The Biting Thing

The biting thing was a big issue we had with Theo. Notice I say had, thank goodness! Thus far, his biting was the most frustrating habit to break him of, but thankfully, I think we've done it. When I play with him, he'll open his mouth, and touch my hand, without actually getting my hand in his mouth or biting down. When we're playing and my face is near him, he'll rest is open mouth beside my face, rather than biting my nose. It's like mock puppy play, and it's so cute! As long as he's allowed to pretend bite, he's fine with not actually doing it. How did we train him? It was tough, I'll tell you that much.

First off, you have to understand that the puppy is just playing with you. If you get bit, it hurts, sure, but it's just your puppy's way of saying s/he's having fun. Puppy teeth are sharp, but they don't last forever. Of course, the way to train your puppy out of biting is to teach them that it's not acceptable behavior, even if they think it's fun. I ended up using a couple different methods depending on the situation.

I started off with what I heard worked: saying "ouch!" really loudly and ignoring Theo for a few seconds. He only ever got more excited by my reactions to him, which is the opposite of the desired affect. I even tried what my trainer suggested which was, during training sessions, putting my finger in his mouth and saying "ouch!" when he bit down at all. Naturally, this didn't work either. It just confused him, since I was the one putting my finger in his mouth. Of course he's going to bite down! My trainer also suggested just shoving a toy in his mouth when he got nippy. That didn't do much either.

Here's the combination of things that did work for me: The first thing we did was teach him "no bite". Now that we've taught it to him, if he starts to get nippy, I say "uh-uh, Theo, no bite", and he stops! Believe me, it was a slow process. Hehe. Next, I started to gently hold his muzzle closed while scolding him for biting. It stopped the behavior right away and immediately got his attention. And the third technique I used was what I call "the reverse timeout". If he was being especially nippy (in the beginning, all nipping was especially nippy), I would leave the room, but stand somewhere he could see me and not get to me, and not give him any attention (including eye contact!). The gate between the family room and living room worked perfectly for this in my house. I would sit on the couch in the living room and watch tv for 2 minutes, where Theo could see me the whole time. This drove him crazy! He would cry the entire two minutes. When I came back in, I would gently let him play with me again. If he got nippy, I would leave again. It was a tiresome process, but it worked! Make sure you don't stay away too long or too short a time. Too long and the dog will loose interest, too short and it's not punishment enough. Next, don't forget to praise the good behavior! I also taught Theo "gentle", though I don't use it much now since he's always gentle. When he would play nicely, I would praise him heavily and say "good gentle, Theo! good no bite!"

When we got further along with the training, I didn't need to do the reverse timeout. I could just give him a verbal scolding, and he would stop (and then praise!). As of today, he rarely bites us, and when he does, he knows he wasn't supposed to, and looks all apologetic. It's so cute. It was such an imperative thing to teach him because now I can actually play with him (see previous post) without getting my nose bit or my hands all cut up. I can't say this is a tried and true method for everyone, but it sure worked for me!

Crazy Play

I've got a question for the general reading population. How do you play with your dog? Is there always a toy or object involved? Or you use your hands and tickle them all over? I get right down there on the floor and play with Theo...with my whole darn body! When Theo wants to initiate play, he gets down on the floor, looks right into my eyes, and kinda darts his head forward playfully. So I started doing it back to him...and he loves it! If I look him in the eye, he looks at me expectantly back, waiting for the play signal. When I do, what I like to call the "pigeon head motion", he lunges forward and the play begins.

It starts with him jumping up in my head. He does this with all people (when he can get to their head), and dogs too (sometimes he jumps on their backs rather than their head). He pants happily, sometimes chewing my hair, sometimes trying to get the hair tie in my hair out (he's successful more than I'd like). When I pick my head up, he rests his front paws on my shoulders while haunched up on his hind legs. It's so cute!

If I nuzzle my nose on his neck and make a noise, he'll make a noise back. He's very vocal during playtime (well, and ever other time for that matter). If I roll him onto his back and kiss or scratch him tummy, he'll playfully "push" on me with his paws with a big smile on his face. If I put my hand on either side of his muzzle, he'll shake his head side to side, playfully trying to get at my hands. Sometimes he'll run a few feet away and bark at me, but if I stick my butt in the air and put my head low to the ground, he comes bounding back. It's really a lot of fun (though my hair rarely makes it through).

Am I a crazy dog woman, or is that kind of what other people do as well? I'm curious.

The Aftermath

So it's been a week and a half since the ER incident, and Theo is 90% back to normal. Unfortunately, there's some characteristics he's displayed since we brought him back home from the vet that haven't quite gone away. Those two days we were separated were apparently a little traumatic for him. A word of advice: quickly grab a t-shirt from your drawer if you're running off to the vet for an emergency. That way if s/he has to stay overnight, they'll have something to remind them of home. I think Theo would have been much better off if we had thought of something like that.

So the first characteristic is something I've mentioned before: the separation anxiety/clingyness. If we let Theo have free-run of the house, he would probably just sit by the door all day, waiting for us to come home. He doesn't like us to be out of his sight (or direct control), and when we are, he freaks. The other day I was sitting about 2 feet from him, but the gate was between us, so he started crying and barking. Even though he could see me, he didn't want to be separated from me. Now if I go upstairs and leave him behind the gate, he paces, he cries, and eventually he barks. I'm hoping that time and a schedule will get him used to us coming and going again.

Another example is on Sunday night I was in one room playing the Wii while Husband was in the next room playing the XBox 360. Theo was in a chill mood, so he just laid down at my feet. Twenty minutes later he got up and sat down at Husband's feet. About twenty minutes after that, he came back to me. He divided his time between us like that for about 2 hours, until we went to bed. It was adorable, but definitely not something he did before.

Next is his eating. He's always been a food monger, but ever since the vet, he eats like he's never going to eat again. Before he wasn't a big fan of kibble, and would usually leave it behind in his food dish. Now he gobbles it up with the rest of his food. He hasn't left a single morsel in his bowl ever since he was on that i/d diet, when were only allowed to feed him 1-2TB of food at a time. I mean, he licks his bowl clean every single meal. It's crazy.

