Goodbye Sweet Boy

Trooper is going to go live with my sister in law in Seattle.

:(

Trooper taking care of me when I was sick.

On the one hand I'm incredibly sad about this. But on the other hand, I'm relieved. I'm relieved that my home will now have three dogs, only one of which is young and rambunctious. I'm relieved that the dog fights that have become more and more frequent will cease.

Even more, I'm relieved and excited for Trooper and all the fun he is going to have. He's going to get two walks a day! My SIL is extremely fit and active and she loves hiking and taking long walks, exactly the type of thing he needs. He'll lose weight and be more calm from all the exercise.

Waiting not so patiently for his food.

She lives alone and he will be an amazing source of comfort and company for her. He was there last week and she cried when she brought him back.

Handsome boy.

And he wasn't too happy to be back either as within five minutes he'd attacked Timber again.

I'm so cute!

He had a wonderful time last week, and gave my SIL SO much joy:

"We get up at 5 AM and walk 30 minutes.  As soon as I sit up, he comes bouncing over to me then runs for the door then back and forth.  As soon as I get the leash, he does his happy dance!  Trooper is afraid of waves, people in parkas and a certain building on Alki (haven’t figured this one out yet).  I got him down the stairs to the ocean this morning but only briefly before the ears went back, tail went between the legs and he was flying back up the stairs.  He’s very different in the morning; I can’t figure out if it’s because we have the whole place to ourselves or because it’s dark… he’s very funny!

We then walk 3 – 5 miles at night.  We had a minor incident last night when a small unknown animal ran out of a bush and over the cement ledge into the water.  Trooper is ridiculously fast but not fast enough for the little animal or my cat-like reflexes which kicked in and prevented both of us from going into the sound!  But don’t think he didn’t actually try to go over the ledge!!

He sleeps on the kitchen floor for the first part of the night but then comes into the living room on the dog bed next to me on the couch.  He spends most of the day sitting on the chair staring out the windows waiting for me to come home. 

He is SO adorable and listens SO well… I didn’t realize how great a dog Trooper is."

I know what a great dog he is when he gets one on one attention and is "working"...

 

  

  

Our adventures in Agility. A very rare site - a malamute agility star!

I will miss him terribly, but my level of anxiety in our home will actually go down. With him gone last week I was much more calm and even let Timber interact a little more with Marshal. And Timber got more attention all week from both me and my hubby.

It's the best thing for all involved. Trooper is not in a good situation for him any longer. And might not have been ever since we introduced a 4th dog. Because even though he was dog number three in our house, he got most of the attention since the other two were so much older and less active. Timber brought a whole new dynamic...and then the baby really caused him to start stressing out.

The good news is that he is still in our family and we'll still be able to hear him and get news about all his fun and active days. I hope he'll remember me when he sees me in the future.

Memories

Next Saturday I'm taking Marshal to a puppy party to visit new Malamute pups. Looking at their pictures at 5.5 weeks old I am unable to not remember our trips to visit with Trooper when he was just a tiny guy.

Today's Puppies under a car.

Trooper and his brothers/sisters. What is it with being under the car?

One of today's puppies.

Me with my Trooper Bear. I miss that wedding ring. (It was stolen.)



More baby doggy holding.

Who could resist that face!?!

There are so many other photos that remind me of our visit with Trooper.

All of the 'today' pictures belong to Tigzy and you can see all 350+ pics on Flickr.

Trooper Going on Vacation

Well, Trooper and Timber got into it again last night. I had just walked in the front door, handed hubby the car seat with our son inside, and they suddenly went at each others' throats. NO idea why. The only thing I can think of is that we were all sort of bunched up around each other and jealousies brought out the mean in Trooper (he pretty much starts everything).

So hubby is holding Marshal and I've got my hands full with diaper bag, purse, work stuff and we're both trying to break up this big "KILL" fight. Basically we're both sort of kicking at the dogs to break them apart...which does not work.

Finally hubby "dropped" (set down heavily) our boy and got between the two monsters...bad idea. He's now sporting quite the red marks on his upper leg and torso ... technically a dog bite, but thankfully no actual punctures.

These two are going at it to kill. These aren't just "leave me alone" growling or snapping. They are full fledged going for the throat fights.

And yet not one time has any blood been drawn. I suppose we can just be thankful for thick fur and tough skin.

When we finally got them apart, I pulled Timber into the kitchen but he wasn't done fighting and was still growling and barking. I think he just is reacting and not actually instigating. He enjoys his brother and they do play more than they fight (they are hilarious when they play).

So I finally convinced my hubby to let Trooper go visit his aunt Jennifer.

