Dory the Doted One

We have had our first Christmas decoration casuality! It only took her three days to figure out stealing decorations was an attention getter. :laugh: Everyday she gets up and goes looking for 'the kids', Willow is having so much fun. I just wish my Mum would stop giving her the odd caramel lolly. *sigh* I told Mum if I come across a sloppy poo in the yard that she was going to have to clean it up. And we have discovered a new talent, she's pretty handy at helping one of my Nieces hone her Polo-cross skills. Cos if you lose the ball to Willow, it will take you a while to get it back. So best catch that ball. :laugh: I also didn't realise just how naughty Willow was, all in the name of attention seeking. I knew she stole things to get reactions from people, but you can see her going from naughty thing, to naughty thing until someone yells, "OI!". Then she's all happy wags, and lap running around the yard with happiness. Runs back to give you the item or tease you..does a few more laps and then comes back for a cuddle. She's hilarious. She's also done more alert barking here, then she ever did at home. I dont' think she's going to want to go home.

We are the third day into our road trip holiday, first one for Willow, second for Dory. And it's already been pretty interesting. Willow spent the first couple of hours throwing things at me whilst I was driving because she was bored. Dory spent it panting and sitting in the back seat with her chin on the window sill, this is standard for her. We drove 5 hours before our first stop (I just like to get where I'm going and the dogs were pretty good), and then when it was walk time it was...ummmm...something interesting. Willow did her best Pepe La Pew impersonation around the park, interspersed with some Spring Bok leaping antics...soooo many people...soooooo many people. She was a bit excited. :laugh: The next half of the trip Dory managed to calm down and find a comfy spot draped across the console...she made a lovely armrest. And Willow boinged between the back seat and the front seat...ate her harness...tried to raid the esky...and napped. My car has a lovely big back seat...and where do they like to be? Yes. the front seat. It IS possible to squeeze two dogs into the front seat of the car. Once at my parents place (who were surprisingly VERY accomodating to the dogs needs. As in...OMG...they are allowed free access inside the house ) And both seemed to like Willow, even though she was bit enthusiaistic AND tried to go swimming in my Dad's fishpond (his pride and joy)...we've had to do an impromptu mesh job on the pond...Willow REALLY likes the fishpond. :laugh: Then my Mum tells me that two of my nephews and nieces are staying for a night... Willow hasn't had to spend a concerntrated amount of time with children...she reeeeeally likes kids, so I was a bit nervous. Turns out, I didn't have anything to worry about she has been excited, energetic and very involved but she's been respectful of space while the kids are running around and scootering...she thinks they are the super, bestest thing. We've had to crate her just so she'll actually stop and rest, otherwise she just keeps going and going and going and going. Running after the kids back and forth, tagging along behind them with everything they have been doing. The trouble starts when the kids want to sit still and watch TV, Willow wants to crawl on top of them and lick them to death. But the kids have been really good about getting her to stop without resorting to screaming, yelling or hitting. And Willow has gotten the hint...with odd bits of forgetting. :laugh: So it's been a whirlwind of over stimulation for Willow, and more grey hairs for me. I hope she settles down to a routine soon. Every new thing is like... :happydance2: :happydance: :party: :whee: for Willow, I'm exhausted from it.

I've had it walking with Dory, she's all of 14kg and doesn't quite make it to my knees. We've been walking minding our own business and had people scream in terror and run across the road. Dory wasn't even looking at them. I just ignore it. I figure so long as my dogs are behaving themselves and are under control, what more can you do? In the distant past, I even had someone follow me down the road ranting at me about my 'viscious, child killer and one day I'll wake up dead in my bed' ( :laugh: wake up dead...yeah). They really aren't worth the wasted breath because you won't be able to change their mind with words. The best comeback is a dog that is biddable, well behaved and under control, so you can swiftly and gracefully cruise past the nutters without turning your head in their direction.

Lisa, does your body language change from when you are at training and when you train at home? My line of thinking is that maybe you are a bit more animated when you train at home, than when you train at training. I had to switch things around a bit for Willow, she went from super to derper, switched to tug and went super again. Then she went all naughty and defiant (I don't think I let her 'win' the tug enough, I have to work on that). So I switched back to food to keep her focussed then rewarded with the tug at intervals when she gave me SUPER DUPER work. On another note...only ever let Willow have free range over night once...she kept jumping all over me, and I found socks all over the house. :laugh: So now she is still crated in the lounge room, with the AC on. Only room in the house with it, and she gets it like the Spoilt Brat that she is.

