First Snow!

*Shoves Feef out of the way* Hey! I gotta tell ya about SNOW! Man oh man I couldn't believe it! I bailed out of the dog door the other morning and holy cow! It was amazing! There was white stuff EVERYWHERE! I could feel my skin tingle as my recently-become-abundant fur fluffed itself up. Mom opened the door for Feef and when that little priss saw the snow she ran back into her Fifi-cave and hid. Mom had to track her down and pitch her sissyness out with me. I was already off and running! There was still snow falling and I tried catching a few pieces of it. It's COLD! Then I realized I could just stick my face in the stuff that was already on the ground. I ran along like that for a while. The real ground is UNDER this stuff still, and hard as ever, but this snow stuff just fluffs out of the way.
I ran into the house and told Mom what was going on outside. She didn't seem too impressed so I went back outside. And in again. And out again. And in again. Wow! This stuff is cool! Mom finally came outside to enjoy the fun. She tossed my ball and it disappeared in the snow. I really had to look to find it. Then she threw a snowball, and that was really hard to find but I did! Then when I picked it up, it broke! Mom just laughed and made me a new one. When she threw it, I ran fast, and found it even quicker than the first time, but it still broke when I picked it up. I like the snow!
Then when we got to work, there was snow there too! I had no trouble reading everyone's "pee-mail" because in the snow, you can SEE it as well as smell it. It was tough having to stay inside with Mom when there was so much snow outside but I did. I strut around mom's work like I own the place. Everyone says I'm So Handsome! I believe it! Some people say "He's So Big". At 13 lbs, I outweigh one of my brothers by 8 lbs! Mom tells everyone I'm an Kaniksu Giant Mountain Pom.
Mom's crazy, she insisted on picking me up and carrying me across the road and front sidewalks muttering about salt and chemicals on HER boy's paws - no way! I hope everyone who reads this remembers that even though snow is very cool, us dogs can be affected by it. Remember to keep us away from antifreeze spills and the snow melting chemicals, both of which could be harmful to us pets. Watch for snowball buildup in our paws, because that can be a real pain if our paw's get snow-burns. Be sure our coats are combed out well and no mats can get wet. When they dry, they shrink you know, and it hurts when you comb them out! Also be sure our water dishes aren't frozen solid and that we always have fresh water so we're not tempted to eat too much snow. It can give us some tummy upset.
So while the Feef is not impressed with the snow, I LOVE IT. Give me more! I'm up for it!

Christmas Greetings

Mom got her FIRST e-card from her wonderful friend and artist Rebecca Turner - enjoy Becky's artwork at www.solticeart.com
Here's the link, hope it works because it is a beautiful interactive card!
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=0212320003

Training the Trainer Tip #1

Attention all you incorrigible corgi's, you maladjusted malamutes, and you terrorist terriers:I have been very pleased with the way my human is teaching me to understand her. Believe me fellow canines, this is well worth directing your human toward. Once I realized there was a pattern to her yapping and gesturing, it was very easy for me to get my personal Puppy PEZ Dispenser to fork over tons of yummyness. So here, in her own words, is what she is doing that is revolutionizing our relationship. As much as I hate to admit it, she makes training FUN, and that makes ME one happy Feef!

Cue - Marker - Release - Reward

4 things you need to remember while training your dog.

Cue: Use your visual cue as well as the verbal cue. Dogs are very adept at reading visual cues. Use this to your advantage. Use a piece of your reward treat as a "LURE" to entice your dog into the position you are trying to train.Verbal cue's should be consistent, spoken in the same tone and inflection every time. Your tone of voice helps set the pace of the excersize. Be excited when you want your dog to move (here, boy!!!), use lower and slower tones with a downward inflection when you want the dog to remain still (stay.). Once the dog knows a cue, do not let him make you say it more than once or twice. Most dogs pick up that they don't get the reward if they don't respond by the second try IF you make that your policy!
Marker: The instant the dog does what you want (or what you don't want) use a marker word! Pick a "yes" marker, and a "no" marker for training. the yes marker can be a clicker, "yes!" "right" "thats it", or even a whistle tone. The no marker can be a buzz sound "eh" "at" "at-at". The reason not to use the word "no" is that you want to save that all-important NO for when you really really need it, not during training. A marker word needs to be delivered within 2 seconds of the act in order to have any meaning to the dog. Puppy comes to understand that the yes marker will earn him a tasty reward so he will associate the action with the marker with the treat.
Release: Always use a release word to let the dog know he's done. "All done!", "over", "that'll do", "finit" and "ok" all serve well as release words. A release word clearly tells the dog when the excersize is over. Using a release word results in a dog that remains sitting when told to sit, instead of a "dine and dash" sit. Be pleased with your dog when he performs well, and he will be happier to perform for you more often.
Reward: Food, praise, attention, play, toys; all make good rewards to a dog. Teeny bits of soft treat work well to treat the dog for his efforts. At first the reward immediately follows the yes marker to tell puppy he's right on track. Once puppy "gets it", you want to hold out on the treat until he's remained in position long enough for you to use your release word. You want to hold out longer and longer, building puppy's duration over time.

Remain patient! Be consistent! Some things puppy will pick right up, and some things puppy will just not get right away. Remember that training should be somewhat fun and positively rewarding to the dog, otherwise he can develop resentment to the training process. Not what you want! Take it slow, keep training sessions to 10 or 15 minutes once or twice a day. Using the same consistent cue, marker, and release words will give your dog a comfort zone for learning in. Using a variety of rewards will keep him excited to keep getting it right. Once he really really knows the behavior, you can use more conversational tones with your dog to get results but if you use too many words in training the dog gets confused.

