Ninety-five days... that's how long it's been since I wrote to you, dear reader. That's almost two years in her life and I haven't updated you. I feel bad. Though when there isn't much to inform you on, there wouldn't be much of an update. Honestly, not much has happened. So you will then say, something must have happened for the sudden reappearance of a fresh post on the blog. Oh, you're in for a doozy if you care. Settle in with a cup of cocoa or whatever keeps you warm these winter nights....
Annandale, we have a problem!
So, I'll fill you in on the past few months quickly. She's grown to about full size (I hope). She's a little restless on the upstairs levels but settles down very easily in the basement when I'm around. This scenario changes when it's just Chassie in the basement in the afternoon. She walks "decent" on a leash. There are times when she is an absolute angel and then sometimes that Bellzebub returns. She loves Draco. "Loves, loves, loves," as Chassie would say. Draco only tolerates her. Though they do have very cute moments together. Overall, I'm very happy with her progression. She wants to be a good dog and at times she's perfect. There's very few times I've wanted to turn her into the pound.
Now to the story at hand. This past Friday, the third Friday of the new year I dropped Bella off at Doggie Day Camp (DDC) in the morning and called Chassie as I drove to work. This is usual. We take her Mondays and Fridays and as I leave, I call Chassie at work to give her an update. Most of the time those updates include whether or not she pooped in the middle of PetSmart. I'd be curious to know what the exact number is, but for those that care I'd say 40% of the time I'm picking up poop before she makes check in. I believe this particular Friday there was no issue, we checked in and I was out very quickly.
I have no reason to worry during the days she's at DDC. I had no apprehension after I dropped her off that morning. Chassie called that afternoon though and I knew something was amiss. The first thing she said was, "The ring is okay..." (For those that don't know, I finally asked Chassie to marry me and she agreed...phew)
*Bow*
(There's a blog post in that if you care, it did involve a dog, the other dog though.)
Sorry, I digress. Chassie says there's a problem. She wants me to guess. Honestly, I don't remember what I offered. She recounts the story: Jessica (manager at DDC) says, "She picked up a bad habit today. She ate poop."
For dramatic effect, I'll restate that more clearly. Bella ate another dog's fresh poop. Disgusting.
Awesome. That was what I thought. No lie, straight from the brain to the page. "Awesome." We've got a poop eater on our hands. I think back to the last of our latest training sessions with Sarah (the trainer) and how she said that some of the dogs that attend DDC eat poop but none of the class do. Oh, what would she think of us now.
The next part of Jessica's story was, "It didn't agree with her and she threw it up." Well, thank goodness for that...
So, we watched her. So far it doesn't seem to be an issue. It could just be a learned behavior, much like her trying to hump Draco when they are playing. We all know that won't work.
I now refer to her as "Poop Eater." This will hopefully be short lived, like most of the other nicknames I've given her.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Attack of the Water Bottle
A couple of weeks ago I went to Petsmart to pick Bella up from Doggie Day Care (DDC). While I was waiting for the person in front of me to pick up their dog, I watched Bella play through the glass walls. Bella was standing in front of the DDC employee and he sprayed her in the face with a water bottle.
Now, before I go on. Petsmart uses water spray bottles as a negative punishment for unwanted behavior. Every dog must pass a behavior evaluation before they can be accepted into DDC, so most of the dogs are well behaved.
You might ask why the employees would need to use spray bottles. I would assume the spray bottles assist them in managing the collective dog behavior. I use the word assist because they should all know how to interact with a group of dogs and how to redirect unwanted behavior.
Back to the story at hand…
I cannot be totally sure, but from my perspective, the DDC employee sprayed Bella because she was too close to him and was crowding the doorway. When I saw him spray her the first time I was a little shocked but willing to reserve judgment. But when he sprayed her again almost right afterward and then raised his arm over the half glass wall, that separates the room into two small play areas, to spray another dog who was barking I was upset.
When it was my turn in line I filed a complaint with the manager. I told her Bella is a well trained dog. She is CGC certified and knows commands like “no” and “back up”. So when the DDC employee didn’t tell her any command and just sprayed her in the face twice, he will not accomplish anything. The only thing that he would accomplish with Bella would be to teach her to not like water. Dave and I do not use negative punishment. We both believe positive reinforcement is the only way we want to train Bella (and Draco). I mentioned how he sprayed another dog in a different section of the room. And that I think he needs to be instructed on how and when to use the spray bottle. I also requested water spray bottles not be used on Bella. Ever.
The manager was completely understanding and told me the DDC employee would have a verbal warning about the over usage of the spray bottle.
Afterward, when Bella and I were at home cuddling on the couch with Draco, I wondered if I over reacted. I looked down at Bella sleeping happily at home without a care in the world. I reached my hand down to pet her on the head and my hand brushed across two wet spots on her fur. Wet spots created by that spray bottle. Wet spots that shouldn’t have been there.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Boring Bella
I know our loyal followers (Hi, Claire, Jimmy, JR and Chris) have noticed Dave and I have been absent from our blog lately. And we could give you lots of excuses.
Like my sister had a baby, fall is a busy time for Dave at work, the holidays, Dave threw out his back or I broke my foot…but we don’t need excuses.
The real reason is because Bella has become boring.
Yes…boring.
We don’t have any good stories. She is a well behaved (for the most part) puppy. She is well trained. If she jumps on the couch and tries to lick Draco’s ears we say:
Leave it. Off.
And she stops licking and jumps off the couch. Sometimes we have to say it twice but she does it.
I can walk her with my boot cast on my foot. I am not suppose to but she will walk on a loose leash enough that I can walk her without losing my balance.
She doesn’t eat/chew on our belongings. She sticks to her toys. If she does have something that is not hers; we tell her to drop it and she will.
