Forgetting they are gone

I was leaving bible study and realized that I had to get home to let the dogs out of their kennels. I had forgotten that they are gone. It only took me a second to remember and then I was sad.

It's snowing out today and it reminds me of how much the dogs liked playing in the snow.

Have I done the right thing? I just want to go down there and take them back home.

The silence is deafening

It's so quiet in here. And so lifeless. Having the cats is okay, but it's not like having a dog. And not just any dog. It's not like having Skooter. Most dogs are just that, dogs. But Skooter is so handsome and so regal and so animated. He's not 'just a dog'. He's something special. Could I ever get another dog without comparing it to Skooter? Would any other dog ever measure up? I still know I've done the right thing by getting him a better home, but it doesn't make me feel any less miserable knowing I've done the right thing.

I have so much freedon now without having the dogs though. I can actually just go take a shower without worrying about getting them in their kennels. Or feeling bad because they're in their kennels. I can go to bible study today and not worry about them. I can go over to Lisa's tomorrow and not feel like I have to rush home to let them out of their kennels. Soon these things will feel good. Right now they just feel empty and sad.

Doing what's best for your dog isn't always the easiest thing to do. But if you love them, truly love them, you've got to make the hard decisions. Even when it hurts.

Waking up for nothing

I woke up at 3:30am and realized that I don't have any dogs and I went back to sleep. Didn't even get up out of bed. Then I woke up at 5am. Again, no dogs, but this time I got out of bed. I feel lonely without them. Last night I cried myself to sleep. I was thinking about Skooter and Mooped being in their kennels in a strange place, in an out building. I started having crazy thoughts about what would happen to them. I wondered why, oh why, did I let them go. I felt sick to my stomach. And this morning I have the same feeling. My existence was defined by my dogs. Every time I woke up, I had to go let them out of their kennels. They always heard me. And Middger Wiggles would be doing his dance of joy. Is he still Midder Wiggles? Is he still dancing with joy? And is Moped still his happy go lucky self? I dont want this experience to have a negative impact on them.

In other news: the cats love that the dogs are gone! They come out to the living room and dining room and kitchen all the time now. Someone is usually always up in my lap. At least I'm not alone. I do have them.

I miss Skooter

I miss him tremendously. I don't find myself missing Moped as much as I miss Skoots. He is my baby. I miss his sweet, sweet face. I miss his goofy smile. And I miss his eyes. I feel empty inside without him, but I know I've done the right thing because he needs a family that can give him more activity. I could cry right now because I am so sad. He didn't do anything wrong, I did. I chose the wrong breed for my lifestyle. I keep thinking that I should have tried harder, given it more of an effort. Couldn't I have figured out something so it could have worked out? I think I did everything I could do. I am who I am and a GSP doesn't fit into my lifestyle. I have to really think about a new dog because the care and training of it will fall to me. I can't expect David to take on too much responsibility because he works a full time job.

Why couldn't I make it work? I know that Skooter misses me. I want him to be adopted quickly. If he isn't, I'll feel really bad. Someone has got to want him and someone has got to want Moped. Oh gosh, I miss them. They completed my life. They were my life. I wish I could have given them what they needed in order for them to stay with us. But I tried. I put in more time, effort and money than most people would just for dogs.

There are so many things to think about that we didn't think about with Skooter. Will the dog jive with our lifestyle? Will the dog be happy being inside most of the time? Will the dog get along with the cats? Will the dog be as handsome as my Skooter? Will the dog be intelligent and be able to learn obedience and possibly agility? And then there's what I didn't do that I should have with Skooter. I didn't socialize him very well. I didn't train him from the time he was a puppy. I didn't socialize him with the cats. I didn't get him used to being on a leash. There were so many things that I didn't do or that I did wrong. I blame myself for all this happening. I should have known better than to get another dog when I wasn't even able to handle the one I had. It was a very bad idea.

I'm not trying to get on myself, I'm just trying to be realistic. I need to be aware of what I did or didn't do that caused us to make such poor decisions. I don't want it to happen again.

But back to Skooter. I miss him. I am afraid that he is lonely or sad. I don't know if he feels that way but I worry that he does. He may be happy as a clam being around other dogs and being outside so much of the day. I'd love to see him just one more time. And then just one more time after that. And so on. I want him back but I know it's not the best thing for him, living with us. I am sad for me. I am happy for him. I love him enough to make this kind of decision. I miss Skooter.

A new dog?

David is already looking in the classifieds at puppies. I don't know if he's just looking or seriously thinking of getting another dog already. There's no way I could have another dog so soon. I miss my boys so much. I don't want a rebound dog. If and when we get another dog, there will be lots of counseling and temperment testing before we make any commitments. I don't even know what kind of dog would be good for us. I also think about being tied down again with a dog. I only want one if I feel completely positive about it. I don't know that I want to go through potty training again, although I'd have the All Breed plan to follow this time.

What am I thinking? I don't even deserve another dog after this fiasco.

Coming home to a quiet house

I was out early doing errands. One of the errands I did was dropping off the left over dog food and stuff to All Breed (chicken, salmon, can food, kongs, buster cube, liver biscotti, kong tots, etc.). Misty was there. She asked how I was doing and gave me a hug. I appreciated that a lot. I told her that if we ever get another dog we'll have Lauren help us pick one out. I told Misty that we would see her again one day. She said to remember that they need volunteers at All Breed. I will remember that. Once I'm feeling better, I can think about maybe doing some volunteer work.

I also went up to the house in Woodland Park. It was a long ride there and back without the dogs. And when I got back home the house was so quiet. The cat's greeted me at the door. But no Midder Wiggles or Puddin' Pop. I don't like the quiet. And I just don't know what to do yet. I'm so used to spending all my time with the dogs.

Sleeping through the night

I actually slept until 5am today! No dogs waking me up. It's only just after 7am and I've already done laundry, dishes and decluttering. It's amazing how much free time I have without the dogs being here. I thought I heard Skooter this morning though. David said he did too. I hope that doesn't mean that there is something wrong in Skooter's world today. I want them both to have another excellent day playing outside with the other GSP's.

They were my world

It's amazing just how much the dogs were a part of my every day life. Everything I do makes me think of them. Everything revolved around them - letting them out of the kennel, letting them outside, letting them play inside, putting them back in their kennels, and listening to all the sounds they made (including snoring!). Every minute of my day had something to do with the dogs. I found that I have so much time in the day now that they are gone. I got so much done today. I'm almost caught up on laundry, the dishes are caught up and the house looks clean. It's amazing just how much time I put into my dogs.

Someday I think I will need to get another dog, but it will be hard to replace a GSP. What I'd want is a dog that I can take for walks, one that would take naps with me and a dog that would be calm in the house. I'd also like a dog that would excel in obedience and agility. I'll definitely get counseling before getting another dog (if I ever do). Right now the wound is still too fresh from adopting them out.

I feel so much better after getting Kris' email letting us know that the dogs are doing okay. I can relax a bit now that I know that they are getting along with the other dogs and sleeping okay at night.

Tomorrow I'm going to go to All Breed and bring them the food and other stuff that I have left over from the dogs. They said they would appreciate the donations for the rescue dogs that they have at the facility. I'm glad that I can help them out. It will be bittersweet going there without the dogs. I hope I don't cry while I'm there.

Email from Kris - RM GSP Resuce

Hi Samantha,

Both boys are doing fine. You're right, Moped loves the world - Scooter is a bit more cautious about it. They played fine all day yesterday in the fenced off area right up by the house. I even let them come in for a couple of hours. They're wild inside, but not destructive.

Both crated fine last night - didn't even hear a peep out of either one. The routine is to put them all in crates when it gets dark and then they all get to come out from 10:00 - 11:00 p.m. to stretch their legs, go potty and take a drink. The boys did just that.

Today they are already out with the group running and playing and sniffing around. I didn't see any aggression or nervousness from either one of them being let out, so they are now officially members of this pack. Everybody likes them - except the crabby boy - but then, he doesn't like anybody.

That's it for now.

I'll keep you posted on them, okay?

Kris

Errands

It was weird running errands today. I didn't have to worry about how long I was out because there were no dogs in kennels waiting for me to get home. I could just leave the house without having to get dogs rounded up. I just picked up my purse and went on my way. And when I got home I didn't have to rush in to let the dogs out. I also didn't have to worry about them nosing around in the grocery bags.

I've also done lots of laundry today - I'm almost caught up right now. And I've got the dishes done. And I vacuumed and cleaned the sliding glass door. I've actually had time to do all this stuff today and I still had time to relax and journal too. It's been a very calm, relaxing day. I haven't had a day like this since before Moped came to live with us. I really was spending too much time focused on the dogs.

I haven't heard from Kris yet, but I'm sure I will. I miss my dogs. I just want to hold them and feel their soft coats. I just want to look into Skooter's eyes one more time. I am so sad.

Email from Ruth

Here's Ruth's reply to an email I sent saying we wouldn't be attending any more classes:

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I know that you worked your butt off with them, that you loved them so much, and I'm sure it was a very difficult decision. It was also an unselfish decision. I know you felt like you couldn't offer them what they needed and sometimes we have to make hard decisions. I think you and David are wonderful dog owners and are definitely some of my favorites. I was immediately so impressed with your commitment to working with them, your follow through and the progress you made in a short time. Time will heal your heart and I think someday Skooter and Moped would want you to get another dog to fill your heart, but one that fits more into your lifestyle. Any dog would be lucky to have you as parents. We are here for you if you need anything. I'd love to hear where they end up. Take care of yourself. It was great to have you in class and to meet you, Moped and Skooter!

Ruth "

You've got to have friends

My friends have been so supportive of me during this difficult time. Lisa and Deborah called to check on me. Betty, Darren, Kitty and Pam sent me emails of support. And David has been calling about every hour to make sure I'm doing okay. I've already made some plans with Lisa for this week (tea and scones on Thursday).

I finally vacuumed the rug and cleaned the sliding glass door. It was hard to do those two things. I really felt like I was wiping Moped and Skooter off of the glass and picking them up out of the floor never to be seen again. It just makes the house that much emptier right now.

