Taming the Wild Hound Dog: Using the Gentle Leader

My husband and I rescued two male hound/lab mix puppies the previous summer (littermates).  We immediately enrolled them in a puppy training class to teach them basic commands such as sit, down, come, and stay.  We wanted to make sure that they were well trained dogs that listened and could be respectable members of the dog/human community.  Especially with big dogs, I knew it was important to make sure they had manners and knew how to listen.

For the most part, they absolutely are well behaved.  They politely sit before they can eat from their bowls or go out. After this snowy winter they will each lift all four paws to have them wiped with a towel upon coming in. They know not to enter the kitchen in the area between the island and the stove.  They live in harmony (mostly) with our two cats.  They don't steal food from the table.

The one training piece that continued to be difficult (for me, anyway) is walking the larger of the two dogs.  When I walk him, if he wanted to, he could easily pull me over. This winter in particular was tricky due to the large amount of snow and ice, that made it more difficult than usual to keep my balance on dog walks.  I was frustrated with walking him because even though he did not usually pull me over, the constant pulling was irritating my back and neck muscles. I continued to work on training him to walk nicely, but when he saw something he wanted to go after, there was a good chance I was going with him, whether I liked it or not.

I knew that I had to come up with a new solution for walking him that would make it a more enjoyable experience. I had grown up using choke chains for obedience training methods, but since my dogs would not be show dogs, I didn't want to go this route. I looked around for other ideas and came across what would soon be my perfect solution: The Gentle Leader.

The gentle leader is a a thin strap that loops around the dogs muzzle and behind their head. The idea is that the pressure on the dog's muzzle when he pulls forward pushes his nose down and makes him lose his momentum from pulling.  The website claims that the dog will actually turn around, but I found more that it just slows their momentum and makes the dog stop wanting to pull forward. It definitely does direct their attention to you, and make them think they should stop running forward.

The Gentle Leader has been a life saver when it comes to walking my dog. He is about 65 pounds (still growing!) and an 11 month old hound dog mix, so if he wants to run forward, he definitely can.  This THIN strap stops him in his tracks, but not in a way that I feel like he is being hurt.  It is a thin strap of material, but just because of the pressure on his muzzle, he is stopped.  I feel bad for dogs that are wearing big, thick choke collars now, because I know there is a much simpler method.  I can walk him with one hand and feel completely in control.

I was worried at first that he would not want to go on walks with the strap on his muzzle, but when he sees me take it out he comes running, because he knows he is going on a walk.  While I wouldn't say he LOVES having it on, he does understand that it serves as part of his walking paraphernalia. It is  more enjoyable for both of us, as I am not constantly pulling on him and yelling, and we can both enjoy the walk.

I have suggested the Gentle Leader to my parents and friends that have big dogs that sometimes pull.  Obviously, training the dog to always walk obediently is the better strategy, but at least for now, the Gentle Walker provides a perfect solution for our dog walks.  We can both now enjoy the experience without injuries or stress.

My Book Review Rating System

It occurred to me that if I'm going to be rating books I should provide a little more information on how I select my ratings, and give examples of books that fall into these ratings.  This way, you can get a feel for what kind of books I like or don't like, and if my reviews might be helpful to your personal reading tastes.

0 Stars: You won't actually see this rating from me, because this is what I would give a book I would refuse to pick up and not even TRY to read.  Examples: anything horror or zombie related.

1 Star: These are the kind of books that I try to read, but end up not being able to finish it (and not finishing a book means I REALLY DO NOT LIKE IT  because I hate when people, myself included, don't finish books). I would absolutely not suggest this to a friend. Examples: The third book in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. (Actually all of them, all of them are 1's in my mind.) I hated the first two, but at least tried to get through the series, but by the third one it was so ridiculous and awful, that I couldn't even skim through it like I did the first two. (I only kept reading because everyone else seemed to like them so much, I though if I kept going I'd figure it out) Seriously people, how did THAT series become so popular.

2 Stars: These are books that I at least managed to finish, but I really did not enjoy and would not suggest to others to read.  Examples: This would typically be a lot of romance novels that I come across hoping they are "chick lit" and they turn into cheesy romance novels.  (Seriously, there IS a difference!). Sometimes they are books that just strike me as "rushed" or very inaccurate.  Slammed by Colleen Hoover is an example. I was excited to try a book about slam poetry, but it was just NOT well written, or even accurate about high schools, and certainly not how student/teacher relationships work.  I DID NOT like it and would not recommend it, but I did finish it.