She doesn’t eat Dandelions anymore.
She doesn’t go potty in the house anymore.
She has stopped humping Draco (okay maybe this one needs a post….)
She is not perfectly behaved, she is only 15 months old. But for 15 months is a really good dog.
Here are a few of the things she knows:
Sit
Down
Crawl
Stay
Come
With me (run to my left side and sit)
Heal (she needs some more work on this one)
Front (Sits in front on me)
Back up (walks backwards)
Bow
Leave it
High five
Wave
Pound it
Off
Wait
Sit and wait for permission before walking through a doorway
Loose leash walking
Roll over
Sit politely for petting (she sometimes forgets this one)
Sits when I stomp my foot (not how I broke my foot by the way)
That is a lot for Dave and me; and for Bella.
But back to Bella being boring…well there is not too much to write about.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Frankenstorm aka Hurricane Sandy
Yesterday afternoon and last night the Frankenstorm swept through the Mid Atlantic and northeast. It was one of the biggest (in land area) ever. And some of the strongest winds the Washington DC area has ever seen in a hurricane. Plus it dumped almost 3 feet of storm in the Potomac Highlands.
But Draco and Bella didn't care about any of those stats. And honestly they didn't notice anything was different until we went to bed.
Draco:
Draco doesn't like the rain. So he didn't want to go outside much but when there's a shower in April he doesn't want to go out then either. As the winds started to pick up he didn't react. Around 5pm I gave him an Ultra Calm so I thought it was doing its magic. But as it turns out the reason he didn't react to the high winds was because the tv was on and Dave and I were just relaxing watching the constant coverage on NBC4.
But when we turn out the lights and the tv off he started to stare out of the sliding glass door and became anxious. He started to pace and pant. He got on the my side of the couch then jumped down, got on Dave's side of the couch then jumped down, went upstairs panted paced and couldn't find anything to make him happy. I followed him around trying to soothe him for an hour. When nothing I did worked I decided he was on his own and I went to sleep. When I woke up 6 hours later, the power was still on, the winds were quiet and Draco was asleep by the couch on his bed.
Bella:
She didn't notice anything at all. She went outside all day and ran around eating leaves like it wasn't raining and the winds were strong enough to blow her away. When we took her out around 11 when the winds were at the highest she still didn't care. Thank goodness! Let's hope her carefree attitude never changes and starts to influence Draco.
We survived the Frankenstorm of 2012!
How about everyone else?
But Draco and Bella didn't care about any of those stats. And honestly they didn't notice anything was different until we went to bed.
Draco:
Draco doesn't like the rain. So he didn't want to go outside much but when there's a shower in April he doesn't want to go out then either. As the winds started to pick up he didn't react. Around 5pm I gave him an Ultra Calm so I thought it was doing its magic. But as it turns out the reason he didn't react to the high winds was because the tv was on and Dave and I were just relaxing watching the constant coverage on NBC4.
But when we turn out the lights and the tv off he started to stare out of the sliding glass door and became anxious. He started to pace and pant. He got on the my side of the couch then jumped down, got on Dave's side of the couch then jumped down, went upstairs panted paced and couldn't find anything to make him happy. I followed him around trying to soothe him for an hour. When nothing I did worked I decided he was on his own and I went to sleep. When I woke up 6 hours later, the power was still on, the winds were quiet and Draco was asleep by the couch on his bed.
Bella:
She didn't notice anything at all. She went outside all day and ran around eating leaves like it wasn't raining and the winds were strong enough to blow her away. When we took her out around 11 when the winds were at the highest she still didn't care. Thank goodness! Let's hope her carefree attitude never changes and starts to influence Draco.
We survived the Frankenstorm of 2012!
How about everyone else?
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A Good Judge of Character
All has been relatively quiet on the puppy front of late. Except last night. It started out about the same as the nights have been recently. She played around for a little while and then moved to her spot on the couch and closed her eyes. She was asleep for about twenty minutes when the action started.
I was watching Discovery Channel, which was airing a special on Osama Bin Laden. About ten minutes in, I paused the television and called my parents. The image frozen on the screen was of Bin Laden himself. I spoke with my mom for a few minutes when I noticed Bella wake up. She looked at the TV, then sat up and started growling, low and throaty at first and then getting louder. The growl led to a few quick barks. I said to her, "I know he's a bad man, but he's not going to hurt you." She continued to growl. I hit 'play' on the remote and let the image change before pausing it again. Bella looked at the TV growled once more and laid back down.
I think we'll stick with football tonight.
I was watching Discovery Channel, which was airing a special on Osama Bin Laden. About ten minutes in, I paused the television and called my parents. The image frozen on the screen was of Bin Laden himself. I spoke with my mom for a few minutes when I noticed Bella wake up. She looked at the TV, then sat up and started growling, low and throaty at first and then getting louder. The growl led to a few quick barks. I said to her, "I know he's a bad man, but he's not going to hurt you." She continued to growl. I hit 'play' on the remote and let the image change before pausing it again. Bella looked at the TV growled once more and laid back down.
I think we'll stick with football tonight.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Rally-O Class #2
Bella and I attended our second Rally-O Class on Sunday. And it didn’t feel like the first class as much as I thought it would.
I remembered how to get there and Bella remembered too, she tried to drag me all the way there from the car. I recognized several of our classmates and our instructor, Patsy. Even Patsy remembered who we were.
Side note: There seems to be a trend in dog training. Everyone knows the dog’s names but not the human handlers' names. So when someone wants to get my attention they say “Bella”.
The three week hiatus from class seemed to lower the attendance. We lost one of the dog/human pairs. The sheep dog was missing from class. And Mocha the chocolate Lab/Weimaraner mix showed up late and was asked to leave early.
