What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

Gorgeous!

How fast the years fly by.
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Jasper has been ridiculously well behaved over Xmas and New Year :shock: We all managed to open presents without him 'helping', he didn't whine for us to hurry up and finish so he could clean the plates at lunch, or pester for his walk... and he barely lifted an eyebrow when DS2's fiancee's parents & brother came round for New Years Eve. I thought he's take himself off to bed at his (my) normal bedtime, but he stayed down with us till they left, around 1.30am - and then he was so funny when he got up to say goodbye to them, he looked absolutely zombiefied and not with it at all :lol:

Didn't stop him sleeping in before 7am the next morning though :roll:

This afternoon he showed just how far his social manners have come. He spotted his friend, F, a cockerpoo, playing with a young male lab, both quite full on. He ran over, got in between them and just stood... The lab stopped playing, and F ran around J in delight at seeing his other best friend. A couple of times the lab thought about bouncing on/playing with J, but each time he stopped him with just body posture - not a standing-over, aggressive posture, just a firm stillness, a 'Talk to the hand'... if that makes sense.

Of course, it would have been better if he'd just ignored the lab completely, or played nicely with him, rather than being the fun police and feeling the need to control who played with his mate and how, but this is Jasper :wink:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Ari_RR
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Ari_RR »

Good boy Jasper!
Perfection is overrated :-)
Ari, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Sept 2010 - Dec 2018.
Miles, Rhodesian Ridgeback, b. Nov 2018
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Ari_RR wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 2:58 pmPerfection is overrated :-)
Just as well, really :wink:

Though OH was also singing his praises after a persistent bouncy lab tried again and again to get him to play on this morning's walk - he started off just ignoring him, building up through dirty looks, a curled lip and a bit of a growly warning, but didn't take it any further. Then once the lab had given up (owner nowhere to be seen, of course :roll: ) OH showered him with treats and praise.

Time to stop bragging now... :oops: But it's often easy to focus on the not-so-good bits (I would dearly love to be able to clip his claws but I'm not getting anywhere, and I dread to think what would happen if he got a wound that needed regular dressing changes) and miss the good bits!
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Well done for how far you have come with a far from easy dog. :D And ENJOY the good bits to the full. It's human nature to focus on negatives, because that is what safety in risk environments is all about, plus we have a culture of avoiding talking about success. You can share with us, though, because we have been with you every step of the way, and I'd like to give you a cyber bunch of flowers for the work you have put in. I'm sure you have inspired many who read but don't post.
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Aw, thank you Nettle :oops: Predictably, he was grumpy with a few dogs this morning :lol: But in his defence, he was on lead on a path where he can be more likely to snark (used a lot when he was an angry adolescent so I think he has an association), the first dog was a bulldog - not a breed he likes - who wanted to sniff his bum, and the next was a pair of bouncy young pointers. And to be honest, if I can control him on lead when he has his snarky moments, then he's really being quite good. I used to think that I must be quite strong because I could hold him when he lunged, till I nearly got pulled over by a friend's little terrier :lol: :lol: :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

As FB-land friends know, about nine weeks ago my sister's boyfriend (delivers for UPS) saw a little doggy running around in a middle-of-nowhere truck depot. It was going to get below freezing that night, so he went back with a couple of drive-through cheeseburgers and was able to snag her. She was very clearly pregnant, so they took her off to the vet, who said a couple weeks before she popped. So I gave her a few days of adjusting before I joined the picture, as with four other dogs in a new house there was a lot going on already. We planned that I would visit on Saturday. 3am Saturday morning I got a call that she was having the puppies. :roll:

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It was at least a week later when she let me close enough to take good pictures. Above pic is from my sister. She Did Not Trust me at first. Took a bag of salmon jerky to convince her I was a friend ;P My sister and her BF have normal jobs so I went over while they were at work, when my schedule allowed, which was most of the time, so we could supervise and make sure everything was going well. Five little potatoes, one male and four females. Moira (dam) is very sweet and a good, careful mama.

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And once she decided I was a friend, I was a very good friend. <3

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Y'all, baby puppies are so adorable. We've been following Puppy Culture and the Picard breeder I've been talking to volunteered to answer our (many) questions. She has been a blessing!

