What was lost, now is found

Sunday I found my missing ball. It was under the sideboard in the dining room. I couldn't reach it, so I stuffed my head under there as FAR as I could. Then mom saw me & retrieved it. I am SO happy to have this ball back. I love it. I forgot how much I loved it until it returned. So now I play with it all the time. If mom & dad won't throw it for me, I toss it for myself. I can bounce it, too. Wanna play ball?

Daycare has real-life applications

Normally Shadow & I like to write about the good stuff in his life. When he was a very young puppy he wasn't snuggled and fussed over 24/7. So I like to focus on how great his life is now.

But this week I was reminded that I can't protect him from every bad thing out there. Thankfully, he's a very smart little dog and he doesn't need 100% protection.

We went for a walk Sunday evening in our little neighborhood. He was on the flexi leash and I was zoning out because no one is ever walking on our street. I mean, it's Q-U-I-E-T in our little cul-de-sac subdivision. What's the worst that would happen? A cat might cross our path?

And then I looked up and saw 2 BIG dogs standing in the middle of the road with no owner in sight. The big dog's head is close to belt-buckle height and I've heard that the big guy has bitten a woman in our development (not badly, but still...) I had just enough time to say, "Oh bleep" when they both started running toward us.

I thought about picking Shadow up, but then realized with the 2 of them I wouldn't be able to protect him (or hold him high enough). So I did the only thing I could think to do ... I unclipped the leash & told him to run home. Then I turned to yell at the oncoming dogs to GO HOME.

Why would I unclip Shadow? (just in case anyone thinks I was a lunatic for releasing him)

If there was a fight, a leashed dog is physically at a disadvantage.

Leashed dogs are more likely to feel defensive and protective of their owners. The last thing I wanted from Shadow was a bold display of aggression.

Shadow is fast & agile, he had a better chance of outrunning them (or getting into a small space) without being attached to me.

But trust me, as I unclipped that leash I thought, "Please don't be stupid and run the 1/2 mile to the busy road."

Shadow was smart, he ran toward home & stopped about 100' away from me. I got the 2 dogs to stop running just before they reached me (I guess I'm pretty scary) and the smaller one headed for home. The bigger one stayed in the road, but at least he didn't follow me when I started walking backward. Eventually I caught up with Shadow & put his leash back on.

How does this relate to daycare? Simple - Shadow didn't react badly to the charging dogs. He followed directions and didn't become defensive or aggressive toward the other dogs. His body language was appropriate for the situation, and that probably helped prevent a bad situation.

And guess where he learned that? Look at this picture of Shadow and a Great Pyrenees at daycare and you'll know where. Daycare keeps his doggy-skills sharp.

Meeting LARGE groups of people

Camp Bow Wow had a fun day recently with lots of dog rescue groups & games for people (and pets). We all went & I got to see one of my bestest buddies, an American Eskimo Spitz named Pearl. Ailsa wasn't there because she's still traveling with her mom (I miss Ailsa, but she's coming back soon).

I did GREAT! I barked at people at first, but then something happened and I just relaxed and had FUN. I guess everyone was so friendly that after meeting the first 5 people I figured they were all probably nice. I got lots of treats and had a blast. Man, was I tired on the ride home. Its exhausting to meet a few dozen people and dogs.

One of the daycare staff was dressed as a clown and she made balloon collars for us, Pearl and I looked particularly cute in ours, see?

Some pics from Daycare :)

First, we have 3 dogs who look a lot like me. Ruby is a very pretty white german shepherd. She's about 3-4 times my size. Pearl (wearing the bunny ears, how humiliating) is an American Eskimo Spitz and she's a little smaller than me. She's younger, too, and super cute. And Alaska is another spitz-mix. Mom thinks it's cool that Alaska has brown freckles only on her ears. Alaska is a little bigger than me.

Speaking of those awful bunny ears ...

They made me wear them, too. Here I am hopping out of the bucket :) If you make me LOOK like a rabbit, then I'm going to act like one, too.

