You can also read more blog posts on my website: canineguru.webs.com

Have a behavior question for me about your dog? Just ask, and I’ll try to get back to you as soon as I can! God bless.

So what do I mean when I say energy? The energy that I am referring to here is simply the output of your emotions. So when you feel a certain way, you emit energy that other people and animals can feel and read. This energy can be output with words, body language, touch, and in some cases smell. Energy is not some magical and mystical force, it is real and we use it everyday. When you know your spouse is sad, you are feeling his/her energy. When you know your dog is happy, you are feeling his/her energy.

Another persons energy can even make you feel a certain way. Your level of compassion determines this, but lets say that your best friend’s parents have been involved in a terrible accident and have passed away. Your best friend is distraught. You know she is distraught because she is crying uncontrollably. You have just read her body language and her energy. Of course she is conveying a very sad energy, and it’s probably static (you’ll read what static energy is in a minute) but because she is your best friend and you have lots of compassion for her, you feel sad too. You may even begin to cry with her. Her energy is strong enough to make you feel the same way she does.

Even though it is not talked about very often, and some people are never told about it, energy is a very powerful and common force. It connects us to each other and our animals. Our level of compassion increases or decreases it’s effects, but nun-the-less, we all use and feel energy. We even learn to use it with out even knowing what it is.

Here are the five types of energy described as best as I can in words. These forms of energy apply to all living things, but this is really geared more towards the human and dog relationship. This is subject to change, as I am still researching this subject. However, these five types seem the most prudent in my line of work.

Static Energy: Think of a ball of electricity. Unstable, sparks flying everywhere, and very unorganized. This is how I picture static energy. I picture it as floating around and shocking whatever is in it’s path. It can make you feel mad, upset, frustrated, and angry. Some people may even feel like the Incredible Hulk when conveying this energy. People, and dogs, that convey this type of energy are very unbalanced, have short tempers, generally have little patience, and are often edgy. These are the people, or dogs, that you feel you must “walk on eggshells” around. Static energy is chaos, and only contributes to more chaos. Example: Two dogs get into a fight, to break them up you stomp your feet, scream at the top of your lungs, and panic. You are conveying static energy, and it will only make things worse.

Free Flowing Energy: I picture this kind of energy as a strong and steady stream. If you get in it’s path, it will not hurt you, but it is very persistent and pushes past you. Free Flowing Energy is stable, calm, peaceful, and firm. It is generally easy going and always patient. This strong form of energy is what I teach my clients to gain control of their dogs. It is totally opposite from static energy. Buddhist monks are known for displaying this kind of energy when teaching new students. Jesus conveyed this energy to his disciples. It takes self-discipline to completely master and maintain this form of energy. Free flowing energy dominates other forms energy. It stems from confidence and assertiveness. Example: Your dog barks at you because he is not getting his way. You calmly and firmly use your body to block and correct him until he submits. Once he has submitted, you let it go and walk away.

Avoidant Energy: This form of energy is conveyed through avoidance. It can be as unstable as static energy, but is never as stable as free flowing energy. Dogs and people who are constantly giving off this form of energy usually have poor social skills and are typically bullied. They are considered easy targets because they usually will not fight back or stand up for themselves. They would rather avoid confrontation all together and are easily offended, but generally keep it to themselves. Prey animals often display this type of energy to predators. When people or dogs who commonly convey this type of energy are forced to react, they usually do so with static energy. They loose control and snap, or go into a fear response. Example: You take your dog to the dog park for the first time, only to discover that she will not interact with the other dogs. She simply follows you around and ignores everything else. She is not aggressive, or fearful, she simply doesn’t care to interact. She is weary, but not scared. When another dog begins to mount her and she can’t ignore it, she snaps at the other dog and retreats.

Anxious Energy: This type of energy comes from worry. People, and dogs, who cannot relax because they are worried or even paranoid display this type of energy. Dogs with separation anxiety often display this type of energy just before their owner leaves. After the owner leaves, they display static energy. Anxious energy is very unstable and chaotic. It stems from, fear, worry, and paranoia.

