I came home, let the dogs out (I totally let them out - was anybody asking), and ran around outside with them to tucker their little butts out a bit so I can go take a nap in peace.
I give you - Media Monday - Shila in action being a big ol freak
More media coming soon from a geocaching trip and some pics snapped from around the front yard.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tricks: Good Paw!
I suppose I had to embarrass Shila in front of the Internet crowd before she would show me 'Paw'. The other night I was having her show off a gallery of tricks and she whipped out her paw when I asked for it. Perhaps this should be a lesson to others on teaching your stocky little bull dog how to paw, they lift from their shoulder and not from their elbows. When that paw came out it was like a punch from the shoulder. Up and around the body then *BAM* here's my paw, with a spec of attitude.
YAY!
Now to do it again, 'Paw' Shila!
YAY!
I love my dog. Footages coming soon.
YAY!
Now to do it again, 'Paw' Shila!
YAY!
I love my dog. Footages coming soon.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tricks: 'Paw' is coming along and 'Speak' is quite overpowering
Paw is slow going but we are working on it. We have a little puppy party every time she gets it right. Typically paw leads to "I will climb on you now" which can be a little overwhelming. Speaking of overwhelming, we also taught her to use her voice on command as well as a few non-commanded times. "Speak Shila!" results in a super squeaky high pitched barking fit. "Sit Shila!" seems to have the same effect. "Lay Down Shila!" results in sitting, followed by speaking, followed by chasing after the kid on the red bike. This dog has some serious A.D.D. and we don't have the tools to completely captivate her yet but I'm working on it, stay tuned for details about that.
Speak is a somewhat naughty trick to teach a dog. I don't really care for overly noisy dogs but at the same time she whines and squeals like a little pig when she's excited. She wants to get some noise out of her. Barking lets her be herself, and its neat most of the time she waits for us to permit her to do that. It kinda shows a wonky respect for us. Sam has similar "You don't have to be a good little lapdog right now" command. He is a hunter and a chaser so we sit with him while on leash then slowly unlatch him and say "Go get it!". He jumps and runs for about 20 feet forward until that nose of his gets the best of him. From that point on he's just himself, sniffing away at nature and chasing a bounty of bunnies. Sometimes if there really is something to "Go get it!" he'll.. well he'll go get it.
Speak is a somewhat naughty trick to teach a dog. I don't really care for overly noisy dogs but at the same time she whines and squeals like a little pig when she's excited. She wants to get some noise out of her. Barking lets her be herself, and its neat most of the time she waits for us to permit her to do that. It kinda shows a wonky respect for us. Sam has similar "You don't have to be a good little lapdog right now" command. He is a hunter and a chaser so we sit with him while on leash then slowly unlatch him and say "Go get it!". He jumps and runs for about 20 feet forward until that nose of his gets the best of him. From that point on he's just himself, sniffing away at nature and chasing a bounty of bunnies. Sometimes if there really is something to "Go get it!" he'll.. well he'll go get it.
Treats: Nuts for Coconuts
A long time ago I saw a video on Animal Planet or the like about a lady in Hawaii that feeds her Staffordshire Bull Terrier cocounts. The dog got accustomed to going over to a cooker and lifting the lid, taking out a coconut and chewing it up all over the ladies lawn. The organic waste helped the lawn (guess the dog went through a lot of coconuts) and the dog had a nice high fiber diet. Dogs of course don't need high fiber to be regular or healthy. Their high acid tummies love meat.
I can't seem to find the video online. Hmm..
Shila totally digs coconuts once I cracked it open for her. I'm going to have to buy the coconuts with the husk on them still so she can get her rip on. The ones I bought are easy-open just bang against a rock types that were amazing for a whole minute when I threw it on the ground. Sam launched himself at it playfully and pranced around with it in his mouth a bit (big mouth). Shila was interested in bugging Sam while he played with it but not very impressed with it as a toy. I took her and the coconut outside for a little lesson I like to call "Break it and find out whats inside".
I smacked the coconut on a garden rock and clear juice spilled out all over the place. Shila showed her interest immediately by showing off her pretty baroo face. "It's Juicy?"
Sam and Shila each got a half a broken coconut and ate away on the meat. I think by the end of the night all the meat was gone and the dogs were happy. When I took Shila out this morning she scrambled to the backyard and found some remains of the tropical treat to munch on. I do believe we've found a fun little snack that is 100% natural. Anybody know any good reason dogs shouldn't have coconuts?
I can't seem to find the video online. Hmm..