Of course, the whole point of going to daycare is to play.

Here I am playing with Gracie, and in the next photo I'm playing with Alaska (she's biting my head).

In these pics I'm modeling the ramp with Aubrey (I like to nap on the ramp when I need a break) and showing the all-important "How to Pin your opponent" technique.

Not much else is new. Mom & I have been working on greeting strangers politely lately. I mean, strange people. I like other dogs, but I'm not sure about most humans. If you ever see me out and about the best thing to do is ignore me. Once I realize you aren't going to try to eat me, I'll wander close enough to sniff you. Just give me time.

Recently we took a walk and I was VERY brave about people playing basketball in the cul-de-sac. I didn't even bark at them, mainly because mom kept me busy with stuff to do (sit, down, circle, shake, sit, down ... ). And she had treats. Well, gotta run, I think there's a toad in the backyard that needs to be menaced.

It's good to see the big picture in life

Sometimes you need to see the whole thing to understand life.

For instance, in the photo below it looks like I'm about to chase a furry animal.  Like a squirrel, or a chipmunk, or a cat.

But what I'm really after is that magic water-squirting device my dad is holding. 

Here's another example.  In the first shot it looks like I'm snuggled up to a bed I've made from random things, because I have no real dog beds.  Aren't I pitiful?  See how cheap my mom & dad are, that I have to scrounge for things to use as a bed?

But when we look at a larger picture, you see there is a dog bed.  Hmmm.  Maybe mom & dad aren't as cheap as it seems.

And if we take an even larger view, we can see another dog bed in the upper right corner of the image (next to the blue Wii Fit step that mom & dad don't use as often as they should).

So when I think my life is all work and no play - between daycare, farm dog auditions, and cat herding - I have to think about the bigger picture.  And I probably need to go make a new dog bed, I think there's some clean laundry on the bed that I can reach.

 

Hey, Hey, I wanna be a farm dog

(with my apologies to Nickeback)

Cause we all just wanna be big farm dogs

Living in log cabins, guarding 15 hogs

Farm dogs make the rules, we get to boss the sheep

Working hard all day we really earn our keep

And we hang out with the cats and mom

In the fields and the barn til the daylight's gone

Then we head to the house for a great big meal

Fall asleep happy, it's a darn good deal

Well, hey, hey, I wanna be a farm dog.

It's true, I think I want to be a farm dog.  I love hanging out with Mom & Dad in the yard.  It's the best job ever, and that's what farm dogs do.

I can also help inspect tools:

And I can keep an eye on the woods, scouting for coyotes or other dangerous predators:

       

You may try to tell me that farm life is hard.  It's hot and sweaty work, and the fields don't have running water.  That's okay, I can drink from a watering can.

And I know when to stop & smell the flowers (or eat them):

So I think I'm extremely qualified to be a farm dog.  Now I just need to convince Mom & Dad to live on a farm.

Fun times, Tiring times

Mom didn't come home a few nights this week.  She said something about a business trip.  I missed her, but when she came home I got to go to the dog park.  There were some other dogs there that were just my size - we had fun chasing each other.  This nice lady played with us, too, she threw a ball for us.

While mom was away, I had to play with the cats & with Puff.  But today we played in the yard today, she was moving dirt around and I got to help.  She likes to use a shovel & a wheelbarrow.  I like to use my feet.  Same difference, right?

After all that digging I was very, very tired.  I didn't want to do any exercise, so I took a nap on the treadmill.

Hiking at Hanging Rock Park

Today we went hiking at Hanging Rock Park.  I led the way most of the time.

I got to sniff lots of great smells.  It was a lot of fun.

Here I am at one of the waterfalls with my dad.  He took most of the pictures because he remembered to bring his iPhone but mom forgot her camera at home.

This is me with mom.  Although she forgot her camera, she did bring poop bags and water for me.  I didn't need the bags, but after the walk I drank a lot of water.