Passive Energy: I consider this form of energy just as balanced as free flowing energy, but not as firm. This is the energy you should feel from your dog. It conveys submission. Dogs and people that convey this energy are not scared, anxious, weary, or overly excited. They are generally calm and easy going. They look for someone to lead them, guide them, and direct them. They may have trouble making decisions for themselves, and almost always look up to someone. When confronted, people and dogs with this kind of energy will simply submit and try to please. People and especially dogs that convey this type of energy are generally very happy. Example: Your dog is laying in your path as you are walking somewhere. When he sees you, he happily gets up and moves out of your way. As you walk by, he gives you that look that seems to happily and gently ask, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Understanding the different forms of energy can help you not only relate better to your dogs, it can help you in life. Or at least, it has for me. It is important to note that no one is locked into any one form of energy. It is changeable. You simply need to practice another form. It’s not easy, however, because everything about you will tell you to react with a certain kind of energy, or in a certain way. You consciously have to decide to react with the energy you wish to project. In other words, if you feel as though your main energy output is usually anxious and you like to project free flowing energy, it is totally possible. Although you will have to get over your instinct to be anxious. You must make your self interact with a calm and firm energy. Anxious energy and an avoidant energy will be more difficult  to change than static and passive. But this does not mean you shouldn’t try. Rehabilitating dogs is doing just this. Changing the core energy output from static, avoidant, anxious, and even free flowing on occasion to passive. A passive dog, is a happy dog and makes for a happy owner.

Also, you should be aware that it is possible to emit other emotions while within these five different core energy forms. For example, you can be excited and static, or excited and passive, or excited and free flowing, etc. A dog that is excited and static will be bounding off the walls, running around, barking, possibly biting and nipping at others, etc. While a dog that is excited and passive will have a low wagging tail, prancing feet, maybe the occasional half jump, etc. A dog that is excited and free flowing will have a mid to high quick tail wag and will be watching your every move. It is a calmer form of excitement. The dog may be assertive if you ignore his cues to play, dropping the ball in your lap, the occasional bark, pawing at you, etc.

When it comes to this type of energy, it can get quite confusing. Just try to remember the basics.

Free Flowing energy: Patient, calm, assertive, balanced.

Static Energy: Unbalanced, chaotic, unorganized, emotional.

Avoidant Energy: Unbalanced, stand offish, lame.

Anxious Energy: Nervous, fearful, unbalanced, paranoid.

Passive Energy: Balanced, calm, submissive, happy-go-lucky.

Examples of the five different core energy types are below. I’ve tried to include an example of different forms of each core energy type as well. As you will see, the core energy types are neither bad or good, but what each of the characters make them. However different each character emits their form of core energy, you’ll notice some common denominators:

Free Flowing: Jesus Christ, Buddhist monks, Spock (Star Trek), Gandhi, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), Fonzie (Happy Days), Shadow (Homeward Bound), President Obama

Static: Han Solo (Star Wars), The Joker (Batman), Chance (Homeward Bound), Mel Gibson

Avoidant: Brick (The Middle), Max (Parenthood), Walt Kowalski (played by Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino), Sassy (Homeward Bound)

Anxious: Judas, Scooby Doo and Shaggy, Jesse Ventura, Dr. Samuel Loomis (Halloween)

Passive: Norman Bates (Psycho) (as himself, not as his mother), Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings), Lassie

Their latest venture, however, has me very aggravated. MSN has done away with the "Statistics" feature for Spaces!!! THIS REALLY SUCKS! The statistic feature allowed us bloggers to keep track of how many visitors our space was getting and from which links those hits were coming from. Now… WE CAN’T! When I first started this blog, I remember being excited about checking to see how many space views I was getting. The information from that feature helped me promote this space! For business owners using a blog to help get a business off the ground, or to see which topics their customers engage in the most, this was a VERY important feature! Alas, it’s gone. No more tracking views. No more information about which topics get the most hits. How are we to blog if we don’t know what you, the readers want? Sure, they still allow comments, but the majority of readers don’t comment. Even if they enjoyed the blog entry.