Shila totally digs coconuts once I cracked it open for her. I'm going to have to buy the coconuts with the husk on them still so she can get her rip on. The ones I bought are easy-open just bang against a rock types that were amazing for a whole minute when I threw it on the ground. Sam launched himself at it playfully and pranced around with it in his mouth a bit (big mouth). Shila was interested in bugging Sam while he played with it but not very impressed with it as a toy. I took her and the coconut outside for a little lesson I like to call "Break it and find out whats inside".
I smacked the coconut on a garden rock and clear juice spilled out all over the place. Shila showed her interest immediately by showing off her pretty baroo face. "It's Juicy?"
Sam and Shila each got a half a broken coconut and ate away on the meat. I think by the end of the night all the meat was gone and the dogs were happy. When I took Shila out this morning she scrambled to the backyard and found some remains of the tropical treat to munch on. I do believe we've found a fun little snack that is 100% natural. Anybody know any good reason dogs shouldn't have coconuts?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mini-Adventure: Eagle River and the Puppy
First off, to whoever was walking their puppy near Eagle River last Monday, I'm sorry.
Shila isn't the best of dogs when she is on leash and out of her element. I have *GOT* to remember to bring the squirt gun with me on all walks outside of the neighborhood. She terrified a puppy, and quite possibly the owner when they approached our truck mere seconds after letting the dogs out. Thankfully I yelled out "She's new and kind of a pain. Not too friendly." so owner man could hide his precious puppy paws away before they were nipped off. Again dude, sorry. I hope we meet in a more civil way later on down the road.
We took a walk down a path following Eagle River and walked over the ice a bit. Sam enjoyed the cool breeze and the watery noises, Shila just wanted to sniff sniff sniff. After continuing on quite a ways we found a good location to let Sam roam free while we worked with Shila on-leash. She doesn't like to put any part of her except her feet on the snow so 'sit' and 'lay down' were out of the question. Instead I propped up a fallen birch on an angle and get her jumping up and over it. I'm not very coordinated yet while working with Shila. Watching me you'd think I had no idea what I'm doing - and I don't. Shila was a hopping away, she only wanted to go under the birch once or twice to chase after Teresa who was teasing her from the other side of the hurdle. Jump up on the hurdle, jump down off the hurdle. Kind of a silly approach but it works, won't win her any speed competitions however. She'd hop over, turn around and prop herself up on the hurdle expecting a treat. I learned I need to be throwing the treat over the hurdle when she just starts to lift off.
Teresa really doesn't want me getting my hopes up about Shila being a flyballer. I agree, and noted she said nothing about agility courses. But it's gonna be about the same there too, Shila needs to be civil and comfortable being around strange dogs.
Is a muzzled trip to the dog park in order? Would that just torment her to no end? Am I just being impatient? I mean really. I haven't had her long enough for her to just know how things are done.
Shila isn't the best of dogs when she is on leash and out of her element. I have *GOT* to remember to bring the squirt gun with me on all walks outside of the neighborhood. She terrified a puppy, and quite possibly the owner when they approached our truck mere seconds after letting the dogs out. Thankfully I yelled out "She's new and kind of a pain. Not too friendly." so owner man could hide his precious puppy paws away before they were nipped off. Again dude, sorry. I hope we meet in a more civil way later on down the road.
We took a walk down a path following Eagle River and walked over the ice a bit. Sam enjoyed the cool breeze and the watery noises, Shila just wanted to sniff sniff sniff. After continuing on quite a ways we found a good location to let Sam roam free while we worked with Shila on-leash. She doesn't like to put any part of her except her feet on the snow so 'sit' and 'lay down' were out of the question. Instead I propped up a fallen birch on an angle and get her jumping up and over it. I'm not very coordinated yet while working with Shila. Watching me you'd think I had no idea what I'm doing - and I don't. Shila was a hopping away, she only wanted to go under the birch once or twice to chase after Teresa who was teasing her from the other side of the hurdle. Jump up on the hurdle, jump down off the hurdle. Kind of a silly approach but it works, won't win her any speed competitions however. She'd hop over, turn around and prop herself up on the hurdle expecting a treat. I learned I need to be throwing the treat over the hurdle when she just starts to lift off.
Teresa really doesn't want me getting my hopes up about Shila being a flyballer. I agree, and noted she said nothing about agility courses. But it's gonna be about the same there too, Shila needs to be civil and comfortable being around strange dogs.
Is a muzzled trip to the dog park in order? Would that just torment her to no end? Am I just being impatient? I mean really. I haven't had her long enough for her to just know how things are done.
We put the Momma in 'Momma Shila'
Huzzah! Nice and pretty puppy pictures all around (Courtesy Carol @ AKDogRescue)! A few of the rugrats have found there way back to where were sent packing a few months earlier. They are probably just stinkers, a lot like Shila! Now, without further-a-do (eh?).
