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www.stiggysdogs.org

Stig and his oddities....

All dogs have them, some funnier than others, and some more intense. I have witnessed some that are pretty down right crazy. Big Stig is no exception to the rule....

First off, even from right off the plane, Stig wanted Joe's foot. Yup, he has a foot fetish thing alright! Now, it's on the good side. Meaning: he has not chewed or eaten any shoe's, he respects them. When Big is ready for a nap, you can be sure you will find him close to a shoe, with his head right on it! No shoe around? No problem, he likes actual feet better! He likes Joe's better then mine (he stinky!) When you get out of the shower, no problem Stig will lick your feet dry...Which kind of leads into his next 'thing'......

Stig loves his lotion. Any lotion, scented, non scented, old, new. He will sniff out a jar of lotion that you left in a suitcase! Oh yea, and he will dig his teeth in it just enough to use his big paw to squish a little out, yummy! But if you have lotion on you, and you have a friend for life!!!! Forget treats, lotion works way better!!!!!

But the best thing that Big does, is how he wakes you up to tell you he has to go potty. Stig and Moxie sleep in dog beds on the floor of our room. When Stig (not often thank goodness) needs to go out 'potty' in the middle of the night, he gives you the sneak-stealthy attack. Out of now where you will feel a cold wet big dog nose touching your skin and he blows out his nose. He slimes you into taking him out!

The last oddity, is really not his fault. Most dogs love to hang their head out the window for a little dog sniff. Except Stig can't seem to figure out how to get that big bucket head back in the window....so funny!!!!!!

My 'Pawsitive' Pit Bull/Bully-Breed Rant.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN8nMg9ZWLw


I may lose some fans, or gain some, by adding my personal feelings and opinions here. However, this is a topic that I am very passionate about.

I was honored to be asked to speak on the behalf of Bully Breeds for the Mid-Michigan Pet Specialist. I got a call from Holly, who saw that Stiggy's Dogs was training a Bully Breed as an Emotional Therapy Dog. I jumped at the chance to be a voice, to have a platform to speak about the discrimination against this breed.

The dogs in the pictures, are some of the Bully Breeds that I have fostered, rescued, and have had the pleasure of knowing and loving. All these beautiful dogs are from Rescues. They are the heroes......

Human-Canine Bond

I consider myself a dog lover. I have experience with many dogs, many breeds, I have fostered, Rescued, and trained. Yet this time it was different, and I was not even aware of how much. I was about to embark on a new journey, training an Emotional Therapy Dog, in honor of Ben.

I can say that I was 'in love' with Stig before I met him. His story was enough to pull on any dog lovers heart strings. Titus (named then) was a stray, that had escaped death row, got fostered (by first time foster mom to save him, Marisa), got Rescued by Kristy Schroeder from Illinois, flew out by Pilots 4 Paws, and then to Stiggy's Dogs. The efforts by so many to save one dogs life is remarkable.

I was immediately even more 'in love' when I saw Stig get off the plane. His big square head, his joules, his big polka dotted paws. He was the kind of dog that I would have went looking for. However, all the mushy, lovey-dovey had to be put on hold. I had a job to do. He had a job to do. And we were off, from day 1.

Stig was by my side constantly, and he needed to be. We had no knowledge of is background and it was clear he was never in a house, wasn't potty trained and VERY RAMBUNCTIOUS!!!! Big, (which he was affectionately nick named for obvious reasons) wore his leash dragging behind him for 2 weeks straight. Teaching him our rules and letting him know our limitations was/is a full time job, 24/7 we were together. He was crated each day for periods, some times 2x. We walked, exercised, and learned many new things together. Now, I was really 'in love' with Big. He is awesome.

It wasn't until our first trip to the Farmers Market that I realized our connection. I was nervous at first, the market was full: packed in tight rows with kids, people, strollers, wagons and other dogs. Stig and I maneuvered together, side by side through it. When I stopped, he stopped. When I proceeded, he did. I found a shaded area and stood for a moment with Stig sitting by my side. I inhaled a deep breath and relaxed. I looked down to see the same relaxation in Stig. For the first time, I stopped thinking about Stig and training and started to focus on the flowers behind me. My eyes went to the honey stand, the herb garden, the ladies pretty hat, and the cute dog. My eyes glimpse back to Stig, who seemed to be in his own deep thought. Here we stood, side by side, hearts beating at the same pace, relaxed and connected.

