Bark for Life
Friday, August 6th, 2010 | Canine Cancer, Gryffindor, Indigo
The Bark for Life that Indy and I will be walking is coming up! It’s Saturday, August 21st, and we are really looking forward to it!
In their words:
The American Cancer Society’s “Bark for Life” is a Relay for Life fundraising event that honors the care-giving qualities of canine companions.
Last year, Indy and I participated in Abby the Pyr’s memory. This year, we’ll be walking in Gryffin’s honor, in addition to all of our friends and family, furry and human, that have been effected by cancer in some way. Putting it mildly, cancer sucks. Heck, I’m tearing up just writing about it.
So here’s the scoop. This particular event is being held at Fullersburg Woods. If you would like to join us, we would absolutely love it! You can register for the event here. If you are unable to join, but have the ability to donate to our cause, you can do so via our secure site here. Every dollar helps.
To be honest, money is great, but if you are in this area, I’d really love it if you joined us. To give you more incentive, in addition to the walk, the event will also have:
• Dog/owner look-alike contest
• Best bark contest
• Pet photos
• Pet-product vendors and services
• Dog wash
• Pet trick competitions
• Canine Therapy Group
• Pet communicator
Last year’s event was fairly small. I would not be at all surprised to find it the same way this year. Please help us make it a great event!
Playtime for everyone!
Monday, August 2nd, 2010 | Beowulf, Dogs, Indigo, Litter Mates and Swissy Friends, Ozzy
While someone was playing around in Vegas this weekend, I took the opportunity to socialize the dogs and introduce them to new situations. Are you at all convinced that I was super glad to be at home for 4 days with a puppy that doesn’t like to sleep past 5:15am? I should probably work on my delivery.
Despite my sarcasm, I did actually have a nice time at home with the dogs. As you already saw, Ozzy and I spent some time with puppies on Thursday. On Friday, we went over to Indy’s sister’s house for some play time.
Vasey and Ozzy had some fun first.
Vasey trampled her human’s plants.
She was kind enough to show Ozzy how to do it.
Indy and Vasey had some “adult Swissy” play time, which included running around like crazy dogs.
Indy rolled around while Ozzy cuddled.
Vasey thought that looked like fun, so she tried it too.
Why is it all Swissies love to roll around on their backs? There was no raccoon poop or anything…
After we did that for a couple of hours, we went home to recharge for Saturday. That was the big day, as it included our first ever trip to a house with a pool! I was hopeful that after Indy’s introduction to water in May (Lake Michigan at Bark in the Park) that she might be someone who enjoys swimming. So we tried to lure her into the pool. (All Saturday pictures courtesy of Jodi and Clare May.) It’s setup for dock dog diving, and has a nice ramp.
(Please ignore the lady in the bathing suit.)
She went in very slowly her first time, but was completely willing.
Although once her feet were off that ramp, she was not too pleased. She enjoys water, but likes her feet to be on solid ground right now.
See?
But I didn’t keep her in long. She was able to get out on her own, and wasn’t too upset.
She actually came back on her own a second time and went most of the way into the pool with a float coat on. She was most of the way down the ramp on the third try, but then changed her mind. I’m not sure if she was distracted or what, but I was very happy with her.
I did bring Ozzy into the pool for a “swim,” but I did not let go of him at all. He wasn’t entirely pleased, but wasn’t entirely upset either.
(Again, please ignore the funny looking person.)
We also met Toby the Swissy (who won our pack giveaway last year!) and his humans, in addition to our hosts Leonbergers, cute mutt Huntley, and new ESRA foster, Sierra.
None of the host dogs are worried about the water at all, as you can tell by the lovely and damp Cleo.
Thanks for looking!
Puppies, puppies and more puppies!
Friday, July 30th, 2010 | Litter Mates and Swissy Friends, Ozzy
Ozzy and I were lucky enough to go play with some of Teri Stanger’s puppies this weekend. They are just over 7 weeks old, and start going to their homes within the next week. I did this last summer and had a hard time leaving her house without sticking one in my pocket then, too.
Here are some pics…
This is Mardi. She’s the only girl in the litter, and is staying in this area.
I think this one is saying “put that darn camera down and play with me!”
Ozzy is not used to being the big one and took a few minutes before he’d do more than sniff.
It’s nice that puppies learn how to sit before they go home. Ozzy was also showing off his mad skills.