The pups when they were brand spanking new!
Introducing Morgan! (Adoption Page)
And the ferocious Diesel!
Carol is also taking care of a lovable terrier who needs a good home, click here for more info.
Red, A dog who wants to be adopted.
The pups when they were brand spanking new!
Introducing Morgan! (Adoption Page)
And the ferocious Diesel!
Carol is also taking care of a lovable terrier who needs a good home, click here for more info.
Red, A dog who wants to be adopted.
Open to Suggestions: The Konami Code
I need some feedback on something. I want to teach Shila the Konami Code as an uber geeky trick. Me and maybe 5 other people she will ever meet will know what it really is when it happens, and when it does happen I expect them to let it all sink in then exclaim "Holy Cow, Did that just happen?!". What a good doggies she will be.
The Code (Courtesy Wikipedia):
Up means jump. Down means lay down and probably come to a sit before the next down. Left and Right could be leaning, paw, rolling, sneezing, whatever. and B and A are open to suggestion. What do you think Left Right and B and A should be?
The Code (Courtesy Wikipedia):
Up means jump. Down means lay down and probably come to a sit before the next down. Left and Right could be leaning, paw, rolling, sneezing, whatever. and B and A are open to suggestion. What do you think Left Right and B and A should be?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Mini-Adventure: Beach Lake Fun
Beach Lake in Birchwood is still frozen over enough to walk all over. Just follow the tracks of others and avoid the obvious holes where people have broken through (just kidding). Shila got to wear her special little coat we call the armadillo coat. The picture doesn't do it justice, but the videos below do. She looks pretty silly in the coat.Shila ran off a little bit, which always worries us. We had her off leash in the middle of the lake and she still picked up a scent and went running to the shore to hunt it down. We just bought a training collar that should help out with that in the future. It worked wonders on Sam when he had one (THEN TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TO HIDE SOMEWHERE IN A BOG). Sigh...
I'm opening up this post to a little competition. Send me a link to a video or photo of your dog doing a trick. Here's a Shila Trick for everybody:
Speak (but can't seem to sit).
Sam doing his thing, Shila doing "UP!" with quite a bit of spring.
Just publish a comment or send me an email.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Dig Doggity Daycare and The Flyball Dogs
Friday, oh happy friday. Shila and Sam usually end up at Arctic Tails. Fridays mean that Teresa and I don't have to worry about anxious crazy eyed dogs begging us for a walk RIGHT FREAKING NOW. Shila and Sam both fall asleep in the car, then we practically have to carry them inside like snoozy little 2 year olds. We've been told that Sam has mellowed substantially and prefers the sidelines to the center ring at daycare. Who knows what Shila does. They don't really mention how good Shila is at daycare - which could be a sign. Sam typically gets high praise.
Vickie Young, the owner of Arctic Tails, is an awesome lady who has a lot of patience for dog owners. Her dog Valentine is a flyballer with The Flyball Dogs. Val greets us, licks us, acts all suave with my girlfriend and gives Vickie a good reputation as a trainer. As far as flyball? I've never gone to a competition but I've seen them in a video, as well as national flyball competitions on the television.
A demo done here at the Sullivan Arena:
Just watching this makes me get all excited to have Shila do agility courses or flyball. I have a ton of scrap wood from this summers fence project (which is no longer tall enough to hold in a few dogs *sob*) that I should put to good use and make some treated wood all-weather heavy as heck obstacles.
Vickie Young, the owner of Arctic Tails, is an awesome lady who has a lot of patience for dog owners. Her dog Valentine is a flyballer with The Flyball Dogs. Val greets us, licks us, acts all suave with my girlfriend and gives Vickie a good reputation as a trainer. As far as flyball? I've never gone to a competition but I've seen them in a video, as well as national flyball competitions on the television.
A demo done here at the Sullivan Arena:
Just watching this makes me get all excited to have Shila do agility courses or flyball. I have a ton of scrap wood from this summers fence project (which is no longer tall enough to hold in a few dogs *sob*) that I should put to good use and make some treated wood all-weather heavy as heck obstacles.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Wrestlemania
We don't have a big area for the dogs to wrestle. Obstacles aren't really obstacles for dogs so you didn't think that would stop them from doing it, did you?
Basic Training I - Elite Agility Training Squad
When motivated Shila seems adept to agility courses. She loves the chutes and ladders scene and seems to appreciate a good challenge. I really want to get Sam the red dog involved, he would enjoy it quite a bit. He has a big brain and likes puzzles too.