Apparently, while we all were working the course, Patsy asked Mocha and her handler to exit the course and took them aside. Pasty was concerned Mocha’s handler was too rough with the leash corrections. Pasty instructed Mocha's handler on the "art" of treat luring and showed her how to use treat luring to achieve the maneuvers. After a few minutes of practice, Patsy felt she was too frustrated to continue and asked her to go home and come calm down and practice the treat luring. I was shocked when Patsy told us. I didn’t notice them at all because Bella and I went onto the course before them. But I have never heard of a handler and dog being asked to leave class for improper leash correction.
Bella and I had spent the last three weeks practicing the maneuvers from class #1. The practice seemed to help us. But this week’s course was way different than last week’s (every week has a new course) and it seemed way harder. Here are the maneuvers we preformed:
Moving Down Walk Around Dog
270° to the Right
Send Over Jump, Handler Passes By
360° Right Turn
About Turn Right
Call Dog Front, Finish Left, Forward
Straight Figure 8 Weave Twice
Moving Side Step Right
Halt, About Turn Right and Forward
Down Stop
Halt, Turn Right One Step, Call to Heal, Halt
Moving Down, Walk Around Dog
Back Up Three Steps (HARD!)
Wow I am tired just remembering. We did the full course three times. And the jump several more times individually. At the first class she went over the jump like she had been doing it all her life. But on Sunday she was like, “What is that?!?!…I don’t think so, I will just follow you”. She finally got it. I think we will still have to work at it. Patsy sent us some instructions to make our own jumps at home to practice. They require a PVC pipe and a drill. I guess Dave will need to dust off his work belt...okay okay...I guess Dave will need to go buy a work belt and Handy Man for Dummies book.
I was nervous before class but when we got home Bella was happy and sleepy and slept for the rest of the day so I was happy too.
I am looking forward to the next class...I just hope I don’t have to wait three weeks.
I remembered how to get there and Bella remembered too, she tried to drag me all the way there from the car. I recognized several of our classmates and our instructor, Patsy. Even Patsy remembered who we were.
Side note: There seems to be a trend in dog training. Everyone knows the dog’s names but not the human handlers' names. So when someone wants to get my attention they say “Bella”.
The three week hiatus from class seemed to lower the attendance. We lost one of the dog/human pairs. The sheep dog was missing from class. And Mocha the chocolate Lab/Weimaraner mix showed up late and was asked to leave early.
Apparently, while we all were working the course, Patsy asked Mocha and her handler to exit the course and took them aside. Pasty was concerned Mocha’s handler was too rough with the leash corrections. Pasty instructed Mocha's handler on the "art" of treat luring and showed her how to use treat luring to achieve the maneuvers. After a few minutes of practice, Patsy felt she was too frustrated to continue and asked her to go home and come calm down and practice the treat luring. I was shocked when Patsy told us. I didn’t notice them at all because Bella and I went onto the course before them. But I have never heard of a handler and dog being asked to leave class for improper leash correction.
Bella and I had spent the last three weeks practicing the maneuvers from class #1. The practice seemed to help us. But this week’s course was way different than last week’s (every week has a new course) and it seemed way harder. Here are the maneuvers we preformed:
Moving Down Walk Around Dog
270° to the Right
Send Over Jump, Handler Passes By
360° Right Turn
About Turn Right
Call Dog Front, Finish Left, Forward
Straight Figure 8 Weave Twice
Moving Side Step Right
Halt, About Turn Right and Forward
Down Stop
Halt, Turn Right One Step, Call to Heal, Halt
Moving Down, Walk Around Dog
Back Up Three Steps (HARD!)
Wow I am tired just remembering. We did the full course three times. And the jump several more times individually. At the first class she went over the jump like she had been doing it all her life. But on Sunday she was like, “What is that?!?!…I don’t think so, I will just follow you”. She finally got it. I think we will still have to work at it. Patsy sent us some instructions to make our own jumps at home to practice. They require a PVC pipe and a drill. I guess Dave will need to dust off his work belt...okay okay...I guess Dave will need to go buy a work belt and Handy Man for Dummies book.
I was nervous before class but when we got home Bella was happy and sleepy and slept for the rest of the day so I was happy too.
I am looking forward to the next class...I just hope I don’t have to wait three weeks.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Our 2nd Rally-O Class?
The last two Rally-O classes were cancelled. The September 30th class was cancelled because our instructor had a wedding and a family reunion. And last week’s because of the rain.
This means Sunday’s class is going to feel like the first day of class all over again.
I hate the first day of class. It is awkward because you don’t know anyone and you are unsure what to do. I really don’t want to do that again. It won't exactly be like the first class. But I still don't really know anyone and I am not really sure what Bella and I are doing yet.
But on Sunday we will have our second class of the course. Bella and I have been practicing. And we got a new leash which should help my hands out a lot. The nylon leash killed my hands last time. So we are ready to go.
I just hope we have class on Sunday…
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Happy Birthday Miss Bella!
Today is Bella's first birthday.
She had a very big day. Chassie started the day by singing her Happy Birthday. I came downstairs and both Chassie and I excitedly wished her a happy birthday. She jumped around and moved between us, extremely excited because we were. I took her for a walk and then we went to Doggie Day Camp. Chassie told me to tell them it was her birthday and when I did, the guy at the counter said, "Oh, then it's free today." She even got a peanut butter treat for free.
Now, she's laid out next to me, sleeping peacefully. I'd say she had a pretty good day.
She had a very big day. Chassie started the day by singing her Happy Birthday. I came downstairs and both Chassie and I excitedly wished her a happy birthday. She jumped around and moved between us, extremely excited because we were. I took her for a walk and then we went to Doggie Day Camp. Chassie told me to tell them it was her birthday and when I did, the guy at the counter said, "Oh, then it's free today." She even got a peanut butter treat for free.
