Pets Galore

Here are a few of my favorites!

Meet Evie our neighbor!


Meet Macie, my neice!
This is Behr's foot. I keep taking photos of their feet, no clue why...but this is the best one!

Behr and Jade's Challenge

**If you are just catching up, please scroll down and watch Buddy on the next post, his video is more entertaining.

Buddy did so well with The Dog Fighter toy I was a little hesitant to try it with the other two dogs. However, I have the day off so Behr got his turn next. He is not food driven at all. He prefers a ball. So I put cheese inside as a treat. This is on the easy level. I think I can teach Behr to take each piece out and bring it to me in my hand.



Jade's turn came last. Keep in mind Jade gets excited very easily and when I get excited it's even worse. She barks often during training and when she doesn't understand what I want from her that escalates the barking as well.

This video is painfully slow and I ended up turning it off, no one wants to watch an 8 minute clip!

Dog Fighter by Nina Ottosen

The dogs got "The Dog Fighter" toy by Nina Ottosen from Mama. This is the coolest toy ever. I did start with my most food driven, street smartest dog--so it was really fun.

This is level one: Easy



This is level two: Medium




Level three to come! There are stoppers that I can insert, and then he has to move them before he can slide the cylinders.

Missing Sheena

Oh Sheena I sure do you miss you! This week I've looked around for you, thought I heard your raspy meow, or heard you digging in the litter box. There are so many things you did for me, and I will always love you dearly! You were the best cat I've ever had.

Here are some things I miss:
Looking up from the couch and you sitting on top step just thinking "come to bed"
Sliding my feet as I walk around so I don't step on you
Worried about grabbing my scarf under the bed you could be lurking and think that I wanna play
Late night cat zoomies with random socks left in odd places
Lifting the toilet seat and you'd come running for a good brushing
Putting on jewelry at my dresser you jump from foot board over to greet me
Walking past the bed where you sleep, I swear 20 hours a day, and you swat me on the butt
Hiding my hands under the covers, so I didn't have to pet you (sorry about that)
But most of all...
Being my snuggle bug and sleeping with me almost nightly. In the crook of my arm, or near my belly under or over the covers, or by my feet. I love and miss you very very much.

Rant

Awake at 4am so sick, but only one day of work left...

There are two posts that are incredibly significant, but I have been sick and so busy I haven't had time.
Dec 8th Sheena had her teeth cleaned and had some removed.
Dec 15th We had a horrible horrible accident and forgot to lock Buddy in his crate. He tore up some presents, magazines, treat bag, and laid on the couch downstairs. Then hw went upstairs and killed Sheena. There is a just a huge post I want to write about that awful event and how much I terribly miss her and I keep looking for her.

However, what is really bothering me are a few comments from about three people.
Things like he will keep on killing--like who? a dog, a human? that's all we have left inside...
At least it was the cat and not your baby--prey drive doesn't mean attack on human, or visa versa.
You'll just have to get rid of him, have you thought of sending him in to be a police dog, to do that attacking on some bad guys?
He should know better, Sheena was in the house first.

Really. You can't just send an adult away to go sniff bombs. You can't stop prey drive, at least completely. You also can't start it- see Jade posts, fail things like agility, retrieve, motivation, overweight. This was a HUGE accident.
Any mother would never leave work with a baby in the house left upstairs. It's simple, dogs aren't trusted. You gotta pee? baby pees with you, or the baby is left in the crib with the door shut, or all dogs are kenneled with the baby elsewhere.

Listen we aren't pregnant, and we aren't getting pregnant anytime soon. I know this sounds absurd but pets are my life, and yes changing my plans to not have kids for dogs is what I'm doing. It sounds nuts to most--but it's what's important to me. I've never been passionate about something, well this is it. When we do get pregnant, I have plenty of dog savvy friends that aren't the above mentioned people that will give feedback on the current dog situation. I also THINK I have a good head on my shoulders but just to be sure, I am calling a behaviorist to come out. I'm also calling our trainer, but that's more for support. If these folks say one ditch him that's different, but those can folks shut up. It's so hard not to tell them that.

To my friends who didn't say anything and just said, I'm sorry about Sheena. Thank you so much, I didn't realize how thankful I should have been for you until now. Even if you called each other and made the above comments, you at least didn't say them to me. In a few days you can come back and say now I'm worried about your crazy ass German Shepherd, you know I realize they aren't easy.

Children's Book

My co-teacher Becky found this book a few weeks ago. She showed it to me today. She knew she couldn't read it aloud to the class, and I can't read it aloud to the class but I'd like to add it to my Christmas List.

The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson

My spoiler:

A little boy visits the shelter every Friday, always walks all the way to the end of the cages where it's dark and near the green door. He sees a scruffy 3 legged dog and asks the worker about him. She says why do you want that one, we have 85 others that look so much better and have 4 legs. Today is also his last day before he goes to heaven. He runs home as fast as he can.

His grandmother says remember dogs are for life, not just Christmas. We need to think about it. He says we can't he won't have a life tomorrow. She agrees and sends him on ahead of her before they closed. The dog was shocked not to being led to the green door. They gave him a collar, leash, and tag. That was a first. He can't walk so well, so the boy carries him home.