MSN says that as they improve Spaces they have to trade off features from time to time. WHAT?!!?! What feature could be better or worth trading for statistics?! That was a very useful feature, if not the most useful! MSN, BRING IT BACK! We bloggers want to know how many people view our space and what blog entries they are viewing, more than we want to play music, or do some of these other silly things. Why didn’t you think to ask spaces bloggers before getting rid of this feature? More than likely, we would have voted against getting rid of it.

I have been blogging here for 5 years now. But I don’t think it’s worth blogging here any more, because I simply don’t know which topics are getting the most views. And why would I want to waste my time adding to this space, if I don’t even know if people are reading it? BIG MISTAKE MSN! Even Facebook offers statistics for it’s pages! And Webs.com offers statistics. Most blogging sites have statistics, why would you get rid of them?

Until MSN decides to give us back our statistics, I probably won’t be adding to this space anymore. I might do the occasional product review, but what’s the point of adding dog facts and information if I don’t know that you the reader are even reading it? If you need help with your pooch, you’re better off joining me on Facebook.

Ok, enough ranting. Leave me a comment if you read this review on MSN Spaces, because I won’t know you read it unless you do. 
]]> http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/msn-windows-live-removes-statistics-feature-from-spaces/feed/ 1 canineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/would-you-like-to-share-pics-of-your-dogs-on-doggy-times/ http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/would-you-like-to-share-pics-of-your-dogs-on-doggy-times/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:28:19 +0000 thecanineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/would-you-like-to-share-pics-of-your-dogs-on-doggy-times Continue reading →]]> If you would like to share photos of your pooch with Doggy Times readers, then send those pics to thecanineguru@gmail.com.

So what are you waiting for, send me those pics! (Funny pics, Professional pics, Cute pics, & Trick pics may be considered for future contests).
]]> http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/would-you-like-to-share-pics-of-your-dogs-on-doggy-times/feed/ 0 canineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/the-magic-of-dogs/ http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/the-magic-of-dogs/#comments Sun, 30 May 2010 04:46:24 +0000 thecanineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/the-magic-of-dogs Continue reading →]]> I have written before about what makes dogs so lovable to us humans. But for some reason, I feel like I need to write about it again. So what is it about dogs that keeps us wanting more? Is it because they are just so darn cute? Or possibly because they make even the least confident of us feel important? Maybe it’s because no matter what is going on in our lives, they are there for us. They listen to us rant and rave about our day at work. They cuddle up with us and keep us feeling warm and safe. They make us feel like a part of something more in life. Maybe we don’t get along with people at work, or with our neighbors, or even our families, but we always get along with our dogs. They keep us laughing when we are depressed, sad, and lonely. They always have our backs, and they will fight to the death to protect us. We have their full attention, unless a squirrel or rabbit happens to run by. They always try to please us, and keep us happy. It is very difficult to find a person like this. Dogs are free, can generally take care of themselves, and have no use for money, laws, or politics. I think we as humans envy that sometimes. Despite those things, they choose to stay with us, obey us, honor us, and protect us.

Dogs are simple creatures, yet their love of us is complex. Dogs have easy rules within their packs. The leader is the strongest and most confident dog. He is not elected to this position, he simply claims it. But he is not a tyrant, socialist, or communist. He simply claims what is rightfully his. The other pack members simply follow his lead, no questions asked. If there is a disagreement, then they fight for it. In the dog world, you have to prove yourself. You have to earn your right to lead. Any dog that is confident enough, skilled enough, and strong enough can lead. It’s not like our world. It is totally fair. We have to go to school to learn a trade for many years. Then graduate and start at the bottom of that particular field. Then as life throws crap at us, we have to fight to maintain our positions at work. Sometimes, our economy collapses and we have no choice but to start from scratch. Dogs don’t have to deal with any of this, they simply live and adapt to changing times.