Surprisingly, the week that we weren't able to take him for walks completely destroyed a lot of what we had accomplished with him. We've slowly been getting it back though. The first few walks he would just dart forward and wouldn't walk by my side for the world. Now he's much more mellow, though the stretch of street our house is on, he still doesn't do so well. Last night's walk was actually really good, as good as before. It felt really good to know that we hadn't ruined him somehow. Hehe.

I have to say, even though some will disapprove, that we got him a "choke collar" a few weeks ago (before the ER incident). First off, it's the nice kind with nylon weaved through so it doesn't catch on his fur. And second, it's been like magic ever since we got it. We had just reached a brick wall in his walking training with his buckle collar (and I won't even mention the harness debacle!). He would just pull and pull and never listened, never learned. I mean, we're talking weeks and weeks where I tried a bunch of different things. I tried refusing to walk if he didn't heel. I tried the constantly changing directions so he had to keep up with me. None of it worked. It was like he didn't even feel the pressure on his neck. In the first 5 minutes of walking him with the choke collar, he was a dream. He walked right by my side and when I stopped or turned, he responded accordingly. Now that he's gotten used to the new collar more (I only use that collar for walks, nothing else), he's not as responsive, but it still works wonders.

The only thing I have to be careful about is stimulation. When Theo sees a person, or a car, or especially another dog, he jets forward. I've finally trained him to stay by me when a car drives by, but I haven't been able to make a dent with people or animals. He tries to jump at them as they go by, or if they're ahead of us, he pulls me like a Husky pulls a dog sled, and since he's tethered to the leash, it usually involves the collar tightening very hard around his neck. I try and just hold him back so the collar with loosen, but that doesn't seem very conducive to the training. Any tips on how to deal with a dog who won't sit nicely to greet people? Hehe.

Other than that he's back to the old trouble-maker Theo.

The Escape Artist

Don't look at me that way you trouble-maker!

The little trouble-maker lived up to his name this weekend. Hehe. I decided that Theo is getting to be too big for his pen, so I told Husband that I wanted to either buy the the expansion pieces for the pen to make it bigger, or ditch the pen and let him in the kitchen/family room area with the rest of the house blocked off with a gate. He agreed to use the gate instead of the pen. So on Sunday we tested out the new arrangement. We left the house for about 3 hours and left Theo behind the gate. When we returned home, there he was to greet us at the door! WHAT? How did he get out!? My husband and I pondered for some time. The gate was still closed, so he hadn't busted through it. The only other way out, that I could see, was over the gate. Husband thought there was no way our hobbit dog had jumped over a gate that high, but I didn't see another way.

We passed it off as a possible fluke and tried it again later that day. When we came home, there was Theo to greet us at the door...again. How is he doing that?! There was still no sign that he had disturbed the gate at all, so we were at a loss. We put him behind the gate again, and then went upstairs to cut Husband's hair. 2 minutes later, there he was again in the bathroom.

I had finally had enough and just had to know how he was getting over/through the gate. I put him behind the gate again and then called him to me. It's mean, I know, but I had to see it for myself. I ran upstairs and called him some more. He freaked, he barked, and eventually, he got out in a way I never expected. I could see from upstairs that he jumped up on the chair against the wall in the family room, jumped through the hole in the wall (architectural archway thingy?) between the family room and the living room, hopped down onto the couch in the living room on the other side of the wall, down to the floor, and then ran up the stairs to greet me.

I felt so stupid, I didn't even consider that opening in the wall as an escape route! All this time we were pondering the gate and how he got over/through it. The gate did its job and kept him in, it was the chair that was the problem! Tricky bastard! I'm glad we experimented on Sunday because yesterday I knew how to head him off. I put his pen on the chair! It looks like arse, but at least it keeps him in. Of course, that didn't stop the little trouble-maker from living up to his name anyway. When I got home from work, he had managed to get the ball of yarn attached to the blanket (afghan? I'm not sure what's the difference) I'm crocheting, and had unraveled it all over the place into a knotty mess. I spent the better part of the evening untangling it and trying to redo the work he had undone on my blanket (afghan?). Ugh! But I do have to say that otherwise he did fantastic! No damage done, no accidents. He's a good boy! *knock on wood!*

Also, yesterday was the first time I saw Theo do the poo dance! I got home and he apparently had to go really bad. The new cry I heard, there was no mistaking the meaning: "I have to go now!" Hehe. He did it again this morning. Dogs are so cute.

Walking The Dog

*ahem* In the literal sense, I mean. ;)

It's interesting how many different ways people walk their dog. Mouth has a big chow/retriever mix, and he just holds the leash firmly at his side a few inches above the leash, so she has no choice but to walk by his side. I've seen people let their dogs walk them. And I've seen people let their dogs walk in front of them, but while in control of their actions at the same time. My method of walking Theo is next to me in a "heel". I don't hold the leash tight and make him walk next to me, because to me this defeats part of the purpose of a walk. Walking Theo isn't just about exercise, it's also about teaching him proper manners when we're out of the house. Theo's job while we're walking is to walk next to me, but to also let the leash fall completely loose. If he walks ahead of me, the leash pulls tight and I stop walking. I wait until he sits down (which is now immediately after he realizes I've stopped), and then we press on again until the next time he pulls. This was a long, arduous process in the beginning, and I still have to do it often, but the benefits have already shown.

When I was in Reno my mom asked me to take the garbage can back in from the street. I decided to test Theo walking with me off-leash. Look ma, no leash! It's not a busy street, so I was confident I could control the situation enough to feel safe enough to attempt it. And he did great! The whole way walking out (my parents have a looooong driveway by the way) Theo stayed right by my side. He would have on the way back too, except he was scared by the sound of the trash can on the pavement, so he ran on ahead. Hehe. But it made me trust my training with him.

If I made Theo walk next to me by holding his leash tight, I wonder if he would have stayed by my side, or instead have seen it as an opportunity to finally be to run free. Training can seem so daunting and impossible while you're doing it, but when you see it pay off, it makes it all worth it.

Doggie Speak

It's been a while since I actually had a non-Theo specific post and today I think I found a good topic for one. I was perusing Kaley Corgi's blog and I saw this link on how to talk to your dog. I thought it was neat, so I'll share to 10 steps to better communication:

1. Keep commands short and simple. Dogs understand human speech by taking cues from distinct sounds. Short words ending in a clearly enunciated consonant are best.