Now, she's laid out next to me, sleeping peacefully. I'd say she had a pretty good day.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Serial Killer Eyes
“She has serial killer eyes”
Some might remember me repeating that phase over and over again to describe Bella for the first few months. It was hard for me. Even though I was super excited to have her in our lives, I intimately knew how hard it is to raise a puppy. I did it with Draco all by myself and I didn’t want to do it again. But Dave had never had a puppy before and to be honest he didn't believe me.
So we ended up with a high energy, notoriously difficult, smart puppy. Her linage is from Champions in rally and hunting. Which means she can go all day and still be mischievous at night.
But why did I think she had “Serial Killer Eyes”?
But why did I think she had “Serial Killer Eyes”?
Her eyes looked like human eyes. Green human eyes. And human eyes on an animal are creepy. She would stare at me with her human eyes like she was reading me. Just like a serial killer would. To make it worse, as she was using her serial killer eyes to stare at me she would do things like pee on the carpet or rip a piece of the drywall off. It was creepy and then infuriating.
As her eyes started to turn a golden amber color the freaking human quality started to subside. And she stopped peeing on the carpet and we were able to repair all the walls which have remained intact. I began to feeling differently about her.
A few months ago Bella, Dave and I were watching TV downstairs. She was laying almost on top of me and I was looking at her and petting her and kissing her. And Dave suddenly said,
“You love her”
To which I replied, “No I don’t…okay I do but don’t tell anyone”.
I don’t remember when it happened, could have been when her eyes changed color, when she started really listening to the commands, or when she was really sick, but it happened…I fell in love with her.
She is a big cuddlebug and loves to sit in front of me watching TV and lean her head back and look into my eyes as I scratch her chest.
But her eyes still have a glimmer of serial killer in them sometimes…
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Rally-O
Bella and I arrived at the “Dog Agility Program Area” next to McLaren Sargent Shelter at Lake Accotink Park a few minutes early on Sunday. The regular dog obedience class before us was still going strong. So Bella and I hung out towards the edge of the field and waited.
While we waited we met one of our class mates, Hobbs. Hobbs is a brindle lab mix with his CGC and TDI certifications. Slowly other classmates started to arrive. And then the class before us ended.
By the time Rally-O officially began we had seven human/dog pairs. Three of the pairs had taken Rally-O before (and are really, really good) and four have never have.
Pasty and her standard black poodle, Elvis, were our teachers. They made the introductions and dove into the class instructions.
For those who are unfamiliar with Rally-O, Rally-O is a dog sport focused on obedience. Rally-O consists of a “course” with 10-20 obedience maneuvers, aka stations, spread out on a field. The point is for the person/dog pair to make their way from the “start” of the course to the “finish” of the course by successfully acting out each “station”.
The “stations” are marked by signs which instruct the person/dog team what action to perform. Here is an example of a sign:
This sign means stop and have your dog sit.
Right now Bella and I are taking the class to bond, to help reinforce the obedience she has already learned, and to rid her of extra energy. But if Bella and I become really good at Rally-O, we could compete. Rally-O titles are offered through the AKC. The Rally-O course are judged on a point system on how well the human can read the sign and have the dog execute the action.
But I am getting too far ahead. Back to our FIRST class on Sunday.
Patsy walked the newbies through each of the 12 signs. She and Elvis showed us the maneuvers and then the 3 human/dog “expert” pairs in the class ran though 3-4 signs at a time for demonstration.
Then the novice Rally-O pairs tried them. I had my bait bag and Bella was hot to trot to do anything other than sit and whine at my side. And we did the 360° turn, the 270° Left, Call Front Finish Right Forward sequence. And if I do say so, we did pretty good.
We continued on to do:
Moving Side Step Right
Call Front, Walk Around Dog
Weave
Halt 1 Step, Halt 2 Step, Halt 3 Step
270° Left
Halt, Down, Stand
Send over Jump, Handler Runs By
Halt Down, Walk Around Dog
Stay, Handler Walks two Steps
Call to Heal
Towards the end, Bella was a little tired and didn’t care for her treats anymore. Plus I broke the bait bag and the nylon leash was killing my hand. We let the dogs run around and play in the fenced in space after we finished the course. I chatted with Patsy and then we took our leave.
All in all it was pretty fun. Let’s see what the second class has in store.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
No Doggie Fun and Games
Bella’s Doggie Fun and Games class was cancelled. Not enough people registered so they combined the two listings. The class is now on Thursdays.
This news really upset me. I am fully invested in attending a class with Bella on Sundays. The reason this is important to me is…well I want her too exhausted to walk.
Sundays are normally Dave’s day. Meaning Dave is on Bella duty all day. Which he likes and so does Bella and mostly importantly I LOVE.
But with football season, Dave will not be taking care of Bella every Sunday. I will. And to help run Bella out of her energy I signed up for Doggie Fun and Games.
So when I got “the call” from cheerful Abby cancelling my class, I was in shock and a little panicked.
I didn’t know what to say. And we ended the call. Then on my way home from work, I called her back and told her “You can’t cancel the class….I NEED that class.”
Luckily for both of us, she was well equipped to handle a hysterical woman on the phone. She looked up all the classes offered on Sundays then narrowed them down to ones in my area and then discussed them with me to choose the right one for Bella.
We decided on Rally-O at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield held on Sunday at 11 am. She then cancelled the Doggie Fun and Games course in the Parktakes Online system, which got me a refund and then register me for the Rally-O class. Which meant I didn't have to do anything. Abby took care of everything for me. Thanks Abby.
