My Dog, My Bichon Frise and My Love

2008-05-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

What Is Positive Dog Training?

Let us look into how you can train your Bichon Frise in a positive way.

Positive dog training was pioneered by two scientists: Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner. You have probably heard of Pavlov, if not Skinner, due to his famous experiment where he trained a dog to salivate at the sound of a ringing bell.

The idea behind positive training for dogs is similar to that for humans. It is all about conditioning and learned behaviors. The crux in either case is the association of reward and “positive outcome” with performance of the desired behavior.

Some core beliefs of the positive approach:

*Learning occurs through association and repetition

*Behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated.

*Behavior that is ignored (e.g. not reinforced positively or negatively)
tends to stop.

*Variable reinforcement can be used to direct the appropriate
response in situations which appear globally similar, but differ on the
detail level (e.g. playing with old tennis shoes, but leaving dress shoes
alone)

Through positive training, dogs learn to enjoy obeying commands and associate them with rewards of treats, affection, praise and love. The bond between dog and owner is based on trust, patience and respect.

Positive trainers do not believe in hitting, yelling or punishing dogs towards compliance. They consider such tactics, firstly, to be detrimental to the dog. Second, such techniques run counter to conditioning theory.

If a dog is motivated by attention, then even negative attention works to reinforce behavior. The problem is that negative attention is always given when the dog performs the exact behavior you don't want, and this only reinforces the unwanted behavior.

Positive dog trained is a superbly behaved and delightful companion.

The video clip shows how this positive training is done by Ric on Jilli. see her other video on Jilli Plays Poker

Happy training your pooch

Mistyblue

As They Enter The World

2008-02-25T04:38:00.000-08:00

As They Enter The World...

Jilli New Tricks

2007-11-19T07:14:00.001-08:00

Recall of wet pet food made by Menu Food including of Iams and Eukanuba

2007-03-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

pet owners are concerned that the pet foods in their cupboards could be unsuitable for their pets consumption after millions of dog and cat foods sold at retail shops were recalled by Menu Foods, the Ontario based company that manufactures the dog and cat foods. An undisclosed number of dogs and cats was reported of vomiting and kidney failure after eating the affected pet food. No clear evidence has so far been made to show the link between the pet foods and those affected animals so the search continues as FDA is called in to investigate. the pet foods recalled are the cuts and gravy style food, basically chunks of meat in gravy sold in cans and foil pouches sold in the US, Cananda and Mexico. Pet foods sold under Iams and enkanuba brands are also withdrawn from market.

mistyblue

BICHON FRISE THROWS TANTRUM

2007-02-26T01:36:00.000-08:00

Bichon Frise is a charming dog as pet but you need to adjust to certain life routines as this particular breed do need attention.

I find the dog sturdy and fast. I tried some short sprints like a hundred yard and bichon frise is always winner, well ahead.

Still Bichon frise dog likes to take walks, sometimes demanding by scratching for a favour, other times looking with that curious set of eyes waiting for an answer to their plea. So if you are the type that stays home all time it is not wise to keep bichon frise.

Or that there is no one at home whole day, it spells trouble , big trouble. when bichon frise is left all alone, it may show its tantrums by chewing your favourite cushion, furniture or pooh pooh onto your sofa, and if allowed to wander into the bedroom you wont be surprised it soils your bed! ...what a naughty thing to do!!! well if you had given your time to regular walks bichon frise is generally well behaved.

i have had my experience

mistyblue

adorable bichonfrise puppies

2006-12-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

One Eyed Bichon Frise Dog

2006-11-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

'festive' was borned in my kennel whiteville a normal bichon frise with 2 lovely eyes. it was at the age of 10 he developed glaucoma in his right eye. when the situation got worse, the veterinary recommended that the swollen eye be removed. he became a one eye bichon frise for another 3 years before he died of old age.

tried closing one of my eyes and go through what 'festive' went through. it is not comfortable at all loosing the three dimensional aspect of things in front. tried climbing the stairs ....just too hard. yet 'festive' climbed 3 floors every morning to greet me. he is heck of a friend. on reflection, it is less painful than having the swollen eyes pressing against his optic nerves. he got used to the one eyed, adaptable as ever.

