Hound dog
Nana's are Beautiful
Maggie is 2 yrs old. (wow that was fast!) She is her own "person" but so like Molly that I often accidentally call her the wrong name. She seems to understand and forgive me for it. She is my simply amazing girl.
She plays soccer, ball, loves to play frisbee and if she perfects some of her moves it will just be unreal.....she has a flip catch thing that I simply cannot believe a dog her size can manage. Maggie still can't stand to see anyone unhappy. She firmly believes enough kisses will make them feel better. She still greets everyone with something in her mouth.
Rufus turned a year old. He's still very much a puppy although he is about 90 lbs. He's my bumbly eager beaver always happy go lucky dude who has a knack for troubles. His personality tends to make you believe he's not very intelligent like Maggie. But he's proven time and again that he is. Being a lab he loves loves loves to fetch and will do it until he falls down exhausted if you keep tossing his tennis ball. He taught himself to play soccer so he could play with Maggie. Now we have doggie soccer games that are quite the sight. They dribble and steal the ball away from each other. Rufus is not quite as agile as Maggie nor as quick but he can block a pass far better than she can. lol
For the most part, I gave up on "formal" training them. It doesn't work well for me, nor does it seem to work well for my dogs. They do better if I just talk to them or if I show them what I want. This isn't to say there aren't commands, but they aren't many. Rufus taught himself to sit. He taught himself down. He taught himself backup. He knows go to bed or nite nite. But he and Maggie know far more by us just talking to them and them doing it.
Both dogs up and decided to change their signals to go out to potty. What was once going to the door is now come to Mom and kiss her, usually the arm or leg. Going to the door is an urgent need to go. Like you better move quick.
Rufus cracks me up. He will not jump on a small child for anything. I never taught him this. But he will jump on a big kid or adult, thanks to my grown kids encouraging it. We're working with him to get him to stop. We need to get him to stop. My mother is coming to live with us soon and he cannot jump on her. She is much too frail these days. I know how to get him to stop. It's just getting everyone else to cooperate so he gets a clear message. Otherwise.........I may have to consider re-homing and I don't even want to think about it. Rufus can be a pain in the rear, but he's my lovable pain in the rear. Know what I mean??
Rufus also never ceases to amaze me. He got out of the yard despite the 6 foot privacy fence yet again. We fixed the last bolt hole. (a gap in the corner) We've not found another. At nearly 100 lbs (and Rufus is not fat, he's huge) I'd never dream he could jump. Seems he's been watching Maggie, and since he still thinks he's little......he jumps......pretty darn high. He also runs straight up the trunk of my old maple tree........to about the height of at least 6 feet. I've see dogs do lots of things over the years......but not a dog this size run straight up the side of a tree like it was nothing. omg
So no more being in the yard alone.
Oh, since I'm updating......the gentle leader was a miserable fail. Rufus became a tangled disaster too many times to keep trying. Don't ask me how.....he just did.....right in the middle of walks. After he gets over his initial omg we're going for a WALK insane crazed dog reaction.....and wears himself out......which takes about 3 blocks of Travis being nearly drug down the street........He walks just fine. We've tried all the other techniques, including a choke collar out of desperation. Nothing works.
Despite his faults he's all love.......unless you're a stranger. Then he is Mr. Adolescent protector, hackles raised snarling, barking, growling. He doesn't bother anyone I let in but heaven help the person who tries to break in. I wouldn't want to deal with him, and he has Maggie as a back up.
Now that the warm weather has returned I need to get them a new wading pool so they can swim. There will be walks galore, which should help Rufus with his behavior. There will be trips to the Lake to swim, which Maggie never wants to leave......and I can just imagine Rufus' reaction. There will be fishin' and hikin' and playing in the yard. Lots of playing with the grandkids too, whom they absolutely adore.
I know this is a dog update but I thought I'd add........ My stray pride is gone. Minnie I believe had crossed the rainbow bridge because I hadn't seen her in months upon months. Turns out a neighbor adopted her and in her old age she is looking mighty fine and spoiled. Midnight has moved to Nicholes so she can be inside. She is thrilled. So she will be spending her advanced years indoors comfy cozy too. Sir Bruce is not fairing so well. He has severe respiratory issues, his teeth are a disaster, and he's dropping weight even though I'm feeding him canned food twice a day. I will take him to the vet in the very near future and see what he says but he has been sick for some time and I know at this point he is pretty darn miserable. He may be crossing the rainbow bridge. I can't afford extensive treatment and I won't let him continue to suffer.
