Clicking with Foster Mama

Foster mama has been researching my breed and exploring methods of effective dog training. We've crossed some bridges, but she'd like to get my puppy behavior under wraps a little more.

Enter the clicker.

Perhaps a little soon to brag, but honestly, I think I've got this thing in the bag. I already recognize the clicker as a reinforcer of good behavior and have begun to overtly mimic desired behaviors in anticipation of that click.

: Click : I am at attention - no doubt.

Our next lesson will enforce name recognition and "stay" skills. Bring on the gold stars!

Lessons

Foster mama took me to a workshop at a park in Raleigh last night. There were six to seven dogs there with their foster parents, and there was a lead man there who gave lots of instructions and tips to the humans in attendance.

Foster mama was impressed with how well I walked on my leash with the lead man, especially since I wasn't wearing my prong collar. He could've been the dog whisperer!

I behaved pretty well overall, even though it was hotter than Hades out there. Foster mama learned tips to help strengthen my ability to heel; to train me to sit and stay; and to encourage me to not follow her absolutely everywhere she goes. She doesn't like it when I step on the backs of her flip flops when she's walking. I don't blame her and promise to work on it under her tutelage.

She and I are both confident that I will continue to be an excellent student with the right leadership. After all, I've already come a long way to becoming a well-mannered boy.

I'm still camera shy, so the pics below aren't the best. Foster mama took the second one through the rear window. We think it's kinda cool because you can see both of us via the reflection.

Haa-aay!

Foster mom and her good friend Jen have an ongoing joke about dog expressions. Many pics of dogs really do look like the dog is saying, "DAAAAAH!" or "HAAAAY!" and I am not immune. Case in point, captured below.

No matter - I will be on display at the Brier Creek Petsmart this Saturday from 10 am until 12 pm. Please come and see me!

Shreddin' it

Rawhide bones don't stand a chance against me! Foster mom gave me the one you see here early on Wednesday evening and I made my way half-way through it in a couple of hours.

The super-plus here is that, trust me, I only have eyes for that bone - you wanna keep me busy? Gimme a rawhide!

Secondary plus is that my teeth are in excellent shape - very white!

Another tough boot camp

Foster mom took these pics of me last night after a grueling boot camp. It was hot and she was surely Foster-mama-drill-sargeant. I think she was stir crazy as she had been on lockdown with a stomach flu since early Monday night, so once she felt better she was on a mission!

She wasn't up for a prolonged session, but she surely kicked my booty in no time. We ran some sprints, practiced "walk right," as well as a few other behavioral skills I haven't yet mastered completely.

I'm a smart puppy, but Foster mama is turning me into a genius no doubt. While the summer heat has put a slight damper on our training, she's managed to keep me on track.

Double whammy

July 4th proved to be a rather uncomfortable evening for me, but Foster mom assured me that I behaved quite well.

First, Foster mom's house was hit with a severe thunderstorm in the late afternoon - heavy rain and severe winds ensued. I spent a couple of hours in my crate waiting it out, but I never whimpered or became destructive. I just huddled silently.

Then the fireworks came! Those pop pop pops took both Zoe and I by surprise, but we still remained very calm, much to Foster mom's delighted surprise. We raised our heads and ears and then decided, "Ho-hum."

Since those pops came in several separate groupings, Zoe and I became increasingly agitated, but we remained exceptionally composed according to Foster mom.

The info to glean from this post: I'm a pretty mellow dude (comparably) when it comes to high-stress situations. ie. You won't need an Rx for doggie prozac if you take me home.

Shakin' my booty

Foster mom would love to capture my "dinner time dance" on video, but that would be pretty hard since the dance starts when she puts food in my bowl. Maybe if she had a third hand she could manage it, but alas she only has two.

She keeps the food in airtight containers in the kitchen and feeds me in my crate in the next room. So, when she grabs my bowl from the crate and carries it to the kitchen I know what's up and I get very excited!

I follow her to the kitchen and do my best to get my head in the container but she's crafty at keeping me out of there. Once the food is in the bowl and she turns to go to the next room I start my dance. I stand on my hind legs and spin. Then I do a few spins on all fours and then I pounce down low and eagerly wag my nubbin tail. I always do one or two final spins right in front of my crate before bounding in with such force that I usually slide to the end on the "non" non-slip crate pad and that's when Foster mom puts the bowl down for me to feast.

