Bark much?

Barking at the cat. I have come to realize that it would be very pet friendly of me to continue to address the cats needs while I have a dog in the house.

Lately, I have been encouraging Snoopy to self-soothe, a habit/tool that is helpful for each of us to develop for ourselves.

This Saturday afternoon, I'm sitting at my living room pub-style table. I introduced the new toy, from the bag of old toys as the first of four to be changed in the week. She played with it for awhile, squeezing, carrying, shaking, then curled up and fell asleep. As she snoozed, the shy Aquinnah cat, came out from the cat bedroom and rubbed against my leg. When a meow was softly, but sharply, uttered from Aquinnah, Snoopy alertly awoke and cautiously approached. Aquinnah bolted behind the couch sending Snoopy into a barking fit.

Ah, I'm thinking, I need to be creative and figure out how to address this. "No" isn't in my dogtraining vocabulary. I try my substituion: Leave it! No success and I'm not surprised - wonder if my lack of confidence may play a role. I decide, well it is the middle of the day. I think I will tether Snoopy to prevent her from terrorizing the cat physically, and just let her bark - terrorizing me and my neighbors auditorily.

Barking is continuous, but not the hyperfocus constant sound. It's the barking of the ADD dog, she barks in various rhythms and with a garbled talking in between. She's frustrated and would be more likely to smell the cat if close enough than ever do harm to the cat. But she can't reach Aquinnah and why? why? why? she seems to keep asking me. Why won't I let her. Why won't the cat play with her. Why won't the cat come out from behind the couch. Why can't she get herself behind the couch to join. So many questions. Her barking starts to trickle into quiet whining and wimpering. She circles the tether's origin, my chair. Her noises get softer. She circles the table I'm using to type. With each circle, she reduces the length of her lead. I am surprised that instead of increasing her tension, the shorter lead tires her out.

Caught out and about

Puparazzi caught Snoopy and her friend Butter out and about.

Outside at corner bakery. Snoopy under table; Ivan tracking wimbledon on iPhone; Juliet reading Lahiri & writing in journal.

If you only knew...

If you only knew, I would give you the world, except I can't explain the rules. I would let you sit on the couch every now and then, if you absolutely stayed off of it otherwise. I would let you snuggle (even under the covers!) to watch reruns of West Wing, if you never jumped on the bed when I wasn't around. I would play tug-o-war almost every hour, if you never put your teeth on my skin. I would let you off leash if you always came when I called. But these things are not within the realm of a likely relationship for us.

Of the example items I described, I want to note that I do think some of these are more doable than others. I definitely believe that over time I can convince you the game of tug-o-war only includes teeth on the knotted rope. In fact, I actually believe I could teach you each of these items, but the cost-benefit is mostly me cost - in time and energy training - and you benefiting. I can tell you right now, it was painful enough even to type that I would let you off leash, there is very very very little chance I would ever consider it. The cost of off leash to me is very high, way too risky, and I believe we can have loads of fun romping in the woods with you physically connected to me by a piece of nylon... its perfectly wonderful that way.

Doing my part...

Snoopy does a good job of being quiet as a mouse at the office so that I can work.

The Work of Elves

I am implementing a suggestion I found on the web yesterday regarding toys. Consistent with my previous posts, the website recommended limiting the toy offerings but restricted by a week's time. Think of toys in categories of chew, chase, discover, shake - I just made up those labels, but the category parameters are stolen from the website. Chew would be like the bullysticks (eeeewwww). Chase is like a tennis ball. Discover is one of the puzzle toys where perhaps small bits of food are within a maze inside a ball that has to be turned and manipulated for it to dispense the delicacies. Shake is what Snoopy would do to that which a small boy might cuddle... like a Snoopy doll. Actually, they may have thrown in there a squeaky category. Nonetheless, the notion is to provide a selection of about 4 toys per week, ideally one from each category. Then feel free to switch up the toys for the following week. This balances variety with focus and reduces overwhelm often created by too many choices. Plus this method doesn't break the bank!

With Snoopy, I'm willing to pick four toys that she actually likes. But I have been retaught dog toys by Snoopy. It doesn't matter how cool the toy is, you still have to sell it. I suppose this skepticism comes from the flip side of her manipulative nature. If you manipulate, you assume everyone does it. This principle of our characteristics affecting the way we view the world is one that I've been aware of for quite sometime. It shouldn't surprise me that it applies to animals, too.

