DOWN WITH CRATES, UP WITH SWEETNESS!

Numbers 1 and 2: Another perfect night for Padget. I'm so proud of her! She's been accident free since removal of the crate, and is sliding into pack-life like a well-oiled sardine. This morning she was invited into the human den and onto the bed for a snuggle. After two or three bum-wags, she heaved a big happy sigh and fell fast asleep. Crate Schmate!

Leash and walks: Padget is learning to heel very quickly, both by herself and with Ginny on the other side. She's still a bit nervous around other dogs, but we're working on that. And she loves kids!

Sit and stay: Sit? No, no, that's silly. Just get the food ready and my dish on the floor please. Right here. Right here on the floor. Right now, yes, that's it. What? Stay? Oh, I don't think so. It took two of us this morning to enforce sit-stay while doggie breakfast was being prepared, but in the end we won!

Padget and cats: perfect. Lots of tail wagging and sniffing, but no chasing or aggression.

So far, it looks as though she will be a great fit for almost any family: men, kids, cats and dogs are all okay with Padget!

PADGET'S CONTENTED PUPPY POSE

This could explain why Padget doesn't like crates. I just realized that I've never seen her curl up the way Ginny does, and crates are rectangles. Padget needs a long tube!

THREE CHEERS FOR PADGET!

I got up at 6:30 to check on Padget, opened the bedroom door and sniffed. No poo smell! And Padget was dry and clean in her puppy pen, wagging her little tail.

Yaaaay!

Padget - A+ !

Pack Leader Lesson: this reinforces the instructions given in one of my dog books. "If your puppy pees in the house, roll up a newspaper and smack yourself with it." It's never the dog's fault, so there's no point in getting frustrated (and they can sense frustration anyway, even if you don't show it). You just have to think harder.

In retrospect, I think Padget has come to associate both crates and elimination with anxiety. That's why the usual treatment (hanging out with her in the back yard until she did her business and then praising her) didn't work. From Padget's perspective, eliminating just gets you into trouble, so it's best not to do it in the open.

I don't think she really wanted to use the crate. But she doesn't like crates - she goes in reluctantly with her tail between her legs. Being in one, combined with having held out for many hours already, was just too much stress for that li'l puppy body.

So we are now 32 hours accident free. Based on the the number of poops I picked up in the back yard this morning, I'd say she's completely overcome her fear of the outdoors. She was very content last night sleeping in the puppy pen on her mat. For this dog, the crate is history, and chances are good that accidents are history too.

Onward and upward!

DAY 3 (A RAY OF HOPE!)

Here is Padget learning to wait.

For Padget's second night, I decided not to put the crate beside the bed, because she doesn't ask to come out anyway - she just sends out this big brown aroma that says, "Hey... you up?"

My plan was to get up in time to catch her - maybe closer to 5:30 when she can't hold it any longer.

First wake-up was 2:22 (well, mine was 2:22). Based on the distance poo molecules travel per minute vs. the distance between her crate and our bedroom door, I would say Padget's wake-up was just before 2. I put the crate outside, and Padget and I came in to ponder the situation. Well, I pondered. Padget, comfortable and warm, fell fast asleep by my feet.

Padget 4. Maggie - 0.

Obviously, crates are out. Crates and Padget go together like... well... pee and poo. So I left that stinky old crate outside, set up a puppy play-pen right beside Padget's dish, put Padget in it and went to bed. And in the morning, no pee and no poo. Not only that, but Padget pooped in the back yard when I put her out!

Padget still 4. Maggie - 1.

Hah!

DAY 2

Okay, tell me there is no beagle in this puppy! have you ever seen such a beautiful nose?

Now let's talk about Day 2.

Determined not to be outwitted by a mere dog, I attached Padget to me with a leash, and stuck with her like glue. I kept her laying down beside so she wouldn't sneak any movements in while I was working, and I took her outside every hour or so. Nothing.

At 2:44, I had to go the bathroom. Of course Padget had to come with me. Like a little angel, she sat down on the bathroom floor and looked up at me, and I looked down at her. I was right in the middle of a thought that went something like, "Awww, what a sweet little face..." when I realized she wasn't actually sitting down. She was peeing on the floor!

Padget - 3. Maggie - 0.

IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEBODY PUTS THE DOG OUT.

You may have wondered about the curious stillness in the usually bustling DogSpot.

First, I should tell you that the silence would continue, except that my friend Pete is recovering from surgery and needs all the entertainment he can get. And believe me, the activity behind DogSpot silence has been entertaining. So I'm going to post it in spite of the fact that it will get BoggleDog not adopted in a hurry.

