Larry got a haircut, bath, and trimmed nails on Saturday. New pics probably this evening or tomorrow. He looks like a baby now.
Tomorrow is his followup with the vet after the bout with hookworm. I'm pretty sure he's all better now.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
First Squirrel
Larry is recovering pretty well from the hookworm problem. He hasn't had any accidents in the apartment and he loves taking his medicine. I think he'll be 100% in just a few days.
Meanwhile, this morning he saw his first squirrel. He freaked. I wasn't worried about the collar, but I was worried about his windpipe. He's low to the ground as it is, but he went lower to try to get more forward traction. Turns out that squirrels are a lot faster than I remembered. I don't think Larry could have caught him if I turned him loose. Then we had to stand at the bottom of the tree for a while so he could look up and whine at the critter. In all, no harm was done and it was pretty funny.
Meanwhile, this morning he saw his first squirrel. He freaked. I wasn't worried about the collar, but I was worried about his windpipe. He's low to the ground as it is, but he went lower to try to get more forward traction. Turns out that squirrels are a lot faster than I remembered. I don't think Larry could have caught him if I turned him loose. Then we had to stand at the bottom of the tree for a while so he could look up and whine at the critter. In all, no harm was done and it was pretty funny.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Poor Larry! Hookworm!
Well, the LarDog hasn't been feeling too well over the last few weeks. He had really bad diarrhea and had actually been going to the bathroom in the apartment (which he never does). Yesterday I decided it was past time to go to the vet.
So after going through several nightmare scenarios, the doc decides to go check the test. He comes back and says, oh, it's hookworm, that's an easy fix. Two antibiotics and some sort of powdered medicine that goes over his food (I'm assuming it's an anti-hookworm agent) and he should be right as rain within a week or so.
Being the odd dog that he is, he loves his medicine. It was time to give him Heartgard as well, so I started with that. Chomp. Stuck each antibiotic into a Bil-Jac liver treat. Chomp and chomp. I coated his food with the powder and it said that dry food might need to be moistened. Well, I poured a bit too much water in, but I figured, what the heck. Well, guess what...picky eater that he is, he ate the whole bowl. I can only remember two other times he's eaten a whole bowl at one time.
He's still off a little bit this morning, but here's hoping he's on the mend. I think the long, romping walk at the beach yesterday helped too.
So after going through several nightmare scenarios, the doc decides to go check the test. He comes back and says, oh, it's hookworm, that's an easy fix. Two antibiotics and some sort of powdered medicine that goes over his food (I'm assuming it's an anti-hookworm agent) and he should be right as rain within a week or so.
Being the odd dog that he is, he loves his medicine. It was time to give him Heartgard as well, so I started with that. Chomp. Stuck each antibiotic into a Bil-Jac liver treat. Chomp and chomp. I coated his food with the powder and it said that dry food might need to be moistened. Well, I poured a bit too much water in, but I figured, what the heck. Well, guess what...picky eater that he is, he ate the whole bowl. I can only remember two other times he's eaten a whole bowl at one time.
He's still off a little bit this morning, but here's hoping he's on the mend. I think the long, romping walk at the beach yesterday helped too.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Larry Didn't Drop Out of School
Hey readers! Larry didn't drop out of school. He's doing fine, I just haven't had much time (or seemingly the inclination) to write.
Julie the trainer is great. Larry can do a bunch of basic commands now and Heather's taught him some other stuff like "sit pretty" and "high five." We still have to work with him on concentrating when he's outside. He's very easily distracted by other dogs. He loooooves other dogs. People too. He still has problems with getting up on people in the apartment and mainly getting up on the desk and standing in front of the monitor when I'm at my computer. But, things are going pretty well for the ol' LarDog.
I'll try to be more diligent in updating in the future.
Julie the trainer is great. Larry can do a bunch of basic commands now and Heather's taught him some other stuff like "sit pretty" and "high five." We still have to work with him on concentrating when he's outside. He's very easily distracted by other dogs. He loooooves other dogs. People too. He still has problems with getting up on people in the apartment and mainly getting up on the desk and standing in front of the monitor when I'm at my computer. But, things are going pretty well for the ol' LarDog.
I'll try to be more diligent in updating in the future.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
LarDog...Snore Dog?
One of these days I'll get a picture of it, but Larry likes to climb up on the top of the recliner and lay down. Basically, he serves as a warm pillow for my head sometimes. I know it's bad behavior, but I really don't mind it. But this morning, it was funnier than usual.
I suspect he had a bad night sleeping last night because he just looked exhausted all morning before work. As usual, after his walk and breakfast, we sit down and watch the news for a little bit. Usually he just sits in my lap and watches the TV or rests. This morning he climbed on top of the recliner and basically passed out. His head drooped down by my ear and he was actually snoring. And he doesn't snore. He does some deep breathing usually, but never snoring. I took him outside again before I left for work, just to make sure he was feeling ok. And as soon as we hit the sub-frigid air, he was chipper as ever.
I suspect he had a bad night sleeping last night because he just looked exhausted all morning before work. As usual, after his walk and breakfast, we sit down and watch the news for a little bit. Usually he just sits in my lap and watches the TV or rests. This morning he climbed on top of the recliner and basically passed out. His head drooped down by my ear and he was actually snoring. And he doesn't snore. He does some deep breathing usually, but never snoring. I took him outside again before I left for work, just to make sure he was feeling ok. And as soon as we hit the sub-frigid air, he was chipper as ever.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Awaiting Training
Larry had a decent weekend. I'm still trying to recover from being sick, so luckily he wasn't too much of an attention hog. Which isn't to say that he wasn't an attention hog, because that's what he's really good at.
The big deal is that he was a little under the weather. His belly was just rumbling and rumbling, but he wouldn't go drop a deuce. Finally he had a decent if loose one. But then the Saturday night farts started. Lordy it was awful. But he seems to be fine now. Still being picky about eating, but doing fine when he decides to eat.
The trainer comes Wednesday and I can't wait to get started. I really need him to quit climbing on me. His newest trick is when I'm sitting at the computer. He hates when I'm at the computer because it means I'm not paying attention to him. So instead of just being good and laying down like he used to, he's found two ways to get up on to the desk. There's a very small area between my right elbow and right thigh when I'm using the mouse or typing. Well, the LarDog is small enough, strong enough, and agile enough to jump through this space, land on my thigh, and then worm his way up on to the desk, where he likes to stand right in front of the monitor. I place him back on the floor, and he repeats it. I eventually put my left hand across my lap to close that space. That's no deterrent to a terrier. Since I have to lean forward to put my left arm across my lap, he circles around to my left, then jumps up on the small of my back and the back of the chair, comes around to my right side, walks on the arm of the chair and forces his way under my right arm and up on to the desk. It's pretty sad that my own dog repeatedly outwits me.
