Bashir, Sisko, and Toby walk at the harbor

Oceanside, Calif. is a mid-sized city just south of the US Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. For most of its history, Oceanside was defined by the Marines. There were bars galore, tattoo parlors, strip clubs and other businesses that catered to young men away from home. In the last twenty years, however, the city has grown up. At the same time, the Marine Corps has taught their young men different manners, too, so the base and the town now get along fairly well.

Although still known for its proximity to the base, Oceanside is now also known for its harbor. A small but nicely protected harbor, there are slips for boats of all sizes, from kayaks to yachts.

It’s also a great place to walk. From one tip to the other and back is about three and a half miles. It’s one of my favorite places to socialize puppies because there are a variety of sights, smells, sounds, and people for puppies to meet. About eight months ago (give or take) I took Sisko for a walk at the harbor soon after Paul and I adopted him. Sisko was born and raised to the age of five months on a dairy goat ranch in the mountains east of Tucson, Arizona. It was major culture shock when I took him for a walk at sea level at a harbor that opens to the Pacific ocean.

But now Sisko gets to be the old hand. My friend and fellow trainer at Kindred Spirits Dog Training, Melissa, has an English Shepherd puppy named Toby. Recently Melissa and I took Bashir, Sisko, and Toby for a walk at the harbor. There was some uncertainty in the beginning, but soon Toby had decided the very best place to walk was alongside Sisko. Even better, if he could, he’d walk in between Bashir and Sisko. His whole attitude said, “I’m with my friends!”

During our walk, the dogs heard sea lions barking. Bashir is calm about such things and although Sisko perked up at the sound, he opted not to go searching for the source of the barking as he did months ago. Toby heard the noise, listened, looked at Bashir and Sisko, and continued walking. Good boy!

The dogs watched sea gulls, saw a pelican on the rocks, heard the boats creaking and groaning as the tide came in, and saw surfers out on the waves. The harbor has a small restaurant area and as we walked the dogs past, one gentleman pushed his plate of fish and chips close to the edge of the table. As I told my boys “Leave it,” and we walked past, I saw him pull his plate back and laugh. Wonder what that was all about?

We also met a variety of dogs walking with their owners. The vast majority were well behaved, but one man was walking four Shih Tzus on four retractable leashes. All four dogs were reactive towards other dogs and he let them have all twenty feet of the leashes. Needless to say he had absolutely no control. Again, we told ours “Leave it! Watch me! Yeah, good!” and walked past. Good dog training!

Top: Toby, left, and Sisko use a retaining wall as an agility obstacle.

Bottom: Toby and Bashir peer at a pelican. She was tangled in fishing line but we called in help for her.

Photos by Liz Palika

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Handsome and confident: Sisko is growing up

It’s hard to believe, but Sisko is nine months old. In some respects it seems like we’ve had him for much longer; I guess because he’s fit into our household so well. On the other hand, where have the past few months gone?

Those months have been a huge learning experience for Sisko. He’s learning the basic obedience exercises and already able to demonstrate most of them in our classes. He loves agility and we’re doing some trick training. Although he’s too young to begin carting, he’s walked next to Bashir as he pulls his cart and wasn’t worried about it at all.

He’s been to the Oceanside Harbor, to the department store, the garden center, to my Mom’s house to play with her dog, Ginger, and to some friends’ homes. He’s been to the beach, the park, and downtown.

When he first left the mountains of Arizona to come to our household in Southern California, Sisko was worried about some of the new things he encountered. Sea lions barking was cause for concern, as was the noisy trash truck. A remote control plane flying overhead was really strange.

The first time he watched Paul ride his motorcycle into the garage was worrisome. But then, when this weird looking thing got off the bike and pulled its head off; well, that was just completely wrong in Sisko’s mind (Paul wears a complete safety suit and a full face helmet.) But once Paul took off the helmet and talked to him, Sisko calmed down. Sometimes I see him looking at Paul as if he’s waiting for Paul to take off his head again, though.

As he’s adapted I see that cautious side of his personality much less. Instead, a confident adolescent is emerging. But of course, that confident side of him brings its own issues.

Bashir has been a wonderful older brother and has been very patient. But as Sisko has gained confidence Bashir has also been a little less tolerant with him. Let’s just say there are times when Sisko spends some time on his back with Bashir, ummm, well, teaching him manners. For the most part, though, the two dogs get along wonderfully. Bashir is a awesome dog and Sisko couldn’t have a better teacher.

I tell my dog training students all the time a puppy is a promise of the future. It’s going to be fun to see what the future brings for Sisko.

