Aggressive Dogs in Beginner Class?

My thoughts? Well, here goes, with a grain of salt.

I think dog aggressive canines can do well in a beginner group class setting under the proper instruction. Though I do believe that they should be privately assessed first for the level and type of aggression that they are displaying. Fear aggression needs to be handled somewhat differently than pure aggression, prey aggression etc.

If the levels are high, they should be worked in a private class first, one on one with the instructor, encouraging desensitization, and only then progress to the group class environment. If the levels are low to medium, sure, let 'em in. They can then learn how to behave appropriately around other canines with a positive, but firm approach. Of course, the handlers level of experience, knowledge and comfort definitely comes into play. If the handler can not control the dog in a proper fashion as directed by the instructor, or is not comfortable handling their dog around others, well, back to privates for them.

On the other hand, I do not believe that human aggressive canines should be in a beginner group class setting and here's why.

Too many people, including instructors, do not know how to appropriately deal with a human aggressive canine. There is a huge liability to the instructor/school if the dog happens to break free of it's owner and go after another student, and of course this means there is a huge safety issue for the rest of the students in the class. The other students are probably not be well versed in how to avoid a confrontation with a human aggressive dog. The "flooding" of people in this situation can cause more agitation and frustrate the dog further, causing it to retain it's aggressive view to people. And, of course, situations play out differently if it is fear aggression, or pure aggression.

In human aggressive canines, it is more common to see fear aggression towards people rather then true aggression, and private instruction on desensitization is very necessary. These dogs can be a huge liability and must be managed correctly in order for them to live safely and comfortably around people. I will not delve into details on how to desensitize here, but it is my opinion that these dogs do not benefit from a group class setting in beginner training or being flooded with people who have no idea how to react around this kind of canine.

In all my years around dogs, dog sports and training classes, I've seen only one truly human aggressive dog, actively displaying some fear aggression but becoming more confident in the situation, though the dog looked to be badly trained in some sort of personal protection venue. It's reactivity was quite high, especially around women, which is an oddity in itself because fearful dogs on the whole, normally display stronger reactions (be it fight or flight) to men rather than woman. And the fact that it looked to be well over 90 pounds didn't add any positivity to the situation.

Not by my choice, this story hasn't ended yet, but I'm curious to see the outcome, so we shall see if I come away with all of my limbs intact in the end.

Handle with care...

EDITED Nov. 25, 2009 - Whew, said dog has been removed from class to work one-on-one with the trainer (what I was hoping to see). I'm not afraid of dogs, not even nervous around aggressive ones, but I'm glad to know that my limbs will be kept intact for later use.

Plant Rescue Anyone?

Meet our Cyclamen.  For the purpose of this post, I will call him "Steve".

Steve came to us as part of a wedding gift from my parents back in spring of this year. A wedding gift that was somehow overlooked and left behind with my well-meaning mom and dad, who have a way of killing plants with love that is just amazing.

My mom called about a week later to let me know that Steve was still at the house, and we neglected to take him. I told her we would pick him up next time we came down.

Next time came and went, and we did it again. No Steve.

Steve was banished from memory for a while, until my mom brought him up in one of our ensuing weekly phone conversations. Steve was still at their house, but "your father fed him and now it's dead".  He was originally doing well enough, not thriving, but not hurting either. But then, my dad fed him.  My dad seems to enjoy feeding the plants for what-ever unknown reason.

A nice large, yellow road sign beside all of the live plants in thier house that says "DO NOT FEED THE PLANTS", sort of like the "DO NOT FEED THE BEARS" signs that you see up in Northern Ontario, would have helped Steve's situation. Though, the reasoning is slightly different - unlike the bears, the plants don't seem to become aggressive when they're fed by humans, they just die.

So there sat Steve, on their kitchen counter, in his final death throws, the few leaves left barely hanging on, yellow tinting their edges, indicating that his time in this world was almost up. Steve had been in full flower at the moment when we were to have originally take him home. Not so anymore.

I told my mom not to discard of him, "but hang on, we're coming up soon, and we'll bring him home. Hubby likes to tinker with indoor plants, and bring them back from certain, impending death, so we'll give Steve a chance." Of course, at the time, he was just 'the plant' and not 'Steve'.

