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.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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?
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