My puppy is now 8 months old. I cannot believe how fast the time goes.
Porter has come a long way in the 6 months he has lived with us.
I never worry about him having an accident in the house (and haven't for a couple of months or more). Although I do need to carefully supervise Indi when she poops outside since he's still obsessed with eating it. Luckily he doesn't care about his own anymore. I wonder if it has to do with his hormones since he also stalks her when she pees and does the male thing of licking it up. Ewwww.
He no longer trying to eat my hands when I just want to pet and snuggle. That first month he was such an alligator and all I wanted to do was pet him. The mouthing has mostly stopped. If he's super excited it will start up and for some reason, when I'm on the phone, he bites my arms and clothes pretty hard. Thankfully I have bags of treats easily accessible, so while I'm talking, Porter and Indi get tossed treats every few seconds.
He does amazing in his crate despite having the worst time the first week and a half. He does so well that he will run to his crate from half way across the agility field. He's happy crated in the car unless he can hear me playing/training other dogs and desperately wants a turn. He hasn't learned to sleep in yet, but I'm still holding out it will happen. I also realized that other day that he's only a month away from being the same age Indi was when we stopped crating her at night. Porter will not get that freedom at 9 months. Not because I don't trust him but since he's so big and clumsy he'll smash Indi if he tries to sleep on the bed with us all.
He's coming along in his agility training. We had a great class this week. He had no problems driving through two obstacles and towards the throw toy reward. He wasn't clingy at all :) He also did great on the dog walk. We need to work the contact more, but he did very well considering we haven't worked on it in months. He's building a lot of motivation for the obstacles. He knows that if one is near it's very rewarding to take it. Which means I need to be careful when listening to instructions in class while he's on leash with me. Sometimes he'll decide he should get himself over to the tunnel nearby. I also need to pay attention when walking to a new part of the field so he doesn't try to take the obstacles we pass.
We're going over some of the behaviors needed for the NADAC Beginner Agility Test. Porter cannot take it until he's a year old, so there's plenty of time, but so far he's right on track. It'll be great to have a small title soon and get those ring nerves over and done with before getting on a full course. I think it's smart of NADAC, too, since it will draw more people in and early and then hook them to these venue.
We have made a break through with his flirt pole tugging. It was impossible to get it from him once he caught the bag but I discovered a way to do it and it's working well. Treats were not working at first and I couldn't bring them close to him to let him see how awesome they were since he would just start playing keep away and would run off. So now I toss hunks of string cheese right near his nose when he's looking down. At first this did nothing. Then he started letting the bag go, gobbling the cheese, and quickly grabbing the bag again. So I was patient. I just threw more and never made a move for the bag. Then I started tossing some farther away and so on. Now after the initial toss he'll drop the bag and sit and wait for his treat. He's not afraid I'll steal the bag anymore. He'll even sit and stare at the bag in anticipation of me making it move again. It's like when the dogs wait by the hunter to be told to go get the ducks they just watched fall. He's waiting...tense...but controlling himself. I think he really likes this part since sometimes he wags his tail. It's great for his impulse control.
He doesn't counter surf, but he has tried to put his paws up there a few times, not so much in the recent past. My counters are not free and clear of things like they should be, but I do keep tempting food items pushed farther back.
His stays are looking great, especially his start line stay for agility. We are adding a hand signal for down. I have not worked his drop it and leave it has only been situational default work (like food on the coffee table or his dinner being set down). I haven't taught him any "tricks". So much to do!!
He will now retrieve the toy, kind of. I finally did what I do for Indi. Every time he brings the toy back I reward him with a treat. I didn't think I'd need to for a retriever but I must have messed something up, probably playing chase with him. But now he'll happily bring it back most if not all of the way when we play in the backyard.
His coat is fluffier but not too crazy at all. Only a tiny bit of feathering. Most of the lays nice and flat with only his neck being a bit plumped out. I really like this length and would love for it to stay this way, but we'll see what happens as he matures.
One lone canine has still refused to move into the proper position. It doesn't affect his eating or tugging, but it does hit the roof of his mouth. The rest of the teeth look great and where they should be so I'm thinking this might be it. If so, it would keep him out of the show ring. While I'm not really a conformation person, he's such a lovely dog, both in his attitude and personality and in looks that it would be a shame not to title him. I will still be working on getting him ready for the ring just in case his jaw keeps growing, which I heard it can do up to about a year. His brother, Tatum, is like his twin in every way (except he has perfect teeth), so at least he can pass on these great genes for the litter one day.
On two occasions Porter seemed to have an issue with another unaltered male pup just about his age. The first time was with his Vizsla friend, Harley. They haven't played together in a few months and after class I lete them interact (which I normally do not do). They were wrestling a bit and I'm not sure what went down. Maybe Porter felt tangled or got stepped on, but he took offense to something and let Harley know. Only he didn't back off. Once the growl came out I stepped in and separated them and had Porter's collar but he was still growling and pulling to get to Harley. I'm not happy that he held on to the grudge after it was all over. They've seen each other since but have not played and wrestled so I don't know what to make of it. The second time was a week later. He wanted to play really bad with Finnly (a golden). Way back in my puppy kindergarten class when they pups were 3 or so months old, they had some play time. Porter would posture and make this growling sound while trying to stand tall over Finnly. I would quickly redirect Porter and then move him elsewhere. He hasn't interacted with Finnly in ages until last week. He saw Finnly wrestling with another dog so I let Porter say hi when he suddenly growled. Things I did wrong...they were all on leash. Porter was excited to greet and probably frustrated since I was holding him back. When I did bring him over the leash was still tight since he was was straining to make contact.
So now I need to figure out...does he has issues with other intact males, does he have issues greeting on leash, is be becoming dog selective? He hasn't been to a dog park in a month or so. All the dogs he's been interacting with the last month have been the same ones and most of those are females (one being an altered male). Does he just have an issue with Finnly, since he seemed to have problems with him from the start and maybe the deal with Harley was a fluke?? Ugh.
Showing posts with label crate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crate. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Big Bear Trip
I was hoping that Porter would have his first romp in the snow this last weekend, but the weather was not cooperating. He did get to play in some slush and ice though.
The new car crate worked out well. He has a lot more room, but or cargo space is suffering. The towel on top so I can have the crate as far to the left as possible but not scratch up the door frame when I close it. If this crate were an inch longer it wouldn't have fit front to back.
Indi had her usual spot and was actually settling in and looking comfortable...until we hit the winding mountain roads.
Both dogs were great at the cabin. It was mostly carpeted (and no doggie door of course) so I wasn't sure if Porter's house training would have a hiccup. I took him out frequently at first just in case, but after a day didn't need to stress about it.
Indi loved having an infant in the house again and Baby Devon was equally thrilled with Indi. I don't know who was more pleased when Devon would toss bits of her toast at Indi but both thought the arrangement was perfect.
Porter was not as obsessed with the infant or toddler as I thought he would be and I am thankful for that since it would have made for a very long weekend trying to keep him tied up and away from the kids. Unfortunately, because of his size I think, anytime Porter sniffed or even walked by the toddler, Jason would have a melt down.
I kept the doors to the bedrooms closed as much as I could and the kids kept their toys in their rooms. But even when a door was left open or socks and shoes were in the hallway, Porter didn't rush to grab at things that were not his.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the cabin has a fully fenced backyard. I was fully expecting to have to keep both dogs on leash for all potty breaks, so it was great to let them sniff and explore and chase balls and pine cones off leash. This really helped to tire Porter out.
One afternoon we walked a block to the lake with the kids and Porter. I thought there would be snow everywhere and a walk would be out of the question so I didn't bring his harness. With all the amazing mountain smells and the slush and ice along the side of the road, Porter was bound and determined to get here and there and nowhere as fast as he could. He was obsessed with the ice and I had to be careful to make sure I was standing on very dry land or he would cause me to slide and slip on the ice and mud.
At one point Porter was pulling like a sled dog and I stood my ground holding him back with all my strength. He suddenly stopped pulling and sat straight up. He has the odd sit where he's almost leaning back with his head and neck. I look to see why he was so still but also alert and I see that several ducks had come out of the lake and on to the land. He was doing a great job keeping an eye on them but not rushing over and scaring them away. Although I'm sure if he was off leash that's what he would have done. Normally he's not that interested in birds...maybe his instincts are starting to kick in.
The new car crate worked out well. He has a lot more room, but or cargo space is suffering. The towel on top so I can have the crate as far to the left as possible but not scratch up the door frame when I close it. If this crate were an inch longer it wouldn't have fit front to back.
Indi had her usual spot and was actually settling in and looking comfortable...until we hit the winding mountain roads.