Steve finally came home with us about 2 months after we were suppose to have originally taken him. Though, not neglected, but beaten down by too much love and food, he was a mess. That is where hubby took over. He has a way with plants like no one else I've ever seen. Him and Steve took to each other right away, and it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Steve blossomed, pun intended, under my husbands watchful eye, becoming stronger and more vibrant everyday. He spent the summer on our porch, just watching the crazy world go by, and it became clear that he he was meant to be here with us, not in a garbage somewhere as another discarded, unwanted house-plant. His leaves multiplied, his stalks and chutes became firm, and eventually he needed to be re-potted in a larger container. A very good sign in the world of plants. Steve was getting fat.

With Steve flourishing under hubby's care, we were eager for the day to come when he would produce flowers.

Months went by, and he continued his neighbourhood watch, though now it was from our bedroom window, bathed in sun during the day, and protected from the evils of frost at night. Still no blooms.

Every day we checked, searched through his leaves, intruding upon his personal space in hopes that we would find the beginnings of a flower or two. No such luck.

Then, one day my husband called me to come and have a look. Steve had buds, soon to be flowers!

And the rest, my friends, is history.

Steve, in the photos of this post, is doing extremely well, is happy, well-adjusted, healthy, loving life and full of flowers. A nice little token, a happy memory of our wedding, though he was not with us in Cuba, he is a refreshing, fat little reminder of that day.

"Steve" in full bloom

My husband has brought many plants back from the brink of death, from umbrella trees, to cyclamen,  ficus trees, to Japanese maples and the unknown, rather large tree/plant thing that is sitting in front of our living room window. So, if anyone has any unwanted house plants, he'd be happy to rescue them from you, and give them a good caring, knowledgeable home where they will be loved and appreciated. He likes plants, what can I say?

A New Pet Portrait

Initial stages of a new portrait - Tequila

I love what I do, truly, I do. The art of, well, creating art fascinates me, entertains me and keeps me busy. I delight in handing over a finished piece and seeing how people react. I enjoy being able to create something special for people, that captures a memory, a look, personality or spirit.

There are times, however, when my job is heart breaking. I am often called upon to do "memorial" portraits of loved ones passed, be they animal or person. Though it is sad to reminisce that these lives have left us too soon, I am thankful that I am able to provide a special image, a memory for families that can be cherished for years to come, and I really hope that my work does justice to those who have gone before us.

This new piece that I am working on is heart breaking indeed. I was contacted by a client to create a portrait of his girlfriends beloved chihuahua as a Christmas gift. We worked out the details, and I met him and the adorable little canine one night after work to pick up the reference photos. What a beautiful little dog, full of life and happiness, just bursting to be petted and loved, a personality that I absolutely adore seeing in a dog.

With photos obtained and client met, I sat down to begin creation of this portrait. The finished product will be a double, with two poses of the little dog, and a name title on 11"x14" paper in pencil.

I received an email from the client over the weekend, full of horrible news. There was an accident and the dog, so full of life and love, unfortunately did not make it. I was shocked, and left speechless. It is extraordinarily difficult to lose a beloved pet, and the relationship that can be built with an animal is nothing like relationships that we share with our own species. The unspoken love and the awe of innocence is one of the most powerful feelings you can harbour, and the loss of a pet is just as great as the loss of a parent, sibling, child, friend or family member.

So now this portrait is a memorial, a dedication to this little dog that was taken away from her owner far too soon.

Though the outcome of this is heart breaking, it lifts my spirits that I have been blessed with the ability to provide the owner with something that she can cherish and remember her tiny companion by for years to come.

RIP Tequila.

Meet Amber - Rescue JRT

Hello, my name is Amber, and I am a dainty little lady of 8 years old who needs a new home due to grankids' allergies. They are very very very sad to have to send me away too! I am a good girl who likes other small dogs, cats, and I really like nice kids! I am sweet and loving, and love to be a part of everything my people do! I am housetrained, leashtrained, and like to ride in the car as well! I can even play soccer with you, or your kids! I am just your all around good nice pooch with no issues and I just want to find a nice happy new home where I can stay for good!

Amber is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Visit Ambers page for more pictures:

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15019177

Visit Russell Rescue for more information on adoptions, JRT's in need and fostering.

www.russellrescue.org

Just a moment of your time...

Just a moment, is all they ask. Just a moment to stop, reflect and think. Just a moment out of your busy day to honour those who have gone before us. Just a moment to celebrate our freedom in this wonderful country. Just a moment to REMEMBER.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

It's that time of year...

Christmas is coming. It takes us by storm now, attacking us like an F4 tornado, images, commercials and gifts being tossed at us as easily as a tornado tosses houses, even before Halloween has come and gone.

I miss the days when it took so long to come, as a kid, desperately hoping that the time would speed up,  the stores would start decorating, and Santa would visit the malls, his presence indicating that the holiday was near. Now it's too early, too soon and too much. It kind of takes away from the magic.

