Rainy Day

This is a picture of Dhali after he fell off the back of the couch and landed on the window sill.  He was comfy there and took a little rest (eyes open, of course).  

It is raining very hard,  so my plans of a nice long hike today have been canceled.  I like to hike in the rain, but it is cold and raining really hard.  I don't like getting soaked with TWO muddy dogs.  

I know we have been in a drought, but it was nice while it lasted - now there are muddy footprints and washing muddy feet all day long!  And Dhali's little holes, that he's dug all over the yard, are filling with mud which is even more fun to play in......oh, little puppy!

I actually think the 2 fluffy tails have been trying to either kill me or control me with sleep deprivation.  Monday night I got very little sleep - Dhali barking in his crate, Tibby standing by the bed gently woofing in my face or jumping on and off the bed.  I let them outside, thinking they might have an emergency - nope, they just wanted to play and sniff around.  Ok, back to bed.  I put them both out of the bed room.  Then I had Tibby barking AND Dhali barking.  Tibby barks REALLY, REALLY LOUD.  O-kay.....no sleep for me.

Tuesday night - same thing.  I tried to get them very, very tired, but after the lights went out they became little nocturnal yipping jumping beans again.  Ugh. 

 You know how you wake up in the night and see that you only have x amount of time left to sleep, before you have to get up?  So frustrating! 

Even more frustrating - the next morning when I'm soooo tired, after they kept me up all night, the two night owls are crabby and sleepy.  They don't want to get up - "We're sleeeeepyyy!"  Yeah, well so AM I!!  But I don't get to sleep all day like you two lazy bums.

So last night they got me up maybe twice.  I honestly don't remember.  This morning I let Dhali out at 5:30ish and he just wanted to sleep on the outside bed.  I left the door open a little bit, so I could hear him when he wanted back inside and I went to sleep on the couch.  And I really fell asleep!  Poor little guy was 'pounding' on the door to get back in.  He does look like he has little fists drumming on the door and he whines so pitifully.  He whines better than any dog I have ever met.  It's sounds so sad!  I don't think I've ever heard Tibby whine....hmm, interesting.  Another thing that is different about them.

So we slept in this morning and Dhali snuggled and cuddled with me.  Tibby left and went to sleep on the couch.  Now they are both asleep on the couch - all curled up and cute.

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.

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.

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.