Sorry I’ve been so absent lately, these past few weeks have been extraordinarily busy!

I just wanted to jump in quickly with some exciting (albeit belated) news: Yours truly is headed to Cesar Millan Live!

Cesar is finally bringing his popular tour and unique approach to Canada and you had better believe that I got myself some tickets! Being the huge fan of The Dog Whisperer and Cesar’s Way, how could I justify missing it?

I couldn’t, obviously.

Sponsored by National Geographic, Cesar will present different aspects of his dog pyshology method in an audience setting. If you’re one the lucky “Pack Leader” ticket holders, you’ll even get to stick around after the main show for special Q&A session. Sadly I’m not one of those lucky ones, but I’m pumped just to be going at all so you won’t hear me complaining!

I’ll be catching Cesar’s stop in Hamilton, Ontario on October 30th. Except a complete review and write-up!

Are you going to any of Cesar’s tour stops or have you been to one before? Leave a comment and let’s chat! If you can’t make it out, be sure to check back here for more details. You can also follow Cesar’s progress on the official Canada tour blog.

If you’re a blogger and you’re like me, you got started because you wanted to write about something that’s important to you and you needed a place to do it. Thus a blog is born. You write from your heart and you put your thoughts and opinions out there for the world to read. If you’re lucky, you get comments and feedback from your readers and create a community.

I started Just Jasper as a side project about a year ago to provide an outlet for my insatiable need to ramble about Jasper and other dog-related topics. It has been a fun, leisurely project that is easy to write because the subject is something that means so much to me.

I’ve never really received a lot of comments here before, even though my WordPress analytics have shown that Just Jasper gets a lot of readers. When you’re a blogger, comments are useful because they help you gauge how your audience is receiving your content and helps you to improve your writing. Because this blog has always been more of a pet project for me (no pun intended!) I’ve never gotten hung up on the scarcity of comments. I usually get a few replies when I link up new posts on my Twitter account and that has always been enough for me.

Then my mom started relaying stories and comments that she was receiving about Just Jasper. Past and potential puppy buyers, other Shiloh breeders and just about anyone else – you, my readers, were all bringing up this blog! Some of you have simply mentioned that you follow it or catch up on it from time to time, others have asked my mom to pass along thanks for specific articles I’ve written (like the puppy owner who’s life was made significantly less chaotic after reading my post on Smoochy Poochy traffic leads, or the breeder who really agreed with my write-up on living with coyotes).

All of these comments blew me away – I had no idea that so many people were taking so much away from this blog and the feedback has been inspiring!

So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that takes the time to read Just Jasper and that I am truly glad to hear that most of you seem to be getting something out of it! I hope you’ll stick around and if the mood so strikes you, don’t be afraid to leave a comment! I’d love to get to know you all better

He is very sincere in his thanks

If you’re interested in more of my blogging shenanigans, you can check out my other blog They Call it Gumption! (Although I warn you, there’s a lot less Jasper there)

It’s a thing, ok? At least I’m not Angela from The Office…

Just a couple of kittens out on the town

But every so often I do stumble across something that truly does strike my dog fancy and, let me tell you, this is one of those times.

I have always entertained the idea of having one nice photo or painting or SOMETHING done of Jasper that I could keep and display in my home. I know, that does sound like something a crazy dog lady would do, but considering how important Jasper is to me (hello, he inspired a blog, didn’t he?), I think that he’s special enough to deserve a tasteful yet sassy commemorative art piece.

Enter Kristin Bowen of Doghouse Pet Portraits. She produces incredible digital vector portraits of your pet using fun designs and bright colours and the results are EXACTLY what I would love to have done of Jasper. Her work is clean and sophisticated yet fun and adorable at the same time. I could absolutely imagine hanging her art on my walls (without feeling like I was going to be judged by my visitors for it).

I found out about Kristin and her work when Heather Armstrong of Dooce posted a picture of the two portraits of her dogs, Chuck and Coco. Check it out, the resemblance is borderline scary.

Some examples of Kristin's work from her website

Prices start at $185 for canvas and $125 for paper print and for an extra $100 Kristin will also send you the high-res image file for your own use.