I just love roly poly puppies!
It’s really funny for me to see just how much bigger Ozzy is. He’s all leg this week.
Then the toys came out to play.
Pretty much everyone got in on that action.
Then came nap time for some.
Although some just concentrated on being cute.
And Mardi felt it necessary to harass Ozzy again.
But some fell victim to nap time for a second time.
Even big ole Ozzy gave in for a bit.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
Blue Lou being cute.
Methinks someone went in to get food ready.
And a little more sit training.
Kisses.
Ring around the Swissy?
Yup.
Then Mardi and Ozzy got back into it. I think we’re going to have to keep an eye on these two as they get older.
Especially since she’s been biting his man-boy bits.
Attack!
Sigh. I just love puppies.
Country Fun
Monday, July 26th, 2010 | Beowulf, Indigo, Ozzy
We braved the torrential downpours and headed out to beautiful Galena, Illinois this weekend. It was time to introduce Ozzy to the country and horses. You should realize just how much Ozzy is adored by his grandpa that he is allowed out to the cabin and he’s not completely house trained yet… Granted, the only one of our dogs that had an accident was Beowulf, but I think it was more marking his territory.
We were told that a new dog run area was added out to the yard by the house, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was very happy when we got there, as it was a very nicely sized area off of the screened porch that included a tree for shade. We still had to get the dogs from the house to it, but it is a wonderful addition to the property, and we are extremely grateful that it’s there. The in-laws have a couple of little dogs, and it is wonderful for all of us!
There were bad storms all Friday night, which means Beowulf had to be tranquilized. We thought at first he might be ok because he was sleeping in the room with us, but he was not. He didn’t whine continuously, but he paced around and around, which included several laps around the bed, many of which had him stepping on my head, hair, legs, etc. He was much more relaxed after the pills kicked in. Go figure.
Saturday was still a bit rainy in the morning (and a little in the afternoon), but we were able to squeeze in a visit to the horses (Ozzy’s first time!) and Indy and I were able to get a nice hike in. I would be very sad if she was unable to run around on the back hill/pasture area that she loves so much.
OK, picture time!
Ozzy “meeting” one of the minis. He was a little nervous at first and not really sure what to make of them.
Although the horses and Indy were definitely interested!
This was about as close as Ozzy got.
Then we moved on to the standard horses. Indy and Apache are good friends. She has never shown any hesitation with them, although she was about a year old when she first met them.
Hmmm, you’re a lot bigger than those other horses…
But within a couple of minutes, Ozzy was pretty much over Apache.
This is a very stoned (and happy) Basset Hound.
Because of his “condition” we could not take him around the property until late Saturday. His rear legs always have issues working, and the inner lid covers his eyes so much, he cannot see very well at all.
Hanging out on the screened porch – not sure if he’s going to play yet…
Teddy and Stella.
Stella is a Pomerian Poodle rescue, and is quite a cutie. Indy is almost obsessed with her, and they play quite well. Ozzy also enjoys playing with her.
Rawr! (OK, it’s a yawn…)
Passed out puppy.
Pink pads.
Teddy…
Although Stella and Indy played, Stella did seem a little more interested in Ozzy, likely because of his size. I wonder what she’ll think the next time she meets him.
As I mentioned, Indy and I got in a decent hike. I cannot deny her the opportunity to make crop circles.
And that long grass is quite tasty.
Recharging.
Come on! You are way too slow!
What a pretty girl dog.
Back at the cabin…
I love this shot of the sleepy boy.
Stella is totally fierce.
Sunday weather was gorgeous, of course…so we took a walk in the morning, and Ozzy totally pounced on Indy. I’m surprised I got anything on camera because it happened so fast.
Everyone got their zoomies out before we left for home.
They were all a little soggy and tired.
Even Indy.
It was a very nice weekend-a good time was had by all. And the return trip was so peaceful with a truck full of passed out dogs!
House training Ozzy
Friday, July 23rd, 2010 | Gryffindor, Indigo, Ozzy
You’ve likely read before that Swissies are very hard to house train. Or can be. Indy took about 9 months before she was slightly reliable outside of a crate. Similar (or longer) for Gryffin.
Well, Ozzy seems to be a bit better. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Yes, he has accidents. But his signals are clear, and sometimes he even…get this…tells us he has to go! Especially this week.