he was borned in a litter of four. the mother is an australian pedigreed bichon frise and she is on the left side of the picture. which one is 'festive' ? i dont remember and i cannot differentiate. it is one of those shots taken candidly, at the command of 'all go up' and the mother and four puppies jumped up to the bench. snapped the picture and they went down. now i cant even guess which is 'festive' as the four look quite alike, chips of the old block. neither can i tell who is festive when all four were about 2 months

'festive' is a happy dog with thick curly white hairs. he is a devoted dog, curious and playful and never get into troubles. he is the gentliest of all dogs, barks only when neccesary and he never mark his territory to compete with the other males. he is always there to please, cheerful and adorable, an ideal dog for any family.

i remember you 'festive', always.
mistyblue / in memory of festival of whiteville

Dogs in China Facing Deaths

2006-11-08T00:21:00.000-08:00

although it has been more than two decades since the serious outbreak of rabies in china, recent rise of new cases has given concern to the chinese authority. there are 75 million dogs in china and only 10 percent are inoculated against rabies.

the authority has started a campaign to cull all dogs with no inoculation and officers actually call on houses to take away the dogs and club them to deaths. the culling in the last 3 months has reached tens of thousands of dogs.

this is cruelty to dog lovers. one activist in beijing ran an animal rights activity to organise a million mainlanders to oppose on this and many have joined in the movement. many agree to have their dogs inoculated and china can make it compulsory. it is the sudden deaths to healthy dogs that has caused objection.

in the meantime there are happy dogs. see this security officers on the beach in yantian, china. although the weather is hot hot, the pooch does not mind going on duty at the beach with his master.

in another town of guanzhou, puppies are sold in public places. the authority can educate vendors and the would be owners on inoculation against rabies, parvovirus, distemper, etc. this is perhaps hard to control when it is a public place and not a pet shop.

mistyblue

YOUR BICHON FRISE IS LOVELY!

2006-10-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

at your invitation i came to see igloo. he is a lovely bichonfrise, healthy and active and has really bright sparkling black eyes and a jet black nose. at 2 years old he has a lovely thick coat and i promise you he can have a big crown of furs on his head if the groomer give him a adult cut from now on instead of a puppy cut. here is a picture of igloo for everyone to see.

mistyblue

2006-10-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

dogs make news!!!

a fashion show for dogs, Pet-A -Porter was held in Harrods retail shop in london on wednesday. the annual fashion show that showcased outfits for dogs from acclaimed international Fashion Designers. the catwalks oops... shall we call, dogwalks, was done with pretty models taking the leads. but who won the admiration and applause this time. it was the pooches that stole the show!!!

What about the poor dogs that men call strays. born in the street with no home and food. they have tough lives and always go hungry looking for food, you know it is especially difficult in the city.

this week somewhere in the provincial ukrainian town of orzhitsa, a dog catcher open fire to get rid of these stray dogs near an open market place and shot a street vendor in her stomach. fortunately the vendor did not die but had to recover the bullet from her tummy. i think the dog catcher is carried away with his gun, spraying happily with his shots without consideration.

the good news is dog catchers could face charges for assault and battery as well as improper use of a fire arm depending on the results of police investigation.

then in australia, the muslim taxi drivers are refusing to take passengers that have guide dogs!. the dog is only doing his job to help people that could not see well by lending the eyes. well it has now becomes an issue as the people dependent of dogs for going places are rather unhappy. the dog has nothing to do with this tacky situation and neither is the dog involved in religion.

singapore is looking at grading pet shops in order to upgrade the services from pet shop owners. pet shop owners will soon have to tell buyers of dogs or puppies on how to take care of the new pet, giving the correct food, keeping it clean and healthy and training the dog, so it is no longer just making the quick bug from selling. this is welcoming to buyers but some pet shop owners frown for fear that they are graded below the straight A1 !!! you know it is obvious. it is an excellent move.