Both dogs were great at the cabin. It was mostly carpeted (and no doggie door of course) so I wasn't sure if Porter's house training would have a hiccup. I took him out frequently at first just in case, but after a day didn't need to stress about it.
Indi loved having an infant in the house again and Baby Devon was equally thrilled with Indi. I don't know who was more pleased when Devon would toss bits of her toast at Indi but both thought the arrangement was perfect.
Porter was not as obsessed with the infant or toddler as I thought he would be and I am thankful for that since it would have made for a very long weekend trying to keep him tied up and away from the kids. Unfortunately, because of his size I think, anytime Porter sniffed or even walked by the toddler, Jason would have a melt down.
I kept the doors to the bedrooms closed as much as I could and the kids kept their toys in their rooms. But even when a door was left open or socks and shoes were in the hallway, Porter didn't rush to grab at things that were not his.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the cabin has a fully fenced backyard. I was fully expecting to have to keep both dogs on leash for all potty breaks, so it was great to let them sniff and explore and chase balls and pine cones off leash. This really helped to tire Porter out.
One afternoon we walked a block to the lake with the kids and Porter. I thought there would be snow everywhere and a walk would be out of the question so I didn't bring his harness. With all the amazing mountain smells and the slush and ice along the side of the road, Porter was bound and determined to get here and there and nowhere as fast as he could. He was obsessed with the ice and I had to be careful to make sure I was standing on very dry land or he would cause me to slide and slip on the ice and mud.
At one point Porter was pulling like a sled dog and I stood my ground holding him back with all my strength. He suddenly stopped pulling and sat straight up. He has the odd sit where he's almost leaning back with his head and neck. I look to see why he was so still but also alert and I see that several ducks had come out of the lake and on to the land. He was doing a great job keeping an eye on them but not rushing over and scaring them away. Although I'm sure if he was off leash that's what he would have done. Normally he's not that interested in birds...maybe his instincts are starting to kick in.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Christmas and Agility
For Christmas we traveled to my in-laws for a few days with Porter in tow. Indi stayed at doggie Disneyland (her BFF Theo's house) because my two brother-in-laws were bringing their young bouncy dogs and I knew it would be too stressful for me and Indi.
Unfortunately I came down with the flu shortly after we arrived so my husband was in charge of Porter almost the entire time. As you know, he's a pretty easy pup, but due to his size and my in-laws not being dog people, he had to be tethered and watched closely every moment.
His cousin dog, Guinness, the Boston Terrier/Pug, had free reign (with a drag leash) and used it to his advantage. Guinness loved taunting Porter by grabbing a toy and zooming past Porter. When they played bitey face, Guinness camped himself under the coffee table for protection and surged forward to attack only to retreat out of Porter's reach. He looked like a Moray Eel. Porter adapted to Guinness's sneaky tactics of staying out of reach by grabbing the leash Guinness was dragging and yanking him back into the fray.
On Christmas, his other cousin arrived, Zeus, the Pug/Beagle. The three dogs got along well and did a great job tiring each other out.
Despite being tethered a majority of the time, Porter was very well behaved and pretty calm. He got frequent walks to the park where he played with a Great Dane in addition to all the wrestling he did wit his cousins.
We barely got everything to fit in our car with Porter's crate in the back and he's ready to move up to the next size. I love my SUV but I'm surprised how little cargo room I have. It's fine if there's no crate, but that's not an option.
Porter's snuggle techniques are being fine tuned every week. He is now using QM as a pillow, which she adores.
If Porter hears me running a bath for QM he now darts upstairs and bobs for her bath toys. He'd happily jump in but I'd rather not have a wet sopping dog running through the house.
At bedtime, Porter is learning to snuggle on her bed while we read bedtime stories. Sometimes he still gets stir crazy and wants to play or chew something but he's getting better about it every day. On those days he's just too amped up I close him out of the room and he lies down outside the door and waits for me to finish. Any time I'm in a room and he can't come in he sets up a vigil just outside. He'll lie there for hours waiting for me to emerge even though the rest of the family is downstairs and more than happy to keep him company.
Due to some appointments Porter is missing two agility classes. I worked on his issue of sticking to my left side like glue and missing the jump, but of course he didn't do it in the backyard at all. We are making progress with his contact behavior. It's still not even close to being done, but we have worked out the issue of Porter twisting towards me and bringing his back end off the ramp. I found that he was so focused on getting to the target plate that he came off the board. He wasn't paying any attention to his body. So instead of using a target I just did some free shaping. He's more focused this way instead of flailing all over the place. I think part of the problem is he can smell all the treats on the ground others have used so he's obsessed with sniffing all over the place to get a free morsel. Apparently I'm starving him even though I have a huge bait bag full of amazing treats that I provide in ample supply.
Last class I tried something new. Because Porter was so obsessed with sniffing the ground any chance he got I decided to try a technique by Swedish agility trainers Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh. While you are training the dog is either actively working or put away and on a break. To get from one spot to another you use a transport, which can be tugging with the dog and moving to your spot, carrying your dog, a cookie magnet, or holding the collar. But you are controlling the situation and keeping the dog from getting distracted or doing his own thing. He knows it's time to work and not just wander around.
So in class Porter was either in his soft crate (door flap still open and lots of treats), actively working with me, or on his mat. This was a challenge to keep up in class since we are constantly moving to another part of the field to work and while there need to listen to the instruction and then wait our turn. I can't be that far away from Porter while he's in the soft crate yet, since I don't want him to learn he could rip out of it if he really wanted to. So I carried his mat everywhere and worked on him relaxing until it was his turn, then right after it was either back on his mat or into the crate.
I found this to be exhausted for both of us. I think it will be better when his mat and soft crate behavior are more solid, but right now he still needs treats every now and then so he's not truly relaxing but still anticipating being rewarded. 45 minutes into class I could tell his brain just wanted to turn off and we were unable to do one of the exercised.
On the plus side, I found this method did prevent a lot of his sniffing behavior and while his brain was still fresh he was a lot more focused on each exercise.
I will continue trying this method and see what come of it. I also am not allowing him to greet or play with any dogs when at a training facility. I noticed last week that he seemed less amped up and trying to play because of this.
 |
| Look how much he's grown! |
Unfortunately I came down with the flu shortly after we arrived so my husband was in charge of Porter almost the entire time. As you know, he's a pretty easy pup, but due to his size and my in-laws not being dog people, he had to be tethered and watched closely every moment.
 |
| Here he is getting settled in his spot. |
His cousin dog, Guinness, the Boston Terrier/Pug, had free reign (with a drag leash) and used it to his advantage. Guinness loved taunting Porter by grabbing a toy and zooming past Porter. When they played bitey face, Guinness camped himself under the coffee table for protection and surged forward to attack only to retreat out of Porter's reach. He looked like a Moray Eel. Porter adapted to Guinness's sneaky tactics of staying out of reach by grabbing the leash Guinness was dragging and yanking him back into the fray.
 |
| There's no escape for Guinness |
On Christmas, his other cousin arrived, Zeus, the Pug/Beagle. The three dogs got along well and did a great job tiring each other out.
Despite being tethered a majority of the time, Porter was very well behaved and pretty calm. He got frequent walks to the park where he played with a Great Dane in addition to all the wrestling he did wit his cousins.
We barely got everything to fit in our car with Porter's crate in the back and he's ready to move up to the next size. I love my SUV but I'm surprised how little cargo room I have. It's fine if there's no crate, but that's not an option.
Porter's snuggle techniques are being fine tuned every week. He is now using QM as a pillow, which she adores.
At bedtime, Porter is learning to snuggle on her bed while we read bedtime stories. Sometimes he still gets stir crazy and wants to play or chew something but he's getting better about it every day. On those days he's just too amped up I close him out of the room and he lies down outside the door and waits for me to finish. Any time I'm in a room and he can't come in he sets up a vigil just outside. He'll lie there for hours waiting for me to emerge even though the rest of the family is downstairs and more than happy to keep him company.
 |
| Coveting Kylie's wood plank. |
Due to some appointments Porter is missing two agility classes. I worked on his issue of sticking to my left side like glue and missing the jump, but of course he didn't do it in the backyard at all. We are making progress with his contact behavior. It's still not even close to being done, but we have worked out the issue of Porter twisting towards me and bringing his back end off the ramp. I found that he was so focused on getting to the target plate that he came off the board. He wasn't paying any attention to his body. So instead of using a target I just did some free shaping. He's more focused this way instead of flailing all over the place. I think part of the problem is he can smell all the treats on the ground others have used so he's obsessed with sniffing all over the place to get a free morsel. Apparently I'm starving him even though I have a huge bait bag full of amazing treats that I provide in ample supply.