2. Don’t repeat yourself. Voice commands should be said just once for maximum effect. Most dogs have better hearing than humans and will remember a word for up to two minutes. If they don’t respond, it’s not that they don’t hear you—it’s that they aren’t listening!

3. Expand your dog’s vocabulary. Dogs can understand hundreds of words, but each should be linked to a specific object or action. Dogs cannot understand complete sen-tences. However, they will pick up on your tone of voice (happy, sad, concerned) and respond accordingly.

4. Use your body. Recent studies show that dogs understand our gestures and body language. If you point at an object, your dog will not think you are imitating the Statue of Liberty—he will look toward where you are pointing.

5. Listen closely. Dogs’ barks mean something. Many dog owners say they can tell by the tone of their dog’s bark whether a friend or a stranger is approaching the house.

6. Check the tail. A new study shows that a dog wagging his tail with a bias to the right is excited and happy to see you. A dog wagging his tail predominantly to the left is excited but unsure or fearful. Since it can be hard to tell the difference, interpret all tail-wagging in context: If a dog is wagging his tail but also growling, it’s best to back off.

7. Look into his eyes. Rapid blinking is a sign of nervousness or deep thought. A dog that blinks rapidly after being given a command is deciding whether or not to obey.

8. Get your licks. Pups lick their mothers’ lips to get them to regurgitate food. When dogs lick people, it’s a sign of submission or deference.

9. Let him lean. If your dog leans against your leg, he is asking you for protection in a threatening situation. This is good—you should be in charge—but understand that your dog is counting on you to make him feel safe again.

10. Read the “writing” on the wall. Call it pee-mail or canine graffiti—urine marking is an important method of communication for dogs. It may indicate territoriality, possessiveness or hostility. If you notice where he marks, you may be able to understand and address his concerns. And if a dog nudges you in the crotch or other pheromone-rich regions, he’s just trying to get to know you from your scent.

Theo totally does that blinking thing and unfortunately, more than half the time the decision is not to obey! Hehe. Unless it gets him a treat or what he wants.

He Pooped!

I'm sure you're all wondering about now "What am I doing reading a blog that covers the bowel movements of someone's dog?" I've got no good answer for you! Except to say that this blog charters the territory of puppy raising, which unfortunately entails lots and lots of poop.

For those of you who aren't offended by the racy subject and are brave enough to read on, the long awaited poop in question arrived on my grassy lawn this morning. It was quite large, but very healthy-looking. I've never been so excited to see a piece of poo my whole life, and I hope I never am again. Hehe.

More News On The Patient

Sorry for the delay in news, Theo is a handful! In short, he's home. We picked him up Monday evening, and he's doing fine...for the most part. This is an experience that I think will be with all of us and never quite leave.

I'll start with the medical stuff. After all those expensive tests, the vet didn't really tell me anything worth hearing in terms of what was wrong with him. It was either a virus, bacteria, or something toxic he ate. Next time I'll give him some pepto-bismol right off the bat and wait on going to the vet. I was very unimpressed with the whole experience, but I'm glad that Theo came out of it mostly fine. They had to shave him! Hehe, ok, I'm being dramatic. But they did have to shave a small patch of fur on his foot for the IV. It makes him look very pathetic.

Now that he's home, he's doing well. I was given this disgusting Science Diet wet food called I/R, which is supposedly easy for him to digest. I don't know if I believe it, since he's gotten some horrible-smelling gas from it. I've started on weening him off of the sh*t today. I was told to feed him only 1-2TB, 3 times per day. So little! His energy level is great considering how little we're feeding him, and his appetite is almost too healthy. Hehe. He actually jumped up on the couch for the first time (usually he just haunches up on his front paws and cries) trying to get at my food. I'm not supposed to take him on walks or anything for a few days, so it's a good thing I'm not feeding him too much or his energy level would be unbearable, all couped up in the house. He's almost back to when I first got him. He plays hard for a few minutes, and then he just crashes and sleeps for an hour.

In almost all cases he's back to normal, but there's definitely some things that are different now. He has a new-found abandonment issue. Whenever Chris or I leave the room, he freaks, and when we leave the house all together, he goes ballistic! He thinks we're leaving him and never coming back. The first night home he never strayed more than 5 feet from me. For Theo, that's very strange. He's usually fine with doing his own thing, as long as he can see me. But now it's such a heart-breaking chore to go to work in the morning! It doesn't help that we can't give him any treats. Usually we give him a biscuit to munch on while we leave, so there's no stress because he's too busy enjoying his treat to notice or care. But now we can't give him anything, and I'm afraid that all his good manners will soon go out the window. I think I'll try incorporating treats back in tomorrow.

Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be out of the woods yet. He hasn't thrown up or had diarrhea since Sunday afternoon. But ever since I got him home Monday evening, he hasn't pooped either. Not a single poop. I know that I'm also feeding him less, but a day and a half is a long time to go with no poop. If he doesn't go by this afternoon, I'll have to call the vet again.

Please poop Theo!

So my advice to all dog owners out there is this. Always have some pepto-bismol on hand. If your dog starts throwing up and pooping everywhere, try a little of the pink stuff first. If he gets better, cool. If he gets worse or doesn't improve, go ahead and take him to the vet. That's what I plan to do next time.

We've Been Honored!

Theo, wake up! We've been honored!

It's not a Webby award, but it still feels amazing to have someone appreciate your blog. Ivy posted some of her own blog awards on her blog, and was kind enough to include my own dog blog. She said that the blogs she chose "enrich her life". What a great compliment! Here's what she said about my blog:

One of the most dedicated dog person I've ever met (in person or cyberspace)! We share the common thread as being first time dog owners, and there I thought that we're fairly responsible dog owners, but JuLo totally put us to shame! Her blog shares all the technicalities as well as emotional ups-&-downs of being a dog owner, must read for dog lovers (especially if you're newbie).

Thanks Ivy!!!

She encouraged the people she named to pass the love along and name some blogs they also admire and enjoy. Technically, it's supposed to be 5 blogs, but I'll just list out the ones I like, and we'll see where we end up.