The big deal is that he was a little under the weather. His belly was just rumbling and rumbling, but he wouldn't go drop a deuce. Finally he had a decent if loose one. But then the Saturday night farts started. Lordy it was awful. But he seems to be fine now. Still being picky about eating, but doing fine when he decides to eat.
The trainer comes Wednesday and I can't wait to get started. I really need him to quit climbing on me. His newest trick is when I'm sitting at the computer. He hates when I'm at the computer because it means I'm not paying attention to him. So instead of just being good and laying down like he used to, he's found two ways to get up on to the desk. There's a very small area between my right elbow and right thigh when I'm using the mouse or typing. Well, the LarDog is small enough, strong enough, and agile enough to jump through this space, land on my thigh, and then worm his way up on to the desk, where he likes to stand right in front of the monitor. I place him back on the floor, and he repeats it. I eventually put my left hand across my lap to close that space. That's no deterrent to a terrier. Since I have to lean forward to put my left arm across my lap, he circles around to my left, then jumps up on the small of my back and the back of the chair, comes around to my right side, walks on the arm of the chair and forces his way under my right arm and up on to the desk. It's pretty sad that my own dog repeatedly outwits me.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Really late with the update
Sorry gang. I've been really sick since Friday. I should have been updating. Lots to tell.
We met with Julie the trainer last Wednesday, and I think she's going to be an awesome fit. She's energetic, good with Larry, asked us lots of good questions and answered all of our questions to my satisfaction. I've never tried clicker training. I'm looking forward to it. We start next Wednesday (March already?).
Of course, I had to brag about how good he is staying in the kitchen while I'm at work. Well, the day after I tell Julie this, I come home to find that he's somehow pulled a bunch of garbage out of the "dog-proofed" can and eaten a bunch of thrown away Taco Bell. Surprisingly, no poo from the bean burrito. But the sodium made him drink all his water, and so he had to pee before I got home. Same thing on Friday, but without the garbage. He was fine until this morning. Since I'm not feeling good, I wanted to brush my teeth before I took him out (hate that nasty sick taste). So I'm brushing my teeth and look out the bathroom door and there he is...peeing on the gate that separates the bedroom from the living room. Ugh! I don't know where this is coming from.
In good news, he's finally learned how to catch a tennis ball. He can't do it all the time, but he's got the concept down.
I'm just trying to remember that all the housebreaking things are just urine under the bridge. He's a good dog and I love him. I just need to be more consistent. I can't wait for trainer Julie to whip me and Larry into shape.
We met with Julie the trainer last Wednesday, and I think she's going to be an awesome fit. She's energetic, good with Larry, asked us lots of good questions and answered all of our questions to my satisfaction. I've never tried clicker training. I'm looking forward to it. We start next Wednesday (March already?).
Of course, I had to brag about how good he is staying in the kitchen while I'm at work. Well, the day after I tell Julie this, I come home to find that he's somehow pulled a bunch of garbage out of the "dog-proofed" can and eaten a bunch of thrown away Taco Bell. Surprisingly, no poo from the bean burrito. But the sodium made him drink all his water, and so he had to pee before I got home. Same thing on Friday, but without the garbage. He was fine until this morning. Since I'm not feeling good, I wanted to brush my teeth before I took him out (hate that nasty sick taste). So I'm brushing my teeth and look out the bathroom door and there he is...peeing on the gate that separates the bedroom from the living room. Ugh! I don't know where this is coming from.
In good news, he's finally learned how to catch a tennis ball. He can't do it all the time, but he's got the concept down.
I'm just trying to remember that all the housebreaking things are just urine under the bridge. He's a good dog and I love him. I just need to be more consistent. I can't wait for trainer Julie to whip me and Larry into shape.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Larry's Awesome Monday
I just wanted to report that Larry had an awesome Monday. He was good for me in the morning, good for Heather in the evening, and good for me at night. He went into the crate with no problem, and there wasn't a peep out of him except for a huge sigh that sure sounded like "boy, am I tired." Good job LarDog!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Larry's Weekend Antics
Larry had a weird weekend. As usual, he displayed his dual personality as Destructo-Dog and Angel-Dog. Largely he was a good boy. He enjoyed his trip to Heather's mom and dad's house even though he didn't get the opportunity to romp in the backyard. He does, however, like to have more rooms to explore. He wasn't too bad in the car going across town. We do need to get a carrier for him because he shouldn't be getting up front. It was pretty funny that he fell asleep with me holding him in my arms while Heather drove back to the apartment.
The ugly: both Friday and Saturday night, he whined, cried, barked, scratched, dug, and everything else he could do to try to get out of his crate. Well, it worked. We just couldn't take it after about 20 minutes and I didn't want him waking the neighbors. I have no idea why he was so bothered. After his first night or two in the crate back in December or January, I've had almost no problem with him in the crate. But all of a sudden...freakout! He was so freaked out that he somehow pulled a pair of my pants that were draped near his crate about a quarter of the way through those small crate openings. Amazingly, he didn't tear the fabric. Hopefully it was just a one time thing. He ran Heather out of the bed on Friday and she wasn't very happy about going to Couchville, USA. Saturday night, she claims he slept with us just fine. I was pretty well comatose both nights once he got out of the crate, but I'll take her word for it (luv ya, hon!).
He's discovered a new and very bad way of getting my attention. Due to my sleep apnea, I have to wear a mask attached to a CPAP machine that helps me breathe at night. Well, he's figured out that this is really important to me, so if he really wants my attention, he'll go into the bedroom, knock the mask off the nightstand, remove the silicone insert from the mask, and then run like crazy throughout the apartment. Since the silicone insert is what forms the seal to prevent air leaks in the mask, I'm less than amused at this behavior. So I'm having to gate off the bedroom again.
He's continued the nipping when he gets excited. I really can't wait until we see the trainer on Wednesday.
The ugly: both Friday and Saturday night, he whined, cried, barked, scratched, dug, and everything else he could do to try to get out of his crate. Well, it worked. We just couldn't take it after about 20 minutes and I didn't want him waking the neighbors. I have no idea why he was so bothered. After his first night or two in the crate back in December or January, I've had almost no problem with him in the crate. But all of a sudden...freakout! He was so freaked out that he somehow pulled a pair of my pants that were draped near his crate about a quarter of the way through those small crate openings. Amazingly, he didn't tear the fabric. Hopefully it was just a one time thing. He ran Heather out of the bed on Friday and she wasn't very happy about going to Couchville, USA. Saturday night, she claims he slept with us just fine. I was pretty well comatose both nights once he got out of the crate, but I'll take her word for it (luv ya, hon!).
