Excuse me while I grab a tissue...

The note below made every frustration, chewed item, chase scene through my neighborhood, and attacks over the last two months, worth it. As you guys have commented, sometimes trusting your "gut" pays out. And this time we've hit the pot of gold. 


Our trade off went really well, we met at a Petstore in NC, and I showed Zips new mom a few things that I felt would be essential for Zipper. Then Pompei and I walked them to her car, and placed Zipper into her brand new crate, on her brand new blanket and watched them drive away.

I will admit that I felt an acute sense of relief. I know my family thinks I'm being a little over dramatic, but seriously that dog ruled the roost, my time, my energy and everything was spent working with Zipper. 

Anyway I hadn't heard anything from the all day, so being the worrier I am, I emailed them to see how the first night went....


Zip seems to feel right at home! She slept with me in my bed, curled up right next to my leg and only got up once in the middle of the night to play with a squeaky toy, but then I woke a little before 6am and she was fast asleep! We went for an early morning walk, and you're right outside is her doggie heaven! Any chance she can get to go outside she LOVES it. I took her to work from 8-9 so she could meet the people I work with and she loved meeting new people, and after the initial excitement of all the newness of the office she curled up in a chair in my office and napped/watched me work. (Something that would not have happened in my house due to other dogs)I had to run out to visit people so I took her home at 9, and my sister woke up about 9:30am and took her for a 40 minute walk and then they took an afternoon nap, and then I came home for lunch and took her for a mini walk. And we just took her for an evening walk. So, I think she loves all the attention. She is playing nicely, and only chewing on her toys thus far, and she is eating and no accidents yet. She is a happy little puppy I think! Hopefully night two goes just as well!! I'll send you pictures soon! 

We love her! Thank you so much!

I'm thinking this is a match made in heaven. *sniffs*

The Decision

After lots of thought, consultations with other trainers, and prayer; we decided not to place Zipper with the family who wished to adopt her. It was a hard decision for me, as while Zip is a great dog, having her in my house has been...interesting.. I was more than ready to see her find her forever home...but at the same time, I had to make sure I was putting her in a home where she could be happy. 


I have no doubt at all, that this family would have loved her too pieces, but I also had concerns about their dogs happiness as well. While Zipper is a cutie, she has made life miserable for my dogs over the last couple of weeks. 


Once I'd talked to the family, I called the rescue group to let them know, that Zipper needed to find another home,  but I'd put out the word once more, and see what happened. At the same time, I let them know I really needed to move her on from my home, as I wasn't able to do much with her, due to having three other dogs.

She's  been spending a lot of time by herself, which breaks my heart. While I don't particularly like her, I can't stand to be the one to be increasing her stress rather than decreasing it. At different points during the day I'll either put my dogs out or take her out alone, just to spend some one-on-one time with her. Wonder of wonder, she's a completely different dog, one that's much more relaxed and calm, when she doesn't have to monitor the other dogs comings and goings; I realized more and more that I did make the right decision. Now if only we could find an adopter who fit our criteria! 

I was preparing to email the rescue and arrange a transport to their facilities for her, when I noticed an email from a lady, asking if Zipper was still available and fit the bill perfectly! No dogs, no kids, very active lifestyle and fenced in yard. We've talked, and emailed back and forth got approval from the rescue and set up a time for the exchange. 

I am so happy that Zipper will be able to start a normal life, and leave the restrictiveness of my house.  I know my dogs will also be glad to freely roam their domain, with out having to constantly hide under my desk, or try and fight off the crazed JRT who is clinging too their neck. 

Having Zipper in my home, has definatly been an experiance and just confirms too me that every dog is not right for every home...but it has changed my mind about fostering pets...but not at this time. :) 


Zipper will depart for her new home Tuesday. Wish her luck!