I think dogs are magical to us for those reasons, but mostly because of their simplicity. We bred dogs to live in our world so we could teach them to work for us, keep us company, guide us around, and keep us safe. Yet it seems that they are teaching us. Slowly, and steadily, with tons of patience, a new way to look at life. They are teaching us how damaging stress really is, how to have never-ending patience, how to love unconditionally, how to stop and smell the roses (among other things). They also teach us not to take life for granted, to be excited about the little things, and that opening ourselves up to others is not always bad. If you don’t take a risk, how will you ever experience new things? How will you learn to trust? How will you meet new loves? How will you ever know if you could have become something more than what you are? A normal, healthy dog does not wait for a safety net to appear before him. He simply leaps and trusts that the net will be there. As should we.

The most magical thing about dogs has to be their resilience. Even if that net doesn’t appear and something bad does happen, dogs bounce back. The only reason, in my 20 years experience, that dogs do not get over a negative experience is because people hold on to it for them. People keep the memory, the fear, and the panic with in them. Dogs react to our feelings and emotions. When we learn to let go of it, they let go even faster. In their natural world, they simply learn from a negative experience and move on. How many depressed 3 legged dogs have you seen? How many discouraged blind or deaf dogs do you see? Dogs don’t care about their disadvantages, they only care about making you and I happy and exploring their world. They would rather sleep next to you in a dark wet ally than alone in a fancy doggy hotel. They don’t care about expensive dog toys, they’d rather play with your old socks. Yet, there are people out there that would abuse them, torture them, fight them, and neglect them.

We bred them to be what they are. We are the ones that decided that Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers should exist. But what do we do with our creations? Some of us abuse and neglect them. Fight them to the death, and make them aggressive to children. We ban them. We bred these traits into them, and we can breed them out just as easily. Bulldogs nearly went extinct and were fierce dogs back in the bull baiting days, but we brought them back and bred it out of them. Boston Terriers were bred to fight to the death for sport, but we bred it out of them and now they are considered "The American Gentleman" of dogs. The point here is that dogs don’t choose what they are, where they are, or even who they are. Yet for the most part, they love us for what we are, where we are, and who we are. This in itself, is the magic that dogs share with us every single day.

"Dogs are not merely dogs to some. They are children with fur that just
happen to bark, drink from the toilet, and shred our slippers. But they
are also teachers of life, purity, and loyalty to many." ~ The Canine Guru
]]> http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/the-magic-of-dogs/feed/ 2 canineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/canines-of-faith/ http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/canines-of-faith/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:24:05 +0000 thecanineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/canines-of-faith Continue reading →]]> Canines of Faith is a non-profit organization that I created to give back to the community. We have partnered with Freedom Hospice to provide canine therapy and assistance with pets to the sick, elderly, and disabled. We rely on donations to continue our services. If you would like to donate, please click here to be redirected to Paypal. You will be able to donate as much as you’d like. 

Thank You!!!

A: I simply do not have enough information to give you any behavioral
suggestions. His paws could be worn from prolonged exposure to
concrete, or burned by his urine. Sometimes kennels do not clean the
runs out when the dogs pee right away, which can lead to urine burned
paws. I would definitely make sure that you rule this out if you
haven’t already.

Thanks for your question and best of luck!

]]> http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/ask-doggy-times/feed/ 0 canineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/why-do-dogs-fight/ http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/why-do-dogs-fight/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:56:44 +0000 thecanineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/why-do-dogs-fight Continue reading →]]>    If you’ve ever had to break up a dog fight before, you know how challenging it can be. Especially if one or both of the breeds are very powerful breeds. Some dog fights seem impossible to stop, or even to prevent. There are even dogs that seem to fight more often than others, and there are dogs that are even bred to fight. That’s a scary thing to think about. But, unfortunately it is true. Some people do enjoy watching dogs maul each other to death. So why do dogs fight? What could be so important to a dog that the dog is willing to fight for it? That is the topic of this blog entry. I’m going to cover what I’ve learned over the years studying dogs and their pack behaviors relating to fighting. Please know that my theories and experiences are my own, and I don’t speak for anyone else.