Padget (aka Little Demon) is, I think, part Border Collie and part Beagle. The former is without a doubt. The latter I concluded by considering short legs, long body, strong nose and stubborn adherence to whatever Padget has in mind at any given time. In this picture, she is saying, "What do you mean, you want me to stay? Do you not know who I am?"

Let's start with Day 1.

Padget came with instructions: she will poop in her crate and pee in the house. And me, ever the optomist: "Oh, I can fix that. She just needs someone with her all the time to keep an eye on her."

She arrived about 6:30 in the evening. Between then and bedtime, Padget and I made at least ten long and unfruitful trips to the giant outdoor toilet, each of which produced nary a drop, liquid or solid, from Padget's stubborn little back end. I put her to bed in a crate just big enough for Padget. 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. trips outside were uneventful. And of course I slept right through the 5:30 trip, during w hich Padget finally gave in and filled the crate.

Padget: 1 (and 2). Maggie - 0.

PADGET: Boggle Baby!

Padget has arrived. She's busy sniffing her way around the house now, a little nervous yet but lots of tail wagging going on. She and Ginny have had a few border collie play-nips, so my guess is the house will be puppy-pandemonium by this time tomorrow.

So far, I can tell you that Padget is a very friendly little dog who can leap over a puppy gate before you can say, "Hey! What the...!?" Now, that's border collie dexterity with beagle determination!

And one more thing: Padget is afraid of toys (but not cats) and especially toys that squeak. But she'll soon get over it because there are toys everywhere, and every second one squeaks.

More tomorrow!

DALLAS AT HOME

Here's a picture of Dallas with some canine and feline members of his permanent pack. Not shown are the humans, the other feline and the horses. But all in all, I think Dallas got the best home ever!

A MESSAGE FROM JIM

MAGGIE, thanks for this post re: Roco. I loved Roco from the first minute I found him wandering lost in our neighbourhood. We tried to give him a great life. He immediately felt at home with our dogs. He loved hiking in the mountains, swimming in the lakes & playing in the parks. He was very enthusiastic in all he did. He was intimidating to some but in truth he had a gentle soul, a kind heart and was tremendously loyal. Roco really enjoyed meeting his new people and dog friends. The opportunity to meet and socialize with his new friends was fun for him and made him a better dog. We thank all of you for taking the time to interact with him.

Dedication to ROCO

Because funny noise-maker Nacho has two potential forever families, he is temporarily being replaced with Roco.

Roco too, is a rescue dog. He was rescued from an unhappy home by Jim, who at first just "borrowed" him for walks. (Jim says he doesn't know much about dogs, but he likes them and he likes to walk them.) As time and companionship wore on, Jim and Claudia took Roco in as their fourth dog.

When we first met Roco, we thought he was big, beautiful and bossy. We were never sure if he wanted to play with other dogs or have them for lunch, so he was on a leash as often as not. But even so, we couldn't help petting him whenever our pack met his pack. And it was always rewarding to give Roco a treat, because he would suffle it out of our hands as gently as if he had no teeth at all.

Over the past year, Jim consulted with various professionals about whether or not there was any bite behind Roco's bark. He also took Roco for training and socialization, where he excelled, and we came to realize that Roco was mostly just big and beautiful.

Today at the dog park, Jim and Claudia's pack was back down to three dogs. Roco just didn't seem like himself one day last week, so Jim took him to the vet. It turned out that Roco had tumors, and one of them had ruptured his spleen. It wasn't the sort of thing that could be fixed.

So that's it for Roco, and all of us who met him are a little bit sad about that. It makes you realize how important it is to just like dogs, and to just like to walk them. Roco had a great year.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

Why you shouldn't rely on it:

Scenario 1
Circumstance: out for a walk with the big dogs.
Evidence: Nacho trots along "like a true champion!"
Finding: Nacho is leash trained.

Scenario 2
Circumstance: out for a walk by himself.
Evidence: Nacho lays down and drags through the snow like a plow.
Finding: Nacho is a sled.

But he's such a cutie, and still light enough to be carried when you're in a hurry!

ALL ABOUT NACHO

So far, this is what Nacho is up to:

• He sleeps in a crate with a blanket over it, all night long, with nary a peep! and he naps in his crate during the day (also without a peep).
• He has almost no in-house accidents.
• He is learning to sit for treats and while dinner is being prepared - although "stay", so far, is just way more than that wiggly bottom has managed!
• And today, Nacho went for his first Big Walk along the bike path. It only took him a minute or so to grasp the concept of the leash, and then he unbrced his little legs and trotted along like a true champion.
• Nacho is curious about Jack the cat, but only enough to wag his tail and sniff - no chasing, barking or whining.

