Raising Ramsey

Agility

2013-12-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

This post is overdue, but it's still worth writing. Although currently on a hiatus, Ramsey has tried out and loved a new sport: agility. He learns fast, unfortunately, I don't! If I can get my act together, he could be great. We're currently taking a break due to a very hectic schedule around here, however, I believe we will start back up again when we can. I admit he enjoys it more than I do, but we've noticed huge changes (for the better) in his behavior.

He finished both the introduction class, and the beginner class. Below is a video of us in class - almost acing the course.... we obviously edited out me forgetting to send him through a final tunnel... Oops!

The Good Life

2013-12-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, another 6 months have passed... It does NOT feel like it though. It's taken far longer than expected, but we finally are settled here in Oregon. We moved into our new home in September. We are ecstatic to have our own space again, and Ramsey is beyond happy with his new yard!

Pure joy! and Finally a place to run out some energy.

This video is the first time he was 'released' to explore. Unfortunately, he had to wait for the grass to grow in first!

West Coast Living

2013-06-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

It has been just over 6 months since moving to Oregon. Wow, how things have improved! It took me looking back through some of my previous posts to realize that great strides are being made. Finally!

Although I have several specific events/incident to write about, I just want to use today to post some pictures and little positive tidbits of our new life out West.

Pretty much the day after we arrived, we drove out to the coast. It was a dreary day but we documented Ramsey's first time in the Pacific!

Most of winter we lounged.

and lounged some more.

"Just getting comfy in my new home"

Loving the wind in his fur... and under his eyeballs, and in his mouth...

We re-visited the coast on a beautiful March day!

Ramsey loved watching the seagulls and waves.

Pretty hilarious Family Photo...

Better :-)

Life is good. More to come.

Defiance vs.Too afraid to listen

2013-01-29T13:14:00.001-08:00

We love our new class! We are taking a class called "Proofing and Distraction." Basically, rather than focus on learning new tricks, we work on how to perform the tricks we know even in distracting situations (ex: near food, other dogs, strangers, etc.) The instructors are wonderful, and treat Ramsey very nicely!

We began to realize that Ramsey's anxious behavior was getting a bit worse before enrolling in this class and thought it would be a nice outlet for him, and a way to get some extra socialization. The instructors pointed something out to us... what was once labeled as defiance, looks much more like Ramsey is too fearful to listen in certain situations. This explains A LOT! The instructor in our previous class labeled Ramsey as defiant, almost immediately. An unruly puppy at the time, yes, but defiant, no. You might remember our 'Bad Kid in Class' post almost a year ago? To refresh: Ramsey refused to 'Down.' We were told that some dogs refuse to lay down on command because it is a submissive position. They are refusing to submit to you. Our instructor forced Ramsey into a down position and he snapped at her, to the horror or our entire class. We were embarrassed, and from then on every time our instructor came near Ramsey he peed... this eventually led to her and others not petting him or coming near him in class. If it's true that he was simply too afraid to be in a submissive position in the class environment, he snapped our of panic. By not allowing people to pet him in class, his fears of others were allowed to remain. He should have been getting extra pets and treats! Poor Rams!

Anyways... we've been working with our new instructors, who noticed his timidness immediately. They've even let us borrow a book about training your shy dog. Shy, yes. Defiant, no!

It's easy to assume a well respected obedience trainer knows it all about dogs. Unfortunately, they may not know what's best for your dog. If your dog isn't improving (given you are putting forth the required effort), maybe think about the techniques used in class. Are they the best for your dog?

Awful dog? or Awful Owners?

2013-01-08T09:27:00.002-08:00

I admit to lacking any motivation to blog over the past few months despite a lot of happenings to write about. Quite frankly, we have an awful dog. People say dogs aren't awful, they're the creation of their owners... so what the heck are we doing wrong?! Everyone we've asked seems to have a different answer to that, not helpful.

Since the summer:

Bad behavior 1) Rams has continued to bark. Car doors slamming... footsteps outside or upstairs ... doorbells or knocking on TV, accidentally bumping the wall with anything... bark bark bark (side note, we are temporarily living in an apartment which may amplify any behavioral issues). He's constantly on edge which has become worse with the move.

