Potty Training with Bells!

My little Cricket is very subtle with her signals to go outside to potty.  Either that, or I am very dense :).....Sometimes I read them and sometimes I miss them... so I thought I'd try the bell system.  I bought a pack at WalMart yesterday, brought them home and have been amazed at the results so far.

Originally I thought that maybe she would ring the bells even when she was playing or give me a false alert... and I think that happens, but the majority of the time she will be telling the truth!! Maybe we are finally on the way to potty training success!! I still have to remember that she is only 16 weeks old as of Jan. 20th...... still a puppy!!

An update on Andrew (aka Andy)

Last year I fostered Andy, as you can read from some older posts he was quite a learning experience.  The efforts paid off and he was adopted by a wonderful retired couple who live in Tennessee.  He had a bit of an adjustment period where he bonded more to the Mom than the Dad at first, but all in all for a pup that was so severely shy and untrained, this couple did wonders with him.  They are going through a bit of a rough patch with him right now.  He's marking for some unknown reason.  They've been advised to begin housetraining all over again and my prayer is that this little fellow will get over this time of anxiety and be trustworthy in the house again.

Learning "OFF" and naptime schedules collide!

It's strange but I really need to coordinate MY naptime with that of the puppies!  I always seem to miss out and then by 7pm each night the dogs are ready for bedtime... I would prefer going to bed at about 9 or 9:30...but the puppies are drooping at 7pm.  SO...off to bed at 7 pm for the last three nights.  We are getting up at 4:30 AM or so.... which is OK, I usually get up at 5AM anyway.

But next week will start the first week of all-day crating for Cricket.  She can make it through nine hours of sleeping at night, so I figure it's about time I quit coming home at lunch to let her (them) out.  It's costing a lot of time and gas to make 2 roundtrips each day.  It's a 40 minute roundtrip without potty time for a 1 hour lunch break....

Cricket is learning "Off!" this week.  Her favorite place of all is my bed, she's learned how to climb up on the bedside bench (for BonnieBlue to step up on since she's 15 and needs the boost) then hop up on the bed.  When I can't find her anywhere in the house, that's where she'll be.  She also likes my favorite tv watching spot in the little recliner.  So we have many opportunities to learn "off!"

Puppy Heimlich

December 30.... 5:00 AM

Who would have ever thought I'd have to use the Heimlich Manuever on Cricket?

I had just given the dogs a mini milkbone treat to tide them through until 6:30 AM morning feed time..... Cricket gobbled hers up...she usually chews them quite well, but this one got stuck in her throat and she gagged and gagged.  I thought she would probably just throw it up...but nothing ever happened.  Finally I stuck my finger down her throat but didn't feel anything.  She kept gagging.  Then I did what I hoped would be the Heimlich.  After two or three tries I stuck my finger in her throat again and there was the 1/2 mini milkbone.  After I pulled it out, she was fine.  WHEW!!

I owe it to divine intervention more than just me, but so very grateful that she is ok.

Raising Princess Cricket Wagginbottom

She was born September 20, 2012 in a very remote area of Alabama.  I had been searching for her for over a year.  She's a full sister to Tuck Everlasting Wagginbottom, just a two year difference in ages.

Life with an 8 week old puppy is chaos and confusion, trial and error, and sometimes very frustrating, but always challenging.  That's what I've always liked about fostering dogs, the discovery process.

Raising Cricket is a discovery process every day.

Every day we take the opportunity for 'teaching moments'... like when I take a shower, she is always in the room with me, the other dogs are fine in the living room, but Cricket can surely get into some juvenile mishaps when she's not being monitored every second.  I have learned that my tennis shoes will be the target of puppy teeth, if I don't provide another, more appropriate chew.  The winner is "BULLY STICKS"..... one will keep her attention for the entire time I am getting ready for work.  She absolutely LOVES them. ( and one stick has lasted about 3 weeks, so far)  I only give them to her when she is in the bathroom with me. Another side product of this is that while she chews, she is aware of my hair dryer, but it does not bother her.  Kinda like desensitizing without even trying.

Another teachable moment is the vacuum cleaner.  Once upon a time, I would have thought that watching a cute little puppy bark and attack the vacuum would have been alright and fun entertainment.  But through fostering 27+ dogs with each having their own negative behaviors, I've tried to learn all I can about training. So that I can reshape the foster dog to be a better forever dog for their new owners.  I spent many an hour reading training books and watching professional trainers retrain problem dogs (like Victoria Stillwell, and yes.. even Cesar Milan- you can always take something away from even those individuals that you don't always agree with) Gosh, I still have so much to learn, but that's also the great thing about the discovery process... these dogs always, always give you even more things to research and educate yourself about. It's a never ending learning process.