   To understand why dogs fight, you must first understand how their pack structures work. Now, there is much debate on pack structures now-a-days, so don’t be surprised if you hear something different from someone else. I’m pretty sure I’ve covered pack structures in a different blog entry, but I’ll go ahead and discuss it a bit here.

   First you need to know that if you have a dog as a part of your family, you are in a pack structure whether you know it or not. If you are one of those people or families that has a couple of dogs in the back yard all the time that you just feed and water, then you most likely have two packs in your household; the dogs, and the humans (and don’t think dogs don’t know the difference). But I want to focus on those of you that actually interact with your pooches on a daily basis. These are people that walk their dogs, play with their dogs, train their dogs, feed their dogs, and keep their dogs indoors with them for the most part. You folks are in a pack with your dog(s). However, even though you are in a pack with your dog, that does not automatically make you the leader, or "alpha." Pay attention, because what I’m about to tell you is verrrrrry important. How do you know who the leader or "alpha" is? The leader always eats first, goes in and out of doors first, lays in the most comfortable places, and lays claim to everything that he/she is interested in. If your dog(s) truly respects you he/she/they will not eat until you have finished eating, even if they have food in their bowls! This is a natural, innate, behavior. The reason for it is too show respect for the leader, and to see if the leader will drop food that is deemed more valuable for consumption. This brings us to the first reason dogs fight…. food. Dogs have a loose ranking system that is very primative, but it helps them set priorities as to what is more important. Food is high on the value list. In the dog world, you either fight, flee, avoid, or submit. Food, unless taught otherwise, is worth fighting for. There are a surprising number of dogs with "food aggression" issues because they’ve learned that the only way they will get to eat their food is to fight for it. Some dogs fight for it because another dog or person is stealing it, or I’ve even had a case where the dog displayed "food aggression" simply because the owner was not feeding the dog enough food. The dog was a growing yellow labrador puppy that was only getting half a cup of food twice a day. When I recommended that the owner increase the amount of food at feeding time and gave them a week to do so, the "food aggression" went away. Let me clarify, "food aggression" is classified as fighting for food. A dog that simply snarls, shows teeth,  or growls is simply saying, "Back off, this is mine." There are plenty of dogs that bluff a good game, but will not actually fight for the food. This is because dogs often prefer to not have to fight unless they have too. However, you should never test your pooch. If your dog is showing any of these behaviors, consult your local trainer/behaviorist.

   Another reason dogs fight, is for rank, or position, within the pack. Basically, there are some dogs that are more confident than others. These dogs display that they are willing to fight for things. They posture to show how big they are. They bare teeth to show how big and sharp they are. They growl to sound intimidating. These dogs are basically saying, "I am not afraid of you, and if we fight, I’m sure I’ll win." If this display works, meaning that the other dog submits, then they become higher in rank. If it does not work, however, then a fight will insue. Whomever wins the fight then becomes higher in rank. Dog fanciers call this behavior "T-ing up" which is when two dogs meet each other. During the "T-ing up" process, the two dogs will go through a ritual of either posturing as mentioned above, or submitting, which is when a dog lowers and curves him or herself. Now, it is important to keep in mind that dogs don’t think of rank in the same way that we do. Dogs are much more primative than us humans. Rank to dogs simply means that whomever is the most confident is at the top, and whomever is the least confident is at the bottom.

   Dogs will also fight to protect their territory. Some dogs are more territorial than others, meaning that they will fight practically anything that steps foot on their land. In the wild, territory is very important. It keeps rival packs at bay so there is no or less competetion for food and other resources. In the home, it works the same way, but on a much smaller scale. Fighting for territory not only keeps rival dogs out, but also other predators, which can include humans, that might eat puppies or steal food or shelter. Dogs will always give a warning before fighting for territory, unless they are caught off guard, or taught not too. These warnings include, growling, raised hackles, curled lips, forward ears, standing on tip toes, a territorial bark, lower pitched howling, ect.