We tried yelling, but were told he think's we're barking with him. We tried calling him with treats to get him to stop, but that doesn't stop him from starting, and what about when I'm showering? We tried grabbing his snout, and sternly saying 'No,' but what about when we can't reach him? Or the fact that he's so worked up I'm partially scared to get bit... Now, we sit on edge as much as he is. We listen for every noise and try to distract him from them before he barks. Now, noises stress me out at the anticipation of his barking most likely adding to his stress, and leading to more barking. Sometimes he does pace around crying and whimpering at noises, I think this is progress... he's trying not to bark?

Bad behavior 2) Separation Anxiety? I know, not a 'bad behavior' but annoying. We've received two notes from our upstairs neighbor. "PLEASE stop your dog from barking!!!" Thanks for the info.... We aren't sure if he is crying because we left, or because he hears something or sees something. Either way... this is what we're trying:

Yes those blinds are taped together. There will be NO looking out the window while we are gone.

(We tried crating, that was the first note.... we tried just the bedroom, that was the second note. We think the anxiety is worse when he is confined.)

Bad behavior 3) Pulling on the leash, even in his prong. Two incidents have led us to think we need to revisit the pulling. The first being that one car ride we forgot his prong and I tried to take him walking in a regular collar. Disaster. He frustrates me so badly I could scream. The second being that after a run his neck was actually bleeding from his prong. I'm not sure how... I hadn't been yanking, and I've yanked it on my own arm quite hard and it's uncomfortable, but not sharp at all. Maybe the blood wasn't from the collar, I had clipped his nails that day, he could have scratched himself. But I got nervous either way. But seriously, to pull hard enough in a prong you'll bleed? What's wrong with you!? (We also were criticized by the trainer at Petco, apparently there is "No reason at all for a Springer to be in a prong" sorry lady you don't know our springer, and you just lost us as customers. If we come to you for help, don't criticize us.

We started to stop moving when he got ahead of us. This is working although it took Greg's patience the first few times, I don't have enough. The dog is supposed to realize you've stopped, look at you to see what's going on, then you can tell them to get to their position, or give them a treat when they do it on their own. Rams continues to pull while you stand motionless, as if he pulls hard enough you'll start moving again. Sometimes he goes up onto two feet, strangling himself at the same time. Other times he'll sit with the leash as tight as possible and stare at the sky watching birds. :Sigh: Thank you Greg for waiting him out and getting this started. He's getting better, but still highly distracted into pulling by smells, people, dogs, squirrels, birds, leaves, anything that moves....

Bad behavior 4) Demanding attention. If you sit in the only chair in the apartment, he needs up. If you say no, he tries again. I counted, 8 attempts in 20 minutes, alternating putting hi paws on you and crying at the door even though he just was outside.

We started ignoring him completely. Although he seems depressed it's working. He now can lay in his dog bed and sleep, or stare at the door waiting for a noise.

Sorry for my vent. You'll be happy to know, we enrolled in a new, positive, training class for Rams. It's an 'Attention & Distraction" class... We'll go as a whole family and see what we can do. Last night was the first night, successful, and we weren't the bad kid!

Road Trip USA

2013-01-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

Many things have happened over the past few months that have deterred me from blogging and eventually blogging just felt overwhelming. However, a good friend of mine started a blog and although it has absolutely nothing to do with me, Ramsey, dogs in general, or anything about this blog... it gave me a push to get back to this. The next post will explain a little more about my lack of blogging motivation... This post however, will be fun.

At the end of October, Greg accepted a job across the country, in Oregon. We put the house up for sale, packed all our things, planned a 9 day cross-country road trip itinerary, and off we went, 3 weeks later.

Stop #1: Chicago

We decided that we'd head North first, and stop a night near Chicago before heading west. My best friend lives in Chicago with her husband, yellow lab, and 'new' baby. The baby is only 'new' since I hadn't met him yet. At the time of our visit, he was 10 months already! They were nice enough to let us, and Ramsey, disrupt their usual routine and stay at their house on a semi random Sunday night. Rams and Baloo (almost) got along. Rams is definitely a provoker, and his chasing other dogs around apparently is not limited to dogs smaller than him. Baloo was a champ though and although there were a few teeth sitings, there was no blood shed. Good job boys!

Kelly was able to look past Ramsey's naughty side and love him all the same. Rams can't help but love those who allow him on their furniture!