Aunt Jennifer with nephew Marshal and Timber Wolf.

It might only be for one week but if he does okay with her I might lobby for a more permanent status. I love my fluffy boy, please don't misunderstand. But I love my son more. If it had been just me coming in the house by myself with my arms full with my son ... I would have had to let the dogs fight it out. There's no way I'm setting down my boy to break up a dog fight. So I'm supposed to let these dogs kill each other?

Or even worse to consider, what if Marshal got in the middle of the fight by accident someday (especially when he's able to walk)? The dogs didn't bite hubby on purpose...his leg/body got in the way. But it doesn't make the bites less serious.

Who Me?

This dog loves me (as much as any animal can "love") and I know this. He's "my" dog more than my husband's and yet I'm the one who wants to send him away. Because I do love him and feel responsible...he doesn't get enough exercise or attention and his aunt Jennifer can provide this for him.

I bet he loses 10 pounds in one week from all the exercise he'll get!

Voting Continues

Just a reminder, that voting is still going on over at Art by Karie-Ann Cooper. I'd appreciate any vote for my Trooper Bear boy...either Entry One or Entry Two. I'm partial to the second one, but they're both pretty good.

Here's another pic of him with my little cousin. He outweighs her! LOL When she and her sister spent a few days with us before Christmas I was a little nervous about the dogs but they did GREAT with them and it gives me hope for out baby boy when he's older. =)

Vote for Trooper

I had totally forgotten, but last summer I entered two photos of Trooper in a contest with an artist named Karie Ann-Cooper...the prize is one of her incredibly beautiful pieces of artwork - made from the winning photo.

Voting started on the 1st and Trooper has two photos (Entry One and Entry Two) you can vote for. I'd be so honored if you would vote for Trooper Bear, who has had a very rough few months. :)

All you need to do is leave a comment in the particular photo with the word "vote". I'll post reminders periodically.

Am I Just Being Paranoid?

As my due date gets closer and closer I've started thinking more and more about how our dogs are going to handle all the changes that come with a new baby.

Specifically I am most worried about how Trooper will react.

He's my sweet baby boy and he's a total mama's boy. And he's shown a tendency to be jealous, but it is always toward other dogs. He doesn't go to daycare anymore because he kept starting fights - but only when the 'girls' (the workers) were out with the dogs and he wanted their attention.

When we fostered Bullet he was definitely jealous, but he had a great time playing with her and there weren't ever any fights. When we adopted Timber they definitely had some time of establishing alpha, and there were several snarling fits that resulted in some blood draws (most of it my husband's blood actually). And there were times when we would be giving attention to Timber and Trooper would growl. It lasted a few months and seems to be over, although he still tries to butt in when the other dogs get attention (something he also did as a puppy...very doggy rude and something we didn't tolerate).

When the baby gets here...he's going to be sleeping in our bedroom in a playpen / bassinet thingy for a little while. I keep having this vision of Trooper hopping up and pulling the baby out. Is that sick? He's never shown ANY aggression toward people or children. In fact he usually ignores kids and goes right for adults when he wants attention.

Maybe I'm just being irrationally paranoid as a soon to be first time mother. My mom isn't helping though. She never let us have dogs growing up and while she likes our dogs - she doesn't love them the way we do. And she's extremely worried about how Trooper will react and makes little comments that just make my paranoia come to the front of my brain.

I guess I need advice and reassurance that there's something we can do to make the whole situation easier on everyone. I'm not worried about Quinn or Kodiak...they've been through tons of change and don't ever seem phased. Plus they're too old/cripple to try to jump up on a crib or bed. Timber I'm not sure about but I'm not nearly as worried about him as I am Trooper.

Is It My Imagination?

Or is Trooper depressed?

Or am I transferring my own emotions onto him? It’s been a couple of weeks and you’d think I’d be over the emotional devastation of losing an activity like agility.

Lately when I look at him he just seems sad. He hasn’t gotten as much activity because we’re no longer doing agility, and my nausea is so bad that I haven’t even walked him for a week. He does get to go to daycare once a week and went last Friday.

Maybe it is just me. I look at pictures I have of him around my desk at work … they’re of him working agility equipment from when we had just started. Every time I look at them I start to tear up. I think I need to take them down. He looks so happy with a big goofy doggy grin on his face.

I want him to be a happy and healthy dog. I want to keep that bond with him that we built up over the last year. I’ve asked his trainer how we could start training to mush. Can’t you just see him pulling me on roller skates? hahahaha But really, I think he’d be good at it and enjoy it. He loves to pull and I of course force him to constrain that natural instinct. So maybe training him to pull things would be a really healthy way to exercise him and bond at the same time.

