Random Updates

I’ve really been slacking here. Let’s just say that I’ve had a horrible cold the last few days and with that on top of the pregnancy nausea I have not been in a good mood. Nor have I felt very creative or like writing anything.

And there’s plenty to write about.

Time has added a new item to his list of “what he’ll eat” … you know those Laughing Cow swiss cheese triangles? They come 8 to a circle and each wedge is covered in foil. I take one every morning to work for my bagel.

So I’m putting stuff on the counter this morning and went out to the garage for a minute and come back to Timber licking his lips in a weird way. I look at the counter and the only thing missing was the cheese wedge. The little turd ATE it, foil and all. I hope the foil doesn’t hurt him!

The funniest part is there were two huge sausage patties in a ziplock bag right next to the cheese and he didn’t eat those. Weirdo dog.

I had a thought today…what if my kid is allergic to dogs??? Can I send the kid back? *grin* Just kidding…but seriously…hubby is allergic and we just deal with it. No way would hubby live without dogs. But could I put a child through that? Isn’t that kind of child abuse? I know there are pills and sprays and things, but it doesn’t seem fair.

The only thing I can think of is that if he (or she) is that the dogs won’t be allowed in their bedroom ever. And we’ll teach them to do what daddy does - after rough housing or petting the dogs he goes and washes his hands…and doesn’t touch his face first.

Oh…and PETA’s 2008 killing report is out. I hate that organization with a passion of a thousand white hot suns burning in the heavens forever. Please do NOT donate to them. They are radical, people haters, who care more about publicity than about actually saving animals from harm. Give money to Saving Shelter Pets or your local rescue group instead…where the adoption rate is more than 0.32% and the kill rate is definitely less than 95%!!!

I’ll try to be more talkative the rest of the week. =) I’m sure the doggy monsters will do something fun or obnoxious!

Potty Training Doesn't Have to be Hard - Part Two

Writing about crate training Trooper was very timely. As you might remember, Trooper’s breeder just recently had a new litter and one of the new Malamute mom’s had a question about her new one and the tantrums of being in a crate. I laughed with sympathy and forwarded my post to her.

So now part two.

The number one thing I can recommend while potty training - PAY ATTENTION. Puppies are really pretty obvious (usually) when they have to go. And the second thing…use treats.

If your puppy is loose and walking around the house watch them like a hawk. Puppies usually give some very clear clues that they need to go potty…though every puppy is different.

If you are worried about your puppy not being within your line of sight at all times, use a leash. Attach it to your belt or waist and that puppy will stay with you no matter where you go (obviously don’t drag them around *grin*). If you’re sitting on the couch, make him stay within your line of site. If you’re in the kitchen (and you’re going to allow them in the kitchen) have her by your side.

This helps with two different things. First it gives you the opportunity to watch them like a hawk. The second is that it gives the dog the message that they do not have free roam. They can’t go anywhere they want and need to have your permission. Plus it’s a great bonding tool.

Trooper hated it at first but he got used to it (I think it helped us establish our Alpha role as well). We didn’t do this with Kodiak and we had a LOT more puppy potty accidents in the house. We just didn’t watch him closely enough.

Kodiak gave us plenty of signals, but since he was our first puppy we didn’t always recognize them right away.

Sniffing around or moving in a circle was one of his key alert behaviors. Of course, sniffing is common for puppies because there is a lot of new stuff to smell. But there should be a certain kind of sniffing and moving that your dog does before they go potty.

If we didn’t grab Kodiak and head outside fast enough, sure enough after a few circles he’d be squatting on the floor and doing his business.

If you see your puppy start to squat - grab them quick and run outside. Don’t yell. Don’t punish. They don’t know any better and haven’t learned where they should do their business yet. It is NOT their fault!

We had many interesting trips running from the apartment with our dog upside down in our arms…usually with a stream of pee shooting up! I’m sure our neighbors loved us.

Trooper wasn’t nearly so obvious. He liked to stare. That’s about the only hint he gave. No whining. No barking. He would stare at us for a few minutes or go stand at the back door (once he realized that is where he needed to go) and sit there. If we didn’t realize he was there he’d go right on the rug. It was not fun.

Finally we tied a bell to the back door. Every time we took him out to potty we lifted his paw for him and rang the bell. Pretty soon he got the idea and would ring the bell himself to go outside. Such a smart boy!

He still doesn’t bark or whine (he’ll be 3 in July). He will stare at you deeply (it’s a little unnerving) or just sit by the door. But thankfully he has more control now and doesn’t have accidents in the house. We usually get the message if he stares long enough.

I think most puppies go through a couple of training stages. The first one is when they can’t really control themselves. They’re too young to hold it for very long and if not given the appropriate opportunity to relieve themselves will go wherever they are.

The second stage is when they are a little older, 3-4 months, and do have more control but still don’t “get it” 100%. When they have to go potty they kind of know they’re supposed to go outside but just aren’t sure how to go from A to B.

Encourage your puppy when they go potty outside. My mom thought I was a complete nutter. When Trooper went potty, I’d say over and over again “Good boy go potty” … as he was going. And then he’d immediately get a treat. Going potty outside is FUN!

This encouragement really does help get you to stage three. A little bit older and wiser and able to hold their bladder longer, your puppy KNOWS that it is supposed to go outside and should know how to tell you. But if you ignore the signs too long or if he is left home alone he may have no choice but to go inside.

I think that stage three might be the hardest phase to get over - especially if your dog has to be by themselves for long periods of time. By around six months old Trooper could hold his bladder for at least 6 hours but if we slept in or left him in his crate for longer than that he had accidents.

Again, NOT his fault. Don’t punish or yell because they won’t know why. Just clean up the mess and start over again.

I know that some people use potty training pads but we found those just encouraged the dogs to go in the house (we use them now for Quinn but she is a different situation).