Last class I tried something new. Because Porter was so obsessed with sniffing the ground any chance he got I decided to try a technique by Swedish agility trainers Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh. While you are training the dog is either actively working or put away and on a break. To get from one spot to another you use a transport, which can be tugging with the dog and moving to your spot, carrying your dog, a cookie magnet, or holding the collar. But you are controlling the situation and keeping the dog from getting distracted or doing his own thing. He knows it's time to work and not just wander around.
 |
| Not quite swimming, but getting closer! |
 |
| Comfort is highly valued on our household |
On the plus side, I found this method did prevent a lot of his sniffing behavior and while his brain was still fresh he was a lot more focused on each exercise.
I will continue trying this method and see what come of it. I also am not allowing him to greet or play with any dogs when at a training facility. I noticed last week that he seemed less amped up and trying to play because of this.
 |
| Apparently this is comfortable for him. I call it his "Broken Puppy" position. |
Monday, December 12, 2011
Uncrating Training in Progress
From the first week I brought Porter home he has gone to my dog training classes with me and stayed in an ex-pen. Right off the bat he was great at relaxing in there and not being upset there were other puppies nearby who were being played with and fed yummy treats. He did the same at an agility trial we went to.
Then I changed jobs and stopped teaching those puppy classes. For two months Porter was required to be in an ex-pen near other dogs. Somewhere around this time I also began training him for K9 Nose Work. And for the first time, Porter started making a fuss in his ex-pen. Ugh. He was enjoying the hunt so much he was not happy to be put away again while other dogs ran.
When I started teaching Nose Work classes last week I brought Porter along. Unfortunately the other dogs are a bit vocal while waiting their turn as well (one is a scent hound with a mournful bay) and now Porter is making a huge fuss while it's not his turn. The sad part of this for me is that means I won't be bringing him to class anymore. I don't want him continuing that behavior and I can't work on it while I'm busy teaching class. Instead I'll need to find time to bring him to the training center outside of class and just work on him remaining happy and quiet in his crate.
Thankfully it has not disrupted his crate behavior at home or in the car. I think if I didn't do something to address it and just let him continue this behavior that it would bleed over to his other crate times and I would kick myself.
Then I changed jobs and stopped teaching those puppy classes. For two months Porter was required to be in an ex-pen near other dogs. Somewhere around this time I also began training him for K9 Nose Work. And for the first time, Porter started making a fuss in his ex-pen. Ugh. He was enjoying the hunt so much he was not happy to be put away again while other dogs ran.
When I started teaching Nose Work classes last week I brought Porter along. Unfortunately the other dogs are a bit vocal while waiting their turn as well (one is a scent hound with a mournful bay) and now Porter is making a huge fuss while it's not his turn. The sad part of this for me is that means I won't be bringing him to class anymore. I don't want him continuing that behavior and I can't work on it while I'm busy teaching class. Instead I'll need to find time to bring him to the training center outside of class and just work on him remaining happy and quiet in his crate.
Thankfully it has not disrupted his crate behavior at home or in the car. I think if I didn't do something to address it and just let him continue this behavior that it would bleed over to his other crate times and I would kick myself.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
3 Months Old
Porter continues to amaze me. While we haven't worked a on a lot of "tricks" yet, his general training is coming along quite nicely. He walks in loose lead most of the time. When he occasionally pulls, I stop, and he has learned to release the tension by walking back towards me and then we continue forward. His pulling is typically caused by his quick pace. If I keep a very brisk walk then we are fine. His normal walking pace is much faster than mine though so I need to teach him to slow it down a bit especially once his legs grow even longer! I'll be jogging just to keep up on his walk.
When we are training his has great focus while heeling. He turned right very nicely, even doing 360's. I haven't worked on our lefts yet and I need to get on the perch work to help with those left pivots. He is really easy to maneuver into heel position and is learning to sit nice a straight. His preference is still to swing around to my front so I've been heavily rewarding him in heel position and he's doing better at staying there longer. He still stretches out to down so I need to work on teaching him to move his back feet inside so he's still in heel position. None of this is on cue yet.
I am most impressed with his behavior on Saturday. While the older dogs were in a big circle for basic obedience class (and there were over 10 dogs), Porter and I heeled around the outside of the circle and he was able to stay focuses on me (ok, really on my treats but I'll take it).
He also did much better playing with some puppies in class this week. Only once or twice he looked a little stiff. He played the most of a small JRT pup. Many he reminded him of Indigo. :) And as always he's doing great meeting older dogs, even if they are still puppies themselves, just a little older and a little larger.
He had a playdate with the Dalmatians, Kylie and Daisy this week. He has only seen Kylie on leash and even though she can be a pistol they all had a great time after our slow one on one off leash introductions. It was great seeing the three of them romp around together. After they had their fun we did a couple of rounds of Nose Work with them all.
I'm impressed at how quickly Porter picks up on things. He's waiting nicely for his dinner bowl now until I give him the release cue. I still am not waiting too long, but I can walk away a few feet and turn my back on him and he (typically) holds his stay.
His gross motor skills are improving every week. He's much better at walking down our hardwood floor stairs. I still walk in front of him in case he slips or tries to jump too many steps, but he rarely fumbles now. Most of the time he can make it up onto the couch but occasionally scrambles a bit. Jumping off was scary at first since he's take a flying leap and his feet would slip out from under him on the slick floor. I had visions of ACL tears and shoulder injuries dashing before my eyes as his agility career flies out the window. I'm not sure if he's able to control his body better now or if trimming the fur on his pads did the trick, but now he lands firmly. Probably a little bit of both.
I was surprised how well he did when I used the trimmers on his paws. Of course I has my daughter holding a peanut butter kong for him, but his was much more still then when I dremel his nails. He's also getting a little better when I brush him. He's prefer to chew the brush and I'm sure a stuffed kong would solve that but I always seem to decide to brush him at he last minute in between doing other things. I figure if I brush him frequently with the Furminator it will keep down on the fluff flying around the house. When Porter first came home nothing was coming out with the brush but now I do get some clumps of hair.
While he still takes hard naps his wakeful time is increasing. He has some crazy periods but they don't last long. All in all he's pretty chill and settles down very quickly. He's also become a real snuggle bug recently. Since he can jump up on the couch now he'll cuddle up and nap instead of chew on you. When he does try to mouth us, off the couch he goes. He learns quickly and either goes and plays with something else or jumps up and relaxes instead.
He's also, slowly, learning to not bother us if we are eating at the coffee table. Indigo is great with this and will not touch food on the coffee table even if left there for several hours with us out of the house. Porter will try to come up and sniff really close but we body block him and eventually he lays down and naps. Sometimes he gets frustrated and chews on the coffee table but stops if I put a drop or two of bitter apple
on it. I think it's mostly the smell that gets him, or at least he has learned that the smell means it will taste bad so he doesn't even chew it or lick it after Bitter Apple is applied.
Porter has decided he loves pears and harvests the fallen pears from our tree. I'll have to be better about picking them up because last night he threw up a pear stem.
On that note, crate training is going great! When he vomited the pear stem at 3am, I opened the crate to wipe it up and then went back to bed. Porter did the same. I was worried he would want to get out but he didn't. He even let me sleep in until past 6:30 this morning and he didn't ask for a middle of the night pee break! Today he was crated for just shy of 3 hours, his longest time yet, and he seemed just fine when I got home.
We finally finished his bag of kibble and he had his first meal of Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw) tonight. This week I go buy meat to put him back on a regular raw diet. I need to figure out where to feed him since I was feeding him his raw meals in his crate since I can use clorox wipes there and he's separated from Indi. But now that crate is upstairs in the bedrooms and is just too big and bulky for me to carry up and down daily. I don't think feeding up upstairs will work well since I like to watch him eat just in case he has a problem and he takes while to finish. Downstairs I can get a few things done while watching him.
Porter has outgrown Indi, but he's still clumsy so she continues to get the better of him in their wresting matches.
When we are training his has great focus while heeling. He turned right very nicely, even doing 360's. I haven't worked on our lefts yet and I need to get on the perch work to help with those left pivots. He is really easy to maneuver into heel position and is learning to sit nice a straight. His preference is still to swing around to my front so I've been heavily rewarding him in heel position and he's doing better at staying there longer. He still stretches out to down so I need to work on teaching him to move his back feet inside so he's still in heel position. None of this is on cue yet.
I am most impressed with his behavior on Saturday. While the older dogs were in a big circle for basic obedience class (and there were over 10 dogs), Porter and I heeled around the outside of the circle and he was able to stay focuses on me (ok, really on my treats but I'll take it).
