Getting Ready For The ORT

Pongo is scheduled to take his Odor Recognition Test (ORT) on September 13th.  This is the first step we have to pass in order to compete and earn titles in National Association of Canine Scent Work events, and we have been working very hard toward this goal.   All summer, we have been preparing by taking private lessons at It's A Dog's World training facility. 

I became interested in nose work last spring when I was looking for a new way to keep Pongo active, but for something that would be gentle on his aging body.  At twelve years old, Pongo has had two torn ACLs and has arthritis in both knees.  His left knee, the one that was repaired by surgery in 2005, has very little mobility now and at times, he walks very stiffly because he has trouble bending it.  For this reason, he can no longer go jogging with me. Yet Pongo has always had a high level of energy and need for exercise.  Now that his body can no longer perform at the athletic ability that it once did, I chose nose work as a new way to challenge his mind and wear him out.  We took an Intro to Nose Work class in the spring, and Pongo immediately took to it.  It is so fun to see how much he likes doing this work.  He gets excited whenever I bring out boxes, or we drive to the training facility.  It's like he's thinking, "oh yea, I get to work!"

Pongo's trainer recommended that we video some of our training sessions so that I can go back and review them.  She suggests that this way I can learn to better read his signals, and tell when he is "in odor," as the scent will actually move and flow on the air and the dog has to learn to follow it to its source.  Last weekend, I roped my husband into taking some video for me.  Here, I explain about getting ready for the ORT. If you look at the way Pongo is sitting at the beginning of this video, you can see how he holds his leg out to the side. This is his modified sit that he has done since his ACL surgery.  For this reason, we can't do competition obedience - it's not considered a "proper sit."

Of course, Dewey has to come along and video bomb us! He likes to be in the middle of everything. 

Remember, there is one box that is dedicated to odor.  You always place the odor in the same box and mark the box so you know which one it is.  I marked my odor box with an "O." Odor is placed on Q-tips that are cut in half by putting them in a few drops of essential oil of the desired scent.  I keep the Q-tips in a baby food jar until we are ready to work.  Then I take a few out with tweezers so I don't contaminate them with my own scent and place them in the odor box, or whichever container we are working with.

Pongo will be testing for both birch and anise. When we registered for the test, we had to pay $25 for each scent we would be testing.  There are only three scents in nose work, but I thought that would be a little ambitious for us to train for this summer.  So I only registered for two.  I typically work with birch first, then switch it out for anise later in our training session.  On this particular day, though, we only worked with anise.  It was about one in the afternoon and about 75 degrees and humid outside.  Pongo was distracted by cars and people passing, and adopted a rather laissez-faire attitude which is not typical of his nose work sessions.  When we first started, he just walked through the boxes and didn't work.  I went back and paired food with the odor box, and on the second trial, he began to work.  Then on subsequent trials, I removed the food and he was only rewarded on finding the correct box.

Here's a video which shows Pongo working.

Notice that Pongo does a good job of working the first line of boxes, but then stops working when we walk back along the second row.  I turn him around and have him work that line of boxes again and he identifies the odor by stopping and pawing at the box a couple times.  That is Pongo's way of alerting to the odor - which I love because it's so obvious!  I didn't teach him that, he started doing that on his own.  You see that he actually kind of paws a couple other boxes in the video, but he keeps on going.  On the odor box, he actually stops and sniffs longer, pawing the box twice.  This is why they tell you it's important to learn how to read your dog.  Sometimes, Pongo's signs are really clear and he very quickly identifies where the odor is accurately.  Other times, he gives me some false alerts (like that light paw tap in this video) and I'm afraid I won't read him correctly when we actually do the test.

At the ORT, we will be doing blind hides - that is, I won't know which box contains the odor.  I will have to say "alert" to identify when I think Pongo has found it.  We have practiced this in our private lessons at It's A Dog World, and though we get it right most of the time, occasionally, I'm wrong.  Our goal for training right now is to practice in different locations as much as possible before the test to give Pongo practice in new environments with distractions.  Today, we went to the park and had a great session working on the sidewalk by the parking lot - until our session was cut short by pouring rain! 