Do you have some good potty training tips? Was it hard to potty train your puppy?

Now We Keep the Bathroom Door Shut

Timber is still a puppy. I wish we could have had him when he was puppy sized. *grin* But for now we’re just trying to work through his big puppy stage.

Hubby woke me up last night when he got home from work to inform me that Timber is now eating soap.

Yes, soap.

I knew he liked licking up bath water after hubby’s showers. I knew he liked drinking bubble bath water (don’t ask). I knew he didn’t mind soapy water in the sink. But I didn’t think he’d actually EAT soap!

I just laughed and went back to sleep. So now we have to keep the bathroom door shut because he actually crawls into the bath tub to get the soap.

I’m sure he’ll grow out of all these weird behaviors. Trooper did. Kodiak did. Quinnie came to us without these weird things. Hubby was laughing and asking Timber when he will grow out of these things.

He IS a good dog though and I’m happy to let him be his puppy self. He doesn’t get in trouble when he does naughty things, unless of course we catch him in the act.

Punishing a dog long after they’ve gotten into mischief is completely counter productive and does nothing but make the dog fear you. If a dog has an accident in the house, rubbing their nose in it does NOTHING to explain to the dog why they did wrong. If a dog chews up your favorite shoes and you start yelling at him after you find them…he doesn’t know why you’re mad.

The only time that “punishment” works is when you catch the dog immediately in the act. When Timber counter surfs and I catch him I can tell him “off” and pull him down off the counter. He’s starting to get that “off” means to get down. Dogs will learn if we humans are patient and do our jobs properly.

A Sale for Jethro

Andy Mathis is a really talented artist who also cracks me up with his wit and sarcastic humor. His dog Jethro has started having some doggy health issues so Andy is having an art sale to help pay for the special procedures.

Check out his blog post here.

He has a shop on Etsy as well as 1000 Markets and his own website where he links to his art. He’s a big animal lover as you can see through his work and his website focus. I hope you will find something you love.

Never Leave a Child Unattended

You must read this. Seriously. It’s very important.

Never Leave Your Child Unattended…especially with so called dangerous breeds.

You just never know what can happen.

Potty Training Doesn't Have to be Hard

One of the bloggers I started reading just got a new puppy and expressed a little trepidation about potty training. I left a long comment on her blog but then thought I should formulate my experience here.

Trooper was our last potty training experience. Quinn was an adult when we got her and only peed once in the house - on her first night - so we chalk that up to nerves. Timber has never had an accident in the house since we brought him in (thank goodness!). All I remember from Kodiak is running with him in my arms (up side down like a baby) and having pee flying up in the air!

We brought Trooper home when he was 8 weeks old. Just a pile of fur. But already full of personality and spunk. He knew what he wanted and what he did not want. And he did NOT want to be in a crate.

That was just too bad for him because we were crate training and that’s all there was to it. I was the strong one. Trooper screamed…not just howled or barked…but screamed at night for at least 30-45 minutes every night for two weeks. I am not exaggerating. He would work himself up into such a dither that he’d try to bite his way through the plastic crate holes with his tiny little jaws…and end up getting his little jaws stuck. Imagine a squealing little pig with lots of fur. And yes, we did get up at that point to ‘unstick’ him (it was really obvious when it happened). We are talking full out tantrum.

Hubby constantly said, “can’t we just take him out for a few minutes” but I would immediately veto that idea. He has to learn. We have to win this battle of wills because he would learn how to get his way if we weren’t stronger willed.

Every night we had the same routine. All the dogs would go outside to “potty”. Then we would go into the bedroom. Trooper learned very quickly that if he went into his kennel he got a treat…so getting him in was no problem. A good thing too, since he’s now 85 pounds of muscle and I’d never be able to force him into a kennel.

But for two weeks he complained every night. He also did not go potty in his crate. He was young so we took him out to potty every few hours the first few weeks we had him. As he got older he started sleeping longer and longer. And he stopped complaining. His kennel became his home and his bed. He loved it!

As we would start getting ready for bed he would run to his kennel and stare at you “where’s my treat?” and sometimes we’d find him in there just for no reason (not just at bedtime).

Crating him was the very best thing we did for him and for us. When we went somewhere, he went into his crate and didn’t wake the neighbors up. It was his home. And he didn’t have accidents in his crate (well, he did but it was a stomach issue not his fault…and we worked through that). The few times we had to leave him for multiple hours he did good.

We would have had way more major issues with Trooper if we hadn’t crate trained him. Ignoring the tantrums was hard but temporary. It also established our “alpha” position with him as much as anything else.

Next post will be about how we potty trained when we were home and awake.

Do You Wash Your Own Dog?

As most readers know, we have four large dogs. Three of them have the double coats typical of the Northern breeds. It’s a wonderful thing…super soft and fluffy. But a pain in the rear to brush or bathe.

Ever since we got our first Husky, and our second, and our first Malamute, we’ve taken the dogs to a professional groomer. Kodiak and Quinn take awhile but Trooper wins the prize for taking the longest. I think his last grooming the lady tracked the full time she was hands on with him … six hours! From bathing, to drying, to brushing, to clipping his nails.

It’s worth $60 to let a professional make my dogs all fluffy and clean again.

Except that we’re not sure if I’ll still have a job in another month or so. We won’t be able to afford to spend $200 plus on grooming four dogs, four or five times a year.

On the other hand, I have no desire to try to trim their nails or shave the extra fur that grows on their paws. Do your dogs have that? Northern breeds grow that fur out and it can get really long and intrusive.

The Passive Dad wrote an article about whether or not it’s worth $15 to take your dog to a self cleaning place. We have a couple in our area and they are nice. They have big tubs with hoses and even special dryers. Some of them provide shampoo even.

But is it worth $15 to groom your dog yourself?