She doesn't favour the round fabric tunnel obstacles, but has 0 issues going through them when she gets near them. What really makes her happy is running up and down planks and jumping onto high platforms. There is a yellow platform with a red circle on it that the the dogs are supposed to sit on when they do a lap. It's weird asking a dog to sit and be pretty after they just challenged themselves so much, but she doesn't seem to mind. Anything for an A.
I'm gonna scrounge up some sort of video device for the next training. I want to get some youtubage going of her having fun.
Last training session she did so well with tricks that she was assigned extra credit homework. See the poll to help decide what her next "big trick" will be.
Some videos of some fun cattle dogs bored in the suburbs:
A video of a bored cat in the suburbs:
She doesn't favour the round fabric tunnel obstacles, but has 0 issues going through them when she gets near them. What really makes her happy is running up and down planks and jumping onto high platforms. There is a yellow platform with a red circle on it that the the dogs are supposed to sit on when they do a lap. It's weird asking a dog to sit and be pretty after they just challenged themselves so much, but she doesn't seem to mind. Anything for an A.
I'm gonna scrounge up some sort of video device for the next training. I want to get some youtubage going of her having fun.
Last training session she did so well with tricks that she was assigned extra credit homework. See the poll to help decide what her next "big trick" will be.
Some videos of some fun cattle dogs bored in the suburbs:
A video of a bored cat in the suburbs:
Double Dipping the Chips
Heh, A month ago we took Shila in to get her an RFID implant. Sounds kinda science fictiony eh? The vet did the implant then double checked to make sure it was good. Oops? Did you know your dog is already chipped? Buy one get one free?
I was a bit worried - what if the original owner wanted their dog back?! I would cry my self a river. But alas, I looked up the chip and found out somebody bothered to get her chipped but never filled in the registration. So I gleefully changed all the information to myself, and registered her to me. She is now super RFID enriched.
The pet RFID's are obviously an awesome idea. If you're aren't yet chipped, get em chipped.
I was a bit worried - what if the original owner wanted their dog back?! I would cry my self a river. But alas, I looked up the chip and found out somebody bothered to get her chipped but never filled in the registration. So I gleefully changed all the information to myself, and registered her to me. She is now super RFID enriched.
The pet RFID's are obviously an awesome idea. If you're aren't yet chipped, get em chipped.
Shilatude
 |
| From Shila |
She loves doing agility work and has a kind of king of the mountain complex going on. Heeling, halting, laying down, and letting me lead in general are issues with her. The treats we use with her, I thought were fine. What I'm finding out is when it comes to training and agility training dogs want a treat thats soft and easy to chew on the move, smells like a dead fish, and when it falls it doesn't roll all over the place. One dude had some Lil' Smokie treats for his dog Max. Shila got one from him and wouldn't leave him alone. The training teacher finally decided to give me a whopping handfull of Yummy Chummies dog treats. These are made in Alaska and are pretty dang popular with the dogs, of course. They contain a hearty amount of stinky salmon guts and meats. Once I had a handfull of this stuff Shila was the most well behaved dog. I could have said "Shila, give me a shave and a haircut" and badaboom - I'm Fabio. But I didn't want to freak out my girlfriend.
The most important component to our dog walks is now the squirt bottle. This little clear purple plastic spray bottle with water in it, which I will soon officially dub "The Enforcer". The Enforcer and I had a great walk the other day. A long series of sprays after she ignores a sturn "NO" when she rushes another dog or person stops her in her tracks. She curls up into this little turtle of a dog and pays good attention to me (or The Enforcer) until she feels courageous enough to try it again. Typically one spray session will set her right for the rest of the walk.
I'm still having problems leading her into commands. Keeping her to stay with me is a challenge. Trainer lady said I need to chose a side, I chose the right - where my gripping hand is - as did Teresa. Keeping her on a single side is supposedly much less confusing than letting them run around you all willy nilly. I can see that I suppose. With a hand full of treats, stretchy ones, you can get Shila to attach to a treat long enough to follow you properly, if only for a few seconds. I'm not sure how dedicated I need to be when she is on a walk.
The outdoors is Shilas enemy. She has to survey it, spy on it, pee on it and whine at it. The dark seems to hold more opportunities for her to get distracted or upset. She's about as much of a chicken in the dark as I am. I can totally sympathize.
We have wolves attacking our neighbourhood (link) (link) (link) (link) (link) and you can't be a real Alaskan without a local neghborhood moose or two. Moose don't really like dogs. There's a lot to concider when your dog stops in the middle of the road, looks up and growls. Sam the red dog typically puts his nose up in the air for a good whiff of whatever's coming up, which is typically the best sign to just turn around.
