The Rosie Road, part 3 MILEY

Intercepted emails from Miley in "doggy camp" to her little persons.

1/7/08

Hi kids!

I just want you to know I am having fun here at aunt patti's doggy camp.  I am learning to go potty outside.  (It helps that the snow is melting.)  Patti's dog Gypsy is showing me what to do.  Last night I slept all night in my crate.  I liked that patti put it in her bedroom in case I got scared.  (But I didn't!) I was ready to play at 6:30 this morning, but first I had to go outside to poop and pee, and after that Gypsy and I ate breakfast.  I have to "sit" before I can eat breakfast, lunch, AND dinner (patti is teaching me how).   Then I got to play.

 

That's me in the picture having breakfast (after I sat) in my new play yard in patti's kitchen.  It's all for me!

miss you, love and puppy kisses!  Miley

1/8/08

Sorry it's so late, but I had a busy day at work today.  Yep, I went to work with aunt patti and Gypsy.  You can see me safe in my crate in patti's work truck (I'm glad I have my bunny).  We went lots of places.  First I met everyone on patti's team really early in the morning (there were some BIG dogs there!), then we drove a looong way in her truck.  She let me get out alot to pee, but sometimes I got distracted because there were too many new things to see and sniff.  Oh, and I met a nice little doggie named Sam and his little person just about your age, Maddy.  

It rained alot today, but mostly I stayed warm and dry in my crate.  I got to eat lunch right in the truck!  Then we drove a looong way back home and played and played.  I'm getting good at chasing the ball and bringing it back, although sometimes I like to tease patti and run away instead.  Gypsy let me jump into her soft new bed she got from Santa!

I'm doing pretty good learning not to mess in the house, but patti has to pay closer attention to me.  She still hasn't figured out when I try to tell her "I gotta go!"  I had two mistakes today, but lots of other times I did okay.  I LOVE  to go outside, there are so many things to smell and chase, like leaves!  Plus, I follow Gypsy around.

I hope you are having as much fun as me!  I miss you!  Tomorrow we don't have to go to work.  I wonder what we'll do....

puppy kisses, Miley  (aunt patti says "hi!")

1/9/08

Hey Maddy!  I have to go to bed now, but I wanted to let you know how much fun I had today.  Patti is finally learning to know when I tell her I have to go out.  I gave her a good hint--I ran to the back door and she took me out!  I pooped and peed outside ALL DAY!

Patti made me a fun toy to keep me busy thinking.  She took a plastic bottle and cut a hole in it and then put some of my food in there.  I was scared at first, but then I figured it out--when I roll it around pieces fall out and I get to eat them! Is this what you do in school?

Patti teaches me lots of things.  When I fetch she tells me to "drop."  Sometimes I get excited and try to bite her hands or clothes, but she tells me "NO" and I stop.  I try to be a good puppy!

I miss you!  I can't wait to get home, but first I want to be the very bestest puppy I can!

love and puppy kisses, Miley

FLD Mike, Living Dangerously

Calm Mr. Mike is a wild-man.  Second day in a row.

Yesterday morning, I saw the whites of his eyes as he leapt from the rug at the front door to the matching round rug in the middle of our living room.  And then he kept on leaping.  Onto his mat in the kitchen.  Over to the shag rug in front of the counter.  He never touched down on the hard wood or tile floor in-between.  Rug to rug to rug.  And back.  He passed Gypsy with a nose butt to her shoulder; she returned a quick snarl, white teeth bared beneath her curled back lip.  Mike:  living dangerously.

But, he can't help himself.  FLD Mike is almost 7 months old.  Like people, dogs suffer through the woes of adolescence.  Yay...testosterone!

In self-defense yesterday, I took Mike out for his morning walk first thing.  Breakfast could wait.  We didn't leave our townhouse complex.  I concentrated on loose-leash heeling--my neighbors, if they happened to glance out, would wonder why I took such a backwards walk.  I worked hard for his attention.  After about 30 minutes walking-but-getting-nowhere, he started to adjust his pace in time with mine, he finally looked at me the moment I said Mike, he held his SIT, head turning with his eyes on me as I circled around behind him.  When we came back inside, he ran over to his "mat," promptly sat, and waited patiently for me to fill his bowl and give him the OK to eat.  As always, I am astonished how effective a modest bit of obedience work is in calming the "wildre-beast."

This morning, my strategy takes a different approach.  Mr. Mike and I play the "mat" game.

Mike, STAY.  I leave him sitting in the hall by the back door.  I move his mat near the front closet.  Mike, MAT.  He runs full bore to the spot in the kitchen where his mat usually is, sniffs the floor (not there), looks over toward his food dish (not there either), turns with a hop to bound into the living room, spots the mat, leaps onto it, turning in one motion to slide into a "down."  Good mat, Mike!  I move the mat several times and repeat, with increasing enthusiasm.

When I put the mat in the back bathroom, Mike can't find it right away--he retraces the other places where the mat had been, then races upstairs, races down, races through the living room to the kitchen to the back hall where he finally sights the mat.  Yippee!!  Yikes, this game isn't tiring him out, he's getting ramped up!

Shift gears.  I put the mat in the living room and send him to it.  He lies down, but his posture says, "I'm ready to GO."  STAY.  This trick proves to be a tad more challenging for Mr. Mike.  After stopping him from getting up a few times, he finally rolls over onto his side as if to say, "Ok, looks like I'm staying here awhile."  I finish my breakfast before releasing him with the command, OK!

Now, as I write this, FLD Mike is sleeping under my desk, a sweet puppy once again.

A TIP for Tuesday: PUPPY POTTY TRAINING, step one

A new puppy comes home.  Do these things first!

• Buy an appropriately sized crate.  This is your most important tool!  (More about crate training later.)