He's discovered a new and very bad way of getting my attention. Due to my sleep apnea, I have to wear a mask attached to a CPAP machine that helps me breathe at night. Well, he's figured out that this is really important to me, so if he really wants my attention, he'll go into the bedroom, knock the mask off the nightstand, remove the silicone insert from the mask, and then run like crazy throughout the apartment. Since the silicone insert is what forms the seal to prevent air leaks in the mask, I'm less than amused at this behavior. So I'm having to gate off the bedroom again.
He's continued the nipping when he gets excited. I really can't wait until we see the trainer on Wednesday.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Odd Dog
Not much to report recently. Things are pretty much the same. I've been lazy and not working much with him. However, I mean for that to change soon. The trainer comes on the 18th and I want him to be back in the groove by then.
Two oddities I wanted to mention:
1. He's an absolute beautiful angel in the morning. On Mondays I start work at noon, so we spend the whole morning together. And he's just great...no mouthing, no crazy running around (unless I inspire him to), etc. Perfectly well behaved. This happens for the hour and a half we're together on regular weekday mornings as well. Weekends, sometimes yes, sometimes no. But he's always a mouthy, toothy maniac in the evenings. Well, not always, but often. I know some of that is pent up energy from being in the kitchen all day, but still.
2. One of the unintended consequences of housebreaking in the winter in Erie: he vastly prefers pooping on snow. Since we had a warm weekend, we're finally getting to see the ground again. Problem is, Larry isn't a fan of the ground now. He needs to find a nice cold spot of snow to poo on. Not really a problem now, but come June.....we'll see.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Super Bowl Larry
Larry's doing well. In fact, he's the reason the Steelers won the Super Bowl. He had his Santonio Holmes #10 jersey on before the game. Sure enough, Holmes was the MVP. I'll try to post pictures later.
He's fallen in love with Heather's sister Holly. We're planning the wedding for July. :) She ran him ragged during the game and he was nice and exhausted after the game. I actually woke him up on Monday morning. I gotta tell ya, that was nice.
We scheduled a trainer to come on the 11th, but we're going to have to push it back to the 18th due to some unavoidable schedule conflicts. At this point, the big deal is to get him to quit using his teeth on people. It's not so much biting as it is nipping and it's more than mouthing. Heather suspects, he's trying to make a move for pack dominance. Hopefully the trainer can train us on how to shut that behavior down.
Other than that, I have an observation about his morning behavior. We get up, go out, then feed him. During all that time and the hour or so after before I go to work, he's really mellow and lovey-dovey. No teeth usage at all. He really just wants to be petted or hang out on his chair. However, it the evening, it's like he's been a compressed spring all day waiting for me to get home. Zoom. Nip. "Let's Play!" Zoom. Zoom. Zoom. Of course I'd be bored if I was in the kitchen all day too. Should I buy a little radio for him to listen to? Or is that me anthropomorphizing?
He's fallen in love with Heather's sister Holly. We're planning the wedding for July. :) She ran him ragged during the game and he was nice and exhausted after the game. I actually woke him up on Monday morning. I gotta tell ya, that was nice.
We scheduled a trainer to come on the 11th, but we're going to have to push it back to the 18th due to some unavoidable schedule conflicts. At this point, the big deal is to get him to quit using his teeth on people. It's not so much biting as it is nipping and it's more than mouthing. Heather suspects, he's trying to make a move for pack dominance. Hopefully the trainer can train us on how to shut that behavior down.
Other than that, I have an observation about his morning behavior. We get up, go out, then feed him. During all that time and the hour or so after before I go to work, he's really mellow and lovey-dovey. No teeth usage at all. He really just wants to be petted or hang out on his chair. However, it the evening, it's like he's been a compressed spring all day waiting for me to get home. Zoom. Nip. "Let's Play!" Zoom. Zoom. Zoom. Of course I'd be bored if I was in the kitchen all day too. Should I buy a little radio for him to listen to? Or is that me anthropomorphizing?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Back from Denver but Sick
Heather had Larry from Thursday through yesterday. He did pretty well for her except for one incident with chewing the blinds in the kitchen.
Anyhow, since I've been back I've been sick and somewhat exhausted. Larry's doing pretty well, but I haven't had the energy to train him at all.
In other news, Heather may have found a trainer. She'll come to the apartment and charges twenty-five bucks an hour. Cheaper than the other one on one training we were looking at. I'm thinking this is likely.
Anyhow, since I've been back I've been sick and somewhat exhausted. Larry's doing pretty well, but I haven't had the energy to train him at all.
In other news, Heather may have found a trainer. She'll come to the apartment and charges twenty-five bucks an hour. Cheaper than the other one on one training we were looking at. I'm thinking this is likely.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Larry Plays Destructo-Dog
I get home from work and what do I see? My spider plant that was raised from a baby, pulled out of its pot with its dirt scattered all over the kitchen. LarDog!!! I decided the best bet was to just to take him for his walk and clean it later. Good plan until we came back in. I left the gate open, not thinking he'd head back to the kitchen since he was in there all day. Wrong-o. He ran in, grabbed the plant and carried it into the living room, dragging soil with him all the way. Heather arrived a few minutes later and we got it all cleaned up. She thinks she can salvage the spider plant. I hope so. I kind of like it for some reason.
Larry had very little breakfast and possibly less dinner. Oh well, he'll just have to eat tomorrow.
He did well with training tonight. His stays were near perfect. Heather was greatly impressed.
I head out for Pittsburgh tomorrow and then on to Denver. I'm hoping he behaves for Heather over the long weekend.
Larry had very little breakfast and possibly less dinner. Oh well, he'll just have to eat tomorrow.
He did well with training tonight. His stays were near perfect. Heather was greatly impressed.
I head out for Pittsburgh tomorrow and then on to Denver. I'm hoping he behaves for Heather over the long weekend.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The LarDog is Awesome
No particular reason why I say the LarDog is awesome, he just is. Yeah, he's got his faults, but that doesn't make him any less awesome. He might just have the best waggity tail in the world.
Oh yeah, I think he knows CPR. He got up on his roost on top of the couch last night and dropped his ball on me. Against my better judgment, I just decided to throw it. When he jumped off to get it, he somehow figured a way to fall just enough before kicking off of my breastbone to launch himself a quarter of the way across the room. I probably should have been irritated, but since it didn't hurt, I just laughed. Maybe he'll star in a doggie remake of Baywatch.
He's still a bum for not eating though. He ate a lot last night while I was at work because Heather hand fed him. I'm not averse to hand feeding a few handfuls now and again, but I guarantee you I'm not going to hand feed him a whole meal. This morning, he ate about 6 pieces of kibble that I dropped in front of him. He didn't go to his bowl at all to eat. He's going to be one hungry puppy at 6 tonight.
