Adventures at the Pet Cafe

So I had visited the Pet Cafe before but without Daphne. I like that it's a small neighborhood type pet store so that even though the products may be more expensive (because they only carry the good/expensive brands), I like supporting a small business. Plus they have Daphne's favorite squeak toy, which I love because it has no stuffing and replaceable squeakers. Today was my first trip with her. She was very excited but it brought out a concern I have. I got her a meal (I think she really likes the concept of lunch) and some doggie ice cream for dessert. She scarfed them down. There was another dog at the table next to us who got its meal a second before us and it ate it nice and slow. Daphne must have beat this dog by like a minute or two. Ice cream is something I won't be trying at home. She didn't understand that she was suppose to lick it not chomp and chew it. But it was fun. My concern was the fact that she does scarf down the food, like I starve her or something. My sister's dog does the same thing so I know it's not that I am but perhaps I am underfeeding her a bit. I feed her what the bag tells me too but I have a feeling it might factor in people giving their dogs treats. I don't give her treats with any sort of regularity. I guess the only one she gets often is the one I put in the Kong as I leave in the morning. But that's really the only treats she gets. Sometime she'll get some when I'm training her and occassionally she'll get a Busy Bone or something while I eat but she doesn't get something regularly. I guess I've just been so afraid of making her overweight or making her come to expect and demand (through whining) treats at a certain time the other dogs in my family. But I think I should give her some treats after dinner or something. So I picked up the treats my sister gives her dogs which are all natural and I'm going to try to set up some sort of daily treat giving. Perhaps it will stop her from acting like I starve her!

Hangs head in shame :(

So I haven't updated in forever and I apologize. It's been rather crazy two months. I think the first thing I should update about is our wonderful camping/hiking trip to Texas. This was when I discovered that Daphne is okay in the car though she likes to look out of the window a lot. I took the back seats out and she was sort of upset about that as she could no longer see out the windows. So we piled up some stuff so she could see. That means I should probably put at least one of the seats back in the car for the trip home. She also loves hiking, especially rock climbing. We decided to climb up this old stream bed up to cave in the side of the cliffs. Pretty steep and full of boulders and rocks. At first I was hesitant to take her with us but another thing we found out was that she has become really really clingy. Every time we left the car she would start doing this horrible whiny bark and she even did it even when Jenn stayed in the car. So we brought her and she was hopping her way up the rocks. Even boulders three times her height she scaled by jumping up and then digging in. She even didn't mind camping, except for the short times we had to leave her tied up by the campsite while we got stuff from the car. She learned that the tent was inside and enjoyed cuddling up with us among our sleeping bags. She also quickly learned that cacti hurt. Enjoy some pictures!



Then I went away for 1.5 weeks for the wedding extravaganza and I got back to an extremely clingy dog. She now cuddles up with me on the couch rather than sitting on the other side and the worse part is in the bed. She use to just sleep in the corner far away from me but now she tries to sleep right next to me. It really doesn't work all that well as I turn a lot and get hot easily. But I like that she really loves me. Also she has gotten better with her commands and is getting better with the "come" command. I really hope she doesn't lose it all when we go home with mom and grandma. . . .

Last night was Halloween and we didn't get any trick or treaters. I got her a costume though because I was planning on going to the Doggie Costume Parade last weekend but I was sick. So here's a few cute pics from last night. And I think I'm up to date now.

Pooch Pool Party

This weekend was great. We had fun at our doggie class attempting to learn new tricks. She's not a fan of doing tricks though so I'll really have to work with her on them. Next week is graduation!

But the best bit of the weekend was the Pooch Pool Party hosted by the dog park. I didn't expect nearly as many dogs as there were but she had a blast. At first she really didn't care about the water but then I brought the ball out and while attempting to jump up for the ball she fell in the pool. She wasn't too happy about that. So she ran around and played with other dogs on land for a bit and played rather nicely too.






Then I attempted to get her into the pool by tempting her with the ball. She got really frustrated at this. I threw her in a few times just so she'd get use to the water. She then attempted to figure out a way to get the ball closer without going in. She did this for a rather long time and one lady assisted her decision on how to get the ball.