Malamutes were built to pull loads, not to race. I think it would be really fun to train him to pull a wagon (carefully and on a leash) with our two legged baby (when the kid is older…don’t worry I’m not completely insane) or to pull stuff around the yard when papa is working. Or to carry “heavy” (not bad heavy) loads when we eventually go camping.

He’s still my baby boy.

A Better Day

Time heals all wounds, or so they say. I’m feeling a bit better today. Working at home sometimes makes me feel more isolated and sad, but today I’m enjoying the quiet with my dogs. Timber went to daycare yesterday so today he is super mellow and I love it.

He’s been walking around everywhere with his tennis ball in his mouth. It’s so cute. We’re not used to having a dog who likes to play fetch, but Timber has really caught on and seems to enjoy it. We’re still working on him bringing the ball back directly to us and dropping it. But the command “drop it” does seem to get him to loosen his jaws and allow us to take the ball. And when he really wants to play he’ll come drop the ball at our feet.

The last few nights he’s started sleeping with his ball. Which I find hilarious. He’s not supremely obsessed with it or anything. He doesn’t have to have it at all moments and he doesn’t attack the other dogs if they pick it up and play with it. But he sure does love that ball.

Having a dog that will fetch is really nice because there’s a built in way to exercise. Hubby doesn’t always feel like going for a walk, but Timber always needs to get his excess energy out. So they can go in the back yard and play for 30 minutes before Timber says enough.

Trooper on the other hand needs a walk for his exercise. Playing is just never enough for him.

I’ve decided that I want him to be able to walk by a house with a dog in someone’s yard and ignore that dog. There is a dog on the corner who attacks his fence, barking and growling. Trooper tends to want to “attack” back (not literally, but he will bark, growl, and pull on his leash to try to get to the fence”. So for two days now we’ve walked by and I’ve used his choke collar and said “leave it” … I’m not sure if this is the right way to do this though.

Yesterday I took some treats with me and made him sit in front of the fence (it’s a solid fence so you can’t actually see the other dog) while the dog was going bonkers. He sat very nicely facing me and I gave him a treat and told him he was a good boy.

I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do either.

All I know is that I need to be able to walk him without worrying about him going nuts when another dog is aggressive towards us. It’s going to be my new project with him. I’m open to suggestions too.

Depressed

It’s been a very rough couple of weeks and last night was just one more nail in my coffin.

Trooper did a very bad thing, something that I am well aware of. I did everything I could to make the situation right with the owner of Kilo, short of bringing him back to life. The entire experience was very expensive for us but that was okay. It truly was the least we could do. Diane now has a new Pom, named Panda, who is 14 months old. I hear they are bonding well.

I was looking forward to going back to agility this week, and sent the trainer an e-mail to make sure it was okay.

The phone rang last night and shattered my dreams. Trooper is no longer allowed in class. Nor am I advised to enter him in shows.

Expressing my devastation here is not possible. I could not stop crying last night. Hubby finally got annoyed with my tears and started getting all logical, which was not what I needed.

I know in my logical head that it is perfectly acceptable and makes sense. Trooper is now a liability and as a business they can’t afford to have a dog who has killed another dog. I know that. What if he did something bad again? As hubby pointed out, they could take him away from us and even put him down. Even though I know that he didn’t do anything out of aggression or to TRY to kill something. It was an accident fueled by natural drive.

But in my heart I am just so depressed and sad. I’m grieving. I’ve now lost an activity, a bonding experience with my dog, that made my world brighter. There are very few activities out there that get me out of the house and interacting with others. Agility allowed me to socialize and work with my boy. I got exercise, he got exercise. We learned new things together. It was extremely good for me mentally.

I feel like crying even now, though I’m at work and that wouldn’t be the best idea. I have pictures up all around me of Trooper performing various agility exercises. He enjoyed it so much.

This whole thing has been a tragedy on so many levels. My heart aches. I’m severely depressed right now and that’s not healthy for me or my baby. I know that Trooper will be fine. He doesn’t realize any of the things going on and won’t “miss” agility in the way I will.

I don’t know what I will do now but I want to continue working with Trooper - even if it is just going for walks and learning to walk properly in new places. My ultimate goal will be getting Timber and Trooper to walk calmly together with me.

Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps I was not meant to do agility in the long term, especially with a baby on the way. It doesn’t make me less depressed right now and I hope that something will help pull me out of this horrible funk. I do trust that God has a plan, even though this seems like a particularly cruel step in my journey.

Very Bad Thing

Trooper did a very bad thing. And I’ve had a very bad couple of days.

Sunday was our regularly scheduled agility class. He was doing fairly well, running some moderately difficult courses.