Nacho is a sweet, confident little pup who will make a great family dog (I should say, a great BIG family dog). He'll be easy to train because he's neither shy nor aggressive - just a well-adjusted little fluff-ball!

SUCH A LITTLE GUY...

This picture shows Nacho's size in comparison to a full-grown dog (well, unless you imagine the tire as being from a real truck and both dogs as giants from outer space).

Nacho has tons of energy and little coordination, which makes for quite a few comical tumbles. With all that pouncing around (and being pounced on by the big dogs) he's quickly learning to just get up, shake himself off and re-join the pile.

NACHO: STUFFED CROCODILE FIGHTER!

Nacho's forever family will need to stock up with toys, because Nacho loves to hunt. This crocodile put up a valient fight, but he was no match for Nacho!

DALLAS AND MELODY

No shortage of snuggling for Dallas - he's a hit with everyone.

Maybe that's why he took to the crate so quickly. As soon as he comes within petting range, he gets a hug from someone. His crate is the only place he can go to avoid being the center of attention!

NAP TIME

These two sure love the couch!

Dallas is still learning to wait until he's invited up. He takes direction so seriously that once he's told to get off, it's difficult to get him back on.

Nacho, on the other hand, has to be lifted onto the couch, so he never gets on without permission.

DALLAS THE SNUGGLER

Dallas's big picture has been replaced by Nacho's because Dallas has a potential forever family. Although they haven't met him yet, I think it's pretty certain because Dallas is hard to resist.

I thought it would take a while for him to get over being afraid of his own shadow, but after two days of car rides, visiting pet stores, dog parks and neighbors, he's accepting new things with only a little hesitation. He seems to be realizing that since no one else seems concerned, maybe the sky isn't falling after all!

Dallas loves the crate - it's his little sanctuary and he goes there whenever he wants peace and quiet. He grrrr'd at Nacho tonight when Nacho tried to poke his nose inside. That was probably a good thing, because outside the crate Nacho wins all the toy wars.

We are teaching Dallas not to get on the couch without being invited. But he is invited often, because he's such a snuggler!

NACHO JOINS DALLAS

The newest baby has arrived - actually last night, but it was almost impossible to get unblurry pictures of Nacho. Since arrival (well, since his bath, actually, because that was first on the menu) he has been a bouncin' little machine who can't get enough of those puppy toys!

Nacho is officially crate trained - I used the quick method with him: put him in, close the door and let him yip. I wouldn't do that ordinarily, but he had Dallas in a crate right beside him. So the yipping didn't last long - only about 20 minutes, with Dallas singing along (Dallas has a beautiful singing voice when he has back-up!)

After that, both pups slept through the night. Silly me, I got up 1 (on automatic pilot) to take Nacho out to pee. I realized once I got outside that Nacho was still fast asleep and had no interest in peeing. So I just put him back to bed, and both pups were still sleeping at 6 in the morning. A perfect first night!

And is beautiful, big Dallas still up for adoption? Well, let me see... oh, darn. Dallas has... run away. Yeah, that's it...

TO DALLAS'S FOREVER FAMILY

Dallas came to the Rescue as a wild puppy, and he is still shy and skittish. But what a wonderful pet he is going to be! He may always be a little bit shy of new people and situations, and will need gentle owners. But he is an absolute joy to have around. The extra time it takes to gain his trust and build his confidence is so worth it.

Dallas is almost fully trained in house, crate, and leash manners, so we are busy working on socialization (and of course those delightful puppy-snuggles!)

AWWWW....

You can see how enormous Dallas is going to be, and how loving.

But not a lap dog - a TWO-lap dog!!

A BEAUTIFUL SMILE

This was toward the end of the evening, when Dallas realized that everyone loves him!

DALLAS AND FRIENDS

Tonight, the extended pack came over to welcome Dallas to the neighborhood. He was in no mood for company (or monsters, as he viewed them). But manners are manners, so we pulled him out of the crate and plopped him down in the middle of the fray.

Because the humans were armed with kibble and puppies are always hungry, Dallas surrendered. Before long, he had eaten at least one kibble out of each new hand. Even so, he left the room at every opportunity. The good part is that he came right back each time, just to see what was going on!

RODEO AND DALLAS - THE MOVIE

DALLAS - TRUE COLORS!

When Dallas arrived and hid among the boots, we gave him a squeaky toy, which he sniffed and then ignored.

Before bed-time, I carried him outside twice, but he was too scared to pee. At first I thought he might just sleep among the boots. But Megan wanted to sleep beside him, and I didn't think the boots were a great place for a kid! So I made Megan a bed in my office and put Dallas in a crate right beside her head. He went in with no complaints because he liked the privacy.