The dog wonders whether he did go through the green door and is dreaming. He never knew the words cuddle, dinner, walks...Once home they make him a leg. And it ends happy. LOVE IT!

Timeline

February 2006 Married
July 2006 Bought a house
?? Sheena
June 2007 Brought Jade home
April 2008 Got Behr
August 2008 Picked up Buddy, not intending to keep him...

Wow that was quick, time to get Gazelle Intense and buy a yard!

"Buddy Crate"

Well Buddy turns 4 years old on Friday, but he's still not to be trusted. He destroyed the house today!

Around rest time 12:45pm Will texted me photos of the house. I will post photos if I can get them from Will.

Today was Buddy's fifth and last day in house as a free dog. I'm not sure what all he tore up. I know of magazines, a wicker basket, and he ate an entire bag of $11.00 dog treats--possibly the bag too.

So here are some reasons crates are a good thing and not awful, sad, torturous things your dog should never have to get in. Jade and Behr love them, and look for them now that they are in the garage and are only used on the cleaning lady day.

• Housetrain (he is less likely to tinkle where he sleeps)
  
• Protection (so he doesn't ingest harmful things)
• Protect your property (so he doesn't ruin your things)

To begin we fed the pups in their crate with the door open so they would begin to love the crate. We also would toss treats inside from time to time. The crates are in the family room, but we've read many books and articles discussing location between family room or bedroom. Bedroom isn't an option for us right now. (Cat and I'm allergic to dogs)

Canine Good Citizen

Jade passed AKC's CGC Program yesterday! I was a little set up, but that was probably good. I went to training under the impression that we were going to practice the items I didn't think she could pass. Tommy ran us through the actual test, and at one point I said, "Oh so this is how we practice this one?" Corday replied, "Um, no this is the test."

If I had known I was walking into the test I would have been on edge and Jade would have sensed it. I wouldn't have been so relaxed like it was a regular private lesson like I thought and it really was, not so "scary"

But as I look back under the training label on my blog CGC has come up since 2008 and then April 2009, so it's about time! Just the other day I made two lists a before I pregnant list and a bucket list. On the before I get pregnant list I wrote 2 out of 3 dogs CGC...so 1 down but holy crap the next one is gonna be a challenge!

Yay! Jade you have come a long way. Just watching you yesterday was amazing my standards for you are so high that I think you can't do so much, but when I step back you really can and I don't give you credit.

Parlor Tricks

It's so amazing how most of this stuff was hard for us at one point, but now it's so easy even if we haven't practiced it in a year!
You can't hear me, but I am calling one dog at a time.



This video shows leave it, but at the end I should have gotten all my treats back in the bag before I said release!



Another leave it. In the end Behr has 16 treats on his legs!

Declawing Cats

Just came here in vent...thank God I don't like confrontation, although maybe I should, I'm certain the world would be a better place if I told you how and when you are f*cking up.

How do you know declawing doesn't hurt?
Declawing.com

Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". Gross and you did this since your next house doesn't allow pets? Find a new damn place to live, it was the nicest house for that reason ---no pets.

You did this to all 3 of your cats!
Why did your last beloved cat die?? Oh that's right complications within the same year it got out of your house and practically mutilated since it couldn't protect itself, it was also declawed.

Want to see surgery pictures...click here--I didn't look at these.

Don't worry Sheena you are safe we will not be cutting/ laser if that makes you feel better off the last section of your toes. Tear up our house if you like, we adopted you, and we take the responsibility for you without amputation.

Necklace!

http://frenchietags.com/
I love this so much!!

Bottles N Brushes

I was on the waiting list to "Paint Your Bestfriend" at Bottles N Brushes. So I was really excited when I got the call that I had a spot in class!

My plan is to return and have a complete set of dogs "Live Laugh Love"

Back to Lessons

Buddy and I ventured back to dog lessons tonight. It was great. Just us, Ginger a lab puppy, trainer's dog Meiko (black GSD) and Tommy Grammer

We were working on Stay and Come. Buddy did great, I was so proud of him. He didn't hackle, and only had one outburst when the wild puppy got close. I'm quite sure we gave the owner a mild heart attack.
I really think being around Meiko is a good thing since he is so incredibly calm.
I overheard the lab owner talking about dropping her off this Saturday for a stay at Tommy's to train. So jealous I wish we were dropping a dog off there!!

Intro to Agility with Jade!

Jade got into agility! I have no clue if she will do anything, but she can be around other dogs off leash, so we are going! I had to give her training resume on more than one occasion and since she is under 3 years old I was praying they accepted her.

Woo Hoo!
Here are some things I have been told to practice before we attend.

Sit stay
Down stay
Touch (hand)
Targeting (touch something else) like a coffee can lid

This document teaches touch but also moves into targeting

This video is what I don't want to teach, but it reminds me of targeting:

so much to remember

If we ever go out for a date and have a babysitter, the dogs MUST stay in their crate, even Jade.

Nanny Watch

This link/blog post makes so much sense. The dogs schedule is off, the baby schedule is off, leadership is not as strong=the dogs sense something is wrong and a bite could happen.