I sent an email to Kris asking for an update on Moped and Skooter. I know it's only been 24 hours, but it seems like an eternity without them. I hope to hear back from her this afternoon or evening. I need to know that they are okay.

I got a really nice email from Ruth and Kristy (from All Breed). I'll post them later. What they said meant a lot to me.

The quiet is still deafening. :-(

The quiet

It's so quiet in here. The cats are already enjoying coming out into the living room to bask in the sunlight. Even Tabby has ventured out.

I miss hearing Skooter and Moped's grunts, snoring, shifting around in the kennel. It brought a lot of life into this house. Life that is now gone.

I miss being able to rub Skooter's ears. He loved it when I would rub his ears between my fingers. His ears are so silky soft.

David called to ask me how to get rid of the wallpaper he has on his desktop because it's a picture of Moped and Skooter. It was making him sad to look at it. I'm comforted by looking at their pictures. David's also concerned about how Skooter is doing. He wants me to call down to Penrose to check on them, but I can't. I need to let them go.

The back sliding door has paw and nose prints all over it. I don't want to clean them off. And the rug has little bits of dog biscuits all over it from Skooter playing with his tug a jug. I don't want to vacuum them all up. I feel like if I do these things then I'm erasing my dogs. And I just can't stand the thought of that. Where their kennels sat is just a big empty space right now. I can't seem to fill it with anything yet.

I don't want to just sit around and mourn their loss. I want to revel in the memories I have of them. And I'll hear about them soon enough, once adoption applications start coming in for them. That's what's keeping me going right now, knowing that my journey with them isn't completely over yet.

The Dog Blog lives on because my love for them lives on.

3:10 a.m. No Pepperoni tonight

No dogs to wake me up. I guess it's just habit still that got me up at this time. Moped would have been scratching at his kennel wanting to go out because he'd drank a whole bowl of water before bedtime. But he wasn't.

No dogs to keep me up. Usually I'd be waiting for the little buzzards to be coming in from peeing and then letting them stay out for a bit to stretch some from being in their kennels. No seeing Moped stretch his back legs completely straight behind him while doing the same with the front legs. It looked lilke the longest, most stretchies stretch on the planet. And he loved doing it. But no stretches tonight.

And no getting my fingers smelly with pepperoni used to lure them back into their kennels. No fuss about going in the kennels tonight. I wonder if they are sleeping right now. Or I wonder if they are up, waiting for me to come and let them out so they can go pee and get some attention. The first night away is the hardest. But I'm not there to comfort them.

No listening to Moped slurp up a whole bowl of water, drinking like he's been denied water for days. What a goof. And no need to worry about him getting me up again in just a few hours so he can pee all that water out. But I'd give anything to hear that slurping sound.

It's too quiet in here - no whining, no vocalizing, no scratching , no Wookie sounds. The quiet is deafening. What I wouldn't give to here Moped make his Wookie sounds right now. But there are no Wookie sounds to be heard. Only the memories in my mind.

There is just quiet and emptiness. There is something missing. There's something wrong with this picture. The universe is just not in balance yet.

How did they do their first night in their kennels surrounded by so many other dogs? Was that comforting to them to not be alone or was it me they looked for in the dark night?

Okay, I've been self indugent enough here. I need to be positive and think of the good things. They are around other dogs. They've figured out that they are staying the night and are making the best of it. They're not waking me up or keeping me up. That's all my own deal. And soon their bright, sunny faces will be posted on the internet for all to see. People will be fighting over who can adopt them. And tomorrow they get to play in the yard with other dogs and be out all day. That'll be an adjustment for them at first, but they'll grow to love their new found freedom.

It always comes back to this for me though: Skooter's sweet face. Right about now I'd be asking him to go back in his kennel and he'd either jump up on the couch or sit and ignore me. Silly dog. And then with a pepperoni lure he would finally go in his kennel. But there is no jumping up, no ignoring me and no pepperoni tonight. And no sweet face with eyes that make you want to fall into them.

I'll have to adjust to my new found freedom too. A lot of responsibility and burden has been lifted off my shoulders by surrendering them to the Rescue. I just can't enjoy it quite yet though. I'm still grieving their loss.

Loss. It's been an amazing year of loss. The kids and grandkids moved out on us and went back to Wisconsin after living with us for a year. We are losing the house up in Woodland Park. It'll be closing any day now - that, or going into forclosure. We've lost our mountain way of life - dragging in fire wood to heat the house with wood burning stoves. Acres for Skooter to run around and get some of that bird dog energy out. And now we've lost the dogs. What a devastating year it's been. And I don't think I've taken time to grieve any of my losses. I just moved on to the next thing that needed tending. The dogs, in a way, have been a way for me to avoid how I feel. I focus on them so much that I don't have time for me. But now there is time for me.

There is time to clean the house; to cook; to spend time with David without having to get up every fifteen minutes to let them out of their kennels; and there is time for sleep. There is time for relaxing and for meditating and just plain thinking. Just not right now though. I miss them too much to go back to sleep like nothing is wrong. I'm not sure how long it will take me to enjoy the freedom of an uninterrupted night's sleep. Hopefully not too long.

I miss my dogs. I miss their kisses. I miss them rubbing up against me. I miss their unconditional love for me. I will never stop missing them!

I can't even begin to express how much I miss Skooter's sweet face.

Rocky Mountain GSP Rescue

We brought the dogs and all their stuff down to Penrose this afternoon. I cried all the way there and all the way home. The dogs did real well though. They went into the house without any problem. Moped seemed to be thrilled to be near other dogs. Moped and Skooter were put in a separate pen so they could get to know the other dogs. Skooter seemed a bit hesitant of course but he did a lot better than I thought he would.

I kept second guessing myself: was I doing the right thing? how could I leave my babies in a strange place? did I try hard enough to make it work at home? would Skooter do okay without me? So many questions and so few answers.

When we brought in all their stuff (5+ bags) Kris said 'they're not spoiled are they?'. Yes they were spoiled and they deserved to be.

When we were leaving I gave Skooter a kiss on his sweet face, the last kiss I will ever give him. Moped was too busy exploring everything to say goodbye. That was okay because it was too hard to say goodbye to them. As we were leaving Skooter was at the door, looking so intently at me, whining, wondering why I was leaving him. It broke my heart to see him looking at me that way. I will never forget that look. Pleading, don't leave me. But I did leave him.

I know I've done the right thing. They are already better off just being at the rescue. They get to be with other dogs, they get to be out all day and they don't have to be in their kennels all day. That's what I want for them.

I hope they are adopted quickly. I want them to have a forever home where they can be loved and taken care of. I don't know that anyone could love them more than I do, but if they can come close it will be good enough. Just giving them a lifestyle change will be dramatic in their lives. Kris said she would keep me posted on what happens with them and she'll let me know who adopts them.

I'm still thinking: did I do the right thing? will they be okay? can they survive being away from me? I know my heart is broken, I'm sure their hearts are broken too. I don't want to sound insensitive, but it wasn't as difficult to let Moped go as is was to let Skooter go. I'm not as bonded to Moped and I know he's so happy go lucky. He'll do fine. But Skooter, my sweet Skooter, is a sensitive boy and is completely bonded to me. He'll have a more difficult time. But I pray that he will do well and be happy.

I still need to call Misty and email Ruth and Kristy and let them know that we have adopted the dogs out. That will be hard to do. I'm afraid that they will think that I gave up too soon. We were only in training for a month and a half. But, like I said before, it's just postponing the inevitable. They are high energy, high activity dogs and we are low energy, low activity people. It's a match that will never work.

Kris says she works with the dogs every day on obedience and behaviors so that they will be more adoptable. She also said that they will probably be adopted quickly because they are house trained, crate trained and know basic commands. Also because they are so handsome and sweet.

I just called Misty. She wanted to know what brought on re-homing them. I told her it was a long story and one I couldn't go into without crying, so I would talk to her some other time. I just wanted to let her know that I needed to cancel our door program for tomorrow. She sounded really sad for me. And stunned.

I'll send an email to Ruth and Kristy next to let them know that we will no longer be attending training classes.

This is so hard. I feel so judged and like I've given up. It's not like that though. I've tried. I've gone above and beyond for my dogs. Things just did not work out. The deciding factor was that David just didn't want to work with the dogs and I can't do it alone. He didn't mean to, but he used fear to get them to do what he wanted and I just couldn't watch that happening to them. He wan't mean, just not as loving as he could have been.

How did this happen so quickly? Things just fell apart faster than I could have imagined. Part of it was my health issues. A bigger part was David's frustration with the dogs. He had a real hard time ignoring unwanted behavior. There was no way for this to work unless we were on the same page with training and behavior. And we were not on the same page. I was working on a novel and he was composing a post it note. We weren't in balance.

Sweet Skooter. My boy. I will miss him forever. I don't think I could ever have another dog because I'd feel like I was treating my relationship with Skooter with disrespect. I don't ever want to do that. If I can't have Skooter then I don't need to have any dog.

I will miss napping with him on the couch. I will miss his crazy smile. I will miss his eyes. I will miss patting him. I will miss the way he wiggles when he is excited. I will miss everything about him (except maybe his whining :-) ).

I don't think the Dog Blog will end here. There is still another chapter in this story - their adoption into a forever home. I'll be updated on that and I can write about it when I get information. I don't know if we can stay in touch with the new owners or not. I'd like to be able to keep in touch with them to see how they boys develop. I'd like to get a picture of them every now and again. Especially of Skooter, so I won't miss his sweet face so much. But if we can't keep in touch, I will just have to be happy knowing that they are being placed in homes that are more appropriate for them.

So the Dog Blog goes on because my love for Skooter and Moped goes on. My heart is broken in two, one piece for each of them and none left over for me. I am empty.

They are gone.

Tears

I have tears in my eyes because the time to give up my boys is close at hand. I can't believe that I'll even do this, but I have to, for them. I can't be selfish and keep them just because it will make me feel sad.

I'm excited about them getting to play with other dogs all day long. They will love that. And I'm sure, because they are so handsome, they will get homes quickly. They are irresistable.

