The Evils of the Extendi-Leash (Retractable Leashes)

After reading Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer)'s book, I've been more firm about discipline/training sessions for Cody. While we start out the day with an hour of some sort of training, my philosophy in general has changed.

This is my philosophy on extendi-leashes:

There should only be 2 ways you walk a dog:

1) With a short leash while training
2) When you feel comfortable with them being off-leash.

If local laws and regulations require a leash, I think that an owner should either be practicing heeling and recall This is possible to do with an extendi-leash, but the retractable leash is often a bit hazardous for people around who might get tripped or hurt by thin-stripped leashes. Personally, I'd rather go into a tennis court or an enclosed area to practice off-leash training so it's closer to the real deal.

Cesar Millan talked about how most dogs are leading their owners during the walks and not vice versa. He indicated that it is a sign of dominance and challenging authority of the dog is not following the pack leader (you). I don't think that extendi-leashes are completely bad, but there's too much temptation to let the dog lead the owner. I would guess that 99% of people using extendi-leashes at any given point (you can probably go to a park and do the count yourself) are not leading the dog, but rather letting the dog lead them.

Of course, a lot of this philosophy I mean for training and puppyhood purposes while you're establishing pack leadership. Then again, when the dog is older and trained and there isn't a problem with leadership, it should be at the point where you are completely comfortable that the dog can be off-leash (recall trained). Cody and I have a ways to go on this, but we're definitely working on it.

Did Someone Say Crate?

In the office (where Cody's crate is), Cody now translates all commands to "crate" when there is a fun toy or treat involved. I have recently purchased some Doggie Cheese Whiz (Kong Stuff'n) and Cody loves it. Whenever I fill his Kong or bone with it and give him any command, he'll just go to his crate. This means that "down", "sit", "roll over", etc... all becomes "Crate". As much as I like him going into his crate, I'm not entirely sure it's good for him to misunderstand these commands. After all, if I run into a mugger or something (unlikely in the office) and I yell at Cody to "Attack!" (a command I haven't taught him), I might be fatally wounded or something while he goes to his crate and eagerly waits for a treat. Putting it in that perspective makes me glad that we have security cameras (that is, assuming I actually get mugged and teach Cody how to attack)

My Nurse Cody

Last night, I was pretty sick so I spent a good chunk of my night with my head in the toilet. What was comforting to know is that Cody got off his comfortable spot on the bed and lied down on the floor outside the bathroom to keep me company. What I'm thankful for is that he didn't try to enter the bathroom or bother me while I was emptying my stomach contents. He's really tired today since he stayed up with me the whole time, but it's nice to know he was there. Granted, he could have just been waiting for me to let him go outside to pee, but I like to think he was there supporting me.

Training Collars (To Discourage Pulling)

Cody has two main problems when we go on walks:

1. Pulling
2. Jumping (on other people when he gets excited. It's friendly jumping, but I don't want him to knock over little children)

I wanted to give some background on his behavior to explain my opinions about the various collars I'm about to describe (listed in the order that they were tried).

• Adjustable, quick-release nylon dog collar -
  
• This is the standard collar. Most training classes, day cares, and boarding places require this type of collar because it is quick release if it needs to be. That is, the clasp is quick to disengage (rather than having a buckle with the collar looped through). I see this item in a separate category because all dogs should have this. All the other collars I'll be talking about are strictly training collars. Ideally, after the puppy is trained, you will forever use the regular dog collars. There are leather ones and buckle ones, but I only mention this type because it's the one Cody has used.
• Advantage: Cheap and commonly accepted. Easily adjustable and easy to take off.
  