But after enough frustration and trying she finally just gave up and admitted that swimming wasn't that bad. She never really got comfy enough that she'd just jump right on in but she did start going in on her own and would start going after balls that I didn't throw in which I took as a sign that she liked swimming she was just nervous. It was a really great day overall. So she's a swimmer, it just takes her a bit.

Long bit of silence

My computer at home broke so that explains the bit of silence from me. Daphne is doing okay. She has been having a few accidents at night and she was very very very close to getting a crate. But fate stepped in, broke my computer and gave me a flat tire so I don't have the money right now for a crate but the idea is still there and I have been looking around. But to sort of help the situation and to determine if a crate is necessary I have begun a water regime. She now has limited access to water. She get's her bowl of water after breakfast until I leave for work and then after dinner until around 8pm. During the day she gets a bowl with two ice cubes and after 8 pm she gets one ice cube. Of course if we go on any long walks or to the dog park she is able to drink when we get home. The fact that her accidents were very clear, almost like water sort of seemed like she was drinking too much. I have also begun taking her out more at night, so she goes out at 5pm, 8/9pm and again right before bed around 11pm. So far this seems to be working, but sadly I have lost a lot of trust in her. When I'm falling asleep if she jumps off the bed, I roll over and turn on the light to see what she is up to. The fact that she peed right in front of my one night has just made me learn to not trust her but I'm slowly gaining trust back.

In other news she is doing pretty well in doggie class. We learned tricks this week and she is finally getting shake though roll over has been near impossible. I think now that I know the techniques we can practice things and eventually get to the point where she'll do it without food. She is really listening to me well at the dog park when I say things in a commanding voice. She doesn't seem to understand come but we have barely practiced that one since it involves me remembering to bring treats on walks. But when she is barking or snarling at dogs through the fence, she'll stop when I tell her. I'm not sure I'll ever get to the point where I trust her off leash but then again I've only had her for 3 months so our relationship is still new. Perhaps in a few years she'll be the perfect dog ;)

Oh she really doesn't seem to like cats, well she likes them in that she loves to chase after them . . .

Too smart for her own good . . .

Well class was fun last night as I was the only person there so it was a private lesson. We actually spent so much time talking that we didn't even realize the time until it was already 30 minutes into the scheduled time. We learned leave it and take it which she is rather good at as she does a similar thing with dinner. She learned quickly and Tisha kept commenting how smart she is, which she really is. I think she will be amazing at agility but I wonder if I have the stamina to run around the course with her ;)

It amazes me what she can get into and she has a knack of knowing what is my favorite food/splurge food. First it was the can of pringles which I rarely get and had gotten as a treat, she ate the remainder of the can or about half of it. Today I get home and first notice a plastic bag on the ground completely eaten. I realize it was her treat bag which I forgot on the coffee table. My fault then I turn the corner and seem my loaf of sourdough on the floor and half gone. I'm pissed! This was on the kitchen counter and some how she got into it. I've been craving this bread and the grilled cheeses it was gonna make me all week. I guess the good part is there was still 1/3 to a half left and it was salvagable. But how she got it and this knack for knowing what I'm craving is a bit crazy. I must say I got rather mad at her and talked sternly to her. I know she had no idea what she did but still I had to vent. She got locked in the bedroom for a short time.

This is really making me think I either need to keep her in my bedroom when I leave the house or worse yet a crate. I really don't want to crate her but she's not giving me much of a choice. She really enjoys laying by the sliding glass door and looking out as this is where I normally find her when I come home. I don't want to take that away from her but I don't want her to keep getting into my stuff. I mean what happens if it's another pack of gum but this time it makes her seize? I don't know perhaps I just need to clean up more and put things away.

Another thing this brings up is the fact that I wish I could be a little more like a dog. They are able to let go of thing so easily. They live in the moment and if something bad happens it's forgotten 10 minutes later. I wish I could be like that. Like 2 hours later and I'm still a bit upset with her for the bread. If it was just the treats that's one thing but something off the counters is not good. And I really wanted to enjoy that whole loaf all week long. I need to try and be like a dog and let it go. Being angry isn't going to change anything . . .

She's chipped!