There was a new dog in class, who moved up from the beginner’s class … it was their first advanced class. The dog was a teenie tiny little Pomeranian named Kilo…no bigger than a teacup Chihuahua, but with two inch long fur. Almost a mini-Trooper.

I was standing watching Kilo run and jump over his 4 inch jump heights…he was just so adorable and looked like a little toy.

Which is what Trooper must have thought he was as well because all of a sudden Trooper was following Kilo on his jumps. Trooper has never left my side during agility … I have the food and he’s usually begging. But his prey drive kicked into full gear when he saw Kilo running.

In less than 10 seconds, Trooper had snatched Kilo up and was shaking him. I don’t remember much - I remember hearing Kilo’s mom screaming “Oh My God” and someone else telling the other students to keep their dogs back.

I don’t even remember seeing anything … truly … it’s like I had blacked out and could only hear and feel. I stuck my hand into the back of Trooper’s jaw to try to pry Kilo out but he just bit down harder. I think we freaked him out because we just swarmed him and surrounded him. He didn’t know he was doing something wrong. He wasn’t being aggressive. He never once growled. He never lunged at anyone or tried to bite anyone.

My mind completely blanked … I didn’t say No, Leave it, or Drop it. I don’t know if any of those would have stopped him, but he is a very good boy and usually obeys well. I am horrible in emergency situations.

Kilo had not one single puncture wound.

But Trooper’s jaws are extremely strong and Kilo died several hours later, after much effort by the emergency vets.

I cannot tell you how devastated I was, and still am. When we got back from urgent care for my punctured finger (down to the joints on both sides of my finger) I fell asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up, hubby told me that Kilo didn’t make it. In a daze I went into the bathroom…I started feeling cold but sweaty and then I threw up violently for several horrible minutes. And for the rest of the night I cried.

I couldn’t look at Trooper for the rest of Sunday and even most of Monday. I stayed home from work because the doctor wanted me to keep my hand elevated to bring down the swelling and avoid infection. Trooper kept coming up to me and sniffing, or putting his head in my lap, but I just couldn’t deal with him. He’d never done anything like this - had never gone after another dog ever. We had always been careful because we know he is a Malamute and has a very strong prey drive.

We are paying for Kilo’s vet bills and have offered to buy his owner, Diane, a new doggy. I believe she was looking at two potential dogs yesterday, for which I am so thankful. I told hubby that there is nothing more soothing and healing than a puppy.

Unbelievably, Diane doesn’t hate me. I would. I hated me! She is obviously a better person than me.

I’m beyond traumatized. I want to keep doing agility but I don’t want to face anyone. I’m horrified, humiliated, embarrassed, disgusted. How can I give my boy love? How can I hug him and tell him that I love him? My brain tells me that what he did was NOT his fault … it was strictly an instinct that he’s had built into him over thousands of years. He doesn’t know right from wrong. He is an animal and all too often, as humans, we attribute human characteristics to our dogs that they never have. He’s back to being his happy self (he never stopped actually) but I am not. I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for what happened.

I know that time heals all wounds and I hope to be able to get back to normal. I can’t fathom Diane’s forgiveness yet. There isn’t enough money in the world that can make up for her loss and I feel completely unworthy of her goodness.

Is It Over Already?

I cannot tell you how much fun I had this weekend. Of course, I also had a completely exhausting weekend.

Trooper and I left in the truck early Saturday morning … I wasn’t sure where the event was and I get nervous driving new places. It’s a very good thing I left so early because we did end up lost! I copied the instructions down wrong - I missed a line of direction and missed a turn.

Thankfully I had my trainer’s and another participant’s phone number and was able to turn around and make it to the Ranch.

Unfortunately I’d forgotten my registration information, but it was okay because they had our details at check in. Thank goodness!

Things got started off a little later than normal - the judges had to be woken up! hahaha Silly judges. It wasn’t until after 9 a.m. when the runs started and our first run wasn’t until around 10:30 or 11 a.m. I wasn’t all that nervous for our first run. It was a Standard run and I had plenty of time to walk it and memorize the course.

I didn’t explain to my helper how to use my camera so he only got about half of the run but at least you can see Trooper pretty well. We ended up Qualifying and getting SECOND place in our very first trial run!!! I was ecstatic!!!

Trooper did SO good … he did growl at one dog when we first got there - the ONLY dog bigger than him. hee hee hee

But otherwise the entire weekend was wonderful. Our second run was Gamblers - I had to send him on to a tunnel and then he was supposed to take a jump that was a ways away from me. It didn’t work out so well but except for that and a tire issue he did wonderful. We didn’t qualify because you have to complete the gamble successfully in order to Q. I think the tunnel angle was a little unfair for us noobies but who am I to complain?