I won’t be able to afford to have one done for a while, but I’m definitely planning on pursuing it in the new year! It’s a great idea for dog lovers like me and I’m pretty stoked about it!

Check out Kristin’s gallery on her website, read her blog and give her a ‘like’ on Facebook!

“You put your dog in a cage?? I’d never do that to my dog, it’s cruel!”

And then in the same breath they ask for advice on some issue they’re having with their dog that could have been avoided if (surprise!) the dog was crate trained.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to see why people would feel that way about crating. After all, they certainly do look like cages and to see a dog in one is sure to conjure up images of neglect in the minds of people who aren’t used to them as a training tool. However, crates are one of the most effective training tools I’ve ever used and, contrary to popular belief, they aren’t cruel at all. In fact, your dog will actually benefit from having one.

No, really.

Before I keep going, let me elaborate on what I mean when I say crate training: A crate (or kennel) is meant to be a safe and quiet place that is used to establish a routine. Dogs thrive off of structure. They are also naturally predisposed to seek out safe spaces that they can call their own, which is why you’ll often find them favouring particular quiet places in the home such as behind a piece of furniture, in a corner or in quiet room, etc.

When you first start to introduce a dog (especially puppies) to a crate there’s a good chance that they’re going to make a fuss about it. Be patient – if you’re consistent in the way you use your dog’s crate (and don’t coddle them!), it won’t take long for them to begin considering it as their own safe space.

Here’s a great story for all you doubters:

A friend of mine has a beautiful 15-week old chocolate lab puppy. Since day one, she has been using a crate – the puppy sleeps there at night and stays there during the day while she is at work (my friend takes her lunch break at home so the puppy can stretch her legs and go potty and such mid-day). It took all of maybe two days for the puppy to learn to love the crate and as such, housebreaking has been a big success.

A couple of weeks ago the family was outside loading some old appliances into the back of a truck. The puppy was romping around the yard as puppies tend to do when suddenly a loud bang (something slipped and crashed into the side of the truck bed) sent her flying fearfully back into the house.

Knowing that rushing to the puppy’s side right away would only encourage fearfulness in her puppy, my friend waited a bit for she went looking for her. She was pleasantly surprised to find the little lab curled up in her crate with her favourite toy, fast asleep.

Pictured: Not my friend's puppy (But you get the idea!)

Things to consider when crate training:

- When crate training a puppy or adult dog that needs to work on their housebreaking, be sure to take them outside as soon as you let them out. This will help to reinforce that they’re supposed to be doing their business outdoors (because, trust me, that’s the first thing they’re probably going to want to do). Staying consistent with this will make housebreaking your dog significantly easier.

- The idea that a dog will not soil where they sleep is true, but only to an extent. If a dog thinks that it has enough space to pee in one corner of the crate and lay down in the other, they’ll do it (and then inevitably walk/lay down in it). A crate should be big enough so that your dog can turn around and lay down comfortably in it with the door closed. If the crate is any smaller you risk harming your dog (now THAT’S what I’ll call cruel crating) and if it’s any bigger you’re likely you’ll end up with a mess on your hands.

Trust me when I tell you to resist the urge to pamper your dog with an extra spacious crate. I learned this lesson the hard way! When I first got Jasper I bought him a crate big enough for the size he was going to be when he finished growing. Holy crap (seriously); big mistake. I woke up every morning and came home every afternoon to a mess. I told our trainer about this and this is when I learned about the turn-around-lay-down sizing for crates. I started using the divider that came with the crate and the messes stopped.

- Crates should not be used to punish problem behaviour. Forcing a dog into their crate when they’ve done something wrong sends mixed messages. Not does this only fail to correct the problem behaviour but it defeats the purpose of the crate being that safe and quiet place that your dog is supposed to feel comfortable in.

- Crate training is going to do a lot more for you and your dog than just help with housebreaking and providing structure in your daily routines. Have you ever been in a situation when you’ve had no choice but to crate a dog that’s not used to it? The shrieking! The whining! The failing!

But if your dog is already used to it, life with as a dog owner just got a whole lot less stressful. Travelling, boarding, visiting friends and relatives, running errands, grooming, overnights at the vet’s office – imagine the freedom!