Stop #2: Decorah, Iowa

We took a nice long walk along the Trout Run Trail. The paved trail runs 11 miles around the town (we only did a 2.5 mile stretch, out and back). The goal of our trek was to spot the Decorah Eagle family. A family of bald eagles that have made their nest along the route and been staying there for several years.

We couldn't get the greatest view of the nest, but we did see this guy!

Ramsey was equally excited to see a Hawk, and crows, and sparrows...anything with wings.

Stop #3: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

We walked around Falls Park for about an hour in the morning before heading out. The park was pretty, it had a slight smell of Goose poop though... could have just been the season! The park was deserted, partially because it was in the 20 degree range, and partially because it was 7:30 in the morning. The lack of people did let us take some nice pictures though!

Rams, pondering all of life's questions while watching the falls.

I assume if Ramsey had a camera this would be a picture he'd have saved.

Stop # 4: Rapid City, South Dakota

We stopped just before Rapid City and visited the Badlands National Park. The park was more of a drive through and stop at the scenic areas. Each stop had a little path to an incredible view. Although every walkway said no pets.... Rams lucked out because we only saw a few other people who didn't seem bothered by his presence. Here's Rams loungin at the Badlands. (We probably should have left him there... Badlands for Bad dogs.... my frustrations will be detailed next time).

We spent two nights in Rapid City, which gave us an entire day to site see and relax without thinking about hours in the car afterwards. First destination was Custer park, amazing! We drove the 'Wildlife Loop,' they don't allow dogs in the park (out of the car) because they interfere with the animals who life there. After the drive... I was glad we stayed in the car!

Rams staring down the two ton Buffalo! What are you thinking little dog!?!? Luckily we noticed the Bison staring semi agitated at our vehicle and put two and two together. We had to swerve around a bit to get by, but I think he may have charged us down if we hadn't!

Bye, bye Buffalo!

Next up was the Crazy Horse Memorial. The memorial was pretty cool, and the museums were great. However... we read that it was pet friendly. Unfortunately, the only part that's pet friendly is the look out deck. Ok, that would be fine... but they refused to let us buy lunch and eat it on the deck. They said if we wanted to eat on the deck we could go to the snack bar instead. Disappointed, we left. We get it if you're not really pet friendly, but don't advertise yourself as such.

After we left Crazy Horse, we hit up Mount Rushmore. We knew Mount Rushmore was not pet friendly, and Rams was still pretty tired from watching the wildlife at Custer to mind staying in the car. (The Rushmore website does say that dogs are allowed only in the pet friendly area next to the parking lot, the parking lot is actually a parking garage... and we saw no grass, so I'm not sure what they were talking about!) On the way out, we did get a nice view that Rams could enjoy also. We pulled over and took full advantage!

Stop # 5 Bozeman, Montana

We didn't stay in Bozeman very long, but we did look up some nearby trails and chose this one to hike on. Traveling with a dog limits what you can do, but also forces you to get in a lot of parks and walks!

Rams enjoyed a bit of snow.

Stop # 6: Spokane, Washington

We went to Riverfront park in the morning before we headed out.

Huge red flyer wagon.

Incase you didn't notice Ramsey up there.... Yes, he took a ride in the wagon.

Rams met Ram.

Enjoyed the River view.

Stop # 7: The Dalles, Oregon

The Dalles, is right on the Columbia river (the border between Washington and Oregon). We just spent the night there, and didn't do too much exploring. It was raining, which was a sure sign we ere getting close! A little bit outside the Dalles is Multnomah Falls. We stopped there to hike around a little bit despite the rain. Might not look familiar in this picture but part of the Twilight movie was filmed here.

Family photo!

After Multnomah, we headed 'home.' Not without stopping at Voodoo doughnuts in Portland, and then an outlet mall about 45 minutes outside our final destination. Even though we wanted to get in, we had no reason to rush. Our furniture or things wouldn't be delivered for a week! (That's another story).

Summer in the North

2012-09-04T10:07:00.001-07:00

As promised, a positive post! Although we have been back in the Bluegrass for over a month, I'm just now getting around to sharing some of our adventures.

After the awful trip up (as mentioned earlier), things settled down nicely. After spending a weekend with Greg's family in Pennsylvania, I took Ramsey with me up to spend some time with my parents (and his friend, well I suppose his 'Aunt' Sunny) in Upstate, NY.