I run like a girl.

The last run of our first day was called Snookers. *grin* It was fun and we ended up qualifying.

That was probably our best run in terms of clean and put together, except I did notice my baby shaking his head a bit. That usually means he has an ear issue. But he did awesome.

I think we tied for third in Snookers, with another student from the same class which is neat. There were a ton of Fido Farm’s students and instructors there. It was incredible to have such support and camaraderie.

The first day lasted FOREVER! They were so far behind and there were so many dogs to run on Saturday that my level didn’t go until after 9 p.m. and we didn’t get home until after 10 p.m. I barely got six hours of sleep before I had to get up and go back up to the Trial.

Trooper was so tired! On our way back he slept the whole way and did not move a muscle. He will normally sit up and get interested when we turn into our development, but he did not wake up until I put the truck in park. He had this look on his face like “are we there yet?” with a dopey expression and his fur all matted on one side. Doggy bed head. LOL

Day two started and I didn’t get lost this time. Trooper was excited to get going even though we hardly had any sleep. Our first run of the day was another Standard one and he did alright. I never realized how slow he goes … although I swear in class he moves faster than he did at the Trial.

He has an amazing sit and stay. We had to wait for almost 30 seconds before we got the green light to go.

Doesn’t he look handsome from behind? *grin* You can hear one of my trainers saying to reward him but I couldn’t hear her. Not only that, if I had moved back toward him he would have broken his sit stay since I couldn’t give him a cookie. He got LOTS of cookies this weekend.

When he went over the A-Frame he actually went quicker than normal. It was quite a coordinated descent too. lol I was quite proud. Normally he slides down kind of sloppily but always cute. I got in his way for the next two jumps and then he didn’t really want to go into the weave poles but he did.

We qualified in this run too so now we have two standard qualifications. We need one more before we can move up. ALREADY!!! It’s a little too frightening to think about.

The next event was Pairs. I paired up with the wonderful Gracie and her ‘momma’ who are in the same class as me and Trooper. I was SO excited for how good they did. Trooper and I didn’t do nearly so well in this one. He did not want to work the weave poles, but he just gets tired of them after only doing them two or three times. He’d already done them once that day.

We took too long and did not qualify but it was hella fun!

Our last run of the tournament was Jumpers. I think we could have done better. I asked my instructor what I did wrong or could have done better but she said I did okay. Trooper was tired. He just didn’t get all the jumps in fast enough so we didn’t qualify. But I also think I could have run it a little differently to help him.

All in all it was an entirely amazing weekend and I can’t wait to do it again!!! We got three Qs, two 2nd places, 1 third place, and 1 fourth place. I’m already looking forward to class on Thursday.

Nerves of Jello

It’s almost time. Tomorrow morning I won’t be sleeping in as usual. I’ll be up bright eyed and bushy tailed at oh five hundred. Get three dogs in their kennel with blankets and towels and water and get Trooper and I in the truck and on the road.

We had our last Agility practice before the trial last night. He did amazing. I was a little concerned because we took all four dogs into the field beforehand to play and he played hard. But he was focused and ran really well. And it was hellishly difficult course. The instructor assured me that none of the set ups at the trial will be nearly so difficult.

My goal is to have fun and not let Trooper run off the course. If it goes really amazingly well we will get something called a “Q” … which I really don’t yet understand. Some of the terminology of this agility stuff is still new to me. Apparently if you do things the “right” way you get a Qualifying score. Get enough “Q”s and I think you move up … to what I don’t know. lol

Something that I do worry about is my nerves. I’m not super nervous yet but I will be tomorrow morning. And when I’m nervous or worried, Trooper does not respond as well to me as normal. When I am confident and alert, he is too. Isn’t that weird? He’s very in tune with me.

I’m hoping to have videos and photos to share next week, if I remember to charge my camera and can find someone to take them while we run. Even if we do horribly I’ll still like watching them … watching Trooper run is such a joy.

I Wonder if they Accept Referrals

My hubby turns 40 this year. The BIG one. He’s not one for parties so his sister and I are planning a get away to the mountains.

How does this relate to the home zoo?

Do you know how hard it is to find a cabin or house to rent that will accept dogs? Let alone FOUR dogs? Four BIG dogs?

It’s nearly impossible.

Two years ago we did rent a cabin and made special arrangements to take four dogs (we had three and my SIL had one). It worked out great and we left the place cleaner than we found it. Do you think that place would give us a referral? hahahaha Somehow I doubt it. We would stay there again but we really want some snow and it’s going to be April. So we have to go up into a real mountain … this place was only halfway up the hill.