- Finally, and in my opinion, most importantly, do not leave your dog in a crate for extremely long periods of time. 1) Even if they don’t want to soil their sleeping spot, that doesn’t change the fact that they still need to answer that call of nature at some point (especially true with puppies – those bladders are tiny!), and; 2) That’s no way to live.

If your dog needs to spend long periods of time in a crate, make sure that they also get a lot of time out of it that is filled with exercise, socialization and affection. A crate is not the answer when you “don’t have time” to deal with your dog or just don’t want to. Your dog should not be spending its life in there and if it is, it’s time to revaluate

Early the next morning I took the puppy out to a lot beside the hotel to do her business. As I stood there, groggy and disheveled, I noticed a man walking up to us from across the parking lot.

“Oh no,” I thought. “He’s going to give me a hard time about having a dog out here, isn’t he…”

I couldn’t have been more off the mark.

The man was that driver of a garbage truck that was emptying the hotel’s bins. As he got closer to us I realized he was wearing one of the most delighted looking smiles I think I’ve ever seen.

“Who do we have here?” He chirped as he knelt down near the puppy. She ran to him and he proceeded to shower her with affection.

“I saw you walking from the truck,” He told me. “I just love dogs. In fact, I make a point to petting every one I see.”

Then he smiled up at me and told me,

“This little girl is number 79.”

I won’t lie, I was a little taken aback. But as I watched him walk away, positively beaming, I knew that single moment with the puppy had made his whole day and I couldn’t help but feel good too.

Dogs are amazing that way. They have a way of lifting your spirits and making the world seem a little better just by being themselves. I know that personally, nothing helps a bad mood quite like spending time with Jasper.

So, next time you’re having a crappy day, look for a dog and start counting. I’m positive you’ll walk away smiling

Cesar’s popular approach behind “being the pack leader” has always had its critics. This article shines the spotlight on some of the “professionals” who are making the claim that not only are the Dog Whisperer’s methods unorthodox, but they may also be harmful and even dangerous.

Now, just in case it wasn’t already clear, I am a big fan of both Cesar Millan and his approach. Since puppyhood I have been working with Jasper using the techniques I’ve learned in his books and have never seen any adverse affects. In fact, I’d venture as far as to say that by asserting myself as a calm and assertive pack leader has only helped to strengthen the bond I share with my dog. Jasper is by no means perfect, but neither am I. We made the best of it.

I understand that there have always been, and there always be, people who don’t necessarily agree with Cesar’s methods for a variety of reasons. Even I wouldn’t ever claim to follow his word to a T – for starters, I’m really bad at the whole “exercise, discipline, affection” order. Sometimes Jasper gets his lovin’ first.

A friend of mine maintains that her biggest issue with the Dog Whisperer isn’t actually the man himself but the show that has gained him so much notoriety. Like every other reality-style television show, The Dog Whisperer undergoes a great deal of editing before it makes it on air. What looks like an hour with Cesar that leads to a perfectly rehabilitated pup is usually a much longer and drawn-out process that has been expertly clipped together. Furthermore, a lot of the techniques he uses don’t always get explained to their full benefit. Take the “tsch!” technique that he sometimes uses to correct a dog – Most of the time the correction just involves making the sharp sound, whereas other times it might need to be accompanied by a quick nip-like pinch to the shoulders or neck of the dog. Out of context, the pinch could appear to be a cruel way of getting a dog to behave. In reality, the move is meant to simulate the way mother dogs teach their pups or alpha dogs correct the rest of the pack. The nip is not the same as a bite, trust me.

Ultimately, if you want to follow to follow Cesar’s methods, I highly recommend reading at least one of his books first and just use the show for supplementary learning. You don’t get the essential breakdown of why certain techniques might be used and the books also go into depth on the psychology of certain issues (many of which related back to our own human behaviors).

Anyway, the whole article struck me as highly uninformed. Reading it kind of felt like the “professionals” being quoted had watched an episode or two of the show, didn’t like what they saw and decided to rant (I’m going to go ahead and say that’s not the case, but it’s certainly how it feels). They make reference to Cesar’s training as being “punitive” and to be completely honest, I have no idea what they’re talking about. Cesar never advocates for physical punishment. That’s not how dogs teach each other. Within a healthy pack, dogs do not hurt each other, they correct. The main pillar of his method is to maintain a calm and assertive energy to help establish dominance. So where are they getting this from?