   Resource guarding is another big reason why dogs fight. It is the same as "food aggression" but instead of food, the dog is willing to fight for other resources… hence the name. Resources can include, people, toys, bones, beds, or anything else that the dog sees as valuable. Think of resource guarding as a way to keep other beings away from your stuff. Dogs that have obsessions with guarding their resources have most likely had something valuable taken from them as a puppy repeatedly and they’ve learned they can keep it by displaying this type of behavior. So if dog A is bonded to you (leaning on you, pushing into your arms, laying on your lap) and dog B comes up for a nice scratch, dog A would attack dog B. This is resource guarding. (If you are also the leader of your pack, then dog A could also be showing that he/she is higher ranking than dog B). Dog B can then choose to fight dog A for you (the resource), flee from dog A, avoid dog A, or submit to dog A. If dog B deems that you are a valuable enough resource, he may choose to fight.

    Once in awhile there is a dog born with an innate aggressive tendancy. And, there are people in the world that breed these dogs to other dogs like them, creating very aggressive dogs. They then use these dogs as fighting dogs to make a profit. In these types of situations, the dogs are not usually fighting for rank, toys, food, or anything else for that matter. They are simply bred to fight. Other dogs in these kinds of situations whom have not specifically been bred to fight, will fight to live. Life is the most highest ranking resource there is to any creature, including dogs. So if he/she must, a dog will fight for survival. Even nervous, scared, and weak dogs will fight to live. Fear aggression is very common in dogs, and is often mistaken for pure aggression. Fear aggression is displayed much differently than pure aggression though. Dogs displaying this type of aggression are often curved, lowered, and backed into a corner. They are saying, "I really don’t want to fight, but I will if you push me, or if I have too." Dogs that fight out of fear, often keep the fight as short as possible attacking with quick bites and nips. This is obviously because they do not want to be in the fight in the first place. Dogs displaying pure aggression are very postured. They raise their hackles, lift their ears forward, lock on to their targets, and don’t hesitate to attack. They attack with ferocity and don’t let up. A dog displaying pure aggression intends to kill his/her target.

    These are some of the main reasons dogs fight. Every dog is different and may fight for different reasons. If your dog is fighting often, then you need to see your local canine behaviorist, or qualified trainer. You may also want your vet to do a check up to rule out any injuries or conditions that would cause your dog to fight more often.

]]> http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/why-do-dogs-fight/feed/ 0 canineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tail-chasing-shelter-dog/ http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tail-chasing-shelter-dog/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:39:27 +0000 thecanineguru http://doggytimes.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tail-chasing-shelter-dog Continue reading →]]> Q: My
question is:  We adopted a rescue dog two months ago, we were not given
much information about his past, but he was in a run by himself.  He
was picked by my husband after taking a walk with him, a half hour walk
and Molson (the dog) had adopted Steve (the husband).  Initially we had
problems with anyone coming in and out of the house….he would nip
them, but he has relaxed since then, as long as Steve doesn’t get too
close, he is very possessive.  I have cancer and stay home all day and
he is very protective of my, because he has figured out I belong to
Steve and I’m his best bet for playing during the day while Steve is at
work.
Well here is the question (thought I’d never get to it eh?). 
Molson spins and chases his tail until he either gets it or I finally
get his attention.  When we first got him, his tail was hairless.  He
generally does it when we let out and spins himself off the deck, when
he is waiting for me to throw the ball, I’m unable to walk well or get
out of my chair quickly.  He did it before he came to us, the hair is
almost totally grown in on his tail and we don’t want him to loose it
or hurt himself.
I thought I had seen something about this on your site, but can’t find it. 
I would really appreciate any help you can give us.
Thanks
Vera

You may want to contact a behaviorist or reputable trainer in your area to better asses the situation. This way the behaviorist or trainer can observe the body language of the dog and make a more accurate diagnoses of his specific problems. Best of luck! Stay positive!


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