So when Cricket started barking and attacking the vacuum, I knew right off the bat, that this was unacceptable behavior.  We are now learning SIT, STAY, LOOK!! from the sofa while Mom is vacuuming.  (baby size treats are the ticket, just have plenty on hand!) Does it take a tediously longer amount of time than just zipping through the vacuuming process.  YES!! But I know that this is time well spent.  Not only will she learn  SIT, STAY and LOOK, but also teach her to focus on me, even while I am vacuuming, or other opportunities to use these techniques in everyday life in the future.  The good part is that BonnieBlue and Tucker are great while I'm vacuuming so Cricket will also learn from their behavior.

Crate Training has also been such a rewarding experience.  I've trained older dogs many times, but never an 8 week old puppy.  At first the crate was not the happiest place for little Cricket.  She was like a child pouting NOT to take a nap.  NOW... when I say "let's go to bed"  she RUNS to her crate in my bedroom and turns around and sits lickety split... She gets her two treats and when I shut the door, if I am lucky and have timed this correctly she will lay down and go to sleep almost immediately.  Sometimes she's not quite ready to give it up, but I pay no attention to her whining.  In about 30-60 seconds it's over and she's asleep.  After 4 or 5 weeks of this she will sleep all night.

Stay tuned for more antics in the ongoing life of "Raising Princess Cricket Wagginbottom"!

Friday, May 4, 2012

What a difference 5 days make! It's unbelievable how Andrew....Andyrew...is now coming out of his shell mostly due to Mr. Wagginbottom.  Wagginbottom's School of Fine (Puppy) Arts is in full session!
Yesterday afternoon when I went home it was raining.  That Andyrew is one smart pup.  He raced out the door of the garage to potty.  I went out with him and got under the canopy of the outside kennel.  He stayed for a split second with me and then raced to do his business and beat me back into the garage!  All other times, I had to coax him into the garage.
This morning he greeted all of us with tail wags!  His appetite is BACK! AND... he will take tasty treats from my hand and actually eat them instead of dropping them.
I tested his tolerance to share with Tucker on the outside of the kennel sniffing and Andy on the inside with me.  Faces close together said each dog's name and gave them a tiny treat... the trading game.... there appeared to be no jealousy or anxiety from Andy.
This morning we went outside twice to potty and Andyrew was all puppy wagging and sniffing and playful.  Hardly a skittish moment.  Tucker still wonders why he has to be on leash, but he is really doing well with his 'heeling' with distractions, namely a puppy jumping in his face and licking!
Maybe this afternoon would be a good time to test if Andyrew can handle Tucker's exuberant play.
It would make it so much easier and then to get Andy in the house to start crate training.  I tried to get him in the house yesterday afternoon without Tucker, but he was too skittish

Have you ever just sat still and marveled at the way God orchestrates the series of events in your life?
I had that experience today.  Yes.. it was about a dog...and not some earth shattering, life or death situation.... but it still counts :)
I thought I would stop by my friend/groomer's shop to take a chance and see if she had changed her mind about having another obedience class.  Maybe I would get lucky!
Also, another reason for stopping by was that  I vaguely remembered Linda saying she had a friend/contact at that shelter at Elmore County, AL where Andrew was.  So when it came to pass that Andrew was transferred over to me I thought I'd go ask Linda to see if I remembered correctly.  Her contact was Rhea, my contact was Dawn. I told Linda how we had met first with GSD Rescue.  Come to find out Rhea had contacted Linda and they had discussed little Andrew at length and how worried Rhea was about what would happen to Andrew aka C.D.  because he was so terrified and skittish.
And I got lucky, after all! Linda shewas planning another obedience class at the middle/end of May. She is only taking grooming clients this go round.  An Airedale and a Labradoodle (I saw them in the shop today! GORGEOUS) , a Shi Tzu, an out of control Brittany and now Andrew.  I can't wait! Andrew will blossom so much quicker!
Also, Linda has been looking at the ESRA site to possibly adopt an ESS! She says it has to be the right one and she will take her time! CAN you believe it!
So, now more than ever I am convinced that little Andyrew is where he is supposed to be at this time of his life.  I know that Linda will go the extra mile as she always does to help me rehabilitate this little guy and that he will continue to improve each and every day as he gains confidence!

