid what so many acknowledge are catastrophic consequences?

Here are some good links to local environmental news and resources:

Transportation Alternatives
Time's Up!
New York City Streets Renaissance
Green Apple Map
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn
(The above non-profit organizations are all doing fantastic work. If you can afford to make a donation I strongly recommend all of them. Also, whether you can give or not, do go check out Time's Up!'s bike workshops on Houston St. The schedule is on their website.)

Also, if you care to read further these blogs are more exclusively devoted to the subject than I:
Bike Blog
Streets Blog
On NY Turf

Personally, I find that the choices I've made are anything but altruistic. It simply makes more sense to live this way, and as it happens it's also better for the environment -- in the long term and immediately. More and more people make similar choices every day, and come to the same conclusion.

Bella at Play

The other dog up there is Max, who deigns to live with a friend of mine. More on him later.

Bella

Bella's another one who's been with me since she was a puppy, and she's still adorable! For a couple years she even lived around the corner from me (til I got priced out of Bed-Stuy*, of all places!) and used to walk with Aberdeen, my live-in dog and partner in crime. (More on him later but for now suffice it to say the experience built the tolerance of each dog.)

If you remember the video game "Sonic the Hedgehog," that'll give you a good idea of what Bella's like. She's easily my most hyper dog, bouncing off of furniture and walls at breakneck speeds. Outside she loves to play with balls and with other dogs. Her favorite thing is to get a soccer ball-sized inflatable in her small but powerful jaws and swing it around til all life drains from it. She'll also run around bouncing a soccer ball with her snout - a regular Pelé!

With other dogs, Bella definitely has the little guy's drive toward overcompensation. She doesn't ever get actually violent, in my experience, but she's definitely dominant; and I've seen her cow dogs that could probably inhale her. I won't say that she never gets annoying -- :-) -- but you've really gotta admire her spirit. And when she looks at you with those tadpole eyes, well, it kinda makes everything alright.


*--the part of Bed-Stuy called Clinton Hill by real estate agents. But the give-away is that there's no hill.

Working Dog

Moby wore his saddle bags today. They have lead weights in them, but even after more than an hour in the newly arrived (and enthusiastically welcomed!) warm sun, he was still full of energy. The weight helps him to use his energy (I already reflected on how important that is), and satisfies his instinct to be useful. With shepherds (and shep mixes), work and structure are extremely important to their health and mental well being, and even the way they play is a manifestation of said instinct.

mismatched shoes

I think this qualifies as found art

Maggie

Maggie Mae is a genteel country lady who found herself in the big city several years ago. She hardly ever knew a leash til she got here, and it took a couple weeks to get her to understand good leash behavior, and that things you find on the ground in these parts are not safe to eat! But she has a really charming desire to please and adapted quickly; she responds to the commands "head's up" (to stop scrounging), and "chill" (to stop pulling). An important part of maintaining this balance is to allow her to act in some way on her instincts, and this lady sure loves to smell the "flowers," if you know what I mean.

But she has tons of energy too, for walking and playing. Maggie has a great time with Stanley and Moby, and the contrast really shows her dual nature. With Stanley she really plays off his puppy energy and almost seems to revert - very cute! And with Moby (he's my herder, remember) she's engaged (they actually kiss!, and they do romp and play) but also businesslike and professional.

Come to think of it though, when she started walking with Mobe a few weeks ago, I think she was a bit rambunctious. She kind of started to go back to scrounging and pulling. It was probably the classic situation when there are changes in the group -- a dog often sees it as an opportunity to advance in status, and makes a move in that direction. Soon enough though, Maggie settled in to the new routine and she's back to her cooperative self.

I actually share this dog with my friend and dogwalking colleague Vlado, which brings up another point. There is very little (if any) competition among Brooklyn's independent walkers, at least in my experience. If anything there seems to be more work out there than we can collectively do, and cross-referrals are common, as are backup/time-share arrangements such as this one.

This post has no title

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Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but the tap is flowing again.