1. I'll start off by blatantly breaking the rules and mentioning the blog that mentioned me: The Senakams. This blog has always been a fun read for me because Ivy, her husband, and her Corgi, Bryson are always out doing something. They'll go to Napa for the weekend, they'll go on road trips to Texas, or they'll just go to a beach nearby. Anywhere they go there's always tons of beautiful pictures and a very happy dog along for the ride. And of course, that's not even mentioning the other great stuff on her blog, like her craft habit (I love seeing her new paper creations). Before I got Theo, Ivy's blog really helped me realize just how integrated into my life a dog could become. I looked forward to taking Theo on trips or going to the park or trying out different kinds of activities like herding and agility. She said that I put her to shame with my dogsessiveness, but her blog was actually an inspiration for this blog. So thanks Ivy!

2. The other inspiration for this blog is Amanda's a day in the life of our pugs. Amanda obviously cares for her girls, Meimei and Miko, just like I care for Theo. My favorite posts are the ones on their quirks, like how Miko is a chicken and runs for the hills while Meimei will stay and fight the evil giant gorilla (King Kong) on the tv screen. Or how Miko (it was Miko, right?) likes to compulsively lick after she eats. Cute! She also periodically does fun segments like "Ask Meimei and Miko" and "Memory Mondays". And best of all, her blog is positively littered with the most adorable pictures of her pugs. Miko as a puppy was just too cute! Amanda also is very concerned with the health of her girls. I learned a lot about what holistic veterinary medicine was from her blog. It's so heartening to see people not settle for "good enough" when it comes to the care of their dogs.

3. Not that I'm biased or anything, but my sister's new food blog, Onward Eaters is awesome. I've always thought she was a great writer, and I can definitely attest that she has an excellent palette as well. I've told her she needs to come to my city and do a bunch of food reviews so I'll know where I should eat. Hehe. Love of food is definitely something we share, and I can't wait to read about the different restaurants she comes across in her travels.

4. I'm going to combine two blogs that I like for the same reason: Angry Chicken and Posie Gets Cozy. The women who write these blogs are regular Martha Stewarts. They cook and bake amazing, delicious-looking food, they make beautiful crafty things, and they both decorate their blogs their gorgeous pictures of all their endeavors. They definitely inspire me to want to take up sewing again, learn to cook, learn to knit, and just be the crafty self I used to be before I "grew up". Ms. Posie, Alicia Paulson, has a craft room that I drool over. She also has an adorable Cardigan named Clover (the cutest name!), who got quite a lot of face time when she was a pup. Ms. Chicken, Amy Karol, has three children she cooks and sews absolutely adorable clothes for. She also makes some of the yummiest-looking baked goods and usually shares the recipe!

5. A different choice from the rest, Mike's In It But Not Of It. Mike's blog, especially lately, is a hilarious and extremely sarcastic account of his work escapades. I've made a few posts myself about my idiot co-workers on my non-dog blog, so I can definitely relate, but he writes them, of course, much better than I do. Anyone who wants a good chuckle should check it out.

6. I'm going to copy Ivy and give a shout out to Lynn's Craft Stew. Lynn got her adorable Corgi pup, Lucy (isn't she cute?!), just a couple weeks before I brought home Theo. We've been able to share our experiences together and it's been great fun. Also, Lynn is one of the people who inspired me to learn to knit (I want to make one of these gorgeous babies!). She even guided me to great resources to use while learning, like ravelry and books.

7. My final award I want to give to Jenna at Corgi Pants. She's in the Corgi and craft club as well! Her Corgi, Sully, is adorable and often shows up in her posts. Jenna often gives great recipes for dog treats (and people treats too! Mmmm...wassail punch...) and other fun doggie ideas. I still want to make Theo a dog tie! Not to mention she knows a ton about Corgis and dog training. Shoot her an email if you ever have a question on dogs!

Now the rules are that all the blogs I've name are supposed to name their 5 blog awards as well (yeah, because I stuck to that number so well, hehe), so go off and find some blogs that inspire you and bring you joy.

Update On The Patient

I'm told that Theo did very well at the ER yesterday. No vomiting or diarrhea, though he was only on fluids, so it's not like they really gave him anything to pass through his system. They finally fed him around 11pm, and he was able to keep it down. Yay! They discharged him this morning, but said that he needed more observation and suggested I transfer him to my normal vet. So off to the normal vet I went. They admitted him and said I would be able to pick him up tonight. *sigh* Now I just have to wait. Hopefully he'll go the rest of the day with no vomiting or diarrhea and this business will be done. Cross your fingers!

Theo experienced the e-collar for the first time this morning, and oh man, I wish I had brought my camera! He looked so pathetic! He kept trying to sniff the ground, and as he would lower his head, the collar would get caught on the ground and his body would come to a grinding halt. Too funny. He also couldn't walk through doorways very well because, again, the collar would get stuck. He ended up getting so frustrated that he just refused to walk at all! But with a little coaxing I was able to get him from point A to point B. He was still crying a lot, so he didn't seem very improved to me. Hopefully another day at the vet's office will be just what he needs. But I have to say, it was quite heart-wrenching watching they vet technician walking away with my Theo. He looked back at me with a look on his face that said "don't let them take me away again!" Poor guy.

They Took My Baby!

Right now my Theo is in the doggie hospital! We're not exactly sure what's wrong with him yet, but it all started yesterday. He threw up in the morning. I'm not sure why, and I'm not sure what it looked like because he had eaten it back up before I even knew he had done it. Gross! But I figured he had just eaten his breakfast too fast, no big deal. He was fine while we were at the dog park and during lunch, but then on our way back home he puked...all over the car. Gross! I should also add that he had been crying pretty much all morning. When we were at the park and he was distracted by other dogs and people he was fine, but before and after he was definitely doing more than his usual share of being a cry baby. I couldn't understand why, but I wasn't all that surprised when he threw up. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there.

After we got home I took him outside where he had (warning: the rest of this post is not for the squeamish) the soupiest diarrhea I have ever seen. It was like his butt was a melted milk chocolate dispenser. Next I figured we needed to settle his stomach, so I tried giving him some pumpkin. He wouldn't eat it. I even put a little on my finger and held it right up to his mouth: no go. That's when I knew something was really wrong. He's always hungry! Then he started to throw up again. I called the ER vet and they said to go ahead and bring him in.

Now yesterday was just "one of those days" kind of days. Everything that could go wrong did. Right when all this was going on, Husband also discovered that our kitchen sink was leaking water everywhere. Lovely! Go big or go home, I guess.

