Well the two dogs have had a very busy day. We had a newspaper man come to the door - wow, Tony didn't like it very much but the good news was ........ he listened to me when I re-directed his energy. He went into his "room" like a good little dog and he didn't put up a fuss when he was in there.
Later we walked to Jewel and Tony did a great job of staying focused on my commands and not barking at everyone he saw. We even had shopping carts get close and Tony was okay with it. Tony is also letting me touch his feet and back legs more each day. He responds well to a calm voice. He also has pretty well stopped trying to "mouth" my hand when it's near. We do not play any mouth to hand games but we do play alot of games with his toys.
The Two Dogs are thanking Auntie Geri for more food ......... I had put them on a diet (half the normal food amount, twice a day) and they didn't like it. Molly showed her displeasure by eating socks, headbands, paper towels, sewing projects - anything she could get her mouth around. More food has definitely put Molly in a relaxed state. Tony didn't show his concern as much - even though he REALLY likes my cookin'!
January 30, 2010
January 25, 2010
Jan. 25, 2010
Tony - what can I say about this rambunctious boy? He is funny and quirky and loving. He is respectful to Molly and me. He learns very quickly and he isn't headstrong about commands.
He loves the snow and rain. He even likes to walk through deep puddles with his huge snowshoe like feet.
His potty habits get better every day.
And he LOVES my "cooking". I don't know what he ate before but meal time is a big deal and yet he works with the pecking order of food prep. He never tries to take food away from Molly. If she is eating he will give her space, keep his head down and walk right by the food bowl but when she is done he will go back and give the bowl a few licks to make sure Molly's bowl is clean. Molly does not mind at all.
His one big quirk is being our protector when we walk (Molly loves everyone, she doesn't disqualify anyone for a lick). Tony does not like anyone coming at us while we walk. I can quiet him and then talk to the person. If the person keeps walking towards us and/or tries to pet Tony he will not hesitate to defend us. Here's the odd thing that I've noticed about people - why would you try to pet a dog that is obviously telling you "stay away until I feel less threatened". It keeps happening to us - Tony looks like Cujo on a leash and people will say can I pet your dog. I say "No, he will bite you!" and then they still keep coming toward us. It boggles my mind. I would never pet a dog in an agitated state.
This will be a project for us. Helping Tony relax because I don't think he was as socialized as I was led to believe. I think his previous owners kept him in his cage a lot.
His good points keep stacking up.
Progress meter ........ for the first month or so Tony would spend his "free" time in his room now when he's "free" he sits/sleeps wherever we are in the house. He loves to be with us - it's exactly what I hoped Molly and I could do for a wonderful little dog.
He loves the snow and rain. He even likes to walk through deep puddles with his huge snowshoe like feet.
His potty habits get better every day.
And he LOVES my "cooking". I don't know what he ate before but meal time is a big deal and yet he works with the pecking order of food prep. He never tries to take food away from Molly. If she is eating he will give her space, keep his head down and walk right by the food bowl but when she is done he will go back and give the bowl a few licks to make sure Molly's bowl is clean. Molly does not mind at all.
His one big quirk is being our protector when we walk (Molly loves everyone, she doesn't disqualify anyone for a lick). Tony does not like anyone coming at us while we walk. I can quiet him and then talk to the person. If the person keeps walking towards us and/or tries to pet Tony he will not hesitate to defend us. Here's the odd thing that I've noticed about people - why would you try to pet a dog that is obviously telling you "stay away until I feel less threatened". It keeps happening to us - Tony looks like Cujo on a leash and people will say can I pet your dog. I say "No, he will bite you!" and then they still keep coming toward us. It boggles my mind. I would never pet a dog in an agitated state.
This will be a project for us. Helping Tony relax because I don't think he was as socialized as I was led to believe. I think his previous owners kept him in his cage a lot.
His good points keep stacking up.
Progress meter ........ for the first month or so Tony would spend his "free" time in his room now when he's "free" he sits/sleeps wherever we are in the house. He loves to be with us - it's exactly what I hoped Molly and I could do for a wonderful little dog.
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