 If you get a large breed puppy, buy a crate that has an expandable divider.  The crate should just be big enough for your puppy to stand up and turn around.  If the crate is too large, your puppy will learn to potty at one end.  Your puppy has a natural instinct to keep his (or her) sleep area clean.  Never use the crate for punishment; the crate should always be your puppy's special place.  Always crate your puppy at night and whenever you are not home.

• Buy a buckle collar and an inexpensive leash.

Your puppy will need to learn how to behave on a leash; the best way to teach this is to let your puppy drag a leash around (hence the cheap leash--you won't be mad when he chews it up).  The leash also makes a good "handle" to catch him when he shows signs of needing to potty.

• Select a small area in your home to first contain your puppy.

Select a room, like your kitchen, to block off at first, or you can buy an adjustable plastic pen (highly recommended!) to section off part of a room if it is big.  Think about where you will spend most of your time, or where it will be easiest to clean up after your puppy, and plan to keep your puppy there.

• Design a feeding and potty schedule you can live with. 

Puppies have little bladders, and less control.  Expect them to potty 15-20 minutes after drinking or eating.  Puppies will only be able to hold themselves in the crate for one hour plus one hour for each month of age (an eight week old puppy might only be able to hold himself for 1 plus 2 hours).

At eight weeks old, puppies should be fed three times a day.  Monitor food and water intake.  Don't be afraid to limit water after 7:00pm--or you'll be up more times per night to take your puppy out to pee!


It is important to be consistent and persistent!  As my friend Katie says, "A couple weeks of intense effort will pay off with years of pleasant co-habitation with your dog."


SOME KEY RULES

Keep your attention on your puppy!

• If you cannot devote your entire attention to your puppy, he must be contained, crated, or tied to you by a leash.

• NEVER leave your puppy unattended after eating or drinking--what goes in will come out--it's a perfect opportunity for learning.

Contain

• Your puppy must EARN the right to roam the rest of the house.  He must be accident-free in the smaller initial area before expanding access to the rest of the house.  Just because your puppy won't potty in the kitchen (if that is the initial area), doesn't mean he understands that the living room is not a bathroom.  Expect to backtrack training as access is allowed.

Communication is YOUR responsibility!

•   YOU must learn to read your dog for signals he has to potty.

• Your puppy will learn by making mistakes, so you must be able to "catch" him in the "act."  Or better yet, just BEFORE.  A stern NO, sweep the puppy up and get him outside where you want him to potty, stand in one place (he should be on a leash) and give a command.  Leader Dogs teach us puppy-raisers to say "park" to our Future Leader Dogs.  I knew one lady from England who taught her puppy to "spend a penny."

• Remember to PRAISE your puppy when he pottys outside.  Be careful using treats, your puppy will learn to "fake it" just for the treat!

• If your puppy doesn't potty within the time you are willing to stand there, put him in his crate when you return inside.  Leave him in the crate for 15 minutes, then take him outside and try again.  DO NOT LET HIM FREE UNTIL HE POTTYS!  If you are consistent with this, he will learn quickly. 

The Rosie Road, part 2

CONFESSION

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It's been years since my last confession. I've been prejudiced.  I never really liked little, yappy dogs.  Well, until recently.  I've met a few I like.  But, I've been known to call them "kick-me" dogs.

"For your penance, go now and rescue a little dog."

It's true.  I never had a special place in my heart for diminutive dogs.  Most of the ones I knew were irritating spoiled brats.  My idea of a "real" dog was one that weighed at least 40 lbs, a dog you could run with, who would make you feel protected.

My mind changed, though, after working for Invisible Fence.  I was in contact with scores of dogs, big and small, and in-between.  Some of these little dogs were very cool, just like "regular" dogs!  They behaved, they listened, they were easy to train, and fun to play with!  What made them just like "big" dogs?  And others like gremlins?

LITTLE DOG SYNDROME

Many tiny pups suffer from what is known as "little-dog-syndrome."  Check out more on this phenomenon at this website:  www.dogbreedinfo.com.

In short, it isn't their fault.  Humans put up with behaviors in little dogs that we wouldn't allow in larger dogs.  Let's face it.  A 90 lb rotty who runs up and jumps on you is just plain SCARY!  Yet, a 12 lb "Yorki-poo" jumps up and it's "cute."  Annoying little dogs are just DOGS who do what dogs do--assert themselves in a pack hierarchy--and get away with it.

NOW I WANT A SMALL DOG

How cool would it be to have a tiny, obedient dog to bring to work with me?  I thought.  What a great example!

So, I will find a small dog, but I've got to narrow my choices--what breed?  I insisted on a puppy under 12 weeks of age.  Remember, part of wanting a new puppy was to challenge what I learned about training and socializing during this critical phase--from about 8 to 16 weeks.

During the month of January, 2008, I spent hours perusing PetFinder.  LUCY, a 12 week-old terrier mix (maybe).  TAMARA, a 7 month-old min-pin (too old, but cute).  TODDI, a Tibetan spaniel mix, age unknown (could be too big).  AUBURN, an 8 week-old Boston terrier mix (hmmm).  I also visited the Macomb County Animal Shelter.  Not too many young puppies here.

So many choices; I wanted ALL of them!  I just couldn't decide.  I might have to wait until May for the annual adoption event where I found Gypsy, "Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo."

IN THE MEANTIME

My nephew gave his six-year-old daughter a female Yorkie puppy (she named "Miley") that same Christmas, a grand-slam-home-run.  Unfortunately, his busy household with three kids (one an infant) and two working parents left little time for house-training.  He called me for advice.  After a long list of instructions, he gasped in exasperation.  "That isn't going to happen!"  Let me take Miley home for 2 weeks and I'll do it.

At last, a chance to practice my training skills with a little dog!