So I packed Theo into the car and hurried over to the vet while Husband stayed behind to deal with the cleanup (heh, sucker!). I wasn't very impressed with the vet (He kept saying "we" when talking about Theo, such as "We're not feeling well, our stomach is upset." It was creepy.), but there's limited options on the weekend. The vet told me the full list of all the possibilities and then asked me which I would like to do. Well how the heck do I know? I'm not the one with a degree! I basically told him that I didn't want to run all those tests if he didn't think they were necessary, since the only symptoms he had were loose stools and vomiting (he didn't find anything unusual in the exam). So they gave him some fluids, some medicine for the vomiting, and gave me some medicine to give him for the diarrhea. And $168(!) later we were on our way home. Nothing much to report on yesterday after that. He pretty much just slept the whole day (pictured), and late last night I fed him some boiled chicken, which he was able to keep down.

Then this morning we woke up like normal and I fed him some chicken and rice, which was the doctor's orders. His attitude and appetite were good, but he was still crying quite a bit. He tried to poop a few times and nothing came out. Then finally something did come out, but it wasn't poop. It was blood. Not a bloody stool, just blood. I didn't waste any time calling the vet again. He said that even though it was scary, blood wasn't anything to be worried about unless there were other symptoms, like more vomiting, and that I should give him some pepto-bismol. While I was out at the store he threw up. Ugh! So back to the ER we went.

This time we all agreed to run the gambit of tests (most of which involved shoving something up his already sore bum, but guy). Theo was even good enough to demonstrate what his vomit looked like to the doctor: yellow and foamy. Gross! The test for parasites and parvo came back negative (he has his vaccinations, but the vet still wanted to rule it out), and the doctor told us we needed to leave our Theo with them for more tests. They took my puppy! And $630(!!!) later, Husband and I were on our way home with one less member than we had entered with.

We've since heard that the xrays showed no bowel obstruction, and his lab work came back normal. Hopefully this means he doesn't require surgery, but it also means there's still nothing tangible that's wrong with him. At this point it looks like he just has some major gastrointestinal irritation, and Theo just needs to get the better of it already! Hopefully an afternoon of fluids and rest (which is exactly what he had yesterday) will make him all better. I don't like my Theo being sick like this one bit! I'll keep you posted on his progress.

PS: Due to all this hoopla, I wasn't able to post things in the correct order. Theo went to his first Corgi meetup yesterday before he got all sick, so I'll be doing a post on that later as well.

PPS: Tons of new pictures up on flickr. Check 'em out!

Video Of The Week 17: Theo's First Snow

Here's a video of Theo's first experience with snow. He thought it was a giant mound of crushed it, and was munching away.

Extracurricular Activities

As Theo gets older, I'm starting to think more and more about the activities and classes I want to do with him. I definitely want to try a little bit of everything. So far the obedience classes are going great, and both Theo and I have a ball every week. He's finished puppy kindergarten, and after puppy elementary, there's still basic obedience (the trainer might suggest we skip this if Theo excels in puppy elementary), and intermediate obedience, in which Theo will (*hopefully!*) earn his CGC. Plus, the trainer also teaches classes in agility (2 classes!) and rally (3 classes!). So far all of those classes sound like fun to me! And there's also just regular "pay and play" classes as well, which is just straight socialization. Hey, it's better than the dog park.

Another activity I've been looking into is herding. Theo is so bossy, I think he would really take to it. I looked around my area and there's a place that does herding instinct testing and lessons (if the instinct is there, of course) that's only just a few minutes away. What luck! I think the real trick will be whether he can get over his fear of the animals he's supposed to herd. The herding itself he'll probably be fine with, but he's such a chicken! Theo would be interested in the sheep/cattle/ducks, but if he were tested today, he would probably eye them from behind the safety of my ankles! Hehe.

What about you guys? Have you done any classes with your dog? Obedience, agility, rally, herding, etc.? Are there any fun activities I'm blatantly missing here?

Leaps And Bounds

That's the kind of progress that Theo has made in his training. He had his first Puppy Elementary class last night, and he did wonderfully. First off, the class was full of dogs 3 times Theo's size. The one dog (yeap, only one) that was his size also happened to be vicious and mean. I thought Theo would react the same way he did when our puppy kindergarten class was full of hyper, large dogs: run, hide, and cry. But he didn't! He actually played with them! I am so proud of him. At one point he had a golden retriever pinned to the ground, playfully going for the jugular. My little ferocious beast! I still can't believe it, but he was keeping up with a golden, a lab mix, a pointer (a HUGE one!), and a vizla!

Then when it was time for our basic obedience, Theo again was much improved from the last class. He'll now do "down" without a food lure (though he still requires a hand lure, I'm working on just the verbal command now). He'll do down stay right up until the point when I start walking back to him. And he was walking great on his leash. He didn't pull, and even better, he didn't get distracted by wanting to play with the other dogs. It was like night and day from puppy kindergarten!

And finally, we played with some agility/other equipment. He walked up and down stairs, up and down a ramp, through a small tunnel under the stairs, he jumped over a bar set off the ground, and he learned how to sit-stay in a "doggy tent". It was obvious that he was having a total blast the whole time, which was the real reward.

I hope this isn't a fluke and Theo is this great every week. I don't know what brought on such vast and speedy improvement, but I'll take it! I'd like to think that all the training and socialization I've busted my butt to get him is really paying off. I take some time every day (usually several times a day) to have a fun, rambunctious (but biting-free) play session with him. He's like a baby! I make funny noises and faces at him, I blow air on his tummy, and I give him lots of scratches and belly rubs. I wonder if this, plus making sure he continually meets new dogs (from the neighborhood, dog park, Brownie, etc.) has helped him overcome his nervousness around other dogs. I'd like to think so!

PS: Man, my blog is boring lately with no pictures! I can't wait until Husband finally gets home tonight with my laptop. I imagine our first greetings will go something like this: "Hi honey, welcome home. Now gimme my laptop!"

Weekend Shenanigans

Well the last few days were eventful indeed!

First off, I already mentioned the snow, but I've got to make another mention to how cute Theo was when he first hit that batch of snow. It was the cutest thing ever! I can't wait to post the video when I get my laptop back.

