Bender and Chica

This is my one-day overlap. Chica will be going to her new home in about an hour. She and and Bender had a great day, and if you want to know more about Chica, visit www.123puppyspot.blogspot.com

PADGET ADOPTED...

Actually, she has been adopted since early February, and she goes to her new home on the 20th. I've just been falling behind in my blogging, along with everything else.

This is Padget and Rodeo during their playdate, practicing their lion-killing skills on each other.

Padget has turned into a sweet little pup with just a touch of mischief built in - for example, she will lay and wait quietly while supper is being prepared (sweet). But she has a invisble wiggle that lets her inch forward, so by the time supper is ready she's not nearly so far away as when it was started (mischievious).

This blog may soon split into two, as we are considering fostering a cat/some kittens as well. So CatSpot will join DogSpot. Pandemonium!

SELF-CRATE TRAINING

At bed time last night, Padget was in the crate, so we just closed the door and she slept there. No accidents, so we can now put the puppy-pen away! As with everything, Padget learns in her own time and on her own terms. Beagle, I say!

She's walking around now with a squeaky toy, wagging her tail. And Ginny (Padget's large toy) is taking a well-earned nap!

TRANSITIONAL PHASE

Half-in, half-out... and still fast asleep. Didn't I tell you? She's just a contented li'l dog.

MUSIC TO THE EYES!

Here is evidence of what a little trooper Padget is.

I've had this crate beside my desk for the past week. A couple of times, Padget has gone in just for a few seconds. But look at her now! I just turned around and there she was. She's been in there for about 20 minutes and, since this picture was taken, has fallen fast asleep!

Another A+ for Padget!

PADGET: Picture of Contentment

If you're looking for an adopta-doggy, these are all the things you should know about Padget.

Furniture: In spite of her short legs, Padget can get onto the couch by herself (for some reason all our dogs turn into couch potatoes. It must be the snuggle factor!) She has even learned to curl herself up into a little chair-size ball, because sometimes the couch is full.

House training: Padget has a perfect record since we abandoned the crate idea. In fact, she has full run of the house all day, and goes to the door on her own to be let out. All that holding back in the early days has paid off -- on the weekend, we slept until after 9, and so did Padget!

Sit, down and stay: Padget knows what these words mean, but you still need patience between the command and the action, because she likes to ponder things. She always seems to be trying to figure out if there's any way around it. Once laying down, though, she stays well and can get through five minutes of meal preparation without moving.

Heel: Padget is great on the leash - even while out walking in the off-leash area, she heels when asked, without pulling. We've tested her a few times by letting go of the leash and she stays close to the pack.

Socialization: We've been taking Padget out to the dog park where she can meet lots of different dogs. Even though she uses the border collie snap when she's nervous, she's not aggressive at all. The big dogs just barge right in to sniff her out, so she's quickly learning to do the same.

Toys: For the most part, Ginny is Padget's toy, but she finally come in last night with a squeaky toy from the yard. She didn't even jump when it squeaked, so I think she's cured!

Generally, Padget is a sweet, low-maintenance, non-clingy pup who is content doing whatever she happens to be doing at the time. She'll be a great little buddy for the family who adopts her!

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY

This morning, Padget went for a "big dog" walk with Iggy, Ginny and Rodeo. It only took Padget one human and three dogs to realize that no one was out hunting for dogs named Padget. After that, she and Rodeo both had a great time sniffing dog-butts and surfing for attention from the humans.

And here is more good news: I've kept a crate beside me (a bigger one this time) and Padget has gone in on her own over the past couple of days - just to have a sniff. Today, she even flopped down in it for a few seconds. So we may also be on the way back to crate training - without the stinky bits this time!

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...