I don't know if most dog owners do this but I stare at my dogs constantly while walking them. Not just because they can be pains every so often, but just to watch them react to the environment and for my own protection. While hiking I keep a steady eye on Sam since he has the best nose and eyes in the group. Then again should I really trust the intuition of a dog that thinks bags blowing in the wind are evil spirits?
Enter The Shila
Odd name right? Shy Lah, Shila? Not Shilo?.. Well she seems to like it. Why Momma? She had 9 pups right before we found her at her foster home and her belly was almost dragging on the floor. She's a bit smaller than most medium dogs - 9 relatively large pups was quite a feat!
In the photo below Shila is wearing her winter trim. Actually she's only worn this shirt a few times. We also have a fun assortment of doggie jackets for her.
Shila is supposedly an American Bull Dog, or an American Pit Bull Terrior, or just some mutt that looks like both. When we find out for sure, I'm sure I'll post about it.
She has some creative markings, nothing like Mikhail Gorbochev, thats mostly on her rear and her head. She has the same silly nature as the goofy dog from The Little Rascals, Pete The Pup. Pete was an American Pit Bull Terrier.
There seems to me like a huge resemblance between American Bulldogs (should I say Lesser American Bull Dog?) and Pit Bull Terriers. I'm not even sure what the difference is between a terrier and a dog. I made a quick list below of youtube videos containing a few dogs that look or act like Shila from both breeds.
American Bull Dogs that look like Shila (unverified sources):
We love her to death but Shila is a stubborn little girl. Right now we are going through training classes at Arctic Tails, where she also spends her fridays at their Doggie Daycare service. It's of course helped her out tremendously. She is a super spazz and being around other dogs all day long wears her out. Her and her new pal Sam snore away the entire way home in the car. It's a beautiful thing.
The biggest thing when working with a rescue dog that has a tendancy to bite or rush other dogs is to socialize them as much as you can. I have reservations about this, mostly because I don't want animal control taking my dog away, but I really have to be more dillegent about this. I've thought about asking the neighbors to go on some walks with us. Shila is mostly protective behind our fence and on the leash - thats fine if its for the right reasons.
I'm hoping to have a few guest spots on this blog detailing some of her pups. It would be interesting to see how her pups are behaving, what kind of homes they ended up on and any adventures worth mentioning. Hopefully I can get some contact info for them.
Please subscribe via RSS or Email to get updates to this blog. Shila is bound to have some fun adventures, and of course I'll do my best to share what training methods worked, silly photos, and any awesome adventures.
In the photo below Shila is wearing her winter trim. Actually she's only worn this shirt a few times. We also have a fun assortment of doggie jackets for her.
Shila is supposedly an American Bull Dog, or an American Pit Bull Terrior, or just some mutt that looks like both. When we find out for sure, I'm sure I'll post about it.
She has some creative markings, nothing like Mikhail Gorbochev, thats mostly on her rear and her head. She has the same silly nature as the goofy dog from The Little Rascals, Pete The Pup. Pete was an American Pit Bull Terrier.
There seems to me like a huge resemblance between American Bulldogs (should I say Lesser American Bull Dog?) and Pit Bull Terriers. I'm not even sure what the difference is between a terrier and a dog. I made a quick list below of youtube videos containing a few dogs that look or act like Shila from both breeds.
American Bull Dogs that look like Shila (unverified sources):
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcjPU8wNVc
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fr9sAQAFU8
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JhcQxbZqhA
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0DNMWUXLRw
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt8a9kS5sRI
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k463R9yTVXA
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orVVpaGkBbU
We love her to death but Shila is a stubborn little girl. Right now we are going through training classes at Arctic Tails, where she also spends her fridays at their Doggie Daycare service. It's of course helped her out tremendously. She is a super spazz and being around other dogs all day long wears her out. Her and her new pal Sam snore away the entire way home in the car. It's a beautiful thing.
The biggest thing when working with a rescue dog that has a tendancy to bite or rush other dogs is to socialize them as much as you can. I have reservations about this, mostly because I don't want animal control taking my dog away, but I really have to be more dillegent about this. I've thought about asking the neighbors to go on some walks with us. Shila is mostly protective behind our fence and on the leash - thats fine if its for the right reasons.
I'm hoping to have a few guest spots on this blog detailing some of her pups. It would be interesting to see how her pups are behaving, what kind of homes they ended up on and any adventures worth mentioning. Hopefully I can get some contact info for them.
Please subscribe via RSS or Email to get updates to this blog. Shila is bound to have some fun adventures, and of course I'll do my best to share what training methods worked, silly photos, and any awesome adventures.
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