They are in their kennels right now after being outside for a while. They have a new RMB and they are content. I want to spend what time I have left with them enjoying them. Home will be very empty without them, but I will console myself knowing that they are living the kind of life that a GSP should live.

I can't control the tears now. And I haven't even given them up yet. I know how much I really love them.

My reply to Kris

Good morning Kris,

Thank you for the compliments on Skooter and Moped. I believe it would be the best thing if we could have you take them into the rescue as soon as possible. I know they would love playing with other dogs and they are used to sleeping in their kennels at night.

I will appreciate being kept in the loop on what's going on with them.

I don't think they need to be re-homed together. Moped does just fine when he's away from Skooter and Skooter does fine being away from Moped. I actually think they would do better being separated.

Can we bring their kennels, blankets, toys, bowls etc or do we need to keep all that stuff? Where is the rescue located? How soon would we be able to bring them in? I'm not trying to get rid of them, but it's hard to know they are leaving and I'd just as soon get it over with. And I know it would be best for them too.

Samantha

Email from Kris - RM GSP Resuce

Morning Samantha,

Just dropping you a line to let you know that I've received the surrender forms and the pictures of your dogs. What beauties they are.

Also, I can offer at this point to take the dogs physically into our rescue as I have the room. They would be able to play with other dogs all day long and would only have to be crated overnight for sleeping purposes. I would keep you totally informed on any/all developments regarding their rehoming when we got in applicants for them. Do you think they need to be rehomed together? That makes it much more difficult, but it can happen - I can basically insist on it.

Just let me know what you'd like to do. These are nice young, handsome dogs - it shouldn't be any problem in placing them into new, loving homes.

Kris S
Rocky Mtn GSP Rescue

5:00 am wake up call

It's the all too familiar 5 a.m. wake up call. Actually I don't think they woke me up. A dream about my mom woke me up. Then Moped heard me and started to whine. My dogs are early risers anyway. Moped went out to pee. Skooter didn't need to go out, he just wanted out of his kennel. When Moped came back in he grabbed a bone and just layed on the floor quietly chewing the bone. He got back into his kennel any fuss. Skooter actually got in his kennel too without much pomp and circumstance. So in only about 15-20 minutes the whole thing is done and I can go back to bed. Until the next wake-up call. :-)

Midnight 2/25/07

Skooter started whining because he needed to go out. I was still up so he didn't wake me. I let Moped out with him. It's kind of chilly out so they didn't want to stay out too long. They played around for a few minutes and then came back in. They went right in their kennels for bedtime. They are settled in and quite content. Hopefully since they went out now they won't wake me up in the middle of the night to go out.

Surrender form

Here are some of the questions on the Surrender form:

Housetrained? Yes, they both will let me know when they have to go out. Moped hasn't had an accident in the house in weeks.

Crate trained? Yes, they both sleep in their kennels at night and only whine when they want out to go to the bathroom.

Dogs reaction to other dogs? Moped goes to doggy day care and is around lots of dogs of all breeds and sizes. Moped also plays well with the dogs at All Breed in training. He gets along with them all. Skooter gets along okay with the dogs at training but they don't really socialize so I don't know how he would do with that. I haven't tried to take him to doggy day care. I should bring him over just to be evaluated. When we lived with the kids and grandkids for a year, they had two dogs and Skooter got along great with them. They were buddies. He missed them when they moved back to Wisconsin. That's why we got Moped - to keep Skooter company. Moped was also around my friends dog when they were a bit younger and he did just fine.

Dogs reaction to children? Skooter did really well when we lived with our kids and grandkids for a year. The grandkids were 6 and 7. Skooter never growled at them or bit them. Moped hasn't really been around kids, but I'm sure he'd do well because he's always happy.

Dogs reaction to strangers? Skooter will growl or bark depending on how near they are. If they are in the house, he might cower and shake, but he'll get friendly with them pretty quickly, especially if they give him treats. I don't think Moped knows what a stranger is. He gets along great with the people at All Breed (counselors, trainers, other owners) and at doggy day care.

Dogs reaction to cats? Skooter chases our cats but doesn't fight with them. He just enjoys they thrill of the chase. Paulie, our male cate, will chase after Skooter when the mood hits him. He's come out to the living room to chase Skooter down. Skooter backs off. Moped doesn't know wht to make of the cats. He seems to be interested in them but is a bit hesitant because they hiss at him.

Dogs reaction to being alone in a fenced yard? Skooter has taken to jumping the fence (it's about four feet tall) and running around the neighborhood. He doesn't get into any trouble and he always comes home within half an hour, usually within ten minutes. Moped stays in the yard despite the fact that he could easily jump the fence. Skooter will one day be a great 'agility' dog.

Dogs reaction to being alone in the house? They both are fine being left alone in their kennels. I've left them for hours at a time and they are fine when I get home. They are usually very happy to see me and want to go outside, but they seem happy. Skooter can sometimes be left out of his kennel when I'm gone, but not for too long. He'll get bored and decide to chew on something he shouldn't. Moped cannot be in the house alone. He's tear the place up.

Dogs reaction to being alone in a car? Skooter does fine in the car alone. He waits patiently at the window. Moped can't be left in the car alone.

What does your dog like best? Skooter loves to take a nap on the couch with me. He loves laying on a blanket. He loves playing with Moped. He loves Raw Meaty Bones to munch on. He loves to run and explore. He loves to chase rabbits. Moped loves to run and play. He's not much into cuddling or napping yet.

What does your dog dislike? Skooter doesn't like strangers or new situations; doesn't like being in his kennel for too long and doesn't like it when he's not the center of attention. Moped doesn't like being in his kennel for too long. I think he loves everything else in the world. :-)

What does your dog fear? Skooter fears strangers and new situations. Sometimes it even makes him shake. But he gets over it fairly quickly. Moped only seems to be afraid when Skooter is warning of 'impending doom'. :-)

How does your dog react when fearful or unhappy? Skooter will cower and shake or bark. Sometimes he whines. Moped is rarely fearful or unhappy. When he is he'll whine, vocalize (we call him 'the Wookie') or bark some.

How does your dog spend it's day? If you read the Dog Blog you'll know how they spend their days. But to make a long story short: Up in the morning and out of the kennels, out to go to the bathroom. Breakfast. Inside to play for an hour or so. Back in the kennels for a nap. Up again to go out. Inside for training and then play time. Back in the kennels for another nap. Up again for another play time then back in the kennels for dinner. Out for training and then play time. They go to bed around 9pm-10pm each night. Occaisionally they wake me up in the middle of the night to go out to the bathroom, but will go out, come right back in and get in their kennels to go back to sleep. That's a typical day.

Where does your dog sleep? They both sleep in separate kennels.

Has your dog ever bitten a person or another dog? Nope, only play fighting.

Has your dog had any training? Skooter had training when he was younger at PetsMart. It was just basic training. He did okay. Skooter and Moped are currently in Obedience training at All Breed Rescue and Training. They are learning basic commands. They are also doing a door program at home to teach them to wait when someone rings the bell/comes in the house. That is going slowly. They also both had three training sessions with Bark Busters. That was the most horrible experience for Skooter. I think some of the fear he has now is because of the Bark Buster's 'training' (I use the word very loosely, it was more like torture - I feel guilty that I ever did that to them).

What behaviors can they perform? sit, flat (down), wait, kennel, and bedtime; they do NOT do these commands consistently; Moped is better at obedience training than Skooter is, but I think that's because Moped is younger.

What are your dog's bad habits? Skooters is definitely his affinity for whining. Chewing on inappropriate things (even when tons of chew toys are around) comes in a close second. Moped's bad habit is jumping on the furniture. Chewing on inappropriate things is a tie with jumping on the furniture.

Why are you giving up your dog? We should have gone for counseling before we got a dog so we would choose the right breed for our lifestyle. But we didn't. David has always wanted a bird dog and so we got a bird dog. We had no idea that they would be so high energy, high activity and high maintenance. We have a low energy, activity, maintenance lifestyle. Now we know better. But the dogs are suffering for our ignorance.

Describe the ideal home for your dog: Skooter would be best in a home without cats and where he could get lots of attention and activity. He likes being the top dog. Moped would be best in a home that is high energy, has tons of activity and doesn't mind a high maintenance dog (as far as attention goes). They both need a place that has a big yard that they can run around in and expend some of the energy they have bottled up.

Nicknames: Skooter - Skoots, Skooter Pie and Mr. Wiggles; Moped - Mopes and Puddin' Pop

Anything else you need to know? They both need to be loved unconditionally.

Content boys

Raw Meaty Bones are a favorite of Skooter and Moped. They each have a brand new one and they couldn't be happier. Skooter's has a lot of meat on it so he's really getting into it.

I've switched them back to kibble. The Raw Diet was not working too well and it was becoming a lot of work. It also would be hard to get a home for them if they only ate a Raw Diet. So, back to kibble it is. They don't seem to mind.

It's at times like this that I think that the world is just perfect. When my 'boys' are content, all is right with the world. It's a peaceful feeling.

Skooter is now 21 1/2 months old. Moped was 8 months old on the 18th. It seems like I've had them both forever. They are such an integral part of my life. I surely will miss them when they get new homes. I will be happy that they have a more active, high energy home to live in. I really hope they can be placed in a home that has a much bigger yard than we have. They both need space to run.

I haven't spent much time on their training since I started feeling the pain in my chest. And it shows. Skooter is still obstinate and will only do behaviors when he feels like it. Moped is a bit more cooperative and usually sits without asking when going out and coming in. I haven't practiced 'with me' so they are not learning to walk on the leash with me. They are still strong pullers on the leash. Sometimes in class they will stay with me when walking but when they get outside they are just so anxious to explore everything that they pull on the leash. They both have a lot of potential and will do great with consistent training.

Our counselors and trainers all say that they are great dogs and will do really well with learning new behaviors. I think it will be easier for them when they are with someone new. They can start from the beginning with rules. I just let them do what they want and that isn't the best thing for them. They have always seemed to do well for other people. They know that they can get away with anything with me. They have learned to ignore me, not all the time, but when they want to.