I realized then how wonderful this bond was that we had. That is about trust too. I needed to trust him that he would be ok in that situation. And Big Stig needed to trust I would not put him in harms way. Chills ran up my spine. This is what it is all about! This is the bond that a Military Vet will feel. The emotional and physical connection that a dog can give. It is amazing and beautiful!

This gives me the strength to move forward and work harder to get Stiggy's Dogs out there!! Thank you Stig, together we have taught each other many things....

The many faces of Stig...

A test.....

Joe and I were watching his parents dogs for two weeks while they were out of town. We were going to be staying at their house,which set off a wave of panic for me. This was an opportunity to take Stig out of his environment, and see exactly how well the training is going. I was nervous, for myself- to see how well I have been as a trainer. For Stig-the house is on 7 acres, not fenced in and has roaming deer, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels......A Beautiful place indeed, but not the perfect setting for Stig! I was also nervous for the Maggie and Molly, the two Yorkies that we were watching.

Joe went first with Moxie while I stayed at home a few days alone with Stig. We worked off leash (for the first time outside) working on 'Come'. If you could see the moves, jumping, excitement I had for when Stig came. The neighbors are worried now for sure! :) But we were as ready as we were going to be so we loaded up the car and headed out too the country!

What an exhausting 2 days!!!! More lessons I learned:

Stig knows how to sit and wait at the doors at my house, but somewhere else was a WHOLE different story! It was like starting all over again, but with 4 dogs running around yelping and no one sitting!!!!! Patience.......and many treats later, I have Stig, Moxie, Maggie all sitting. Sometimes.

Stig does do amazingly well with 'Come' in such a open environment. I left him get pretty far away, almost a football field, and would yell "Stig Come!" and he would come running full speed ahead!!! (For the treat). He loves the outdoors and exploration. We laughed so hard one night when a big Bull Frog let out a loud "bourrrrrp" Stig was so confused by the noise that he starting barking, hair up, totally freaked out!

But, the introduction to the puppies was the hardest ever!! I was really nervous about it before hand. For some dogs, having a dog aggression t wards other dogs is common. Stig has shown no display of that, but I have only had him exposed to larger dogs so far. Sometimes smaller dogs can be a problem, and I was not sure how Stig would react. Well, was I in for a surprise!

Maggie and Molly wanted NOTHING to do with Stig. In fact, it was them who wanted to tear him apart. Molly, shrieks the highest pitched noise I have ever heard, if Stig gets within any radius! This startled Stig, confused him, but also made him more curious by what ever that little thing is that was making that noise. Which only made Molly shriek more. We separated them immediately.

Molly wanted to eat Stig jowles. She would jump and snarl and try to bite him. One time, Molly was actually hanging off his lip!!! (Yes, we were doing the right introductions as I showed on earlier post, the dogs were not hurting each other).

I wish I had a video of some of the interactions, it was really funny. However, my in laws read this blog, and if they saw the video I think my father in law might have had a heart attack!!!!

It was 2 full days of separating, and constant attention. I am happy to announce we are now one big happy pack!!!! Stig was amazing, never once did he show ANY kind of aggression!!!! Big Stig just wants to be loved!

Sometimes, it catch's you off guard.....

The 4th of July, Sunday this year, and we were in Howell staying at his parents. Being a Farmers Market junkie, I was up early and ready to check it out! Since it was Sunday, Joe got to go too. It was a family outing, Big Stig, Joe and I all set off to Downtown Howell.

I got to walk hands free! Being thankful for the break, having Joe walk Stig was good for the both of them. That also meant I got to wander and look through the vendor booths...... green beans, fresh cherries, breads, herbs, I was in heaven! We made it to the end of the street and the heat and sun was starting to get to be to much. Looking for a shaded area, my eyes rested on an unexpected spot.........my heart stopped.

