Let's try again...

July 25, 2013

I have been so bad this summer.  I have not trained the guys at all. We have been lucky to scrape by with the fundamentals, like Sit, Down, Stay.  I’m not sure if it is the heat or work or what, but we are just as lazy as can be this summer.  We have been walking a fair amount and the beasts seem to be getting more adjusted to their walking collars.  

I’ve been struggling with a good moniker for their ‘Gentle Lead’ face-harness thingy collars.  Walking Collar seems to be best for the humans and dogs to relate to, no more confusion over brand names or use.

Yellow Dog still HATES his and gets very sad when I put it on him.  I don’t think it actually hurts him, but perhaps is embarrassing or restrictive to his doggy machismo? He gets this look on his face when I approach him with his Walking Collar:

(Right, Yellow Dog does not wear a pink blanket when we walk, this is just the same look he gets...)

Pathetic right? Well don’t worry.  Once we get going he has a great time trotting around the neighborhood and peeing on just about everything.  

I finally timed our short walk and it comes out to 10 minutes.  Not the best amount of time to spend exercising, but we always play a good round of two of Go Get It before and after a Short Walking Day.

Sam continues to have issues with his little bottom.  I hope that once we get him to stop licking it the redness and swelling go away. Gross, huh? We have not gotten him a lampshade style collar to prevent licking because honestly, Yellow Dog would have a field day with that. Sam wouldn’t be able to keep a chew or fetch the Ball to save his life and I don’t think we can fairly abstain from playing with Yellow Dog.

I’m starting to think that both guys must be genetically weak; Yellow Dog has a non-healing sprain on his left front ankle from jumping out of his tree.  We’ve had to wedge a basketball into the limbs to keep him from jumping in and out. Poor guys.

It’s interesting to have two dogs when one of them needs to have a sick day. It just doesn’t work! We’ve tried isolating one dog somewhere comfy (our bed usually) in hopes that he’ll just conk out and rest but that never works.  We shouldn’t be surprised.  Those guys are brothers and they just have to be together.  So when puppy 1 gets sick, we just all try to rest as a family, usually on the lanai so nobody has a Potty accident.