Next, my parents and their house. Theo pretty much made himself at home right away. Though instead of using his bed as "his place", he used the entire rug that sits in their great room. It was hilarious. All of his toys ended up under the coffee table at one point or another. It was hard to give him a treat (doggie matzo balls, courtesy of a family friend), but coax him away from trying to go eat it on the rug! Hehe. He loved their backyard so much that it was hard to get him to come back inside! They have an acre of land, and it's chalk full of quail, nightingales, frogs (thanks to the next door neighbor's son), and delicious bunny poop! It was so great to watch him have the space to really run around and having the time of his life.

When we first arrived a neighborhood dog (not sure whose) came over to welcome Theo to the neighborhood. I instantly liked this dog when I saw that he was willing to "puppy play" with Theo, rather than just trying to sniff his junk or growl/snap at him like a grumpy old man. The backyard would have been even better if it were a little warmer. It's no fun standing out in the cold, even if your dog is having a ball. Plus, there was one time he took off after a quail and I had to go chasing after him and bring him back because he wouldn't come when I called. Bad dog! I can also attest that the best way to get your dog to come (when s/he's decided to forget what the command "come" means) is to look your dog directly in the eyes, give a playful nod of the head, and then run the other way. Works every time!

Then, Theo met the family. He was such a charmer! My Uncle especially was enamored with him and wanted to arrange a meeting between their dachshund, Brownie, and Theo. More on that later. My two youngest cousins had a lot of fun giving him his toys. One of them was very brave and liked it when Theo jumped on his head to say hello, the other was scared of him unless she was up on a chair where he couldn't get her, and then she liked him a lot. My cousin's baby daughter was totally terrified of him. She was the only person who didn't say hello to him, so of course, he spent the better part of the evening trying to greet her, which she viewed as a hostile threat, usually proceeding to cry at the top of her lungs. And of course, kids being kids, at the very end of the evening she, deciding he looked more like the Easter Bunny and less like Cerberus, came over and gave him a few nice pats on the back before walking away. There, drama averted.

The next day we took Theo over to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Tahoe to meet Brownie. Brownie is an ill-tempered mini-dachshund whom I fully expected to want nothing to do with Theo, and I was right. First thing after Theo walked in the front door was greet Brownie. It started off well, there was lots of sniffing, until Theo playfully jumped on her head (he does this with everyone he's playing with, dogs and people alike, I've noticed). Big no no. She growled and snapped and Theo ran for my ankles squealing like a dying pig. I separated them, and took Theo outside to eat some snow while Brownie mellowed. My Aunt suggested we take them both for a walk together, and it ended up being a great idea. They got to sniff eat other on mutual territory, and Brownie was able to get a sense of Theo's playfulness without being so surprised by it. When they got back in the house I made sure they stayed separated. Theo stuck by me and Brownie stuck by the sunny window, and even made sure to take the long way around me when she went to the kitchen to beg for leftover turkey.

We also took Theo to the Sparks Marina. It is so beautiful there! The wind ended up cutting our walk (and enjoyment! boo!) short, but I would definitely love to go back there when the weather is better. Theo enjoyed all the people and dogs, but his favorite part was when we stopped in the doggie bakery. He got to meet a very nice and patient dog, smell delicious smells, and eat some yummy venison and chicken treats!

Overall I would say that Reno is a very dog-friendly city when the weather permits (this weekend it didn't really). I would love to go back with him in the summer or fall when it tends to be sunnier. I'm glad that my parents welcomed him into their home. It was a really fun time. I can't wait until our next traveling adventure! Right now it's looking like Mendocino in August (*squeal!*), Husband's schedule permitting (it may not permit! boo!).

Settled Back In

Well we're back home. We drove back yesterday and this time the trip was only 10.5 hours, which was mostly due to the fact that Theo was amazing. He slept pretty much the entire way. When we stopped for gas or lunch or a snack he would wake up, go out to pee, run around a bit, then fall right back to sleep when we were back in the car. For the last few hours he just slept in my lap. It was the cutest thing ever! I am so happy that this trip worked out so well for us, and I'm glad to know that Theo can handle windy roads better than I can (I get car sick...ugh). But most of all, I'm glad to be back home.

Don't get me wrong, Reno was awesome for both me and Theo. But he's not 100% house trained yet, and while Theo did very well on that front at my parent's house (and I won't say more for fear of incriminating myself (and fear of incriminating others who have sworn me to secrecy)), it was hard to really relax when I had to watch his every move to make sure there were no accidents (there was one at my Aunt's cabin in Tahoe! Oops!). I'm glad to know that in future visits it should be easier. I was ready to go home just because I was ready to be in a place where it's not the end of the world if he pees.

I'll make a separate post for our weekend shenanigans because there's quite a bit to say. Stay tuned!

We Made It!

Well it was a long drive (12 hours with all the stops!), but we made it, and it was actually a nice trip. We drove up through the mountains and it was just a gorgeous drive. Theo was a dream (not even a hint of car sickness!). Thankfully we were able to fit his huge crate in the care with no problem. When he was in the crate and tired, he slept. But when he was awake, he cried and cried and acted like we had locked him up in prison. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I gave in. Amidst Theo's crying, I gave in and let him out of his crate and into my lap. Bad julo! Hehe. But as soon as he was out of his crate, he was back to being his quite, mellow self. His favorite place to sleep was the center console between the two front seats. He would lay down on it, put his head down behind it (at a 90 degree angle from his body) and go to sleep. I don't understand how we sleeps in some of the positions he does. Hehe.

On our travels he saw and experienced lots of new things. He saw ducks, he saw ducks doing it (I'm traumatized, it was very violent), and most notably, he saw snow! I've been feeding him a lot of crushed ice lately to sooth his gums from the teething, so when he saw the snow he thought it just a huge mound of crushed ice. He jumped right in and started chomping away. It was adorable! I have some pictures and video to share later.

So it looks like, for the most part, Theo is a pro at long drives. Yay!

Leaving Tomorrow

Tomorrow we leave for that trip to Reno I mentioned before. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for what a task it will most likely be. I made my list of things I need to make sure to do/bring tomorrow, and checked it twice.

Pack:
toys
treats
food
crate
.
.
.
To Do:
move car seat cover to Prius
make Theo's breakfast and lunch
.
.
.

It's all there. I couldn't believe how long the list ended up being! I hope it all fits into our Prius (they have tiny trunks, ya know)! Puppies really are like babies in the sense that there's just a lot of "stuff" you have to bring everywhere.