Flags hung all around the War Monument, a wreath placed on the ground, resting next to the name "Benjamin P Castiglione". I didn't even realize the irony of the 4th, Stiggy wearing his Stiggy's Dogs Therapy vest, us being here in Howell and unintentionally we stand at this spot, staring at our nephews name.

"Joe" I said, "take Stig over there and have him sit by it" I point to the wall. (Being the obeying husband that he is, Joe proceeded). Big Stig sat directly next to Ben's name, almost knowingly, he sat silent and tall, posing for me.

A Lady walked by, looks at Stig and comments "What a Patriotic Dog!"

"Yes, he is" I responded. "You have no idea........" hung in the air, as out of no where, the tears pour out....

Sometimes, it catch's you off guard...

30 Dog Days

Hard to believe, but it has been 30 days for us with Big Stig! He has come a long way, we have grown together, taught each other lessons and bonded.

Month Conclusion:
Commands: Stig knows and almost consistently does "Sit" "Stay" "Down". Sit and Stay with hand motions also. "Come" when you have a treat and no other distractions. Still do not trust him off leash. Working on "leave it", which he does ok, unless it smells like peanut butter!
Leash Walking: Wonderful. Every day we walk morning and evening approx 4-5 miles total. We walk everywhere, every weather.
Socialization: We started more public places: Farmers Market, Home Depot, Solid Ground Coffee Shop,a Restaurant and the Art Fair!! All in all, he does very well in all situations, the restaurant needs a little work. Next week we are working on other dog socialization: Dog Parks and Play dates.
Potty Training: Had a few accidents but he learned quickly. We also learned quickly the signs of him asking to be let out. Stig will get right in your face, constantly and repeating. We had a few nights where Stig had a poop problem and had to go. Stig sleeps on the floor on a dog bed in our room. The only time he bothered us in the night was when he needed to be let out. And even that was so sweet, he would every so gently put his wet cold dog nose right on our face, and blow. Hey, it waked us up!
Toys: Stig does like to play with his toys. His favorite is a rope, a Bubba kong and a stuffed Woody doll. He will play with the toys all at once or one at a time. Moxie does not like toys, but when other dogs are here Big Stig is territorial over toys. He is starting to share, but like a toddler only wants the toy the other dog has!Conclusion:
Stig was with out Moxie this week. I noticed more 'anxiety' when we walked by other dogs. Stig wants to play! There are dogs that are better off as an 'only' dog, not Stig, he wants a pack!
Stig is starting to bark more. Mostly when he is startled and when he hears a dog barking on T.V. Silly boy......
Stig and Cameron (my 13 year old) have a close bond. It is awesome to see!

Sitg's first resturant and patience of a friend

Well, not all post's can be good! It's not really Stig's fault, but mine.

I got a last minute call form a girlfriend whom we have been trying to get together for weeks. The timing was perfect, but Stig didn't have his normal walk that morning and I had been out so he was in his crate. When Elicia called I asked if she could drive to meet me where we could go to a Restaurant that I knew we could take Stig with us. It was perfect, I could kill 2 birds with one stone! (bad phrase actually!?). I would get a rare opportunity to have lunch with my friend and socialize Stig! This was his first restaurant experience, but since he has been doing extraordinarily on his outings, I thought this would be a piece of cake. HA!
We sat outside in the perfect spot, in the shade, away from everyone, by the side walk. We sit, order a nice cold Lemonade drink and dove right into a catch up conversation that went something like this:

"So I planted things differently-" Elicia started to say
"No Stig"
"The kids are-"
"Sit Stig"
"Going up north-"
"No Stig"
"Fire works-"
"STIG!"

Yup! I felt like I had a toddler. Seriously, I couldn't keep up with a conversation, kept pulling him back, making him sit, giving him treats (when he was good). Stig wanted to eat everything off the floor, under the table.......I realized that next time I needed to bring toys for him to play with. I even caught myself speaking slowly and stern "You better stop this right now Stig, or you are gonna get a time out!" (That is the picture Elicia took where I am talking to Stig and he is looking else where!) JUST like a toddler!
Well, lesson learned. The timing wasn't right, and I pushed the situation.
Thank you Elicia for your patience with all the distractions. Next time, the children are staying home! :)

Northville Art Fair and a little girl........