He also did much better playing with some puppies in class this week. Only once or twice he looked a little stiff. He played the most of a small JRT pup. Many he reminded him of Indigo. :) And as always he's doing great meeting older dogs, even if they are still puppies themselves, just a little older and a little larger.
He had a playdate with the Dalmatians, Kylie and Daisy this week. He has only seen Kylie on leash and even though she can be a pistol they all had a great time after our slow one on one off leash introductions. It was great seeing the three of them romp around together. After they had their fun we did a couple of rounds of Nose Work with them all.
I'm impressed at how quickly Porter picks up on things. He's waiting nicely for his dinner bowl now until I give him the release cue. I still am not waiting too long, but I can walk away a few feet and turn my back on him and he (typically) holds his stay.
His gross motor skills are improving every week. He's much better at walking down our hardwood floor stairs. I still walk in front of him in case he slips or tries to jump too many steps, but he rarely fumbles now. Most of the time he can make it up onto the couch but occasionally scrambles a bit. Jumping off was scary at first since he's take a flying leap and his feet would slip out from under him on the slick floor. I had visions of ACL tears and shoulder injuries dashing before my eyes as his agility career flies out the window. I'm not sure if he's able to control his body better now or if trimming the fur on his pads did the trick, but now he lands firmly. Probably a little bit of both.
I was surprised how well he did when I used the trimmers on his paws. Of course I has my daughter holding a peanut butter kong for him, but his was much more still then when I dremel his nails. He's also getting a little better when I brush him. He's prefer to chew the brush and I'm sure a stuffed kong would solve that but I always seem to decide to brush him at he last minute in between doing other things. I figure if I brush him frequently with the Furminator it will keep down on the fluff flying around the house. When Porter first came home nothing was coming out with the brush but now I do get some clumps of hair.
While he still takes hard naps his wakeful time is increasing. He has some crazy periods but they don't last long. All in all he's pretty chill and settles down very quickly. He's also become a real snuggle bug recently. Since he can jump up on the couch now he'll cuddle up and nap instead of chew on you. When he does try to mouth us, off the couch he goes. He learns quickly and either goes and plays with something else or jumps up and relaxes instead.
He's also, slowly, learning to not bother us if we are eating at the coffee table. Indigo is great with this and will not touch food on the coffee table even if left there for several hours with us out of the house. Porter will try to come up and sniff really close but we body block him and eventually he lays down and naps. Sometimes he gets frustrated and chews on the coffee table but stops if I put a drop or two of bitter apple
on it. I think it's mostly the smell that gets him, or at least he has learned that the smell means it will taste bad so he doesn't even chew it or lick it after Bitter Apple is applied.
Porter has decided he loves pears and harvests the fallen pears from our tree. I'll have to be better about picking them up because last night he threw up a pear stem.
On that note, crate training is going great! When he vomited the pear stem at 3am, I opened the crate to wipe it up and then went back to bed. Porter did the same. I was worried he would want to get out but he didn't. He even let me sleep in until past 6:30 this morning and he didn't ask for a middle of the night pee break! Today he was crated for just shy of 3 hours, his longest time yet, and he seemed just fine when I got home.
We finally finished his bag of kibble and he had his first meal of Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw) tonight. This week I go buy meat to put him back on a regular raw diet. I need to figure out where to feed him since I was feeding him his raw meals in his crate since I can use clorox wipes there and he's separated from Indi. But now that crate is upstairs in the bedrooms and is just too big and bulky for me to carry up and down daily. I don't think feeding up upstairs will work well since I like to watch him eat just in case he has a problem and he takes while to finish. Downstairs I can get a few things done while watching him.
Porter has outgrown Indi, but he's still clumsy so she continues to get the better of him in their wresting matches.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Beekers - The Cowardly Lion
Friday Porter and I played Crate Games. I planned to do it right after I got back from taking QM to school, but Porter had other plans. Napping. He did pretty well With Crate Games but I am noticing he's a pretty chill dog so the training dynamics is very different than with my edgy terrier, Indigo.
Having Porter sit while I open the crate is easy. He got that almost as soon as he came home. He has no problem sitting and waiting for more treats to be delivered to him. He usually waits even if I pause and step away from the open crate. It's almost impossible to get him out once I release him, but I don't think it's because I've build enough value for the crate. I think he just get comfortable and wants to relax. Even while playing the game he'll settle into a down and I'll have to lure him back to a sit.
His crating in general is doing much better. Two nights ago we attempted to crate him in the bedroom so I can finally sleep in my own bed and not the couch. He made a fuss but not for long and slept very soundly most of the night. I only took him out to potty once when I heard him stirring. Last night was even better. I placed him inside and he instantly went to sleep. At one point in the night as he was tossing and turning, Ian thought he needed to go out so he approached the crate. Porter just stayed down and looked at him, not eager to get out.
Indigo never cared much for her antler chew but I wanted to see if Porter would like one. Of course Indi's is packed away somewhere so I bought new ones. He loved it and surprise, surprise so did Indi. They kept exchanging since the other's always seemed better.
Last night poor Porter has just finished peeing outside when suddenly the sprinklers turned on! I hope it doesn't mess him up and make him nervous about peeing out back.
On Saturday he came to my puppy classes again. I set him up in his ex-pen while I returned to my car for my gear. He whined for a few seconds and then settled down nicely for a nap and was out for over an hour. We did a couple of meet and greets with some other puppies, but Porter didn't really get into playing like he does with Indi. I think he was a bit nervous since he was stiff but I and hoping to see him relax and begin to play with new dogs soon.
This morning Porter met Beekers, my sister's dog. Beekers is a large tripod Golden who is just the sweetest dog ever. Unfortunately, Beekers is really nervous around dogs if the dogs express any interest or try to sniff him. So despite the huge size and age difference, Beekers retreated any time Porter tried to make contact. If Porter was nearby but not trying to engage him then Beekers was fine. I would love it if they became friends so we'll have to do more small visits.
Porter missed his morning nap since he was at my sister's which means he totally passed out when we got home. I had to beg him to pee before I crated him to pick QM up at school. The crate was still in the bedroom but Porter didn't care. He was still settled when I got back and didn't even want to get out until he saw QM.
I have always wanted a water loving dog and boy did I get one. He may not swim yet, but he sure does love playing with his water bowl. He often hugs it as he drinks and attempts to sleep with his head in the bowl. He frequently paws at it and tries to tip it over so he can lay in the puddle.
Luckily I know other FCR owners and was told the Buddy Bowl is awesome. I looked it up online and almost ordered one for Amazon ($20!!), but just happened to find one at my local pet store. So far so good! He hasn't been able to tip it but if he does it's designed so water doesn't spill out.
I'm attempting a picture a day thing and will string them all together when he turns a year. I've missed some days, but I think overall I'm doing well. Here's how I am posing him.
And more cuteness pix
Having Porter sit while I open the crate is easy. He got that almost as soon as he came home. He has no problem sitting and waiting for more treats to be delivered to him. He usually waits even if I pause and step away from the open crate. It's almost impossible to get him out once I release him, but I don't think it's because I've build enough value for the crate. I think he just get comfortable and wants to relax. Even while playing the game he'll settle into a down and I'll have to lure him back to a sit.
His crating in general is doing much better. Two nights ago we attempted to crate him in the bedroom so I can finally sleep in my own bed and not the couch. He made a fuss but not for long and slept very soundly most of the night. I only took him out to potty once when I heard him stirring. Last night was even better. I placed him inside and he instantly went to sleep. At one point in the night as he was tossing and turning, Ian thought he needed to go out so he approached the crate. Porter just stayed down and looked at him, not eager to get out.
Indigo never cared much for her antler chew but I wanted to see if Porter would like one. Of course Indi's is packed away somewhere so I bought new ones. He loved it and surprise, surprise so did Indi. They kept exchanging since the other's always seemed better.
Last night poor Porter has just finished peeing outside when suddenly the sprinklers turned on! I hope it doesn't mess him up and make him nervous about peeing out back.
On Saturday he came to my puppy classes again. I set him up in his ex-pen while I returned to my car for my gear. He whined for a few seconds and then settled down nicely for a nap and was out for over an hour. We did a couple of meet and greets with some other puppies, but Porter didn't really get into playing like he does with Indi. I think he was a bit nervous since he was stiff but I and hoping to see him relax and begin to play with new dogs soon.
This morning Porter met Beekers, my sister's dog. Beekers is a large tripod Golden who is just the sweetest dog ever. Unfortunately, Beekers is really nervous around dogs if the dogs express any interest or try to sniff him. So despite the huge size and age difference, Beekers retreated any time Porter tried to make contact. If Porter was nearby but not trying to engage him then Beekers was fine. I would love it if they became friends so we'll have to do more small visits.