Oh yeah, I think he knows CPR. He got up on his roost on top of the couch last night and dropped his ball on me. Against my better judgment, I just decided to throw it. When he jumped off to get it, he somehow figured a way to fall just enough before kicking off of my breastbone to launch himself a quarter of the way across the room. I probably should have been irritated, but since it didn't hurt, I just laughed. Maybe he'll star in a doggie remake of Baywatch.
He's still a bum for not eating though. He ate a lot last night while I was at work because Heather hand fed him. I'm not averse to hand feeding a few handfuls now and again, but I guarantee you I'm not going to hand feed him a whole meal. This morning, he ate about 6 pieces of kibble that I dropped in front of him. He didn't go to his bowl at all to eat. He's going to be one hungry puppy at 6 tonight.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Super Steelers
Heather was nice enough to buy Larry a Steelers jersey for the game. He let her put it on, but it didn't stay on long. Only a couple minutes before he was able to tug his front legs out from it.
He did well last night and didn't bother me too much during the game. I felt a bit bad that I scared him a few times with a loud cheer or clapping, but he went right back to doing what he was doing (which was mostly keeping an intense focus on his rawhide).
He's still not eating as much as I'd like. He seems to have soured a bit on the Purina One turkey that he liked so much when we started it. I've read that you don't have to vary food for dogs, just find one he/she likes and stick with it. However, I think he goes after new food with greater gusto. Not that he eats that much anyhow. I'm tempted to take him over to the vet just to let me see if I can use their scale. I want to be sure he isn't losing any weight.
He did well last night and didn't bother me too much during the game. I felt a bit bad that I scared him a few times with a loud cheer or clapping, but he went right back to doing what he was doing (which was mostly keeping an intense focus on his rawhide).
He's still not eating as much as I'd like. He seems to have soured a bit on the Purina One turkey that he liked so much when we started it. I've read that you don't have to vary food for dogs, just find one he/she likes and stick with it. However, I think he goes after new food with greater gusto. Not that he eats that much anyhow. I'm tempted to take him over to the vet just to let me see if I can use their scale. I want to be sure he isn't losing any weight.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Catching up
Larry's been awesome and awful over the last few days. The awful is that he got in the garbage and at a bunch of cheese and pepperoni off of a pizza. Didn't get sick though. He also peed in the kitchen that same day while I was at work. He got in the garbage again yesterday while Heather and I went out to dinner. This time he went in after the styrofoam container that had Friday's ground beef.
He's still doing the climbing up behind your head deal which is annoying.
But he's been reasonable settled over the weekend. Reasonably. I'm happy with it. He played well and calmed down pretty well (seen the climbing part for the not pretty well). He also let me take a long nap yesterday...which was awesome.
The deep freeze we've been in (minus 7 anyone?) has limited his exercise. Also I think now it might not be the salt that's hurting his paws. The extreme cold starts making him pull up a paw quickly. Needless to say, we've just been going outside to get business done.
He's still doing the climbing up behind your head deal which is annoying.
But he's been reasonable settled over the weekend. Reasonably. I'm happy with it. He played well and calmed down pretty well (seen the climbing part for the not pretty well). He also let me take a long nap yesterday...which was awesome.
The deep freeze we've been in (minus 7 anyone?) has limited his exercise. Also I think now it might not be the salt that's hurting his paws. The extreme cold starts making him pull up a paw quickly. Needless to say, we've just been going outside to get business done.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Well, maybe not the early to bed part.
Man, he bugged me to death last night. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd just been wanting attention. But he wanted attention and to be annoying. For example, I was sitting in the recliner and it wasn't enough that he was in my lap staring at me. Nope, he had to pretend that he was a little dog and climb up my shoulder and onto the back of the recliner. Then I had to twist and turn to bring him down so he didn't break his neck. Combine that with barking at any noise from the hallway and I got a little frayed.
However, he did go to bed just fine. But, as the title of this post mentions, he wanted to go potty at 4:20 AM. So off we went into the frigid early morning. He let me go back to sleep until 5:45. Ugh. I tried to catch a few Z's on the couch, but that only made him revert to his ear licking madness.
Good news: He ate pretty well with the Purina One again. We might have a winner; we'll see how dinner goes.
I started looking for obedience training options today. Right now, it's looking like I go for the cheaper 8 weeks, 8 sessions at Petco, or get very expensive private training at the one local kennel.
Man, he bugged me to death last night. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd just been wanting attention. But he wanted attention and to be annoying. For example, I was sitting in the recliner and it wasn't enough that he was in my lap staring at me. Nope, he had to pretend that he was a little dog and climb up my shoulder and onto the back of the recliner. Then I had to twist and turn to bring him down so he didn't break his neck. Combine that with barking at any noise from the hallway and I got a little frayed.
However, he did go to bed just fine. But, as the title of this post mentions, he wanted to go potty at 4:20 AM. So off we went into the frigid early morning. He let me go back to sleep until 5:45. Ugh. I tried to catch a few Z's on the couch, but that only made him revert to his ear licking madness.
Good news: He ate pretty well with the Purina One again. We might have a winner; we'll see how dinner goes.
I started looking for obedience training options today. Right now, it's looking like I go for the cheaper 8 weeks, 8 sessions at Petco, or get very expensive private training at the one local kennel.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Good, The Bad, and the Larry
Lawrence and I had a pretty good evening. Lots of ball rolling and fetching around the apartment. The Kong ball and the "regular" Kong seem to be his favorites. The regular Kong is good because it doesn't roll regularly; it takes some odd bounces which makes him move around more.
Bedtime was no problem. Right into the crate. The problem came at 3:30 when he wanted to go out. A) I didn't want to get out of bed then, B) it's around 10 degrees out, and C) did I mention that it was 3:30 in the morning? So I threw my jeans, coat, and boots on and took him out. And he did have to go. He didn't want to get back in the crate though. Luckily, he's light enough that I just picked him up and put him in. He went right back to sleep. But at 5:45, a full half hour before the alarm goes off, he state in no uncertain terms that it was time to get up. I let him out and tried to lay back down, but no luck. He just came up and kept licking and nosing at my ear. Pretty gross.
I switched up to the Purina One dog food for breakfast (it was a mix of the three this morning). Judging from breakfast and dinner, he's a big fan of the Purina One Turkey as opposed to the Science Diet and Natural Balance Lamb.
Also, I meant to mention that I'm sure it's the salt that was hurting his paws. In the cold and massive snow we had over last weekend, he didn't complain at all. Monday the landlord salted the steps and sure enough, he did a little whimper and was having a problem with his right rear paw. They're not salting now since the temp is low, so we don't have to worry about that right now.