They are both very smart dogs. Too smart. They know when I want a certain behavior and if they don't feel like listening, they just do something else (like if I tell them 'kennel' they might go in or they might go and sit down in the living room :-) ). It's interesting having dogs who are so smart.

Skooter is more sensitive than Moped. He gets anxious around new people and in new situations. Moped is a bit hesitant but will join in without too much fuss. Skooter's feelings get hurt more easily too. Moped doesn't seem bothered by anything. Skooter is the protector of the hosue. If someone or something goes by that he doesn't know, he'll growl or bark. Moped just watched Skooter when he does that. Moped doesn't seem to know that he can bark at strange things. I'm glad that neither of them is a nuisance barker. They do whine more than I'd like, but that's only when they are in their kennels too much. If they are out of their kennels more, that won't be an issue.

I think Moped will easily adjust to a new family. Skooter may be more hesitant but he's so sweet that I know whoever he is placed with will love him dearly. They will love Moped too. He's so cute.

Sweetness

I'm sure I am biased, but I believe that my dogs are the best looking German Shorthaired Pointers I have ever seen! They have the sweetest faces and such incredible markings. I love to just look at them. And their eyes - you can see their soul in their eyes. They have tails that never stop wagging. They are happy dogs.

Skooter is on the living room floor eating a RMB. He has it in his paws and he's on his belly. He looks so sweet and playful.

Moped is in his kennel eating a RMB. He's content.

They are beautiful dogs. And they are the sweetest thing in my life.

Postponing the inevitable

Going through the classes at All Breed is great. It is really helpful and the dogs are learning a lot. I'm glad that I found All Breed. And doggy day care too. But, no matter how many classes we go through, it's not going to change the fact that we are low energy, low activity and the dogs are high energy, high activity. It also doesn't make our yard any bigger. And they need lots of space to run around.

So, I've done what I think is best and sent the surrender forms to the Rocky Mountain GSP Rescue. It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. But I believe it's the best thing I can do for the dogs. They need a more appropriate home, one that can provide them with more attention and activity.

We didn't take them to classes today. David didn't want to go because I sent in the surrender forms. He's very upset about all this. I think that I am coping because I have things to do (filling out forms, emailing forms and pictures, checking out the website, etc.). He doesn't have anything to do except feel bad.

I'm sure that once they go I'll be terrribly sad, but I KNOW I'm doing the right thing. They spend way too much time in their kennels here. They really need a place where they can be out all of the time.

I sure do love my dogs and feel like I am doing what is right for them. It's so hard because at All Breed they say that re-homing a dog is the worst thing you can do. But sometimes I think re-homing can be a good thing. We didn't get counseling before we got the dogs to tell us what breed would suit our lifestyle. We make a bad choice in choosing GSP's. They need a lot more than we can offer.

I realize too that my life is kind of passing me by because I'm spending so much time with the dogs. They should add to my life, not detract from it. They are a full time job (which I love doing) and that means I don't have time for David or the house or friends. That's not the way it should be. If I picked an appropriate breed for us these things wouldn't be an issue.

I don't know what the process is with RMGSPR. The lady who I sent the surrender forms to said now is a good time to surrender them. They have lots of applications and dogs are being adopted quickly. We'll see what happens.

Catching up

I haven't blogged for the last day and a half because I still have chest pain and shortness of breath. Enough about me.

Skooter and Moped spent way too much time in their kennels yesterday. When I could let them out, they had so much energy that they just ran around the house, jumping on the furniture and stealing things. I wasn't up to chasing them or grabbing them so they got to run around for a bit before I had to put them back in their kennels.

One time, when I grabbed Moped, he pulled my head into the counter and bent my second pair of glasses that I had on. That upset me but I didn't take it out on him. I just stood in the living room and cried. I was so frustrated that I can't control them.

I spent most of the day thinking that I need to find a more appropriate home for them (high energy, high activity level, lots of room to run around). I was very frustrated and I also wasn't feeling well, so it was easier to give in yesterday.

But last night, when Skooter was out and Moped was taking a siesta, I just looked at Skooter's face, his profile and thought about what it would be like not to see that again. It made me sad to think of it.

I am so torn. I really feel like I'm not able to keep up with them and that this is not a very good environment for them. On the other hand, I love them, have put a lot of time and energy into their lives and would miss them if they weren't here. What am I to do.

I think that part of the reason I'm having a difficult time is that the training is not going very well. I'm not able to put enough effort into their training right now and it shows.

What I really need is for Moped to be calm in the house. I don't care if he can sit or go flat, I just need him to behave in the house. Doggy day care would help, but he doesn't behave in the car either so I can't get him there. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They are playing with project toys and are somewhat settled. But I have to keep my eye on them every second or they will get into something. It makes me nervous and feel like I'm trapped.

If it could be like it is right now, with Moped laying on the floor chewing on a bone and Skooter playing with the tug a jug, then I'd feel there was more sanity in this situation. But too often it feels totally insane around here.

Skooter is acting like something went down the wrong way in his throat. He's breathing heavy and sniffing real loud. He's done this type of behavior since he was a puppy. Back then he would eat (meaning digest) whatever he could get his paws on. After a $3,000 surgery, the ball of wadded up stuff was finally out of his tummy. But then we had to watch him every minute to make sure he wasn't eating anything he shouldn't. He would make the loud sniffing sound and sort of recoil from it. It's hard to explain. He's not doing it as much now, so he's probably getting whatever it is out of his throat.

Skooter is chasing Moped, trying to get his RMB from him. Skooter is very possessive these days. Misty told me to take the bone away from Skooter, if he takes it from Moped, and give it back to Moped. That shows that I makke the decisions around here, not Skooter. I just did that and it worke out okay. Skooter's back to his tug a jug and Moped has the RMB. All is well in Dog Blog land.

It's all my fault

Skooter broke my glasses. I left Skooter out in the house while I went to bible study because I couldn't get him into his kennel. He chose one item to chew on - my brand new glasses. I should have been wearing them, but forgot them. It's my fault that he got to them. I'm not mad at him at all. I'm mad at myself for leaving him out and for leaving my glasses in the living room where he could get to them. I do have a spare pair. I don't know how much it will cost to get them fixed. Oh gosh.

Waiting him out

Moped went into his kennel promptly when I said 'bedtime'. Skooter first jumped on a blanket on the couch. I removed the blanket to make his less comfortable (it's a leather couch and it feels cold laying on it this morning). Then I had to wait him out like I did this morning. He knew I wanted him to go into his kennel. When he approached me I ignored him. I wouldn't look at or talk to him. He milled around a while, came over by me, jumped back up on the couch. I went over to Moped's kennel and gave Mopes a treat for doing 'bedtime' (getting in his kennel). Skooter had his treats waiting for him when he did 'bedtime'. Just minutes later Skooter went into his kennel. I had waited him out again. The victory is mine! They are both quietly laying in their kennels. Now I can go back to bed for a little bit.

5:00 am

Time to be up again. They both needed to go out. Now they are playing in the living room. I'll let the stay out for a while before I head back to bed. I want to take Moped to DDC today, but I'm not sure I can drive across town because I'm so tired. Maybe I'll bring him in the late morning. They are playing with the tug-a-jug, purple pete and what's left of the plush dog.

I forgot to close the door

to our bedroom when I let the dogs back in from the 2am pee call. Now Skooter is in my bed and won't leave, even for 'oinker roll'. Now it will be a waiting game, a game I don't care to play at 2am.

I don't know if I woke them up or if they woke me up, but they sure did have to go to the bathroom.

I don't want to force him off the bed and using a lure didn't help. I'll try dropping the treats on the floor and see if he'll budge.

Nope, no budge. I will not go to bed with that dog sleeping next to me. He does not belong in my bed and he was not invited to get into my bed. A multitude of ideas is running through my mind.

Moped has started to scratch on his kennel. I told him 'bedtime' and he settled down. Now if I can just get Skooter into 'bedtime'.

Apparently I waited long enough. Skooter came out of the bedroom and went right into his kennel. I don't know if he heard me saying 'bedtime' or not. I waited him out, that's what's important and he's back in his kennel for the night.

We have got to get them sleeping in our bedroom. They won't see me as the pack leader until they are sleeping on the floor and I am sleeping in the bed.

It's almost 2:30am. I think I'll try to go back to bed (even though I'm kind of wound up). Maybe I can get a few more hours in sleeping.

Until next time.

I love my dogs

I truly love my dogs. I look at pictures of them when they were younger every day. It reminds me why I chose them. They are sweet, lovable and have a lot of personality. I was chosen to have them because I have a lot of patience. And they need someone with a lot of patience. They are extremely high energy dogs that need a lot of attention. I have all the time in the world to give to them.

We can't leave anything out

Moped gets anything we leave out on the end table. It's mostly cleared off but I can't take the phone off of there. If there's nothing else to grab, he'll grab the phone or the phone dock. But tonight David left two cans of chew on the table in addition to an empty pop bottle. First he got the pop bottle and ran around with that. Skooter barked furiously when Moped wouldn't give him the bottle. I would not chase him. I made him come to me so I could get the bottle. Do you know how much noise a plastic pop bottle can make when it's in the jaws of a beast? Well, if you don't, it's a lot. I snatched the pop bottle away but hadn't noticed the two cans of chew. Moped grabbed one of them. Chew went everywhere. Thankfully he didn't try to eat it. He just wanted the container. Did I mention that they kept me from taking a nap. A badly needed nap. I am very cranky now. I used some 'oinker roll' and got them to go into their kennels. I just needed some peace and quiet and no chaos. I feel bad that they don't have a bigger place to play and run around in.

Misty called

Misty called to check up on me and the dogs. I told her how frustrated I was last night and I was wondering if I needed to re-home the dogs. I know I don't want to do that but sometimes it seems like it would be best for the dogs. I told her that Skooter was really stressed out last night and didn't want to do any behaviors. She said that she talked to Ruth about last night. She suggested putting Skooter on some supplements:

Calcium/Magnesium 500mg 2x/day
Vitamin B Comples 300 1x/day
KavaKava 1x/day

I'll start him on those supplements tomorrow.