However, now that Halloween has passed, I guess this is the time to start preparing, sooooo...

If you are looking for holiday cards, unique, cute and humorous, I have 5 designs available to choose from. They can be purchased individually or in packs of five (envelopes included). Please see my website below to view all the illustrations available or contact me if you are interested in ordering some.

www.juliesillustration.com
julie@juliesillustration.com

This weekend certainly showed no indications that Christmas, let alone winter, is around the corner. With temperatures in the mid-teens, everyone seemed to be taking advantage of the warm November days, myself included. It was a Conservation Area weekend, with dogs in tow. This is the little dog's favorite weather, and she takes advantage of it when she can. The areas were packed, both Saturday and Sunday, and I actually witnessed, for the first time in my life, people being turned away from Hilton Falls as there was no room left to park. Cars filled the lot like sardines squished into a can, line ups of cars waiting for someone to leave so that the occupants could enjoy the outdoors as well.

Needless to say, I didn't wait - I'm impatient. We visited Crawford Lake and Kelso this weekend instead. No pictures, just enjoying the weather.

The leaves are exceptionally loud at this time of year. And they are exceptionally dense on the ground. So dense that the paths are not visible. Once again, I almost lost myself in the woods of Crawford Lake. I'm thinking that I should bring provisions next time. Some water, food, a compass and a tent perhaps? Thank God for the little yellow arrows hanging off random trees pointing the way along the path that is not visible. I wasn't lost for long, perhaps 2 minutes. I'm really not that naturally challenged. And hey, the little dog back-tracks well, so no need to panic. Ahhh the woods.

How Important is Good Photography?

This is something that I've been dying to get across to my real estate agents at work. Why oh why do some insist upon taking there own photos?  It is something that I just can not wrap my head around especially when good  marketing is such a key tool in the business. Hopefully this will open some eyes and lend some advice to those who are still snapping their own shots and posting them on the MLS. 

For those looking for a professional service in the Oakville/Milton/Burlington area please visit:

Real Services 

Highly professional, great turn around times, and fantastic prices, it is well worth it to spend the money on this company when it comes to real estate photography.

Recycled from an article written by Julie Deans © June 2008  

 

This is a question that should enter the minds of every single real estate agent before they begin their career. However, often times this all important topic is overlooked, and agents fail to see the relevance in it. Photography can make or break the way your potential clients view your professionalism, it can be the difference between turning people off your listings on mls or creating interest in the home you are trying to sell, and it can greatly enhance or badly ruin any of your marketing materials. The number one most important tip that I tell my clients when they are contemplating photography, is to have a professional, who knows what they're doing, take the photos for them. Although many take this advice, there are still a high number of agents who insist upon capturing their own images, and this article is here as a simplistic, easy to read, non-technical aid to help those "stubborn" ones become more skilled at the task of taking interior and exterior house and building photography.

Type of Camera

The first issue that needs to be over come is the type of camera that is being used. If you insist upon taking your own photos, then it is time to invest in an adequate camera to get the job done. There are many good quality point and shoot cameras on the market today, from Nikon to Canon to Kodak and everything in between. Many of these can produce decent looking photos for everyday use, however, none can compare with the quality of the digital SLR's that are available to us now. Often times the flash on the point and shoots is inadequate, and megapixels are too low, the zoom is lacking, and there are no extra lenses that can be added, such as a wide angle, which is important in this type of photography. The best advice I can give is to either spend the money and purchase a good quality Canon or Nikon digital SLR, or make sure that you purchase a high-end point and shoot such as the Canon S3 IS or it's equivalent in another brand. These high-end point and shoots (S3 IS) offer many advantages over the lower quality one's and even allow for extra lense ad-ons, however, the digital SLR's are the way to go if you are looking at creating professional quality photos. There are many different lenses, flashes and other ad-ons available and the quality produced by these is unsurpassable.

Take A Class

Once you've decided upon your weapon of choice
(digital SLR - hint hint) you need to seriously consider taking some classes in order to learn the proper operation of the camera, it's settings and the nifty little features that it comes with. Even a short seminar is better then nothing, enabling you to become familiar with basic procedures of operating your camera.

Tips for the Amateur

These are tips that may seem obvious to some, but are lacking by many when it comes to amateur real estate photography.