mistyblue

the big plume of a tail

2006-10-04T03:41:00.000-07:00

have i ever thought how beautiful the tail of this friendly dog bichon frise. yes it it is really lovely at the backend. when i am being greeted, the tail wags vigorously. it is like a big plume of a bird. and of course when i offer to take a walk or give a chocolate (bad for the teeth but it is once a while treat) the wagging achieve crazy speed! see the kind of tails in the photos and enjoy the wags in the video clips.

i do not trim the plume as it takes a long time to grow. the length of hairs vary from each dog, even if they are in the same family. the longest tail hair i measured is 10 inches so when it is wagging it is really fun to see and if your face is near enough as when you are cuddling you can feel the fan effect. that is literally cool.

misty blue

dogs are intelligent and trainable

2006-09-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

you know...dogs are very intelligent and you can train them to do whatever you want. i have a friend in new york who has a yorkie that plays poker game. it is really amazing to see jilli the yorkie plays this card game, betting his money on the table. you must see this video clip below. oh, remember what kenny roger's song says, you dont count your money on your table when you gambling...jilli doesnt. smart!

now if you want jilli the gambler to come to entertain in the school, in a concert or stage play jilli is very mobile and he can come to you. let ric or me know so we can arrange. one more thing jilli can do more tricks than just play poker as jilli is an entertainer in her own right and style

My Dog and Grooming.

2006-09-26T00:29:00.000-07:00

to groom a bichon frise dog by a professional groomers costs a fair bit and i better spend it on treats for my beloved friends. sorry groomers out there.

and the main reason is it will burn a big hole in my pocket to groom my 4 bichon frise once a month. secondly i enjoy doing it and take it as an art with the scissors. i do it on one of the sundays when my mood is most relaxed and conducive for giving my friends a good wash and trim. i have my favorite music on when i groom. great time to spend with my love ones.

i relate trimming to my barber who could give me a good cut or a 'shoot' one so to avoid an ugly cut i want to give my best shot to my special friends. i used to place a picture of a show dog in front of me when i trim the dogs. i copy the shape. and who isnt a copy cat, or rather a copy dog. now i dont need any reference.

i started trimming my dog when it is young. i dont quite like the electric hair trimmer as i can make mistakes. secondly the dog is intimidated by the noise, soft noise it may be nowadays with newer models. i never use a sharp ended scissors when cutting hairs around the eyes, besides i always have the end of the scissors pointing away from the eyes when cutting in that area to prevent any serious mishap.

there was some resistence initially for the bath and trimming but after a few sessions it is a whizz for the procedure. i have to be firm though as a trimmer and when trimming on the head and eyes i use my other hand to hold the beard to prevent doggy swinging its head into the scissors.

there is nerves when i trim the excessive hairs on the paws and the private parts and backend. twitching is inevitable. that is understandable as we human would feel sensitive too in those areas! so i have to be a little kinder working on these areas

do you bichon frise owners have any problems with grooming?

My Lovely Dogs

2006-09-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

My dog, my bichon frise, my love

My first pair of bichon frise came from Australia some twenty years ago and I have kept these bubbly friends since, though the original beloved pair had passed away and I am having the progenies.

I come home each day from work, tired and drained, only to be greeted by my four joyous friends at the gate. Their friendly barks and their circling around me instantly de-stress me. Then I would pat their bodies and they usher me to the house. Amazing feeling.

Their black round eyes give me the thrills as they look at me all the time as though asking what I wish to do next and whether they can help. Huh, I guess they want to take a walk or just play. Wherever I sit they sit around to face me. The eyes shift as I move. And if I were to get up and walk away they will follow. bichon frise has beautiful eyes and I love to look at them.

One problem is the tears that stained the face. I blame it to the tiny hairs that could have dropped in when I trim the crown. They look best when the hairs are like one big ball of hairs and I have to keep cutting to achieve the shape. These small hairs can sometimes get into the eyes. Over the years I have been able to acquire some skills in grooming and trimming. I just have to do it carefully without these tiny hair cuttings get into the eyes.

But that may not be the only cause. It can be the diet I guess. Is dog food, pellets, good enough as they claimed. I therefore occasionally prepare cooked meals with real meat, beef, mutton or chicken blend with some peas and carrots. they like it and that is the treat.

I love them.

any one likes to share your experience with this lovely white powder puff bichon frise? post your comments in this blog.