I just vented to Misty about how I feel about everything (all the stuff I've been blogging about). She was very supportive and caring. I really have nothing but praise for all the folks at All Breed. I did tell Misty that I think that my training technique sucks. I know I'm holding the dogs back because I'm not consistent with them. I need the class as much as they do to learn how to train them. I feel hesitant to train them now because I'm afraid I'm doing the wrong thing.

The dogs are out sunning right now. Skooter really enjoys doing that. They are happy with us even if we suck at training.

Sleep

I fell back asleep for a few hours. I must have been more tired than I realized. The dogs did fine in their kennels. They didn't even wake me up! I let them out after they sat at the door.

Moped is belly up on the floor and Skooter is playing with him. It's interesting to watch their interactions. Moped will try to hump Skooter and Skooter will get indignant that Moped even tried to do that and will posture to hump him.

They are always fighting over the same toy even when their are multiple toys to be played with. Skooter will open his jaw really wide and lightly clamp on Moped's snout or head. Skooter also pulls Moped by the collar frequently. Now he's humping him again and Moped went belly up. Humping again and Moped is just putting up with it. Now Moped is chewing on the everlasting teat ball and Skooter went into Moped's kennel. They are a bit calmer now. Back to humping and 'head fighting'. Skooter just made Moped yelp, so the games are over. Moped is chewing on a busy buddy and Skooter is just milling around. Skooter backed off right away when he realized that he had really hurt Moped.

I put out a busy buddy with kong tots in it. Moped played with it for a few minutes, then Skooter realized treats were coming out of it. Then he took it and started flipping it over so that he could get the treats. And we're back to dancing and humping. Moped is funny because he used to be able to walk underneath Skooter without lifting Skooter up. He still tries to walk underneath him but he's about the same size as Skooter so he lifts him up and twirls him around.

They just finished a bried session of snapping in the air at each other. Moped stole the busy buddy and brought it behind David's chair. Skooter is trying to get it away from him. Skooter is barking at him because he wants that busy buddy with the treats in it. I had to put more treats in the busy buddy, so now Skooter has it again. Moped is helping him clean up the treats. Skooter just told Moped to stay back by mouthing him on the snout again. Moped backed off completely and is now barking. Moped started biting my ottoman so I redirected him to a toy (the plush dog). Skooter is humpin Moped yet again. Moped tries to walk underneath him and Skooter tries to hump him when he gets out from there. Now Moped has the busy buddy and is carrying it around and chewing on it. He can pull bits of the busy buddy off because he is such an aggessive chewer. They are playing together again now. Skooter got up on the couch, he's done playing for now. Moped is up on the couch too but he's still playing. Skooter is trying to stop him from playing so they are street fighting again.

I wish Moped could calm down after playing for so long, but he's still such a puppy and can play until he drops.

Skooter thought he saw something outside so he jumped out a growled a bit. But then he stopped. Now they are playing on the couch and there's lots of snorting going on, mouthing too. It got a little too rough so I yelled 'hey' and they quit. Their both getting a drink of water. I put them both in their kennels for a short nap. They've expended quite a bit of energy and this will give me some time too.

Project toys

I just made each of them a project toy and put them in their kennels so that I can get ready for my day. They seem to be enjoying the toys. I need to find things to put in the Kong's that Skooter will be interested in getting out. He's so finicky. I'll try to figure it out later.

Up again at 6:30am

Moped woke me up, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Skooter is venturing out into the yard now even though he is on tie out.

I gave them thier breakfast but Skooter wouldn't go into his kennel to eat. After five minutes I took the meal away. Moped went right into his kennel to eat. I'm going to start hand-feeding them again even though we are doing the raw meat diet. I'll get what I need today to start doing that tonight (to practice safe raw meat handling).

They are out of their kennels right now playing their version of street fighter for dogs. It's fun to watch them play. Skooter grabs Moped by the throat though and sometimes that scares me. I usually call Skooter off of him because he does it for so long.

I feel trapped. Once they are up and out of their kennels and off tie down, I have to watch them every minute so they don't chew something up or get to the cat food. The only time I feel like I can be free, is when they are in their kennels. Even when they are outside I feel like I need to keep an eye on them since Skooter is on the tie out (I don't want him hanging himself). And inside I need to make sure that the playing doesn't escalate into fighting. It never has, but I've always intervened when it looked too rough. I just had to do that now.

Skooter is laying on the floor. Moped was in the computer room, now he's in the bedroom and the hallway. Now Skooter is on the couch. Moped is in the laundry room. Thhis is what it's like all day for me. Just keeping an eye on them.

Moped came sliding into the living room and grabbed Purple Pete, but he lost interest right away. I need to make project toys for them and I've been forgetting to do that. They would stay busy with project toys.

Now it is quiet. Peaceful. This is the way I wish it was the majority of the time.

Well, I might as well start my day since it doesn't look like I'll be getting back to bed.

The 5am wake up call

Moped woke me up scratching on his kennel and whining to go out. I let Skooter out first but he had no interest in going out. I did make him sit before getting out of his kennel. Then I let Mopes out after a sit in the kennel. He grabbed the remote first, but I traded him for a rubber bone. Fair trade, I think. Then Mopes sat at the door to go out. He went out, did his business and came back in, toy in tow. I cut a piece of 'oinker roll' off and split it in half for them. They went right into their kennels. I swear it's aliens that have taken over my dog's bodies. They never go in their kennels that easily. The 'oinker roll' must have magic properties. Anywho, I'm headed back to bed to try to get another hour or so of sleep before getting up with the dogs for the day. Go oinker, go oinker, go oinker!

1:30 am

I woke up because I had to go the bathroom. Or so I thought. Seconds later I heard Moped scratching at his kennel and whining to go out. I think that's what woke me up. I actually took time for me to go to the bathroom first. Amazing! After that, I went into the living room and let the dogs out - Skoots first then Mopes. Moped went and grabbed a toy. I believe that Moped sat before going out. Skooter did not because I had him by the collar to go on tie out. Moped went out and peed right away. Skooter left the deck, on tie out, and took care of his business. Both sat before coming in.

Moped had water to drink, a lot of it, before going to bed. Do I need to limit how much water they get in the evening? Should I cut them off from water at a certain time to ensure that they won't need to go out in the middle of the night? Or is this just another puppy thing? They really did need to go to the bathroom. How do I train them to 'hold it' all night? I'll have to look back at the potty training handout and see how I can use that to accomplish my goal (of sleeping through the night).

They both easily went back into their kennels. Have aliens taken over my dogs bodies? Or was it the 'oinker roll' enticement? Especially Skooter, who never goes in without a struggle. I am grateful because it's almost 2am. I'll take it, whether it was aliens or not. They are laying down and they are quiet. Which means that I can go back to bed! Good night.

Arrrgggghhhhh!

What a night! Putting the seats down in the back of the Jeep didn't help at all. Moped was able to get out of his harness and off the tie down. We had to stop three times on the way to our private session to get him hooked back in. Finally I just sat in the back seat and held him so he wouldn't go into the front seat. Very stressful. The front passenger seat was squished up against me; I was sitting with one of my legs underneath me, which was very uncomfortable; and we left during 5pm traffic time, which meant that it took about 25 minutes to get across town. I thought I would die before we got there.

But we did get there and then there was the stress of getting them out of the Jeep and into the facility without them taking off or pulling my arm off. David brought Skooter in and I took Moped in. Not a fair deal, I'll tell you.

When we got into the training room, Ruth said we could let them off leash to get out some energy and to explore. That gave me a minute to get ALL the treats out. After a few minutes we started working with them. I realized right away that my training technique sucks. The dogs aren't progressing because I'm holding them back. Not that I'm getting down on myself or anything :-)

Skooter was completely stressed out, panting and shedding. Moped was his happy go lucky self. Skooter wouldn't even sit for the first 15-20 minutes. Moped did 'sit' and 'flat' on cue. Skooter was just too stressed and distracted. He peed on the floor. We tethered them to the wall and worked with them. Skooter just didn't want to 'sit' or 'flat' or pay attention. He was just ADD tonight. Moped did well with sitting and flat.

David had to take Skooter out during training to go to the bathroom. He really had to pee (even though he had already peed on the floor).

After another short break we worked on 'quick'. Skooter did pretty good with this. Moped took a bit to figure it out. He didn't do as well as Skooter did. Skooter was too stressed to do any more than that, so we stopped. Skooter was kind enough to poop on the floor before we left. What a great night.

Treats were a big issue. Skooter didn't want anything but pepperoni and 'oinker roll'. Moped would eat any treat he was given. I need to train Skooter to eat what is offered to him or he won't get anything. I think that Skooter would have done better if he had peed and pooped before training. And I should have seen which treats he wanted before we started training. Having him hack of pieces of cheese that didn't meet his requirements for a treat were to say the least embarrassing.

Here's what I learned tonight (besides that I suck and Skooter needed to pee and poop):

1. I bend over to the dogs level too much while training. I need to stand up straight or the dogs will only perform behaviors when I'm bent over.
2. I repeat commands.
3. I don't treat at the right times and I don't treat near enough when they do the behavior.
4. I I don't give the dogs enough credit for knowing the behaviors. I keep treating them into doing behaviors when they already know the cue and can do it without a treat.
5. Skooter is obstinate (what a surprise that is). He completely ignores me while training and wants to do the behaviors ONLY when he is ready to do the behavior.
6. Moped is TOTALLY out of control.
7. My dogs are poorly behaved and don't know even basic obedience commands.
8. My dogs pull on their leashes to the point that I'm sure my shoulder is coming out of the socket.
9. Only use 'quick' for emergencies and training. Otherwise use 'come'.
10. Only treat them when you ask for the behavior not every time they do it.
11. I really need to spend more time practicing my technique more than I need to practice training with the dogs.
12. I suck. (Just thought I'd add that in case anyone forgot).
13. My treats suck. Skooter didn't want any of them except for the 'oinker roll' and pepperoni.
14. I don't use cold enough or the right way.
15. The dogs should be sleeping in our room, in there kennels at least.