Theo's record of enjoying car rides is not great. It usually involves squirming (pictured), crying, panicking, and a whole lot of barking. Deafening barking. I've learned over the last few weeks that it's not being in the car that bothers him per se. At first I thought his problem was with being banished to the back seat, away from his humans and away from their attention. But now I think his main problem is with the restraint. If we don't buckle him into the harness, he's fine in the back seat. Hehe. But safety is first, so he'll just have to get over it. The plan is to shove his crate into the back seat, so he can chill in his crate unrestrained, but he'll still be safe. Of course, since his crate is huge (I'm still bitter they don't make crates for long-backed, short-legged dogs), that will depend entirely on whether it'll fit in the car. Cross your fingers!

This is going to be an all day car ride, so obviously the trip will go better for all parties the shorter it is. In that spirit, I'm going to try and get us all packed and ready to leave by 4am tomorrow morning so we can get past the areas that tend to be more congested during the later morning hours. Also, my mom made mention of possibly making some macaroni salad for dinner tomorrow night (one of my all time favorite *mom* foods, it's delish), so I want to make sure we're there in time for dinner. You know you're leaving too early when Starbucks won't even be open yet. Oiy.

I'm pretty nervous about the trip, just because the longest car ride we've had with Theo so far has been about 30 minutes. I'm *hoping* he'll end up sleeping most of the way, but if he's unhappy and in the mood to bark, it's going to get very hellish, very fast.

Cross your fingers for me, feel free to leave me any tips you might have for the journey, and I hope everyone has a happy passover! I may not blog much (if at all) while I'm gone, but hopefully when I get back my camera will be full of cute pictures of Theo!

In All His Glory

Here's a picture of my little graduate. See the certificate? I'm so proud of him! He was totally pooped when I took this picture, which is probably the only reason I was able to take it! Normally he won't sit still long enough. As it was, it look a couple of tries because he moved whenever I propped the certificate against him. Hehe.

I have a few more pictures, but I've already exceeded my max uploading capacity for the month on Flickr. Boo! I've been thinking of upgrading to pro and actually paying for it. Eep! I noticed a lot of you have pro accounts. Do you think it's worth the $25/year?

Made It To The Dog Park

So Saturday evening I was finally able to get to the dog park, and I have some bad and good things to report. I'll start with the bad, since it happened in the very beginning of the visit, so we'll just get it out of the way. Theo was attacked. He's fine, and it probably sounded worse than it was due to the fact that he's a total chicken sh*t. There were two dogs that looked to me like Min Pins. They were totally obese (their mid-section was about twice as wide as their head. I kid you not, it looked disgusting), which I should have taken as a sign of an over-indulgent owner. I was sitting on the bench while Theo explored the area around it (he never strayed far from me, what a good boy) when all of a sudden I heard dogs growling and my little Theo squealing like he was being murdered slowly. My poor baby! I ran over to see the two Min Pins, teeth bared, standing over Theo, who was fully in the submissive position, crying for the dogs to leave him alone. I was terrified for my little boy. I saw the owner come over too, but she made no moves to stop her dogs, she just called to them in a lazy, disappointed tone, as if they do this all the time, so of course they didn't listen and kept on snapping at Theo. Now I've never broken up a dog fight, and I wasn't sure what to do. I had my "chuck-it" stick, so I plowed it down in between them, trying to use it to pull the other dog off Theo without getting my hands in there. Luckily, there was a fearless woman who thought it was her dog being bullied, so she pulled one of them off right away. Looking back, that's just what I should have done, and next time I'll know to just get right in it and break it up. Ain't no bullies gonna bite up my little puppy!

After the dogs were off of him, Theo bolted to a distance he felt safe, then sat down and pouted. I scooped him up in my protective arms, gave him a bunch of reassuring kisses, and then inspected him for wounds. There were none, as I figured. They were just being bullies and Theo was just being a scaredy-cat. The owner of the fat bullies (can you tell I don't like them now?) at least had the decency to ask if Theo was ok, and then promptly left the park. Good riddance.

After that Theo stayed very close to me. He was scared for awhile, but luckily the other dogs there were all sweethearts, who left him alone, or politely sniffed him. After a few minutes he got over "the incident" and was himself again. There ended up being like four Pugs there at once, and they were all soooo cute! It was super hot, so they were grunting away. Most people seem to think Pugs are ugly and sound gross because of their breathing, but I think it's endearing and I think they're just the cutest! There were some other dogs, but only pugs seemed interested in Theo, and he let them sniff him very calmly, and even sniffed a few butts himself!

Now the way my dog park is sectioned off there is a small dogs area (under 30 pounds), a large dog area (over 30 pounds), and an all dogs area. The large dog area was empty. All the large dog-owning butt heads went into the all dog area! Sure, I can't really fault them for that, but they also happened to be playing very rough. Whenever a new dog would enter, a handful of huge dogs would come bounding up, barking. At one point there was blood on a bunch of the dogs, though they couldn't figure out who the bleeder was. With all that going on I stayed far away from that pen. But Mouth showed up with his three dogs (2 small and 1 large), and we wanted to all play together. So we took over the large dog pen. It was totally empty, so it was great. The 4 dogs got to play together without other psycho dogs picking on them. A few more dogs came in, but they ended up being very friendly (I kept Theo close until I was sure), so we had a wonderful time. Since it was mostly empty I was able to run around the pen without 20 dogs chasing after me, and Theo got to get some herding out of his system for the day.

And by the way, Theo was totally the star of the small dog pen! Almost every person who came in went straight to Theo and asked what breed he was, hold old he was, what his name was. They squatted down to his level and gave him lots of love. That was definitely the part he loved the most. That dog is definitely a charmer!

I think Jenna's advice and apprehension of dog parks came in handy (thanks Jenna!). I still want a place to run him around off-leash, and to interact with people, and a few nice dogs. I've decided that the dog park might be a nice thing once or twice a week, during non-peak hours. If I go early in the morning or late at night when not a lot of other people are there, I think that's when it'll be best. Saturday afternoon (actually it was early evening, but it was really hot, so I think people came after it cooled down) was just too crazy for us. But a time when we can run around and interact with a few others will be beneficial, I think.