Photo credit: Above: Sisko on his first day at home with us; Below: Five months later Sisko (on the right) with Bashir. Photos by Liz Palika

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Oh those teenage months: Sisko is there!

Sisko, at eight months of age, has hit adolescence. And boy has he!

He’s challenging and pushy, loving and affectionate, bold and brassy, and fearful and cautious. He’s long-legged and gangly, and his adult coat is just coming in so he looks slightly moth-eaten. If he weren’t so tragic I’d laugh at him.

I have to admit, Bashir and Archer spoiled me. Bashir never really had an adolescence; I think he sprang from his mother’s womb mentally an adult. All he had to do was grow up physically. And Archer had an adolescence but he hit it a little later –  he was slow to mature –  and so it was short and not at all a problem. Riker, who is going on twelve, was our last dog who had a challenging teenage stage. So it has been a few years.

But that’s not to say I don’t deal with canine adolescence. I talk to dog owners about it on a daily basis. So many people have a wonderful puppy who’s doing so well and then the puppy hits 8, 9, or 10 months of age and changes! They call me or come to class and wonder what on earth happened to their sweet puppy. But when I explain, “Well, think about yourself at 14, 15 or 16 years of age … “  they understand.

I always remind them that when a puppy hits adolescence his behavior hasn’t changed just to torment them; it’s a natural part of the growing up process. Dogs, horses, people –  we all go through this. But now that my puppy has hit this stage, it is hard to remember that he isn’t doing this to me. When I ask him to sit and he stands, or lays down, or turns away; or when he carries twenty rocks into the house; or chases the cat who already wants to kill him; I have to tell myself, “His brain is growing and changing; it’s not his fault.”

I will admit, though, that watching Sisko with the other dogs has been interesting. It’s a constant lesson in this stage of life, as well as body language, canine communication, and canine social order.

Bashir and Sisko play often. They run, chase toys, chase the wild rabbits at the training yard, and even wrestle. They’re good friends and Bashir is a good role model. When they’re napping, Sisko is usually close to Bashir, if not touching him.

At the same time, though, Bashir doesn’t let Sisko get away with anything. Bashir knows deep in his soul how dogs are supposed to behave with and around each other and he doesn’t tolerate rudeness. He’s patient, calm, and steady as a rock. But, don’t body-slam him unless he’s playing, and don’t try to take his toy or bone. He makes an ugly face and if Sisko doesn’t back down, there’s a growl, a quick lunge and Sisko is on his back. Where he generally stays for a few seconds, and if he could I’m sure he’d ask if anyone saw the truck that hit him.

Archer was sick for two months of Sisko’s puppyhood and I have to admit, Sisko was awesome with him. He was gentle and didn’t pick on Archer, or push him. But apparently now that Archer is all better now the gloves are off. These two are closest in age and Sisko apparently thinks Archer would make a great playmate. Archer’s getting back to normal and the two are playing more. However, when Archer — who is very patient — loses his patience, he’ll tell Sisko off with an impressive growl. Since Archer rarely ever growls, everyone — including me! — pays attention.

The biggest change has been in Riker. When Sisko joined our family Riker made it plain he’d already raised Bashir and Archer and he hadn’t asked for another puppy. He wasn’t rude to the puppy; instead, he ignored him. Even at five and six months of age, Sisko had figured out he could pick on the old man and Riker would just turn his head away. I don’t allow any bullies in the house so I stepped in and interfered; Sisko was not to bully Riker.

However, in the last month or so Riker must have realized that Sisko was turning into a teenager because he’s started letting Sisko know that he won’t allow rude behavior either. The other day when Riker was chewing on a bully stick, Sisko had finished his and went over to Riker and stood over him. And I mean, stood over him with his nose an inch from Riker’s ear. In the past, Riker has just gotten up and walked away, leaving his bully stick behind so Sisko can have it.

But this time apparently Riker had enough. I heard this deep growl that must have originated in Riker’s belly. I think Sisko was as surprised as I was because he didn’t look at Riker, he looked around the room, “Who was that?” But then looked down at Riker again. This time Riker pinned his bully stick down with a front paw and stood up, growling again. Keeping his paw on his bully stick, he looked the puppy in the eyes and growled a third time. Sisko backed up as fast as he could, tripping over his back feet as he did.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. As Sisko pouted on the other side of the room, Riker laid down to finish his bully stick. I don’t think Sisko moved for twenty minutes. I think I giggled for that entire twenty minutes.

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