3-3.5 Stars: These are books that I consider to be pretty decent books.  I would probably even suggest them to other readers if they are looking for something in that genre.  I might not personally be super impressed, but I can see how they are entertaining or well written, and can often discuss their merit to others.  Examples: The previously mentioned The Book Thief or The Lone Wolf. Also, many classics that I can understand why they are classics, but again would not want to read them in my spare time.

4 stars: This is a pretty big deal book in my world if it makes it to this level. It means I really enjoyed it and could not put it down.  I would probably read this book again, and would definitely suggest it to others.  I felt that I connected with the characters, and sometimes I might even cry at their plights.  Examples: pretty much all of the Jane Green books, Jennifer Weiner books, John Green books, the first Hunger Games book.

5 Stars: For me to give this rating, the book has to actually move me. It has to make me think. It has to make me talk about it to other people. It might make me change my mind on things. I'll probably even do additional reading or research because of this book. I will have an actual reaction to this book, rather than just enjoying it for pleasure reading. If a book hits this level, I'll recommend it and suggest it forever.  Examples: To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Eat, Pray, Love,  Born to Run, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Outliers.

Here is my rating scale with examples.  I tried to provide a description, plus examples of what authors and types of books I like and dislike.  I hope this helps going forward.  I'd love to have some comments and discussions on my book reviews!

What I'm Reading: March Madness

I already finished my novel for the month of March so I am able to post another novel review already! Hopefully this means I can get a second book in before the end of the month!  The book I just completed reading was Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult. This book was definitely a quick read, as all her books are, and I blew through it in a couple of days.  I'm going to give it a 3.5 out of 5 rating since it kept my attention and had the normal twists and turns that she always includes, but was not quite as good as some of her previous novels.

I almost want to assume that anyone reading this review has read a Jodi Picoult book before, or maybe I should say every female?  Her books tend to be extremely popular with the female audience ranging from about age 14 and up.  Her books all seem to be New York Times bestsellers, rightfully so in my opinion, because they are quick and interesting to read.  Some of her more famous titles include: My Sister's Keeper, 19 Minutes, and The Pact (my personal favorite--a reverse Romeo and Juliet).  My Sister's Keeper was even turned into a movie featuring Cameron Diaz, but the movie BUTCHERED the book and didn't even keep the original ending. Overall, she is an author with many titles, that consistently turns out a quality product.  Even if you don't end up reading this book, I highly suggest checking out some of her other titles.

The Lone Wolf is a novel that follows several characters thoughts and actions surrounding a car crash that has left a father of two, Luke, in a coma.  The book shows the perspective of both of his kids, Luke from the past, the ex-wife and mother, the stepfather/lawyer, and a couple of other select characters.  The main moral dilemma of the novel is what to do about Luke: should he be taken off of life support and have his organs donated, or should he be kept alive in the hopes that he will one day recover.  The daughter that currently lives with him wants to keep him alive, and his estranged son, who has returned from Thailand after the accident, wants to let him slip peacefully away.  Luke is a wolf lover and wilderness expert, and has even lived in the Canadian wilderness as a member of a wolf pack, making it a clear choice to many that he would not want to wake up in the condition that he would most likely be in, if he ever was to wake up.  His daughter is harboring a secret that keeps her desperately holding on (plus her obvious love of her father) and the estranged son also holds his own secrets, and a possible vengeance for his father's former sins against him.

Showing the novel from the various character perspectives is always a favorite writing technique of mine. I think it keeps the reading fresher, and allows the reader to see all points of view.  I will say that I was not as involved with these characters as I have been with some of her former works.  This story also involves a teenager taking out a law suit on a family member (My Sister's Keeper anyone?) and I found the characters to be less desirable and connectable than previous works. Also the "secret twists" that they were hiding were not quite as scandalous or interesting as some of the ones that Mrs. Picoult has provided in the past.

 I did enjoy all of the wolf information that was provided.  The author definitely always does her research before writing any novel.  I'm an avid animal lover, so I enjoyed learning more about wild wolves.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought it was entertaining.  I don't think its quite up to par to some of her previous works, but I imagine it would be hard to consistently come up with totally different plot lines and characters every year.  Definitely worth a read if you enjoy her books (or even if you haven't read them before) and are looking for a quick, easy read.

A Hound Doggin' Good Time!