One of our cats did this to Willow, I got pretty cross and then just managed them by putting the cat elsewhere when Willow was out and about. Mostly because Willow was really, freaked out by the cat. Fast Forward to Now.... And *sigh*...and I wonder if I did the right thing, or if I should have let him biff her. Willow hassles the cats. Mr Swipey, Tease Pants Oscar (the one that would try to bully her as a puppy) is given a small margin of respect...very small...(although it was hilarious watching her try to avoid a collision with him when he stopped dead from a full run, right in front of her...that's the Tease Pants...he teases by running, just when she gets some manners around him...ARGH). He was sitting in Dory's crate yesterday with Willow doing her play bow, butt wigglin' woofy dance at the open door. Then she tried to drag the blanket out, hoping that he would come with it (clever girl that Willow). She did get brave and try to squeese in there with him, he bopped her pretty hard and she gave him back his safety margin. :laugh: All bets are off in Willow's world if we touch or pick up the cats....so it's..."SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT....GOOOOOOOOOOD Girl", she's getting the hint slowly. As for poor wee Bungee Bin Cat, I don't know what vibe she gives off, but Willow will try to hug her. Bungee is not even 3kg...Willow is 36kg at last weigh in. Fortunately, Bungee is a smart cookie, and if we give her a hint that we are about to unleash the Willow Beast, she will go and find her hidey holes. Interestingly. Bungee can hide in an open box and Willow will just stand there wagging her butt real hard and make no attempt to grab her. Even though she could if she wanted too. Ditto the hiding behind the door, all Willow would have to do is nudge the door and she could grab Bungee. But she seems to respect the barrier. I find it fascinating. None of that is any help. I just got lost in my tale. :laugh:

"Doodle Hair" Well there's another techo term for ya. :laugh:

Definitely. You'd have to have a pretty hard heart not to be warmed by these photos and the story itself.

2 Dogs. 1 is stressed by storms, which is expressed with panting, a need to be near you (on top of) or demands for more attention. We all act like nothing has changed and treat her just as we would if there was no storm. If she is crated during a storm, which doesn't happen often, she will bark high pitched and stressy. Willow joins in the storm with her thunderous snoring. She really couldn't give a hang. :laugh:

Yogi, to you try and stop him before he even starts? Willow will try it on, but she gives her intentions away all the time. When she gets that cheeky look I usually tell her to sit, and then I'll pat her, very quietly and calmly...more of a stroke really. If she tries to jump on me I will sometimes bump her with my hip as she tries to launch and tell her to sit. I don't make a lot of noise. I make it clear what I want from her and then when she complies she gets a 'Goooooooood'. I always keep an eye on what she is doing in and around the yard while I'm out there. When she gets too excited or stupid, I'll tell her "AH", which I use as a 'go easy' command or a firm "NO" if she's still ignoring me. BUT I'll always tell her Good when she has complied by settling down, if she looks like she is going into the sillies again, I will redirect into a different behaviour. Like sit or drop, something I know she'll do and I can calmly reward her for. As I approach my back door, they are told to WAIT and I will stand at the door waiting for the dogs to settle. As I open the door they are told WAIT again because I know my hand on the door knob will cause them to shift and to remind them what they are suppose to be doing. If they aren't going inside then I tell them OUTSIDE. (I've capitilzed my Cue Words rather than " " them, I don't yell the commands, I just speak them in a firm, no room for questioning voice). I know my dogs are going to want to interact when I'm outside with them, so I plan ahead what my actions and expectations are going to be. That's not to say we dont play in the yard too, we do. But if the behaviour starts to get too boisterious and silly I will stop or I will calm the play doing other things. Not sure I explained that at all well...but as no one else had responded I'd thought Id give it a crack.

Wash the dogs? What is this you speak of? Willow has had a total of two baths so far, and those were because she got rather stinky. I bath the dogs when they smell, or we have a show. (well that was one of Willow's baths so she had one stinky bath). When we do bath them, I'm lucky, I can wash them at work which is a bathtub with a hot/cold shower attachment. At home, my daughter will chuck Dory in the shower with her, but she's small enough to do that. When I wash them at home, I put them in the bath with warm water and an icecream container. Wet down, shampoo, rinse. Let that water out, add more clean fresh water and then rinse. Taking them work is much easier. :laugh:

I always picture Hank as a little, bundle of little puppy cuteness. Now he's turning into a handsome young man. It's always a bit of a shock when you see how much they have grown. I'm trying to get a picture of Dory and Willow together, it's a fail every time. :laugh: Willow mouths Dory and Dory dodges underneath Willow, then ones sitting the other is jumping around and vice versa. Suffice to say...Dory can almost walk under Willow without having to duck and has figured that if you want to get away from gnashing puppy teeth, stand under the puppy. :cool:

