Now we're talking

We can be transfixed by those puppy eyes contantly looking at us and know that our dogs are paying attention, but getting minded by an excited dog is a whole different deal.
Such big ears and the dog can't listen to us in favor of a gleeful salute to the dogs passing by across the sidewalk? No need to feel disrespected, it's just a matter of learning how to translate. You know... Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and Dogs are from Pluto.

It's not the word, it's how you say it.
Practical little creatures they are, dogs will pay attention to your actions and their relation to their own behavior, more than what you actually say.
You say "No Jumping" and immediately start a pushing contest with your dog? "That is SO fun, let's keep doing it" your dog will think and follow up on printing muddy paw tracks on your cashmere jacket.
Yup, the moment we want our dogs to not do what we don't want them to do, we talk to them the most, touch them and wrestle with them to their heart's content, and we get the worst part of the deal.
What if we did to them what we do to our life partners: "If you don't know it already, I'm not about to tell you" and just walk away, leaving them to feel isolated for a minute? I say dog obedience is like having a boyfriend: if he hurts you, he does not deserve you. Give your dog some time alone the exact moment he jumps, bites, pushes, pulls you and don't get back together until there is at least a couple of seconds of peaceful behavior.
I don't mean to say that you have to board-school your dog for a simple jump or turn him in to a shelter after a single bite, I mean a better reaction to his behavior in good timing will make him understand that you mean business.

Mami was a 3 month old Chihuahua with needles for teeth and to teach her to not bite I started playing softly with her, as she got excited, like we humans do, she bit harder and I instantly yelped ouch, crossed my hands on my chest for half a minute, and looked away without walking away.
I resumed the playing and a little while later, she bit again and got another yelp and time off. At the third bite, I yelped and walked away for good.
Two hours later we played together, without a single bite and it's been five years now.

I wish you the same fun and success.

Happy communication.

Mutt beauty

Just back from Mexico, I got good memories of a dozen dogs.
Mutts everywhere.
I found mixed-breed dogs in every other street, wandering around. People say that a mutt is always an original masterpiece, but seeing them like that is a whole different story. What makes a mutt a beauty? I can be many things, the handsome ones I found had several common features, probably because those are what I focus on: they were sleek, showing the grace of their muscles in action, with thin waists and bulky, proud chests, a self assured gait and a broad smile.
I got an eyeful of them.
Though many of them must have been un-owned dogs -they were walking alone in the business section of the city-, they seemed happy, well fed and clean, and looked just as well pampered as any household pooch in America. Somehow, I find that they are respected by people, who avoid running them over on the streets and tossed food once in a while, they have no rabies or mange.
Maybe that's why they smile happily: they are free to roam about and live in harmony with men, machine and beasts.
Some primitive naturalism.