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

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

Post by Shalista »

I love when I'm walking with Bax and he suddenly stops dead and goes into a bow with his paws out in front and his nose to the ground with his tail stub in the air like, "Wait guys, there's a good smell here!"
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

I wish i knew what was going through Bax's head.

Yesturday we went to the pet store, not to far a car ride and he's been a hundred times. he sniffed a lot of people but declined to be pet. Okay.

Today we drove three times as far to the pier with his cousin snarking at him from the next seat and his car anxiety raging.... and he loved every one he met and got lots of pets and snuggles.

Like what gives? shouldnt he be more stressed and even LESS likely to want pets? sigh... baxter........
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Ari_RR
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Ari_RR »

Shalista wrote:I wish i knew what was going through Bax's head.
Some days are just worse than others :wink:
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Shalista wrote:Like what gives? shouldnt he be more stressed and even LESS likely to want pets? sigh... baxter........
Not wanting to be petted may well not be a sign of stress (sorry about the double negative :lol: ). He might be saying 'Sure, yeah, I'm cool and chilled, no need for any of that huggy stuff.' When he has been stressed, I can think of a couple of alternatives: 'OMIGOD, it was awful, I can't cope, I have to tell you about it, I need a hug and someone, anyone, who will save me,' or 'OMIGOD, it was awful, but I survived, I've avoided certain death, I'm ALIVE, life is wonderful, I LOVE EVERYBODY!'

Or something like that :lol: But thinking about it, when you're happily enjoying a walk in nature, you're going to be less inclined to want to meet other people and certainly to hug them than if you'd had a seriously awful experience.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

ugh unfortunately i cant tell which of those it is JudyN so i cant replicate (or not as the case may be) :?

he always looks so happy! Maybe i just need a class (or three) in recognizing his body language to tell when he's getting super stressed.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Small steps.

Last week, Sirius did not have a single walk. It was simply too hot and she really didn't want to go out anyway. OH has considered taking her/the dogs for a walk during the daytime, but it is generally after noon and the height of the day's heat before he is ready to go anywhere. OH has also not been feeling very well lately. He has this recurring soar throat thing that comes and goes and the doctors can't seem to come up with a diagnosis that he is willing to accept and treatment plan that he is willing to follow. I also have some suspicions that it may be related to a certain dog blowing coat. Fortunately said certain dog doesn't blow coat very often.

It is a little cooler this week, maybe. I decided to take Sirius for a little stroll this evening before taking Sky out. Kind of a test to see what Sirius would do. She seemed somewhat torn about going, but willingly put on her harness. She walked straight to the van and stood by the door. When the door didn't open, she decided there was an attractive smell next door in the neighbor's yard and headed other there to have a sniff. Which led to her going to the next house, and then the next house, and then I had to have her turn around because there were people hanging out right beside the sidewalk at the next house. I was kind of bummed about that as she seemed ready to continue walking, at least in that direction. Once we turned around, our driveway was as far as she would go in the other direction.

Sky had a mostly nice walk at the park. We encountered a certain very well trained GSD who is never on leash and who's owner seems to be forever working on distance training of recalls with downs. A husky seemed to also join the fun. Sky was very anxious about the dogs. I had to walk further than I wanted to before I could get her to focus on me enough to consider taking a drink of water. Just over a mile total. Sky would have liked to take the long way home, but it is rather muggy tonight and her tongue was already hanging out of her mouth.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Jasper had his booster this morning. He wouldn't get out the car at the vet's until I'd shut the car door, gone into reception to chat with the receptionist, and went back out again - he was so horrified at being left he got straight out then. Then he wouldn't go into the consulting room till the vet stood behind him at which point he scurried in there to get away from him. The injection itself was fairly straightforward - he hid under the table but both ends stuck out so I gave his head a nice rub with a towel and the vet injected the other end.

I overheard OH talking to Jasper this evening. He said, 'Did the horrid vet stick the nasty needle in your bottom? Never mind, it'll stop you getting distemper. It's a bit like emulsion.....' :lol:

In the woods this morning, I met a dog walker who I've seen a few times before. We chatted, but Jasper wouldn't come near, which I thought was odd. Then from something she said I realised that she often walks Jasper's nemesis, Groover, who used to bully him as a pup. I'd forgotten this but Jasper hadn't and he was keeping away even though Groover wasn't with her. I feel so guilty that I didn't do more to protect him back then because it's obviously had quite an effect on him.
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 »

I love your OH's explanation :lol:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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

Post by Erica »

Fun idea for a weekly class: a class focused on wearing out the dogs in a controlled and safe manner. Today we just went through the warm up routine (in detail, teaching the dogs who didn't know the exercises) and all the dogs are shattered :lol: It's at the place we take agility at, and I love the facility more and more every class we take! At the class, we also met up with someone I know through an online dog community, so that was also great. We're going to meet up to train and walk our dogs together :D I'm having some...pretty limiting issues being out in public after living with my sister for so long, and Delta's already got some behaviors trained that help ground me and get me over these things. New friend has helped train several service dogs, so she's going to help us with that training. (I don't know if I'll need Delta for a period of months or years, but I'm starting to realize just how badly that experience has messed me up. If Delta does well with the training, it will help me a lot! If it's not a job he'll thrive in, I'll try other treatments, but I tend to get the horrible side effects of prescriptions before I get the therapeutic effects. I have hopes for him, though; he has a pretty awesome temperament and friend complimented his behavior in the loud and energetic class! Very little seems to phase him and he enjoys going out to walk around new places.) Friend's young (>year old) dog is getting a little reactive around other dogs and stuff, so Delta and Opal can be decoys for her training. :) It's a pretty great match up!
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

erica *hugs* I hope it helps!

I'm still struggling so much with just the basics, especially today. I've been so impatient and rushed with clinic stress. poor bax just wanted to stop and sniff something and damn it all i wanted him to pee now!... i tugged him past the grass and then felt terrible. he peed eventually and i took him back to the grass and he got his sniff in but... sigh... sometimes i wonder if i have the temperament to own a dog.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

Dogs teach us all sorts of things, and make us better people for it :wink:
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

Nettle wrote:Dogs teach us all sorts of things, and make us better people for it :wink:
So, so, so, so true. Sometimes i wonder how he puts up with me!
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

Delta's got a stomach bug :( woke me up every couple hours last night to go outside and have the (possible TMI) loudest farty liquid poos. If he's not on the mend by Monday I'll try to get him in to the vets.

I did sign him up for swimming class tomorrow, which I don't think is a good idea in his current state, so I'll be bringing Opal instead, who hasn't been to this facility before. I didn't manage to catch the vets to get them to print her vaccination records, buuuut I did remember seeing that they have an online "Pet Portal" with all sorts of useful stuff, and yay! they have vaccination records there! Not in an automatically easily-printed form, but I can manage that. :D
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

Poor Delta! Remember that the diarrhoea is GOOD because it gets rid of whatever is in there that shouldn't be. Pumpkin/apple/pear will help, as you know (but someone else reading this might not). If he'll take it, a little honey will also help.

Very wise not to take him swimming, and Opal will enjoy the day instead.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Sending 'get well soon and get to the garden on time' wishes to Delta :wink:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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