I can't believe the ORT is two weeks away!  We are counting down!  And yes, Mommy is a little nervous.   Wish us good luck!

Pongo's Kitties

Pongo had separation anxiety when I first adopted him from the Washington Animal Rescue League in 2002.  Having spent six months in a cage, he was desperate for exercise, mental stimulation, and human companionship.  I lived in an apartment in Washington, DC at the time, and tried very hard to make sure all of Pongo's needs were met.  I used to walk him for two hours a day - an hour in the morning before I left for work and an hour when I came home.  Still, when I tried to leave, he would try to get out the door with me, and I felt guilty leaving him home alone. 

After six months, I ended up adopting a cat named Henri to keep him company.  It worked beautifully and they were friends long before she bonded with me. When Henri was killed by raccoons in 2008, we were both devastated.  I had never seen an animal grieve before, but Pongo did.  He missed her. 

Although I vowed I would not get another cat, one of my coworker's kept texting me pictures of a kitten at an adoption event at PETCO a couple months later.  I decided to go take a look.  The kitten she had been sending me pictures of had already been adopted by the time I got there, and so I asked staff to point out a cat they thought would be good with a dog.  They suggested a young, long-haired black and white cat that had been found on the streets of Kent with a litter of kittens.  All of her kittens had already been adopted, but she still awaited a home. When I picked her up to hold her, she started playing with my hair!  I was instantly smitten.  And so Bella came to live with Pongo and I in Seattle. 

I had met my husband earlier that year, but we didn't get serious until a few months after I adopted Bella.  My husband loved cats but had never owned a dog.  He had two cats when I met him - a long- haired calico named Cindy and a skinny, short-haired grey tabby named Zoumie.  Cindy was the matriarch and was clearly in charge.  She let Pongo know it the first time he came to visit, swatting him on the nose when he got too close.  Pongo had a little scratch on his nose from the incident, but it wounded his feelings more.  To this day, he won't walk past her if she is sitting on the stairs or in the middle of a hallway.  He will bark or cry to let me know if she is blocking his pathway to me.  He will only pass her if I put myself between them.

My husband and I were married in 2010, merging our pets in his home.  His daughter, Ashley, from a previous marriage also came to live with us full-time. About a year later, Ashley's mom gave her Dewey, a long-haired orange tabby as a gift.  Ashley saw him at her mom's every-other-weekend.  However, when her mom moved and couldn't take him to the new apartment, she asked us if we could take him.  What initially was a temporary arrangement turned into a permanent one. 

If someone had ever told me that one day I would end up with four cats, I never would have believed it!  But there you have it.  For Pongo, it has been heaven.  He has never been alone again.  Dewey, who was still a kitten when he came to live with us, is Pongo's favorite playmate.  Dewey will roll over on his back when Pongo approaches and bat at him with his paws. 

Pongo gets excited when the cats gather in the kitchen for treats or when we feed them wet food.  The only way to keep him out of the middle of the cat chaos is to have him do a down-stay in the entrance to the kitchen.  Of course, he gets rewarded with a treat too!

Here Pongo waits for the kitties to finish so he can lick their bowls.

Life at the Wulff house is always busy with furry four-footed activity!  And Pongo is happy with his job of guarding the house and his kitties when Mommy is away.

Mt. Peak

Pinnacle Peak Park is located in Enumclaw a short 25 minutes from our home.  Called "Mt. Peak" by the locals, it is a popular hike in South King County, especially for those who are training to climb Mt. Rainier.  Pongo and I discovered this trail four years ago, and it has become a favorite since it is an easy one to fit into a busy weekend.  We often hike it year round, even in the winter when the trail is covered with snow.  Last summer, we regularly climbed it 1-2 times a week.  However, this year, we hadn't been there since March and we missed it.