They got along much better than the last time we were up!

I think he was missing his Daddy a bit....

We fixed his homesickness with a trip to my favorite place <3 Skaneateles Lake.

"Camp" My family has spent countless summer days here since way before I was born.

So peaceful

I believe it became one of Ramsey's favorite places within seconds of arriving.

He was almost impossible to get out of the water!.

After a while, he even ventured to the raft. My mom and I followed him out in our inner tubes, which was a good thing because after climbing up onto the raft, Rams decided he didn't want to jump back into the lake.... Maybe he was too tired? Maybe he's just a baby and got lazy? Either way, he opted to leap from the raft into my mom's inner tube with her for an easy tow back to shore :) Wish I had the camera out there for that one!

After almost 4 hours of straight swimming, Rams still wasn't ready to get out of the lake.

He was just ready to be held... while in the lake.

We also got to meet our first 'little person'... we've met others, but not so up close and personal!

My friend from college, Meg, brought her 12 month old son, Charlie, up for a visit! It was love as soon as Charlie decided to share his cereal <3 I was surprised at how gentle Ramsey actually was with him, considering his lack of self awareness!

Happy Birthday Ramsey!

2012-08-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAMSEY!

Judge us as you wish, but keep in mind he is our first born....

Getting the party started!

"Really guys? I have to keep this thing on?"

The cake!! (No, we didn't feed him human cake, we made it special with doggie safe ingredients only! Send me a message if you want the recipe!)

The gift pile!

Getting used to the hat....

Drool.....

Sorry bud, you can't have the whole thing... even if it is doggie safe!

Cutting the cake

"You mean I only get one piece!?!?"

"Hmm.. what the heck is this?"

"Everything tastes best when eaten in one bite..."

"I ate it all already!?"

Present time!

A new football!!!

"Sniff sniff... what could this smelly box be!?"

A new (stinky) bone!

"Party's over guys, I'm busy with my bone..."

I can't believe he's a year old already! No more excuses for naughtiness.... The party was a success :) I'll back track soon with some more fun summer photos!

Ruff, I'm a man, Ruff Ruff....

2012-08-14T10:56:00.004-07:00

Decked out in red, white, and blue, Ramsey started the 4th of July off accompanying Greg to watch me run the Bluegrass 10k! What a scorcher and humid run! There were thousands of people, many vendors, lots of excitement and lots of fun. Unfortunately this is also when Ramsey discovered that he was a man.... Amid the chaos, Rams chose one single lady to bark at. Not thinking much of it, Greg moved him elsewhere and he quieted down.... very unusual for him!!

One positive: We got an awesome UK bandanna at the race!

We really didn't have much time to think about the incident, (not really an incident, just an occurrence, since no one was too phased) because we immediately hopped into the car for an 8.5 hour drive north! Rams settled easily into his crate in the backseat, and fell asleep as usual. An hour or so into the ride, we decided to stop for some lunch at Panera. Rams and I got a nice little table outside white Greg went in to get our food. We've done this several times before and usually Rams lays under the table and makes sad eyes at passer-byes inviting them to pet him. This time, he sat at attention waiting, until a woman walked towards the door and commented "What a beautiful dog!" She never made an effort to come near us, but Ramsey took it upon himself to begin barking very loudly, and semi aggressively! I was stunned but after she got into her car he relaxed and lay down. Greg returned, but since Rams seemed to be calm again we sat to eat. Within 5 minutes, a little girl, accompanied by 3 little siblings got out of a car and immediately asked to pet Ramsey. I said sure (he appeared calm again), but as soon as they got close, he began barking again. I apologized to the mom and told the kids he was in a cranky mood. I was mortified! We finished lunch, in cranky moods ourselves, in the car. Nothing like breaking up an 8.5 hour car ride, with lunch in the car.

We arrived at Greg's family's condo in Pennsylvania with enough time to grab dinner and watch the fireworks. Unfortunately, Ram's mood hadn't changed and we barked and growled at: car doors shutting, a man on the street, a dog down the street, fireworks (even though there had been fireworks nightly for weeks before leaving and he had never been phased), and any other noise he heard. We were not happy parents, nor did we know how to deal with this new behavior....

The next day we arrived at our destination, Greg's grandma's. Tons of family was in and out of the house, neighbors stopping by, etc. About 80% of people who approached the house were loudly (and annoyingly) announced. He came off as very aggressive, but usually would calm down if we took him away from the situation and then returned.

