The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Unemployed Border collie finds New Opportunity in Emerging Green Industry

If you haven’t been to the Humane Society of Beaverhead County in Dillon, Mont. lately you may not be familiar with the glut of out-of-work border collies, Australian shepherds, heelers and various mixes therein. These unfortunate souls are not only looking for homes, but are in dire need of jobs to boot. Unlike their Labrador counterparts, thrilled with the mere opportunity to laze around couch-side, burning kibble, these high energy, task oriented pups require a sense of purpose; a physical and mental challenge, making them feel useful, indispensible even. Jobs herding cattle aren’t as easy to come by these days, so figuring out ways to branch out into new arenas is the only means by which many of these extremely driven dogs are going stay employed. At least one, recently, found a spot among a unique cadre of dogs, working to save wildlife and wild places in a new green sector for the employable four-legged.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Leash Law Proposition in Missoula’s Open Space, Raising Hackles

When it comes to dogs in the West, people either love ‘em or loathe ‘em and there’s a giant chasm separating the two extremes. Missoula is no exception. You’ve probably heard about “that” leash law in the North hills and Mount Jumbo currently sitting on the City Council table, being batted around between officials, raising serious hackles on both sides of the dog-fence. On behalf of respectful, responsible dog owners in Missoula who value Open Space and the many purposes it serves, I am a staunch believer that the off-leash dogged lovers can peacefully co-exist with the non-dogged loathers.

Fellow dog owners, keeping our off-leash privilege is not going to be easy and, frankly, those against us have more than a few good reasons to be upset. Too many of the dogged fail to recognize that off-leash hiking in Missoula is a tremendous privilege not to be taken lightly, but instead take it entirely for granted and the examples are endless.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Alternatives to Pill Popping for the Phobic

“She’s been on prozac and estrogen for a few months now and after years of wrestling with her issues, these drugs have been heaven for us,” said a woman at a recent dinner party. She paused for a moment and exclaimed: “Its crazy, it sounds like I should be talking about my Grandmother, but, nope, my dog!” Our four-legged best friends are tracking their human counter-parts in the rate at which they too are popping psychoactive drugs to help with a slew of similar disorders. Be it a variety of anxiety behaviors, obsessive-compulsive disorder, even canine Alzheimer’s, pharmaceuticals are increasingly being called in to intervene.

Fido’s mental health has become a bit of a booming industry, opening up the relatively new field of veterinary behavior medicine, generating a cadre of doggie therapists ready to help you help clean up your dog’s many diagnosable ‘isms and treatment includes a lot more than liver treats and a clicker.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Dog Risks Life, Saving Another, Revealing Dog Greatness (Yet Again!)

As a certified dog person, I’ve been sent the You Tube link to the ‘Dog Risks Life to Save another Dog’ video so many times in the last few weeks I’ve lost count. Each time it comes to me with a message that reads something short and to the point, describing it as:

Unbelievable. Amazing. Who knew a dog would do that? Could do that?

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

View from the Fence, Watching a Battle Among Women Unravel

I’m a pacifist by nature, so when small wars break out around me, I silently protest and keep my distance. No surprise, while at a recent baby shower, when a woman turned to me and said: “Do you really think you can be happy just having dogs?” I nodded emotionlessly and shrugged half-heartedly, trying to deflect and defuse the potential for emotional onslaught and keep some semblance of peace. Despite my efforts, it is near impossible to stay out of the fray of this particular war among American women.

As if on cue, another woman began rushing in my direction filled with fury, ready to dive into battle. “If she chooses not to have children, that is her right and you have no place to criticize,” she exclaimed, sputtering. Sputtering. The two launched into battle. To have or not to have children escalated into issues of working or staying home with the children. Ugh.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Training Sessions with the Dog

I talk too much. I know it. Everyone who’s ever met me knows it. Even my dog knows it. Despite the many times I’ve begged friends to give me some sort of indication as to when I’m going from charmingly chatty into the zone of an annoying over-talker, they never do. Somehow, they think it’s just a part of me that can be suffered. Suffer being the key word that I’d like not to be associated with. Self-checking works for only so long, but it always gets tossed out at some point, typically right on the cusp of going-too-far, which is when I need the most help.

My dog, however, has worked hardest and done his best to train this behavior out of me.

Lucky for the dog, I am a highly trainable human with a strong desire to please my master. Lacking opposable thumbs, he has to be very thoughtful in his training approach, tossing me treats and using a clicker are not feasible tools for him to use. The dog has nothing but my desire to make him happy to utilize as a reward.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

An Open Letter of Apology to the Dog

Dear Weeza,

First, let me say that I recognize my propensity to be an utterly self-involved, totally stupid, jerk of a human being. I need to apologize for these horrid, rather global, human traits and assure you I do try to be different, fighting everyday to be just a little less me and a little more, well, dog-like. It’s hard. I do try though.

So, it was one of those days. A late start filled with too many deadlines, lots of stress, long unnecessary meetings and a stupid amount of rushing around. I took you out for the briefest of romps in the morning, tossed the ball a few times to take the edge off, threw some food in your bowl and left for the day—you know all of this. When I got home, I admit, I wasn’t in the best of moods. Despite your many attempts to say “hello,” with your usual level of sweet happiness, I was exasperated with your efforts interpreting them as a pain rather than positive—you know this too. After awhile, I did notice the number of times you tried to get my attention.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Becoming Slow Food Localvores

It's the same scene every morning in my house. Get up, dogs out, feed cats, dogs in, feed dogs. It never changes. Never. Sure, if we're traveling the cats aren't typically in the equation, but since I rarely go anywhere without the dogs, there is little deviation from this general schema. The routine is so every day for me it's been incorporated into my autonomic nervous system. Seeing as it's a bit like breathing, I tend not to notice the 'isms implicit to it all.

Like, for instance, the fact that black-and-white dog lays down to eat, hugging his bowl between his front legs, shoving his entire head into the depths of his meal. It's simply a part of my daily fabric, but pure entertainment to anyone newly introduced to it all. Well, that and the fact that the dog eats at a rate of 1 cup of kibble per half hour.

Yep, I have a high-powered, fast-moving, insane border collie cross that eats every meal one kiblet at a time.

The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Big Lessons Learned from the Canine Trenches

Imagine yourself stumbling into a grocery store. Its 2 a.m. and though you wish you had a much better excuse as to why you are there, you don’t have one and you have not been out drinking. You are slightly disheveled having literally rolled out of bed; your eyes are straining to adjust to the terrible glare of those migraine inducing fluorescent lights. As you settle into the scene, you hum along to some off rendition of 'We are the World' while strolling down the aisles. You grab your much needed items and head for the checkout.

Of course, now, you are intercepted by your former employer who just recently had a baby and is driving around with his partner on a late night mission to get said baby to sleep. He is excited to see you, probably overly so because he doesn’t get out much these days, but his enthusiasm becomes buffered by his sudden realization. Once he finally comes to, notices your odd get-up and, finally, glances down to note the contents of your basket, he struggles to carry on any sort of coherent discussion. Your mind begins to race. Should you try to explain the situation?