It was our usual early morning Saturday walk with Stig. Joe and I take the 1 mile walk to downtown on the weekends for coffee, bringing Stig with us. Last week we rescued a baby bird, I wonder what today has in store.

Little to our surprise it was a busy day for Downtown Northville. The Solstice Race 5k was just ending. The streets were closed and many runners and walkers of all ages packed the streets. When we got to the Downtown area we realized that it was also the Northville Art fair! Bonus. Joe and I looked at each other, thinking the same thoughts, this is perfect! Any opportunity to socialize Stig in a new environment gets me excited.

The streets were full, vendors setting up their booths, other dogs , little kid carrying good smelling things just the right level for Stig. He flourishes in this type of environment. I actually think he does better in chaos than when it's just him and I on a lonely road.

I spotted a booth with some Ty-died clothes and instantly made a quick pit-stop. While I was mesmerized by the styles I overheard a conversation that snapped me right out of my trance....

"Mommy, what a cute dog, can I pet it?" asked this precious little girl as she was pointing right at Stig.

The mother peaked around the corner to look at what her daughter was pointing at.

"No honey, you can't pet it, it is a Service Dog" She explained.

I immediately spoke up "Please, by all means, pet the dog. He is in training and we encourage it" I said looking from mother to daughter. The child's eyes sparkled at my reply, and she looked at her mom in question.

Off she ran directly to Big Stig. I am not sure who actually enjoyed their time together more, Stig or the little girl.

"What is your name?" my husband, Joe asked.

"Abby" she said, not once taking her hands off of Stig. She has a dog of her own, a chocolate lab at home. She loves dogs and wished she could sleep with him on her bed, but her dad wont let him. She is precious, and this moment needed to be captured. (Yes, I had my camera this time!)

After snapping the picture, I went right to the mother and handed her our business card and explained that I took a picture of Abby and would love to share it on my blog with her permission.

So here they are, Stig and this dog loving precious girl named, Abby.

A random morning walk.....

It was a beautiful cool summer morning you dream about. Stig and are were out earlier than usual enjoying the breeze. Three deer ran right across the road in front of us about three houses away. Such a beautiful sight! Stig noticed but didn't seem to mind much, I think we were both in awe...

A car slowed as it was passing, a woman rolled her window down.
"I just wanted to warn you but there is a deer right by the road a few feet from here" She says as she looks at Big Stig.

"Wow. I just saw three of them a few seconds ago!" as I look at Stig "He didn't seem to care." I shrugged.Well, she looked like she was about to throw up, or just ate something bitter.

"Did I say something disgusting?" I asked. She impatiently drove off.

What was that all about? I appreciate the warning (I have done that before myself!). If I was walking any other dog, my butt would be dragging on a leash behind the dog chasing the deer! But what I didn't understand was why she looked disappointed when I said Stig was fine with the deer.

I stopped suddenly, drawn out of my rant, as I was face to face with that deer! We were all startled, Stig, the deer and I. Stig freezes, tail high, hair up. The deer stood just as erect, ears perked, looking directly at us. I stood there, grounded, watching the animal behavior unfold. I whispered "hi" to the deer.

Just then, to my surprise, Stig gave a high pitched soft bark. I look at him to see him in the down-ward dog stance. Stig was initiating play! :) The deer looked really confused, and tilted his head as if to say,'huh?' I giggled to myself, looking over my shoulder to see if that woman could see us in her rear-view mirror....

This is perfect. What a photo opportunity I thought. I slowly open the zippered pouch and reach for my camera. It was not there! I faithfully take that camera everywhere but not today, of course. I could have fit both Stig and the deer in one frame!

A car screeched around the corner, startling all of us. The deer quickly jumped and ran away.Stig started off after.
"Stig" I say firmly. "Sit." He stopped and sat immediately. I reached way down in my pouch to find the biggest piece of chicken jerky I could reward him with.
"Good Boy" I say as I give him it.
"Gooooooooood Booooooooy!"