• Disadvantage: Not helpful for training purposes.
• Average Price Range: $3-$20 (depends on how fancy you want to get)
  
• Choke collar/chain
  
• This was first recommended to me by the instructor of Cody's beginner's puppy class. It's a simple design and chokes the dog when the chain is pulled. To figure out the right size, the loop needs to be just large enough to fit over the dog's head. It's pretty easy to put on the dog, but it does what it says it does - it chokes. Also, depending on which way you place the loose end, the choke collar can lock and choke the dog longer than you want it to. I never had this problem, but I also didn't find this choke collar all that effective in preventing either pulling or jumping (however, it was better than the standard nylon collar we have)
• Advantage: Takes up little space and easy to put on.
• Disadvantage: Not entirely helpful and can cause choking.
• Average Price Range: $2-$6
  
• Pronged collar (or German Pinch Collar)
  
• This is not as hurtful or scary as it looks. I tried this on my arm and it was fine. It serves as a reminder to the dog to obey your command. Compared to the choke collar, it was very effective. Cody would only pull if he really wanted to charge ahead. However, my arm muscles weren't as strained as it was with the first two collars. This collar usually comes in one length, but it's like a watch - you just add links or take away links to fit your dog's neck. There should be about an inch of extra room once you put it on the neck. The disadvantage is that it's really hard to put on. You have to squeeze the steel prongs to fit into these small holes. Luckily, Cody knows he's going on a walk when I pull this collar out so he's patient with me while I put it on. This collar CAN NOT be pulled over the head since the prongs may take out an eye.
• The PetsMart instructor refuses to allow her students to use this. She used to work for a veterinarian and had seen many accidents where the prongs went into the dog's trachea or neck. Honestly, I don't think this is a problem to worry about. There may be dogs that are so disobedient that they will harm themselves to get to where they want to go. For most dogs that you've already been training to some degree, I don't think this is much of a problem. Also, there are prong collars that have rubber tips that decrease the possibility of injury even further. However, the instructor still bans this type of collar. Since I can't use this collar in class, I had to find another option.
  
• Advantage: Very effective for pulling. Adjustable for a variety of neck sizes.
  
• Disadvantage: Not as effective for jumping, difficult to put on. May cause serious injury.
• Average Price Range: $10-$20
• Easy Walk Harness from Premier
  
• Since I couldn't use the prong collar, the instructor first recommended the Easy Walk Harness. It was more gentle on the dog than the above collars, but a little harder to put on since it goes around both legs. I tried this on the first day of Cody's intermediate class, but it seemed to have the same effect as the prong collar. As I was reluctant to buy a whole new collar/harness (That runs around $15-$25) just to use in this one class, I decided not to get it.
• Advantage: Effective for pulling, gentle (lower chance of causing injuries)
  
• Disadvantage: Not as effective for jumping, very difficult to put on, more expensive
• Average Price Range: $15-$25
• Gentle Leader from Premier
• Since the first class, the instructor forgot that she already recommended the Easy Walk Harness. However, this time, she recommended the Gentle Leader. Since it was free to try out during class (which was in the store), I thought I might as well use it and see. IT IS AMAZING! I literally can lead and make Cody heel at the pet store (where there are a million distractions) with just a pinky. I barely need to touch the leash to get Cody to go where I want. It was a little pricier than anything else, but it is the most effective BY FAR. In fact, it also discourages jumping. I cannot sing enough praises for this product.
  
• The only disadvantage (other than price) is that it's a little complicated to adjust (but I didn't need to do that since my instructor did that for me) and it's a little harder to put on Cody. Basically, you just need to loop a strap over his snout and then snap the collar in place. In difficulty, it's probably more difficult than the quick-release nylon collar and the choke collar, but easier than all the others. Over time, it will probably be even easier as Cody will get used to it. Right now, he's not always thrilled to see me putting something over his muzzle. (Plus, I'm still getting used to it myself so it's taking me some time to put it on properly).
• Advantages: Can lead/train with the smallest amount of effort. Prevents pulling and jumping. Very gentle without the danger of accidental injury. Can prevent barking and biting (I haven't tested this since Cody doesn't usually bark or try to bite when he's on a leash)
  
• Disadvantages: A little pricey, moderately difficult to put on, complicated to adjust
• Average Price Range: $15-$30

Today is my first day and Cody and I have had a few walks. In fact, it's almost a pleasure to go on a walk because it's remarkable at how quickly Cody is heeling. I am so excited about this product that I plan to have all my co-workers try it out when I take Cody to work on Monday to show them the difference. I am not exaggerating - a pinky is more than enough to control Cody with the Gentle Leader. Most likely, a pinky from a four year old or a 90-year old would be enough as well.