One of the hard things about being the trail leader is knowing where to go.  They have lots of signs to help you find your way.  We went to both the hidden falls and the window falls.  There are tons of stone steps that lead to the falls and I climbed down and back up all on my own.  Dad was talking about having to carry me, but I showed him.  All in all, it was a good time & I was smiling almost the whole time we were there (when I wasn't sniffing).  I hope we go back again.

Rainy Day Play

  Today it is raining.  Yesterday it rained.  And the day before that it rained, too.

The yard is muddy & I need to play.  So we play Fetch in the house.  I like to play fetch with lots of stuff.  A ball is cool because it bounces and rolls.  And Puff is cool because I can chew on different parts of him.  If I chew on his big belly he squeaks.

So Mom throws Puff down the hall & I get him.  Then we play tug-o-war with Puff a little bit, then I chew on him.  Then Mom throws him again.

You will notice that even if Puff curls up and plays dead, I keep biting him.  I find it very soothing to gnaw on his spines and ears.  I also like that in Puff's eyes I am a formidable dog.  This is a Puff's eye view of me (don't I look dangerous?)

S-N-O-W !!!!

Where are the normal yard-smells?  What's under this stuff?

This stuff is everywhere.  Look at it!  And it makes my feet cold.

I love the couch. Love it, Love it, I do!

I love this couch.  It is my favorite couch (the scary cat spends too much time on the other one).

On rainy days like today, Mom & I play fetch in the house.  I chase the ball down the hallway, through the dining room, and across the family room.  After several runs I have to take a break & do some biting practice with the ball.

So I bring it up on the couch for some biting time.  It's great, these raquetball balls are the perfect size & I can really bite on them very hard.  Of course eventually the ball rolls away and I have to get it back.

Why I love Daycare

This is a note from Shadow's mom.

I love daycare for Shadow.  This past week I had a head cold.  All I wanted to do was sleep, cough, and suck on cough drops.  Thankfully, Shadow went to daycare Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  This meant my adorable, fluffy, and energetic dog got to play and rough-house during the day.  And I got to lounge on the sofa with a calm, content pup at night.

Between daycare, stuffed Kongs, and a fresh beef knuckle to chew on, we all made it through the week without getting tired & frustrated with each other.  I'm much better today & even took Shadow to the dog park to run around like a maniac.

Daycare for dogs is the best invention in the last 50 years.  Yes, it even exceeds the joys of a microwave.

Chicken Walks

Today we did something really neat & different.  Usually mom tries to take me for a walk & I hate it.  When I'm about 20 feet from our driveway I want to go home.  She coaxes me along, but I don't like it.  At all.

I've been hoping she would take the hint (I try to drag her home at every opportunity).  I think she may have gotten it.  Today we took a walk in the woods around our house.  

I didn't have to wear a leash.

We had a great walk.  I got to check stuff out and I got a lot of snacks.  I'm not entirely sure what was going on, but every few minutes I heard this loud whistle & then mom called me over to her.  And then I got chicken.  I really love chicken and you never know when she's going to pull that stuff out.  But I think it has something to do with that whistle.  Which is pretty convenient, because if I'm distracted by some smell on the ground it's nice to have a warning that chicken is being served.

Oh, and guess what I'm good at?  I can balance on a fallen tree really well.  I've done it at the dog park & today I got to do it at home.  That is pretty cool, it's not easy for a dog but I'm very, very clever.

Maybe once I show mom that we have more fun walking in the woods then she'll let me do that more and more, and we can skip the walks along the street.  I gotta go, I need a nap now.

They left me, but they came back!

This weekend I was at the kennel. The whole weekend. They left me there Friday around noon & didn't come to get me until dinner time on Sunday.

