Chesapeake Safe Harbor

Growing with Raffie # 321 Raffie Visits Miss Maisy : ) Maisy was at Chesapeake Safe Harbor for quite a long time when Raffie was young. Maisy now has a family with two young children and another dog… all of whom she is very fond of! She's settled in really well and looks happy and relaxed : ) Raffie and Maisy were very close… and it took me AGES to find the home that I knew would be exactly 'right' for Maisy. *Sorry if you were one of the many people interested in Maisy, but, though no fault of your own, didn't fit what she needed & deserved. It was fun to see Raffie and Maisy being excited to see each other and picking up their 'friendship' exactly where they had left off (Hmmm! Rather like human 'best friends'… where time apart doesn't undermine their bond!) I was too distracted watching them to get good video of them playing together … maybe next time?! Take care, sweet Maisy… and keep on spreading your happiness to those around you! #growingwithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' group is the home for Raffie's posts

Growing with Raffie # 316 How long did this enrichment last ?! In the last Raffie Post (# 315), I suggested that hiding your dog's joint supplement inside a toy could help them to enjoy it for a much longer time. How did Raffie do on this one ?! Luckily, I have the timestamps of the two videos available. Just a few minutes after I filmed the second video, Raffie finally declared her chew toy to be 'Empty' !! Comparing the Date & Time signatures of the two videos gives..... *Wait for it* 9:45pm -> 10:20pm Giving an impressive 35 minutes to eat the half a supplement that I inserted into the toy. Mixing up the daily routine can often give rise to enrichment opportunities ! #growingwithraffie #puppywithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' group is the home for Raffie's posts

Growing with Raffie # 315 Joint Supplement hidden in a Toy Half a second, or half an hour ?! Let me explain - How long does it take for your Chessie to eat her joint supplement ? Half a second, or half an hour ?! If you add it to the top of their food, or give it directly to them, you'll probably find the joint supplement disappears in half a second, or less : ) Now take that same supplement and insert it into a toy. All of a sudden that same supplement is providing enrichment - focus & physical challenge - for half an hour or more : ) Note: Raffie is not a destructive/ heavy chewer. The 'Breeze Ball' in this video is made by 'Multipet'. I don't know how this toy would hold up within the jaws of a determined chewer. When a dog gets a new toy, it is always a good idea to monitor them carefully, and to inspect the toy, and your dog's mouth, on a very regular basis. The Supplements shown in the video might or might not be suitable for your dog. These are soft chews, so they can function like Greenies' 'Pill Pockets' or similar products. They can easily be pulled in half or smaller pieces… and molded around a pill that your dog needs to swallow. #growingwithraffie #puppywithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie

Growing with Raffie # 302 It's HOT !! Can I play in the River ?! . Raffie did a bunch of energetic retrieves to hand with her stick… and then she was ready to have more relaxed playtime. I handed her the stick… and told her: "Off you go!" She gets a small amount of discouragement for chewing on the stick - though I hadn't helped matters by only finding a fairly soft old stick that was never going to hold-up to being carried in her mouth. Around the 10 second mark, you might hear a couple of 'clucks'… those are my message of mild distraction in response to her beginning to chew the stick. However, the water environment is too much fun and too distracting (complete with some young children in the water just off camera)… …so I'm required to give more direct messaging, with my verbal 'Yuk! Yuk!' In time, Raffie will pick up on the quieter, more subtle messaging, but all was good for today. Note: 'YUK!' is used near stink/ gross/ unwanted items, to mean: - Don't Eat/ Drink it! - Don't stick your Nose in it! - Don't even Think about Rolling in it!! . If allowing a dog to dictate the speed & direction of a walk with their nose is called a 'Sniffari'… Then what is the equivalent name for time when the dogs get to chill-out with the water, splashing with a stick in the shallows…?? ?Splash-Time'?? #growingwithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie #funwithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' group is the home for Raffie's posts. It is ~*SCAM/ SPAM-free*, with ~3,000 Chessie-loving folk.