The Rally-O class was cheaper and Lake Accotink Park closer to me than South Run RECenter. And I will be home in time to watch the 1 pm Redskins Games.
I am a little bummed about not having the Doggie Fun and Games course. But Rally-O should be fun too.
Here is the class description:
Prerequisite: Dog Obedience II or equivalent. Join us for one of the newest dog sports! Rally obedience exercises and corresponding signs from the beginner through expert level are taught. The handler-dog team practices a new course each week.
I hope it is fun…I will update you all next Sunday.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Unknown Subjects (A Thank You, Of Sorts)
Here I am, past due again... whoops.
Last weekend was an exciting time for us, not just because it was a holiday weekend, but because it was a wedding weekend. Jeff and Krista tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday afternoon. I was a groomsman and therefore had events on Friday and Saturday. Friday night we had the rehearsal dinner and brought home company. Well, company arrived before rehearsal dinner, but not in Bella's world.
John and Nicolette stayed with us on Friday night. They arrived just before we left for the rehearsal. I had put Bella in her crate so she did not get to meet them before dinner. We attended the dinner and returned home about ten o'clock. After changing clothes, we went downstairs to let her out of her crate. She was excited while inside the crate, but as I opened the door to let her out, she didn't bolt out like I expected. She slowly stepped out of the crate as she saw Nicolette. As we attempted to get her to greet Nic, she remained shy and we decided to take her outside. She went off leash into the backyard and relieved herself but instead of bolting through the open door like she normally does, she remained half inside and half outside of the sliding door. Her front half was saying, "I'm not sure about this." Her back half was saying, "This is so totally awesome." I watched as her tail moved rapidly back and forth, making her entire hind-side move as well.
She stepped inside, made her way up to Nic and started sniffing. Her front half apparently decided that her rear half was correct because she then proceeded to continuously sniff, lick, snort, jump, and circle around her. Noticing John, she said hello, but quickly moved back to Nic. Bella may have recognized John since they had met previously, when she was ten weeks old, so she didn't feel the need to spend much time around him. Or it could have been the fact that he sat in her throne and didn't even make one attempt to offer it back to her. I guess he missed that post about her throne.
As Nic moved from the floor to the couch, Bella did little to dissipate her curiosity. She moved back and forth, over and under her, laying next to her, getting up and stepping over her, crawling underneath her legs. She finally settled down long enough to attempt snacking on her hair, which is something she has grown fond of doing with Chassie as well. Overall though I think she did a great job of meeting two new people. I'll take this time to thank John and Nicolette for staying with us and also being unknowing subjects on "The Puppy Files."
Saturday morning, Chassie and I took Bella to Doggy Day Camp at PetSmart. Originally, I was only going to take her, but as a last minute change to the plans, Chassie and I both took her. We then proceeded to pick up our share for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which for those of you that don't know, Chassie writes a blog about that subject as well. You can check it out here. After we arrived home, John and Nic drove out to Sterling to pick up the tux for John that was originally two sizes too big. During that time, Sawyer and Ashley came over to help us out with the dogs. I think Draco enjoyed that experience since they took him on a really long walk. After Draco's walk, they did us a big favor by picking up Bella from Day Camp and brought her home. They arrived just as we were leaving so I haven't had time to ask how it went. I hear from Chassie that everything went smoothly. I'll take this opportunity to thank Sawyer and Ashley for taking good care of our pups and being unknowing subjects on "The Puppy Files."
As we attended the wedding and reception, Chassie's mom came over to take care of the dogs. After careful planning- taking Bella to Doggy Day Camp, setting up a season of Mad Men to play on the PlayStation and writing out instructions for her to start said season.... Bella was the only one to cooperate. I have a feeling the controller turned off from inactivity and I neglected to write instructions down to turn on the controller, hence she was not able to watch the carefully set up first episode of Mad Men. Bella at least behaved herself and Draco is always a good dog, except when he's expecting a walk which is a different story for another day. So at this time, I'd like to thank Roberta for taking the time to help us out when we needed it and for being an unknowing subject on "The Puppy Files."
All in all the weekend was successful. Jeff and Krista "finally" got married. Both dogs got to meet new people and see people they haven't seen in a while and were able to act appropriately away from us. We skipped a training class but everyone else needed to miss it as well. Now it's on to football season...
Last weekend was an exciting time for us, not just because it was a holiday weekend, but because it was a wedding weekend. Jeff and Krista tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday afternoon. I was a groomsman and therefore had events on Friday and Saturday. Friday night we had the rehearsal dinner and brought home company. Well, company arrived before rehearsal dinner, but not in Bella's world.
John and Nicolette stayed with us on Friday night. They arrived just before we left for the rehearsal. I had put Bella in her crate so she did not get to meet them before dinner. We attended the dinner and returned home about ten o'clock. After changing clothes, we went downstairs to let her out of her crate. She was excited while inside the crate, but as I opened the door to let her out, she didn't bolt out like I expected. She slowly stepped out of the crate as she saw Nicolette. As we attempted to get her to greet Nic, she remained shy and we decided to take her outside. She went off leash into the backyard and relieved herself but instead of bolting through the open door like she normally does, she remained half inside and half outside of the sliding door. Her front half was saying, "I'm not sure about this." Her back half was saying, "This is so totally awesome." I watched as her tail moved rapidly back and forth, making her entire hind-side move as well.
She stepped inside, made her way up to Nic and started sniffing. Her front half apparently decided that her rear half was correct because she then proceeded to continuously sniff, lick, snort, jump, and circle around her. Noticing John, she said hello, but quickly moved back to Nic. Bella may have recognized John since they had met previously, when she was ten weeks old, so she didn't feel the need to spend much time around him. Or it could have been the fact that he sat in her throne and didn't even make one attempt to offer it back to her. I guess he missed that post about her throne.