The Graduate

This past Saturday Theo graduated from his puppy kindergarten class. Yay! Congrats to Theo! I would say that his last day of class displayed his mastery of sits, downs, walking loosely on the leash, and that sort of thing, but we didn't actually end up doing much obedience this class. The trainer called it "a lazy day" and we spent most of the hour just letting the puppies play. I will say that his last day of class he showed his vast improvement in playing with other puppies! He never ran and hid from the other dogs, and he spent a good portion of the time jumping on heads and gnawing on ears. The trainer even noted that he had come a long way and she thought he was ready for puppy elementary. I have to agree!

I've said in the past that I can't recommend obedience classes enough, and here's another reason. The trainer spent some time at the end of class to recommend some dog-friendly places to eat in the area. She said it was a beautiful day and we should sit outside with our pups and eat some lunch. Well that sounded like a wonderful idea to me, so I tried one of the places she recommended. This place had outside seating with lots of nice shade, and very friendly service. They even brought out a bowl of ice water for Theo! The food was delicious, and I ended up having a nice relaxing hour, reading my book and petting my dog in between bites of delicious food. I always like finding new places with good food (I eat out so much I tend to get tired of the places I know), so I'd say Saturday was a success!

For finishing his training Theo got a certificate of completion, a notice saying that we get $10 off the next obedience class, and a new leash!

More Space

Last weekend I got Theo a bigger crate. The first crate we bought was pretty small because I was afraid if he had too much space, it would hinder his house training. I know I could have just bought a wire crate and used a divider, but I like the plastic kind. Well, of course, he's been growing like a...what grows fast? A sprout? Anyway, I noticed last week that he was looking pretty cramped in his crate, and I think it was affecting his sleep. He could still stand up and turn around, but he couldn't really stretch out. Poor guy. So first chance I got, I went to the store to get his "more permanent" crate (pictured, right).

I asked around on the Corgi forums, and people said that 30" (deep) is usually big enough, but 36" for sure lets them stretch out in their "superman" position. So I went to the store planning to buy a 36" deep crate. OMFG, a 36" crate is HUGE! I was dubious if I would even be able to fit it in my car. Instead I ended up getting a 32" crate. I figure it should still be big enough for him long term, and if he ever gets big enough to get cramped in there, I can just get the larger size then.

I think my plan is to always have two crates from now on anyways. When I just had the one small one I carted it around between his pen, the kitchen, and outside our bedroom, since I try and always give him access to his "main bed". It got to be quite a pain, and I'm glad to have established the new, large crate permanently upstairs, where it'll stay for good. I still use the old crate downstairs. I still feed him in it, and he still sleep in it in his pen, since there's still enough room for him with the crate door open. When he finally grows out of the smaller one, then I'll worry about getting that 36" crate...but I still don't know how I would fit it in my car. lol! It wouldn't be so bad if all crates weren't proportioned for dogs with longer legs. If only I could find a crate that was the height and width of a medium-large crate with the depth of an extra large crate! Arg! Corgi prejudice strikes again!

And I have to say, that first night he slept in his new, larger diggs? He loved it! Last week he would cry a lot before finally settling down and going to sleep. This week he happily jumps right in and conks right out. Last week when he would wake up, he would cry to be let out of his crate. This week he's fine just chilling until my alarm going off for the 5th time finally wakes me up. And, of course, he hasn't had a single accident, even though he's got more than enough room to make himself a little pee spot. Phew!

It feels good knowing he's more comfortable and I wish I had realized it sooner! If your puppy is looking a little cramped in his crate, go ahead and upgrade him a size or two. You'll notice the difference right away.

Foiled Again!

As I said in the comments of my last post, I tried to take Theo to the dog park, finally, yesterday (I tried to take him the day before, but I got caught up at work at the last minute. Boo!), but when I drove past it on my way home, I saw it was closed. Foiled again!

This is why I love the internet. I just checked the park's website, and the dog park is closed yesterday and today due to "refertilization and aeration of the pens". Ack! Don't they know I'm trying to take Theo for his first dog park visit here!? Maybe it's a sign. Hehe. I was planning on meeting Mouth this weekend with his dogs there. I was hoping to take him before that to get him used to the park, but too bad for that idea.

TMI

Ok, I know this isn't something that everyone wants to read about, but it's a milestone in my puppy's development, so here we go. Theo has been getting erections. Ewwwww! This is one of the reasons I was apprehensive about getting a male. I didn't want to have to deal with all his boy parts and boy issues. Hehe.

I was actually surprised it started happening so early, but I asked the vet about it, and he said it was totally normal. At first glance it looked like he was bleeding. I started to freak out for half a second before realizing what the blood-red out of the corner of my eye actually was. Haha!

My little puppy is becoming a dog! It's too soon!

Tender

As I said yesterday, Theo got his last set of shots. Well he didn't react the best to them this time around, poor thing. Yesterday when I went home at lunchtime to feed him, he was acting very lethargic (which is normal). Normally the garage door wakes him up, but yesterday he was so conked out, he didn't stir until I started talking to him after I had gotten in the house. Normally he'll put his front paws up on the pen to let me know he wants to say hello to me, but yesterday he only pawed at the floor a little bit.

When I went to pick him up, he squealed in pain like I've never heard him squeal before. Man, hearing a puppy in pain is absolutely the worst sound in the world. I immediately stopped. I hadn't actually lifted him off the ground, I had only put some pressure on his chest and butt. I leaned over again and put pressure on his chest again. He squealed again! Ack! My poor puppy! This time I just lifted the pen so he could crawl out under the bottom. I very gingerly pulled him into my lap, turned him onto his back, and inspected his underside and chest area. He seemed uncomfortable, but ok. Gently putting pressure there didn't cause him pain anymore. Phew!

When I took him outside I noticed that there was a little bit of a different rhythm to his gait. He was slightly limping. That was the last straw. I called the vet's office and told them he was extremely sore. The vet asked where he was sore, and when I told them, they said that was where he was given the shot. Phew! It makes sense then! I asked if it was normal for him to be sore where he had received the shot, and they said yes (though I guess most dogs don't experience it). Phew!

It was a bit of a scare, but I'm glad I was able to discern what the problem was. When I got home from work at the end of the day he was totally fine. No limping, no pain, no lethargy! It can be so hard not being able to ask him what is bothering him. Heh.