We weren't sure (and still aren't.. I wish I could say we solved this issue) how to handle these 'episodes.' Corrections with his leash don't help at all and sometime even make him worse. He will often stop the barking but turn to growling instead. Quieter, but no less intimidating or more acceptable! Telling him everything is ok in a happy voice quiets him slightly but only if it gets his attention. We're stumped!

Over the past month, the barking has lessened. We've been our old self on walks and with most people. (Except a few different people from inside the car... weird). He does still have growling episodes at random noises almost daily. Sometimes its a car door slamming, or a truck driving by. Other things don't phase him, like the door bell.... !?

We did just recently have him neutered (yes, officially got ok to not show him!). We are saying our prayers that this calms down the emotions! Please say some prayers with us!!

More of our summer travels, including happier, posts to come!

Tick Master

2012-06-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

Another tick. This makes 5 for the season and it's only part way into June! Being from NY, I always thought all flea medications were effective against ticks as well, wrong. I'm glad that I did some research when originally switching Rams to the medication he is on (Trifexis) to know that he isn't protected from ticks. Everyone should double check their medications too! I discussed this with both the breeder and the vet, and apparently the ticks in Kentucky aren't as dangerous as the ticks in New York. Good thing, because our dog in NY has had one single tick in her life and that one bite led her to getting Lyme disease. The ticks in Kentucky are not typically disease carriers (from what I've been told), therefore they aren't as insistent that dogs are protected. However.... they are still disgusting!!! We've been using tick and flea shampoo once a week, and this seemed to be working. The first 4 ticks were all very close in time to one another, the routine baths gave us about a month off. Although Greg and I have both become tick removing masters, my concern at this point is going to New York for the month of July. Ticks, and the 'non safe type' at that, are all over the Northeast. Hopefully we can come up with some type of preventative that is safe to use in conjunction with his flea meds, I don't want to overdose him on pesticides! Suggestions are welcome!

Summer Fun

2012-05-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

It has been far too long since I've updated! As you can see we've been very busy enjoying the summer weather. Ramsey's favorite thing to do is chase/bite/jump the hose water. We finally purchased our own 'nice camera' that allowed us to capture the daily routine of watering the garden.... (With the usual phone camera these would all be random blurs!)

That hose mist is amazing....

Yum... It's the best water I've ever tasted!

Must surround myself in mist...

Getting a running start....

Max air!

Yahoooooo! Looooove summer!!!

I swear more will come, sooner rather than later!

N Litter

2012-04-16T05:45:00.005-07:00

The breeder who we got Ramsey from names each letter alphabetically. Rams is from the 'N Litter.' This is just her personal way of keeping track of which pups came from which parents etc. Their 'call' names can be whatever you like, but she asks that their 'title' names (on their papers, and for show) begin with the letter of the litter they are a part of. I won't share what we plan on putting on Ramsey's title just yet, but once we are sure, I'll post. (If you've got suggestions, let us know! Just has to start with an 'N.')

Anyways, I found the breeder on facebook who has a page dedicated to her springers. You can search for Keswicke Springer Spaniels and you'll surely find them!

On the site, she had photos of both the Sire (Dad) and Dam (Mom) of Ramsey's litter. (I can't take credit for these photos! They are taken from the facebook page and I assume taken by the breeder).

Ramsey's 'Biological' Dad... Ch. Mystic's Just Fine.

'Biological' Mom: Ch. High Plains Rendezvous.

It's amazing how much Rams looks like his mother!

Last but not least, here is a picture of Ramsey practicing his winning stance:

Rams at 5 months.

Also, Rams turned 8 months yesterday! Holy cow, where did the time go? :)

Action Shots

2012-03-21T04:56:00.004-07:00

I've been craving a 'real' camera for a while now but given that they are so expensive, haven't acted on the impulse. I mentioned wanting one to Greg, who immediately borrowed one from a co-worker for me to try out. We figured if we play around with one, we can decide which features we want and which we can forgo. After playing for one day, I decided I no longer want a 'real' camera. I need one! Here are some of the play shots:

We were immediately fascinated by action shots... We have missed so many potentially awesome photos of Rams because he moves so quickly! Even just a wiggle or turn or his head ruins photos taken by our phones or even our digital (not 'real') cameras! This shot, I admit, was captured by Greg. It took us a few times of making the dog hop on.. and off.. and on.. and off.. the bed to get it.