As Nic moved from the floor to the couch, Bella did little to dissipate her curiosity. She moved back and forth, over and under her, laying next to her, getting up and stepping over her, crawling underneath her legs. She finally settled down long enough to attempt snacking on her hair, which is something she has grown fond of doing with Chassie as well. Overall though I think she did a great job of meeting two new people. I'll take this time to thank John and Nicolette for staying with us and also being unknowing subjects on "The Puppy Files."
Saturday morning, Chassie and I took Bella to Doggy Day Camp at PetSmart. Originally, I was only going to take her, but as a last minute change to the plans, Chassie and I both took her. We then proceeded to pick up our share for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which for those of you that don't know, Chassie writes a blog about that subject as well. You can check it out here. After we arrived home, John and Nic drove out to Sterling to pick up the tux for John that was originally two sizes too big. During that time, Sawyer and Ashley came over to help us out with the dogs. I think Draco enjoyed that experience since they took him on a really long walk. After Draco's walk, they did us a big favor by picking up Bella from Day Camp and brought her home. They arrived just as we were leaving so I haven't had time to ask how it went. I hear from Chassie that everything went smoothly. I'll take this opportunity to thank Sawyer and Ashley for taking good care of our pups and being unknowing subjects on "The Puppy Files."
As we attended the wedding and reception, Chassie's mom came over to take care of the dogs. After careful planning- taking Bella to Doggy Day Camp, setting up a season of Mad Men to play on the PlayStation and writing out instructions for her to start said season.... Bella was the only one to cooperate. I have a feeling the controller turned off from inactivity and I neglected to write instructions down to turn on the controller, hence she was not able to watch the carefully set up first episode of Mad Men. Bella at least behaved herself and Draco is always a good dog, except when he's expecting a walk which is a different story for another day. So at this time, I'd like to thank Roberta for taking the time to help us out when we needed it and for being an unknowing subject on "The Puppy Files."
All in all the weekend was successful. Jeff and Krista "finally" got married. Both dogs got to meet new people and see people they haven't seen in a while and were able to act appropriately away from us. We skipped a training class but everyone else needed to miss it as well. Now it's on to football season...
Monday, September 3, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
What's in the BarkBox?
August's BarkBox arrived last week. And just like last month Draco was super excited.
And Draco, Bella and I are more satisifed with this month's goodies.
And Draco, Bella and I are more satisifed with this month's goodies.
As you can see, Draco setting up shop for the unveiling.
I couldn't keep him away to take pictures. I thought it was cute.
Draco was especially interested in The Elvis treats by Bocce's Bakery. And Draco is in luck, they are wheat free and are "Chassie" approved. They are the King's favorite flavor combination of bananas and peanut butter with the addition of nitrate-free turkey bacon. And he loves them
This is Nature's Miracle Refreshening Spray for dogs in between their baths. I tried it on Draco but Draco doesn't like to be sprayed with anything so he ran away. Only to return when he was sure I had moved on to the next BarkBox item.
Milkbones Trail Mix for dogs. A combination of mini milkbones and mini chewy milkbones. Since milkbones have wheat they are not "Chassie" approved for Draco. And we are not sure how Bella will react to them. We are holding on to these for now.
Acadia Antlers's Moose Taster was a HIT! Bella absolutely love it. We will be ordering more moose tasters and larger antlers soon. And a "Got Moose" t-shirt for me.
This is a Flying Fish from Hyper Pet. It is a sling shot toy. There are several different animals which Hyper Pet offers in the Flying Series Toy. We got the Flying Fish. I secretly wish we had gotten the pink Breast Cancer Awareness Flying Duck. But I will survive. You use the toy by holding onto tail and pulling the nose/peak and let go. It will fly in the air for your dog to retrieve. We were going to try it out today at the dog park at South Run. But when we got there it started to thunder. So we will have to try it out another day. :(
A final picture of the goodies.
One final picture of Draco loving the BarkBox.
Thank you BarkBox for another great box of goodies.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Summer Vacation is Over?
Bella’s summer vacation started when she received her CGC Certification in July. She thought she was done forever but Dave and I had other plans.
One of our main goals for Bella was the CGC. But we also want her to be a Therapy Dog. The jury is still out whether or not she has the exact right temperament for it. But Dave and I decided to enroll Bella in a TDI prep course anyway.
The TDI Prep course is being taught by our favorite trainer, Sarah. And a few of Bella’s previous classmates will be in the class too. Ziva, Lucy and Bella’s on again off again boyfriend McGee. Classes start this Saturday.
The TDI Prep course will be Bella’s fourth obedience class. And although she seems to really enjoy the classes, I thought Bella and I should do something different.
We decided to enroll Bella and myself (only one adult and one dog may attend) in Fairfax County Park’s Doggie Fun and Games. Fairfax County Park’s description of the class:
“…designed for owners and dogs to have fun together. A combination of traditional obedience taught with games and various nosework games and other activities to engage your busy dogs attention and enthusiasm. Class is ideal for the working breeds who don't have any work to do. Also a wonderful way to bond with your newly rescued dog.”
I was looking for a fun class to take with Bella on Sundays during football season. Dave will be going to the home Redskins games and I wanted a way to tire Bella out on game days. And this class seemed like a way to bond with Bella while she works out all of her extra energy. Plus Bella is a working dog breed and she for sure doesn’t have a job.
Even though our summer vacation was a short one (only four weeks) we are excited to start the new year.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Queen Bella vs. the Evil "Wella"
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| The first night on her "throne." |
Since she has claimed her throne, she has not relinquished her seat of power. Most of the time she sleeps on it, however she will bring some of her toys with her as well. She tends to chew those toys by resting them on the arm and usually after a few seconds, they drop to the ground. She will normally look at the toy for a few seconds before hopping down and resume chewing on the ground or make another attempt at chewing it in the chair.