On Tuesday, it was my wedding anniversary and my husband and I were planning to spend the day together.  But I wanted to get a quick hike in with Pongo in the morning, so we headed to Mt. Peak.  The mountain is a 256-acre of volcanic rock that juts out of the surrounding farmland.  We got there around 7:30 am and there were already seven or eight cars parked on the side of the road.  We said good morning to two women who were just finishing their hike, having already been to the top and come back down.  I turned the stop watch on on my runner's watch.  Pongo and I used to hike Mt. Peak with a friend of mine whose husband would run up the trail while we hiked.  Then we would run on the way down, trying to make the round trip in an hour.  I knew I wouldn't be able to make it in an hour today, but I wanted to see how long it would take. 

The forested trail is one-mile long, climbing 1000 vertical feet to an 1800-foot knob. Near the top you see some columnar basalt.  It is well-traveled - a popular family trail where you will encounter hikers with dogs or trail runners.  Half-way up, there is a bench to rest on, courtesy of the local Boy Scouts Troop. 

When we started up, it was overcast and cool. I put on my pack - more for added weight than anything else - and used the trekking poles my husband bought me one Christmas.  I enjoy using the poles for added balance and for the added arm workout. They have proved to be helpful when I have, at times, slipped on the way down.

 Pongo pauses on the trail ahead of me.  Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed as though we were both moving a lot slower up the hill than normal.  Maybe I am more aware of him slowing down with age, but he seemed to walk or trot, instead of bounding up the side of the mountain.

 The first half of the trail is always difficult for me because of the swift climb in elevation. But it is worth it once you get to the top.

  

There are benches at the top in a small alcove in the trees.  You can sit to rest, drink some water, or eat a snack. We never linger here long.  In Pongo's younger years, he would have jumped up on this bench, but he was posed for this picture and is contemplating getting down.

 After a water break and a few pictures, we headed down the hill at a trot.  We stopped to look out between the foliage where you can see views of the White River Valley. 

Then phone in my pocket, I started running again. Pongo seems to love it when I begin to run - he likes the faster pace.  He will stop to sniff and fall behind, then have to run to catch up. 

We made it off the mountain in an hour and twenty-five minutes - not bad considering I was taking pictures for the blog.

Here is a blissfully happy Pongo on the car ride home!  This is what it's all about!  Now with a tired dog at home, I could enjoy the rest of the day with my husband!

Happy Hiking!

Greenwater Lakes

The thing I love about working for the public schools is that I get school holidays.  I cherish the summertime when I get to spend lots of time with Pongo.  Although I do work a second job at a nursing care facility, I generally get to work as much or as little as I want.  Usually, I work a couple weeks in the summer, a few days here and there spread out over ten weeks, covering vacations for other speech pathologists.  There is always lots of time for doggie adventure.

We explored yet another new hike yesterday, called the Greenwater Lakes. I met one of the teachers from my school at Wally's Drive-In in Buckley.  She brought her golden retriever, Bella, and we all piled into my car.  To reach this trailhead, we drove on Hwy 410 to the little town of Greenwater, just as we did a week ago for our hike to Snoquera Falls.  But this time, we turned left onto Forest Road 70 about a mile past town.  The trailhead is about 9 miles from there and is clearly marked by a large sign. 

It was a cloudy, cool day and to my surprise, was threatening to rain. I was unprepared for cold, wet weather and had forgotten to bring a jacket.  Luckily, the entire trail was forested and protected us from rain.  Pongo and Bella immediately charged off into the forest and we followed at a good clip to stay warm. 




We followed the Greenwater River upstream.  The trail crosses the river three or four times before it reaches Greenwater Lake, a long, shallow lake, after 2 miles.  This part of the hike is easy and quiet and we didn't encounter any other hikers on the way up.  This proved to be a good hike for late summer, as there was plenty of water for the dogs to drink and cool down in. 