Well if his adult teeth have come through there could be a different reason...he's not that hungry would be top of my list. Depends on how you want to handle it. Do you consider the bone to be food or recreation? If it's recreation I wouldn't be too bothered. I would just pick it up and offer it later. If it is food, then I would assume he isn't hungry and would again, pick it up and offer it later. He wouldn't get anything else until he had eaten that. I've noticed that Willow goes from looking good, to looking 'skinny' in as little as a day. I up her food a little bit when that happens...I've also noticed it seems to coincide with a bit of a growth spurt. Is he going through a growth spurt? Willow has had an awesome appetite lately, she's often a bit 'ho hum' about food. When she's 'ho hum' I get a little frustrated, but I don't cater to her. She eats what I give her...or it's nothing....except the same thing later. :laugh: The only time I get concerned about lack of appetite is if their overall behaviour has changed or it goes on for more than a couple of days or their is significant weight loss. If she's still bouncing around like a loon and bringing me presents so I will play tug with her, then I figure she's alright and a slackening of the appetite isn't something to be too worried about. She also has a clear 'face' she pulls when it's food she doesn't like (broccoli) as opposed to, she's not that hungry.

If there is a breed club in your state, call them up and see if or when they might have a breed specialty show.

Willow went off her bones when she was teething. So I gave them to her frozen and she seemed to like that. Now she's not teething she is a little offended at my lack of preparation should I give her one that is frozen now. (The Minx).

I would question the third point. I don't doubt that the statistic is correct, but to just say undesexed dogs bite is too simplistic.

I think they just leave them in the crate till you arrive, which I believe is part of their procedure rather than something they like doing. You'll find that it does take them a little bit of time to get them from the terminal to the freight area....longest half hour of your life. :laugh:

When I picked up Willow it was super easy. Just had to take I.D. with me, collect her from the TOLL air express terminal near the airport. I got there in heaps of time so that I could get her as soon as she brought in. If it's a hired crate then you take your puppy out of the crate and take them home on your back seat (with the biggest happiest proudest I want to kiss their little puppy face off smile on your face). Here is their address- Adelaide Burbridge Business Park 10 Butler Boulevard Adelaide Airport SA Australia

Willow is doing the same thing!! She trots into the lounge room with her ill gotten gains and stands there with a pleased look on her face. Until she spots my daughter...who is the bad person that takes all the good stuff away....then she runs away or LEAPS onto the couch behind me (over the arm rests in one bound...for a big dog she is agile) and tries to hide. Epic fail . Cos then I take it from her. :laugh: But she seems happy to do that for big kisses then runs off to find more 'cool stuff'. The ultimate embarrassment? At training she managed to get the tug off me and she ran off doing zoomie laps around the field with THE happiest, cheekiest face imaginable . I couldn't help it. The look on her face was so joyful, happy, cheeky and triumphant. I was :rofl: then trying to be all serious face and she was like and I was like . We got her back and later did some more work with a lot more success. :laugh: I know I shouldn't laugh, but it was totally unexpected.

Do you mean slow down, mature? Or slow down because the body says to, but the mind is still a puppy? :laugh: Because if it's the latter, that would describe all of my dogs.

Perphaps the breeder kept the papers and he is registered to the breeders name still, for breeding purposes?

Willow: - Get a start on her Tracking Title. - Get a BH. - If we get a BH, get an IPO tracking title. - Investigate, and possibly compete in Rally O - Enter a few shows. Dory: - Get a start on her Tracking Title. (purely for fun!) ETA: For Willow...Greet people calmly and without over enthusiastic flailing of fore limbs. (I fear, this will be by far the harder of all our goals. )

Agreed. :) Plus some dogs are puppies way beyond 12 months, and some are puppies to us their whole lives. :D

It's the ears...but then I'm a sucker for big ears. :laugh:

Hank...Raw is seriously easy. I give Willow vegies too, and that is probably the most time consuming element of the whole deal because I juice them. And if your vet is a raw fan...wow...that makes the job a lot easier. Congrats on the P's!!

Willow was a bit when I first started her on raw...although she was pretty keen on chicken wings, because she had had those with her breeder as far as I know. It took her about a week to warm to the idea, initially she'd sit there staring at the bowl with an unsure look. Have a couple of licks, then wait for the 'real' food to appear. :laugh: For a Rottweiler she's not a big foodie (first for me), and she's still very considered before she'll eat a meal. We have found that she LOVES heart and liver, not too keen on fish, turkey is great! And chicken, well, chicken is chicken...it will do if there's no turkey. :laugh: (Oooh...and she's partial to lamb as well...mince...lamb flaps a bit ho hum, lambs tongue is... ) I didn't wean her onto raw, I just put her straight on to it. I couldn't get the food her breeder had been feeding her and didn't see the point in stressing her by giving her a different dry food, only to switch to raw...so we just switched to raw. She got a bit sickie once, got over it and was great. Although anytime I added something new we would have one sloppy poo at 2am in the morning and then she was good to go there after and tolerated the new item (mostly 'treats' we were using for training) on the next occasion they were given.