He did really well working on sit and stay tonight. Good with look at me.
Currently, he's bugging the crap out of me to get off the computer, so I'm signing off.
Bedtime was no problem. Right into the crate. The problem came at 3:30 when he wanted to go out. A) I didn't want to get out of bed then, B) it's around 10 degrees out, and C) did I mention that it was 3:30 in the morning? So I threw my jeans, coat, and boots on and took him out. And he did have to go. He didn't want to get back in the crate though. Luckily, he's light enough that I just picked him up and put him in. He went right back to sleep. But at 5:45, a full half hour before the alarm goes off, he state in no uncertain terms that it was time to get up. I let him out and tried to lay back down, but no luck. He just came up and kept licking and nosing at my ear. Pretty gross.
I switched up to the Purina One dog food for breakfast (it was a mix of the three this morning). Judging from breakfast and dinner, he's a big fan of the Purina One Turkey as opposed to the Science Diet and Natural Balance Lamb.
Also, I meant to mention that I'm sure it's the salt that was hurting his paws. In the cold and massive snow we had over last weekend, he didn't complain at all. Monday the landlord salted the steps and sure enough, he did a little whimper and was having a problem with his right rear paw. They're not salting now since the temp is low, so we don't have to worry about that right now.
He did really well working on sit and stay tonight. Good with look at me.
Currently, he's bugging the crap out of me to get off the computer, so I'm signing off.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Substitute Dinner Provider
Since I'm back to working the evening shift on Monday, Heather was nice enough to agree to walk and feed him after she got done with work. According to her report, everything went just fine.
Before bed, I literally tried to walk the crap out of him, but to no avail. After a half hour of steady walking and sniffing around, I figured he wasn't going to go.
He crated last night with no problem. Woke up at 5:30 for a business trip outside and back in the crate (with a touch of an argument) at 5:45.
Once again, he doesn't eat much breakfast. I know he doesn't like the Science Diet now, but it's still mixed with the old stuff that he does like.
Getting him in the kitchen this morning wasn't much of a problem. I just kept him on the leash for the pre-work walk, gave him a few treats and gated him him and took off for work.
Boring post, but getting him to be partially boring is part of the goal!
Before bed, I literally tried to walk the crap out of him, but to no avail. After a half hour of steady walking and sniffing around, I figured he wasn't going to go.
He crated last night with no problem. Woke up at 5:30 for a business trip outside and back in the crate (with a touch of an argument) at 5:45.
Once again, he doesn't eat much breakfast. I know he doesn't like the Science Diet now, but it's still mixed with the old stuff that he does like.
Getting him in the kitchen this morning wasn't much of a problem. I just kept him on the leash for the pre-work walk, gave him a few treats and gated him him and took off for work.
Boring post, but getting him to be partially boring is part of the goal!
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Episode Where Larry Pees the Bed
So, things were moving around pretty well on Sunday. He got an early morning potty run, a morning walk, and a noon-ish walk. He didn't eat much at all for breakfast.
Around 2:30, Heather and I are standing in the bedroom talking and we hear Larry jump on the bed...no big deal. About 3 seconds later (or less), I hear him go tearing off the bed in what I call Super Psycho Running Dog mode. I look and sure enough, there's about 4 circular stains on the comforter with small lines connecting them to make a square. Heather says, "Did he puke?" To which I said, "I have no idea, he couldn't have done anything that fast." After a quick dab with a kleenex, sure enough, he peed. Lifted the comforter, and it had gone through to the top sheet. Lifted the top sheet and it had gone to the fitted sheet. Lifted the fitted sheet and it had gone to the mattress. I'm pretty sure that if I kept lifting things, there would be a hole all the way to the molten core of the earth. Remember, all this soaking happened in less than 90 seconds. So the linens all got bagged up and sent to Heather's house for laundering. The mattress was cleaned with the enzymatic cleaner. After thinking about it later, it had to be pee, because I never heard a dog puke quietly. How he did that much soaking after completely voiding his bladder just a few hours before is beyond me. Hope it doesn't happen again.
Finally worked with the Gentle Leader. Basically just got it fitted and let him walk around with it for a while. He's not a fan. It took quite a while to get it on and off just a few times. Definitely have to go the reward route with this one to keep him calm while it's being put on. Even that hasn't been working all that well. A little more practice with that and then I'll walk him around the apartment (I did a little already), and then we'll be ready for prime time.
He had no problems going into his crate last night. He was basically passed out on "his" chair already, so I think he was ready for bed. I put him in with just a little lure, and for once he didn't make any noise to be let out. I was surprised he caught on this quickly. All I heard was some digging on the bed inside the crate. Not even so much as a paw hitting the crate. He woke me up at 5 to go potty and he did fuss a little about going back in. I was pretty dazed, but I'd say it was less than a minute.
When I was leaving for work, he knew something was up. He didn't want to go to the kitchen at all. He wouldn't come in no matter how much I called him or lured him to the kitchen. He got closer, but didn't want to go in. Finally, I got the leash on him and just walked him in with some treats.
Of course, I then got stuck in the snow pulling out of my parking space...but that's another story.
Around 2:30, Heather and I are standing in the bedroom talking and we hear Larry jump on the bed...no big deal. About 3 seconds later (or less), I hear him go tearing off the bed in what I call Super Psycho Running Dog mode. I look and sure enough, there's about 4 circular stains on the comforter with small lines connecting them to make a square. Heather says, "Did he puke?" To which I said, "I have no idea, he couldn't have done anything that fast." After a quick dab with a kleenex, sure enough, he peed. Lifted the comforter, and it had gone through to the top sheet. Lifted the top sheet and it had gone to the fitted sheet. Lifted the fitted sheet and it had gone to the mattress. I'm pretty sure that if I kept lifting things, there would be a hole all the way to the molten core of the earth. Remember, all this soaking happened in less than 90 seconds. So the linens all got bagged up and sent to Heather's house for laundering. The mattress was cleaned with the enzymatic cleaner. After thinking about it later, it had to be pee, because I never heard a dog puke quietly. How he did that much soaking after completely voiding his bladder just a few hours before is beyond me. Hope it doesn't happen again.
Finally worked with the Gentle Leader. Basically just got it fitted and let him walk around with it for a while. He's not a fan. It took quite a while to get it on and off just a few times. Definitely have to go the reward route with this one to keep him calm while it's being put on. Even that hasn't been working all that well. A little more practice with that and then I'll walk him around the apartment (I did a little already), and then we'll be ready for prime time.