It’s interesting, as I think the process has improved quite a bit this week, and it was never really bad. We’re clicker training this time around, which we’ve never tried before. And it’s working – with the other dogs too. But on average, he’s having one “oops” a day. It’s never been poop – only pee. And he’s never gone in his crate. (Although I suppose there’s always a first time.)
So I have high hopes for him-maybe he’ll be reliable before 9 months? Could he be one of those rare, not super hard to house train, Swissies?
Wordl…oh, wait! I have words today!
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 | Ozzy
I know, I know. You are so disappointed. All you really wanted was a picture, and instead you get me yammering away. But I have to talk today. You’ll get pictures another time, I promise.
Last night (aka Tuesday) was Ozzy’s first puppy kindergarten class! Puppy K is new to us. We’ve never done it before. We’ve always just gone right into basic obedience using a friend as a trainer. But we decided to switch things up this time. So Ozzy is enrolled in an eight week class at…gasp…Petsmart!!!!
I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d enroll any of my dogs in a class at Petsmart, but what the heck. I was not overly pleased with any of the places I tried with Indy. One of them was a friend (who does great work, but I don’t think his approach is right for me or Swissies in general) who is a professional trainer. The other was the place 1.5 hours away in Rockford (they weren’t bad – just too far away). And the third was the facility that we tried for the Cautious Canine course. I was originally considering a class at a daycare/boarding facility that is walking distance from our house, but I kind of balked at their steep prices ($200 for 6 classes). So, when I took Ozzy on his first fun trip to Petsmart and met the trainer (not intentional), I checked it out.
This store has a separate training area in the back of the store. It is completely private – so not in the middle of the store with distractions galore. The trainer is nice enough, I think. She initially thought Ozzy was a Beagle, but quickly realized the error, so she is somewhat forgiven. (Although I reserve the right to give her crap for that down the line.) And this is puppy k, which is mainly for socialization. So, regardless of my preconceived notions about training at Petsmart, we’re trying it.
Our class is a good size. We have THREE Chihuahua puppies, all owned by the same people. They must be strong people with a lot of time. There’s a gorgeous GSD puppy that is just a little older than Ozzy and about the same weight. I think they are going to be great friends. And there’s a dog breed I’ve never heard of – the Boykin Spaniel, which is the state dog of South Carolina. There are ten dogs total, but I’ll probably talk about them another time.
Everyone introduced themselves and their puppies, and briefly mentioned issues that they have with their puppy. Every single one of them (except us) seems to have some major issues with biting. Makes me feel really lucky – Ozzy is a great little guy and doesn’t have issues. Yet. He is mouthy, but he is not a biter at all. I hope he stays that way.
I had initially tasked Dan with taking a few pictures. To be honest, there wasn’t really an opportunity. We’ll see what happens in coming weeks – we have seven more classes, so we should be able to get something, right?
Happy Wednesday!
Well, that was different.
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 | Beowulf, Indigo, Ozzy
I woke up with the alarm clock this morning at 5:15am. Dan and I had a very quick mumbled discussion and determined that neither of us had to let Ozzy out over night, so we were very pleased.
Until I got to the door of the bedroom, that is. Then I realized why.
Ozzy was waiting at the baby gate in front of the door. He looked sleepy and felt all nice and warm. Yup, he was free and roaming our house for who knows how long.
I was up around 2am (the time he normally wakes up) and swear I heard him shift in his crate and sigh, but I could be manufacturing that memory or something. So, we don’t really know how long he was out. There was a small swizzle in the hall (I guess he only got the O of Ozzy out) and another pee spot that was likely his, but that was it.
We are not really sure what happened. It’s possible that the crate wasn’t completely closed when we went to bed. It’s also possible that Ozzy opened the crate because we didn’t lock it. The other possibility is that Beowulf let him out, as he is well versed in opening that specific crate when it’s not locked. (It used to be his crate…and he would regularly open it with a well placed shovel nose.)
It’s not something we want to have happen again, but it was the best night of sleep I’ve had in a while.
Another First
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 | Ozzy
It was probably not the fun kind for Ozzy.
He experienced the dreaded Dremel on Wednesday night! Yup, his itty bitty claws needed some trimming, so we figured we’d start with the dremel. I was hoping that distracting him with food would help, but it did not, but he did finally chill a bit after one paw was done.
And yes, he was rewarded when done with a treat. All is good in his world.
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