     Greenwater River



Pongo enjoys getting his feet wet, and lapping up the cool, clear water.



We crossed the river on narrow log bridges where we had to walk single file.



Here Pongo climbs up the steps to cross one of the log bridges.

After a couple hours, we decided to take a break and sat down to eat the peanut butter sandwiches we had brought.  Pongo and Bella begged for bites and we rested on logs in the lush, old-growth forest. 

If you continue on, you eventually will reach Echo Lake, which is a seven mile hike from the trailhead.  We decided to save that for another day, and headed back down after going only a few miles.  I had goosebumps on my arms and had gotten chilled while we sat to eat.  I wanted to get going, and it would only get colder if we continued up the trail.

On the way back, we encountered a couple of hikers with big packs who were headed to Echo Lake to camp overnight.  I felt a little pang of jealousy, but did not envy the weight they were carrying.  Maybe one of these days we'll do an overnight hiking/camping trip.  It's certainly on Pongo and my bucket list!!

Snoquera Falls

Last weekend, Pongo and I joined a friend of mine for a hike with her church group.  They were planning to hike Snoquera Falls in the Western foothills of the Cascades in an area we have never explored.  In my quest to fulfill my committment to Pongo by enriching his life with adequate exercise, I was eager to try a new hike close to home.

Pongo and I met my friend in Enumclaw off of Highway 410 and then rode east together on what is known as the Chinook Pass Highway.  We passed through the cute town of Greenwater (the home of Wapiti Woolies - lovely hand knit hats coveted by skiers and snowboarders who head toward Crystal Mountain and Mt. Rainier) and the Dalles campground to Camp Sheppard Boy Scout Camp where we parked.  As the group readied in the parking lot, Pongo caught sight of a wild rabbit.  I love the way he did not pull on the leash, but stood stock still, except for his nose twitching left and right, working the scent of it.

As we entered the forest, though, I let him off leash.  Pongo is an excellent trail dog.  Although I have never figured out what breed he is, and probably never will, I believe he is a German Shepherd-Border Collie mix.  He has the personality and is the size of a Border Collie but possesses some of the markings, coloring and characteristics of a German Shepherd.  At any rate, whenever we hike with a group, he alternates between running to the front, then circling back to check on other members at the rear.  He stays on the trail and checks in with me before running ahead.  A whistle will bring him running back to me.  His personality is definitely a herder.

The trail steepened very quickly through big-leaf maples, scrub oaks, hemlocks and Douglas Firs. Although this hike apparently has lots of water during the spring, there was little more than a trickle now in late July.  Pongo looked for water in creek beds, trying to lap at small muddy pools. The Snoquera Falls Loop is officially listed as 6 miles with the Washington Trails Association, but we did not go all the way to the top, as the path to the last part of the trail to the top of the falls is loose rock. We hiked approximately 4.2 miles, stopping where we could hear the falls, but this time of year, we could not see it. 

At our peak point, we stopped for a snack.  Here, Pongo asks for water and drinks from my hand.  He loved being part of a group, and enjoyed begging for snacks from everyone.

As we made our descent, the trail was rocky.



The terrain on the way down varied significantly from rock to moss to dirt trail. 



Here, Pongo trots back to me among the moss-covered scree.



We followed the switchbacks to the Boy Scout Camp back to the parking lot. We were finished by noon! This was a great morning hike that left the rest of the day for more adventure. Next year, we'll come back in the spring when we can actually see the falls. 

 

Our Cancer Scare

It is common for older dogs to develop fatty deposits or lumps (“lipomas”) under their skin.  When Pongo developed one on his belly, it grew slowly.  When I called Dr. Lamb’s attention to it, she wasn’t concerned.  We watched it over the course of about 18 months.  Pongo had other small lumps elsewhere on his body, but this one nagged at me.  It was close to his penis and I kept worrying that it might interfere with urination if it grew too large. 

