First the fun pic…
What a week. What a day.
I’ve been super busy this week. Having a week off does that, as does having a week off next week. I’m burning PTO. Use it or lose it, doncha know.
This morning all hell was breaking loose. I’m used to the normal morning sounds of dogs chasing stuff, barking at those on the sidewalk, even inside chewing on something. Usually it’s a buffalo horn or a chew-bone. I’m used to those sounds. I’m not used to the sound of something clearly breaking, and the big guy chastising the puppy, who was out of control.
I walked out to see what was up to find the whole room in wet dog prints. Little numbnuts had splashed in the water bucket outside, came in and ran around. I guess he’s really not a puppy at this point. In dog years, I guess he’d be an idiot middle-schooler. Middle school boys do dumb stuff, and he’s just like them.
So I go outside and see this:
What you see there is an empty pot where a cutting from a fig tree was rooting. I moved it there because I moved the shelf it was on in the yard to put it in the sunroom for the winter. It’s gone. Not even a crumb. Damn dog ate it. For whatever reason, they love fig leaves. Time to get them walking.
As I gathered them for a walk, he’s still at DefCon 1 before we even leave the house.
I got run ragged. It took him nearly a mile to back off the plow horse thing.
Lately he’s been getting better. At least for me.
Herself? He still is a handful
But I do two things differently. First, I talk nearly constantly and issue commands – Heel, Stay, Sit (when one of them poops), enough! (when they see another dog and start to get agitated), Come (meaning let’s get going), This Way (to cross the street or follow me). They also know if it’s directed at them – JetSit, JazberStay…YOUSIT – everyone sits.
Second thing I do is look ahead. Jasper has a ton of sight hunter in him. The other two won’t bother with squirrels unless 1- they are loose and can chase them, or 2- within ten feet or so when on a leash. Otherwise, they know it’ll scoot up a tree and waste their time. But Jasper will see them 50-75 yards away and ratchet up as he gets closer. You have to see them when he sees them and divert him.
That doesn’t work all that well when he starts off nuts, like today. I’m thinking it’s passed time to explore training options for the boy.
Inspected By Pat 