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| Resting in her "throne" after a day at Doggy Day Camp. |
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| Occupying Chassie's spot on the couch. |
Saturday, August 11, 2012
BarkBox
Last month I signed up for the new hot thing in the dog world. BarkBox. In case some of you are not keeping up the happening world of the dog world, BarkBox is a monthly box of the dog supplies. You can sign up for a box for as little as $17 a month. Which is a good deal.
The type of items vary from treats to poop bags. And you can select your dog's size so you get toys appropriately to their size. And most of them are made in the USA.
July's BarkBox:
The type of items vary from treats to poop bags. And you can select your dog's size so you get toys appropriately to their size. And most of them are made in the USA.
July's BarkBox:
Here is the BarkBox.
Draco was very interested in the BarkBox.
Ta Da. The BarkBox...with fancy shredded, crimped, paper stuffing.
Draco Approved.
Its not a very good picture. But an inventory list was included.
Here is what we got and what we thought of the items.
IncrediBubbles-Doggy safe bubbles. We took video of Bella chasing the bubbles in the bark yard. So far its a hit!
YumZies-all natural, no grain treats. Unfortunately, Bella threw these up. So we threw them away.
T-bone Rubber Steak-Bella loved this toy. She ran around the room with it....for about 10 minutes before she chewed a hole in it. But Draco loved the toy after she made a hole in it.
Poop Bags-no explanation needed.
Spinz Bone Toy/Treat- A weird looking chew toy which is edible. We haven't try this out yet.
Finally a $10 off coupon to PetFlow. Which is a direct dog food shipping company. Unfortunately they do not carry Draco's or Bella's food.
The results of the BarkBox was a little mixed but I'm a happy customer. I love the idea of get a surprise box every month for my pups to enjoy!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Two Sun Showers and Two Rainbows
When Hunter, our beloved family Lab, passed away a few years ago Dr. Frank gave us a poem entitled Rainbow Bridge. The poem was to help our grieving. And while it helped me picture a place for Hunter to go after he was gone, I didn’t fully believe until a few days later.
I was in the kitchen (on Stratford Ct) when it started to rain. I looked out the window and noticed it was completely sunny out. I thought to myself, “That is weird. It is pouring and sunny out at the same time.” As I walked closer to the window to get a better look, a rainbow appeared. And it was not just a rainbow in the horizon. It was a perfect rainbow in my backyard. I was so close I felt like I could reach out an touch it. It was at that moment I completely believed. Hunter was waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge.
Every time I see a rainbow I know it is Hunter saying hi. And the past couple of days I got to see two rainbows. Both appeared when a sun shower was passing by. I will always think of Hunter when I see a rainbow and know he is smiling down on me.
Rainbow Bridge by Unknown
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Rainbow Bridge by Unknown
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Monday, July 23, 2012
News Flash: New Canine Good Citizens
The GPC became the CGC on Sunday morning, as four dogs received their Canine Good Citizen Certification. Those honored included a black Goldendoodle, Ziva, a cream Goldendoodle, McGee, an Airedale Terrier, Morgan and finally a Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Bella. In order to be recognized as a Canine Good Citizen, a dog and its owner must show proficiency in ten areas which relate to good behavior, obedience and good grooming habits. It had been a long process for these pups, three separate training classes, each six weeks in length, spanning almost seven months. Their hard work paid off in the end.
The day started out gloomy. An overcast morning with occasional sprinkles dotted the landscape of the terrain and the emotions of those involved. Most of the participants arrived early, about ten minutes before the scheduled start of the test at 10 a.m. The woman administering the test, a different pet trainer than the one these pups had been working closely with over the last several months, explained the process and had the owners fill out more paperwork. It was explained that the paperwork previously filled out was only for PetSmart records and not for the CGC. This news of more paperwork brought a round of groans from the weary owners and an exclamation from one, "I forgot my glasses and I have old eyes!"
Once the paperwork was filled out completely, the dogs were then allowed off their leashes to play and burn off some energy. This exercise lasted about five minutes and then the leashes were put on and it was time for business.
The test started quickly, if you weren't paying attention, you would have missed it. In the blink of an eye, three items were done. Accepting a Friendly Stranger, Sitting Politely For Petting, and Appearance and Grooming were completed in one quick round. The administrator said she would knock out a few of them at the same time. She did not lie.
The next stage of the test involved Sitting on Command and Staying in Place and Coming When Called. The administrator called for a volunteer to go first. The participants looked at each other, nervous energy written across their faces, then the Chocolate Lab Bella and her owner stepped up. It took a moment to get the lab calmed down enough to sit in place. At one point, the administrator even walked over and attempted to get her to sit and stay. At that point, this scorekeeper put an "F" on the scoreboard and was waiting for the retest. However, the owner of the lab did not panic, composed herself and her dog and quickly knocked out both sections, completing half of the test. The other dogs followed suite.
Quickly on to the next section of the test they moved. The administrator knocked out Reaction to Another Dog and Reaction to Distraction together. The administrator walked around the room with her dog, a 10 year old Husky as the testing dogs sat in place and did not move. Then the administrators daughter ran around the room while the administrator made whooping noises, again none of the dogs moved. Just like that, seven items were complete.
The class was then moved outside of the enclosed room to the isles of the store itself. The next item was Walking on a Loose Leash. The administrator told the participants what the course would be like, then took them all on a practice run and told them that she would follow behind. During the course of the walk, you were able to correct the dog if it attempted to pull on the leash. This last minute addition probably saved many dogs from failing this portion of the test. As the dogs were making their way through the course one by one, the owner of the Chocolate Lab nudged me and pointed at the ground where her dog had just been standing. I could faintly make out a paw print left behind in perspiration. Whether this was from the dog's energy or if she was feeding off the owner, this was a sure sign of the stress the participants were feeling.