PetsMart's Intermediate Class Second Lesson

Last week was cancelled, so we had the second lesson today. I had spent an hour at the dog park and then another half hour walking Cody on leash so he was a little tired. However, since it is a Vizsla, when we arrived at PetsMart, his energy was revived. Today, we worked on sitting with distractions as well as heeling (being on leash). When it's just Cody and I, Cody is pretty good with toy or food distractions since we've practiced (at the tennis courts, I would make him sit while he watches me throw the ball). However, when there are other people or dogs around, that distraction makes it harder for Cody to sit still (though we also have been practicing that at the dog park). Since Cody and I have also been practicing heeling extensively, he was pretty good at this once he started to calm down (and not try to sniff everything and everybody). All in all, I think Cody was the best at today's instructions since we'd been practicing (and he was finally tired after he got used to being at PetsMart and realize that he was actually tired).

The greatest discovery I learned today was a new collar. The great thing about being in class is that I can try out the collars or training devices for a session and then decide if it was helpful enough to buy. We tried a training collar last week, but it was about as effective as his current pronged collar (which is pretty good. I will be writing my next post about the different collars to prevent pulling.

Breeder or Shelter?

I know that there are a lot of heated discussions/arguments/fights regarding this issue.

I want to take this opportunity to explain why I chose to go with a breeder to get Cody.

Cody is my first "real" dog. I have met many shelter dogs that seemed to have "issues". While I have nothing against issues, I was worried about taking care of a dog (properly) much less taking care of one that had issues that I have no control over. I have met a lot of shelter dogs that vary in age and I have met none that were totally rehabilitated. (I'm not saying they don't exist, but I haven't met them which makes me worried of the percentage of dogs that can be rehabilitated. Also, for those who get shelter dogs, they probably want to rehabilitate the dog and even with the owner's patience, the dogs still don't rehabilitate fully). What I mean by rehabilitated is to have "normal" dog issues. Well-socialized, moderately behaved, etc... I am by no means expecting perfection for my definition of "rehabilitated dog".

Anyways, since Cody is my first dog, I thought I would have enough to worry about just by raising him properly. I wanted a fresh slate because I'm not sure I know how to "erase" a badly written slate.

Additionally, shelter dogs may have health issues that are unknown. The age and breed is usually unknown which means it's hard to plan the best way to train (some breeds have affinities for certain methods of training over others).

OK, all in all, if you are an advocate for sheltered dogs, these (and any other reasons) will be considered "excuses". I just feel strongly that I want to "do right by the dog" whatever dog it is. If that means I need to "wimp out" and get a dog from a breeder, that's what I'll do.

However, now that I'm a more experienced dog owner, I'm more inclined to get a shelter dog for my next dog.

Canine Dental Care

There is an email thread today at work about the best advice for dental care. I will summarize it here.

• Why: You should brush since there is bacteria that may cause heart or liver disease in canines. Periodontal disease is also very common among dogs (85% of adult dogs have this disease - it is by far the most common disease among adult pets)
  
• Frequency Recommendation:
• once a day
• official cleaning by vet once a year
• Options to brush
• We use the self-brush toothbrush with Petrodex chicken-flavored toothpaste every day. Cody loves chicken flavors so it's a treat all by itself (and it gives Cody something to do while I'm in the shower)
• Once a week, I use a finger brush and get into the nitty gritties (the gums, the back and front of teeth, etc.). If you decide to use a finger brush, I recommend doing it on a regular basis. I've heard many dogs dislike using the finger brush, but I've brushed Cody's teeth at least once a week since he was 2 months old, so he's used to it by now. That's my recommendation for all things grooming.
• Additional Dental Treats
• We use sterilized bones, pressed rawhide bones, hooves, and Greenies (Cody doesn't choke on them. You want to be careful when introducing a dog to Greenies because of the dangers of choking)
  