Texas Log: member mom

Ok alla ya'lls need to send lots of tail wags, and good thoughts too mom right now, cause Zipper is a LAMEY-POO and tried to KILL ME  bite me really hard two moons ago. Now mom doesn't want to make it so she bites a lotta more dogs, and gets in trouble and has too go to the DOGGIE JAIL, cause mom was too chicken ta do the right thing. Well, personally I don't think it would be a bad thing for Zips to go too jail cause then she could bite me all the time anymore. AnyWoofs moms a pushover and "didn't want to cause problems" with Zipper being with a lotta more dogs. She doesn't think people really believe its dats serious but I DO! I actually miss dumbo Pompei cause at least he don't try and bite me all the time. 
Sometimes, when she is sleep, I kinda like hers...but then she wakes up and starts the whole bitey thing again, and its no fun anymore. 
SO Yah. That's all for now. 

P.S. (I didn't even bite her backs when she tried ta kill me TTHREE TimES!)
PPS (I thinks I desevers a metal for that.)

Calmness

{Zipper snoozes on the back of a chair}

Today was probably the best day we've had with Miss Zipper, since her arrival..about a month ago. 

Last night we had an episode where, she attacked Texas three times, and the last time she had no plans of letting him go. Needless to say we removed her from the situation from the night, and I knew we had to do something different today.  From what I'm observing, when she gets excited she redirects onto whatever dog is around her, and sometimes its extremely intense. I'm thinking that's what one of the attacks last night was about, as we'd had company over, which of course  gets all the dogs excited.  The other two were over food.  

So today, Zipper got to hang with me, either leashed, or blocked off in the room I was in. I think Bubbles and Texas appreciated the break from her "nagging". We'd trade off between 30 minutes out, and 30 minutes crated, which in turned produced a much calmer Zipper. *insert surprised face* Her body was probably thanking me for the down time! :) 

I also decided not too let her play, with Bubbles or Texas since she wasn't respecting their signals to BACK OFF. Especially since Bubbles is more likely to fight back, if Zipper doesn't get the message the first time. 

I think we will probably wind up continuing with this schedule until she goes to her new family sometime in the next week or so. 

{She was really just plotting a way to get on my desk, and after my sandwhich :)}

Zipper is Back!

So I have a lot too post about, and have no clue where to start..so we'll just dive in with the first thing on my mind.. :)

If you couldn't tell by the last photos..Zipper's Back! We have found a family who fell in love with her, and is looking to adopt her, but are getting the money together to do so. So she'll be with me for a couple of weeks. In someways I'm glad I don't have Pompeii here as well, because my poor nerves..just wouldn't be here at all. 


Pompei is away at "Puppy Camp", it originally was just a baby-sitting job, while I was out of town, but turned into a more long term thing, when my area coordinator heard, that he hadn't been away from me since I got him. (Which was fine with me). So he'll be back in a week or two. :(( *I've heard he's contracted fleas since being there...! *gasp*


Zipper is her normal crazy, neurotic self, and is keeping us all (Me, Bubbles and Texas) on our toes. Texas is way over her, and is trying to give her as many calming signals as possible before snapping at her. While Bubbles just hides in a corner, out of sight out of mind. 


This week, I have decided that I will probably never have a Jack Russell Terrier..mix or otherwise as a pet. They just are not the dog for me. Mainly because..at this point in my life, I don't have the space, or time for a high maintenance/high energy dog. 


Granted Zipper doesn't help her case, much by not thinking. I swear this dog has no concepts of pain at all. The first thing she does, when I put her on her long line, is run to the end of it, at FULL SPEED, and the flip herself over onto her back. Get up and run in the opposite direction. 


Then there are things such as, when we first introduced her too her, new families home...the first thing she did was, jump off the side of their porch. Great way to freak your new family out Zips! 


I guess this could also be interpreted as a "Zest for Life" but I"m a little concerned her life won't be long at this rate! I've bought her several harnesses, to kind of spare her her neck from the trauma of being yanked around. But she's chewed through all three. 


Read: Not Happy Foster Mom. So its back to the Ol' Collar until I figure something else out! As far as Training goes, she really picks up new things quickly we've moved from "Sit" to "Leave it" and "Down" and "Spin". Fast, and she's picking up on a lot of things, such as staying by my side = good things, while others still need work on. (Shying away from human hands, leashing walking, counter surfing...) I'd really like to not allow her on the furniture, but that's something that her adoptive parents like so.......But I've got to do something about her, constant counter jumping, or I'm going to go crazy!! 