Not for me. In our coming future, if I do lose my job, I still plan to take the dogs to the professional groomers. They won’t go as often though, maybe once or twice a year. And I may ask her to just trim their toes and brush them out instead of the full wash and dry service. When they dig in the mud and get icky we’ll hook up the special nozel with a spray that attaches to the shower.

Thankfully Malamutes and Huskies like to keep themselves clean … I love it when they groom themselves like cats.

Growing Puppies

Remember the teenie tiny Malamute puppies I wrote about?

Well these cuties are getting all grow’ed up! Why can’t they stay puppies? *grin*

All photos were taken by Carmen’s friend Twila. You can see the rest on her Flickr page.

Can you imagine if we had decided to get one of these cuties? OMG! I’d be a mess. I don’t even have the energy to walk Trooper. The poor guy.

I love watching these cuties grow up though. Maybe someday when my two legged pup is older we’ll have room for a new Malamute puppy.

And THANK YOU Carmen for sharing the pups with us!

Luckiest Dog in the World

I want one of these!!!

hahahahaha

That dog is so flippin’ lucky. My dogs would be in heaven. And I totally think we could train them to use it.

Escape Proof

When Kodiak and Quinn were younger, and a little more agile, they were quite the escape artists. And destructive escape artists at that.

We had only had Quinn for a couple of months when hubby fell asleep while she was outside. She ate through part of our fence and dug out. She was gone for 12+ hours before someone called us. She had managed to find her way, miles away, to a house near the train tracks. Not okay.

Kodiak, when we had a rental and a short 4 foot (or 3?) fence, managed to get out. I looked out the window and all of a sudden there’s a white fluff ball walking by in the front yard. Sheesh. I think he climbed out.

Huskies are especially notorious escape artists. Quinn was taken to the kill shelter FOUR times before the Husky rescue finally had a space for her (and her previous owners abandoned her). They did testing to see how dogs escaped or not…she managed to climb under less than a 12 inch space under a fence. She’s that good.

Hubby and I decided that we had to be very proactive in keeping our dogs in our sphere of control. I hate it when people let their dogs wander, or don’t secure their dogs enough to keep them fenced in.

Our recipe for success?

Horse Mats.

On top of concrete blocks (those flat kind…ours are 12 x 12 but they have bigger ones) that we laid out over ground that we cleared ourselves. It wasn’t *that* expensive.

Then we bought a kennel - 6 foot high chain link fencing - I think it’s 6 x 12 feet but it might be larger.

We didn’t buy the top of the kennel … we put tarps over it and that seems to work best. But we also don’t have any sort of dog house within the kennel. I KNOW that Timber would climb on top and try to climb the fencing. Seriously…they are amazing dogs.

Even this set up wasn’t 100%. One day hubby came home and all the dogs were in the back yard and not in their kennel where they belonged. Somehow one of them figured out how to flip up the little latch on the kennel door. Damn smart dogs.

So now we have bungie cords that we use on the door and so far (5 ish years) that has worked out well for us.

I believe people need to be more responsible with their pets. They are not just objects…they are special beings who deserve our attention and safety.

Please don’t let your dog wander. Because as I commented in this post here, I will shoot a stray dog who threatens me or mine.

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.

New Experience

Yesterday we took all four dogs to a local park for a short walk. Of course, we had to walk in shifts because I can’t handle two dogs at once right now and Timber isn’t quite ready to walk together with another dog. But overall it was wonderful!

This was Timber’s very first walk outside of our neighborhood development.

We’ve come a LONG way with this boy. The first time I took him outside with a leash on he threw himself to the ground. He had NO idea how to act or what to do with a leash on.

We moved from tantrums on the ground to pulling so hard that my hand hurt. We tried to do everything that we knew, but none of our tools seemed to work. And by tools, I mean things we’d done with Trooper. Which, when I look at it never really worked either. He’s gotten better due to his older age and our agility bonding.

So we asked for help from our wonderful daycare staff person, Crystal, who had him walking on a loose leash in five minutes. I was astounded. But of course WE were not that successful when we tried it. She had the immediate alpha touch. And as she says, she’s been using a choke chain for a lot longer and knows exactly how to use it properly.

But we were determined. So we got the choke collar and started working. It’s been very hard work. I’ve never met such a stubborn and willful dog. He still throws tantrums but they are getting fewer and further between. His new tantrum though consists of standing on his back legs and wrapping his front legs around the leash. It’s funny but we try not to laugh. We let him wrestle with the leash and move his front legs back down to the ground and keep going.

Anyway…back to yesterday. I think hubby was nervous. He really hates correcting Timber and gets frustrated very quickly. But things went so well that I was almost in tears.

We did encounter a dog almost immediately and he did his barking, growling, hair raising dance. But hubby corrected him and made him sit quietly before we continued. Trooper actually did worse than Timber. He was pulling me quite hard … but it could be I’m just more sensitive to it lately with my nausea and weakness.

We walked for a good 30 minute and went all the way down to the river. I think we have a water dog!!! It was his first experience with a river. And he dove right in. It was such a blessing to watch. Have you seen the expression of a really happy dog? He had that on his face and I was so happy.

This successful trip means that we can start training more outside of our neighborhood and I’m very grateful for that. I get bored just walking around in circles and I’m sure the dogs do too.

I’m hoping that Timber will really get good at walking gently on a leash. I want to move up to walking him and Trooper together (*gulp!*) and eventually get them to both walk gently together with a stroller. I may need to employ Crystal’s help again. When I have a baby in the stroller I do not want to deal with pulling dogs. They have to recognize the stroller as alpha dog and let it lead.

So much work to do! =) But yesterday was a great, wonderful step forward.