• Other Options (That Cody currently does not use but was discussed via email)
• DentaTreat (it's a white powder that you sprinkle on the food. It supposedly cleans a dog's teeth and gums)
  

If you need more tips on how to actually brush, I found a great article on WikiHow:
http://www.wikihow.com/Brush-a-Dog's-Teeth

Here's a page from with more information about the importance of canine dental hygiene:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=C&C=217&S=1

FilmLoop

I had dinner with two friends of mine, and the husband works for FilmLoop. They had made a loop of all their pictures from an around-the-world trip, and I thought it would be fun to do one for Cody. (You can even turn this into a screensaver!)

If you click on the loop link, you will be able to download all pictures of Cody in this loop. (If you don't have the filmloop player, you will be prompted to download it.) I *think* how it works is that if I update the loop, you will also get your Cody loop automatically updated with pictures. Currently, this snippet only has a few sample pictures, but I uploaded a lot more to the actual loop (possibly 100-200). They are from all the pictures I've taken of Cody (a few that I haven't posted on the blog yet).

This may or may not work so I'm posting the flash and animated gif preview versions:





If you want the loop URL (it also allows you to download the mydogCody loop), here it is: http://invite.filmloop.com/x?z7jIse-ztonSm64sIniI9oIp4VO-q5G9

* If you ran into this post before and I encountered bugginess, I fixed it by creating a whole new loop (called the mydogcody loop)

Cody Personal Curriculum Lesson 3: Distractions at the workplace

Since Cody did not come to work very often last week, we started this lesson this week.

Specifically, it's about behaving properly in the work place. Normally, he jets to find his friend Miya, or up the stairs, or jumps on new visitors. We are working on limiting the jumping (though it's hard to enforce since my colleagues have to not reward him when he jumps to say hi) as well as heeling to exciting places.

Today, we walked to the main part of campus. Cody loves main campus because we have a big cafe (good smells) and there are more people and dogs to play with. It's hard to get him to heel and be good, but we practiced that today. By tiring him out a little bit on the walk over to main campus, it was a little easier.

While on main campus, he played with a new boxer friend named Bodi. Amazingly enough, when he played with Miya and Bodi, Cody was more mellow than these two. Bodi and Miya could barely contain themselves to play with Cody. It may have been that Cody was more exercised today than those two were, but it was nice to see this switch for a change. While Cody is not always mellow, it's nice to see that he can be mellow as well (especially when there are excited dogs around him).

Butt Swirls

I had noticed awhile ago that Cody had little butt swirls on each of his cheeks. Kinda like large fingerprints. (Actually, may be good for identification of Vizslas if it's unique...)

Phoenix, a friend's Vizsla, apparently has butt swirls as well. In honor to their post on butt swirls, I will post Cody's butt swirl picture. Of course, Phoenix's owners have a better camera so their picture is better in case you still don't have a good understanding of butt swirls.

Cody Personal Curriculum Lesson 2

Cody and I have still been practicing heel and recall. We play in the playground to prep for agility classes. Now, I'm trying to increase his brain power. Usually, I'll hide his favorite toy at the top of a steep slide, or in the middle of the bridge that connects other slides and stairs and ladders. I will place it from the most impossible angle (the steepest slide or a ladder) and make him try to get it. Of course, he'll try to jump and reach and fall short. I'm now training him to find alternative paths to get his toy. Today was the first day so it's hard to tell how well he's doing. However, when he plays with other dogs, he usually will be the dog that cuts corners to intercept the other dogs so he may have potential.

