Bye Bye June

at play care

In the world of the pups, time is flying!     

I was just re-reading what we posted last time and it feels like a lifetime ago.   

When we brought home Volos all those months ago, I never thought this house would turn anymore crazy than what the cattle dogs already made it.  I was so wrong. 

The past few weeks have been INSANE!    Volos, once petrified and awkward on stairs, regularly flies up and down them with Peryn.    They all go NUTTS when they want to play.   Lada and Peryn were bad, but Volos makes it insanity.   

He and Peryn spend their free time running up and down the stairs barking at one another and playing.   It seriously is crazy.   For 2 dogs that don't seem like BFFs, they sure love heading downstairs to play.   
   


Part of me is grateful as Peryn isn't bugging me as much now that he has a partner downstairs with him, but Volos is sooooo LARGE.   

hanging out together

Larger than life in his enthusiasm and energy. He's large-in size and soo uncoordinated.   He really is a 1 dog wrecking ball.   

At day care they tend to hang out near each other when just chilling and don't fight--Volos has even slowly started to open up to attention from other dogs.  Before we know it, it'll be like Duchess.   Once a loner to a playful big thing. 

Volos FINALLY got on the couch!! Well, he had help the first 2 times and he had no issues any time after.    He was wanting attention from Mommy and she assisted getting him up on the couch. HE LOVED IT.   He was able to lie there and relax while getting loving from Mommy.   

Handsome brothers

Now we just indicate we want him up and he jumps up for cuddles.    I finally have my cuddle dog!  Lada is not pleased that he is getting more attention, but as long as she can plop herself down on the other side of me--she'll deal.

Invisible Fence. They all got it down, but Peryn will test the limits at times.  Especially if a ball is involved. He's pretty good and coming back in, but he still will go over the line. 
Lada and Volos are good and there are no worries there. 

Running around play care

chatting it up with a buddy

Athena is doing ok.  The weakness in her front legs is a bit more noticeable, but she still has some great days. Now that the weather is nicer and I'm working from home, she has had a few days outside with her siblings after work.   
She really is happiest when she is with them.   She still gets some time downstairs, but I try to keep it more to outside.  She enjoys outdoors more than in doors..especially with all the walkers. 

She goes to day care at least once a week for a max of 3 
hours.  It depends on how she was the day before and how she was throughout the day (usually Fridays).   We try not to over due it too much.    She loves it.    

She's hanging on & still has a fighting spirit.  We still see the signs of decline in how she holds (or doesn't) hold herself while in her cart as well as when she barks.  There is a weakness there that you can just hear.   

She still loves to eat and play--so as long as that is still there-- she'll be sticking around.      We really really are thankful to have had her for as long as we have.  We didn't think she'd be with us going into July.  

Two Happy Puppers

Isn't he handsome

Athena...get outta her way!

Jeckyl & Hyde

Happy Friday.

Another Volos update coming at you.....

First let me tell you...this dog LOVES.....   LOVES!!!!!!!!!! Snow.   He's a crazy loon when he gets out there.    Never seen a dog so happy.   Love seeing him so carefree.

Another thing--loves to go for car rides. ANYTIME the garage door opens he's out. He head over to the side of the car and looks at us and then back at the door.  He really wants to go on a car ride.

He loves the pork rolls that we hand out.  He will pick one up at the first chance he gets.   

He seems to like toys that flop around....he has started picking them up and doing a quick shake--but nothing more than that.   Give it time.

He seems to genuinely like (love?) us.    HOWEVER...

the past 2 -3 days has been concerning.    

Since day 1, he's always enjoyed my sitting down next to him and then loving on him.   For the past few days, something about me seems to spook him.   I have NO IDEA what it is nor is it constant.

For example-the past 2 mornings when I get up to let the dogs out--he's up and so happy to see me. He comes and rubs up on my legs and is so happy.   

He'll randomly come over and want some loving and I'll give it to him.   

Then -- later on I will go to him-whether it be in the crate or his room.  I walk in and sit down and he gets up and leaves.     I did it a couple of times without the other dogs around to see if it was them or me-- no, it's me.

Then later he'll come and want cuddles.    Where he used to love my coming to him and loving on him--he's not seeming to like it.

Then just a half hour ago or so I took him out with me to get the mail and then across to the dog park.  He was so happy to be there.  I walked inside the park and he was running around me and just so happy that he was there and that I was with him.

When we went to leave he was still in his happy go lucky mode. He comes to me so I can put the leash on him and I don't know what it was, but he freaked and tried to get away (after I hooked it up).
He pulled so hard, he slipped his collar and took off.

LUCKILY-- he went straight home.   When I came to the door, he was on the stoop and moved off and away as I came up.  Then flew in the house. 

Don't know what any of it was about.  

Like I said it's only been the last 2 days.  We've only gotten "stern" with him on a few occasions (usually associated with him in the garage), so it can't be that I yelled at him. 

I guess we'll see. 

And if you wanted to know about the biopsy-- got it all.    Clear margins.

Puppy Updates...

Hey all.   Hope the summer treated you well.   So those of you wondering how the pups are doing, here's your info:



DUCHESS:

Duchess at the park

She's becoming more social at the dog park.  She's always been a bit of a loner. She'd be walking along the fence line or searching in the woods all by herself. She may run with a dog or two, but she's never really played with any dog.   She's never been overly affectionate and tended to be aloof.

Prior to Peryn she would become playful with her food, tossing it in the air and such. She and I would play a bit after I gave her a cookie.  She had her 2 stuffed animals: Lambchop & Hedgehog that she would play with on the bed.    

