This week I haven’t been working with Zoe as much as I should have, but I’ve still made time to practice with her. The practice is as much for me as it is for her! Saying “yes” instead of “good” is just not coming too easily to me… I wonder if I should just stick with “good,” since the dogs already know it. Oops is easier, though not easy - I’m so used to saying “ehhh” when they step out of line. But the oops makes sense in teaching them, especially Zoe, so I’ll keep pressing on.

I still haven’t found a food that makes her crazy though, other than dinner. So far I’ve tried soft bought treats, cheese, and popcorn chicken. She likes all of them well enough, cheese the best, but I’m not sure if it’s enough. Cheese is definitely the one she’ll swallow fastest though - the others she tends to drop first to check out what else you have, then eat it. (She does that with everything - only dog I know who is more interested in what else is going on than a cookie!) It was so much easier with Oreo, she loved everything you offered her - except veggies, she wasn’t keen on veggies. Never did try green beans though!

I’m afraid we aren’t doing a very good job of curbing Zeeke’s barking. I’m considering just blocking the windows somehow - it does work for me to get up and get in front of him and put him a down, but I have to do it about every five minutes when he’s wound up. It’s just not practical 90% of the time. But regardless, he does listen which is a relief. This morning he was a little bit wound up over the cat, so we used the opportunity to practice our down-stay on the dog bed. (Which to him is “go lay down.” ) I had to correct him a couple times (with “ehhh!” ), and once I had to get up and physically bring him back to the bed (the cat jumped into the living room, that was beyond his level of distraction!). He watched me intently the whole time (waiting waiting waiting for that release signal) and I didn’t hold him too long in the stay, I don’t want to push my luck. But he does well. I’m still pretty floored at the progress he’s made in the last two years. He’s really maturing.

So yesterday was Zoe’s first obedience lesson. It wasn’t so much a lesson on obedience as it was a Terrible Horrible Trauma, in her book. If she could have said something to me afterwards, it would have been, “Why did you put me through that?” I said afterwards because I doubt she could have spoken during.

So we walked into the building, Zoe slinking along beside and behind me. There were other dogs already in there - big, happy, flamboyant labs. It did not help Zoe’s attitude at all. While I waited to hand over my paperwork and check, I glanced down at Zoe to find little piles of poop all around her. Whoops. Got a little too scared there. The instructor’s assistant cleaned it all up. After I got the paperwork taken care of I sat down with Zoe.

Let me explain something about this class set-up. There are ten chairs spaced around the room, each one sitting in a “box” on the floor - black tape marking a square. The dog is to be kept inside that box at all times during the class, except when directed otherwise. The isntructor explained it is for two reasons: one, it is to make a point to the dogs that they do not control the room. It is manipulating their behavior to show that the instructors are in charge, the dogs are not. Of course some dogs spent the entire first lesson trying to worm out of their box or barking to invite the next dog over to join them, but there were ways of dealing with that as well. The second reason given for the boxes was to make shy dogs (like Zoe) feel safe. After a while they realize that no other dog will come barging across the room at them. That is their box, their space. This whole concept of personal space is one of the reasons I chose this particular training center for us - it is extremely important for Zoe that she have her own space and not get freaked out by other dogs or people.

So in any case Zoe spent the first half of the class trying to hide behind my [metal folding] chair. The instructor then got us to place our dogs between our legs (I had to use my feet to block her from scooting underneath my chair) and showed us some relaxation massage techniques. For the dogs. So I spent the rest of the class massaging Zoe and trying to get her to relax.

Nearing the end of the class the other dogs were being shown sit, down and stand. I sort of did them with Zoe, but as I told one of the instructors, I’m not really there to teach Zoe her commands - it’s probably better that I do that at home anyways. Zoe’s in class for socialization. So really the most important thing for her is not pushing her any further out of her comfort zone than she has to be. The instructors were careful not to approach her directly, not to get to close to her, not to appear a threat to her in any way. They tossed a few little treats on the floor for her, but she didn’t eat them - she was too tense to consider eating anything.

One of the remarks the instructor made was that her jaw was really really tight, clamped shut. She said if we could just get her mouth open and tongue out during the class that it would be a really great achievement. Well Zoe did lick me a few times, but she never did start panting or anything. Hopefully next class.

Our homework this week is to work on teaching her sit/down/stand, two of which she knows reasonably well already, and to find a stinky, soft food to use as a treat that makes her go crazy. I haven’t found it yet. I have soft dog treats to use at home, but they’re really not interesting enough for class. (In Zoe’s case, it’s really REALLY not interesting enough. No food is!)