By the way, Cody stayed at home for 3 days this week (normally he comes to work with me 4 days a week). He's done really well, so it's good to know he won't be mischievous and dig holes when I leave him at home anymore.

More pictures!

These are pictures that my friend Rebecca took when she came to visit us.

On a sidenote, since it's Thursday, Cody is at doggie day care at PlanetPooch. When I took him to the dog park (where the shuttle picks Cody up), he actually heeled almost the whole way! He had some trouble the last couple of feet as he approached the entrance, but it is definitely progress!

Time for a Picture!

I haven't posted a picture in awhile, so I'll post this one where Cody was sleeping in his crate at work.

Cody's Personalized Curriculum

After the post yesterday, I decided to take the matter in my own hands and do customized lessons for Cody. This is what we practiced in the last day:

1) Park Control

• We practiced heeling from the car to the dog park entrance. It took forever since he was impatient and would immediately start pulling once I started walking again, but I was insistent and he understood that I needed him to heel (when I stopped, I didn't even need to command him to heel)
• At the entrance to the dog park, I made him sit at the gate until he was calm. For awhile he would sit for a second, and stand up again in anticipation, but I kept on making him sit until he waited for me to open the gate - and not before.
  

2) Tennis Anyone?

• In the tennis court, we practiced off-leash fetch.
  
• After fetching, I would switch to making him heel since he normally feels like the tennis court is his place to run around. I wanted to make sure he still understood that I was in charge.
• After he mastered the intermittent heeling, I made him sit and wait as I threw the ball. Only after I said "off the hook" or "go get it" was he allowed to fetch the ball.

3) Let's Walk

• We just did heeled walks before and after the tennis court. We met a friend walking her dog so we walked with them for awhile.

4) Agility pre-training

• Since our walk was VERY early this morning, the playground was empty. I walked him up the stairs and across bridges and down slides. He was a little bit afraid at first, but he got used to it (though he loves hopping through the sand more).
  
• I had tried to sign Cody up for agility classes a few months ago, but the trainer wanted Cody to have some re-call ability. Now that I think he has a little, I'm going to contact her again.
  

First PetsMart Intermediate Class

Cody had his first intermediate class on Saturday (last week's was a beginner class to see if he qualified for Intermediate). After attending PetClub and PetsMart classes, I'm beginning to think that books and practice sessions might be all that one needs for a dog like Cody.

The reason is that Cody understands the commands, but he chooses to ignore it or not. After reading books and understanding dog psychology, I think the first issue to master is dominance. With some dogs, the first hurdle is to make sure the dog knows who's in charge. With timid or shy dogs, this might not be a problem, but for more active/opinionated dogs, no amount of teaching in a class is going to cause the dog to obey you in all circumstances. The commands seem more like lumber or plaster which helps build a house, but establishing dominance is the foundation where the commands should lie.

The reason I don't regard the new instructor very highly is that she saw me enforcing Cody to heel at all times (or at least walk behind me). We've been practicing this more often in the last week so I can make sure that he knows who's in charge. The instructor actually said to me that she will be teaching heel later, and to only let Cody on a loose leash, walking in front of me. From my books on dog behavior, this would probably be one of the last things I want to do with Cody given that we are having a power struggle already.

However, I can still learn certain techniques or tricks to use. For example, mixing up a bunch of dog treats in a ziplock bag so that Cody won't be tired of one treat. Also, the possibility of picking his favorite treat may entice him to obey more readily. Also, she recommended that I take Cody to the dog park and just sit outside and wait. I have tried to get him to heel or sit when we go to the dog park, but now I have "homework" where I concentrate on practicing just this task. Without specific "homework" there might be too many things to want to work on. Concentrating on small tasks each week can help us succeed. (It's similar to having 5 projects. Sometimes it's better to finish one at a time, especially if one can build on another, rather than randomly switching projects).