Stig's Emotional Therapy Vest

After 2 .5 weeks, Stig was ready for his first Emotional Therapy Dog work, well training for. This is a big step and should be done when you are comfortable enough about the bond and relationship with your dog. Knowing how he responds to new areas, knowing his behaviors and building on the trust that you have built. This is what it is all about; the human-animal bond and we were ready to go!

“Mom that is like lying” Cameron, my 13 year old said “He isn’t a Therapy dog yet!”

As true as that statement is, there are advantages to his ETD (Emotional Therapy Dog) vest. On one side of the vest it states Emotional Therapy Dog on the other side is a clasp where you would hang the I.D Badge; showing his picture and certification. When people see this, they generally smile and respect what the dogs job is, people approach in a different manner: more cautiously or asking permission to touch. In this situation, that is exactly what we want. So for now, I have a tag that says; “In Training”. As soon as I put the vest on Big Stig, it was like he knew what he was doing. He had a job to do and he was going to do it!

Home Depot was our choice, nice wide aisles. Stig maneuvered in and out of close carts down the aisles, past strollers, wagons, and the scary thing that backs up and beeps loudly……..Stig was a Champ! No one seemed to pay much attention to him actually. A Salesman came over to ask what he was all about, what breed, etc. Stig sat patiently as we talked. A little girl asked to pet him, and Stig obliged happily! He loved every minute of those lollie-pop fingers! What a great first trip for Stig. We could not be more proud.

It was an exhausting day at Boot Camp for Stig. After his 3 mile walk in the morning and his ‘tour’ through Home Depot he was tired! As exhibited in the follow picture…..

Socialization!

Socialization is one of the most important thing you can do for your dog!

Any age, any breed, any time.The more balanced and well rounded your dog is, and how calm he stays in different situations, can be linked to how socialized the dog is. Socialize your dog on all their senses: sight, sound and smell. Socialize them to people: all types of people, sizes, ages especially the young and the old. Socialize them to other dogs!

With Big Stig it is even more important to Socialize him. As a Emotional Therapy Dog, he could be going everywhere allowed. Stig's story, from Death Row, to foster mom, to a Cessna Air Plane ride (that lasted 2 days), to hotel and then to our house. I confidently say he has been exposed and socialized well beyond the average dog. However, I needed to know his every fear, anxiety, and inhibitions. I had to start from scratch.

Here is his 2 week Socialization Comments:
Stig is wonderful on a leash, so together we walked many miles! We went through State Parks, down busy 5 lane highways, to the Farmers Market, through many garage sales, past Dump trucks, tree chopping trucks, Garbage trucks, bicycles, skaters, strollers, kids, deer, cats and many people! I am very proud of him. He passes with outstanding ability!

Things to work on:
Trampolines: It scares him to death to walk by and see/hear kids jumping up and down.
Dogs: Big want's to play with every dog. He is learning to take correction and redirection. I still struggle on a few occasions.
Garbage Cans/ Returnable Bins: I think he is becoming more familiar with his surroundings and this week really noticed that those big things were not there recently! Smart guy. He approaches cautiously, slowly, head down ready to pounce!
Grates in the road. He hates them, will avoid them at ALL cost! Today (with treats) we worked on that. I made him sit by it with me. I petted him and directed his attention away from that scary steel grate. When he was calm, I placed his favorite treat, dried chicken jerky, on the grate. I made him stay until I gave the command 'OK' and let him go get his treat. He ever so tentatively and slowly took his goodie! He did not run away to eat it, but stood his ground loving it up. That was enough for one day. "Good Boy" I say as we walk away.That is a start. Stig turned his head around a few times to look at the grate, still a little uneasy, making sure it wasn't coming after him......

Dog introductions.

The initial meeting between dogs is important, how it goes can determine the relationship between them. It is important for every pet owner to understand this. When new animals are coming to visit, or you are going to another house, take a few minutes for an introduction. Animals are like people, and they will not instinctively like every animal. Introduce dogs on neutral territory. Outside is best, so the dog doesn't feel protective of his home and stuff. Keep both dogs on a leash. Let them observe each other from a distance. KNOW YOUR DOG! Watch your dog and look for signs, hair up on back, showing teeth, low growling noises, ears pressed back, head down with slow swishing tail.... ALL signs that your dog is not liking the situation. Redirect the dogs and try again. If there is an initial dislike that is obvious, STOP! Keep dogs on a leash together until BOTH dogs have have sniffed one anothers' butts. It sounds obnoxious, but it is how in the animal world dogs say, "You're OK." This may take some time. Big Stig and Moxie hit it off right away!!!