He had no problems going into his crate last night. He was basically passed out on "his" chair already, so I think he was ready for bed. I put him in with just a little lure, and for once he didn't make any noise to be let out. I was surprised he caught on this quickly. All I heard was some digging on the bed inside the crate. Not even so much as a paw hitting the crate. He woke me up at 5 to go potty and he did fuss a little about going back in. I was pretty dazed, but I'd say it was less than a minute.
When I was leaving for work, he knew something was up. He didn't want to go to the kitchen at all. He wouldn't come in no matter how much I called him or lured him to the kitchen. He got closer, but didn't want to go in. Finally, I got the leash on him and just walked him in with some treats.
Of course, I then got stuck in the snow pulling out of my parking space...but that's another story.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A Rebound
Yesterday ended up being pretty good. We took Larry to meet Heather's parents (driving across town in a continuation of the snowstorm). He did really well except for a piddling accident in the basement. But really, no problem. I was weird though because it was nowhere near time for him to go potty.
Other than that, Heather did a little training with him and he did fine. He really starts to pull on the leash when he sees other dogs when we're out. I really need to start him on the Gentle Leader that I bought a few weeks ago.
I moved the crate into the bedroom. When we went to bed, he went right in. I gave him a few treats, and then when the light went out, he only whined for like three or four minutes. After the 6:15 potty trip, he didn't fuss *too* much about going back in the crate.
Other than that, Heather did a little training with him and he did fine. He really starts to pull on the leash when he sees other dogs when we're out. I really need to start him on the Gentle Leader that I bought a few weeks ago.
I moved the crate into the bedroom. When we went to bed, he went right in. I gave him a few treats, and then when the light went out, he only whined for like three or four minutes. After the 6:15 potty trip, he didn't fuss *too* much about going back in the crate.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Bad Night
The end of our first full week back at work arrived. Larry was fine in the kitchen as he was for the rest of the week. Got him outside and walked him in the tall snow (probably 11 inches or so). He loved it! He also had no problems with being picky about where to poo. We stayed out until Heather came over but before we went in, we showed her how much he likes to bound about in the snow and do a little tunneling.
We came upstairs, cleaned off the snowballs from his legs and chest and went in the apartment. I served him dinner, and we relaxed for a while. We needed to go to the grocery store and a quick stop at Petco. So reluctantly, Larry went into the kitchen. When we came back, he had ripped up a yellow pages, nearly knocked the mini-blinds off the back door, and I can't remember what else. So no biggie though, no real damage. I took him out for a long walk in the snow (probably the longest walk we've ever taken) and then came back in.
Heather had already eaten dinner and I was just starting mine after the walk and sure enough, he nipped her. Nobody was amused. Later I was walking around the apartment and sure enough, he nips me on the top of the foot (not just mouthing, but a real nip). I'm getting p.o.ed and concerned. I decide to go to bed. I've been letting him sleep in bed with me and he's slept with Heather and I before. Well I go into the bedroom, he decides to be in bed with me while Heather is still in the living room. That would be fine. But then as I pull the covers up, he bites me on the forearm. I direct him off the bed, and stand up. Then I went back into the bed. Sure enough, he bites me on the forearm again. I know I'm not supposed to get mad, but he's on my last nerve. So I yell at him but good. At this point Heather thinks it's a good idea to intervene. We take him out to the living room and then we try to calm things down. Then we all go to bed. And he promptly bites Heather's hand. So I've had enough and decide he's going to spend his first night in the crate.
I'm not sure how long he whined (I'm guessing 20 minutes) and he offered a few plaintive barks. But then I think he finally figured out that he was supposed to sleep (thank heaven). I heard him whining at 5:15 and I knew that was a bathroom call so I took him out and let him do his business. He didn't fool around too much in the cold, so we got back in. I didn't want to bother Heather, so I didn't put him in his crate; we stayed in the living room, where he occasionally came up and licked my face until I put him off the chair. Largely he just laid on my legs on the recliner (which is fine by me) or went to his chair.
I need a nap!
We came upstairs, cleaned off the snowballs from his legs and chest and went in the apartment. I served him dinner, and we relaxed for a while. We needed to go to the grocery store and a quick stop at Petco. So reluctantly, Larry went into the kitchen. When we came back, he had ripped up a yellow pages, nearly knocked the mini-blinds off the back door, and I can't remember what else. So no biggie though, no real damage. I took him out for a long walk in the snow (probably the longest walk we've ever taken) and then came back in.
Heather had already eaten dinner and I was just starting mine after the walk and sure enough, he nipped her. Nobody was amused. Later I was walking around the apartment and sure enough, he nips me on the top of the foot (not just mouthing, but a real nip). I'm getting p.o.ed and concerned. I decide to go to bed. I've been letting him sleep in bed with me and he's slept with Heather and I before. Well I go into the bedroom, he decides to be in bed with me while Heather is still in the living room. That would be fine. But then as I pull the covers up, he bites me on the forearm. I direct him off the bed, and stand up. Then I went back into the bed. Sure enough, he bites me on the forearm again. I know I'm not supposed to get mad, but he's on my last nerve. So I yell at him but good. At this point Heather thinks it's a good idea to intervene. We take him out to the living room and then we try to calm things down. Then we all go to bed. And he promptly bites Heather's hand. So I've had enough and decide he's going to spend his first night in the crate.
I'm not sure how long he whined (I'm guessing 20 minutes) and he offered a few plaintive barks. But then I think he finally figured out that he was supposed to sleep (thank heaven). I heard him whining at 5:15 and I knew that was a bathroom call so I took him out and let him do his business. He didn't fool around too much in the cold, so we got back in. I didn't want to bother Heather, so I didn't put him in his crate; we stayed in the living room, where he occasionally came up and licked my face until I put him off the chair. Largely he just laid on my legs on the recliner (which is fine by me) or went to his chair.
I need a nap!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Who's a Good Boy? Larry Is!
Larry let me sleep until the alarm went off at 6:15 this morning. I have to say I was surprised and delighted. He was certainly surprised, but not all that delighted. He had no idea what the noise was. It was actually a pretty good and funny way to immediately start the day, especially since I'm not a morning person at all.
We did wade out into about 4 or 5 inches of new snow, but luckily, he loves the snow. Good thing for an Erie dog. He doesn't like when the little snow balls accrete on the fur on his legs and undercarriage, but he doesn't worry about that until we're back inside the apartment stairwell. I can help him pick it off then.
But back to last night. The only minor damage he did in the kitchen was he knocked a paper off of the refrigerator and shredded it a bit. Not little pieces, but shredded. Oddly, it was the housebreaking sheet that Helen gave me! I don't know what that means about his opinion of it, but I sure liked it. Luckily I have a copy saved and I've pretty much memorized the sheet anyhow.