'Wanna be a Greyhound when I grow up!''

The next day I decided to take the camera outside and get some full speed action shots, the test of what it can do! I think I can still get them clearer, once I know more about the shutter speeds etc. etc. (remember I'm a complete newbie at the camera).

'Ahh, summer is so much fun!'

Without the blur of movement you can see Ramsey's personality come through. I love it.

We are headed to the dog park and for a swim today with our buddy Bruiser. Bruiser's mom, Annie, is big into photography and said she would show me some tricks on the camera today. Maybe later I'll have some awesome photos to post!

Spring in the Bluegrass

2012-03-16T08:38:00.004-07:00

It appears to be Spring in Kentucky! (I hope I didn't just jinx us! I think it's slightly less risky to make that comment in Lexington than in Syracuse though...) We enjoyed our morning walk very much. The daffodils and tulips have been in bloom all week, but the trees have just started flowering.

We started our walk with some taunting storm clouds over our heads...

But it seemed to clear up.

Love the spring! So refreshing.

Ramsey agrees. His poor ears act like sponges though and seem to soak up all the water from the wet ground.

I didn't include the picture of Ramsey's scraped snout. He apparently sniffed the sidewalk a bit too closely this morning and rubbed his snout raw against the pavement. There must have been some great smells to smell!

First Swim

2012-03-14T10:20:00.005-07:00

We had a fantastic playdate this morning! Unfortunately I didn't capture any pictures of Rams and his new Rottie friend, Bruiser.

I did manage to capture a few shots of Ramsey's first swim. We attached two leashes together so it was long enough for him to get out a bit deeper but I'm not confident with his 'Come' on command just yet, especially with the birds out...

"Whoa! I can't touch past here!"

Mid shake

We will definitely be swimming, and playing with Bruiser, again soon!

Doggie Decor

2012-03-12T09:48:00.003-07:00

If you've been following, you know that for Christmas I commissioned a local Lexington artist (Enrique Gonzalez... he's awesome and I highly recommend checking him out!) to do a portrait of Ramsey for Greg's gift.

Two and a half months later we have it framed, and hung...

"Really Mom? You woke me up to take a picture?"

Tornado vs. Blizzard?

2012-03-05T04:40:00.005-08:00

Since moving to Lexington, I have been asked more than a few times how anyone could possibly stand living in a city that routinely gets over 100 inches (or close to 200 inches in the case of the 92-93 and 2010-11 seasons) of snow... I always tell them it's really not that bad! I actually love the snow, I just don't want the people here to think I'm crazy!

A few days ago Kentucky suffered horrible tornadoes, as I'm sure you've seen on the news. Cleaning out the closet as an emergency shelter isn't fun, it's terrifying. Thinking things like: 'We should put Ramsey's collar on incase the house gets demolished and he gets out...' or 'We should have our shoes near us in case we have to climb out of rubbish...' is scary. Ok, we didn't get hit, but towns in every direction from us did. Maybe our thoughts were over reactions because we aren't from here, we aren't used to this kind of extreme weather. We are used to the snow. (That stuff you Southerners hate and fear!) Following the tornadoes, I made a public statement to a friend on Facebook. I said: "I'd take a snowstorm over a tornado any day!" Well.... this morning, we woke up to what is considered a snowstorm in the South. Four inches!!!!

What does a girl from Syracuse (and her son) do with 4 inches of snow when she has been denied the fluffy white stuff for almost a year? Go outside and play!!

and teach Ramsey how to build (and not eat) a snowman!

Snowman and Rams got along great once the rules were established:

1) Leave my stick arms in place.

2) Don't eat me.

So given that when tornadoes hit you're told to hide in a closet and fear for your life, and when a snowstorm hits you go out and play.... I think the question about how anyone stands living in a snowy city is pretty obvious!

Size doubling.

2012-02-28T05:14:00.002-08:00

Streeeetching to fill my bed in November...

Feeling a bit cramped in my bed in February....

(Rams has more than doubled his weight since we got him! 10-15 pounds until he's full grown)

Battle progression

2012-02-22T12:51:00.002-08:00

It begins something like this:

Me: Rams, what do you have?