Porter missed his morning nap since he was at my sister's which means he totally passed out when we got home. I had to beg him to pee before I crated him to pick QM up at school. The crate was still in the bedroom but Porter didn't care. He was still settled when I got back and didn't even want to get out until he saw QM.
I have always wanted a water loving dog and boy did I get one. He may not swim yet, but he sure does love playing with his water bowl. He often hugs it as he drinks and attempts to sleep with his head in the bowl. He frequently paws at it and tries to tip it over so he can lay in the puddle.
Luckily I know other FCR owners and was told the Buddy Bowl is awesome. I looked it up online and almost ordered one for Amazon ($20!!), but just happened to find one at my local pet store. So far so good! He hasn't been able to tip it but if he does it's designed so water doesn't spill out.
I'm attempting a picture a day thing and will string them all together when he turns a year. I've missed some days, but I think overall I'm doing well. Here's how I am posing him.
And more cuteness pix
Friday, August 26, 2011
Ni Hao!
The last two nights Porter has only needed to go out to potty once. And I don't even know if that was needed but he woke up, so I took him out. Both mornings he was awake at 5:30am, and although I'd love to sleep in more, I counted that a success and got him breakfast. I was especially happy last night since he had a long nap and only a very short and mild play session before bed, yet he still settled nicely in his crate and slept. So nights are becoming easier and for naps during the day he can often be convinced to take them in his crate. As for random crating, he's not there yet. This morning we'll do more crate games but he's taking his morning nap aat the moment.
Yesterday Madeline and her family came over to visit Porter (and Indigo). As usually, Porter was totally asleep when they arrived and took a bit to stop being so groggy.
That afternoon while QM was in Chinese school, Porter and I sat in the shade and relaxed.
He alternated between relaxing and wanting to walk around and chew on the bird of paradise plants. He was most settled after making a mess with his water bottle and then laying in the puddle. It was really nice in the shade, not too hot and believe me I'd be complaining if it was, but Porter still seemed a little warm or maybe he was stressed. So a cool bed is going to be necessary. It's such a change from Indigo who worships the sun yet would never spread out on a hard surface like you see Porter doing above.
He started getting even antsier and I assumed it was because he was bored and I was not letting him chew in the planters but it seems he just needed to go potty and once that was taken care of he settled down and completely passed out. As I carried him to the car he almost feel asleep in my arms and he stayed lying down the entire ride home.
His house training is really coming along. He doesn't need to go out as frequently and does a great job of standing by the baby gate to be let into the kitchen to the back door. Or he will go look out the floor length windows in the dining room. I think he thinks he can get out that way, too.
I still don't trust him when he goes under the dining room table. The area rug under it is just too tempting of a place to pee and if he gets the urge with all the chair legs there it's hard to get to him and scoop him outside quickly.
Somehow he came with a default sit. If I have a treat or he wants attention he will approach and then sit and stare longingly into your eyes. He has never been lured into a sit; in fact, we haven't worked on any obedience yet. Although I do pause when I open the crate door and wait for a sit, but that's part of crate games. I'm not verbally cueing him but the hand on the door is a cue which I helped associate with the sit by capturing the behavior.
Yesterday Madeline and her family came over to visit Porter (and Indigo). As usually, Porter was totally asleep when they arrived and took a bit to stop being so groggy.
That afternoon while QM was in Chinese school, Porter and I sat in the shade and relaxed.
He alternated between relaxing and wanting to walk around and chew on the bird of paradise plants. He was most settled after making a mess with his water bottle and then laying in the puddle. It was really nice in the shade, not too hot and believe me I'd be complaining if it was, but Porter still seemed a little warm or maybe he was stressed. So a cool bed is going to be necessary. It's such a change from Indigo who worships the sun yet would never spread out on a hard surface like you see Porter doing above.
He started getting even antsier and I assumed it was because he was bored and I was not letting him chew in the planters but it seems he just needed to go potty and once that was taken care of he settled down and completely passed out. As I carried him to the car he almost feel asleep in my arms and he stayed lying down the entire ride home.
His house training is really coming along. He doesn't need to go out as frequently and does a great job of standing by the baby gate to be let into the kitchen to the back door. Or he will go look out the floor length windows in the dining room. I think he thinks he can get out that way, too.
I still don't trust him when he goes under the dining room table. The area rug under it is just too tempting of a place to pee and if he gets the urge with all the chair legs there it's hard to get to him and scoop him outside quickly.
Somehow he came with a default sit. If I have a treat or he wants attention he will approach and then sit and stare longingly into your eyes. He has never been lured into a sit; in fact, we haven't worked on any obedience yet. Although I do pause when I open the crate door and wait for a sit, but that's part of crate games. I'm not verbally cueing him but the hand on the door is a cue which I helped associate with the sit by capturing the behavior.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Relaxing in the Car
Three different children came over to play with Porter today. The funny thing is, while a lot of the children have been excited to see him they all lose interest so quickly! Maybe it's because he's only playful in short bursts and then takes a nap, but I'm surprised they are more interested in playing in the yard or with QM's toys. However it's a good thing as well so Porter gets introduced to kids but not mauled by them.
QM has gymnastics today so Porter came along for the ride. He's not ready to stay home alone in his crate for the hour and a half I would be gone. The ride over was only 5 minutes but I'm still impressed how much better he's doing in the car. He occasionally gets on his hind legs to see over the seat to the front but he doesn't howl or carry on. While QM was in class we sat outside the building for a short while and after trying to attack some plants (but having the leash prevent such an assault) Porter lay* down. This is so different from Indi who cannot relax out in public and would never dream of lying down on a hard surface. He even was able to meet two new children so that brings our kid total to 5 today.
* I am horrible with the whole lay/lie thing, so I looked it up to be sure but, man, the past tense is so screwed up. I don't think I've ever said that properly since it sounds so weird to me.
After a few minutes I put him in his car crate and sat next to him in the back cargo area. He was a little anxious (panting, a small whine here and there, restless), but several times he lay down and chewed his bullystick even though cars were coming and going all around us.
I purchased one of those water bottles for dogs with the tray attached that they can drink out of. Apparently you need to teach some puppies how to drink from it since he was a bit confused. At first he just sniffed and snorted it and then tried to chew the tray. Finally he saw some water trickling down the tray and figured out to lick it but he still had problems lapping from the pool at the bottom.
Despite being in the crate for 30 minutes or more he was very quiet and calm on the drive home. We still need more practice but I was happy with his behavior so far.
Once home, Porter and Indi had several very intense rounds of wrestling. Porter is really getting into it now and giving Indi a run for her money. At one point tonight Indi was done so she lay down on the couch and Porter kept launching himself at her to try to get her to come down. Indi was not amused. He's been napping for well over 2 hours now after that last bout. Why their huge play session can't happen at 10pm is beyond me. It would make my night much easily.
He still continues to love sleeping with his head only under the couch. when he gets bigger he's going to be so sad he doesn't fit!
QM has gymnastics today so Porter came along for the ride. He's not ready to stay home alone in his crate for the hour and a half I would be gone. The ride over was only 5 minutes but I'm still impressed how much better he's doing in the car. He occasionally gets on his hind legs to see over the seat to the front but he doesn't howl or carry on. While QM was in class we sat outside the building for a short while and after trying to attack some plants (but having the leash prevent such an assault) Porter lay* down. This is so different from Indi who cannot relax out in public and would never dream of lying down on a hard surface. He even was able to meet two new children so that brings our kid total to 5 today.
* I am horrible with the whole lay/lie thing, so I looked it up to be sure but, man, the past tense is so screwed up. I don't think I've ever said that properly since it sounds so weird to me.
After a few minutes I put him in his car crate and sat next to him in the back cargo area. He was a little anxious (panting, a small whine here and there, restless), but several times he lay down and chewed his bullystick even though cars were coming and going all around us.
I purchased one of those water bottles for dogs with the tray attached that they can drink out of. Apparently you need to teach some puppies how to drink from it since he was a bit confused. At first he just sniffed and snorted it and then tried to chew the tray. Finally he saw some water trickling down the tray and figured out to lick it but he still had problems lapping from the pool at the bottom.
Despite being in the crate for 30 minutes or more he was very quiet and calm on the drive home. We still need more practice but I was happy with his behavior so far.
Once home, Porter and Indi had several very intense rounds of wrestling. Porter is really getting into it now and giving Indi a run for her money. At one point tonight Indi was done so she lay down on the couch and Porter kept launching himself at her to try to get her to come down. Indi was not amused. He's been napping for well over 2 hours now after that last bout. Why their huge play session can't happen at 10pm is beyond me. It would make my night much easily.