Growing with Raffie # 301 Raffie Training: What do I need to do to get breakfast around here…?!! Clarification: This is *optional* dog empowerment... After starting the day with a dog hike... then home to play... There have been two times when Raffie has suddenly stopped playing, and has gone to sit in her create - ready for her dinner. This video was trying to steer her towards making a similar choice! Raffie is happy to respond to the command 'Go to your Bed!' - as most of our dogs are… but I like to introduce more 'Playbooks'. These are situations where the dog assesses the situation… realizes what is needed… and is prepared to go right ahead and carry out an action. Encouraging our dogs to use more playbooks helps them to be more aware of what 'WE', their Coaches, want from them. It can take a while to activate the playbook 'radar' in different situations, especially when our dogs are used to waiting for us to TELL them what to do. Too much reliance on our 'bossy commands' is not helpful to our dogs or to us ; ) In this video, after 28 seconds, Raffie almost connects the dots and heads for her bed… but while she's thinking about having breakfast, she's not thinking what SHE can do to help that breakfast arrive - (apart from coming to me and telling me that I've forgotten to give her breakfast !!) To help her, I throw out a few words including the word 'Go'… and that definitely helps her figure out what she might do. Towards the end of the video you can see how she is tempted to come back out of the crate… It's best when I stay away from using those 'bossy commands'. This video is a 'work-in-progress', so you can see how the pieces begin to come together : ) #growingwithraffie #trainingwithraffie #puppywithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' group is the home for Raffie's posts https://www.facebook.com/groups/chesapeakebayretrieverlove

Growing with Raffie # 299 Do you want KEVLAR Protection from Puppy & big Dog BITES ?! Do you need a little more protection in your life from razor-sharp puppy teeth & nails?! Or maybe you're working with a dog in rescue that has a low bite or nip threshold...? Here's a quick, cheap and comfortable solution. Kevlar is used in bullet-proof vests and in knife stab-protection vests, as well as these sleeves Here's the Product Information - These Heat-and Cut-Resistant Sleeves are constructed of 100% DUPONT KEVLAR knit. They’re perfect for using industrial machinery, doing glass work, performing automotive jobs, and welding. The sleeves provide protection from heat and abrasion, and the treated material helps repel liquids. They feature ANSI A3 level cut protection. - Full coverage 17 in. length and snug-fitting material provide all-day comfort with most gloves. - Protects arms from heat and hot surfaces while working - ANSI A3 cut resistance for safety and protection - Treated knit fabric repels oil and other liquids to keep arms clean - Snug fit with elastic wrist for comfortable use with gloves - Machine washable for convenient cleaning. https://www.harborfreight.com/heat-and-cut-resistant-kevlar-sleeves-57515.html These comfortable sleeves create a helpful & effective line of defense against dog nips. Note: The bite would still be felt... and bruising could occur... but the chances of puncture wounds are massively reduced. Question: Have I ever used these as a layer of protection when working with Chessies?! Answer: Umm, actually 'No!' ; ) I just rely on my instincts to tell me that the dog in-front of me is uncomfortable and unpredictable. That keeps me 'on my guard' and makes me proceed carefully, giving appropriate messages to the dog about how I feel and what my intentions are... But I do encourage others to wear these comfortable sleeves... especially those with a fear of dogs, or with a nippy dog & also on blood thinners These do NOT replace th

Growing with Raffie # 294 Post walk 'full body check' To stay ahead of the ticks up here in New England, requires multiple lines of defenses. When selecting our walks, we stay away from areas of long grass, as these seem most heavily occupied by an army of ticks. While on the walk, we will stop and complete a quick scan for ticks. It helps that Raffie is deadgrass... so most of her body contrasts well with the ticks. One important step is the 'Post Walk Check' We actually do the full body scan twice - about five minutes apart.. because the repellants in the anti-tick medications appear to make the dogs into fairly 'distasteful' subjects... and the ticks can sometimes be spotted as they migrate to a different area of the dog's body. #growingwithraffie #safetywithraffie