It’s hard to convince a place - a business - that our dogs won’t cause damage. I’m sure all owners say that. But in our case it is TRUE. Trooper was still a puppy when we took him on this other trip and we watched him like a hawk (he wasn’t even neutered then) and had no accident issues at all.

Quinn leaks but it seems periodic and we’d bring her blankies for her. Kodiak is about as mellow and easy going as any of them.

Timber has never been to a new place but when I brought him home from the pound he never lifted his leg and he has only once or twice had an accident - and it was in the beginning. I have full confidence that he is fully house broken now.

I totally understand where the businesses are coming from but boy is it frustrating as a pet owner … and a responsible one at that. We want to go away and we always include our dogs. The only time our dogs don’t come with us on vacation is if we fly somewhere tropical.

There’s probably a great business opportunity catering to pet owners.

More Fights

*sigh*

So, Thursday night the T’s (that’s my new shortened term for Timber and Trooper) got in a massive brawl right on top of daddy and he got bit. Pretty badly. Threw a blanket over them and they stopped.

Then apparently on Friday while at daycare Trooper instigated some stuff with dogs and was riling them up and got in a scuffle. I called and got this update and then he got sent home with a note. I was so sad … and embarrassed. My kid came home with a note!

Daycare said that Trooper has been acting like this more and more since Timber joined our pack. They said that he’s acting jealous. *sigh*

So how do we fix jealousy? I have no clue.

On Sunday I was in the shower and hubby came in to tell me that the T’s got into it again while he was fixing some sausages. Well, that makes a little more sense because Trooper is more food aggressive. Unfortunately this time Timber got an owie on his eye…I’m just thankful the eye itself wasn’t too badly injured, just the eye lid.

I talked to one of the trainers at Agility on Sunday and her advice was to not give Trooper extra attention at all. He’s being a spoiled brat and we should pay attention to Timber just as we want to do and if Trooper tries to be “doggy rude” (cut in between Timber and me/hubby) or growls we should discipline him immediately. It’s not about what Trooper wants…it’s about our rules and what we want to do as pack leaders.

Trooper’s breeder mentioned that being a young male malamute…who was the baby until Timber showed up…is just one factor in his aggression. And he has been incredibly spoiled … and still is although he doesn’t get all the attention now. He was never aggressive with Kodiak or Quinn but they were in the pack before he was and he grew up with them from the time he was 8 weeks old.

The only other thing I can think to do is to watch them carefully and look for any signs of aggression. Hubby and I brought home four toys and four bones yesterday from the pet store. Each dog got a toy…which of course they promptly abandoned because they all wanted someone else’s toy. Sheesh. Timber wanted Trooper’s toy. Kodiak wanted Timber’s toy.

Thankfully there were no fights … I watched them all very carefully.

All dogs are home with hubby today since he has today off. I hope that they all behave and that he watches them closely. I’m a little concerned that he gets easily distracted and doesn’t catch those subtle first signs.

Like Trooper’s ears going back this morning when I was giving Timber lovin’. I immediately told him NO and back up they popped. The little spoiled stinker.

All I want is a happy and healthy pack.

Brotherly Love

The zoo is finding a routine, for the most part. Timber and Trooper have really started to bond and play and enjoy each other. There have been some fairly large … we’ll call them “broo ha has” over toys and such but otherwise lots of rough housing and hanging out together.

Which is nice for Kodiak who is not much of a rough-houser. He prefers to watch … or he’ll act like he’s going to play and then run away and hide behind mommy or daddy. hahahaha He’s so cute.

So while Kodiak and Quinn are at the groomers today, Trooper and Timber stay home with mommy and daddy. It’s so great to have a younger dog for Trooper to play with…though Timber really does have more energy. I expect he’ll calm down a bit as he gets older. He is, after all, still a puppy.

Walking on a leash is still a challenge. Hubby is such a softy that he tends to let Timber walk ahead and pull, when he needs to keep him right close to his hip and keep the leash tight … it’s one of those special leashes that when he stops pulling it loosens up but when he pulls it gets really really tight. I hate it but it’s the same kind that Caesar of Dog Whisperer fame uses.

Even Trooper isn’t an angel on the leash. I had to take him DOWN on our Monday evening walk. I mean, full wrestle to the ground in the dirt take down. One of the neighbor dogs is unfriendly and his owner/walker person (a high school boy) was not keeping him under control. I had Trooper in a sit stay but he was still focused on Bear (the other dog) and he finally lunged (not a happy, let’s play lunge) so I had to take him down and get him on his back. He did NOT want to concede, but he did. Because he knows that I am his alpha mommy. Of course we both were covered in beauty bark. Oy.