This weekend, when we were at a 30th birthday party, my one friend who had recently rescued a female hound dog asked us if we would like to bring our two hound mix puppies for a dog date to Shake Shack in King of Prussia. I thought this seemed like an odd place for a doggie date, but she quickly assured me that they have a couple of dog friendly menu items and that dogs are allowed to hang out on the patio section.  Sure enough, she was correct, and on Sunday we spent some time on the patio of Shake Shack while our dogs slurped on Pooch-inis.

A Pooch-ini is basically vanilla custard with peanut butter sauce and a dog biscuit in a cup for dogs. They also sell just the dog biscuits if you want to stay away from giving your dogs custard.  It was a cold day, so we were the only ones brave enough to sit on the patio, but the dogs definitely appeared to be welcome at what is more typically a "human" establishment. In fact, all of the little kids that were inside were all watching from the window and several came out to visit and pet the dogs.  All three dogs had a blast and absolutely loved their special treat.

We loved the casual atmosphere, dog acceptance, and I must say that the human peanut butter milkshakes are delicious too!  All in all it was a great day, and if you're looking for a casual, dog friendly lunch spot, I would definitely recommend Shake Shack!!

What I'm Reading: February Flashback

For as long as I can remember, reading has been one of my absolute favorite activities.  I am normally a pretty active, energetic person, (Note 1) and the only thing that calms me down and keeps me still for a long period is reading a good book. (Note 2).  I figured it would be fun to share my thoughts on what I've read for pleasure lately. (Note 3).  I'm pretty busy with work (Note 4) and race training, but my goal is going to be to read at least one book a month--at least until summer!  My first review is going to be a Flashback to February as I think the book I read last month is worth noting.

*Note 1: Otherwise known as ADD
*Note 2: Seriously, try and watch a movie with me. I dare you.  I'll get up to pee, get a drink, pee again, play with the dogs, play a game on my phone, check Facebook etc the entire movie.
*Note 3: I DO enjoy a lot of chick lit (NOT Romances--there is a difference) but there will be other kinds of books on here too.
*Note 4: I read A LOT at work, in some ways you might call me a "professional reader" ha! Which is why I have to limit myself to roughly one book a month for "pleasure" in my off hours.


February Review:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This particular novel is not one I would necessarily pick up to read in my free time.  For starters, the narrator is Death and the story discusses Nazi Germany, but it came highly recommended by one of my favorite young adult authors, John Green.  I am a huge fan of his writing, both my husband and I have read his entire collection, so I figured if he was going to recommend this book to his readers, it was worth trying. Also, it was on the New York Times Bestseller List for 230 weeks, so clearly a lot of people are reading the book.

The Book Thief, in my opinion--humble though it may be--is only going to rank as a 3.5 out of 5. I just can't give it the 4 or 5 stars that everyone else seems to give it.  I feel like I am supposed to love this book and tell you what a literary masterpiece it is. In fact, I will even confirm here that it is bound to become a classic. This book truly is an innovative and original novel about a German family living during Hitler's regime. The characters are well developed, the subject material is approached differently than what you normally see in Nazi Germany era books, and the narrator as Death provides for a totally different kind of read and feel to the book, with a lot of non-subtle foreshadowing (not even foreshadowing so much as TELLING) of what is to come. I appreciated the character development, and it was interesting for me to read a book from the German perspective, as most books I have read about this era are from either an American or Jewish specific background.

 Let me make it clear: I can agree with the critics that this book should be praised for it's literary quality.  I just found it rather...depressing (duh, its about Nazi Germany) and a slow read. In particular I did NOT like that Death told us early on that certain characters would die, which made me feel withdrawn and disconnected from my favorite character as I knew he/she ( I won't spoil it) was going to die well before it happened. I didn't want to form as deep an emotional attachment to a character that could die on any page.  I suppose a book narrated by death about Nazi Germany is expected to have a lot of death, but still, it made me detach from the book.

It felt distinctly like the kind of book that I would read in school, rather than what I like to read in my free time.  I know I mentioned that I like to read chick lit, but I also do enjoy a lot of serious and classical novels.  My two favorite novels ever are To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone With the Wind, so I'm clearly not afraid of long or historical books.   Something about this book didn't quite do it for me, and I can't quite put my finger on it (besides the death foreshadowing). This is a book that I WANT to love and give 5 stars to, but I have been unable to recommend it to my husband or reader friends, and I just can't quite recommend it here either.  I feel like all "real" readers are shaking their head and thinking how shallow I must be...but yea.  3.5 stars.  Sorry.

Rescue Dogs and Chewing!! Kuranda Dog Bed to the Rescue!