Being Dogs

Thank you all for your support and kind words. I’ve not quite recovered but am starting to pay more attention to Trooper. We aren’t going to agility class this week. The idea of going right now turns my stomach. I am fearful … afraid to see the look in people’s eyes. Afraid to see them look at Trooper. *sigh*

I know it will get better someday. But right now I’m still unsure and haven’t talked to Diane (Kilo’s mama). We sent money for the vet bill…that is what emergency funds are for. And we will pull more money out to help her get a new puppy or dog and to help with other costs like new leashes, toys, food, etc. Not to mention if she still wants to do agility.

Trooper’s daycare called and offered to serve as a character reference for him. Is that not the sweetest?

Anyone who knows him knows that he is not a mean dog. He would never bite a person on purpose (my bite was completely accidental), nor would he hurt another animal just to HURT it. He can get testy when it comes to food but he’s never put a scratch on any of his brothers or his sister. He’s so big and can look really mean and scary, but that works in my favor when taking him for a walk by myself. I consider him stealth security from bad people. Although a gun would be more effective I suppose.

In general, Trooper is the sweetest, most affection and loving dog we’ve ever had. He loves people especially.

I caught him and Timber playing today in the back yard. They chased each other like wild boys and finally settled down in the snow for some tandem chewing.

My grief for what happened will never go away. I pray that someday I will be able to look at Trooper and not think about what happened last Sunday.

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.

Have You Heard of This?

I came across a cool blog and as I was reading some of her posts I came across one that mentioned something called NAIS. She is anti - NAIS which aroused my curiosity so I decided to dig a little deeper to find out what it was.

NAIS apparently stands for National Animal Identification System.

Sounds harmless enough. Unless you’re like me and never like the sound of a “national” identification system of any kind. Aside from drivers licenses we don’t need to be identified and tracked like cattle. Which is what this program wants for animals - a way to track them from birth to death and everywhere in between.

I am not a fan of the government tracking us or our animals for our “own good.” The premise behind this law appears to be the government’s way of preventing disease or at least discovering where they start. At least that is the excuse they are using.

Just like the issues with the Consumer Protection Act passed last year, the unintended consequences are rarely thought about by the politicians, who aren’t even affected by such laws. Thankfully, that law got a stay for another year so children’s clothing and items are okay for now, but who knows what will happen in this year.

The unintended consequences of the NAIS, to me, appear to be a massive overreach of government into personal lives. This country used to be much more free. People had the freedom to do as they wished with their land, their livestock, their businesses.

While some regulations are good and I have no problems with, this kind of system reeks of big brother. It does not just track the animals, but the people and their movement. It affects not just huge farms, but hobbyists and small businesses (just like with the CSPIA).

Even though USDA is advocating this program, the government has not done a cost analysis of the program. Costs for similar programs in other countries are estimated to range from $37/head to $69/head on average. With over a hundred million cattle and millions of other livestock animals in the United States, the NAIS will likely cost producers, businesses, and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.

Unintended consequences.

All in the name to “protect” us … usually from ourselves.

I cannot tell from reading whether this law will someday apply to companion animals like cats and dogs. My dogs are microchipped, but it was a voluntary decision, not mandated by law. I do not want the government coming in telling me that I *must* do something like the NAIS proposes.

How Much is Too Much?

Can you give your dogs too much praise? Do you think they wind up tuning you out?

I give a lot of praise. So much that my mom makes fun of me. She says the dogs think their other name is “good boy” or “good girl”. LOL She especially found it funny when I would praise Trooper for going poo-poo.

I find myself sitting and petting my boy and just cooing and saying “good boy” or “what a good boy” over and over again. I don’t know why. I could probably just pet him and he’d be happy but I can’t seem stay quiet.

My dogs are my babies and I praise them for nearly everything. When they lay quietly. When they eat their food nicely. When they go potty and come back inside. They get praise.

Is that weird?

For Timber, I feel like I need to give him extra praise on top of everything we normally do. Last night, he was curled up in bed with us - laying on his back with all four paws in the air. Something I’m sure he didn’t get to do six months ago. So I was just petting and petting and rubbing his belly and telling him what a wonderful boy he was and how much we loved him.

Does that make me weird? That’s okay. I’ve been called worse.

So do you think that excess praise hurts training with dogs? Or do you think it helps? Or does it matter at all? Do you praise your dogs or pets excessively.

I admit I used to do the same thing with my cats. *grin*

Puppy Cuteness Overload

Are you ready to ooooo and aaaaaahhhhhhh?

On Sunday hubby and I went to Trooper’s Breeders where she has a new litter of malamutes. And OH MY GAWD I want to bring one home so badly. Do you think I could handle a new puppy and training with four other dogs while being pregnant … and then have an adolescent malamute on my hands with an infant?

I am superwoman after all. =)

The one we wanted was the biggest little cuddler. Even when her brothers and sisters were eating she just snuggled deeper into my arms.

They are JUST two weeks old today. Their eyes were open on Sunday and they made the cutest noises…grunting and whining for their mommy. Watching ten puppies feed made my boobs hurt. *grin*

Check out their tails!!! Cracked me up!

That poor mama! Her name is Amore and she was very good with all of us in her space and handling her puppies. She actually just wanted her ears scratched. LOL

You can hear me talking baby talk…I know. I have issues. I can’t help myself!!!

It’s impossible to not want to take one home. Nick wanted to put one in the hood of his sweatshirt. *snort* What a goof.

Oh man. That’s my little girl. I want her SO badly!!! Quinn is not going to be with us all *that* much longer (though we’ve been saying that for years now and she just hangs in there) and we’ll need another female in our pack.

How can I resist?!?!?!

*sigh* I know. I know. Logic tells me to just BACK AWAY FROM THE PUPPY. But logic is not my strong point right now.

Big Changes Are a Comin'

I’m a little overwhelmed right now. Hubby and I have been trying to have a non-furry baby for about two years … and it finally happened.

Now what?!?!

I’m around 5 weeks right now and definitely feeling the signs. I’ve been nauseous for two weeks and my back has been hurting among other things.