Good lighting - Lighting is extremely important for any photography, and shooting indoors can have it's challenges. Decent natural lighting from outside is always helpful. Open curtains and blinds to enable the full benefit of the sunlight. Remember to never shoot directly at a bright window with open blinds. Angle the shot, so that it is not directed squarely on the light source. Shooting directly at a bright window will creating a glowing effect on the window itself, and everything else in the shot will come out very dark. If there is no other way to shoot but directly at the window, close the blinds, utilize the flash and the interior lighting of the home. Turn on the interior lights, even if it is during the day. Keep in mind though, that incandescent bulbs can throw off a yellowish tone, so depending on the amount that are used, the photos can take on a yellowish hue. Invest in an extra flash. This can be extremely helpful in houses that have dark interiors, small amounts of windows, and those lacking exterior light.

Use a Tripod - If you think that you are at all unstable while shooting, set up a tripod and utilize that for your photo shoots. A tripod will keep the camera from moving during a shot (unless your too rough with it) and reduce the "blur" that movement causes in a picture.

Pay Attention to the Layout of the Shot, Take Your Time - Many agents fail to actually look at what they are shooting, and just "point and click" to get the job done quickly. Take a minute to look through the camera at what is and isn't in the shot. Move around the room and try different angles to see what will work best. If you need to, move items that are in the way, such as a nick-knack on a coffee table, or a chair that looks out of place. Hopefully you've had the house staged so that you will not have to take too much time rearranging, but there are still little things that will pop-up that will need to be removed in order to make the shot look better. Don't shoot directly at a piece of furniture - you are selling the house, not what's inside of it, and many agents make this mistake. Shooting directly at a piece of furniture ends up making the room look extremely small, and shows no other details besides the offending couch, chair or table that you just snapped. It would be wise to invest in a wide-angle lens. These lenses are wider then the standard ones, and can capture a larger amount of the horizontal image, enabling you to create a better, "wider" field of vision photo of the room you are shooting.

You've Got a Digital, So Look at the Shots You've Taken Before You Leave - You have the ability with a digital camera to scan through the photos you've taken while you are on-site. I highly recommend viewing them on your camera before you leave the home. You don't have to scrutinize every single one, however, it is good to take a quick look to first of all make sure you've captured all of the rooms that you wanted, and second to make sure that the pictures that you've taken are good enough to use in your marketing materials. Many times I've seen shots come in from digital cameras, and they are out of focus, or there is too much movement (hand shake) creating a horrible image that shouldn't be used on any print or web material. This could have been avoided by simply previewing, and re-shooting if need be.

Horizontal or Vertical for Small Rooms - Have a good look at the room you are shooting. Is it a large family room, a medium sized bedroom or a small powder room? View the room through the camera and observe how much will fit in the shot. If the room is medium to large, a horizontal image (the typical way a photo is taken) will work best. If the room is small, like a powder room, or tiny bedroom, flip the camera on it's side so that you are shooting vertically, and test that angle. In small rooms, using a horizontal shot will most likely show too much wall, door or other unwanted item. Because you will probably be standing outside of the room in order to get the shot, you will need to flip the camera so that you can shoot through the doorway. And if you are confused about standing outside the room, the further back you move, the more of the room that you are able to fit into the photo, hence shooting through the doorway. If the small room is not terribly important to the house, skip the shot, do not put it in your marketing material, these shots, unless taken by a professional, never quite turn out good enough for presentation on printed promotional items.

Stage, stage, stage!- Staging is so important in being able to market and sell a home. Homes that are staged look a lot more attractive, less cluttered and more "professional" then one's that aren't. Staging is extremely useful when photographing the home as well. The pictures convey the above through your marketing materials when the home is staged properly and looks it's best. Staging helps to showcase the home properly in your marketing materials as well as in person. Have a professional stager complete this job for you. And, though  this is redundant but because I've seen it happen, I will mention it anyway, take the photos once their job is complete, never rush and take them before the house has been beautified.

Overall, keep in mind that you are "showcasing" a home, and to do that correctly, the photos need to be of high enough quality to impress the home owner, as well as the potential buyers. Using the tips above will help those agents who want to take their own photos become a little more adept at the task. However, once again, it is in your and your clients best interest to have a professional photographer capture the home, and I highly recommend using one for this type of work, but good luck to those who are brave (or stubborn) enough to tackle home photography on their own - it can be a real challenge.

Better Late than Never...

Happy Belated Halloween everyone!!

Yes, I did give out candies to all the little kiddies in our neighbourhood, and yes, I did dress up (or torture if you ask her) Brandy as a little bee again this year, though the cold weather got to her, and she didn't last long on the porch, and yes, I did forget to post about this costume, fun filled evening, but better late than never I always say...