In April, 2012, I took Pongo in again to have Dr. Lamb take a look at it.  It had grown big enough that we now referred to it as his “second penis.”  It no longer felt soft and squishy – parts of it now felt hard. Dr. Lamb again assured me that it was likely benign, and that she was not worried about it, but agreed to remove it so we could test it.  So we braced ourselves for an $800 surgery.

On May 7, 2012, I took Pongo in to Sunset Hills Vet, and reminded the technicians not to put Pongo in a crate while he was waiting for surgery.  Since his adoption, he has not handled being crated well.  Although I initially crated him when I was at work when I first got him in 2002, I quickly gave him his independence at home.  Years later, when I tried to crate him again when he tore his second ACL, and when he was crated at the vet’s, he would rub the skin off of his nose due to anxiety.

I dropped Pongo off early in the morning and then worked remotely by laptop at my brother’s art studio, feeling tense as I waited for the phone call that would let me know how the surgery had gone.  Dr. Lamb called me around noon to tell me that he had done well.  She commented that she was somewhat surprised at how vascular the lump was, but that she still believed it was a benign lipoma.  However, she told me that she was concerned that one of his liver enzymes was high.  It had tested at 400 where 150 is normal.  She told me that it was possible that it was high because his body was working hard because of the lump and that it may very well go down.  She said that I shouldn’t worry, but that she wanted to recheck it in a month. 

Recovery from the surgery was a little daunting.  Pongo came home with a drain that exited on either side of the lump with a line of staples in between.  We set up a baby gate in the kitchen/dining room and put down towels and blankets.  The first few days, the fluid that drained was bloody, which made my husband squeamish and shocked even me.  I bought a fabric cone from PETCO to try and keep him from licking his wound (I really dislike those plastic ones).   

            Here is Pongo zonked out the day of his surgery, May 7, 2012.

 By the end of the first week, we put one of my big t-shirts on him and tied it so he couldn’t get to the incision instead of wearing the cone.  Here he’s feeling better!

About the same time, I took Pongo to have the drain removed.  The vet technician told me that the site was red and they wanted him to take a course of antibiotics.   That night, around 6 pm, I got a call from one of the other doctors from Sunset Hills Vet with the results of the histopathology report from the surgery. 

 She started by saying, “the results aren’t good.” 

 My heart stopped.  How could she begin like that? 

She continued to tell me that Pongo had what she termed “an aggressive nerve sheath tumor,” and that it had possibly already metastasized to his liver, which would explain why his liver enzyme was so elevated.  She went on to talk about follow-up x-rays and CT scans, another surgery because the results indicated they had not gotten clean margins in excising the tumor, and a referral to an oncologist.  I started crying.  Pongo is the love of my life, the center of my world.  I knew about the importance of surgically getting clean margins, and oncology lingo, my sister going through breast cancer at 37. 

I hung up the phone and went into the living room where my husband was half-asleep on the couch. I told him Pongo had cancer and fell into his arms, sobbing.  My step-daughter, Ashley, heard the commotion and came out from her bedroom.  She gave me a hug, then sat on the floor stroking Pongo’s head. I was inconsolable.

I had several conversations with my husband and with Dr. Lamb over the next few days.  We had just spent $800 on the lumpectomy, and we couldn’t afford another surgery, let alone a barrage of x-rays, scans, and an oncologist referral that would recommend radiation.  Pongo was not a young dog.  As hard as it was, we decided to make it the best summer ever with him.  I took him on as many hikes as we could, enjoying our time together. 

Now, a year has gone by, and Pongo is healthy and happy.  It is obvious that the lump did not metastasize.  Dr. Lamb said at his last visit that there are no signs of cancer.  He has a healthy appetite and is maintaining his weight.  Still, we did new labs in June, and the liver enzyme is even higher.  It is now over 600.  Dr. Lamb says there can be many reasons for that, one of which may be Cushing’s Disease.   Pongo is now 12 years old, and I know that I have to face reality that the majority of his life has passed.  I am blessed for every moment that I have with him.  I remain committed to make those days the happiest they can be, giving him as much outdoor time as possible, hiking new trails, enjoying old ones, play dates with doggie friends, and keeping his mind active through giving him work. 

