Road Trip!

Ahh, some peace and quiet at 7am.  Jasmine has been up running around and is taking a nap! Time to update the blog!  Traveling with a blind-deaf dog, and a puppy to boot, does bring with it some challenges.  Overall, the puppy has been extremely good!  She's been with us for a week now and the changes are apparent.  She is growing like a weed and I had to move her to a taller puppy pen, as she can now reach the top of the other one.  It was just a matter of time before she figured out how to go over!  I'd rather that she didn't know about that possibility!  She traveled very well ... a 14 hour car ride is enough to make anybody stir crazy!  We stopped often to let her potty and run around and she rewarded me by sleeping most of the way.  Of course, once we got here, she was wide awake and ready to run zoomies everywhere while I was very tired and wanted to go to bed. 

Treasure is always a great traveler, always ready for a new adventure that riding in the car brings.  Even though she knows her touch commands well, she was very distracted by all the new smells along the way and often chose not to potty at our stops.  She smelled every new inch of every rest area and gas station along the way and got annoyed with me when the leash wouldn't allow her to proceed as far as she would have liked. 

Treasure has decided that she is no longer amused by puppy antics.  Jasmine barks at her and tries to get her to play, bouncing on top of her head.  Treasure has become a bit more jumpy when touched now, jumping up and expecting to have it be Jasmine.  Overall, though, she is still very tolerant. 

There are some dangers here that I don't have to worry about at home, so I have to be vigilant.  There are many steps here with a railing on the landing.  Treasure is used to her small set of steps to get to my bed, but we do not have a longer flight of steps at home.  While it would be easy to gate off the steps, the railing has openings that are big enough for her or Jazzy to fit through, and knowing Treasure, she would need to go investigating!  But Treasure is quite content to hang out in the big guest room with my large suitcase gating off the doorway.  It is her new home away from home.  She has an open crate and her blankie, and bones and food puzzle toys to keep her busy.  And she gets lots of cuddle time, too, of course. 

Treasure is really enjoying the big bed here, that she doesn't have to share with any of the other dogs!  Although I did put Jasmine up on it last night to pose for pictures.  Jazzy does not yet understand the concept of height, so ran off of the edge a couple times.  I was right there and caught her, but also let her gently tumble to the floor so she might learn to respect drop offs.  It worked and after the second tumble, she stopped herself at the edge each time.  I'm not sure how much of a drop off she can see, but she did start to feel for the edge with her foot and then stop herself. When she couldn't get to me and there was nothing else left to do, she finally settled down near the edge where Treasure was lying, and I got a cute picture of them both. Oops, Jazzy's up, gotta run!



Puppy Paws

It’s been a little while since puppy paws have pattered through my kitchen.  Meet Jasmine (Jazzy).  She’s also a double merle sheltie.  She is able to see, but it’s hard to know exactly what at this point.  She can see to follow us and play with toys.  But if we get too far away she seems to not know we’re there.  She appears to be deaf, as I have not found any sound yet that she responds to.  And she’s 12 weeks old. 

I have had gorgeous weather for the end of November to start her housetraining.  It’s been close to 70 degrees every day since I brought her home!  And sunny!  All that is supposed to end tomorrow, so I’m thankful to have had four days of nice weather to get her started on a routine.  She now knows to potty quickly once outside, which is nice.  I’ve introduced the touch cue for go potty, now that I know she will go quickly. 

We’re making progress with leash training.  I’m teaching her to come along with light pressure in various directions instead of fighting me at the end of the leash.  This will hopefully translate to wonderful loose leash walking later on.  She’s learning to accept sleeping in the crate quietly and staying alone in her puppy pen.  The first couple days were pretty rough with many temper tantrums on her end!  But today she actually slept quietly in her crate for a nap, and once in her pen as well.  Progress!

She’s learning which of the dogs will play with her, and in what manner.  She likes Brinks who plays and wrestles all day long.  She is also playing with Treasure, but doesn’t understand yet that she has to continue to make contact with her or she won’t know where Jazzy went.  She follows Grace, but Grace is not so sure about why this fuzz ball is following her everywhere, so isn’t playing with her yet. 

Now that the tantrums are lessening, she’s really a delightful puppy.  She entertains herself with bones and toys and then takes a nap wherever she is.  She will chase toys, but has no interest in bringing them back to me, so we are working on that.  She will play tug.  In fact, she will tug things around that are much larger than she is!  And of course, there are puppy zoomies!!  I love puppy zoomies! 

More to come of Jazzy’s adventures!  Stay tuned …

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow!  How did it get to be Thanksgiving again already?  These dogs keep me very busy, and it seems like time just flies!  We have much to be thankful for this year, as always ... good health, a wonderful son who is growing into a fine young man, the best of friends, and an abundance to fill all our needs.  I hope you and your family find time to be thankful for each other this year.

This is my beautiful girl, Grace.  When she's clean, she is so very white.  But, her absolutely favorite thing of all is to play in the mud puddles in the yard, which right now are VERY plentiful!  (I am not so thankful about that!)  I hold my breath every time I let her back inside.  I never know just what I am going to find! Here are some pictures of her ... happy and muddy; and, did I mention happy??





Healing Through All The Senses

I'm home today.  I haven't been feeling well and need to take a couple days to recover before my job gets busy again for the next month.  My day started as usual.  I got up early, now before it is light outside, to let the dogs outside.  I checked my email while they ran and played in the yard. 

