Luigi’s Breakfast Kong III
So here’s the new ritual on Luigi’s Kong. I feed him, put his Kong on the counter. He eats and takes his Kong off the counter when he’s ready for it. That seems to work best.
Doberkids
Luigi’s Breakfast Kong II
This morning I put Luigi’s breakfast Kong on the toaster where he could not reach it. This after watching him put front paws on the counter surfing for the ones I had lined up to put in bowls.
I was running around after dog breakfasts, doing the finishing touches, so I could get out the door. Luigi gets his Kong usually as I’m leaving. But not today. He barked so loudly at the toaster, I couldn’t take it anymore. I shoved it in his snoot and off he went! The pacifier worked.
Raven Tree Walker
Besides Little Big Pants, Raven has adopted another name. Raven Tree Walker. Here she is doing just that.
Here she is hiding.
Uh huh. Peek-a-boo Raven!
“Well, this tree has my toy! This is what I want! This here.”
Luigi’s Caper
I fed everyone this morning, and in certain dishes, I put a frozen Kong.
This would be for Lilian,
Taylor, and Raven.
Then there’s Luigi. I put his frozen Kong on the counter. He gets a special diet due to he is a Calcium Oxalate dog. His body makes bladder stones of such. So he gets a bowl of home made specialties and distilled water for breakfast. I am not plopping a Kong in that to have him carry it off to smear the futon sheets!
I put Luigi’s Kong on the counter, and before I leave, I give him his Kong. This is also so the boy Dobies are put into their bedroom, and King Luigi has run of the rest of the house. No arguments.
So I am rushing around the house, trying to make my exit, and I stop and see Mr. Luigi enjoying his Kong on the futon already! Yum oh yum yum yum. I had to stop and examine my own sanity. Did I give him that Kong? I don’t recollect giving him that Kong. I did not give him that Kong! That means only one thing. That rascal got up on that counter and helped himself to that Kong!
Well, he knew it was for him, but geesh. That is just unacceptable. I have to find a better hiding place for his next breakfast Kong.
Raven’s One-Year Adoption Anniversary
Raven and her big boca are celebrating their one-year anniversary today. Every morning I’m reminded of that big boca when Raven hears that I’m awake and lets loose. There’s no stopping it. I’ve resigned myself to that fact. I’ve tried many methods over the year.
I called the Bark Busters radio show twice on channel 112. The host, Greg Kleva, gave some pretty good advice. Then a few weeks after that, I called because he had the founder of Bark Busters on the show. She said that every time Raven barked, take her out of the crate and do obedience with her then put her back in the crate and repeat. That was the most useless piece of dog training advice I’d ever gotten. It was anti-helpful. Taking a dog out of her crate and giving her individualized attention when she’s throwing a fit will only strengthen that habit. Dobermanns love to work! I was completely underwhelmed with that bit of advice.
I moved on, and searched the Internet for help with the actively dominant Raven dog I adopted. There I came across an article by Catherine Waters: Dominant Dogs, Recognition & Management. I read it and e-mailed Catherine. She wrote me back and from there, we wrote back and forth on the Raven situation. Catherine, who lives in New Mexico, gave me a lot of useful advice for working with the then out-of-control Raven. She enjoys working with the “Raven” type of dog, so this was all a good good thing.
Jude and I also put our heads together, and with all that advice, I shaped Raven into the more controlled uncontrollable beast that she is today, but I still have the urge to wring that neck of hers occasionally. Perhaps this year we’ll go through an obedience class together and she’ll learn how to walk upright on a leash in public.
Happy anniversary, Raven!