The irony is that her skepticism makes her display disinterest, which makes me have to give a good demonstration regarding the superior attributes of the toy. Yes, what she is forcing me to do is manipulate her into taking the toy... interesting.

BTW, as soon as I posted the last piece, she laid down in a tired heap.

Sprinting through Sunday

Couple of breakthrough events. Slept through the night without any challenge for beds (involves Snoopy trying to tell me who's boss by her open mouth on my arm - not to inflict pain mind you, just for proof that she's top dog). I am working diligently on her dominance issues. Mind you, I would distinguish it from aggression, because I believe she is not aggressive. I don't believe she would ever hurt me. I believe she would be gentle around any dog or child, even baby. It's me. Because I am the top dog and she wants to reassess this current arrangement.... every night.

She ate, like from the bowl and more than one mouthful. Proof to me that I'm not starving her by only offering the grossest food ever. Yes, I am dealing with my first family member, that I am aware of, who uses guilt to motivate me. And when I'm not looking it works.

So, as I type, she is alternating between pulling items off my desk, trying to eat my breakfast and sprinting around the condo. All this within minutes of having gone for a 15 min walk. I don't actually mind the sprinting, which is now being combined with barking... and attacking her bed, because she doesn't actually seem agitated, or distressed, I guess is what I mean. But I am not sure how to amuse her, except that I believe that my confusion would amuse her, if she knew. Maybe she does.

North End versus Southie

Clarendon's okay, but not as much barking time. So, that's almost a deal breaker.

BARQ-ing

In completing an online CBARQ (Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire), I'm learning the following information. OHE is an ovariohystectomy. Whelping date is when born - although semantically it seems more appropriately used to estimate an event in the future than in the past, but vet is using it as a birth date, so what do I know.

Here's the target owner I'm aspiring to be.
http://volunteer.guidingeyes.org/bin/manpage?0+3+./005.1199956339/001.1199958189

Toyland

If one is bored, it is frequently exacerbated by too many decisions, surprisingly enough. A fourteen year old boy opens and shuts the jam packed refrigerator seeing nothing in it. Well, a forty year old boy opens and shuts....

So, the theory is if on [excuse me, had to go defend my couch - 6th time? I underestimate. 7th, while typing. And if I stay there and s -- 8x, 9x, 10x, 11x] theory is to reduce the options. For dogs in my home, if a toy is not interesting it needs to be put away (Snoopy says, "what about the human's toys! Shouldn't you guys be following this 'theory,' too?")

Yes, for all of us. But, allowing for the freedom to choose, no more than a handful of toys should be out at once.... and believe me, a handful is a mere fraction of the dog toys available in this house!

Stratego

I don't see what the big deal is. You're not using the couch, what does it matter if I sit on it?

Hound nose, but not necessarily connected to mouth

I've been aware that Miss Snoopy is barely interested in her food. In keeping discipline and structure a recurring theme, I have been making her food bowl available in 15 minute increments. But she's aloof to it.

Today, after a long lunch walk, I noticed that she ate a stray kibble next to her outstretched head. So I handed her another kibble, thinking, really, it's surely better for her disposition to have something in her stomach. She complied eating from my hand with a soft mouth. So I handed her another kibble. When she was continuing to be receptive, I set her bowl on her bed (as is appropriate for a princess). She ate a tiny bit, but then began to nudge the bowl. Success! Spilled bits over the office rug - no worries, it's dry food and the rug's nap is short.

Thus, I learned that spilled food is much tastier than hand fed, which is slightly tastier than inanimate food in a bowl.

Snoopy meets Juliet

Monday late afternoon
Snoopy's vet brings out heartworm meds; records; printouts advising re: traveling with pets, new homes and summer heat; leash; collar; two huge bags of food; gallon of distilled water for the trip; bowl; toys....
and Snoopy.
Happy Snoopy. Juliet walks Snoopy on the big grassy field/lawn of the vets. Snoopy pees. Juliet is now happy, too.
Vet packs Juliet's car with the Snoopy treasure. Juliet places a freedom collar (what is it called? half nylon with mini chains attached) on Snoopy's head. Snoopy tries to get into the front passenger seat. Juliet lifts Snoopy into the back seat onto the dog bed, and attaches the collar to the chain already linked to the childsafety rings in the back seat.
And away they go.