This has cut into my dog time in a big way. I don’t think we’ve taken Timber on a good walk in over a week. Although I have still taken Trooper to agility, but it was a very difficult thing yesterday. I felt like I was going to throw up and my back hurt but I had to run with him.

Someone also mentioned that dogs can start getting protective when their ‘mom’ is pregnant. I’ve of course never experienced this…does anyone have any thoughts?

If Trooper becomes protective of me it will be an issue since we are around lots of other dogs at agility and I plan to do more agility trials soon. He’s pretty strong and while he listens to me, if I’m clumsy in pregnancy he could definitely get away. Plus he’s already got some aggression issues when it comes to food. He only growled at one dog at the agility trial last weekend (of course it was the only dog bigger than him!) and I was pretty happy about that.

There will be a lot of adjustments that we’ll need to make. I’m going to have to somehow teach the two young boys how to walk with a stroller without pulling me (and baby to be) off the road. We’ll probably start that when I’m a little (a lot) further along. They’ll need to get used to the new contraption and how to walk appropriately.

Four dogs and a baby on the way - I’m a little freaked out!

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.

New Relatives

Trooper’s breeder sent me new photos … her bitch had TEN new Malamute puppies. TEN!!!!

Seven boys and three girls. OOps…my bad. Seven girls and three boys. Still…a lot of dogs. =) Trooper’s litter only had FOUR dogs!

Phew…she is going to be one busy mama. I’ve asked when I can come visit and I will take lots of photos to share. =) I can’t remember how the mama is related to Trooper but he’ll just be their Uncle until I figure it out. LOL

Dogaholics Anonymous

I found this at Magikal Tails and thought it was too cute. So I had to share … and include my answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good Evening. My name is __Megan__ and I AM a dogaholic.

I would like to welcome all of you to this month’s meeting of “Dogaholics Anonymous”. Some of you are here tonight because a friend or relative brought you here. You may be sitting here thinking that you are OK and that you really don’t need any help. It is not easy to admit that you are a dogaholic, and it is even harder to bring yourself to a DA meeting for help. DA is here to assist you. I have some questions to ask. If you can answer YES to more than three of the following, you have come to the right place.

1.Can you say “Bitch” in public without blushing? YES
2.Do you drive a station wagon, van, or 4×4 when everyone else drives a real car? YES
3.Do you have more than one car? One for you and one for the dogs? YES although we can fit two dogs in my car we need the truck for all four.
4.Do you spend your vacations and holidays going to shows, specialties, and seminars when everyone else goes on a cruise? What is a vacation? Anywhere we go must include the dogs.
5.If you do go overseas, is it to London in March to attend Crufts?Never heard of it.
6.Do you discuss things at the dinner table that would make most doctors leave in disgust? 8.Do you consider formal wear to be clean jeans and freshly washed tennis shoes? I’m fine with non clean jeans
7.Is your interior decorator R.C. Steele?Um…never heard of it either
8.Was your furniture and carpeting chosen to match your dogs?Pretty much - at least we took their sometimes destructive behavior into account
9.Are your end tables really dog crates with tablecloths thrown over them? No crates here!
10.Do you know the meaning of CD, CDX, UD, CGC, HIC, WC, JH, MH, CH, and OTCH? No, someone want to fill me in?
11.Is your mail made up primarily of dog catalogs, dog magazines, and premium lists? We do get quite a few.
12.Do you get up before dawn to go to Training Classes? Dog Shows? Seminars? Sundays, yes. Thursdays I stay up late for training. And next weekend I’ll be at a show for two full days!
13.If you do have dresses, do they all have pockets? What’s a dress?
14.Do those pockets often contain freeze dried liver, Rollover, or squeaky toys? My jeans and jackets often do
15.When you meet a new person do you always ask them what kind of dog they have and pity them if they don’t have one? Totally!
16.Do you remember the name of a person’s dog sooner than you remember their name?*giggle* YES! I am actually very embarrassed by this sometimes.
17.Do you find non-dog people boring? Totally!

If you answered YES to one of the above, there is still hope.
If you answered YES to two, you are in serious trouble.
If you answered YES to three or more, you have come to the right place. My advice to all of you with three or more YESes is to sit back and smile, turn to the smiling person next to you and know that your life will always be filled with good friends and good dogs and it will never be boring.

Making Progress

Timber is really making progress and I couldn’t be more pleased. I took him with Trooper and me to our agility practice yesterday. He stayed in the truck and when we were done I worked with him on leash. It took a little less time than last Sunday - only 15 minutes as opposed to 25 minutes. *grin*

The choke chain is working well - hubby and I are learning better how to use it effectively. We had an official hour long training on Thursday. It’s clear that hubby is a big ol’ softy and Timber knows it. Hubby has a very hard time getting Timber’s attention.

On our walk today I had Trooper and hubby had Timber but only a few minutes into it hubby asked me to take Timber. He is clearly getting frustrated by his lack of control … he would let Timber pull for a few seconds and wouldn’t correct him until I said something. But I don’t know that he’s totally doing it correctly. So I think he may need to go back and work with the trainer more.

When I took him we only had to walk for a few minutes before he was heeling!!! I was SO excited. This really is HUGE progress for our boy. The first time I took him out on a leash he threw himself down to the ground because he’d never been on a leash before. That was when? September? October? Not that long ago.

But I still feel bad for hubby. He’s not a weak person but he lets these dogs walk all over him. Considering his line of duty it’s almost funny. But I don’t like it when he tries to tell the dogs to do something and they just sort of look at him. *sigh*

We’ve already established that Trooper is “my” dog (who will do almost anything I say) and it upsets hubby.

Any advice? How do you help someone who has no “hand” (random Seinfeld reference!) to get “hand” when it comes to dogs?

The Truth is Out There

hahahahahaha This is so cute. Learn about the real reason for different dog breeds.