But then, when I let them back inside, I laid back down in bed for a bit.  The puppy bounced around on top of my various body parts and played in the covers.  His enthusiasm was at first less than appreciated, but soon he had me smiling at his abundance of energy.  Treasure found me right away and came over to snuggle, trying to find a safe place to avoid being bounced on by Brinks.  She nuzzled her head into my arm and my chest and gave me a few licks on the chin.  I lost myself in time, as I laid there with her, both of us connected in the moment, and I started to feel better.

I really didn't feel like going out, but I had library books due today, so I made myself get in the car.  My thought was to get it done earlier in the day, so I could come home and sleep.  But a marvelous thing happened as I was driving to the library.  All my favorite songs seemed to be playing on the radio, so I was singing along.  And the landscape had exploded with every color imaginable!  It is autumn and the trees are so incredible to look at, that it's important to remind myself at every opportunity to pay attention to the road in front of me. 

I had no schedule, nowhere I had to be at a certain time, no one I had to answer to.  My day has been one small moment of healing after another.  It's easy to forget to notice those moments when we get caught up in our routine and our schedules.  Those small moments where, if we allow ourselves, we can rejuvenate and connect with ourselves.  Where we can experience healing. 

It occurred to me that healing happens through all of our senses when we allow it to.  The touch of a special dog's head resting on my chest, feeling her breathing, being encompassed by her loving energy.  The sounds of music and meaningful lyrics of my favorite songs.  The birds singing in the new morning light.  Singing along with those songs; a form of expression.  Seeing the bright vibrant colors of the trees spreading everywhere along the horizon.  Feeling the cool crisp autumn air.  Smelling and tasting the healing power of food as I prepare and eat my lunch, and then on to a nap. 

How nice it was to be reminded of these things today and to be able to slow down and appreciate them all.  I hope every one of you will experience your own moments of healing today and every day.  

In Her Likeness ...

A huge THANK YOU to our friend, Mary Beth Genter, for creating this perfect likeness of Treasure on her new bag!  Everyone loves the bag, especially me - and Treasure!  

Learning to Heel ... Finally!

Another beautiful picture of Treasure from the sheltie picnic! 

It's been a year since taking Treasure through obedience classes.  I had started teaching her to heel then, but it just wasn't happening the way I had hoped.  I wanted her to learn to lean into my leg, so she could feel it moving and know which direction to come with me.  Treasure tends to want to walk slightly away from my leg, and she cues very well with a slight jiggle of the leash, but keeping her in heel position with a loose leash is tricky because she can't see to reference where she needs to be in relation to my leg.  I've been wanting to try using a solid leash to give her more feedback as to my position, speed, etc. 

Well, today I finally made a solid leash ... I know, I know, what took me so long?!  I let her sniff it before putting it on her, just to let her know what this new thing was.  It worked like a charm!  Of course, she had already learned to walk in the direction that she feels very light collar pressure, either from a leash, or from my hand lightly guiding her by the collar.  This made the transition to the solid leash very smooth.

We walked short distances, after which I stopped to give her a treat and a pet.  I kept a very light contact between Treasure's collar and the solid leash.  It was nice to be able to stand up straight and walk in a normal manner, but I was still able to guide her on her level through the leash snap.  An about turn went well, but slowly.  As she gains confidence, I'm sure her speed will return.  She walks much faster with the solid leash on a straight path than she does with a regular leash.  I think this is because she is getting more information from the contact on the solid leash, so she feels more confident stepping out. 

When I touch her collar, she will scoot forward very quickly, knowing that she can trust me not to run her into anything. When she walks on her own, she goes much slower to avoid smacking her nose on things.  So it makes sense that having a light contact on the leash gives her that same confidence.  

I also introduced her to a collar cue for sit, as in sitting when I halt.  I moved the solid leash at a slight angle and at the same time lifted very lightly under her chin.  I gave the cue immediately before giving her the sit cue she already knows of touching her rear end.  By the third time, she sat with only the collar cue before I could touch her.  Good girl!  Of course, she is a very smart girl and she does love those treats!! 

In other training, we are working again on stays ... sort of got lazy working on those.  She will now roll over, but she prefers going to her right side.  She will roll the other way, too, but only after she first rolls to the right.  She is learning to sit up and beg.  When we first tried it, she was very off balance, but now she is starting to balance for short periods of time.  We continue to work on shaking hands.  Sometimes she will lift a paw, but not consistently. 

We continue to work on K9 nosework.  She did a demo and amazed everyone at the sheltie picnic last weekend!  I am pairing odor with her hides now.  The first couple we did with odor, she definitely realized something was different and took a few extra seconds to sniff the odor before eating her treats.  Our official nosework training kit came yesterday, so ... happy scenting! 

Shelties and Fall!



Treasure, Owen, and Grace





Last weekend was Northern Chesapeake Sheltie Rescue's annual sheltie reunion picnic.  Grace and Treasure were both adopted through NCSR, and Owen, being a sheltie, was able to come join the fun too!  After a week of heavy rain, the weather cooperated and the rain held off for the afternoon.  There was so much delicious food shared by all!  The dogs enjoyed some bites of my hamburger at lunch time!

Games galore!  Musical sits, popcorn catching, biscuit on spoon race, trick contest, costume contest, who came the farthest, and more, but I can't remember them all right now.  Grace won the costume contest with her Halloween dress. Owen won the trick contest with his going to hide in the suitcase trick, among others.  Treasure got third in the trick contest by showing how she can respond to touch cues for sit, down and spin.  She got second place for smallest sheltie ... beat out by a tie between a puppy and her new brother, Timmy!  (Yes, we adopted a new boy and brought him home with us from the picnic!)

All in all, a very fun day.  We all went home tired, but happy.  Here's our newest family member, Timmy!