This morning I got up and made myself some breakfast, and as I’m puttering in the kitchen the cat starts attacking Zoe. Well I can’t really say it like that - they started attacking each other. Playing, of course. But this was more than the usual… Jojo lunged at Zoe, and they both met standing on their back legs, wrapped their paws around each other and wrestled. Jojo got knocked to the ground. He jumped up and pounced on her again. Zoe was smacking him with her paw and jumping and wiggling. It was so funny! I really need to carry a camera around with me to catch it on film.

Since then they’ve both been walking around, randomly pouncing on each other and running off. I’m so happy that they’re not only getting along, but becoming best buds! We got really lucky with this family.

Well we had some accidents this morning. Yesterday I went to bed early in the evening, and I woke up at midnight with a sinus headache and a pup who needed to pee. I took her out and went back to bed, but left both dogs with Den since my head was killing me and they didn’t show signs of settling down. So when I woke up at 6am with Zoe I found my purse in the middle of the living room with the corners gnawed off. Garrrr.

So then, after being up for several hours and taking her out to pee no less than three times, as I was sitting at my computer I smelled something nasty. I ran out to the living room to find what I expected: poop. Dangit! She’d been whining, but I thought she was whining at the cat (whom I had just fed, she always gets upset watching him eat and being unable to eat his food for him), especially since I had just taken her out. Unfortunately the worst part was that she was happily eating the poop. So she got put in her crate while I cleaned up the mess - and she wasn’t allowed to kiss anyone all morning!

For dinner tonight I added a couple spoonfuls of plain yogurt to both their bowls. It was received with much more enthusiasm than the green beans! I also sprinkled some beans on Zoe’s food, which she ate, but she seemed more interested in the yogurt-covered kibble. Zeeke sniffed the yogurt, licked it, then just started eating his food like normal.

Well today was less successful. We took both dogs out to run and play, I let Zoe off-leash in the backyard. She was highballing it around the yard. I got the feeling she had to poop, as she ran into the woods… but she was so focused on sniffing and finding a good spot that she was wandering further and further away. Now of course I don’t blame her for not knowing where the yard boundaries are because there are NO markers (for that matter, I don’t know where they are either!), but she wasn’t listening to me when I called her. Den finally went back there with Zeeke and she came barelling out for another run around. But I guess we’re going to have to go back on-leash for a while until she learns to mind, even when there is a really interesting smell. I haven’t been doing a good enough job of training lately.

On the good news side, we got email from the training center that a place has been saved for us for the thursday night class, and it starts this week! Unfortunately it’s with a different trainer than the one we saw (the one we saw was the main owner of the center), and I hope that doesn’t cause problems. It shouldn’t.

Haha, that was amusing! On the BC forum I hear a lot about suppliments and other things you can add to the dog’s food, whether for nutrition or to help the dog feel full (because you have to severely ration some dogs so they don’t put on weight). So today I bought some canned green beans and sprinkled some on top of both dogs’ food dishes at dinnertime.

Zoe picked up a bean in her mouth, then dropped it on the floor. She sniffed it. Went and got another bean from her bowl, dropped it too, licked it, then ate it. After that she went to eating the all the beans from her bowl! After that of course she moved to the kibble, she’s not too picky.

Zeeke on the other hand - he sniffed the beans. Wasn’t impressed. He regarded them sort of like an alien had thrown up on his food. He’d take a mouthful from his bowl and drop it all over the floor, then he’d eat up all the kibble, leaving the beans laying all over his crate. He went back to his bowl and ate around all the beans.

So I opened both crates and Zoe went running in and gobbled up all the beans from the floor! LOL!

But apparently, I need to find some other things to add to their food.

I’m starting to like this early-morning ritual with Zoe, running around outside with her in the backyard. She LOVES to run. There’s a large patch in the middle of the backyard of ice/snow still, so she has to be careful not to slip on it, but it’s still so much fun. She’s doing super-well about listening to my guidance, turning around when I call her back and such. A few times she’s wandered close to the neighbor’s yards, but she turns back and doesn’t go further when I call.

Today I ran back and forth, calling her name every time she zoomed past me. She’d turn around and chase me again. Back and forth, back and forth. It’s great! Gets her a lot of exercise - and me some too, lol!

I’m just so proud of her. I can’t wait til I get to start her on agility, I think she’ll like it.