There is a lot of information about lipomas and nerve sheath tumors on the web.  I found an interesting one on lipomas yesterday.  It  is good food for thought, presenting a different way of thinking about lipomas. 

 

http://peterdobias.com/community/2011/01/is-your-dog-lumpy-what-you-should-know-before-you-make-decisions/

Hiking in McCroskey State Park - a Gem of a Find in Idaho

I have a couple of great hiking books: Best Hikes with Dogs Western Washington and Best Hikes with Dogs Inland Northwest. The Inland Northwest book covers parts of British Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Montana.  Every summer, I look for hikes that we can do and we enjoy exploring new trails.  Hiking is one of the ways that I try to fulfill my commitment to Pongo, to provide him with adequate exercise and mental stimulation that will keep him happy and healthy.

Pongo and I were out-of-town, visiting my parents for the first week of July.  On Saturday, I invited my brother, Ben, and my sister, Beth, to go along with us.  Beth brought her dog, Calder, also a rescue dog, who we call Pongo's BFF ("best friend forever" in text lingo).  (Calder spent six weeks with us when we lived in Seattle during a period when my sister was having health problems, and the two dogs are very bonded.) We chose McCroskey State Park because it was a short drive from my parents, and had very little elevation change, proving to be a short and easy hike. Located 17 miles north of Moscow, Idaho on US 95, it was a beautiful drive through the Palouse hills, which were undulating green and gold as the wheatfields ripen.

McCroskey State Park is one of the least-known parks in Idaho, but proved to be a delightful finding for us!  We learned that it was gifted to the state by Virgil McCroskey in 1955 in honor of his mother, Mary McCroskey, and all Northwest pioneer women.  Mr. McCroskey worked hard to acquire land for his vision, including selling off the original homestead he inherited from his parents.  He was 79 years old when he gave the property to the state, who insisted that he care for the land for 15 years!  He worked on the land every day until his death at 94 years of age, which incredibly, fulfilled the 15 year commitment. 

One of the nice things about McCroskey State Park is that there is no entrance fee, as is now true for most state parks.  We wanted to hike the Mineral Mountain Trail, but were unable to find the trailhead.  I believe that the signpost is missing, as we found what probably was the trailhead, but because we were unfamiliar with the area and did not want to risk getting lost, we decided to hike the Korth Trail instead.  The Korth Trail was well-marked  and so we pulled off the road and parked.  The dogs shot excitedly out of the car.  The hike was on an old gravel road that hugs the ridgeline for 8 miles of cedar and pines. 

 

Here is a view of the forest from the Korth Trail.

 

 

Although the book mentioned that moose frequent the trail, we did not see any wildlife, nor a single person on our trek.

 Pongo finds water in a dwindling creek.

                                   
Calder happily views the ridgeline from a bank above the trail.


Because we had planned to hike the Mineral Mountain Trail, which was only a four mile trek, we did not follow the Korth Trail for the entire 8 miles.  Instead, we hiked for an hour, then turned around and retraced our steps back to the car.  It was a hot day, and we were drinking a lot of water.  Pongo was panting heavily and lagging behind Calder, though the dogs are about the same age, and they usually run side-by-side. 

Pongo lays down in the shade near the car at the end of the hike.

This is a park we will definitely go back to!  Maybe next time, we'll be able to verify the location of the Mineral Mountain Trail, which reportedly winds around to a 4128-foot summit with an old fire lookout point.  From that viewpoint, you are supposed to be able to see a panoramic of Lake C'oeur d'Alene, Steptoe and Kamiak Buttes, the Palouse hills and Moscow Mountain.  Ah, next time!