He still continues to love sleeping with his head only under the couch. when he gets bigger he's going to be so sad he doesn't fit!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
These Paws are Made for Walking...
Porter is coming out of his shell. He's getting more frisky instead of wanting to sleep all the time and play session with Indi are increasing in frequency. He finally got off his back yesterday while playing and started playing bitey face back. Indi took it all in stride even when the alligator mouth with sharp puppy teeth clamped on to her cheek. She's being a great big sister!
His confidence is growing as evident by our successful walk around the cul-de-sac today. Just two days ago he didn't want to leave the front yard much, but yesterday he happily trotted along meeting neighbors and grabbing rocks on the go. Pretty soon he'll be ready to make field trips around town. He walked well on leash but I know that is only a stage. I'll need to bring my clicker and treats and reward him for staying close.
Last night was a huge success. I was worried since Porter started napping before 9pm. Around 11pm I took him out for his last potty break and then started playing with him inside to burn up some energy. I didn't have ti play for long since Indi jumped into the mix and then two wrestled and tugged. They are both getting more exercise and fun than they would being only dogs. I know we'll hit bumpy roads but right now bringing Porter home has been wonderful for Indi.
Finally it was time for me to go to bed so I crated Porter up using a treat for him to follow since I have not trained him to go into his crate on his own yet. Ian was still watching tv at first so Porter wouldn't settle but once the lights were off he went right to bed. Despite being woken up several times by him repositioning himself he only looked like he wanted out once in the night. The second he sat up I took him out since I don't want to reinforce him pawing or barking in the crate and him getting out. He promptly peed and then back into the crate he went. At 6:30am I got up to feed him though I was tempted to sleep longer and see how far I could push it. But he had been so great sleeping in that I didn't want to ruin it.
He's still loving his raw diet but does get frustrated when he can;t chew a piece off, so part of the time he's whining at the chicken. If he gives up but hasn't eaten a lot I'll hold the chicken down with a fork and he quickly digs in and rips pieces off. Once we get outside he cleans his face off by rubbing in the grass but I discovered this morning that if I am not quick enough he'll just rub his face on the area rugs. Yuck!
Due to our success last night and the fact that house guests will be here, tonight I will attempt to sleep upstairs with him in his crate. What I need to do is bring this crate upstairs today and have him nap in it and play crate games.
Today he meets grandma and grandpa (the human ones) but other then that there's no other people socialization planned. The four other people coming over had to cancel which also means he doesn't get to meet his future BFF, Chase the Aussie. I'll probably walk him future around the neighborhood. Last night was so nice to walk him around and not be on edge and looking for things that might set him off (like I need to do with Indi). And so far he's not upset to go some where without her.
His confidence is growing as evident by our successful walk around the cul-de-sac today. Just two days ago he didn't want to leave the front yard much, but yesterday he happily trotted along meeting neighbors and grabbing rocks on the go. Pretty soon he'll be ready to make field trips around town. He walked well on leash but I know that is only a stage. I'll need to bring my clicker and treats and reward him for staying close.
Last night was a huge success. I was worried since Porter started napping before 9pm. Around 11pm I took him out for his last potty break and then started playing with him inside to burn up some energy. I didn't have ti play for long since Indi jumped into the mix and then two wrestled and tugged. They are both getting more exercise and fun than they would being only dogs. I know we'll hit bumpy roads but right now bringing Porter home has been wonderful for Indi.
Finally it was time for me to go to bed so I crated Porter up using a treat for him to follow since I have not trained him to go into his crate on his own yet. Ian was still watching tv at first so Porter wouldn't settle but once the lights were off he went right to bed. Despite being woken up several times by him repositioning himself he only looked like he wanted out once in the night. The second he sat up I took him out since I don't want to reinforce him pawing or barking in the crate and him getting out. He promptly peed and then back into the crate he went. At 6:30am I got up to feed him though I was tempted to sleep longer and see how far I could push it. But he had been so great sleeping in that I didn't want to ruin it.
He's still loving his raw diet but does get frustrated when he can;t chew a piece off, so part of the time he's whining at the chicken. If he gives up but hasn't eaten a lot I'll hold the chicken down with a fork and he quickly digs in and rips pieces off. Once we get outside he cleans his face off by rubbing in the grass but I discovered this morning that if I am not quick enough he'll just rub his face on the area rugs. Yuck!
Due to our success last night and the fact that house guests will be here, tonight I will attempt to sleep upstairs with him in his crate. What I need to do is bring this crate upstairs today and have him nap in it and play crate games.
Today he meets grandma and grandpa (the human ones) but other then that there's no other people socialization planned. The four other people coming over had to cancel which also means he doesn't get to meet his future BFF, Chase the Aussie. I'll probably walk him future around the neighborhood. Last night was so nice to walk him around and not be on edge and looking for things that might set him off (like I need to do with Indi). And so far he's not upset to go some where without her.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Pool Party
Yesterday Porter hung out and chewed his bullystick while I watched my daughter and some neighborhood kids swim. He even got a chance to get his feet wet and did great. It must have worn him out since he fell asleep chewing his bullystick. I know he's still really sleepy from being so young, but it was so nice to have a dog in a new and exciting environment with kids screaming and playing and the dog doesn't mind and can relax at my feet. I'm hoping this continues and next week will start working on his mat work to make sure this becomes a habit.
The highlight of the day was seeing Indigo and Porter really play. Indi has been trying to get him to play all along but she's a bit overwhelming for him so it mostly ends up being her bouncing around and pawing at him while he rolls over and wonders what is going on and occasionally squeals and seeks my comfort. But last night he was finally feeling frisky and started mouthing her back and played a good game of tug. Indi really needs to learn to be more gentle with the poor guy. He's going to have shaken puppy syndrome! It was wonderful to watch Indi trying to engage him in play and to see her so happy.
Each time he took a nap yesterday I placed him in his crate and more often then not he just settled down and went to sleep. Any protest on his part was just a half hearted whine before curling up.
Last night I slept downstairs again but a little farther from his play area. He settled down quickly and slept for longer stretches but still stirred several times during the night to which I responded with a quick potty break. Unfortunately once outside he prefers to settled down on the soft grass and go to sleep! At one point he did pee once in his play area so after that I put him in the crateinstead. Surprisingly he was ok with it and spend the rest of the night in just the crate. After his 4:30 am potty break I tried putting him back to bed instead of getting up for the day and he complied! Since I had to go to work this morning I fed him around 6:30, but I was impressed he remained quiet until then.
He hardly made a fuss on the drive over to work and settled down in his crate nicely. I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to the car from unloading my gear that he was still settled and not panicked that I left him. He was such a good boy while I was teaching my puppy classes and mostly chewed his bullystick or her floppy water bowl (must remember to bring a normal one next time). He asked to get out once so I brought him out to demo for the class and put him right back in his ex-pen.
His favorite part was getting cuddles from my friend Sandy and 4 girls who has puppies in class. After classes were over and the girls left he promptly fell fast asleep and did not make a peep on the drive home.
His people socialization totals are looking good. He's only been home just over 3 days and has already met 33 different people. Tomorrow he will meet 6 more plus another puppy! His soon to be BFF Chase the Aussie is coming over. Chase is only 3 or 4 days older than Porter and his mommy is a trainer as well. We are going to keep each other on track with our training and work through Sue Ailsby's Training Levels together.
My goal for tonight is for Porter to sleep completely in the crate downstairs (no access to his play area) with me on the couch. If that is successful I will take the crate upstairs tomorrow to replace the plastic one up there that he does not like.
The highlight of the day was seeing Indigo and Porter really play. Indi has been trying to get him to play all along but she's a bit overwhelming for him so it mostly ends up being her bouncing around and pawing at him while he rolls over and wonders what is going on and occasionally squeals and seeks my comfort. But last night he was finally feeling frisky and started mouthing her back and played a good game of tug. Indi really needs to learn to be more gentle with the poor guy. He's going to have shaken puppy syndrome! It was wonderful to watch Indi trying to engage him in play and to see her so happy.
Each time he took a nap yesterday I placed him in his crate and more often then not he just settled down and went to sleep. Any protest on his part was just a half hearted whine before curling up.
Last night I slept downstairs again but a little farther from his play area. He settled down quickly and slept for longer stretches but still stirred several times during the night to which I responded with a quick potty break. Unfortunately once outside he prefers to settled down on the soft grass and go to sleep! At one point he did pee once in his play area so after that I put him in the crateinstead. Surprisingly he was ok with it and spend the rest of the night in just the crate. After his 4:30 am potty break I tried putting him back to bed instead of getting up for the day and he complied! Since I had to go to work this morning I fed him around 6:30, but I was impressed he remained quiet until then.