Sorry I haven’t posted lately. Lots of things going on. Still working on getting Timber on a loose leash. *sigh* We had an exhausting session on Sunday morning where he very nearly pulled me over, but thankfully my agility trainer was nearby and she took pity on me. She showed me a few different techniques, and although he threw several tantrums and was still shaking to run forward he did settle down a bit.

He was anxious to get forward because in front of him was a big field with other dogs and balls. Oh the joy! When we finally made it to the field we spend 30 or so minutes … I threw the ball (God bless the chuck it tool) and Timber, Trooper, and several other dogs would run run run run to get it. Timber did not get it one time while the other dogs were there. Poor guy. He just couldn’t keep up with the border collies.

He keeps up better than the slow lumbering Trooper. I used to think he was fast but when you watch him with these other dogs he looks like a big ol’ slow giant. Poor sweet guy. He was SO tired (after all, he’d just had an hour of agility) and it was pretty obvious he wanted to leave. But I kept them both there until they were good and worn out. When we finally got home they were both muddy, absolutely filthy, but super sleepy.

A tired dog is a heavenly dog in my view. =)

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.

I Miss My Kitties

I really miss my Sherbert, a long haired orange cat with many Maine Coon tendencies and features. He escaped one night by opening the screen door (he was too smart for his own good) and we think he got eaten. All we found was fur.

Mischief and Jazmyn on the other hand were captors in our garage until my Mother in Law moved closer and was able to rescue them. Why the garage? you might ask. Well, when Trooper was a puppy he mostly left the cats alone. But then their cousin Koyuk arrived with his mommy (my sister in law) and Koyuk was a known cat killer. They were staying for a month so we put the kitties in the garage.

The problem came when Koyuk left…Trooper was used to not seeing the cats and after a month he thought they looked pretty yummy. So from that point on the cats had to live in the garage. Which really sucked. For them and for me.

I got Jazmyn when I was 18 and then got Mischief when I was 20. They lived with me before I was married and moved with me several times. They were my babies. But now they are my mother in law’s babies and they are so much happier having a non-dog home to themselves. We visited the day after Christmas and got to enjoy Mischief’s personality once again. (Jazmyn is still mad at me for taking her to the vet earlier this year … she stays in my MIL’s bedroom when I visit.)

Looking at these photos makes me sad. He’s such a cuddler and he’s so silky smooth. *sigh* But he is happy and that is what matters.

Approrpriate Use of Tax Dollars

My first reaction to watching this video was disgust. If my husband were to do this I’d make fun of him and be mad. At first.

This is in my neck of the woods. The officer stops traffic on a very busy highway in order to let a momma duck and her ducklings cross the street.

Why do I say it, at first, made me angry? Because it is not the job of a police officer to protect wildlife that happens to wander on the road.

Not only that, but most law enforcement deaths are from traffic accidents so this officer was putting himself in even greater danger for some ducks. I would be furious if my husband put himself in this kind of danger. You can see that even though he was trying to stop traffic some of the cars were still going around (which also pissed me off … you see lights you stop or pull to the right…you don’t go around!).

On second consideration though I think that the cop did the right thing. Why such a change in thought?

I was discussing this with my coworkers and one of them brought up the fact that if he hadn’t stopped traffic that it is very likely that some moron would have swerved to avoid the ducks, thereby causing a serious accident and very likely a fatal pileup.

Knowing the people in this state I can say that is probably exactly what would have happened. There are people here who would rather swerve to avoid hitting a squirrel and put their own lives or the lives of others in danger than to hit the squirrel.

Me? I’d hit the squirrel if there were cars or people around. I hate squirrels anyway and no way would I try to avoid one if it meant crashing my car or hurting someone. [Lest you think me heartless, I also wouldn't swerve just to hit a squirrel...yucky.]

So after considering the situation I am glad the officer did what he did, even though my gut reaction was disgust. He probably saved the lives (or at least prevented serious injury) of people.

Oh…and yes, I’m specie-est (or whatever the word is) because if it would have been a dog I would have immediately been glad the officer stopped traffic. But whatever. =) I know my faults.

English Muffins

It’s been awhile … I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas last week and that you are all looking forward to a great New Year. I had a great time with more than 9 days in a row off from work. Woohoo!

This meant more time at home with my babies. Except on Christmas Eve when they were forced into their outdoor kennel for more hours than I prefer while we visited family. They survived just fine.

Unfortunately, we also had a huge snow storm - three of them actually. Which is great in some ways. I love the snow and so do the dogs. Watching them play was hilarious and I have some great pictures to share later.

The bad part is that we were all pretty much stuck in the house for a good week. No walks - it was way too slippery and with a dog who still pulls slippery is not good. No agility training - the roads were too bad and it was too cold for the other dogs (of course Trooper loves the cold, but not all dogs have his lovely coat). And no car trips because we pretty much didn’t leave the house except for one or two times.

So the cabin fever has pretty much set in fully and our youngest pup Timber is acting up. Last night hubby came in the bedroom and asked me how many packages of English Muffins I bought at the grocery store.

The answer was three (don’t judge me…I eat one every single morning and sometimes for lunch too). Hubby had a slightly concerned look on his face so I asked what the problem was.

Apparently there were only two packages left and a piece of a wrapper from the third. Timber was a very naughty puppy last night! I just laughed because I knew he was going to have a very upset tummy - the English Muffins are double fiber flax seed. hahahahaha And he ate FIVE of them! Good grief. I can only imagine the tummy upset.

Lesson for the day - don’t leave high fiber English muffins where a long legged pup can counter surf and find them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Winter Wonderland

What a joy this weather is when you have snow dogs! They are having so much fun, even my little old lady is enjoying herself. But Timber and Trooper are having the most fun. Chasing each other around, throwing their balls in the air, digging in the snow. It cracks me up.

