Sleep Less, Play More

"Sleep Less, Play More"  Dhali's motto at the moment.

Last night was an especially bad night.  At 2:30am Dhali ended up being moved (crate and all) into the bathroom.  I'm not sure if he's just growing up and testing the rules or what.

I got home from work at 11pm.  My parents had taken care of the pups - they reported that Dhali wasn't interested in running around outside.  He just laid in the grass.

So I get home and they go outside.  Dhali runs around the yard - big loops and checks out all his outside toys that I had moved off the grass.  We go inside and do a clicker session and then play some.  Back outside.  Inside and he plays with Tibby while I empty the dishwasher.  I work on calling him out of play from Tibby while I'm tidying the kitchen.  He comes flying to me 100% of the time.  Really good job recalling.  They were playing rough and chasing around into the bedroom and back to the kitchen.  But he came to me every single time!  Yay!

Ok then back outside for another potty time.  

Quiet time with a bully stick.

Time for bed.

Lights out and the barking begins.  Bark,bark,bark. After 20mins, at 1am, I take him out for another potty break.  Maybe he needs to go?  Nope.  Just wants to lay in the grass.  Ok.....back to bed.  

At 2am I took him out for another potty break.  He goes pee.  Ok good!  He'll sleep now, right?  

Nope.

bark,bark,bark,bark,bark

2:30am  - off to the bathroom with Dhali.  With 2 closed doors between us Tibby and I get to sleep.  Dhali is quiet (must be sleeping) until I wake him up at 7:30am.

I take both pups out to potty and Dhali just wants to lay in the dog bed outside.  He's tired!  He goes potty and then into the x-pen.  Tibby and I fall asleep again until 9:30am.  Then both pups go outside for another potty break.

From 9:30 until 1pm Dhali did NOT stop moving.  He destroyed several cardboard boxes and played with a bunch of toys.  We did some clicker training and played.

Now he is passed out and asleep.  He has been so much quieter today.  Maybe yesterday was just a barky day.

On the Throne? I Bark For Your Kong!

I use to have 2 puppy kongs, but Ellie chewed through one of them (in the first 5 mins. that I had her). I think I will have to get a 2nd one kong, but not a puppy one. Dhali is too strong a chewer. He has puppy teeth now and he leaves marks on the kong. When he gets those adult chompers all bets are off! Tibby is dainty when she eats out of the kong, so she can still have the puppy kong.

Tibby correcting Dhali. Telling him to back off. Check out their body language.

"Mmm, yum kongyummyslurplickmmmmm"

Bark In the Park

We survived Bark In the Park!

I didn't get to pass out my fliers with Ellie's info.  Everyone that stopped to pet her said they had enough dogs.  But I tried!  They were both good.  Considering the situation - tons of people, tons of dogs, outside, noisy, food every where. 

My Dad with Ellie.  She how cute she is in her vest?

Tibby sees a dog going down stairs.

The girls.  I think it's funny they looked a little bit like that elderly couple in front of us.

This is when we were waiting for the dog parade.  The Bark In the Park was hosted by the local humane society.  They had a lot of adoptable dogs there.  They were jealous of Ellie's cute vest!  You can see the ones that they made for the adoptable dogs - upper left corner.  They are green vinyl adult bibs with "Adopt Me, Please" written in magic marker.  Some of the Humane Society volunteers asked about Ellie's vest and I told them how to make one.  They are going to make some for a parade on Sat.

Ellie!

While we were waiting I taught her a new trick.  "Jump"  She can jump straight up in the air now on cue - about 5 feet up.  I have to get it on video.

While we were waiting Ellie decided that this was the perfect time to try playing with Tibby.  Tibby was not pleased.  I had to separate them a few times.  It's hard for me to tell what is playing and what is going toward fighting.

Ellie is so relaxed in this very stressful environment.  Nothing scares her.

Zoe and her Mom.  They are now an official Hospice therapy team!

At the end of the doggie parade.  SO MANY DOGS.  Wow.  If I wasn't trying to get Ellie adopted I would have never done that.  It was "slightly" difficult to navigate 2 dogs through that crowd, but we managed.

Full stadium of people and dogs.

"I'm cute and friendly!  Adopt me!"

"Wa' baseball?"

She liked to rest down underneath the seat.

Tibby sat on my lap.  She didn't want to play with Ellie.

Tibby is huggable!

Ellie and Zoe say "hey".

They had little events on the field between innings with different dogs.

Zoe and her Mom.

Zoe's Mom had a squeaky toy for Zoe and Ellie was OBSESSED with stealing it.

She is also very good at finding ANY dropped food.

Relaxing.

Tibby!

"I like baseball!  Balls!"

She's resting her little feet on the seat in front of us.

Watching the game

"Is that an old M&M?  Food!"

"Don't forget I'm cute too!"

Ellie watched the people behind us for the longest time.  She was very interested in the little boy sitting a few seats behind us.  She likes kids a lot!

Now I have 2 very tired dogs.  After we walked home I let the girls run their stress out in the backyard.  Zoom!  They had a nice long game of chase.  Ellie also played some fetch. 