Rams: Hides his face and begins to bolt away.... 'nothing, Mom.....'

Me: Oh but you do! "Drop it!"

Rams: "No, I refuse to let you tell me what to do"

Me: 'You're going nowhere until you Drop it!'

Rams: Eyes turn to 'Devil eyes' (as seen above), he begins to focus his energy on ticking me off.

I'm the dominant one in the stage, if you can't tell, yes, yes I AM sitting on him. He's not phased, he's still focused.

In the end, I won! Sorta... the hair tie is ruined.

It's not about the hair tie. It's about the fact that I am the human and he is the dog who thinks he is the human. Facts need to be set straight around here!

Bad Kid in Class...

2012-02-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

We are officially the "Bad kid" in obedience!

Rams was great the first 40 minutes of class, until.... 'Down.' He has always been fine with it, when I have a treat in hand. This class, we've been trying to get away from the treats. You want your dog to listen because you said so, not just because you have a delicious snack in hand!

After several perfect 'downs,' I put the treats away and following my command: "Ramsey, Down!" he blankly stared me in the face. He wasn't the only one (there may have been one other in the class of about 10). The instructor then said, if they refuse, pull the front of their chain collar to the ground, the will most likely slide into a down when they realize you aren't letting go. I did as I was told, Ramsey stared me in the face and blatantly refused to slide down. The instructor then added, 'really stubborn dogs might need a push from behind, this takes care of 95%.' How embarrassing is it to be struggling full force with a 30 pound puppy!? I could NOT get him to lay down. Letting up, says 'you win,' which will only reinforce this obnoxious behavior. After a little struggle, Rams decided to grab onto my pant leg. I immediately grabbed his snout 'No!' to which he switched to his leash. As I take my routine (do not kill the dog, do not kill the dog) deep breath, the instructor turns specifically to us: "Do NOT tolerate him chewing on that leash!" In my mind I'm saying 'Tolerating? You think I tolerate this #%!@??" I may have sounded snappy, in response and simply said, "I don't tolerate this." So she replies: "So take it from him immediately!" I know I can't. He has the devil eye look, which sadly means, I just can't win. So I look to her and say: "Will you?" This may have been rude, but I was interested in seeing how to deal with this situation since it's not rare (Any time he wants attention he acts this way).

The instructor comes over and attempts to grab the leash from his mouth. The entire class is now watching this scene. I can only describe it like the puppy version of a child throwing a temper tantrum on the grocery store floor. She yanks... hard... to which he yelps and snaps at her! Mortified! My dog snapped at the obedience instructor! He has NEVER snapped.... he mouths, and sasses, but hasn't actually snapped! She yanks/corrects again, to which he rolls over into submissive position and pees himself simultaneously spraying a rainbow of pee across our corner of the room. He gets up, he has dropped the leash. She pets him nicely, tells him he's a good boy. (You're always supposed to be nice after you're mean, in order to preserve your human-dog relationship.) She then proceeds and tells him "Down." Blank stare. She goes to force him down, major struggle but finally the two of us get him on the ground. Good boy!!! Praise! We try again, major struggle. This went on several times with exhausting struggles on our part. Finally... tail tucked, he goes down. He then glances at me, closes his eyes and puts his head flat onto the ground as if to say "This is so shameful, mom."

Although the instructor was harsh, I'm glad she showed me how to deal. It sounds horrible, and even my mother (a life long dog person) was shocked at how much force as used. I reminded her that she has always owned Shelties, and as I was told when I picked Ramsey up that first day: "Springers are NOT shelties." I didn't know what that meant exactly until now.

This episode was proof that Ramsey still thinks he is higher up in pack order than me. This is NOT acceptable.

When did I lose control of this little man!?

On a cuter note: he fell asleep chewing on his bone last night.

Westminster

2012-02-15T06:11:00.000-08:00

We decided to watch Westminster to prepare ourselves for Ramseys glamorous future.

I wish the screen were more clear but take notice of Rams in the lower right corner staring intently at the sexy Foxhound girl!

We were routing for the English Springer in last nights Sporting dog group, but Champagne Supernova took third.

Supernova looking nice!

(Rams is lookin ready with his new do! He would fit right in with these champs!)