After standing in line for an hour where she got to sniff the mystery moving boxing (cat crate) and 5 seconds of pain (resulting in a ton of shedding), Daphne is now microchipped. She has a home again chip and her number (in case I lose the paperwork which is very possible) is 4A2E6D205B. I'm glad she's chipped. Though it did present something interesting. Apparently I picked a difficult to spell name. Both the trainer when signing her up and the lady who chipped her both spelled her name wrong. Daffone? Huh? I didn't think DAPHNE was so hard to figure out but oh well.

In other news we tried compressed rawhide this week on the advise of the trainer. I think we both liked it until a minute or so ago when having a piece large enough to fit in her mouth, she decided to swallow it whole. This stuff doesn't digest so she has a large piece going through her. Should be interesting to see what happens ;) I think I'll get her another one but they get tossed once they become mouth sized!

Obedience Class part 2

Well like I knew, she is very very very food motivated and she loves to do stuff with the trainer but not for me. This week we learned to walk with a loose leash and down. She was wonderful with the trainer and did exactly what she was suppose to do. Then I tried. At first it seemed hopeless as we went out into the aisles and she was distracted by all the smells. But once she realized I had food in my hand she was great. I've tried to do the same thing while we are on our walks but I don't have food. I need start carrying treats so we can practice while we walk. Then we got to down. It was the one we had issues with when I tried on my own. So the trainer showed us what to do with her dog and then she tried with Daphne. Well finally there was something she wouldn't do with the trainer. We really worked on it and I just need to really really praise her when she actually does it. I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that the trainer tried forcing her down. She pushed the butt of another dog down when we were learning sit. Not hard or anything but I have always been told/seen that you shouldn't manipulate a dog into a position. So we've been working on it this week and I discovered if I do a modified leg tunnel like Victoria does, she'll go down. Now I just need to work that with the clicker and hopefully she'll get when I say down what she is suppose to do.

Friday I'm going to get her microchipped. The local pound is doing a clinic where it is $20. Can't really pass that up and in case she ever runs away, I know she won't be put down. I've also been slightly clipping her nails one by one. I'm debating whether to get it done professionally or just grow a back bone and stop being so timid when I go to clip them. I do know that we need to at least get her teeth brushed after class this weekend because her breath is disgusting!

It looks so fast on TV

Today was our first dog obedience class and Daphne was eh. She's way to interested in the food so the whole "Watch me" exercise didn't really work. She watched the food. She's also much more interested in the food and things other people are giving/doing. It's the same way at the dog park. I try to play fetch and she's usually not super interested but the next second someone else can pick up a ball and she's all over it. I'm not sure why. Have I failed as alpha dog or am I too successful as alpha dog. But I shouldn't expect all that much as it was our first day and only an hour. We definitely have some homework to do this week. I'm glad that it is clicker training. But it was fun and I'm optimistic. We'll just have to see. First step get her to associate clicker with good and then the watch me command. The biggest issue is she gets so excited when she thinks there is food involved. It looks so quick and easy on TV . . .

The couch

I got a new couch, my first real one basically the same time as I got Daphne. The have been living in harmony for awhile now but today I noticed some stuffing on the floor and traced it back to the couch. At first I'm not yelling but asking her what she did. She plays the I'm so sorry, please love me look. I got a warranty on the couch which does cover rips and tears but after reading the fine print it doesn't look like it covers those done by pets. I guess I could try but it just seems like as hassle when I'm sure they won't cover it. I could lie and say it was caused when I was moving something but it's in a rather odd location and I do have a dog. It's not all that bad and I think I could make it look even better with a bit of sewing. But I discovered it wasn't boredom or some other reason that she suddenly decided to attack the couch. Her kong with her treat went under the couch and she must have been trying to get it rather vigorously. So I have my first doggie damage. I think I'm going to try and find some small boxes or something to put under it so that things can't as easily get under there. I probably also should stop encouraging her to dig the stuff out on her own but I don't think that would have stopped her as it was food that was involved.

Why does no one in Oklahoma listen to Bob Barker?