This past August, my husband and I adopted two hound/lab mixes from the Rescue Organization All 4 Paws.  We originally only intended on adopting ONE puppy, but ended up taking home two male litter mates.  The dogs are our precious boys and have brought so much joy to our lives in the past eight months, with the exception of ONE big issue--CHEWING!

The dogs are crate trained and kept in separate crates during the day while we are at work.  The one dog is totally fine in his crate, but the other dog has crate anxiety during the day, which is manifested in chewing.  He chewed through 2 dogs beds, along with various blankets and towels.  We tried giving him kongs with treats and various other distractions during the day to keep him busy, but nothing worked. One day we came home to find he had chewed the plastic tray bottom of the crate into pieces.  We had to remove the leftover chunk of plastic and watch him closely to see if he could pass the pieces. Once the crate tray was removed this meant that he was laying on the wires of the crate, which would obviously be uncomfortable.  This lead to us ordering a thick rubber matting for the bottom of the crate.  We had read that it would be chew proof, and would also be comfortable for the dog.  WRONG.  VERY, VERY WRONG.

I came home from work one Thursday, only to discover that the dog had chewed through the rubber mat and swallowed a couple of chunks of it.  Unlike with the crate tray, he was not able to pass the thick rubber, and was vomiting profusely all over his kennel, and later, the carpet, yard, etc.  I ended up having to rush him to the vet office (luckily our regular vet made time for us to come in so we did not have to go to the emergency vet--an expensive option we had used with our cat before).  The vet took x-rays and informed me they would have to perform surgery to remove the rubber.

You can imagine how scared and upset I was! Fortunately, after 2 incisions (one in the stomach and one in the intestine) and five days at the vet, he was able to come home and begin the recovery process.  BUT, we STILL had nothing comfortable for him to rest on in his crate!  This lead to us continuing our research process, and FINALLY finding the BEST OPTION EVER for owners of dogs that chew! We discovered the Kuranda Bed!

The Kuranda Dog Bed is the ONLY chew proof option that we were able to find, and our dog loves it! It fits in the crate and is comfortable and orthopedic for the dogs.  There are a couple of different options, but we went with the aluminum dog bed.  This model has an aluminum frame with a tautly stretched material for the dog to lay on that honestly, reminds me of a trampoline... but IT WORKS! Ever since we have put this in the crate we have had NO chewing problems.  Our other dog tries to get in there to sleep on it, along with our cats!  Whatever it is about the Kuranda bed, animals love it...and more importantly...they can't chew it!  Plus, the company offers a one year chew warranty; they are that positive that the bed is chew proof.

We actually want to get another one for our other dog that is not a chewer, just because the pets seem to love it so much.  Unfortunately, they are a bit expensive, but DEFINITELY cheaper than paying for stomach surgery, and worth it to keep the dog safe! Regardless, when we have the spare cash, we will definitely look to get another one--we are that happy with the product!

In summation, if you have a dog that is a chronic chewer, and you worry about them destroying everything in their crate, or possibly swallowing what they have destroyed, the Kuranda bed is for you!  And no, I don't work for them--I just wish someone had told me about this product when we first rescued the boys, instead of finding out several dog beds and a stomach surgery later!!

Chronic Injuries: Big Toes and Slipped Discs

Another cold day in Philly has me dreaming of warmer temps! Supposedly it is going to warm up this weekend on Saturday and I am very anxious to get out and get a long run in! For tonight, it looks like I am going to be at the gym doing some cross training.  My husband and I attempted to do a run outside yesterday evening, but with the cold and dark, we had to end up cutting it shorter than we originally wanted.  Daylight Savings this Sunday should help with the light aspect, now if only we could consistently get some warm temps!

Unfortunately, when it is cold and icy, I have difficulty getting a lot of running in as I have trouble running on the treadmill.  I have two chronic injuries that are severely irritated from the pounding on treadmills, far more so than running outside on the roads and trails.  I think it is important to describe my injuries as they are chronic and can be detrimental to my training, and I'll probably refer to issues associated with them frequently! Any helpful comments or suggestions are definitely welcome if you also suffer from either of these injuries.