Trooper especially is in heaven with the snow. His coat is so thick he could sleep outside all night and be comfortable.

Of course we are cruel parents and “force” him to sleep inside at night. LOL The poor guy. Of course we do tend to open the window to get fresh air moving, even when it’s 10 degrees outside. The things we do for our babies.

Timber thinks this weather is the best thing since dog food. He wants to be out there ALL the time. All day and night. It’s so cute. I don’t know that he’s ever seen snow. Although I’m sure with his old owner he would have seen plenty and not have been taken inside.

I would have thought that he’d get cold but he seems just fine. Maybe he’s got a super secret undercoat that we can’t see. =) Because his coat is ten times as thin as Trooper’s.

It was 11 degrees this morning and, as usual, I had the door open while the dogs were outside. We don’t ‘lock’ them out … we like to be able to hear what they’re doing and let them come in when they want (when we don’t call them in ourselves). And for *some* odd reason I felt like it was colder than normal. hahahahaha I can’t imagine why that was! =) 32 degrees is one thing, but 11! We’re definitely not used to that kind of thing here.

I hope everyone is staying warm and dry wherever you are! I’m praying the electricity stays on during the wind storm they’re predicting.

If You Can't Do the Time

Don’t get a dog! In this case multiple dogs.

I’m very frustrated with an acquaintance and it is a slightly sensitive situation…especially with me being so darn vocal.

I’ll call this person Bob. Bob and his family have two stunningly gorgeous pure black German Shepherd dogs who are a little less than two years old. If we didn’t already have four dogs I would snap them up in a heartbeat.

Apparently these beauties have become inconvenient for Bob. Can you feel my rage burning?

As I ranted to my husband…dogs are not accessories to be purchased like a pair of earrings. Used a few times and then stuffed away and out of sight. Stuck in the back yard until they are more convenient. Left alone and expected to behave the way “we” want just because … but with no guidance or training.

The dogs are left in the back yard with each other. They are provided adequate shelter, food, and water, but their stimulation is only each other and the trouble they cause together. And of course they cause trouble…they are BORED!

German Shepherds are working dogs. They need an activity, a job, a sense of purpose. They can be extremely destructive dogs (I think Timber is part German Shepherd) if not given proper training and stimulation. Of course they will destroy a very expensive dog bed when the family goes out and they are left alone in the back yard. Of course they will bark like crazy when the family is inside the house with guests and they are stuck outside looking in.

I am not opposed to dogs “living” outside (though I could never have that situation myself) but only if they are provided for beyond the basics of food, shelter, and water. They need to be part of a pack, to have a leader, given boundaries, trained, nurtured, and especially exercised.

Apparently these dogs freak out when they get around other dogs - gee I wonder why?!? Could it possibly be because they haven’t been freaking socialized!!!???!!! They also don’t listen Bob’s wife and scare his children. Again…I can’t imagine why (insert sarcasm here).

I’m very frustrated with this situation…particularly since I have absolutely no control and only feel like yelling at Bob. He’s a responsible person who has a significant amount of authority in his job and takes it very seriously. I wish he took the care of his dogs as seriously.

I did try to advise him not to take the dogs to the pound as they would have a very hard time getting adopted. It would be better if he contacted a special pure bred rescue for German Shepherds. The best situation though would be to be a role model for his children and put some time and energy into the dogs. It would only take a few months - a couple of hours each week of good solid training and exercise and the dogs would be much happier and less destructive.

*sigh*

I Wish it Would Snow

Oh my gosh. I laughed so hard when I watched this that I have tears in my eyes!!! My dogs … well, at least two of them … would totally be doing this same thing if it snowed this much. I really wish we’d get a good amount of snow. At least 6 inches would make me happy. We may have to make a special trip somewhere to find a lot of snow for the dogs to romp in.

Seriously watch this and feel your heart warmed.

Hat Tip - Secret Lives of Scientsts

Do Dogs Understand Fairness?

We have four dogs. I love them all but I admit to having favorites. Trooper is clearly “my” boy and we spend lots of time together doing special things like agility. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all very dearly. Kodiak is my “first born” and his attitude cracks me up. Quinn is the queen. And Timber is my sweet rescue (always into something) baby boy.

But when it comes to picking one or two dogs to go with us somewhere I tend to prefer taking Trooper. He’s easier for me to deal with and better behaved than the rest. My mother in law HATES this and always says that it’s unfair and the other dogs are going to be jealous.

Really???

Do dogs get jealous?

I mean, I know that Trooper gets jealous in the moment…like when he sees me giving attention to Timber. Or when he’s at daycare and trying to be the center of attention and starting fights (yes it happened again the last time he was there). But in the long term? Do they really get jealous?

I have no idea.

I just called Timber inside from the yard and he came right when I said “Timber, Come” so I wanted to give him a cookie. So far we’ve averted two run away situations by shaking the cookie bag. Thank God my dogs love cookies.

So I walk to the cookie jar and the other three dogs run up to get their reward. Reward for what!?! They didn’t earn it. They didn’t do anything. I didn’t call them. So I gave Timber and Trooper a cookie and that’s it. The other two didn’t seem overly miffed. But it does make me wonder. Do you think they “know” somehow in their being that they got shafted?

They both need to lose weight (actually, so does Trooper) and I know when papa gets up he’ll automatically give them treats. It’s not like they’re deprived or anything.

The Dog Chooses You

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had all last week off and really tried to tune out and do things around the house. So not much posting here or my other blogs. We had a wonderful week, took the dogs on a couple of walks, spent time together as a family.

I got to see my brother’s dog, Echo. I swear he is the sweetest and friendliest dog ever.

My brother suffers from extreme anxiety and depression. A year or so ago (has it been that long already?) my mom and I decided that he needed a dog. Partly for therapy and partly for companionship. Plus we were hoping a dog and the responsibilities of having a pet would get him out of bed on days when anxiety kept him asleep for 18+ hours.