Afternoon trip outside with Tucker's leash dragging. So far so good.  Tucker staying calm.  Finally coaxed Andyrew into the quilting room where I have Tucker's crate and a futon.  Andy decided right away that he liked the futon.  He sat up with me and then continued to make himself comfortable there even when I got up to work on the computer. 

Tucker wanted to get up on the futon with him but Andy growled and warned him off.  This is only the second time I have witnessed Andy growl at another dog.  I guess he is saying " this is mine!"... Normally I would have taken the dogs collar, told him off and escorted him away from the source of guarding...but I can't do that with Andy yet.  Instead I got up, walked to the door and escorted both dogs out,and put Andy in his kennel without a word.  Was it the right thing to do?.... I don't know, but I won't tolerate guarding when my dog was here first.  And I am the boss.  I guess we'll have to do some "Nothing in Life is Free" techniques.  Tucker took it like the sweet submissive guy he is.  So glad for Tucker's personality. We could have had a fight and regressed a lot.

Andrew's Journey

Andrew came from an animal control shelter in Alabama.  I heard about him from one of my rescue contacts.  I was not planning on fostering until late summer or early fall because I was trying to get home improvement projects completed and spend more time with my horses this summer. 
However, when my contact told me the shelter director said "this dog has no future here" because he was an owner turn in, scared to death and really non responsive.... well, it was as if I had a tap on the shoulder and God said.... here's your new foster, you will figure out a way to get everything done and help Andrew (called C.D. at the shelter).

SO...When Andrew came to me Monday I was seeing in my minds eye months and months of rehabilitation and patience. Thankfully, I've seen a lot of improvement in Andrew since Monday (just 3 days!).  I tried to bond with Andrew one on one and it was going well, but slow.  I did't want to push him and stress him out, but he lookede so depressed that I needed to do something that would make that little tail wag.  So, on the basis of how Tyler came out of his shell when other dogs were present,  I used BonnieBlue to help him adjust faster.  It was working pretty good.  He would follow us both around the yard.  Showing respect to Bonnie and attentive to me most of the time, but skittish.
  Then I thought, OK...let's try Tucker again, but on leash.  I've had Tucker almost a year (June) and haven't started his official obedience training per se, although I've been training him to stay, watch, wait, off, and down in the house during daily activities.  Tucker seems to know his role, although occasionally he will get so excited wanting to play, he will forget.  He is amazing! Good signs from Andrew are that he goes to Tucker's face and will lick him in the mouth.  Andrew tolerates Tucker's sniffing and almost knocking him over, although he's a little hesitant.  It's like he really wants to come out of that shell, but it's at little spurts at the time.  Andrew will run and play, then tuck his tail, then play jump, then scoot away with tail tucked. It's like he's afraid to open up completely yet.  He's more open with another dog around and will actually follow Tucker and me into his kennel to end the session.  Other times he didn't know what I wanted so he would shut down somewhat.  Mainly sit and just look at me.  Then a time or two I would have to pick him up and take him in the kennel.  I'm still not using a leash or touching the collar when moving him in and out of the kennel or yard.  It may be that in a former life he was snatched around by the collar and leash so he's highly sensitive.
 When I sit down in front of him I will gradually touch the collar, but mostly I am trying to gain his trust by scratching him under the chin, on the chest and on his belly.  He is starting to lean into me for whole body rubs but only presents his back side to me right now.  Once he presented his face to me while I rubbed his body.
 A moment yesterday gave me more hope when he did not flinch when I touched his collar then gave him an ear scratch and he actually didn't move away when I rubbed the inside of his ear.  He leaned into that and enjoyed it.  So hopefully I will be able to clean out his ears soon.

 It's still difficult getting the eye drops in his eyes without a "drive by " approach, cause I don't want to corner him.

 He's a smart pup! Last night it was still quite hot to me in the garage, so I kept the fan on high.  When I came out this morning he had pulled the donut bed out of the crate and was happily and cozily sleeping away.

Another good point is that Andrew appears to be potty trained.  He has not soiled in his kennel a single time since Monday.  He whines to get outside. 
           C.D. aka Andrew at shelter before he had to be shaved down, due to mats all over his body.

Andrew with a great shave down.  You can still see his sunbleached hair around his muzzle and eyebrows.  Makes him look kinda like a beagle :)... If I had not seen his before picture, that would be my guess.

A petite little boy ESS at 34 pounds.

In days to come I hope to progress him to the crate inside the house where he will have Tucker as a buddy across the room and air conditioning.