The first injury is a slipped disc in my L5 S1 that was caused by over-exertion on the stair stepper machine my freshman year in college.  The slipped disc causes sciatica in my left leg.  Sometimes, when I run too far or too fast, I have a sensation of my "back going out"  (best way I can describe it) and I will lose the ability to swing my left leg at the hip. I then get numbness in my leg and can no longer extend my leg forward in the running motion.  I can actually trip and fall if I attempt to keep moving when this happens.  It's hard to describe exactly what it feels like, as it is somewhat painful, but more so just a total lack of movement is what is the most prohibiting.  If I stop running and walk, the issue will cease and become less troubling.  When this happens, my left hamstring also becomes incredibly tight and painful, and has also caused me to have some chronic hamstring pain and tightness

I used to suffer from this far more; my first Broad Street was absolutely miserable and my time reflected it. By around mile 5, I was having difficulty running forward at all.  Afterwards, I could barely walk for a couple of days.  One of my co-workers pushed me to see a Chiropractor (something I had always been reluctant to do), but when I finally gave in I wished I had done it years before! I had tried physical therapy and even steroid shots into my spine, but nothing had worked previously.  My Chiropractor was able to help the alignment in my back and I have had a MUCH easier time controlling my back pain since I started seeing the Chiro.

I still am troubled by the sciatica, but I have definitely found it to be less troubling than in the past.  I need to make time to go see the Chiro more! I tend to wait to go in until it is troubling me again, instead of being pro-active.  I am definitely a fan of this NATURAL way to help my back though.  If anyone is wondering if they should try it, I would highly suggest it, as long as you can find a good, qualified Chiropractor that you can trust!  Let me know if you have any thoughts on sciatica, slipped discs, etc.

My second chronic injury is newer and something I am still trying to deal with on a day-to-day basis.  I am currently trying to train through some pain, and hoping I can keep it manageable.  I haven't ran since August, but the time off did NOT fix the issue.  What I am dealing with now is severe, chronic pain in my left big toe caused by bunions.  I have genetic bunions that I have irritated by years of running that have now lead to permanent pain in my big toe.

I first started experiencing the pain in June when I was training for the Oddyssey Half Marathon. When I was on a 12 mile training run I noticed that my left big toe was hurting incredibly bad. I had recently upgraded to the newest version of my Asics, so I thought it might be shoe related.  At the time I thought it would be manageable, and actually went online and ordered my previous years shoes in order to go back to what was working. My solution did not turn out to be the easy fix I had hoped, and the pain continued for the rest of the summer, until I finally decided to take a break in August.  During this time I also went to a podiatrist who informed me it was bio-mechanical issues in my foot (flat feet and bunions along with weird bone structure) and attempted a steroid shot (once again these shots do NOT seem to work on me--whether it be back or toe).  He also attempted some minor adjustments to my inserts.  Nothing helped, which is when I decided to take some time off and rest it (usually the cure for all running related injuries!)

When the doctor was unable to figure out a cure I decided to pursue some other options. Returning to the same shoe I had been using (just newer) had not worked.  I decided to try a new kind of shoe that allowed for more toe spread (bunions are irritated by a tight toe box).  I tried the Altra Zero Drop shoe that has a much wider than usual toe box.  They are also part of the minimalist shoe movement and had some fantastic reviews in various locations.  While I like the shoes and the space for my toe, I still had toe pain, PLUS the flatness bothered my foot and I began to have pain spreading all through my arches and across the bottom of my foot.  I now try to use them for walking the dogs and cross training though to give my feet room to breathe when I can! I would LOVE to hear if anyone else has tried these shoes!

The other strategy I tried is something I am still currently working with.  When reading a running magazine I discovered an advertisement for Correct Toes.  Correct Toes is an insert that you put in your toes that spreads your toes and is supposed to cure all kinds of ailments, particularly all the various issues I have with my toes and feet!  You are supposed to be able to wear them when running, but I found that it bothered my feet too much, not the spreading so much as just pain from the actual rubber in my toes.  I DO try to wear them every night and to sleep in.  I have tried to take pictures of my feet and see if they are improving, and I think I might be seeing a slight improvement in my right foot (the one not as bad as off).  Too soon to tell, but I am still hoping this works as it would be non-surgical and natural! Again, if you have experience or thoughts on these PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I would love, love, love some feedback!

Ok, this entry turned out to be WAY longer than I planned, but now you have a history of my chronic injuries and I won't have to explain in such detail again in the future ha!  I'm hoping for the best when I do my 6 mile run this weekend, as it will be the longest I've run since the 1/2 marathon due to my toe pain. I'm hoping I can make this work somehow and get back to running! Again, please, please, please let me know if you have any thoughts on either injury...particularly the toe issue! I would love some feedback or suggestions!