The other day I saw two or three men standing in the backyard, not of the house directly across from us but a few down from that. Three dogs were running around the backyard. There was no fence, but the dogs nor the people seemed perturbed by this. I know the dog that lives at that house, his name is “Jack” - Zoe and I met him once, months ago, when his owner was taking him for a walk. Zoe wasn’t impressed.

As I watched the men stand around and throw balls for their dogs I said to Zoe, “See now if you weren’t such a wussy, I’d take you over to play with them.” And I thought to myself, and if Zeeke wasn’t guaranteed to take off, he’d love to play with other dogs. Maybe when we get a fence we can invite some neighbor dogs over to play, Zeeke would enjoy that. (Zoe wouldn’t so much.)

But it was nice to see neighbors interacting in a friendly manner, and letting their dogs socialize. The more I see of other people - “normal” families with dogs, who don’t haunt dog forums and read dog training books for fun - the more I realize that most people do just fine with their family dogs. Of course, they tend to be breeds like labs and retrievers, not border collies or german shepherds. But still. It raises my faith in humans.

Wow, what a workout! LOL I took Zoe out off-leash this early AM, let her run around the back yard for a bit. Then we went to the front yard, where I chased her around with glee. She looooves that game so much. Then I spotted a car headed up our road, so I quickly said “inside” and she zoomed to the front door. She doesn’t go on the road, and she’s scared of cars, but just to be safe and all. So then I put Zeeke on his leashes and collar and headed outside. I thought for a second, then let Zoe out too. They need to run. So we went out back, both dogs pooped, and then I let them run around for a while. Zoe doesn’t like to come within Zeeke’s radius too much - for which I can’t blame her, he completely slams her when he catches her. Instead she runs around the perimeter of the yard full-tilt. God she goes! After a short while I headed around to the front yard. Zoe ran around the other side of the house and I figured I’d meet her in the front yard. But Zeeke was lagging as I headed up the hill, and then suddenly came flying…. I look and there’s Zoe headed straight for me, she zooms past me, Zeeke right on her heel. Zeeke’s leash is a 26′ flexi… and he was at the far end when he started running, and he didn’t stop until he hit the other far end. That’s 50′. And you know… he never caught her! Man does she fly. Den agrees, she may just be faster, though obviously we haven’t let them duke it out when Zeeke is loose.

But once we were in the front yard it was a quick jog to the front door with Zeeke, and Zoe followed - she hung back, probably knowing that Zeeke was going to slam her if she got too close (which he did, soon as she got inside… he can be so mean, that one!). They’re both panting like crazy now… and I’m a little out of breath too, I have to jog to stop Zeeke from hitting the end of his leash. Hehehe. I’m so glad we have an acre…. it’s so much space for them to run in, even if they can’t really use it all right now.

I’m a little bit slow, but I think I’m finally starting to clue in on something: Zeeke starts acting up every day around 4pm. Den always complains that every day he gets home Zeeke’s in his crate, and he thought Zeeke spent all day in his crate. No, usually he’s pretty well behaved during the day - he naps with me, plays with Zoe, chews on toys. But as the afternoon wears on into early evening he starts getting really really barky. Today he had to go potty, and I took him - but that didn’t end it. He just kept right up with the prancing and the barking.

And that’s when I realized, he’s hyper-sensitive to people and noises because he’s waiting for his daddy to get home. He gets SO excited when Den walks in that front door, he just can’t contain himself - he whimpers, he bounces, he stomps on Zoe if she gets in his way (or tries to usurp daddy’s attention).

So that makes a lot of sense now. I’m not really sure if it’ll help me deal with him every day, but information is better than none. If needed I’ll just crate him for an hour before Den gets home.

Speaking of spazzing when we get home - Zoe goes bonkers. I’ve never seen a dog react like this. Zeeke sits all quiet-like in his crate waiting to be let out - and when he is let out he stretches, walks over, and leans against you happily. Zoe can barely sit. And I mean that literally. She sits, sort of… but she quivers and shakes and she half gets up and sits down again, half gets up and sits down again. And not only is her whole body shaking with anticipation, she’s vocalizing too - whines and strange keening vibrations.

Now while I love a good reception, this is just not good. So I’ve told Den we’re going to have to just start ignoring her when we get home, downplay the whole thing. Which sucks, because he loves to say hi to Zeeke - maybe we can do something like let Zeeke out first into another room so Den can say hi, then let Zoe out and act like nothing happened. We already make her sit before letting her out, and she tries, but she’s seriously so worked up I feel like she’s going to have a mental break-down.