Our life update! Remember how 36 dog hairs came out of my finger last month? 57 MORE CAME OUT LAST NIGHT.💀👹 I think after I bumped my finger on that dogs tooth and it got infected (even w/no broken skin), the bacteria ate a hole in my thumb and now it has healed WITH A LITTLE CHANGE PURSE FOR LOOSE DOG HAIRS. I will be calling the hand specialist that helped fix my other hand from doing Kernel’s massages. I made a visual for all u curious minds on the last slide.😝 As for Kernie, he is finally off the steroid! I felt like I tapered him off too soon since his leg is still bad, so I started to taper back up. The side effects quickly drove me back to the brink of insanity though and I had to just call it. They didn’t heal as much as I hoped, but they helped enough to where I’d rather deal w/the leg saga. One struggle was that they made him feel erratic and impulsive these last few months, so we did a really helpful training refresher this wknd across 7mi of on-leash walking. This work will help him feel and act his best on or off-leash! I felt so proud seeing the silly smile come across his face as things started to make sense again. Here’s what made these trainings most efficient: using a clicker to mark all the correct moments (he can hear this!), vibrating an e-collar at the few most challenging moments to refocus him (remember, his ears were removed and he’s somehow not deaf, but I can’t rely on him to hear me unless I yell), and using a few small treats to reward the hardest moments.🦴 Lastly, remember I told you how much I love gel nail caps for dogs? Well, K’s back pinky nail continues to be a tiny draining nub, so the nail cap can actually make the infection worse as it gets glued in place onto the nail! We had the same issue with liquid bandage. Our last (pain in the butt) option has finally gotten him 1-2 days of dryness!!! It is gauze wrap and pawz disposable booties (I cut off the top so they will fit him). I also put styptic gel on the nail daily. I remember seeing a young dane on here pass from a nail infection that got complicated, so it’s just another minor but important issue to control asap! Love, Alyssa ❤️ #greatdane #dogs #australianshepherd #dogtraining

I used to think these 2 were all bark/no bite, I guess bc we’re always trying to disengage with them (but who tf wouldn’t lol). A dog biting w/60 stitches worth of force has a bite history, no matter what the owner would say. As we’re likely seeing, these behaviors intensify over time w/o intervention. Surprisingly, the GSD owner blamed the attacked dog for getting bit. WOW. We literally are our dogs! At most, the attacked dog may be considered a nuisance for not immediately recalling, though it was a challenging and threatening circumstance so maybe not? It’s unfair to all, even the GSD’s! Acting feral while unsupervised in public is SUCH HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR, especially for a top dangerous breed. All our pack GSD’s are phenomenal and these two could be too with the right tools for success (like a fence, a trainer, a muzzle, a bark collar, a crate, etc. - endless room for growth). Well, let’s focus on what we can control! Tips for a bad dog encounter: - Any noise you make will likely be read as HIGH ENERGY.👎🏼 The dog will match it. Be quiet or sweet talk them w/praise. If you must, give one firm “HEY!👹” - If you have distance, either completely ignore them OR stare them down and try not to break eye contact first. Don’t try walking backwards to maintain eye contact bc if you trip, they will come. - Don’t run or they will chase you. Act casual do do doo - Leash your dogs if you think they’ll go towards the chaos. If they’re not pretty solid on recall training, they probably will. - Try to spot distractions before your dog; go into training mode so you already have their focus. I use a clicker for the whole pack and they’re all SO responsive to it! THEY KNOW they’ll only hear it if they’re getting praise and/or treat reward. If a dog is not listening well, I vibrate an ecollar at the few hardest moments to refocus them, then mark and reward the right behavior. Most pack members only need it for 2-3 hikes before they understand the rules. - If your dog is being attacked, YANK up on the attacking dog’s back leg and hold it upside down. #dogs #greatdane #servicedog #guarddog #germanshepherd

🥲 Thank you for the awesome video @powerofpositivity! I love that they used recent videos - the puppy days were precious but the golden years bring appreciation and wisdom! Kernie is living proof that even when you’re against all odds, you can still exceed your goals! He inspires me to see both of our differences, the ones that look and feel like weaknesses on the surface, as strengths. And let’s all take a moment to reflect on how great that mirror video is at the end - it’s one of my favs.🤭 Love, Alyssa ❤️ #dogs #greatdane #servicedog

Intimidating even for a dog lover like meself! At this point it’s fair game to use them to our advantage as a training opportunity! #CANTHEARMYOWNTHOTS🤫😅 #germanshepherd #greatdane #greatpyrenees #australianshepherd #vizsla #chocolatelab #rescuedogs

🔊BET U CAN’T GUESS WHICH DOG IS ON STEROIDS🤪 YAY, Kernie has started transitioning to ½ the taper dose (this mania was him already on the taper🤭)! His leg is way better than it has been but it still looks rough. The timing is right to get off the meds tho… we are teetering into “long term” use which is risky for a guy like Little Sashimi Lee. Regardless, he is feeling like a billion bux! If he wrote a book right now, it would be called EAT PLAY WOOF. Aside from our 10 weekly hikes, we walked 7mi this wknd and he STILL was trying to get me to play all night.🫠 He is wolfing down at least 3lbs+ per day (which is good since this med makes him lose weight). He can’t be tamed and you kno I’m living for it! Can’t believe he will turn 8 this summer!!! Love, Alyssa❤️‍🔥 and not an ad just a great helpful product for sidewalk walking is gel nail caps. He’s used one for a long time on his front toe that drags so the nail won’t wear down/bleed, but he broke a back pinky nail forever ago that can’t seem to grow back nicely and it keeps breaking/bleeding recently. Without these cheapie nail caps he wouldn’t be able to exercise the way he wants/needs! Sometimes he will seem sore or weak until I put on a nail cap and galloping away he goes!!!🥲 #dogs #greatdane #rescuedogs #hiking #boston