I probably wouldn't take notice of this fact if it wasn't for the fact that Daphne tends to not care for them, but there are tons of unfixed male dogs (probably female too but it's harder to tell) here in Oklahoma. Previous to moving here everyone I knew who had dogs and all the dogs I saw at dog parks are all spayed or neutered. I mean I guess I don't have any problem with unfixed dogs but really but unless you are a breeder, I think it's irresponsible not to fix your dog. They also annoy me because they annoy Daphne.

Another dog park note, I hate when people bring kids to the dog park. Okay I just don't like kids but if you are going to bring them be responsible for them. Like don't let them leave the gate doors open. Every now and then someone accidentally leaves one of the gates open but this time after a father and his three kids came to the park with a semi-annoying unfixed male jack russel terrior they left BOTH gates open. Luckily Daphne didn't notice and there were no other dogs around but seriously how irresponsible can you be. People who don't follow dog park rules piss me off. Don't bring your dog if you aren't going to be responsible!

She's one fast dog

Daphne likes to chase balls but she really likes it when she has competition or when someone else is throwing the ball. Normally she'll play fetch for a few minutes with me but if someone else is throwing or there is another dog, she'll play for hours. And she's fast. She tucks back her ears and seems to skim across the ground. She can often outrun much larger dogs since they don't seem to put the same effort into chase that she does. I need to get one of the small chuck sticks to help me throw it further. Yesterday at the dog park she played fetch for a long time and running full out each time. She was really good with the other dogs and even Gus and a new puppy.

She also is getting better at getting at food which has me wondering what exactly I need to do to dog proof my house. I had a cookie or two that I had baked the night before on some aluminum foil on the counter. I guess a small part of it was hanging over the edge and she was able to get a hold of it and pull it to ground where she ate up the cookies. She's smart and crafty, that's for sure! I don't understand why she's so hungry all the time that she's scavenging for more food. I just hope she doesn't get fat. I just need to clean up my apartment and really make sure that things will be out of her reach. Perhaps it will motivate me to clean up more!

It has been one crazy adventure so far

I have always grown up with dogs but I've never had one on my own before. All that changed two months ago when I went to the local pound and discovered Daphne. It was love at first lick. Since then there has been a lot of fun and a lot of learning on both of our parts. I though since I've been putting so many entries in my main journal about her, that I should start a separate one. Plus it will be great to look back at our lives together.

It has definitely been an adjustment. The least difficult to my surprise is waking up early. I've always been a late sleeper and have been known even now at 26 to sleep until 11 on the weekends. Well that life is behind me. Daphne is a rather good dog and doesn't really wake me up in the mornings, it us usually guilt that gets me up sometime between 8-9. It's amazing how long the day is when you get up before noon. We are usually able to hit the dog park and get some shopping done all before lunch.

Speaking of the dog park, we go every sunny day because right now I feel guilty that we don't go on long walks due to the heat. She seems to enjoy it though the first few times I was a bit nervous about how she would react with other dogs. I wasn't afraid she'd get attacked but that she'd be the aggressive one. She's not aggressive but rather dominate and she doesn't like unfixed males sniffing around her. She's definitely not afraid to tell dogs no. I sort of call her the dog park sheriff because she likes to get into the middle of other dogs playing and sometimes trys to break them up. It's definitely a learning experience and allows me to notice dog behavior and dog owner behaviors.

She also enjoys getting into food. Whenever I believe my apartment is doggie proof she proves me wrong. At first it was all the food that was in my moving boxes so those got unpacked or put in the 2nd bedroom. Then it was the garbage. Luckily she doesn't seem to get into the different can I got but I have bungee cords just in case. If I ever forget anything on the coffee table it becomes her's and now she has moved onto the dinning room table. I'm not sure sometimes how she gets up there sometimes but she has climbed up there, dug through a tote bag and discovered a bag of treats which she quickly ate up. Today was the biggest scary when she got into my purse which I believe was on the table and ate a pack of gum. At first I was worried about it getting stuck and then I googled for info. That's when I found out that an ingrediant in it is toxic to dogs. Luckily she seems perfectly fine.

We've been having a great time so far and I'm really looking forward to our first obedience class next week. It should be fun and post worthy!

But of course I must leave you all with a photo of her favorite resting place.