But I can finally check my main goal with her off. WOOOO!!! Our Potty training has gone really well, she's got the idea, and goes quickly once outside. A huge relief off of me, as accidents are big stinking point with my landlord. :)D


But....from this point forward, I'm going to be extremely careful what I wish for! 


Signed


Non-JR lover,

Wordless Wednesday - Attack!

Tuesday Training Diaries

I completely forgot about my commit to post this this week. I keep telling my dad I'm slightly ADD but he doesn't believe me. :)

This week we have: 
Zipper has come so far in the last two weeks, I amaze myself sometimes. I'm going WOW I just taught her how to do that! look at me! And then other days I'm scratching my head going how in the world can I teach her not to: _________________!?!?! While this pup is growing on me, I am ready for her to move on to a new home, and get my life back. :)

• Name Recognition - WOW this dog picks up things superbly fast, once session just clicking and treating for her name, and you say she's in your lap, and so proud of herself. 
• Off Leash Recall - We haven't used the word "come" just yet since her name recall is so good. 
• Potty Training: Improving daily, I think we only used the puppy pads once today!!! 
• Door Manners: Working on stage, she will still bolt if she gets the chance, but is responding the verbal and phsycial cue "stay".

But here's the most important part of this monologue. (Is it called a monologue if its writing?)
Adoption Status:: PENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The family just needs to get an appointment...*the ADD monster strikes again* to do a home visit and have an appointment made to have her spayed!! *happy happy happy dance*  I posted an album of her on Facebook within hours I had people calling me and emailing me about her! 

Texas - Since Zipper has arrived I've notice him starting to revert back into old behaviors, such as insessant barking, and marking indoors. Not good. This week I started teaching a new trick of walking on my feet, unfortunately he doesn't really like standing between my legs, with me leaning over him, so its not working out too well.

Pompei - Still very much in love with Miss Zipper and I'm constantly having to seperate them so I can have a moment of quiet, because its play, play, play and bark, bark, bark ALL THE TIME!!! Driving me over the edge a little bit. But lately we've been working on him not dashing out the door whenever it is opened. This is something that could be problematic for his future blind person, as they won't know that he's not a runner. So i want to make their new life together as easy as possible.

What about Bubbles you ask? Well......um.... OH SnAp!?!
Did I give her dinner?
Yikes.

*dashes off to feed her "poor starving dog"

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Training Diary

Here's to hoping this will become a weekly feature around here!

Anyway I have to admit that there are times I get into a rut, in my dog training; Especially with the dogs that I have permanently or am raising for a year. When I worked with Wilderwood Service Dogs,I was bringing in a new dog monthly which kept me on my toes constantly. I was doing everything from re-teaching basic commands, potty training, loose leash walking to the "fun" commands, such as teaching them to close doors and etc..

However with the Guide Dog Foundation, we have a list of basic commands we teach them, and that's all. At 3 months Pompeii had 75% of those commands down, and now I knows all of them. So there is no "fun" per se in running through his commands, nothing to mix it up, or challenge him. Bubbles is confident with her "comes", "go potty", "lets eat", and "sit" commands and has no use for doing actual WORK for her food.Texas on the other hand lloooveeeeessssssss training. Except that his mom has run out of ideas..had run out of ideas. However having Zipper has cranked up my creative training juices and we're pulling out the ol" clicker and dusting it off.

Why Food or Clicker Train?
Why do I use a clicker you ask? Well all it does is MARK the BEHAVIOR (sit, down, stay, etc) we want the dog to do, lets him/her know it was GOOD and there is a reward coming. I use the clicker to teach the dog the behavior and then fade it out quickly once the dog knows the cue word.