On the ride home I was contemplating finding homes for the dogs. It's so stressful just to get them to and from training. I had to hold Moped the whole way home too. And then there was the big scene getting them out of the Jeep and into the house. Skooter took off after a rabbit but came back when called. Moped about pulled David over trying to drag him into the house.

How I feel:
1. I feel like I suck.
2. I feel like I'm ready to give up.
3. I feel that my dogs are the most poorly trained dogs in the world.
4. I feel hopeless.
5. I feel embarassed.
6. I feel worn out.
7. I feel sad.
8. I feel that I'm not the best owner for the dogs.
9. I feel like my training hurts more than it helps.
10. I feel like crying.

Heavy sigh~

What went well tonight:

1. Moped does his sit and flat beautifully.
2. Moped did 'quick' well enough after a shaky start.
3. Skooter did eventually 'sit' when commanded to for a treat.
4. Skooter did really well with 'quick'.
5. David and I were open to constructive criticism.

Skooter needs to be ignored a lot more than he currently is. He should only be getting attention if he is 'sitting' or 'flat'. Otherwise he should be ignored. And right now he's getting all kinds of attention for doing unwanted behaviors and for not doing commands when told to.

* Ask for the command once.
* Wait for Skooter to do the behavior.
* 'Cold' Skooter if he is not complying and do NOT give him any treat for NOT complying.
* Ignore Skooter.
* Go to Moped and work with him and give him Skooter's treats if he does the behavior.
* Go back to Skooter and say the command one time.
* Wait for Skooter to do the behavior
Repeat as above.

I have an appointment with Dr. Marten tomorrow, so I will have to schedule training sessions around that time.

Ruth seemed to have more success with Skooter than I did. She was calm and assertive and stood tall. She kept her hands up by her waist and only gave the command once, then waited for a few seconds to see if he would respond. Most of the time he did.

I'm really wondering if we should re-home the dogs. I love them, but they are so much work. I don't know that we offer them the lifestyle that they need. I know they'd have a hard time relocating, but maybe they'd have a better life living with a more active family that has more yard for them.

Graduation is just a dream. They will not be able to do the required behaviors by graduation time. And that's okay with me. I wouldn't mind taking the class again. I really need the training myself. On Saturday I could just see how well other people were doing with training and how horribly I was doing with the training. I'm not competing or comparing so much as I'm stating reality. Ruth said that her first dog had to take the class a second time because neither she nor the dog were ready to go on the the next class. That's how I feel.

Part of the problem I'm having is that my dogs are so smart. They know what is being asked of them, they just don't want to do it at that moment, especially if no treat is involved. Moped will sit and go flat before you even ask him to. That can't be rewarded. He's got to do it on cue. When asked to do a behavior, then he can get a treat (not necessarily food).

The dogs are settled in their kennels right now and they are quiet. Yay! It's almost bedtime and I look forward to sleep, sweet sleep. I'm sure I'll be up by 4:30am. The dogs may have to be let out again before we go to bed. I'll try to leave that up to David.

I talked to David on the way home and told him that I deal with the dogs all day long, all night long and it is very demanding, exhausting work. At times it is stressful. I'm not saying that I want to get them re-homed and I'm not complaining, just needing to vent the stress so I can do better with the dogs.

Tonight's private session was invaluable to training the dogs. I feel a bit more of a focus. I still want to remember that their behavior is the priority, not their obedience. I need them to behave; obedience will come as their behavior improves.

What can I do to help them learn control and to help them improve their behavior? What I'd like is:

* Moped to settle down so that he's not stealing stuff and jumping on the furniture
* them to stop pulling on the leash and to stay with me
* them to perform a behavior no matter where I ask for it from
* Skooter to stop ignoring me

How can I accomplish these things:

I need to ignore unwanted behavior. I need to walk with them on the leash more. I need to practice getting them to do behaviors not matter where I am when I tell them to do it. I need to be consistent with Skooter and not let him get away with not performing a behavior, whether it's 'colding' him, ignoring him or giving his treats to Moped for performing behaviors.

I need to stop focusing on the behavior and put all my attention on the dog. I don't touch them enough, talk to them enough and don't cut them enough slack. They are just puppies.

I just let them out for the night. Skooter is on tie out and actually off the deck! I didn't think he'd ever get off the deck. I'll give them a few minutes to run around and get some energy out. I'm sure I'll be doing the same at 4:30am too!

I'm blogged out. I think I've said everything I need to say for tonight.

Ready to go

I put the back seats down flat in the jeep. Now there's lots of room for them to be in and I don't have to worry about them jumping in the rear of the jeep. I figured out a way to loop Moped's tie down around the thing that holds the spare tire. That will keep Mopes in the back and out of the front seats. It should work okay. It will make for a much more pleasant ride over to AB.

I'm going to let Ruth figure out what we need to work on. I'd like to just start with 'sit' and see what we are doing with that behavior that we could improve upon. Then move on to other behaviors. I'm grateful that Ruth is taking this time with us to work with the dogs.

The dogs are in their kennels right now (crowd control). I've already cut up all the treats and have them ready. I have:

Kong Tots
Goldfish
Mozzarella cheese
Cheddar cheese
Oinker roll
Pepperoni

I hope that they like todays treats. Skooter can be so finicky about the treats. He should like at least one of the treats that I'm bringing.

A peaceful day

It's been generally a quiet day with the dogs. I've been able to get some stuff done around the house because the dogs have been so quiet. They are outside right now. Skooter is on tie down and doesn't like it. Moped is running around with a toy (a fire hose plush toy).

We've got our private session with Ruth this evening. I'm really looking forward to some one on one time. I haven't done much with the dogs today since we'll have training tonight. Ihave been making them sit at the door. Moped will do it automatically, Skooter on command.

A fishy tale

I decided to feed them sardines for breakfast. That got them back into their kennels. Moped is chowing down on it. Skooter is being finicky. Time for me to go back to back for a little while. Sleep, wonderful sleep.

Up again

Now it's 6:30am and the dogs have me up again. Skooter wants to go out and run around the neighborhood. Can't let that that happen. Moped seems to have just wanted out to play. Skooter is whining at the door but I don't know if he has to go to the bathroom or not. I'll put him on tie out and see what happens.

He doesn't want to go out. He knows he's going on tie out and he doesn't want to do that. Moped, meanwhile, is actually playing with one of his toys (the everlasting treat ball)d. I would just like to go back to bed, put it seems like they are up for a while. I'm just going to have to make the best of it and do laundry or something else around the house.

Aw, come on

It's 4:30am and after going out to pee, neither dog will get back in his kennel. I am so tired and just want to go back to bed. Moped is learning from Skooter to just stay away from his kennel and sit or lie down. Then I have no chance of getting the little porkers in their kennels. I can't carry either of them anymore. And I want them to go in on their own anyway.

Skooter's been out three times now on the tie out. I'm not sure if he has peed or not. I couldn't watch him because I had to keep an eye on Moped in the house. I'll just keep letting him out on tie down until he goes. He's playing keep away with Moped. They are playing with what's left of the red doggie. So maybe Skooter did go to the bathroom. He's not pacing back and forth between me and the door and he's not whining either. He must have done his duty.

Okay, does anybody think it's wierd that I just spent two paragraphs on my dog's peeing? Raise your hand. Let's see, one, two, you over there are you raising your hand or scratchin an itch? Okay, three. The aye's get it, the ney's are opposed. I am officially crazy!

Moped keeps trying to steal things off the table. Of course the only thing not put away on the table is the phone dock. But he's still trying to steal that.

I just want to go back to bed. I don't want to get up at 4:30am every morning to let the dogs out and then in to run around. I want to sleep until 6am. I want to get a full nights sleep. With my condition, I desperately need to sleep through the night. And 4:30am just doesn't cut it. They are in a routine that I need to break They should be able to make it another half hour or so. But maybe not they are still puppies.

Now Skooter is at the door whining to go out. Does he have to go to the bathroom or does he just want to go out? The neverending question. Well, he didn't go, so that means he'll be waking me up again soon.

They are both finally in their kennels. They went in for wheat thins. The pepperoni wasn't working today. I'm tired and I'm sore, so I'm going back to bed. Have a lovely rest of the day.

What do you do...

with a dog with four broken legs?

You take him for a drag. (budumpdump)

Just checking to see if you are reading along...

Burning the midnight oil

Okay, it's not exactly midnight yet, but it feels like it is. I went to bed about an hour ago and was sound asleep when Skooter came in whining to go out. So, like a good pet owner I got up to let him out. I let Moped out on the way to the door. They both sat before going out. They looked beautiful sitting there (even if it was for only two seconds). Then out they went. I completely forgot that Skooter had to go on tie out! That meant that I had to watch him the whole time he was out so he wouldn't jump the fence. Stinky pot peed and Skooter did too. I called them in and Skooter actually came in. Amazing. I had to use pepperoni to lure them into their kennels. And that's where they both are right now. Quietly sleeping in their kennels. Okay, maybe not asleep just yet, but they are being quiet. The silence is deafening. It's almost 11pm so I'm going to go back to bed. Hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep right away. And I really hope that I'm not up for real burning the midnight oil.

Skooter...

just peed in my computer room!!! I had just let him in off of the tie out and he went and peed in the house. Crikey! He's going to have to learn that peeing is an outdoor activity! What a bozo. So he's out on tie out right now. Not really liking it either.

All Breed Rescue and Training

I am so grateful that we found AB. It has allowed us to keep our dogs. It provides awesome training and counseling. The staff is ever so helpful and they seem to care about our dogs. I know finding AB wasn't an accident. We were meant to go there. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a better relationship with their dog.