We went out for a decently long walk in the snow right after work and he made an enemy. Well, he didn't do it, but the other dog didn't like him. We met a Boston Terrier at the dumpsters (the throwing away poo gathering place of the apartment complex). The owner of the Boston was a really nice guy, but his dog didn't like Larry at all. Actually might have clipped him on the nose. So that was a bummer. But then right after, Larry met a new girlfriend...Clementine. She's a black standard poodle who's a giant compared to him. But they really liked each other. They were even playing in the snow (on leash) together. Clementine is a well-trained dog. She immediately listened to her owner's commands, though Larry made her break from sit a lot. No shame there. Clementine's owner thought Sir Lawrence was about the cutest dog in the world. And of course, around strangers, he's on his absolute best behavior. No jumping or anything. I was well pleased.
We did two training sessions where I mostly concentrated on getting him to do "down" just by voice. He's having some problems with it, but he'll get there. Mainly, I'm just tired of bending.
Now the bad news was that on our pre-bedtime walk, I fell. This was inevitable. They don't salt, cinder, or dirt the parking lot where the dumpsters are, so the snow turns into an icy hardpack. Luckily, we had already disposed of the poo, but sure enough, I did a slo-mo tumble. Right foot went back and kept on going back. Knee down and then hand down. Luckily, the leash was in my left hand, so I never lost control of him. The good news is that there was only a slight nick on my knee and no soreness today at all. Could have been a lot worse. I just hope that I'm this lucky when the inevitable next tumble happens.
We did wade out into about 4 or 5 inches of new snow, but luckily, he loves the snow. Good thing for an Erie dog. He doesn't like when the little snow balls accrete on the fur on his legs and undercarriage, but he doesn't worry about that until we're back inside the apartment stairwell. I can help him pick it off then.
But back to last night. The only minor damage he did in the kitchen was he knocked a paper off of the refrigerator and shredded it a bit. Not little pieces, but shredded. Oddly, it was the housebreaking sheet that Helen gave me! I don't know what that means about his opinion of it, but I sure liked it. Luckily I have a copy saved and I've pretty much memorized the sheet anyhow.
We went out for a decently long walk in the snow right after work and he made an enemy. Well, he didn't do it, but the other dog didn't like him. We met a Boston Terrier at the dumpsters (the throwing away poo gathering place of the apartment complex). The owner of the Boston was a really nice guy, but his dog didn't like Larry at all. Actually might have clipped him on the nose. So that was a bummer. But then right after, Larry met a new girlfriend...Clementine. She's a black standard poodle who's a giant compared to him. But they really liked each other. They were even playing in the snow (on leash) together. Clementine is a well-trained dog. She immediately listened to her owner's commands, though Larry made her break from sit a lot. No shame there. Clementine's owner thought Sir Lawrence was about the cutest dog in the world. And of course, around strangers, he's on his absolute best behavior. No jumping or anything. I was well pleased.
We did two training sessions where I mostly concentrated on getting him to do "down" just by voice. He's having some problems with it, but he'll get there. Mainly, I'm just tired of bending.
Now the bad news was that on our pre-bedtime walk, I fell. This was inevitable. They don't salt, cinder, or dirt the parking lot where the dumpsters are, so the snow turns into an icy hardpack. Luckily, we had already disposed of the poo, but sure enough, I did a slo-mo tumble. Right foot went back and kept on going back. Knee down and then hand down. Luckily, the leash was in my left hand, so I never lost control of him. The good news is that there was only a slight nick on my knee and no soreness today at all. Could have been a lot worse. I just hope that I'm this lucky when the inevitable next tumble happens.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
In Which Larry Drives Me a Little Crazy
It sucked walking him on that ice and slush Tuesday night, but oh well, that's the life of a dog owner. You know it's bad when Larry's slipping. However, in good news, I did bungee the little garbage can that Heather bought me to the back stairs landing, so if I don't want to go to the dumpster right then, I can use that. I can't imagine using it in the summer. Good idea getting the snap on lid.
Anyhow, he wakes me up at 4:50 Wednesday morning by pawing at the back of my head. Good in a way, because he had to pee. Bad, cause he didn't poo. So I go back to bed (after it took him forever to settle down) and slept til 6:30. At least I think I slept. So I figured I'd take him out after he ate. Well, he wouldn't let me rest my eyes and listen to the news, so I tried to feed him. He wasn't interested in eating. So I ate my Cheerios. While I'm halfway through the second bowl, I see him take two sniffs while walking in the living room and I know exactly what's going to happen. Sure enough, he hunches up to crap and I'm yelling at him and I'm trying to push his back to a straight position, but to no avail. Crapped right on the floor. So I flushed it, thoroughly washed my hands, and finished my breakfast. Then he ate just fine. I showered and then we took a nice short walk in the freezing drizzle walking through the slush. Good times! So that was my morning. Not fun and I'm a little irritated from sleepiness and poo. I guess it's not that he drove me crazy, but it was just one of those moments. You'd think if he was going to poo in the house, he'd have the decency to wait until I finished my Cheerios!
At any rate, he's doing a good job so far of not going to the bathroom during my workday. Three days, no problems. But boy is he ready to get outside when I get home.
I still think he might not be eating enough. He's eating and happy when he is, but when he's done, he's done for good. However, he's not getting near the cup to cup and a half that the food bag recommends. He's probably getting 8/10ths of a cup a day. The vet had mentioned that he just might not be a big eater (and he seemed happy about that because the dog won't have weight problems then).
As far as training goes, I've been a little lax since I've been back at work. But we did work Monday and last evening. Wow does he love those Bil-Jac treats. He's got sit perfect. He'll even do it when he's hyper and distracted. He's doing down very well, but has problems if he's distracted. Not big problems at all, just sometimes not responsive. He'll get there. Like I mentioned before, it's not your classic down, he more puts his head down and then flops on his right hip. Works for me. Stay is not going so well. So I'm trying to increase the length of his sits, hoping that he'll let me back away. He's doing well with come. Problematically for all of these commands though is that he's much more responsive to the hand gestures than the voice command. Not to say that he won't do it by voice, but he seems much more cued to the visual rather than the aural. Don't know if that means anything or not, but just thought I should make a note of it.
Anyhow, he wakes me up at 4:50 Wednesday morning by pawing at the back of my head. Good in a way, because he had to pee. Bad, cause he didn't poo. So I go back to bed (after it took him forever to settle down) and slept til 6:30. At least I think I slept. So I figured I'd take him out after he ate. Well, he wouldn't let me rest my eyes and listen to the news, so I tried to feed him. He wasn't interested in eating. So I ate my Cheerios. While I'm halfway through the second bowl, I see him take two sniffs while walking in the living room and I know exactly what's going to happen. Sure enough, he hunches up to crap and I'm yelling at him and I'm trying to push his back to a straight position, but to no avail. Crapped right on the floor. So I flushed it, thoroughly washed my hands, and finished my breakfast. Then he ate just fine. I showered and then we took a nice short walk in the freezing drizzle walking through the slush. Good times! So that was my morning. Not fun and I'm a little irritated from sleepiness and poo. I guess it's not that he drove me crazy, but it was just one of those moments. You'd think if he was going to poo in the house, he'd have the decency to wait until I finished my Cheerios!