Anxiety can prevent people from doing even the most basic of tasks. Something as simple as filling up the gas tank of his car can create such panic that he will throw up. So you can imagine the fear of choosing a dog to bring home from the pound.

That is where pushy, bossy, big sister comes in. Whether he will agree with me or not, I generally know what is best for him. Even when we were younger I knew when to push him and when to back off. This was a push moment. He knew we were coming but the dog we’d originally planned to adopt had gotten adopted.

If we had told him this he would have backed out so we just headed down without telling him. When we got there and told him the other dog was adopted the look of sheer panic on his face would have been funny if it weren’t so sad. We didn’t give him enough time to stress over it … just pushed him into the car and started to drive to the Humane Society.

That place was huge. I was impressed. We met one dog but it was just so jumpy and fearful. It would come to me but not to brother.

The next dog was Echo. We figure he was part Rottweiler (although he’s very small…maybe 40 pounds) due to his coloring and eyes but mostly some sort of collie. In other words, a mutt.

I actually tried to ignore him because I wanted brother to get the attention. At one point I told my brother “You know, we don’t choose the dog. The dog chooses you.” And at that EXACT moment Echo put his paw on my brother’s leg as if to say “I choose you” and that was it.

My mom and I paid the rescue fee and Echo was on his way to a new home (after getting neutered of course).

This sweet boy sleeps with my brother and listens to his every word. Brother said that he just has to whisper “Echo” softly and the dog comes right to him. I think that his companionship has increased the quality of my brother’s life…without question.

It was a blessing to see him again last week. I hope brother brings him to our Christmas gathering too. I want Echo to play with our pack.

Abandonment is Not the Answer

It makes me so sad to see stories like this. People deciding that their situation is so bleak that their only choice is to abandon their pets. Animals who have come to rely on their humans for survival. Living creatures unaccustomed to living alone or fending for themselves. Giving love and loyalty to their humans no matter what.

Some humans do not deserve such loyalty.

My hubby and I would rather live out of our truck than give up our dogs. All four of them!

I’m at risk of losing my job and it made me think about how much we do spend on our dogs. One thing we will not skimp on is their dog food. It’s $50 a bag. And we can go through four bags fairly quickly. If I have to cancel our cable and cell phone service I will before I’d start feeding them cheap crap food.

One thing we could also do is give our own vaccines. My grandpa has always done that with his dogs so I’m sure he can help us purchase the vaccines we need. It would help us avoid the $40 office visit. Although I love our vet I don’t feel the need to visit him just for vaccines. And we wouldn’t switch to a lower cost vet either. For the things that matter he is the best.

As Urban Ground mentions and I agree … I’m sure the same people abandoning their pets are still eating out, still have cable, still use their cell phones, and smoke or drink.

This world seems to have gone insane. People are abandoning their children too. Is that what the “me” society has brought us? It’s all about me and forget anyone or anything else?

Don't Punish Breeds, Hold Owners Accountable

When I read stories like this one I get mad.

All dogs can be dangerous, regardless of breed, if not properly trained or handled by their owners. Some dogs are only “dangerous” when provoked or when guarding their family.

I’ve met some amazingly wonderful, sweet, playful, and harmless pit bulls. I’ve also met some mean and nasty mutts who have attacked (or tried to attack) my dogs.

Even Trooper has had his moments. He’s never drawn blood from a strange dog but he has cut Timber before. Though thankfully not in several weeks. I’m hoping he’s done with that phase.

“The City Council held a public hearing last night to consider eliminating that first warning for a dozen breeds, including pit bull, Akita and American Staffordshire terrier. The city doesn’t want to ban the breeds. Officials contend that owners of these breeds would have to take no additional measures if their dog doesn’t cause problems.”

ARG! How about holding ALL dog owners equally responsible and accountable for their dogs’ behavior? There is no need to single out certain breeds just because they get the most news time when there is an incident.

Are Pit Bulls potentially dangerous? Of course. They are powerful and strong and if not properly trained and restrained can be lethal. But I’ve never been bit by a pit bull and I HAVE been bit by small little ankle biter type dogs. Owners sometimes think that if their dogs are small that they are harmless even if they nip at people. Wrong.

Who will determine which breeds are “dangerous”? Many people think my dogs look like wolves (insert major eye roll here) so will there someday be a law that says “wolf looking” dogs are dangerous. The only danger Trooper presents to people is knocking them over when trying to get petted.

I hope that the dog owners who organized the rally against this proposal are successful. It’s called common sense and if an owner is lacking in this then they should be punished if their dog acts dangerously.

This whole thing ticks me off.

Keep Pets Safe in Cold Weather

My dogs love cold weather. This is their very favorite time of year. Hubby and I work hard to keep the heat off as much as possible to keep the house nice and cool. The few times that it snows the doggies love to go out on the deck and wallow in the white stuff.

But not all dogs (and other pets) are as furry and fluffy as my babies with their double layer coats. Cold weather can be dangerous to pets and owners need to make sure to take into consideration their animals’ special needs.

Many people over estimate their pet’s ability to tolerate the cold. They’re animals and so should be able to handle the lower temperatures. But that is not always true.

Reading this article, which supplies some basic common sense advice, I was shocked to read comments from people who seem to think that providing heat and shelter to pets is going overboard.

Yes, pets are animals. But many animals have been domesticated to the point that they have lost their ‘natural’ ability to survive in the elements (if they ever had such an ability).

Providing a heated space or a well insulated dog house does not seem to be an over the top action for pet owners to take. I’m sure that our house is seen as outrageous by some of the commenters on that site. Our dogs have their own beds and blankets and more toys than most kids.

I don’t think it is extravagant to ensure that animals have non-frozen water, healthy food, and shelter against the elements.