Trooper has gotten more and more … I don’t want to say aggressive … but assertive maybe. He didn’t used to be so willing to fight another dog but has started to be “protective” when around me. It started before we got Bullet as a foster so it was around that same time. I’m not sure if it’s just him getting older or what.

Thankfully he is realizing that Timber is here to stay and that it is okay if mommy and daddy give Timber love too.

It’s so fun to watch them together. I love having 4 dogs. They all have SUCH amazingly different personalities. Each one is such a blessing to our lives. I’m just thankful that Timber is such a wonderful dog.

Sibling Rivalry

One of the reasons I was excited about getting a new, young dog was because I wanted someone to play with Trooper. He is only two and playing with Quinn and Kodiak isn’t enough for him. My excitement was dampened as Timber fixated on Kodiak. Thankfully that fixation has dulled though he still really really likes Kodiak.

The one thing I did not really expect was a negative reaction on Trooper’s part. He did SO good with our foster dog Bullet. Though she was a female so maybe that is part of the difference.

Last night as I brushed my teeth I thought I heard growling. Kodiak was in the living room. Quinnie was curled on her bed and Timber was right next to me. I knew Trooper was under the bed so I couldn’t understand why he would be growling. No one was near him or bothering him.

But you know why I think he was growling? Because Timber was next to me…his mommy. I got down on my hands and knees and sure enough - Trooper was growling at Timber. With no provocation. I disciplined him (telling him No and putting my hand over his muzzle) each time he started growling and after awhile he relaxed a bit. Timber had followed me over to the bed and crouched down with me - his head toward Trooper. Of course Trooper didn’t like that but I ignored Timber and just pet Trooper.

I am hoping that over time Trooper will get over his jealousy and realize that he can share with Timber the same way he shares with Kodiak and Quinn. He is no threatened by them and there’s no reason to be threatened by Timber. I asked hubby if he was still giving attention to Trooper and he said yes.

Tonight is more mommy and Trooper time at agility. It’s so fun and healthy for us both.

Anyone have any advice for handling sibling rivalry? Hubby says that they are playing together - I just don’t see it apparently because they do it while I’m at work. Or is it because Trooper is being protective of me (he really is “my” baby…he loves papa but I’m his alpha for sure).

At least they will play together. We just have to make sure to supervise until we know they are the best of friends. =)

Very Bad Malamute!

When Trooper was around 9 months old or so … plenty strong enough to knock me on my feet if he’d chosen … we took all three doggies to a local park for a nice long hike. So Kodiak and Trooper go in the back of the truck, Quinn goes in front with us. It’s not always easy to get the dogs out of the truck (at least it was a lot harder then…Trooper now “knows” how to sit and stay before I let him out … sometimes) and as hubby is lowering the truck bed door Trooper jumps OVER my shoulder, hits the ground, and starts to run…

TOWARDS THE FREEWAY!!!

Complete and total panic with no rational thought is the first reaction when this happens. I don’t even know what we did with the other two dogs while we both ran after Trooper. Finally I had a coherent thought and realized that chasing him was the exact opposite thing I needed to do so I started calling his name and running the other way. Thank GOD he followed … we grabbed him by the neck scruff and got his leash on and that has never happened again.

Until yesterday.

I pull into the driveway at agility (it’s a very rocky, pot holed driveway) and start looking for a place to park. As I glance back in my side mirror I see this blur of fur outside the car.

Yeah…Trooper JUMPED OUT OF THE f*&()&() CAR!!!

At first I thought that I’d hit him but he kept going to I threw the car into a space, rolled up the windows (I had Bullet with me too and she’d have followed), got out of the car and started screaming like a banshee.

I was so flippin’ scared and angry. I am not a cussing type of person but I was letting the expletives fly. He hadn’t just run off and was sniffing around the parking area looking all innocent. I knew that he knew I was pissed though because as I’m yelling at him to come to me RIGHT NOW he’s slinking toward me with his head down and ears back … “Uh Oh…Mama is MAD” look on his face.

When he got to me I grabbed his leash (he almost always has a leash on when we drive anywhere) and drag him back to the car where I FORCE him back in (yes…forced…he did not want to get back inside but I AM alpha and he WILL do my bidding!).

He had to sit and wait until I said “ok” before he got out of the car.

I *think* that is when I started breathing again. It took me about 10 minutes to really calm down. One of the trainers told me that if I couldn’t calm down I might as well go home…which is true. He had already forgotten what happened and was excited to work so I had to take some deep breaths and switch my mindset.

But dear Lord in heaven above I was scared. I never in a million years thought he’d do that.

And from now on the windows will only be open a crack!