Super Cute Picture of Cody

Well, since I like to be a little anonymous, I had Cody stand in for me for the photo in my "Top 3 Optimization tips post"

I posted it awhile ago, but it's still a great picture. A colleague of mine took the picture since I'm not a great photographer. For other pictures that he took (not of Cody), visit evanblaser.blogspot.com

PetsMart Day Care Review

As promised (Since Cody's at PlanetPooch's day care today), I'll write about my review for PetsMart.

Pros:

• Can drop him off any time starting 7am and pick him up as late as 9pm
• Does flea checks to make sure no dogs have fleas
• Cheaper exit baths ($10)
• Report cards (reports at the end of the day how well Cody played with other dogs, if he was able to eliminate, if he was able to sleep, etc...)
• Cheap ($20/day for day care)

Cons:

• Cody was not in the least bit tired when he got back.
  
• It took half an hour to check him in (even pre-registering a few days early)
• He was not ready when I went to pick him up (even though I had to state the time I would pick him up). I had to wait an additional hour
• The staff lost the key to the room where the leash and collars were so had to call a locksmith (and I had to wait even longer)
  

Cody, the new member of DEA

It's unlikely that I'll get to a review of Cody's time at the PetsMart day care since I have a bunch of work to catch up on. However, I wanted to post a little blog post featuring Cody, the new DEA Star!

In honor of the conference I was attending, my company hosted a large party for conference attendees. To give Cody a break for sitting in the car during the evening festivities, I took him out for half an hour to "work the party". Since he is a puppy and pretty eager, he was pulling harder on the leash than he would if there was nothing going on. Some attendees actually thought he was our company's "drug dog". They were completely serious. They even commented "Why else would he be here". That would be pretty cool - That my company would have it's own dog, trained to find drugs. Which would be totally amusing since I work for a company that has nothing to do with drugs. Anyways, when I realized they were serious, I felt it was my duty as a representative of the hosting company to explain the truth - my company is really a front for a government agency that is testing new "dog-like" robots to spy on people. He was only jumping and getting excited because he sensed big government secrets being shared among the partying.

Where is Cody today?

I am attending a conference today, so I have decided to use my free coupon for Cody to stay at PetsMart's day care. While I know it's a bit scary given my bad experience, I actually went and made a reservation a few days ago, and brought in the appropriate paperwork. Of course, it still took me half an hour to check him in this morning, but I'll give a full summary tomorrow. No web cam so you can't check in on him today. Feel free to take the extra time to read through my older posts and archives :)

Cody Heat Map

In honor of my insomnia, and the second week of optimization month (which highlights effective ad placement, among other things), I will show a heat map of optimal Cody placement on a bed (to maximize human and canine sleep). Unfortunately, we are currently not well optimized and although canine sleep does not appear to suffer, human sleep has.

Let's start with the originally planned, optimal bed configuration:












In heat map colors, this would be the representation of the ideal configuration where Cody is in red. The worst place for Cody to be (where the human area is) is in blue.













After a few weeks, this was how the bed looked. I would say this is the worst possible configuration as it wastes the most available area (bed space).












And now, this is the compromise. A bit better than the last scenario, but still a long way from ideal. As this is optimization month, I will also try to optimize my sleep my trying to reinstate the original, ideal configuration.












By the way, this is also appropriate to mention that without testing these configurations, I would not know beyond a doubt that the original configuration was the most ideal. This is why A/B Testing is always a good idea. You never know if you are using the most optimal placement until you try. (This is my belated tribute to last week's optimization week theme of testing and tracking optimization effectively. I have been very bad in that I have not actually tracked the number of hours slept for human and canine during these tests. Since there are multiple external variables, it would be difficult to attribute the factors accurately)

Cody Update: 8 months!

Cody is 8 months today! Here are newer updates:

Better at heel (at least understands what it means. He's not always in the habit of actually heeling unless I insist)
We're working on a trick where he raises his hand if someone says "Who's a brat?"