I was on a 5 night petsit with Kenny and Joya through Wednesday, which was also my (31st!) birthday and came, as it so often does, at a time of national bloodletting. What is it about this week that so many tragedies occur in recent history -- Ruby Ridge, Oklahoma City, Columbine and now Virginia Tech? Anyway I like to think I'm not responsible, and that it's not some collective unconscious outcry. I also considered blogging my petsit while it was going on, but remembering the case of a former colleague whose schedule was posted on the internet. I don't think anyone has similar designs for me, but perhaps out of an excess 0f caution I decided against it.

At any rate, here (above) is some cool stuff I found in Park Slope over the weekend.

If you check this space over the weekend, you should find more cute doggies, and less talk of blood.

All over the world, it's the same. Strangers, talk only about the weather.

Oh, another thing this blog is sure to be about at times is…the weather. For me talking about the weather isn’t small talk – it has a real impact on the way I plan and live.

It looks like we’re about to get a nor’easter of potentially historic proportions, and no one knows for sure quite how long it’ll stick around or just what part will hit us. But basically we should prepare for at least five days of cold, wet and very windy conditions. For an arthritic dogwalker and bicyclist that is not good news.

But it’s even worse news for our regional ecosystem as a whole. The heaviest part of the storm hits tomorrow right at high tide, as I understand it, and significant shoreline erosion is expected. I fear for my beloved Rockaway, and areas further east on Long Island, which will get hit even harder. All this shoreline erosion of course will eat away at the dunes and wetlands, reducing an endangered habitat, and more refuse will turn up on beaches and be very bad news for marine wildlife.

So it goes.

Pit Bulls in Motion

Kenny and Joya

This pair, like Billie, have been with me from the beginning three years ago. They live together in Park Slope, along with a little girl who was an infant when I started walkig them and who is a continuing delight as she grows. Their house is one of the few I go to where I see other people - lots of other kids and everybody's nanny. Often it's the only time I see other people I know til I get home and I always look forward to my visits.

Kenny and Joya have a fantastic dynamic -- she's totally the yin to his yang. Joya, who's a rescue and is in the foreground in the pic, was completely agoraphobic three years ago. She's always been very sweet and gentle, and when she was rescued it was clear that shed had multiple pregnancies. She was about seven at the time, just past puppy-rearing age, and had been abandoned at the pound. She was incredibly fortunate to have been adopted -- most older dogs in her situation (especially pit bulls) are put to death -- and she didn't want to be out of her home for longer than it took to do her business. Through a lot of love and patience she gradually came out of her shell in public and now loves to walk. She's very social, loves to meet other dogs and people, and retains a soft spot in her heart for all puppies.

Kenny, on the other hand, is a clown. While Joya is the consummate mother figure he's a perpetual teenager. You know, the kind who finds fart jokes incredibly funny and barely seems able to control his physical behavior. He's very rambunctious and loves to play and run. He's a ball thief in the dog park and a lap dog at home. (Yep, that big lanky frame settles right into my narrow-ass hips if I let him! But it's only really useful on these frigid, soaking wet days.*)

I often find myself house-sitting with these guys on the weekend, which allows for a lot more cuddle-time and scavenging treasures from the sidewalks of the Slope.**



*-- more on frigid, soaking wet days later
**-- more on pop archaeology later

Billie

Like her namesake, Billie covers the waterfront. But don't worry, she's not nearly so forlorn as the character in that song!

Actually, Billie's one of my battle-tested veterans, both by how long she's been walking with me (3 years) and on this earth (13 of 'em!). She still gets around quite nimbly and is very content with her life. She's also one of the more generous dogs I've had the pleasure of; every time I come to her she brings me one of her favorite toys. She doesn't want to play with it - as soon as I take it she couldn't care less - she just seems to want me to have it. And when I leave she always has another kiss for me - good bye kisses are actually quite rare from most dogs! One of the cutest things about her is when she gets a "treat" that doesn't meet her standards. In such cases she romps around with it and plays keep-away, but never chews it. She also loves to be chased!

Billie may have a few bumps (most older dogs get them) but she'll be around a long time yet - I don't think she's even slowed down since she was 10.

Coming soon: Brushing Billie's teeth!

Update on Stanley

Here's Stan-o on Tuesday, shortly after his surgery. He's a bit thinner in the face these days but we all know he'll get those beautiful folds back in no time!