Boarded and groomed

2012-02-13T10:50:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we left Ramsey with his breeder while we made a visit to Pennsylvania. While we were away, Rams got rid of the 'Fro hair do and got a little glammed up. I think he's ready for the Westminster!

The breeder also re-asked (or semi told) us that we need to have him shown.... Maybe Westminster IS in our future! (We can dream right?) Maybe I'll get rams on board by watching a little 'Best in Show' later. (If you haven't seen that movie... you must)

Read to go home!

Quick glam shot for the camera! (I still think he looks a tad like a dinosaur with his hair so short! Who decides on standard cuts for the different breeds?)

Nap time in his favorite spot...

No words...

2012-02-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

I let Ramsey out the other day while I changed for practice. I swear he was out less than 3 minutes. When I came back down this is what I saw:

Me: "Playing in the garden, Rams?"

Rams: "Of course not, Mom, I'm digging a massive hole! How Cool!

And... you really expect me to let you in the house like that?!

I couldn't even carry him to the tub without getting mud everywhere. Luckily it was 60 degrees out and I could hold his paws under the outside faucet!

No idea how to kick the digging habit.... I feel like it's always something new.

Also, my brief review of the Gentle Leader: Although it disallows him to pull as hard as he did before, it took 3 walks for him to begin pulling as hard as he can with a straight neck. I believe we are only strengthening his neck. I doubt Petsmart would refund it. :Sigh:

Dis-Obedience

2012-02-01T04:07:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I attended Ramsey's Obedience class orientation, only to find that we had gotten closed out of the class because I didn't get the registration money in on time. We still have a few decisions to make: A spot opened up at a mid-day class, but we already missed one session and might be behind. It' also mid day.... not that this is a problem at this time, but if I find a job it will most likely include day time hours. (This is one of those 'what ifs' only, but... it's a possibility, and I don't want to waste money on classes we can't get to!). We could wait and join the next session, but that begins in March. I can NOT wait that long to get a grip on some of Ramsey's 'issues.' We have also been given the option to pay for a few private sessions in the mean time. Pricey, but might be worth it? We were semi thinking, maybe follow through the training book we got at orientation and for the skills we find ourselves struggling with, schedule a private session. We're still deciding! (There aren't really any other classes we could find, and this class is run by a friend of the breeder so I feel some sort of obligation...)

The largest issue as of now: Pulling on the leash. It makes walks miserable, when they should be fun and relaxing for all of us! Here is a list of strategies tried and outcomes:

Consistent tug when his leash gets tight and a happy 'Good boy!' when he is next to us. Unfortunately before the 'Good' is out, he is at the end pulling harder than ever again!

We then tried this with a choke collar. I know, I know, some people say these are cruel but really depending on the dog and if it's used correctly, I see no problem with it. The problem was that because Ramsey was pulling so hard, there is no room in the collar for a correctional choke! I really think he would let himself faint before relaxing. At this point, we're starting to think our dog has some learning disabilities...

During confirmation class the instructor told us to change directions quickly so that he has to pay attention. Turn around every time he pulls. This results in 20 minutes of pacing back and forth across the front of the drive way. No, I'm not exaggerating. At the end of 20 minutes, we are both frustrated and there is no less pulling.

With a little google research a lot of people swear by this one: When they pull, stop walking. I've been doing this for a few weeks, with no avail. So, this weekend we went to the park (Greg, Rams, and I). We got about 50 meters in 40 minutes before I got so frustrated I sat in the car.... I can NOT tolerate this. Thank goodness Greg has more patience than I do!

So now, I gave in, and bought a Gentle Leader. I didn't want to get a harness or anything of the sort because I don't feel like it actually teaches anything. I want to teach him to walk nicely, not just in the harness, but always. The Gentle Leader is basically a face harness. The straps go over the snout and hook underneath. Ramsey really didn't mind it (I saw mixed reviews about dogs throwing tantrums). When he pulls, it transfers the pressure to turn his face instead of hold him back. This apparently is annoying because dogs want to see where they are going. It definitely helped. Hopefully we can use it as a teaching tool, or a bit more control while we teach... and at the very least, he will get some exercise rather than walking around the block and coming home angry!

Being Gently Lead....

Other suggestions are welcome!!!

Pictures

2012-01-18T10:29:00.001-08:00

Just some photos from yesterday and this mornings walk at the park...

"Can I please sit on your lap, mom?"

"Ducks!!"