He hardly made a fuss on the drive over to work and settled down in his crate nicely. I was pleasantly surprised when I returned to the car from unloading my gear that he was still settled and not panicked that I left him. He was such a good boy while I was teaching my puppy classes and mostly chewed his bullystick or her floppy water bowl (must remember to bring a normal one next time). He asked to get out once so I brought him out to demo for the class and put him right back in his ex-pen.
His favorite part was getting cuddles from my friend Sandy and 4 girls who has puppies in class. After classes were over and the girls left he promptly fell fast asleep and did not make a peep on the drive home.
His people socialization totals are looking good. He's only been home just over 3 days and has already met 33 different people. Tomorrow he will meet 6 more plus another puppy! His soon to be BFF Chase the Aussie is coming over. Chase is only 3 or 4 days older than Porter and his mommy is a trainer as well. We are going to keep each other on track with our training and work through Sue Ailsby's Training Levels together.
My goal for tonight is for Porter to sleep completely in the crate downstairs (no access to his play area) with me on the couch. If that is successful I will take the crate upstairs tomorrow to replace the plastic one up there that he does not like.
Friday, August 19, 2011
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Crates
This is Porter's mantra at night.
I tried not letting him nap too late. I ran him around outside, which is tough since he prefers to snuggle the soft grass. He was completely exhausted, yet he fought tooth and nail not to sleep in his crate in the bedroom. A little whining I can accept, but he was pissed or stressed or both and I just couldn't make him tough it out. I don't want him to hate the crate and I have not had a chance to acclimate him to it yet, so really, it's not fair to expect him to just go with the flow. I've been working hard on getting him used to his puppy area downstairs but I neglected to do the same with the bedroom and that particular crate. Bad trainer! I need longer days.
Instead of torturing my puppy (and myself and the neighbors) I gathered up my pillow and some linens and took to the couch. Porter settled pretty quickly in his play area. A few times he would sit up and whine and I only had to lift my head so she saw that I was right there and he would curl back up and sleep. He still woke up almost hourly and I took him out to pee each time, just in case. A few of those times he really had to go!
Then at 4:30am I heard him throwing up again! More bile and water. His body is either adjusting to his new diet or he needs more food in his stomach before bedtime. Indigo will sometimes vomit bile (but yellow, not clear like Porter's) when her stomach is empty, so tonight I will give him some treats right before bed and see if that helps or give him something to snack on after one of his ungodly hour potty breaks.
The great thing about him is that after those potty breaks he settled down back to sleep very quickly! Only once did he seem a little more awake but a bullystick satisfied him. I think he's still settling in since even now at 6:30am he's napping again. He had breakfast at 4:30, then we played for a minute or two and he ended up chewing a toy while cuddling in my lap but quickly fell asleep while getting belly rubs. So he's sleeping quite a bit, just in small doses; 10 minutes here and there. I'm sure in no time he'll be up a lot more and demanding more attention.
Despite what I do for a living, Porter did have two accidents in the house yesterday. The first was when I took him to the bathroom with me (he had gone out himself maybe 10 minutes prior) and while there decided he needed to go, too, and the rug was a great spot. The second was after we can downstairs from putting QM in the bath. He was up there for 10-15 minutes chewing on a bullystick. I carried him downstairs and set him down and was about to take him out but he walked over to the dining room window (which pretty much touches the ground) stood in front of it and peed. I think he thought it was the sliding glass door but didn't have time to wait for me to open it. I was trying for zero mistakes, but that is out the window.
Tonight I will do the same sleeping set up. And this weekend we will start crate games (Susan Garrett's system). I have had time yet to do any training but I also wanted him system to get use to his new diet before I started giving him a lot of treats. I think the downstairs crate will be easier to get him used to. He had to go through it to get to the play area, which is also where he eats. A few times I have waited to open the crate door until he sits. Last night and this morning he let me put him in that crate while he napped and he was perfectly comfortable. Maybe what I'll do is bring the upstairs crate down here and load it with soft blankets and see if he climbs in tonight to sleep. Then once he likes it I can bring it back upstairs and hopefully train him to sleep up there.
I tried not letting him nap too late. I ran him around outside, which is tough since he prefers to snuggle the soft grass. He was completely exhausted, yet he fought tooth and nail not to sleep in his crate in the bedroom. A little whining I can accept, but he was pissed or stressed or both and I just couldn't make him tough it out. I don't want him to hate the crate and I have not had a chance to acclimate him to it yet, so really, it's not fair to expect him to just go with the flow. I've been working hard on getting him used to his puppy area downstairs but I neglected to do the same with the bedroom and that particular crate. Bad trainer! I need longer days.
Instead of torturing my puppy (and myself and the neighbors) I gathered up my pillow and some linens and took to the couch. Porter settled pretty quickly in his play area. A few times he would sit up and whine and I only had to lift my head so she saw that I was right there and he would curl back up and sleep. He still woke up almost hourly and I took him out to pee each time, just in case. A few of those times he really had to go!
Then at 4:30am I heard him throwing up again! More bile and water. His body is either adjusting to his new diet or he needs more food in his stomach before bedtime. Indigo will sometimes vomit bile (but yellow, not clear like Porter's) when her stomach is empty, so tonight I will give him some treats right before bed and see if that helps or give him something to snack on after one of his ungodly hour potty breaks.
The great thing about him is that after those potty breaks he settled down back to sleep very quickly! Only once did he seem a little more awake but a bullystick satisfied him. I think he's still settling in since even now at 6:30am he's napping again. He had breakfast at 4:30, then we played for a minute or two and he ended up chewing a toy while cuddling in my lap but quickly fell asleep while getting belly rubs. So he's sleeping quite a bit, just in small doses; 10 minutes here and there. I'm sure in no time he'll be up a lot more and demanding more attention.
Despite what I do for a living, Porter did have two accidents in the house yesterday. The first was when I took him to the bathroom with me (he had gone out himself maybe 10 minutes prior) and while there decided he needed to go, too, and the rug was a great spot. The second was after we can downstairs from putting QM in the bath. He was up there for 10-15 minutes chewing on a bullystick. I carried him downstairs and set him down and was about to take him out but he walked over to the dining room window (which pretty much touches the ground) stood in front of it and peed. I think he thought it was the sliding glass door but didn't have time to wait for me to open it. I was trying for zero mistakes, but that is out the window.
Tonight I will do the same sleeping set up. And this weekend we will start crate games (Susan Garrett's system). I have had time yet to do any training but I also wanted him system to get use to his new diet before I started giving him a lot of treats. I think the downstairs crate will be easier to get him used to. He had to go through it to get to the play area, which is also where he eats. A few times I have waited to open the crate door until he sits. Last night and this morning he let me put him in that crate while he napped and he was perfectly comfortable. Maybe what I'll do is bring the upstairs crate down here and load it with soft blankets and see if he climbs in tonight to sleep. Then once he likes it I can bring it back upstairs and hopefully train him to sleep up there.
Friday, August 12, 2011
7 Weeks
As usual, some of these pictures are between 6 & 7 weeks of age.
I had a great visit last Saturday with the puppies and was able to meet Mark and Dena who live about 30 minutes away and will also be taking a boy home. This was the best visit yet since the puppies finally came alive. We arrived right when they were waking up so they were fully charged and ready to go! Candy brought out the cat tunnel and the litter pounced on it like a group of velociraptors! But the great thing was seeing most of them dart in and out of the tunnel, even when their litter mates were yanking it this way and that or bounding on top of it. These dogs have no fear. I also brought my PVC ladder and was amazed at their courage. They tromped right over that thing, even when it was 3-4 inches off the ground. Now we just need to work on their finesse since they aren't shy!
The pups are doing really well with their retrieving practice
On Wednesday they turned 49 days old and were temperament tested by Teresa Rodney. I was fortunately enough to be able to observe and was able to get videos of a few of the pups, including Mr. Yellow. Aside from having a high pain tolerance and taking a long time to find his way out of the ex-pen he did well. One thing he excelled at was tugging, which is awesome for agility. So far, he seems like he would be a great fit for our family.
On the ride over most of the pups were *very* vocal in the car, but Mr. Yellow didn't seem to make a peep. On the way back most were calmer. Only Mr. Lime made a huge ruckus. Mr. Yellow just laid down and chewed on a bone. Mr. Aqua tried taking a nap.
Today Peachie Orton evaluated each puppy's structure. Mr. Yellow seems to have a good front, which is important for agility. His head isn't the perfect proportions but this will only affect his show career not his dog sports.
