Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

The Dog I Need

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I was having trouble deciding what to blog about tonight and decided I would chug through my google reader and see if one of you could inspire me.

Sure enough, Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes had a post titled, “Do You Have Dreams For Your Dog?”  After reading the post I went to leave a comment, and as I started to write I realized, damn I’m gonna write a blog post.  So I shortened my comment and headed home.  Do you think that’s cheating? (Ok. Maybe.  But would you really want a 500+ word comment?)

This was the line that really resonated with me, “I know several people who never anticipated competing in dog sports until they realized their dog needed an outlet for their intelligence and energy.”

She hit the nail on the head.  Some dogs such as Sampson are quite content to live the couch potato life.  Hanging with his humans, sitting out in the yard while daddy works in the garage, and while he really does like his walk/hike, if he didn’t get it he would be okay with that too.

Delilah is the kind of dog that not only needs physical activity, she needs mental stimulation as well.  Even though there are many times I call her stupid (in my head of course) I realize that she really is extremely intelligent, which is where her need for mental stimulation comes into play.

I admit it took me a while to figure this out, but once I did I think she has become a happier dog, which in turn makes us much happier.

Truthfully I think I should probably do a bit more training or game playing with her every day, but I don’t always have the time.  When I do, or when I can tell that she is really bored, I will take out her Paw Hide toy or play hide the carrots.

Paw Hide

We have a schedule that includes physical exercise with a little mental stimulation thrown in.  On Saturday and Sunday we take at least an hour’s hike each day, with lots of running and sniffing.

In the winter on Mondays and Wednesdays they get a twenty-minute around-the-block leash walk, once the time changes and the days are longer, they will get at least a half hour hike.

Tuesdays and Fridays they get a half a day of daycare, and yes it’s true most days they don’t play a  lot, but they are awake the entire time and it is a different type of mental stimulation.

Thursday nights are obedience class, which is where Delilah really gets her mental stimulation.  Sampson just doesn’t care for it at all and I think I’m going to have Hubby start walking Sampson somewhere else, because I don’t think he should have to do it if he’s not enjoying it.

Last year the training center had drop-in agility classes on Saturday morning and I’m hoping Sara will start those up again, because Delilah really likes those classes.  Sampson of course does not, but I will take him with us just so he can socialize.  If we do the agility class then I won’t walk them for quite so long, but they will still get a walk.

So I guess the point to this blog is you need to find something your dog loves, that (s)he can have fun with, it will strengthen the bond you have with your dog and make for a happier everyone.

Thanks for the great idea Pamela, I think I got the dog I need, it just happens to be in two very different dogs. 🙂

Sometimes You Just Want Your Mommy

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We’ve had Sampson since he was eight weeks old, and we used the crate to train him.

Once Sampson was house broken he only used the crate at night.  After he started sleeping in bed with us, he used his crate when he wanted to.

When Delilah joined our pack we added a second crate.   I’m pretty sure that whoever had Delilah before us, also used the crate, because she doesn’t mind it at all.  In fact, if she’s misbehaving all we have to say is, “Do you want to go in your crate?” And she runs right in there.  She will also stay in the crate without having to latch the door.

When we moved we only set one crate up, for Delilah of course.  After a bit of time I noticed Sampson was going back inside the crate, so we set the second crate up, but we are now back to one crate.  It sits in the corner of the living room and Delilah uses it when we need her in it or when she wants it, which isn’t frequent.

Mostly the crate is used by Bob.

Last night after the dogs finished their snacks Sampson started wandering around.  He climbed down off the couch and went into the crate where I heard him scratching around.

The he walked out and scratched at the rug, he laid down but I could tell he just wasn’t comfortable, so I sat down on the floor with my back to the couch and patted the floor in front of me.  He just looked at me with his sad eyes.

So I got up, grabbed a blanket and threw it over my legs.  His eyes lit up and before I had even finished arranging the blanket, he got up and came over and laid next to me.  He put his head on my leg and I stroked his ears and he went to sleep.

Sometimes you just want your Mommy.

Book Update: My book has 6,378 words.

Lessons From My Dog

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Yesterday morning I took the dogs out front with me when I went to get the mail.  Sampson of course was off leash, Delilah was on her six-foot leash.

As we were walking back up to the house Delilah decided to investigate in the snow.  She stuck her nose right in and came up with snow on it.  At the time (of course) I didn’t have my camera on me to snap the photo, but I did have a thought and I was trying to figure out how to work it into a post.

I was still trying tonight, so I turned to my google reader thinking one of you and your blog posts would inspire me.  Sure enough the first blog in the reader was “From Snow To No (Snow)” at the 2 Brown Dawgs blog.

She has pictures of little puppy, Freighter playing in the snow.  Go check them out, I can wait.

Isn’t he just adorable?

Look at his little face all covered in snow.

And this was my thought, we can all learn a lesson from our dogs and that lesson would be,

“Don’t be afraid to stick your nose in the snow, you never know what you will discover.”

Book Update : My book is the same as yesterday 4,809. 🙁

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