I know many people want to shy away from clicker/food training due to the fact: "I don't want to have to carry treats around allll the time."Who said you did? Once the dog has the behavior down pat, we do what we call random rewards. You call the dog, they come. you pay them with a treat.
Next time, you call your dog, you pay them with praise, the next time with a toy, the next time with a treat. We all know this works extremely well for dogs, because once they get something good for a certain action, they will always TRY and see if it will work again. (Hence why pulling, garbage digging, counter surfing are such hard behaviors to break.)

Here's how I see. Raise your hand if you would continue to go to work, if your boss only paid you the first three weeks of your time, and then never paid you again. Yet this is what a lot of people are expecting out their dogs...

We introduced Zip to the clicker last week and she's loves it. Next we're working on default leave its. Here it is demonstrated by a favorite trainer of mine, and then we'll do our best to mimic it.



Our Turn! I think we got the jist of it...Please ignore the random commentary!



Next Up - Leave it On Cue...or the name game, cause she really doesn't know her name....

STAY TUNED!

Summer Adventure Part V

Wow I really haven't like writing anything over the last couple of days! Who knew one being so small could wear me so completely out!?

First of all the heat is Un-BEArAble. I'm a person who, if the sun is out, I'm outside, unless you are paying me to stay inside. Lately the humidity + the heat, has caused me to offer thanks to the guy who invented air conditioners.

{Texas: Dis is my about to dye from heat face}

Do the dogs notice? No not much so i'm careful how long they are allowed to stay out and making sure they is plenty of water available to them all the time. Pompei would be my main concern because he doesn't know how to stop and slow down, whereas the dachshunds will walk around, laze out in the sun, and be ready to head back in quickly. :)

{Pompei: I'm not hots just layin down so i can get breaths}

{Bubbles: I actually think it feels ok out here}

So Zipper (who never gets called that btw, cause I can never really remember what we are calling her at the moment.) is settling in, we're about 50% inside/outside on the potty training and most of that is on the puppy pads. She loves cuddling. L-O-V-E-S it, every evening she climbs into my lap and curls into a little ball too snooze the evening away. Not at all concerned that my legs go too sleep within minutes of her weight pressing my legs into the edges of my desk.

{Zipper gnaws on a bone}

{Zipper curled up on my lap}

Another thing we have discovered over the last few days. She's a little resource guarder..Here's a little run down of the dog dynamics in my house:

1. Bubbles - Top Dog
2. Texas - 2nd in Command
3. Pompei - Minion 
4. Zipper - Fighting for Top spot.

Pompei is the weaker link in the house, so she's "picking' on him a lot, especially around resources such as food, water and their crates; that and she's ALWAYS humping him. Which as we know is not always a sexual behavior. Bubbles and Texas do NOT take anything from her, Texas will just ignore it, as will Bubbles until pushed to far. Last night was a prime example.

Zipper decided that the "Dog room" was all hers, and non of the other dogs should have any part of it. She was going around snapping and Pompei and Texas, who left the vacinity. Bubbles however was doing her own thing, when all of the sudden she "crossed a line" in Zippers mind. Well Zip was going to let her know what's up, when all of the sudden Bubbles put her back in her place. It was actually kind of funny and I let them "duke it out" for a few seconds before putting Zipper out of the room. permanently. Lets just say that most dogs don't mess with Bubbles.

{Zipper heading off somewheres}

{Zipper gets a reward for standing next too my sister}

{Zipper: Man I hate havin to walk wit dis lady}

Pompei is also being introduced to the concept of "Time Outs". I can honestly say he doesn't exactly like them much. He hates it when other dogs are playing and excluding him, so he'll stand their and bark at them, until they snap at him; then he'll move further and bark some more. At first I'll try and redirect him to "Find his Toys" or to come too me, but he's figured that "game" out and is just ignoring me for the most part. So I just silently walk over, and walk him to my bedroom. Wait 5 minutes and let him back out. He's starting to semi sorta get the  slight idea that barking earns him that.

In other news, Pompei's neuter scar has healed up fine and he's more than ready to hit the town. Poor dog is dying to go SOMEWHERE and everytime he can get in the car, he hops in a sits there.

And sits.


And sits.


And sits.