It's both delightful and troubling to see him getting his energy back this week. Delightful because, of course, his happy-stray-bowling-ball attitude is so endearing; but troubling since he really needs to rest so he heals properly, permanently and quickly. Hearing him (try to) bark is also heartbreaking.

So he's been on a sedative this week, which (barely) keeps him low-key, but it's still important not to get him worked up since he's liable to respond to a smile with a leap. Today I kept him out of the rain as much as possible and we had a deep cuddle session on the couch. It was nice, but I'm looking forward to the return of spring and a bulldog able to take advantage of it.

So it goes.

I feel like I've lost an old friend this morning.

Moby

Moving from one of my newer canines to the absolute newest, we have Moby. What this shepherd/border collie mix lacks in seniority he more than makes up for with an active intelligence and eagerness to learn. And this boy can GO!!...I've worked him hard for as long as an hour and a half, and starting next week he'll be spending the bulk of my Tuesdays and Thursdays with me, scooting all over the greater Park Slope area.

It's a good thing Moby gets along so well with other dogs -- he loves to romp with Maggie (you'll meet her later), slows down his pace for Billie (one of my senior dogs) and puts up with some of Stanley's more outlandish puppyness. He's actually a great teacher for Stanley - older and well adjusted dogs are great at setting boundaries for newbies. As a herding dog, he literally keeps the others in line!

I hope you'll notice Moby's wide set eyes and alert ears - two cardinal marks of intelligence. That can actually be a frustrating thing for a caretaker without a lot of attention to devote since he needs regular engagement on an active level, and lots of exercise. Without it I'm sure he'd become frustrated, but he gets what he needs and more every day...if you saw the way he catches your eye when he wants to play you'd know why! I swear this dog knows Jedi mind control techniques; fortunately he's on the light side.

Stanley

This is Stanley. He's actually one of the newest members of my extended pack*, although it doesn't feel that way anymore. Watching him grow from a bite-sized little puppy-monster to an explosive, loving, slobbery 50 pound, full fledged adult English bulldog over the past 13 months has been quite the learning experience - for both of us.

Stanley has tons of energy for his breed and he's very cued in emotionally to his environment. He loves to cuddle with people (he's quite kissy!) and play with other dogs. He brakes for sticks and is an excellent on-the-leash bottle soccer player!

But the reason Stanley's my first post is that he's currently recovering from major surgery - the third(!) of his young life. In the first two instances, he had "cherry eye," where a gland in the bottom of each of his eyes (fortunately at different times) popped out. In this case (over the past weekend) he had corrective surgery to remove some of the soft tissue in his palate and throat. The surgery is recommended for most bulldogs, as their oddly shaped snout can lead to serious breathing problems, especially later in life. It's a very grave issue, and I spoke with one dog-lover not too long ago who actually endured the agony of watching his dog choke to death on a very hot day, on the way to the hospital. One cannot even imagine what the dog went through before he passed away - but I am very glad that Stanley is getting this out of the way now!

So far, the recovery is going quite well considering how invasive the procedure is. After a couple days of a very restricted diet he's starting to get back into his routine, and emotionally he seems to be bouncing right back. It does take quite a while for the tissue to heal, and sadly he won't be able to be with other dogs for a bit, or play his favorite games. But this all happens while Stanley's immune system is at its strongest, and he's in a very nurturing environment. Expect big things from this one - he makes quite a splash!



*--although I refer to the aggregate total of all my dogs as my "extended pack," the whole pack is never together. I never walk more dogs than I can handle in a worst case scenario. Which never means more than 4, is more commonly 2 or 3, and for some dogs is only 1.

Welcome!

I'm not sure how many of you out there are dying to peek into the routine of an independent dog walker and trainer, but by whatever circuitous route you've arrived at this page; welcome!

I intend to post here first and foremost about the animals I'm blessed to work with, some for many years now, and my thoughts and experiences about domestic animal behavior and health. I'm told that I'm prone to digressions though, so you can also expect musings on rampant over-development, the joys and frustrations of bicycling, profiles of local groups and businesses that catch my attention, and descriptions of the varied crap and treasure I pick up - or just notice - along my daily rounds.

I'll probably roll out by profiling different animals for a few posts. Each of them are very dear to me, and I look forward to sharing with you the joy I get working with them.