There’s more of course, like the “removing the ticker from the time bomb” comment from a vet named Ian Dunbar. Some of the vets and psychologists in the article feel that Cesar’s methods only aim to “correct” the bad behaviours at a surface level and don’t address the underlying issues that have caused them. Again, if you’re familiar with the way Cesar does business, you’re probably shaking your head right now and asking, “How do they figure that?” Half of the magic in watching Cesar work is seeing how he dissects an issue. Yes, he shows a dog’s owners how to correct the behaviour itself, but he also explains where the behaviour most likely stems from and also teaches people how to fix those triggers and avoid them going forward.

I like Cesar’s quote in the article:

“It’s the difference between going to school and the dogs being your school – One is the intellectual knowledge, the other one is instinctual. I am instinctual.”

I understand that these people are supposed to be trained experts in the field of dog psychology, health and behaviour. Still, I also believe that there is a lot to be said for learning all of these things by actually observing and working directly with the animals instead of just studying to grasp the theory. Cesar has been at this his whole life and has successfully applied so much of what he has learned. Should it really matter that he doesn’t have a PhD to prove his qualifications?

Again, I am biased. I stand by Cesar’s teachings and have learned a lot from his approach. That having been said, I understand that there are people who feel differently and, as long as the methods they choose aren’t bringing harm (mental or physical) to a dog, then who am I to argue? But this article is the sort of thing really gets to me.

Where do you stand? Are you a follower of Cesar’s methods or do you disagree? How do you feel about the opinions expressed in the article? I’d love to hear what you have to say!

“Oh hey, buddeh! You awake? You are? OH GOOD!” *PAW IN THE FACE*

You don’t have to tell Jasper what a pillow is for. He just KNOWS. D’aww.

Now get off the couch, slacker.

Of all of the dog-related products I have, my absolute favourite tool is, without question, the Smoochy Poochy traffic lead (the cute name is just an added bonus!).

What’s a traffic lead, you ask? A traffic lead (sometimes just called a short lead) is essentially just the handle of a regular lead without the length. I’ve seen them in 12″ and 17″ lengths, although because of Jasper’s size, I always go for the shorter of the two. If you have a smaller dog they really won’t be much used to you, but for big guys like Jasper, these things are a god-send.

The beauty of them is that they keep your dog close to you without having to deal with wrapping up the unused length. They also store a lot easier (I toss Jasper’s in my purse when we’re out or clip it to my belt loop or around my arm when we’re hiking. It’s great!). Small but mighty, these little leads are ideal for when you’re walking through busy areas such as cities, crowds or, as the name denotes, traffic. I also love how much easier it is when were getting in and out of the car while I’m running errands and he comes with. I even find that it helps with pulling (not a lot, but definitely a bit).

You can find regular leads at any pet supply store, but the specialty leads (thin metal ones for shows, special ones for training purposes, etc) require a bit more digging. So when I first encountered the “Smoochy Poochy” booth, with their wide array of unique and specialty leads, at the Toronto Sportsman Show a few years ago, I was pretty excited. Naturally, I failed to pick up the goods that time but I didn’t miss the chance when they showed up at the Spring Cottage Life Show back in March.

I don’t think the company has an actual store of their own but they do sell their products in various retail outlets (you can contact them to find out where exactly). They’re proudly Canadian (another bonus!) and sell products like regular leads and collars along with the traffic leads (in both nylon, normal or reflective, as well as a waterproof neoprene. Those ones float too!), novelty tags and this crazy hands-free lead that can be worn three ways!

I’m a big fan of the products (and the awesome staff! I haven’t met one person at those booths that I didn’t like). If you’ve got a big dog, I seriously recommended grabbing a traffic lead and if you didn’t know where to get them before, you do now

Here are a couple of great photos my mom took of him recently. Nothing fancy, but great representations of the amazing dog he’s growing into:

Yessir, that is one adorable puppy-who’s-not-really-a-puppy-anymore