A quiet Sunday morning

5am was the wake up call today. Moped let me sleep a half an hour later then usual. Skooter was just waking up and seemed disinterested in what was going on. Moped decided to grab a bottle off of the table. Now Skooter was interested in what Moped was doing. I ignored him and went about doing other things in the kitchen. He and Skooter played keep away for a few minutes. Then Moped wanted to go out and so did Skooter. Skooter went on tie out and Moped went out off tie out. I think Skooter stayed on the deck the whole time. He probably didn't go to the bathroom (which I lavishly praised him for last night) and will need to go out later. They sat at the door going out but not coming back in (again, I didn't ask for the behavior). Moped and Skooter played with the bottle a little while longer (Moped had taken it outside and kept it in his mouth as he peed :-) ). Then at about 5:45am I got Moped to go back in kennel for continued bedtime. Skooter is on the couch. It starts out a quiet Sunday morning.

Canine Connection

In this 8 week course you will build on and strengthen the skills you learned in your Foundation Course or Puppy Elementary class. You will work with higher distractions, both inside and out. You will also learn coming when called off leash outside and out of sight, leave it, heel, wait, stand, and start your work with targeting and more. A trick of your choice is also taught. A great course for the dog and owner who are ready for some fun.

I need to train smarter not harder

I really do need to smarten up when it comes to training. I can't let the dogs outwit me. I need to be the pack leader. I should use their strengths when training. The hardest part is that Skooter really does ignore me. He's so used to doing it that it's hard to train it out of him. He did sit at the door to go out, but not coming back in (which I keep forgetting to enforce). The poor dog has just been misguided as to behavior because we didn't ask anything of him. Now that we are he is responding - slowly - but responding.

So what are their strengths right now? Moped is enthusiastic and a quick learner. He is eager to please. Skooter is determined and loving. He is also eager to please. Skooter also is very athletic. He'll be great in agility training one day.

I realized today that we really might not make graduation and we'll have to take the course again (it's free the second time around). I also realized that I really am okay with that. I want the dogs to be successful. I will not force them to try to do behaviors that they are not capable of yet (because I haven't trained them well enough to do the new behavior). I need to find out just what is expected for the dogs to graduate in their class. I sure would like them to go on to another class next time arouind. I'm not even sure what would be next for each of them. I'd like to have them in separate classes because I couldn't do it with both of them. David would have to come every time and help with one of the dogs. That might be too hard for us to do. I think that Canine Connection would be the next class for both of them. I believe that when they offer it they offer one class on the weekend and one during the week. That would work for us.

The tie out is up!

David finished the tie down while I was in class with Skooter. Yippee! Now I can put Skooter out and not worry about him jumping over the fence and running around the neighborhood. Moped stays in the yard so now I feel better letting them both out. One of the reading assignments for this week for Skooter is on 'Boundaries and Escaping'. That should be informative. Hopefully it will give me some suggestions for keeping him in the yard.

Skooter won't move off the deck when he's on the tie out. Silly dog. He's going to have to get used to being on tie out. It'll be an adjustment for him. Moped came out of the kennel and went out to go to the bathroom. He's back in his kennel after playing with Skooter for a little while. Skooter is back in but needs to go to the bathroom. He's going to have to be desperate before he moves off the deck I think.

It's the little things that make life great. Skooter finally was desperate enough to go to the bathroom on the tie down. That is huge progress! It only took him a few tries to figure out that he's not going anywhere so he might as well pee where he is. What an awesome dog!

Now they are both settled in again and it's nice and peaceful. At least until David gets home ;-) .

Picking up Moped from DDC

Around 4:30pm I picked up Moped from doggy day care. He was so excited to see me. I was excited to see him. They said he had a great time. He about killed us on the way home because he tried to jump in the front seat (his restraint didn't restrain him enough!). Thankfully, most of the drive home he slept. He was certainly worn out from his adventuresome day. Skooter was worn out too. They've both been sleeping for hours, Skooter on the couch and Mopes in his kennel. Sending Mopes to DDC really does help. He needs to get out all of that energy and it's the best place for him to do it right now. I don't know that he's ready for a dog park yet. He does get along really well with other dogs, at DDC and in training. He's just happy go lucky. I really am grateful for DDC. I just wish it were closer to the house. It takes about 25 minutes or so to get there. It's basically an hour out of my day to go back and forth. But it's worth it if he stays five or more hours. I usually like him to stay that long so he can really get the benefit of being there and get out as much puppyness as possible. He always does come home worn out so I can't complain about driving over there. I'm going to try to get him in there on Wednesday if I can. Twice a week should really help out as far as his home behavior is concerned. Yay for doggy day care!

Skooter's Homework 2/17/07 Week #5

Practice these behaviors:

Sit for greetings (when someone comes up to say Hi to the dog he should sit first)
Flat (multiples)
Quickj
With me
Wait

Handouts to read: 'Boundaries and Escaping' and 'Separation Anxiety'

Foundation Course - 4th Class with Skooter (Week 5)

I fell asleep between classes and woke up later than I should have to get to Skooter's class. We got there late, but they had waited for us. We didn't miss anything. It was nice to see Ruth and Kristy. I would have liked to have had a chance to talk to them, but it's difficult with getting the dogs in and out.

Skooter was a lot more settled in class today. He wasn't pulling the whole time. He was distracted by the other dogs, but got back on task when I called his name.

We worked on sit first. He did okay with that. Then we worked on flat. He had to have a tease/lure to do that, but he did it. Then we combined sit and flat and didn't treat right away. He did okay with that too. He had a tough time with wait, but finally did it two or three times. He was the demo dog for with me again. He did really well and did automatic sits when stopped and stayed with Ruth during the walk. I am very proud of him. When he did it with me he didn't do quite as well, but still okay. Then we did with me to go outside and do quick on the side walk. He took a long time to sit outside the training room door. He was pretty well behaved outside. I was real apprehensive about doing quick with him off the leash. Kristy held him. I walked about thirty feet away then turned and called, Skooter, quick, come on boy. He hesitated but then with some coaxing trotted on down to where I was standing. He never went off the sidewalk. Again, he had trouble sitting so we just did gotcha instead. Then we did with me to the car. He got in the car and I went in to get the homework for the week.

I asked Ruth about Monday's session, if it would be 15 minutes total or 15 minutes per dog. She said we really have no time limit. She'll work with us as long as we need to. Mostly it'll be working with David and me on our training technique. The dogs will do a lot better once we can be consistent and train them well.

I could really see in both classes today how deficient my technique is. I wasn't treating often enough or at the right time. I wasn't using enough verbal praise. I wasn't being consistent with my behavior commands. I was using the wrong commands at times. I was using the wrong hand to treat with during the with me exercise. I'm not teaching Skooter well enough when it comes to sitting or going flat without a treat. I wasn't using the lure correctly (giving it to him instead of dropping other treats).

I want to make it clear that I'm not getting down on myself, just doing some constructive criticism. I know that I will be able to do what I need to do more proficiently in time. Again, I need more training than the dogs at this point. It's fruitless to try to train them with bad techniques.

Overall it was an excellent training day. I was so pleased with Skooter and Moped today. Their behavior was improved and they improved on their behaviors also. Woohoo!

At least Skooter didn't pee on the floor! :-)

Moped's Homework 2/17/07 Week #4

Homework for the week for Moped includes practicing the following behaviors:

Flat with cue
Quick with sit and gotcha (play hide and seek with him)
With me (treat and automatic sit)
Wait

Handouts to read: 'Chewing' and 'Barking'

DDC update

I checked on Moped in DDC. He is doing just fine. Looks like he's running off a lot of energy. That's just what I want him to do. I love seeing him have fun. Today in class we had to say what we love about our dog. We said it was his enthusiasm that we loved. He's so anxious to learn and get our approval and he loves the treats!

Skooter did just fine being home alone. He's outside right now. Of course he's jumped the fence. David had got to get that tie down put in. Skooter won't go out on the 20 foot lead.

On the way over to Moped's class, we had to stop twice because Moped got out of his restraint. I can't wait until those real restraint straps arrive.

I went through all the pepperoni and cheese in Moped's session. That's the first time that has happened. He was so good that he got lots of treats. I still have some goldfish left and I'll use those with Skooter at his training session.

Ruth was very understanding about Moped being a bit behind in class and she let us just do what Moped could do so he would be successful. I think he surprised all of us today. He was far less distracted today than in previous training sessions. Today it finally just clicked for both of us. It felt so good to see him doing the requested behaviors. I can't say how happy I am right now.

Skooter is still out on an adventure. We worry about him when he takes off because we don't know when he'll be back or where he is while he's gone. I know he'll come back, but we really want him to stay in the yard. He'll teach Moped to go over the fence and then we'll have a really bad situation.

Skooter's back.

David yells at the dogs too much and is too physical with them. He's not helping the situation at all. He's making the dogs fear him. That's not Relationship Based Training. It's bullying. He always has an excuse for what he does, but it's just that - an excuse. Skooter cowers around David and I don't want that. Skooter loves David and will sit in his lap and fall asleep, but when David gets pissed because he thinks the dogs aren't minding, he gets meaner than he needs to get.

Checked the web cam again. Moped is doing great. He's playing with another dog. Good, good, good - he's getting out some energy. I really am glad that Lauren suggested DDC for Moped. He really needs the time to full out play.

Puppy Elementary - 3rd class with Moped (week 4)

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

Moped did a great job in training today. He did sit and flat and wait and with me with an automatic sit. I am so proud of him. He didn't run around the whole time either. During social time he was hard to get because he wanted to play keep away, as usual. But he still did really well. He peed on the floor three times though. :-) He's not doing his commands from a distance yet, but at least he's doing them most of the time when he's close by. I just couldn't believe how well he did today. He was the demo dog for with me and he did just fine.

After class, as a reward, we took him to doggy day care. He was excited to be there but hesitant at first to go in with the dogs. Then once he was in there he did just fine. I'm going to go check him out on the web cam.

Ignore, ignore, ignore

Moped woke me up by scratching on his kennel.

It's a bit past 5am and I'm ignoring an unwanted behavior with Moped. He grabbed a plastic bottle off of the end table and is running around with it 'asking' someone to chase him. Well, I'm not playing this game at all and neither is Skooter. Hopefully he'll begin to see that this is boring and stop doing it.