The puppies are honestly incredible. They've been clever escape artists from the start, getting out of the baby pool whelping pen before their eyes were even open, and the normal ex-pen with the door open (so Moira could enter and leave at will) not long after. An 8 inch additional barrier lasted for about a week, and then when that failed, I added a coyote roller. Rogan (black and tan with white blaze and neck spot) even got over that with a barrier twice his height at the withers. :roll: They clearly have the adventurous, brave beagle nature!

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Finally, at about 4 weeks old Moira was not going in to nurse them anyways so we just closed the full ex-pen door, and they (fingers crossed) haven't figured out how to climb out of that yet. We're trying not to give them much of a reason to figure it out and have been working hard on manding (sit to communicate a request, such as "please open the pen door").

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They have no fear of the many obstacles and objects we've introduced to them, clambering over slippery and unstable surfaces with aplomb from the start. Here's a shot with Rogan conquering the first iteration of the barrier.

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They're now eight weeks old and we're starting to match them to families. It's hard. I knew being a breeder was not easy work by a long shot, but goodness, this has given me a hundred times more appreciation for all the hard work and hard decisions the good ones make.

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Rogan would be coming home with me, because I love too-smart mischief makers, except about two weeks after these lil ones were born, previously-mentioned Picard breeder let us know that her next breeding was taking place and I was on the list (after two years of waiting on my part :P). The dam is one of her most sporty, drivey dogs (not the average temperament for most US Picards, but what my breeder is aiming for and what I'm looking for) and the pregnancy has now been confirmed, with about six puppies spotted on ultrasound. Due date is around Feb 1, and I am absolutely thrilled! Now we just have to find a home with enough experience and intelligence to keep Rogan from becoming an evil mastermind who unlocks doors to go see his girlfriend down the street and sneaks back in through the window at 3am. ;P

I'm planning some kind of gift for my breeder because she is absolutely a star and deserves great things.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Oh wow, what lovely - and lucky - pups, Erica :D You must be so excited about finally getting your Picard too.

I'm your friend on FB (though I mostly lurk) but I've just realised it's not been showing me your posts for ages. How's Delta doing?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

What a tremendous experience, and what lucky pups and mamadog to have you in their corner. It's a huge learning experience, isn't it? I'm so pleased you had a good mentor, as it can be really daunting at times.

And - at last - your own puppy on its way! How exciting.

Thanks for sharing. :D
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Ari_RR
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Ari_RR »

Awesome story and pictures :D
Sister’s BF deserves a round of applause too.
Ari, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Sept 2010 - Dec 2018.
Miles, Rhodesian Ridgeback, b. Nov 2018
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Wind, rain, mud...

Everyone I meet is complaining about the weather. After months on end of being restricted by my bad knee, in the last few weeks I've been able to get out on proper walks and can now walk as far as I ever could over any terrain... and I'm absolutely revelling in it! Bring on the weather, I'm like a pig in mud, a hippo in its wallow, a pit pony on its summer holiday :D :D :D I'm not sure when I'll start moaning about the weather again but hopefully not for a while :lol:

Though ironically, Jasper didn't want a walk this morning and chose to play in the garden instead :roll: It might be corn-related - once he's into his walk he's fine, and he's fine on soft ground, but it's uncomfortable when he first leaves the house.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Test post
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

The last two months (to the day, I'm just realizing, ouch) have just been about surviving for me. Delta passed away pretty suddenly and unpleasantly, and then just about the next day my state started stay-at-home orders. It's been really awful. I do have my little puppy to keep me going and on a schedule, but I'm still working my way from "dead inside" towards "really effing sad." It's a long journey.

Runestone helps. Mistral helps. The world isn't the same without Delta.
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and one of the perfect boy. </3

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Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Erica, what terrible news about Delta - I'm so sorry. He was far, far too young :( I'm glad you have your new pup to give you some comfort - he is beautiful.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

I am so, so sorry to hear about Delta. He was such a dude. You must be hurting so much.
Be as kind to yourself as you would be to another.

Pup is lucky to have you to look after. The next stage of learning is waiting in the wings for you.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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