Once the loose leash walking was complete, the administrator quickly gathered her "crowd" for the next test subject. Walking Through a Crowd consisted of the dogs walking around the administrator, her daughter and the dog's original trainer, Sarah, without straining on the leash or jumping on the crowd.
After the completion of the Crowd section of the test, the administrator gathered the dogs and their handlers around and commented that she was very impressed with all the dogs to this point. She then commenced on the final step in the test, Supervised Separation. Simply put, the dog has to be able to be handled by another person without the owner present for three minutes. The dog must remain controllable and not whine for the owner.
All four dogs took their turn. and once the Chocolate Lab returned the test was complete. The administrator then told us, that while she was walking Bella, the lab, around the store her daughter noticed that someone had put something in his pocket and was about to walk out of the store without paying. As a store employee and the administrator approached the man, Bella sniffed at his pocket, distracting the man and eventually pulled out the merchandise he was attempting to shoplift. It appears the Canine Good Citizen program has more rewards than just well behaved dogs.
They then headed back inside the classroom where the administrator congratulated everyone on the completion of the test and said that while one retake is allowed if a dog was to fail a portion of the test, none of the dogs needed it. She said that she will not pass a dog unless she is confident that the dog has earned it, since the dog ultimately reflects her once they are in the real world as a Canine Good Citizen.
After eighteen classes, months of practice, and countless hours of frustration these dogs have proven to their owners that they are worth the title which they have worked so hard for. They are truly Canine Good Citizens. Congratulations Ziva, McGee, Morgan and Bella!
The day started out gloomy. An overcast morning with occasional sprinkles dotted the landscape of the terrain and the emotions of those involved. Most of the participants arrived early, about ten minutes before the scheduled start of the test at 10 a.m. The woman administering the test, a different pet trainer than the one these pups had been working closely with over the last several months, explained the process and had the owners fill out more paperwork. It was explained that the paperwork previously filled out was only for PetSmart records and not for the CGC. This news of more paperwork brought a round of groans from the weary owners and an exclamation from one, "I forgot my glasses and I have old eyes!"
Once the paperwork was filled out completely, the dogs were then allowed off their leashes to play and burn off some energy. This exercise lasted about five minutes and then the leashes were put on and it was time for business.
The test started quickly, if you weren't paying attention, you would have missed it. In the blink of an eye, three items were done. Accepting a Friendly Stranger, Sitting Politely For Petting, and Appearance and Grooming were completed in one quick round. The administrator said she would knock out a few of them at the same time. She did not lie.
The next stage of the test involved Sitting on Command and Staying in Place and Coming When Called. The administrator called for a volunteer to go first. The participants looked at each other, nervous energy written across their faces, then the Chocolate Lab Bella and her owner stepped up. It took a moment to get the lab calmed down enough to sit in place. At one point, the administrator even walked over and attempted to get her to sit and stay. At that point, this scorekeeper put an "F" on the scoreboard and was waiting for the retest. However, the owner of the lab did not panic, composed herself and her dog and quickly knocked out both sections, completing half of the test. The other dogs followed suite.
Quickly on to the next section of the test they moved. The administrator knocked out Reaction to Another Dog and Reaction to Distraction together. The administrator walked around the room with her dog, a 10 year old Husky as the testing dogs sat in place and did not move. Then the administrators daughter ran around the room while the administrator made whooping noises, again none of the dogs moved. Just like that, seven items were complete.
The class was then moved outside of the enclosed room to the isles of the store itself. The next item was Walking on a Loose Leash. The administrator told the participants what the course would be like, then took them all on a practice run and told them that she would follow behind. During the course of the walk, you were able to correct the dog if it attempted to pull on the leash. This last minute addition probably saved many dogs from failing this portion of the test. As the dogs were making their way through the course one by one, the owner of the Chocolate Lab nudged me and pointed at the ground where her dog had just been standing. I could faintly make out a paw print left behind in perspiration. Whether this was from the dog's energy or if she was feeding off the owner, this was a sure sign of the stress the participants were feeling.
Once the loose leash walking was complete, the administrator quickly gathered her "crowd" for the next test subject. Walking Through a Crowd consisted of the dogs walking around the administrator, her daughter and the dog's original trainer, Sarah, without straining on the leash or jumping on the crowd.
After the completion of the Crowd section of the test, the administrator gathered the dogs and their handlers around and commented that she was very impressed with all the dogs to this point. She then commenced on the final step in the test, Supervised Separation. Simply put, the dog has to be able to be handled by another person without the owner present for three minutes. The dog must remain controllable and not whine for the owner.
All four dogs took their turn. and once the Chocolate Lab returned the test was complete. The administrator then told us, that while she was walking Bella, the lab, around the store her daughter noticed that someone had put something in his pocket and was about to walk out of the store without paying. As a store employee and the administrator approached the man, Bella sniffed at his pocket, distracting the man and eventually pulled out the merchandise he was attempting to shoplift. It appears the Canine Good Citizen program has more rewards than just well behaved dogs.
They then headed back inside the classroom where the administrator congratulated everyone on the completion of the test and said that while one retake is allowed if a dog was to fail a portion of the test, none of the dogs needed it. She said that she will not pass a dog unless she is confident that the dog has earned it, since the dog ultimately reflects her once they are in the real world as a Canine Good Citizen.
After eighteen classes, months of practice, and countless hours of frustration these dogs have proven to their owners that they are worth the title which they have worked so hard for. They are truly Canine Good Citizens. Congratulations Ziva, McGee, Morgan and Bella!
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