Now unfortunately she is in a covered crate.  I gave her a treat of a frozen turkey neck and she had an issue of growling/snapping at Tibby.  Tibby was just walking by Ellie's crate - she doesn't like turkey necks.  I covered the crate and she stopped, so I hope that will be OK.

Cheesy

Day one of walking reactive retraining went pretty well.  I think Tibby will figure out this game quickly.  It will also help our focus issues in other areas.  Basically I'm asking her to focus on me and ignore the rest of the world.

We went for our walk as it was getting dark.  I was hoping there wouldn't be too many people out walking.  It was such a gorgeous day that I'm sure the 7 parks (yes 7 huge park, too bad Tibby isn't reliable off leash or she could enjoy them) ,that I live next too, were full of people walking the trails. 

So we saw 2 boys on skateboards and 2 people walking.

I saw the boys coming toward us and I stepped off the trail and had Tibby sit facing me and I gave her lots of cheese.  She saw the boys and was biting me fairly hard, when she took the treats.  When they were about 20 feet away she barked once at them and then whipped back around and took some more cheese.  That was pretty good for her.  No lunging and the leash was loose, because she was sitting.  One bark, instead of a screaming fit.

The people walking she did bark a few times at them.  I couldn't stop and have her sit in that situation, because of the way the trails meet in the park.  The people would have eventually been following us - which she does NOT like.  I was able to keep her moving and give her cheese.  She heeled all the way home, hoping to get more cheese.  That's a first.  Hmmm, I just have to carry a cheese stick in one hand.  Magic!

Work in progress. 

Life project.

Stranger Danger

We had a bad walk day.  I'm disappointed in myself.  Tibby is reactive.  It's pretty decided now and I can't pretend that it's not really a problem.  I have been trying to manage it for a long time - since I brought her home at 4 months old.  Now she's 2 and it's only getting worse.  I've been doing some reading and I guess what I have been doing is not all wrong, but I just need to be more prepared.  And honestly say - this is a problem and it needs to be managed better.

Today she had level 8 reactions to - A boy in a hooded sweatshirt who rode up on his bike behind us and an old man that started following us.  She had smaller (quiet) reactions to a boy on a scooter, a plastic ball in the street and 2 small dogs crossing the street 3 blocks away. 

Right now when I see something that is a potential reaction trigger (like a bike, rollerblader, stroller, scooter, men walking alone) I have her sit and we wait for them to pass by us.  I should start carrying treats again....

I do wonder what is wrong with some people - if you saw a dog that was growling, barking, lunging and snapping at you, would you A) ride your scooter as close as possible to the dog? OR  B) Stop to ask why the doggie doesn't like you?

Ok, I'm mean and bad, but I when people see me keeping Tibby of off the sidewalk and waiting for them to pass and they don't give us any space - I sometimes think about letting her go.  Hmmm....yeah it's wrong, but I'll bet they would stay away next time.  I also wonder what would Tibby actually do?  No we won't ever find out.

I crazy thing is that I think people see a cute fluffy dog and don't realize that she (if you are on a bike, rollerblades, scooter or male) wants to rip you up.  Then they get closer and she lets them know.

The old man walking behind us - I was glad she told him off.  And that's part of the problem.  My problem.  She's alerted me to a lot of creepy people on our walks before.  Or the weird neighbor man that peeks over my fence.  Weirdo.   And I like that she tells me about those creepers.   But I don't want her to be known as the mean dog on the block any more.

So now you know.

Our secret.

Bark

Daily Dog Challenge

Plain Background 11/6

Hope this is a plain background?

I took so many pictures, trying to get a good shot, that my camera stopped working and I had to take the battery out to get it to start working again.  That's never happened before!  Let's just say it was a LOT of photos.

Tibby has this thing about leaves.  She's not a fan.  So I brushed the leaves off of a spot by a tree and she sat in that spot.  She hates leaves so much that I could take off her leash and collar AND people were walking past on the park path, but she stayed put.  She hates leaves.

I'm thinking that this is not a plain background.  It was hard to find a plain background outside that wasn't dirty.  I could have taken it inside, I guess, but the light always is better outside. 

Tibby the Valiant

Tibby and I just got back from our last walk of the day.  We just took a quick walk down the street and back. 
On the way down the street we passed a neighbor talking on his cell phone in his driveway.  On the way home we passed the same neighbor, but he stepped out from the shadows toward us, he was carrying a bag and some kind of stick thing to put in his garbage.
Tibby went NUTS.  Growl barking, lunging and howl barking.  It's hard to describe the way Tibetan Terriers bark - it's not like other dogs.
She was very scary. 
I didn't encourage her, but this is the sort of situation were I would want my dog to bark.  We just kept moving and I didn't say anything to her.  I said sorry to my neighbor, but really I wasn't sorry.  Who comes out of the shadows carrying a stick at 11:30pm!?!  Serves him right!
I usually complain that Tibby is too friendly with strangers.  She has always been especially friendly to men.