Growing with Raffie # 298 Guide your pup's 'inner puppy' to the habits that you want Do you have a puppy that's treating your arms and hands like a chew toy for their needle-sharp teeth ?! Are you quick to 'teach' them, with: Stop That! NO!! Bad Dog! Or do you turn your back on them, like you're a wounded Jedi, refusing to be drawn into a fight ?! Ummm! I'm not even a big fan of relying on our 'bossy commands' ! Showing a young pup 'what you DO Want' has advantages over teaching them what you do NOT Want : ) Background on this video: Two days ago Raffie tweaked an elbow or wrist in her front right leg. It seemed minor, so I started some *PEMF* Treatment and complete rest. *PEMF - Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, also known as low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS), is the use of electromagnetic fields to stimulate cell-growth & regeneration Raffie's feeling better now - though I'm not convinced that she's fully recovered yet. Raffie has all this stored up energy...! She wanted a cuddle. She wanted to get mouthy... I'll play the game... but I want to direct it, so I'm not encouraging the biting or chewing of my hands. My two hands move a lot, to stay just outside her grasp. No hands were damaged during the making of this video. Keep your hands moving (without adopting a stay-away game with your pup). Deflect - Distract - Keep Moving - Keep them Guessing... I prefer my hands to come from behind my dog's head, rather than coming towards the 'sharp end' of her mouth. Can you keep your hands & arms away from your puppy's teeth? #growingwithraffie #trainingwithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' group is the home for Raffie's posts

Growing with Raffie # 296 Did you notice BOTH TICKS? ...'EYE' could use a little help over here, please!! One?! No, TWO Ticks decided that Quinn's face would make a good feeding zone : ( If you saw Growing with Raffie Post # 294 'Full Body Check'... It means every inch of their bodies: Nose to Tail Both of the ticks were given One Way Tickets to the sticky-side of some Gorilla masking tape. The dogs help us to find the ticks, as they seem to understand the purpose of these tick checking sessions. If they feel a tick settling down on their bodies, the dogs will generally give it a quick itch, which alerts us to 'do our tick removal jobs properly'!! #growingwithraffie #safetywithraffie

Growing with Raffie # 295 Regulations require each Blueberry to be chewed 10 times...!! What a silly Rif-Raf ; ) ... and these ones weren't even frozen ! #growingwithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie

Growing with Raffie # 293 What's more fascinating than your Ball, Raffie ?! It could be when your hike becomes a 'nature walk', after encountering a crayfish on the path. Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps, ditches, and paddy fields. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water. Crayfish feed on animals and plants, either living or decomposing, and detritus. What's 'detritus' again....? Dead particulate organic material, such as the bodies (or fragments of bodies) of dead organisms, and fecal material. Hmmm! I hope that I haven't put you off your next lobster ; ) #growingwithraffie #funwithraffie

Growing with Raffie # 292 Raffie Loves her 'ZeroDC' running harness Raffie has new gear! Thanks to my eldest daughter : ) This fancy running harness is super-flexible, with wide soft straps... and the design around the shoulders seems to make so much sense. It is cut-away from the shoulder to allow full movement without interference, as well as mini.al interference with her neck : ) Has anyone else tried these running harnesses... or something very similar? Raffie fits in a Medium - but she is narrow over the shoulders, so most Chessies would need something larger. Who has tried some of the active sports with their Chessie - Canicross ? Bikejoring ? Skijoring ? Dog sledding ? Dog Scootering ? Dog sulky driving ? ...?? Raffie's probably clocked up about 50 miles worth of bikejoring along my local, very flat, very straight, nearly deserted bike path : ) Even if you have only 'thought' about giving one of these a try... which interests you most? ...and if you have tried an active dog sport using a harness for pulling, what can you share ?! #growingwithraffie #fitnesswithraffie #enrichmentwithraffie 'Chesapeake Bay Retriever Love' is the home for Raffie's posts