Monthly Bath

Posted on May 20, 2008
Filed Under Things That Make Me Smile, Tips and Tricks | Leave a Comment

this evening we took our monthly bath. most people dont wash their dogs but once a year but because liame and jasper are service dogs they must appear clean and well groomed. if you plan on having a service dog, especially in the rainy northwest, plan to wash your dog at least once a month. smelly and dirty service dogs tarnish the reputation of those of us who dont have traditionally trained service animals.
i know its at least 2 hours out of your day but try to think of it as bonding time. massage your dog while you scrub that soap into him. i know jasper loves it when i scrub the top of his back because he will lean into me and communicate in doggie body language saying “more momma more!”. give him a bit of a medical exam while you have your hands on him. take a look at all areas of his body making sure he has no sores or unusual lumps or bumps, that his ears are clean, that his eyes dont have a discharge and that his nails are kept short.
despite bath time being hard on my back i really do enjoy giving my guys their monthly rub down. and speaking of back problems, if you do have back pain, go to a self serve dog wash. my self serve dog wash has raised tubs, soap, ear cleaner, towels, aprons and a dryer. i love the self serve dog wash because i dont have to clean all the hair up, wash the towels, painfully bend over a squirming dog or clog my drains. its so worth the $20.

Puppy Junior High

Posted on May 7, 2008
Filed Under Class, Firsts, Mistakes, Things That Make Me Smile | Leave a Comment

liame went to his first puppy junior high class today and was the star pupil. he sat on his mat like he was supposed to, didnt try to play with the other dogs too much and payed attention to me. looks like he is finally learning some self control. i didnt like this teacher as much as i do the puppy kindergarten one. she seems more strict and unwilling to use other teaching methods (that arent 100% positive). not everyone can be positive 100% of the time and not every puppy can be taught using these methods.
i remember when i first got liame and he tried to get push his little puppy head into the fridge EVERY time i opened it up. no matter what positive reinforcement i used he ignored it because he just liked the fridge too much. i ended up screaming at him and even took a swipe at him in utter frustration – something i will regret for the rest of my life. that didnt even work (cuz it wasent that hard and mommy getting mad didnt mean a thing to him at that point). i ended up searching the web for something to use that would get his attention. i used a squirt bottle filled with water. within three trys and three squirts he never stuck his head in the fridge again. so the moral of the story is 100% positive reinforcement 100% of the time is great for some puppys, but not all of them.

Graduation

Posted on April 14, 2008
Filed Under Class, Things That Make Me Smile | Leave a Comment

On Saturday Liame graduated from puppy kindergarten (with honors of course).  Its kind of sad for me in a way knowing that I wont be going to school 5 hours a week anymore.  Those 5 hours have been the happiest I have been in a long time.  I got to train my puppy and play with other puppies.  Can someone please give me a job training puppies?  I LOVE PUPPIES!!!!

Potty Trained

Posted on April 11, 2008
Filed Under Major Steps, Things That Make Me Smile | Leave a Comment

 

 

Today I allowed Liame and Jasper to play together in the dining room while I did the dishes.  Before I even knew Liame was gone, I heard the bells ring from downstairs.  I stopped in my tracks, wondered what was goiing on and then screamed “Im coming Liame!!!!!”  This was the first time in a month or so that Liame rang the poochie bells on his own signaling that he had to go potty.  I let him outside and he ran to his spot and took a big poo.  I was so proud.  My little man is growing up.

 

Visiting The Breeder

Posted on April 4, 2008
Filed Under Things That Make Me Smile, Things That Make Me Want To Cry | Leave a Comment

 

 

Today went to go visit the breeder.  I wanted her to see how big Liame has gotten.  I watched Oprahs show on puppy mills and cried my heart out.  I dont think I will ever get those disturbing images and statistics out of my head.  I tried to do the right thing and go the rescue route.  For over a month I went to the humane society, looked online within a several hundred mile radius of Seattle and applied to adopt a PSLRA (lab rescue) puppy.  I never found a lab puppy online or at the humane society nor did I ever heard back from PSLRA.  I ended up having to go to a breeder for my puppy.  I got flack from it at work from several people but they had no idea how I had spent a month trying to get a puppy.  Even though we have two shelter animals (Jasper and Lilly our cat), from time to time I regret that decision and feel incredibly guilty.  Today was one of those days.  

 

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