Keep it to "Sit. Yes, good sit................. All Done!" or "Sit. Yes, good (dog jumps up) at-at!!! Sit. Yes, good sit........ All Done!"

If you catch yourself doing this: "Sit, Spot, there ya... NO! Sit Spot, sit, sit, sit. NO over here! Down! (dog is jumping up by now)Sit! Down! Sit Down! (which do you want, sit or down?) Ok Spot get back here and sit down right here right now!" STOP IT!

Well my canine comrades, good luck with your own humans. I got lucky, mine "gets it" and I couldn't be a happier dog now that I can finally make sense of what she's trying to get across to me!

Until next time, Work when you must, play when you can, take care of your own, and leave your mark!

Some Feefishness

Life goes on. Big Fuzzy lives on in our hearts. Been hard getting mom out of her funk but between me and Turbo, and of course Big Duke, we've been trying. All three of us storm the bed now in the morning, whereas only Big Fuzzy had the right to do that before. It makes mom laugh, get up, and get us biscuits. We have been right there for her, and finally she has picked up her keyboard and resumed chronicling MY story.

You can only imagine how horrified I was waking up last weekend to find the whole world changed. It snowed! Mom was merciless. I was forced out the door regardless. It's cold, and deep. Deeper than I am tall (12"). I stray far enough from the porch to do my biz (Thanks, mom, I coulda just used the carpet in your computer room but nooooooo!) Then I headed back into the Fifi-cave. I'm not coming out until spring unless mom brings me home a new sweater!
Turbo, he's playing puppy-plow and blazing a trail through the stuff. He's never seen snow before but I have! It's hard not to laugh though, he's so cute out there bouncing around discovering snow. He seems to like it!

It's Hard To Lose A Friend

But yesterday we did. Big Fuzzy just couldn't walk anymore so mom did the right thing and the vet came over and helped him over to the other side. He's buried over by our pond, where we like to all go hang around on nice summer days. He's got a good view of everything that goes on, just like he liked.

Rest in Peace, Lupine Spirit Wild Hunt

Oct. 31, 1996 - Sept 18, 2007

He was - "Hunter" (to get his attention), Big Fuzzy, Fuzzy Hogwaller, Freight Train, Darth Dogger, Goofy. He was a Good Boy.

Let Loose the Dogs of War

Fifi on Assignment: Fetching the News home:

When will it all end? Why must this senseless brutality continue? On behalf of dogs everywhere I demand that humans desist from photo-chopping dogs into depictions of such political turmoil. We're DOGS, we don't care about your human wars. Spend more time making quality dog food and less time yammering about unimportant stuff. There is a wide world to PLAY in!
Take a tip from the Feef and just go for a walk with your dog today. The world will be a happier place for your trouble!

Turbo the Terrible

Well it was a frightful thing when we pulled up to the Blue House. I quivered in dread as I realized where we were. I could see several small, furry faces stuffed against chain link. Puppies! What on earth is she thinking? She see's lots of puppies at work, why does she bring ME someplace like THIS after work? I leaped into my Fifi-cave and hid while she got out of the truck and walked over to the other humans who came out to greet her.
When I dared to peek again, there sat my human, out in the middle of the grass, surrounded by a batch of fat, fluffy puppies. What a traitor! She could have been home by now, petting ME! I watched this debacle for a few minutes. There was one puppy that kept coming back over to her, a wolfy-sable ball of fuzz. The little rapscallion wouldn't leave her alone. The rest of them were ignoring her, but this cur was acting CUTE for MY mom! That's MY job! She was smiling, and petting him, and enticing him to play with her. Just thinking about it makes me cringe to this day. Who did he think he was, pulling that act in front of me! I barked at him through the glass but both of them were ignoring me. Back to the Fifi-cave!
Next thing I knew, she was climbing back in the truck, so I jumped over to her lap only to find the Usurper already there. I was shocked, and retreated quickly back to the Fifi-cave. He rode in her lap all the way home, on MY blanket. Of course he barfed on the ride home, the little cretin, all over my pretty, lime green fuzzy blanket.
The first few weeks were hell. He was such a baby! Mom fussed over him and coo'ed over him until I thought I'd be ill. The Big Dogs, Fuzzy & Duke, who I hoped would eat the newcomer, actually LIKED the little turd. Me, I snarled and snapped at him if he even dared to come near me. They might all be tasteless slobs but I am a princess, and must be above such slovenly choice in friends.
Before too long, he grew. And GREW. He wouldn't leave me alone. His obsession became my hell. I couldn't prance from one place to another without him attacking me. His fly-by's were quite annoying so I waited out by the pond for him to try it one more time. When he took the bait, I charged him! He was so surprised, he jumped right, and landed right in the pond! He got soaking wet, and dragged himself out of the pond. I strutted over to mom proudly, only to be bowled over; shoulder-checked by a very wet, very determined Turbo.
He kept trying to get my attention by doing stupid, boy things. He brought me a grasshopper that he caught one time. A grasshopper! EW! When I growled and showed him what I thought of that, he looked at me like I was the nutty one, and simply began crunching down on that stupid bug! I shudder to think of it. Ugh! I made for the Fifi-cave and hid out.
Recently though, he's gone through some changes. He's bigger than me now, all shoulders, chest, and a very handsome face! I really don't mind playing with him much now. He's kind of fun. We chase, and wrestle, and play tug-the-toy together. And handsome! Did I tell you how handsome he is now? I was chasing him the other day, and when I caught him I would grab his tail and pull as hard as I could. He couldn't get ME! Lets see how HE likes being attacked by ME!
He's a lot easier to get along with now and I hate to say it but I really like him! Did I say how handsome he is now? He still does stupid boy things, but since it appears he's here to stay, I am learning how to deal with it as a good princess should!