He's mellowed out a lot. I took him to his first intermediate class at PetsMart yesterday (yes, I ranted about their hotel/day care program, but I paid for the classes awhile ago and the classes might be worth reviewing. After all, it's a 100% guaranteed program so at least if I'm dissatisfied, I can complain) Anyways, I digress. There were a few younger puppies there and they could not sit still for more than a minute. I never thought of Cody as one of the "more mellow" or "more obedient" dogs, but there he was, laying on the ground, somewhat ignoring all the puppies trying to play with him. I know Cody used to be that dog, and I'm not entirely sure when the transition occurred, but he's a much calmer dog now (still very energetic and a bit brat some of the time, but not all the time)

I don't even worry about him running away. Whenever his collar slips off, he stays around. In fact, when he's done playing with Miya, her owner just lets him out of Miya's office and Cody will grab his leash in his mouth and trot along to directly to my office. It's awfully cute. I'll try to get a picture of it next time.

Anyways, these are pictures of him now. Still as handsome and regal as ever.

Thursday Feeding dilemma

Here's the problem:

Cody eats twice a day - once at noon, and once late at night
Cody doesn't really like to eat ... ever. (I free-feed him)
Cody can't eat when there are distractions
Doggie Day Care is one Gigantic distraction. (They will feed him food if I bag his food and give it to them, but once again, why waste food when Cody won't eat it?)
I feel guilty when he doesn't eat for 20 hours straight.


Here is what I figured out as my solution:

I started buying wet dog food. I won't use all of it, but just enough to mix into his food in the morning, before we catch the Doggie Day Care Shuttle. This way, he'll actually be tempted to eat it, and then he can eat again once he comes back from the day care (though he normally won't since he's too tired) .

Since I only do this once a week, it's enough to make him excited enough about his food to eat it in the morning, a little earlier than he's used to eating it.

Lessens my guilt anyways.

Aug-tomizing Colors!

In case you don't know what I do, I help Web publishers improve the performance of their ads with tips on placement, colors, format, etc... The company I work for has deemed this month "Optimization month" for our publishers. This means that we are highlighting different tips every week. In the spirit of Optimization month, I am going to feature Cody as an excellent example of the "blended/complementary" look. (For ads, blended ads mean that the border and background of the ad matches the background of where the ad is placed. See the Google ads on this page for an example).


How Cody is Optimized:
Chestnut coat
Dark Red tongue
Yellow eyes
Chestnut paws
Dark brown toe nails
Chestnut tail
Light-Brown chest
Mauve nose
Yellow eyes
Chestnut ears








The only way Cody can be more blended is if his eyes (the white part) and his teeth were more brown or yellow. Considering that I'd like to have a healthy dog, it's unlikely that he'll ever have his eyes or teeth more blended. Ah, but that's the part you always have to consider. The decision to optimize colors also needs to take into account trade-offs. In a company, some publishers may choose to not optimize their ads (and thus not making as much money) for other business reasons. In the same way, I can be content in trading a completely color-optimized Cody in favor of a healthy Cody.

(By the way, a lady had once thought that I painted Cody's nails to make him all brown and color-optimized. The great thing about Cody is that he came optimized straight from the womb! If only I can get my publishers to optimize as soon as they put the ads on their site...)

The Best Treat Ever

While I was in Sonoma (and Cody was NOT at PetsMart's PetsHotel), I felt guilty for leaving him home so I stopped at a pet store, The Dog House, in Healdsburg. The owner was very nice and alleviated some of my anxiety of leaving Cody at home. We talked about treats (I'm trying out a peanut butter treat pellet that is semi-soft. I think he likes it, but I need to do more tests). She also recommended this bone that I had never seen before. It's basically a beef bone that is filled with some yummy goodness. It's called Wowsers! and it's an invention from heaven.

On Sunday, Cody spent one full hour working on it. It may not sound like a long time to you, but if you own a spastic, ADD dog, one quiet hour is truly a gift from heaven.