I even walked back inside forgetting they were out there, came back to see him and Texas sitting in the front seat, still waiting. *poor babies. I promise I have a lot of shopping and such like to do this week, so he can get back out of the house, a resume the role of puppy in training.

{Texas sits in the car}

{Pompei all dressed up to go no where}

Summer Adventure Part IV

Wow Daily Posts!
I'm going to try a different approach to this whole potty training thing, as Zipper will hold "it" forever. I've caught her in the act THREE TIMES today and race her outside to no avail.  There is just too much to see, hear and smell.... Its almost as if she's never been outside for long periods of time, though judging what my neighbor had said, she hasn't. Anyway back to the game plan. 
Part I
We started today by dividing my her life into 30 minute increments. First 30 minutes was me getting read for the day after a potty break, which she did since she HAD to go and had NO chance of going inside, lots of praise for that! Second thirty minutes was breakfast in her crate, while I fed/interacted with the other dogs, and I ate something...which I don't think happened...oh well.
Next 30 minutes was potty time again, still nothing but I had the presence of mind to small dog proof while she was crate, which basically means, stuffing boxes and etc. under coffee tables, moving chairs so their is not space behind them for a puppy to get behind potty.. (*COUGH* *COUGH* BUBBLES AND TEXAS) And bringing out the potty  pads, for the spots she's already hit. Apparently when I turned my back, she went in and peed on the pad, and was about poop(..not on the pad,) when I rushed her outside. Still nothing, so I blocked her into the kitchen while I did the dishes. 30 minutes ticking away. She entertained herself by getting on the kitchen table. A HUGE NO-NO! So we removed her access to that, and went back to dish washing.

Part II
I have decided to see if she'll go if placed loose in an x-pen type situation. The one I have currently is cloth and short enough that she can jump over easily, so i'll have to keep a leash on her somehow, but if I can get her to think she's loose.....? Or else I'll just take the puppy pads outside and see if she'll go on that. She can't not go, and sooner or later its gotta come out. I just want to be the one to catch it. NoT CATCH it.. you know what i mean.

{1 toy + 3 dogs does not = good. Notice Bubbles is headed out of the way}

Part III
We did start some clicker training, since she's calmed down, and we're getting the whole "sit" on command thing. Texas has throughly spoiled me, start teaching him something and within two or three clicks, he's got it down pat.
Pompeii, Bubbles, Tim, Veda, Ben, Victoria, Daniel, Gideon, Eden, Ira, Rei, Jake...not so much.
Which makes it very easy to get frustrated with her and call her stubborn/dumb. *cough DAD* (Everyone else ignore the messages between the lines :)) So I make sure to keep training session extremely short, like 5 minutes max so that we both end on a good note.
She's actually already picking up a lot in just 24+ hours. She knows "wait" means not to move forward when the door is opened.  She's learning sitting might possibly get something good, and wonder of wonders she's not lunging at the end of the leash. much. Hey progress is progress is my opinion. Feel free to make it yours.
Part IV
Crate training is actually going a lot better than I thought, last night we had an "incident" and I placed her in the crate. I was mean and got my water bottle out for the whining and just squirted it over her crate, verses smacking her directly. And she slept through the night. Thank you God.

{Queen Bee}

I hate to admit this....but this was the perfect diversion I needed this summer!

Summer Adventure #1 Part III

I was contacted by one rescue group, who is willing to list her with their site, if I foster her. Which I can for a couple of weeks at least. So we'll see what happens!

I've also decided that she has never been taught to potty on leash. She pottied once this morning and only because she couldn't hold it anymore. It could be easily labeled as stubborness, but that won't deal with the real issuse, which is a lack of knowledge. Guess who gets to deal with it!? If I do nothing else with this dog, but teach her to potty on leash, I will doing a great thing. I never realized that it was something that had to be taught. Shows what a sheltered life I lived only working with puppies/service dogs with a ton of rules.

She's calmed a lot since last night, still very hyper but she just hopped on the desk and laid down in my lap. Yikes...is that a piece of my heart melting?!? NO! NO! NO! I REFUSE!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOo.

BTW- I'm changing my breed diagnosis to Chihuahua mix or something