It sounds awful, but it wasn't. I had a good time & got to play with some way cool dogs every day. This is me hangin' with my new buddies

Sunday night I had dinner at home & got to sleep on the bed. All night!! And Monday my mom stayed home & we hung out, then went to the dog park to run around. Mom also got some yummy-smelling chicken at the grocery store & let me have a few pieces. But I couldn't eat Buster's pieces, because that's rude. Apparently, no matter how slowly a cat eats their rotisserie chicken they still want to keep it and won't share. Oh well, lesson learned.

This how I look after a day at daycare

I look tired.  Very, very tired.

Feeling better & getting smarter :)

Wow, I feel better. I get to take these pills with peanut butter & cheese for another 12 days (hey Auntie - I didn't know they made bad peanut butter? Mom says we eat the organic stuff & she stirs it a lot).

Sunday we went to the dog park again & had a blast. I met a bunch of dogs there, including one who is a little skittish of new people (like me). But her dad can play "I'm gonna get you" almost as good as MY dad, and we played that game a lot. It was great.

I'm getting better at meeting new people, but I still growl and back up if someone leans over & tries to pat my head. Ooooh - I just don't like that! I duck, growl, back up, and tuck my tail really low to try and tell them to quit it. Usually mom steps in and says I'm nervous with new people, and the person either walks away or crouches down so I can walk up to them. I wish people would quit reaching over my head to pat me, though, I don't like having to growl at them.

Oh! I learned a new trick! When mom waves her hand (like she's waving good bye) I walk backwards. So now I know Sit, Shake, Down, Beg, Circle, Go Crate, and Back Up. I do not want to learn how to play dead, but darn it she makes me practice that one over and over. For now I am playing dumb and hoping she gives up.

Today I'm back at daycare & I was happy to go in. There is a big dog that I'm playing with, he's a Great Pyrenees. And he's just not fast enough to catch me :)

I play with some really cute other dogs, wanna see some pictures?

Here I am going after Ailsa. She is a terrier & we play hard together. She is very, very fast and can turn quickly - just like me. The dog on the bridge is Brittany, she is a foster dog that lives at the daycare place. She's only a baby, and she's going to be big.

This is another picture of me and Brittany and Ailsa. Brittany is very playful, she's a lot of fun.

Bummer - I'm sick.

Yep. I even had to go to the vet's office. First mom used a long grabby-thing and a plastic food container to catch a urine sample. That was definitely disturbing. She normally doesn't bug me when I'm peeing (in fact, she turns away to give me a little privacy). Then we went to the vet, where I had never been before, and they checked me out. They weighed me (I'm bigger, yay!) and said I have some bacteria in my urine. So, it's antibiotics and a few pain relievers.

• The good news: I take pills with cheese and peanut butter. Yumm!
• The bad news: I'm still kind of lethargic. I mean, I'll chase the cats, but I'm just not into it the way I normally am.

And, in all seriousness, Shadow hasn't been playing as hard or as much in daycare the last couple days. I'm glad I brought him in, even though I always worry that I'm over-reactive about my fur-kids. I know that if I didn't go to the vet, and he got sicker, I'd feel like a complete loser. Hopefully he will start to feel better soon and be ready to play chase & tag with the other dogs.

In other news, he has discovered shoes & how tasty-yummy-good they are. Slowly, but surely, he is teaching us to be tidy & put our stuff away. Laundry goes in the hamper now - or else it winds up in the family room. Shoes go in the closet & the closet door is closed - or else they wind up with bite marks. And when all else fails, we baby-gate him into the kitchen.

More pics from the Dog Park

Hey, the DSL connection got fast again.  So here are some pics of my new friends.  First is a dog who looks just like me, but she's much, much bigger.  She's a really big white german shepherd.

Next we have a couple pictures of me playing tug-o-war with some of the other dogs there.  We played with a stick & it was fun.  This is a little husky puppy who wanted to play.

And here we have a black lab & basset mix who started the game.  She is a beautiful dog, her eyes look so soulful and wise.

I think today I'm going to stay home & maybe play fetch in the yard.  After all, tomorrow is a Daycare Day, so I need to rest up.  I might take a nap with mom or dad later if I can talk them into it.