I decided to do an activity which Moped would enjoy more than playing with the bottle: eating breakfast. He put the bottle down and went flat and waited for his meal. I gave him half a can of canned salmon. He ate his right away. Skooter got his firest but did not touch it. Looks like he slept on the couch last night. That's okay by me. As long as he's not on the bed with me.

Moped is in his kennel whining, howling and scratching, which I plan to ignore. Once he's quieted down I'll tell him 'good quiet'. He's calmed down and quiet, so I told him 'good quiet' and 'bedtime'. He's still not making a peep.

I've taken Skooter's food away since he walked away from the meal. I'll try feeding it to him again tonight. He'll be hungry by the time class rolls around, so maybe he'll eat the treats I bring for a change (pepperoni, goldfish crackers and cheese). I'll try any treats at this point to get him to be more conistent with his behaviors in class.

Today all I'm going to bring are the folders and treats - no toys or project toys today. They either ignore the stuff or get distracted by it. They will do fine without toys. Oh, and I'll also bring the 20 foot lead. It said in the introcduction that we needed to start brining that at the fourth class and today is Skooter's 4th class. It will be Moped's third class.\

I'm debating about DDC for today. It might be good for Moped to be home alone for a couple of hours so he can get use to that scenario. And it would save us one more trip across town. I think DDC is off the table today.

I think it is awesome that Moped voluntarily gave up the plastic bottle and chose to come over and lie nicely waiting for his meal. I can't find the bottle though. :-)

How do I feel about my goals for the dogs

1. obedience: we never discussed this when we were with Lauren; it was a goal I came up with once I knew the dogs would be in training; now I can see that it's not the top goal that I had or have

2. have the dogs out of the kennels while supervised: this was not even a possibility on January 9th when we had our first meeting (the behavioral evaluation) but now they can both be out of their kennels for hours at a time on a good day

3. have the dogs NOT on tie down when out of kennel in the house: this wasn't even a thought when we first started putting them on tie down; now they are hardly ever on tie down; Skooter hasn't been on tie down for more than a week, last time Moped was on tie down was on Monday during training

4. no jumping on us, no scratching: they are a lot better about this than they were before

5. not bored: their behavior tells me that they are not as bored as they were before

6. walk without pulling: they are not quite there yet with this behavior

7. to be able to take them in the car safely: we are doing this now and it will be better when we get the new seat belt restraint straps

8. obedience in stores, in public and out of the house: this is not an issue at this point; this will come later, it's not a priority right now

9. no mouthing: since they have RMB's/chew toys/toys and project toys they have been chewing on me less

10. sleep on the floor in the bedroom with cats in the room: it's our fault that they haven't been sleeping in the bedroom; we just haven't been able to figure out the logistics of it yet

11. stop chasing the cats (Skooter): still an issue but not a priority

So, we have come a long way and have a long way to go, but it's easier when you can see the progress they've made in such a short amount of time. Initially we went into AB because we wanted them to be able to be in the house with us. And we've got that to an extent. So we are reaching our primary goal.

After a quick trip out, Skooter is back on the couch. Moped is quiet in his kennel.

The $64,000 question

What treats do I use tomorrow? I'm thinking:

pepperoni
goldfish
cheese

We'll see how it goes...

Foundation Course - 3rd class with Skooter (week 4)

We worked on:

Sit w/cue
Flat w/cue
Quick (have him sit, gotcha and fine dine)
With me (3-8 steps)
Wait

Homework: Practice behaviors listed above; read 'Chewing' (already read it) and 'Barking' (will pick this handout up tomorrow)

Chewing is still an issue with Moped, but it's not near as bad as it was before we started with AB. Barking is a slight issue. They are not nuisance barkers though.

They don't do any of the commands consistently. jThey will sit, flat, with me and wait, but usually it's when I'm not asking them to do the behavior. Like, Skooter walks through the house with me, but he doesn't do with me on leash as well. Getting them to do any behavior in class is a totally different issue too because of the distractions.

Dinner is served

Tonight for dinner the dogs had a mix of:

chicken gizzards
plain yogurt
egg with shell
flax oil
canola oil
olive oil
(I left out the veggies tonight, didn't have any)

and a raw meat bone.

Moped ate the mix right up. Finicky Skooter only ate a few bites. Tomorrow morning I'm going to give them canned salmon for breakfast instead of chicken (which I'm out of right now). Skooter liked the salmon last time so hopefully he'll like it this time. He's just so picky.

Skooter is on the couch sleeping and Moped is in his kennel. He is having trouble behaving today. I'm sure it's because he hasn't been to DDC this week. He has too much pent up energy and the only way to get it out is to run around the house and grab things. I'm not mad at him, it's just frustrating because I can't let him stay out of his kennel. I know he is only eight months old and will grow out of this stage just like Skooter did. I do look forward to that time. In the mean time, I'll just enjoy him being a puppy.

I hope Skooter can keep the food down tonight. And I hope that his bathroom situation gets better soon too. Having stomach problems can wear a dog out.

Back and forth

Moped has been back and forth, in and out of his kennel all afternoon. He keeps trying to get stuff off of the table. I keep redirecting him to his toys but he just goes back to the table. David is home now and Moped is scratching at the kennel and whining, so I've let him out. He's being a little terror so he's gone back into his kennel.

He just loves plastic bottles, empty or full. He's constantly going after them off of the living room end table. I'd let him play with them, but that would be encouraging him to get the bottles. He also likes the tissue box and tissues. And pretty much anything else he can get :-)

I love my dogs. We've had Skooter for seventeen months and we've had Moped for six months now. Ironically, we got them both in August, Skooter of '05 and Moped of '06. Skooter was a couple of weeks older than Moped when we got him. We got Mopes when he was a day shy of eight weeks old. Sometimes I wonder if he'd be calmer if we had got him a couple of weeks later. Doesn't matter, everything happens for a reason, and these dogs were meant to be mine.

Skooter has gone back and visited with his Mom and half-sister (from an earlier litter). I'm glad he did because his Mom passed away last April, just before Skooter's first birthday. I had sent a letter from Skooter to his Mom thanking her and Dave for bringing him into the world. Unfortunately, his Mom passed away before his breeder, Dave, got the letter. It was bittersweet. Dave wrote a very touching letter to us.

Skooter is asleep on the couch and Moped is in his kennel (again) because he can't behave and he always jumps on David when he's reading the newspaper. Oh yeah, that another thing he loves to snatch - the newspaper. So he's taking a nap and David is reading the paper in peace. Skooter seems happy taking a nap too.

Tomorrow is training day - 10 am for Moped and 2pm for Skooter. If the weather is nice, we'll bring Moped to doggie day care after his training session and pick him up later in the day. I don't think they've made any improvement in training behaviors since last week, but there's been so much going on and I haven't been training as consistently. Anyway, my focus isn't on training but on their behavior changes (which are occurring).

My day is still wrapped up in the dogs and I need to change that. I need to take care of myself and get my stuff done before I start in with them. Having them out is great, but I have to watch them every minute, well, Moped anyway. So, it kind of tethers me down. I need to let them out as much as I can, but I still need time for me to get stuff done during the day (laundry, dishes, errands, etc.). That means that at certain points during the day they'll need to go in their kennels to nap so I can get some stuff done. Hey, isn't that what new moms say? :-)

The reason it doesn't help me to put them on tie down is that Moped can get out of his collar and harness when he's on tie down. Skooter is actually just fine off of tie down (well, besides chasing the cats). That's why we're having trouble getting them into the bedroom at night. That and Moped chewing on the bed. We're going to change the room around this weekend (really, we are ;-) ) and get them into the bedroom at night to sleep. We'll just have to figure out a way to keep Moped on the tie down. I'll ask for some suggestions to do that.

I'm really looking forward to dog training tomorrow even though I never got the dog's into the facility this week. I just feel so much less stress after talking to Misty. Training will be fun.

Okay, let's try this again

While doing some thinking on my own, Misty called to talk to me. She read 'The Dog Blog' and had some suggestions.

1. Continue the raw food diet but hand feed them the food. That will create a bond, put me in charge and benefit the dog's health.

2. DON'T focus on training. Focus on the behaviors that we originally went in to AB to get help with (mainly having the dogs out of their kennels and off tie down). Obedience is something separate and shouldn't be the focus. Continuing the training classes is fine, but let the dog's progress as their own rate. We are making a lot of rule changes in the house and that's a lot for the dog's and David and me to cope with.

3. Continue to support Skooter as the top dog. He's just letting Moped know that he is the top dog in the house by 'humping' and asserting himself.

4. Continue the Dog Blog.

5. When I take Moped to DDC, make sure I'm giving Skooter special time too. Don't just leave him home in his kennel for hours while Moped and I are out having a great time.

6. Consider changing vets to one that doesn't discourage the raw meat diet.

7. Continue with the rule changes at home.

8. Take a deep breath.

These are all good suggestions. I will take them and implement them (especially taking a deep breath!).

We are really fortunate that the counselors and trainers at AB are putting so much effort into helping us train Skooter and Moped. And I really appreciate them reading the Dog Blog to gain insight into the situation. I know it takes time to read it, but they are doing that. I am thrilled.

Skooter and Moped are out of their kennels right now and off tie down. They are playing with an empty Coke bottle. Moped is playing keep away from Skooter.

What progress have they made (just reminding myself again):

1. They can both be out of their kennels and off tie down!
2. They both know 'sit' and 'flat' (mostly).
3. They both know to sit at a door going out or coming in (usually Skooter has to be told to but he does it)
4. Moped is not running wild all over the house - now they both are (just kidding!). It's great to have them out playing as much as possible during the day.
5. They ride in the car relatively safely (Moped still tries to get up front once in a while, but that will quit once I get the new seat belt restraining straps).
6. I can eat a bowl of cereal while they are out of their kennels.
7. Moped will lay down for minutes at a time out of the kennel and off tie down, giving us the peace we were hoping for.
8. Moped doesn't steal stuff on the counters and tables every single time he is out, just once in a while now.
9. Skooter is gaining confidence.
10. Skooter is not afraid of the clicker anymore.

That's a lot of progress!