She would play with Athena until Athena discovered other dogs, now they don't play (or I should say Athena doesn't really play with her).

Since Peryn though, the jealousy Duchess has is showing. She competes for attention from Peryn. 
After getting over the initial "shock" of having Peryn in the house, she often played with him. Actually it was more of her pushing him around.   Peryn loved it though and her rough play helped him out.
With our wanting to socialize Peryn as much as possible, we often had meetups with others to have the dogs play. This additional one on one time with other dogs has made Duchess a little more comfortable around other dogs.  

While at the park she still tends to be by herself, she'll join in with the group more often than not.
Additionally at home she tends to seek out attention and affection much more often. While she still isn't very affectionate (she does NOT lick ) she has mellowed some.  She tends to curl up against us all the time now.   Her competition with Peryn has made her a much sweeter dog.

While the two of them do not play together as much, and I think that has to do with the constant exercise and dog park visits, pay too much attention to one or the other and a "fight" aka Playing starts.

Duchess is a good dog and very protective. I still don't trust her with strangers.  

One good thing that has happened is now that the dogs play often with Huskies (remember Duchess is half Husky) things are better.  I don't feel I have to explain her when she does some things (like her drive buys or aggressive play) because I'm with others who have dogs that are the same way.

So overall Duchess is good.   She is "aging".  Her snout which had been brownish when we adopted her 3 1/2 years ago is all white.  I am unsure her exact age and that worries me as Duchess is my favorite dog of the current 3.   

Current Likes:  Loves Grafton, Kirtland, & Medina dog parks for their sizes. She loves Grafton because it is wide open and in the country. She LOVES the country.  She loves Median for the woods. And she loves Kirtland for the water and the play area.  She loves to splash. She loves to explore and run free.
Loves running with ponies.   Loves her schedule: morning brusha and cookies & her out times.
Loves to lay or sit at the back of the yard, in the shade, and monitor. She loves to lay out on the patio and sun bathe.

Favorite toy: Anything that dispenses treats as she plays with it.
Car rides?   She is a horrible traveler. HORRIBLE. She paces back and forth and whines and husky howls until she can stick her nose out an open window.

Favorite sibling: Peryn

Athena getting some loving at the park

ATHENA: Athena has come such a long way. I was looking through her paperwork from when we adopted her.  She's gained weight (14 lbs),stronger legs, and her infections are gone.
Personality wise, Athena hasn't really changed much over time. She's pretty much the same dog as she's always been.
She really loves us and loves being with us. She loves playing with other dogs..sort of.
She'll play with Peryn, MC, & Bridger, but at the dog park she's happier to run after other dogs and bark at those wrestling.   
She and Peryn are ok. Peryn loves to bug the crap out of her. He will "munch " on her as she goes up and down stairs.  
They're more likely to play with one another than Duchess and Peryn would.   

She loves loves loves going to the park to "play" with other dogs. She's still obsessed with smaller dogs as she tries to mother them. She tries to break up "fights" (dogs wrestling with one another) and sometimes ends up as a protector of weaker dogs by doing so.

She does not sleep in the bed with us as the uneveness of the bed bothers her legs. She still has weak legs from her life before us. While we've strengthened them by allowing her to play and walk, she still has issues with them.  Her own bed is either the big chair next to the bed or the dog blanket/bed on the floor in front of it. 

She has a bladder of steel and once she's in bed for the night, she won't get up until we force her out the next morning.

She's the best listener of the bunch.   Call her once or ask her to stop and she does. She is a barker.  I call her Barky Bark and the Furry Bunch...
  

Current Likes:  If the place has dogs, she loves it.  She loves other dogs.
She's a doll who loves to be outside. She could be outside watching all day long if we would let her. 

Favorite toy: Rocky the Raccoon.

Car rides?   She is a horrible traveler. HORRIBLE from the minute she got in the car with us. She's better than she was, but only if no one (Duchess or Peryn) encroach on her space in the car.  

Favorite sibling: Peryn

PERYN the Pup: Peryn. Peryn. Peryn.   Lil dude is a handful.  He's an extremely happy dog who loves his Mommy very much. He loves Daddy too, but it's like a 60/40 attachment with Mommy being 60.  Personally I think it's more, but we don't want to upset Daddy!

Peryn loves playing.  Other dogs, balls, toys, anything he finds on the floor, the tie outs... 
He is full of life and loves to show it.    He still is not to be trusted alone, so is crated during the day. 

He loves to swim, play rough with his friends, and most importantly FETCH.   The dog can play FETCH non-stop for hours if you have it in you to keep up.  

He LOVES bodies of water. He loves to run, play, & swim in water.  It's going to be a long winter for him.

If you read up on Cattle Dogs, he's matches everything perfectly.   He has more than the regular puppy exuberance.  We've had 2 dogs at the 9-10 month age and neither of them had Peryn's energy.    We've discovered that if he is not regularly exercised, he's a monster.
He will chew anything he finds, walk all over Mommy in the middle of the night, and just bug the heck out of you until you play.  

We started him in day care 2 days a week-starting last week.   A big difference it's making.  It makes dealing with him the rest of the day and the whole next day much more bearable. 
Yay!


He has a few friends he LOVES to play with: MC, Akira, Apollo, & Kato (last 3 are huskies)

Current Likes:  Fetch, balls(Squeakier the better), going on rides, parks, other dogs, walks, playing

Favorite toy: ALL

Car rides?   He's WONDERFUL in the car.  He's like Galen was.  Quiet, comfortable, and enjoyable. He is a great traveler.


Favorite sibling: to play with: Athena.  TO sleep around & run with: Duchess.