Once all the butt sniffing is done, they are usually okay. Watch for your dog to imitate play, the downward bow, the soft bark, the high tail wagging, pawing in the air......that is the dog speak for "let's play!". Even though the sniffing is done, both dogs will exhibit a 'playful' sign before they set off.
Toys, food, water can all cause a problem in a pack of dogs. Whether or not you have other animals at your home keep food and toys, food and drink away! Feed and water them separate rooms. It took 2 days, but they now drink out of the same bowl! (Remember they eat separate always!) Stiggy is very territorial over his toys and bones. Need to work on that!
Remember always be the pack leader, stand strong and confident!

Big Stig has been introduced properly to 5 different dogs, in our home. All went well, a few took a little longer. Stig likes to play 'rough and tough', more of a puppy play. Stig does irritate Moxie, who is 7 years old, can still kick Stig's butt, and tires fast.

Ooops.....

This is to funny not to share.

Stig and I are on our morning walk today. This is a serious event for us because he has a job to do! I walk fast. It is not time to sniff, or stare at squirrels! There are times when Big Stig tries to fight this, as I just give him a small correction and he quickly walks with me.

Well, this morning was a little difficult. Stig was not cooperating as usual and I was making several corrections (as I was full speed ahead) when I noticed out of the corner of my eye.......he was crunching over......
Yup, I was pulling him right along as poop was coming out of his butt!!!! oops.......

What a good boy he is!

Week One Summary

The first week is always the hardest, both dog and family have adjustments to make. I always tell families that it takes a good 2 weeks to really have the ‘dog settle’ down and the family to fall into a routine. I will go into depth on all these areas later, here is a brief week one summary.

Temperament: Stiggy is a mix of Pack mentality combined with a little 'fight' defense. Which means, he wants to learn and be part of our ‘pack’ (family) however he naturally falls into more of a defense approach. As Stiggy learns he is not pack leader (which he struggled for many times) he will give up his defensive attitude and relax more. Stiggy is still settling down, learning what the rules are. I still see a little anxiety in him.

Walking on Leash: I believe he has not been leash trained. However, he falls right into line with only a little correction. I walk him 2 x daily, morning and night. These walks are for a ‘job’, not a leisure ‘sniffing’ around walk. This is one area that I have complete control over him. When Stiggy is acting out/anxiety, I strap the collar on, and we go for a walk. This is the best way for him and I to ‘balance’ ourselves.

Socialization: Stiggy is pretty Socialized. He seems to love new places, noises, scents, people, etc. Stiggy gets a little startled at motorcycles and the garbage truck. I have not taken Stiggy in stores, or really crowded areas for the first week. We have walked close to the road, on gravel, parks, and in our downtown area. People either love him, or they look scared to death of him (losers)

Play time: Stig loves to play, alone or with Moxie! She does have her toy time, which she will play by herself for awhile. Anything that squeaks is her favorite. Will not play fetch- goes to the ball and sometimes brings it back. Soft toys he chews up. Tug of war with rope, but he is really strong….(Must play to win , and sometimes that is hard for me)

Food: He is a little food aggressive. Stig tries to gulp down his, and then go for Moxies. I sit with him and feed him portions of his food by hand, then take it away when he is eating- then have him sit to get it back. This shows him I am in control.

Basic Training: The basic ‘sit’ command Stiggy is doing. Stig has to sit for everything even for love! He knows the command, but does it when he wants to. Stig will always sit for food, but on anything else you have to ask twice. I sit everyday and put him in the down position and lay over him. This helps show I am in control and the pack leader. Going in and out the door has been the most difficult task, but we are working on it. Almost Potty trained!!! Almost……

Conclusion:

Stiggy is stronger than me physically but I am stronger mentally. It took all week to establish that.

Big Stig (affectionately nick named) is a good boy and we love him!