Tomorrow is the last evaluation. Tracy Kerns will also look at their structure and be able to give her insight on which pups have good form for agility. After hearing her thoughts on Mr. Yellow we will make our final decision. But right now everything is pointing to Mr. Yellow. Mr. Navy is a dark horse in the running since in the last couple of weeks he's really been shining. But it's been Mr. Yellow who I've had my eye on since the day he was born. So unless Tracy thinks his body won't be able to handle the stress of agility, I think I have found my puppy. So cross your fingers that tomorrow goes well.
Wednesday is the big day I bring our puppy home! I did more organizing (and shopping this week). Th puppy area is completely ready now. I cleared out Indi's soft sided crate and placed the larger wire crate inside. I also closed the ex-pen so Indi gets used to not being able to go in there.
I pulled most of his toys out and placed them in a box so I could see what I have. I plan on rotating the toys so he doesn't get bored. I also purchased his puppy collar and leash. There are a lot more cute patterns for girl dogs! Not fair.
I still need to set up the other crate in the bedroom. I'm planning on copying what Susan Garrett does with her puppies. She elevates the crates and places them right next to her bed so when she's sleeping her breath goes right into the crate. She can also easily stick her fingers through the bars if the pup needs comfort. With this method she says the pup settles through the night within a day or two. We'll see. But it sounds like a good idea to try at least. And last but not least I need to place the other wire crate in the car and tie it down. It's still missing the crate pan but I can just put blankets down for now.
I had a great visit last Saturday with the puppies and was able to meet Mark and Dena who live about 30 minutes away and will also be taking a boy home. This was the best visit yet since the puppies finally came alive. We arrived right when they were waking up so they were fully charged and ready to go! Candy brought out the cat tunnel and the litter pounced on it like a group of velociraptors! But the great thing was seeing most of them dart in and out of the tunnel, even when their litter mates were yanking it this way and that or bounding on top of it. These dogs have no fear. I also brought my PVC ladder and was amazed at their courage. They tromped right over that thing, even when it was 3-4 inches off the ground. Now we just need to work on their finesse since they aren't shy!
 |
| Mr. Yellow Posing for Me |
 |
| Miss Pink *wink wink* |
The pups are doing really well with their retrieving practice
 |
| Mr. Yellow Retrieving |
 |
| Miss Aqua the Flying Nun |
 |
| Mr. Navy Ready to Paint the Town Red |
On Wednesday they turned 49 days old and were temperament tested by Teresa Rodney. I was fortunately enough to be able to observe and was able to get videos of a few of the pups, including Mr. Yellow. Aside from having a high pain tolerance and taking a long time to find his way out of the ex-pen he did well. One thing he excelled at was tugging, which is awesome for agility. So far, he seems like he would be a great fit for our family.
On the ride over most of the pups were *very* vocal in the car, but Mr. Yellow didn't seem to make a peep. On the way back most were calmer. Only Mr. Lime made a huge ruckus. Mr. Yellow just laid down and chewed on a bone. Mr. Aqua tried taking a nap.
Today Peachie Orton evaluated each puppy's structure. Mr. Yellow seems to have a good front, which is important for agility. His head isn't the perfect proportions but this will only affect his show career not his dog sports.
 |
| Mr.Yellow on the Table |
Tomorrow is the last evaluation. Tracy Kerns will also look at their structure and be able to give her insight on which pups have good form for agility. After hearing her thoughts on Mr. Yellow we will make our final decision. But right now everything is pointing to Mr. Yellow. Mr. Navy is a dark horse in the running since in the last couple of weeks he's really been shining. But it's been Mr. Yellow who I've had my eye on since the day he was born. So unless Tracy thinks his body won't be able to handle the stress of agility, I think I have found my puppy. So cross your fingers that tomorrow goes well.
Wednesday is the big day I bring our puppy home! I did more organizing (and shopping this week). Th puppy area is completely ready now. I cleared out Indi's soft sided crate and placed the larger wire crate inside. I also closed the ex-pen so Indi gets used to not being able to go in there.
 |
| Puppy Area |
I pulled most of his toys out and placed them in a box so I could see what I have. I plan on rotating the toys so he doesn't get bored. I also purchased his puppy collar and leash. There are a lot more cute patterns for girl dogs! Not fair.
 |
| Puppy Toy Stash |
I still need to set up the other crate in the bedroom. I'm planning on copying what Susan Garrett does with her puppies. She elevates the crates and places them right next to her bed so when she's sleeping her breath goes right into the crate. She can also easily stick her fingers through the bars if the pup needs comfort. With this method she says the pup settles through the night within a day or two. We'll see. But it sounds like a good idea to try at least. And last but not least I need to place the other wire crate in the car and tie it down. It's still missing the crate pan but I can just put blankets down for now.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 26 & 27
Anyone sick of puppy pictures yet? No, of course not. How could you be?! These are just the cutest little things ever. And it's only going to get worse once our pup comes home :)
 |
| House training and crate training already? Woohoo! |
 |
 |
| More sibling rivalry |
 |
| Day 27 |
Yesterday, Day 27, the puppies were taken outside for the first time.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Preparing for Puppy
Over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about all the things I need to do to prepare for the puppy You think I'd be perfectly calm and prepared since I've spent the last 7.5 years working with puppies and their owners, but for some reason I still feel the need to pour through my dog books and devour (again) everything that has to do with raising a puppy. None of it's new and it's all things I say weekly to my clients, but I still feel the need to review it for myself since it's been 9 years since my last puppy. And who knows, maybe raising this puppy will change some of the advice I give to clients. I might find that someone sounds great in theory but it's much harder to do in practice and just not practical for the average pet owner. Or maybe I'll learn a few tricks that are not in the books and I didn't discover the first time around.
I have a checklist started for all the things I need to buy and set up. I haven't purchased much yet, except for a tab leash and a clip and go leash since they were on sale. Since I have several months I'm looking around for the best prices before I start stocking up.
My list:
I have my socialization checklists, which I'll post later on, but they include all the things to expose the puppy to so I do not forget something. I also put some of my friends with kids on notice that I will be emailing them at the end of summer for some puppy parties. What kid wouldn't want to come play with a puppy, right? I should have the toddler and preschool age down pat. Every time I drive somewhere I am scanning for new areas I can take the puppy so he gets out in the world as much as possible. I think about my day and where I might need to go and if the puppy will be welcomed to come along.
I have been reviewing my friend's puppy blog to see all the good things she had done with her pup.
I've been reading my Agility Right from the Start book and reread Dr. Ian Dunbar's puppy books.
I've realized I need to put away some things around the house that will be too tempting for a pup. I also should clean out the garage so we can eventually buy a freezer like we've been talking about, since this puppy is going to need a lot more room for his raw food.
My friend Madeline sent me this video today so this has now be put on my list of things to do with the puppy.
I have a checklist started for all the things I need to buy and set up. I haven't purchased much yet, except for a tab leash and a clip and go leash since they were on sale. Since I have several months I'm looking around for the best prices before I start stocking up.
My list:
- Crate - I currently have one with a divider that should last several months. After that my boss has a large one she can loan me
- Chew Toys - Puppy Kong, several normal kongs, nylabones (edible and nonedible), bullysticks, antlers, marrow bones, Monster Mouth
- New water bowl - Indi's dinky one isn't going to cut it for a large water loving dog
- Big rug/mat - goes under the water bowl since wood floors and a water loving dog do not always mix well
- Leash and collar - I'd like a matching set, but might have to wait until he's finished growing
- Toys - Tennis balls, tug toys, soccer ball to supplement Indi's huge toy box
- Shampoo - he's going to go through a lot more than my short haired 20 pound terrier
- Clickers - you can never have too many
- Food - I need to stock up on raw food
- Treats - who knows if he'll like the things Indi likes, which is mostly string cheese
- Large square piece of vinyl flooring - to put under the ex-pen so the wood floor doesn't get scratched up by the pen or messed up from spilled water or any accidents
I have my socialization checklists, which I'll post later on, but they include all the things to expose the puppy to so I do not forget something. I also put some of my friends with kids on notice that I will be emailing them at the end of summer for some puppy parties. What kid wouldn't want to come play with a puppy, right? I should have the toddler and preschool age down pat. Every time I drive somewhere I am scanning for new areas I can take the puppy so he gets out in the world as much as possible. I think about my day and where I might need to go and if the puppy will be welcomed to come along.
I have been reviewing my friend's puppy blog to see all the good things she had done with her pup.
I've been reading my Agility Right from the Start book and reread Dr. Ian Dunbar's puppy books.
I've realized I need to put away some things around the house that will be too tempting for a pup. I also should clean out the garage so we can eventually buy a freezer like we've been talking about, since this puppy is going to need a lot more room for his raw food.
My friend Madeline sent me this video today so this has now be put on my list of things to do with the puppy.
 |
| Hannah, mommy to Litter #1 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)