I will never feed another stray cat again. Not without doggedly finding them a forever home. I'm allergic and tired of feeling miserable myself trying to take care of them. I don't think it will be a problem. easy child seems to be the resident stray lady now. lol
She plays soccer, ball, loves to play frisbee and if she perfects some of her moves it will just be unreal.....she has a flip catch thing that I simply cannot believe a dog her size can manage. Maggie still can't stand to see anyone unhappy. She firmly believes enough kisses will make them feel better. She still greets everyone with something in her mouth.
Rufus turned a year old. He's still very much a puppy although he is about 90 lbs. He's my bumbly eager beaver always happy go lucky dude who has a knack for troubles. His personality tends to make you believe he's not very intelligent like Maggie. But he's proven time and again that he is. Being a lab he loves loves loves to fetch and will do it until he falls down exhausted if you keep tossing his tennis ball. He taught himself to play soccer so he could play with Maggie. Now we have doggie soccer games that are quite the sight. They dribble and steal the ball away from each other. Rufus is not quite as agile as Maggie nor as quick but he can block a pass far better than she can. lol
For the most part, I gave up on "formal" training them. It doesn't work well for me, nor does it seem to work well for my dogs. They do better if I just talk to them or if I show them what I want. This isn't to say there aren't commands, but they aren't many. Rufus taught himself to sit. He taught himself down. He taught himself backup. He knows go to bed or nite nite. But he and Maggie know far more by us just talking to them and them doing it.
Both dogs up and decided to change their signals to go out to potty. What was once going to the door is now come to Mom and kiss her, usually the arm or leg. Going to the door is an urgent need to go. Like you better move quick.
Rufus cracks me up. He will not jump on a small child for anything. I never taught him this. But he will jump on a big kid or adult, thanks to my grown kids encouraging it. We're working with him to get him to stop. We need to get him to stop. My mother is coming to live with us soon and he cannot jump on her. She is much too frail these days. I know how to get him to stop. It's just getting everyone else to cooperate so he gets a clear message. Otherwise.........I may have to consider re-homing and I don't even want to think about it. Rufus can be a pain in the rear, but he's my lovable pain in the rear. Know what I mean??
Rufus also never ceases to amaze me. He got out of the yard despite the 6 foot privacy fence yet again. We fixed the last bolt hole. (a gap in the corner) We've not found another. At nearly 100 lbs (and Rufus is not fat, he's huge) I'd never dream he could jump. Seems he's been watching Maggie, and since he still thinks he's little......he jumps......pretty darn high. He also runs straight up the trunk of my old maple tree........to about the height of at least 6 feet. I've see dogs do lots of things over the years......but not a dog this size run straight up the side of a tree like it was nothing. omg
So no more being in the yard alone.
Oh, since I'm updating......the gentle leader was a miserable fail. Rufus became a tangled disaster too many times to keep trying. Don't ask me how.....he just did.....right in the middle of walks. After he gets over his initial omg we're going for a WALK insane crazed dog reaction.....and wears himself out......which takes about 3 blocks of Travis being nearly drug down the street........He walks just fine. We've tried all the other techniques, including a choke collar out of desperation. Nothing works.
Despite his faults he's all love.......unless you're a stranger. Then he is Mr. Adolescent protector, hackles raised snarling, barking, growling. He doesn't bother anyone I let in but heaven help the person who tries to break in. I wouldn't want to deal with him, and he has Maggie as a back up.
Now that the warm weather has returned I need to get them a new wading pool so they can swim. There will be walks galore, which should help Rufus with his behavior. There will be trips to the Lake to swim, which Maggie never wants to leave......and I can just imagine Rufus' reaction. There will be fishin' and hikin' and playing in the yard. Lots of playing with the grandkids too, whom they absolutely adore.
I know this is a dog update but I thought I'd add........ My stray pride is gone. Minnie I believe had crossed the rainbow bridge because I hadn't seen her in months upon months. Turns out a neighbor adopted her and in her old age she is looking mighty fine and spoiled. Midnight has moved to Nicholes so she can be inside. She is thrilled. So she will be spending her advanced years indoors comfy cozy too. Sir Bruce is not fairing so well. He has severe respiratory issues, his teeth are a disaster, and he's dropping weight even though I'm feeding him canned food twice a day. I will take him to the vet in the very near future and see what he says but he has been sick for some time and I know at this point he is pretty darn miserable. He may be crossing the rainbow bridge. I can't afford extensive treatment and I won't let him continue to suffer.
I will never feed another stray cat again. Not without doggedly finding them a forever home. I'm allergic and tired of feeling miserable myself trying to take care of them. I don't think it will be a problem. easy child seems to be the resident stray lady now. lol