Trooper is Throwing Up

I hate it when I don’t know what is wrong with my dogs. Trooper started throwing up this morning. He was kind enough to jump up on the bed to do so. Right on top of hubby. Wasn’t that sweet of him to share?

It wasn’t chunky…just pure liquid … kind of yellow / milky. He threw up three times. I’ve been watching him like a HAWK ever since and only fed him 1/4 of his normal meal for breakfast. I’ll give him a bit more later on if he keeps it down. So far so good.

He’s not lethargic and was playing with Bullet a few minutes ago. His appetite was good - he ate all that I gave him. He’s drinking water as I type. And I think he’s still hungry.

So I’m not going to call the vet just yet. They already own my entire paycheck for the month. That’s another story that I will share soon.

What causes dogs to throw up?

Well when I google “dog throwing up” the first link is to this forum where some of the members suggested that a hungry dog will throw up yellow, frothy bile. !!! Really?!?! I’d never heard of this! But it made me feel a TON better. And it makes perfect sense for my big boy.

I also found this …

If your dog is throwing up in the morning before breakfast, it may be because the time between dinner and breakfast is too long. Try splitting dinner into two separate time, one at the normal dinner time and the other right before bedtime. This will leave food in your dog’s stomach throughout the night, and it should prevent or at least minimize the morning vomiting.

Dinner time is at 4 p.m. and he gets his two scoops of dry kibble (or one scoop of dry and a cup of The Honest Kitchen dehydrated food). He generally gets a treat or two before bed but sometimes not. Clearly he needs to have *something* in his belly before we go to bed.

I think I will go give him the rest of his breakfast now.

Eating Ice Cream and Getting Slimed

Eating food can be a dangerous task around here. Our dinner table has only been used for eating a few times. We eat on the couch and the dogs are happy with that - it means more chances for scraps. Though rarely from me - papa is the worst at falling for their puppy dog eyes.

I do have a bad habit though (only one!). When I eat ice cream I let the dogs have the empty container (because let’s jut be honest…I never eat part of a container!) so they’ve come to expect that.

Trooper waits patiently … staring at me with his tongue hanging out.

And the drool pooling!

It’s really gross. I didn’t realize that he was part St Bernard!!!

Happy Birthday Trooper Bear!

My sweet boy Trooper Bear turns two years old tomorrow. I cannot believe it’s been that long!!!

Just a baby!

Just a few months old - around 6 - in his first experience with snow!

He used to sleep on the fireplace bricks - he’s too big to fit now but he still lays his head on them. And still sticks his tongue out. It’s SO cute!

It was kind of traumatic, getting him home. He had diarrhea twice before we even got out of the breeder’s driveway. So the kennel was disgusting and I ended up holding him on my lap the whole way home. That was a bit nerve jarring.

When we got home he was tired but excited. By the time we had him in this little makeshift kennel area he was tuckered out. But he still had strength, even at 8 weeks old, to knock over the walls! Hence the use of papa’s weights to hold it up and not let it move around the kitchen.

Trooper’s presence in our lives has been a blessing from God that I cannot even fully describe. I’m sure most who read this blog understand the bond between a person and their pet. My bond with Trooper is stronger than I’ve ever had with any other animal. I love my other two dogs, don’t get me wrong. But Trooper is special. As my husband says… He’s “my” dog. He loves his papa, but he’s a mama’s boy.

His first few weeks home with us were stressful. My husband got VERY ill and was so sick that he couldn’t even get up to take Trooper out to potty during the day. We’ll eventually be getting our carpet replaced. We’re used to the stains by now though. ha!

Night was a challenge because we were determined to crate train…Trooper was determined to not let us sleep. He would howl like I’ve never heard an animal howl. As if he were being severely beaten. Then he’d get his little baby puppy jaw stuck in one of the crate holes and that sound was gut wrenching. I’d hop out of bed, quick like a bunny, and unstick it for him. Thankfully he grew too big to get his jaw through the holes! We only maintained the crate bedtime routine until he was potty trained.

His bed now a days is a spot directly under me under our bed. He scoots down and does a stomach crawl to get there. He’s huge and yet he loves sleeping in his cave.

If you ever decide to buy a dog from a breeder, please do super careful research and ALWAYS visit the breeder’s location first. I can’t stress that enough. I’m reading a book right now about puppy mills, that I will review later, that tears my heart apart. I am always grateful that we found an amazing breeder who does a wonderful and responsible job with her dogs. Thank you Carmen of Gryphen Mals!!!

Trooper’s daddy’s name is Hooch and I think he might have inherited his love of all things alcoholic from his papa.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TROOPER BEAR CASTO!