I got up at 3:45 because I figured Dallas's bladder must be near to bustin' by then (it was!) He was a little braver in the dark and quiet, and came back into the house on his own four feet. The first thing he did was head for the boot bench. We just about cried when he immediately came back to us with the toy we'd given him earlier. We knew we were winning him over! After about 20 minutes of visiting (and picture taking, of course!) back in the crate he went, and slept until morning.

Megan and I were at the dentist when Rodeo arrived at 8:30. By the time I got back, Rodeo and Dallas were playing up a storm, with foster-mama Ginny supervising. Now Rodeo and Dallas are fast asleep in their crates and all is well!

Although I don't know Dallas very well yet, all the early signs are that he is going to be big, beautiful and gentle. More on his personality as it begins to shine!

DALLAS

Yes, Dallas is in hiding. As soon as he arrived, he looked for a hiding spot - and he found a really good one under the bench with those great-smelling shoes and boots!

Over the next few days, we plan to introduce him to lots of pups and people and places, so he can learn that it's fun to have puppy (and human) friends.

Little Rodeo is coming tomorrow to spend the day with him. Because Rodeo is so much like Tigger, we think he will just bounce some of that shyness right out the window!

Once Dallas's true nature starts to come out (maybe a couple of days) I'll post a big picture of him at the top and add some background information. For tonight, we're just letting him take it easy.

NEW HOME FOR RODEO!

Well, Rodeo has been adopted. We had a lot of snuggles today because I knew he was going to be leaving. I will certainly miss him. But the good news is that his adoptive family includes Megan's best friend, so we will still get to see Rodeo often - and maybe even puppy-sit him sometimes!

We have a new puppy lined up already, and will likely have him within a day or two. He's a little bit older - about four months. I'll post pictures as soon as we get him!

NAP TIME

... and alas, little Rodeo will be adopted soon.

Not for sure yet, but he has a very interested family. *sniffle*

OH, THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING!

Okay, it's true - these things do make a puppy look retarded. But they're the best things since sliced bread. Rodeo went for a "walk" today with Iggy and Ginny, and shivered the whole way - even with a blanket wrapped around him.

I've decided to make a little coat for him instead of buying one. That should be interesting.

ADORABLE RODEO!!

Well, what can I say about this little man? He's just too sweet for words.

Rodeo was in a foster home with three other pups of various ages, including Trinket, his sister. But it was time for him to go off and seek his fortune (and get away from all those big girls!) As you can see, Rodeo is not round and furry in the traditional cute puppy sense. He's rather long and lean, with lots of sharpei wrinkles. But what he lacks in looks, he makes up for in sweetness. If you watch Dog Whisperer, you know who Daddy is. Rodeo has that same "good energy" everywhere he goes. No matter what he's doing, you can just hear him saying, "Oh, this is my very favorite thing to do!"

He settled in very quickly - and it being New Years Eve and all, there was no time for quiet adjustment before meeting new people. He had a fat little New Years evening with lots of kibbles and hugs from friends and neighbors. Rodeo loves his crate, or - as he thinks of it - his storage shed. The biggest object he tried to stuff into it was a Christmas wrapping paper roll. A valient effort, but he just couldn't get it to fit!

His first night was perfect. After playing like mad, he fell asleep at 10 and snored right through the midnight kiss. We put his crate in our bedroom so we could listen for him, but he didn't make a sound until 7:30. After breakfast and his morning constitutional, I brought him into bed to play. And let me tell ya, Rodeo is a snuggler! He just burrowed right into my neck and went back to sleep. Pictures below ...

PICTURE OF CONTENTMENT

This is a good picture to tell you about Rodeo's pee and poo habits (because, really, who wants a picture of that?) He knows that doing his business outside means a treat and a hug, so he's only had one accident - and even that wasn't an accident, because he went to the door first.

MORE COUCHINESS

All that ball-business is exhausting!

COUCH POTATO

Whether to sleep, play or snuggle, Rodeo loves the couch! He's learning that he has to sit quietly first and be invited (instead of leaping madly, missing and falling in a pile on the floor).

RODEO AND PETE

Rodeo getting one of his many New Years snuggles'n'pets.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!

This is Ginny in one of her "get away from that puppy!" poses. I was trying to take pictures of Rodeo (blue collar in the back) and Ginny wasn't having any of it. She kept pushing in and resting her head on the couch in front of the camera.

RODEO VS. YELLOW BALL

Rodeo loves his toys - especially the ones that squeak. He and Ginny have had many exchanges of Ginny's white sheep. He steals it often, and just as often, she steals it back.