At any rate, he's doing a good job so far of not going to the bathroom during my workday. Three days, no problems. But boy is he ready to get outside when I get home.
I still think he might not be eating enough. He's eating and happy when he is, but when he's done, he's done for good. However, he's not getting near the cup to cup and a half that the food bag recommends. He's probably getting 8/10ths of a cup a day. The vet had mentioned that he just might not be a big eater (and he seemed happy about that because the dog won't have weight problems then).
As far as training goes, I've been a little lax since I've been back at work. But we did work Monday and last evening. Wow does he love those Bil-Jac treats. He's got sit perfect. He'll even do it when he's hyper and distracted. He's doing down very well, but has problems if he's distracted. Not big problems at all, just sometimes not responsive. He'll get there. Like I mentioned before, it's not your classic down, he more puts his head down and then flops on his right hip. Works for me. Stay is not going so well. So I'm trying to increase the length of his sits, hoping that he'll let me back away. He's doing well with come. Problematically for all of these commands though is that he's much more responsive to the hand gestures than the voice command. Not to say that he won't do it by voice, but he seems much more cued to the visual rather than the aural. Don't know if that means anything or not, but just thought I should make a note of it.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Back to Work Blues (Clues?)
Alas, the holiday break came to an end for me yesterday. This means Larry got to spend the second of many lonely days at the apartment while I'm at work. We tried to get to bed early, but I couldn't sleep (he did just fine in that regard) so it was 1 AM before I fell asleep. Let me tell you, 6:15 arrived a lot sooner than expected. I threw on some clothes, took him outside where he was quite happy to not fool around and just get down to both orders of business, and then back up to the apartment. We relaxed for a while watching the local news, then I ate breakfast (eating breakfast at home is going to help the budget, that's for sure). Then he got his chow. Then I showered and got ready for work, watched a little of the national news, then took him for a 15 minute walk. Then the tricky part: he knew what was coming. Puppy Prison!
I put his blanket and some toys in the kitchen next to his crate. He stopped right at the gated doorway to the kitchen and sat and looked at me. I called his name and he just happily thumped his tail on the floor. I pulled out a big gun: I waved the plush toy shark. No dice. So I had to resort to bribery. I broke off a piece of a Beggin Strip and held it out for him. No dice. I walked over to him and put the treat in front of his nose. Like a tectonic shift, he slowly lifted his butt off the ground. Then he followed me into the middle of the kitchen where he was duly rewarded with his treat. I then was able to gate him in the kitchen and leave for work.
I was a bit worried that he'd destroy the kitchen, but he only thing he did was figure out how to pop the lid on the garbage can (I think he smelled the sloppy joe remains). Luckily, the can wasn't full and I was smart enough to locate it in such a way that it's nearly impossible for a dog to knock it over. Note that I said nearly...he didn't do it yet, but he's got time on his paws.
When I got home, he was super excited to see me and to tend to business. So we went outside, took a brief walk and then hyper-dog wanted to play fetch for 700 hours. I had to call it off when his tongue was really hanging out and his chest was heaving. He was still ready to go though. The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful.
In all, if this becomes the usual routine, I don't think I'll have any complaints.
I put his blanket and some toys in the kitchen next to his crate. He stopped right at the gated doorway to the kitchen and sat and looked at me. I called his name and he just happily thumped his tail on the floor. I pulled out a big gun: I waved the plush toy shark. No dice. So I had to resort to bribery. I broke off a piece of a Beggin Strip and held it out for him. No dice. I walked over to him and put the treat in front of his nose. Like a tectonic shift, he slowly lifted his butt off the ground. Then he followed me into the middle of the kitchen where he was duly rewarded with his treat. I then was able to gate him in the kitchen and leave for work.
I was a bit worried that he'd destroy the kitchen, but he only thing he did was figure out how to pop the lid on the garbage can (I think he smelled the sloppy joe remains). Luckily, the can wasn't full and I was smart enough to locate it in such a way that it's nearly impossible for a dog to knock it over. Note that I said nearly...he didn't do it yet, but he's got time on his paws.
When I got home, he was super excited to see me and to tend to business. So we went outside, took a brief walk and then hyper-dog wanted to play fetch for 700 hours. I had to call it off when his tongue was really hanging out and his chest was heaving. He was still ready to go though. The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful.
In all, if this becomes the usual routine, I don't think I'll have any complaints.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Larry's New Year
Larry's off to a good start for the New Year. Housebreaking continues to go very well, no accidents in the apartment. Last problem with that was at mom's house at Christmas.
He's getting good with "down" (lay down), even though he does it in a non-traditional way. Instead of going straight down, he bows his head and his front paws and then sort of flops onto his side. He did it today for no treat, just to get the leash on. (Though he gets super-hyper and a little mouthy when he sees the leash come out.
He did get into the spider plant while I was out of the house the other day. Actually, I think he just knocked it over and it scared him. Really not a problem. It wasn't like he was digging in it.
The problem I don't know how to avoid now is that his paws are hurting during potty trips outside. Not all the time and not for long, but he's definitely hurting. I think it's gotta be the salt the landlord puts down, but with no real other options, I don't know how to help him. I'm going to start taking him directly to the courtyard and see if that helps. It might, it might not. It might just be cold. We'll have to see.
Oh, and my girlfriend Heather gave him a bath today. He looked at me like "take me back to the pound please." But he didn't hate it that much. Much fluffier now.
He's getting good with "down" (lay down), even though he does it in a non-traditional way. Instead of going straight down, he bows his head and his front paws and then sort of flops onto his side. He did it today for no treat, just to get the leash on. (Though he gets super-hyper and a little mouthy when he sees the leash come out.
He did get into the spider plant while I was out of the house the other day. Actually, I think he just knocked it over and it scared him. Really not a problem. It wasn't like he was digging in it.
The problem I don't know how to avoid now is that his paws are hurting during potty trips outside. Not all the time and not for long, but he's definitely hurting. I think it's gotta be the salt the landlord puts down, but with no real other options, I don't know how to help him. I'm going to start taking him directly to the courtyard and see if that helps. It might, it might not. It might just be cold. We'll have to see.
Oh, and my girlfriend Heather gave him a bath today. He looked at me like "take me back to the pound please." But he didn't hate it that much. Much fluffier now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)