I have a similar dance I do when Foster mom gets a Kong out of the freezer, but that dance is only slightly less enthusiastic. Since she gives me one every day before she goes to work, I'm learning to anticipate it when I can tell she's on her way out the door. I am one smart dog you know!

A little walkabout

Foster mom is always great about taking me on the best walks. I LOVE long walks.

She took some pics last night while we were walking. I wasn't the most cooperative model, but that's not really the point. I'm a bit fickle when it comes to being camera shy and I'd also rather pay attention to the ground (for sniffing) than to pose for mama.

So this is what she was able to capture:

I've learned to walk calmly on a leash with a prong collar and I very much enjoy our walks - more so now that I'm not pulling Foster mom the whole time :)

Self-portrait

Foster mama and me!

She's got green eyes, I have Cullen eyes - we're a great match, huh? But no matter what color your eyes are, I'll love you all the same. I swear to it with paws crossed!

Being lazy

I am most certainly not a lazy dog, but I have my moments. Again I say, "double-decker dog bed!" It's divine.

Foster mom tricked me big time this morning before she went on a particularly long fence build for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs. I'm a sucker for peanut butter, no doubt. Obviously I still had Z's in me...

Nevertheless, she's assured me there is a dog park visit in our near future!

Refined canine

Foster mom has a scrapbook page titled, "Refined Canine" featuring her Norwegian Elkhound, Bailey, in very similar positions so I think I reminded her of her late buddy.

When I'm really, really sleeping, I tend to migrate towards the positions below. Can you blame me? Don't I look incredibly comfortable?

Love me some rawhide...

Foster mom knows I can shred a rawhide in no time flat, and I love every minute of it. I don't even mind when she bribes me with them.

But what's more impressive is that I am truly pretty good at entertaining myself. Don't get me wrong, if you adopt me you'll need to give me a lot of attention and time (walks, play, etc.), but if there is another playful dog in the home, I can get out a lot of energy via companion play. Zoe and I play/spar non-stop!

As I've said before, I'm adaptable. I'm lovable and a true companion. I offer you unconditional love if you'll give me a chance.

Father's day road trip

Foster mom took me to her brother's house on Saturday so she could rendezvous with her parents for a Father's day celebration on Sunday. She kind of tricked me, as I wasn't aware of my date with a large plastic crate for the day during Sunday, but the arrangements were entirely appropriate and I've gotten over it.

I certainly enjoyed the large fenced yard after my incarceration, so it really wasn't that bad.

Foster mom and her mom hung out with me for quite a while after they got home. I was more than happy to give Foster mom an extreme close-up.

I really am super-friendly and I'd like to become part of your family.

Snug as a bug...

Again I tell you, this double-decker dog bed is heaven! Foster mom told me the first picture reminds her of when she and her brother were kids and played in a claw-footed tub in their basement. I do kind of look like I'm captive in a tub, no?

I'm definitely chillaxing in the second pic as you might notice my right foreleg haphazardly kicked out to the side. So comfy...

This is my coy pose. "Who me? What?!"

Konged out

Foster mom works from home on Thursdays so I usually don't get a Kong treat Thursdays as she saves those for when she has to be away. Presto-chango: Foster mom gave me a Kong treat while she was still home, and wow - she got such a kick out of watching me with my Kong...

After the first several minutes, I've usually reached the lovely treat-filled center of my Kong, but I'm pretty sure Foster mom had no idea about what ensues after that.

I grab the Kong in my mouth, shake it violently, then slam it downwards and then upwards, hoping morsels will fall from way up inside that Kong. I repeat this over and over and over and over. Foster mom found my "Kong behavior" very, very funny.

Foster mom has created some awesomely delicious Kong treats for me. My new favorite (now that I'm no longer on a diet) is pumpkin, vanilla yogurt, peanut butter and flax seed blended and frozen. YUM. And she lets me consume them as I like.

No cats allowed

It's no secret that I've historically exhibited a pretty strong prey drive, but the rash of bunnies surrounding Foster mom's house lately has kicked it into overdrive. If you've seen the movie Up, just think, "Squirrel!" Foster mom's dad even mentioned that line while witnessing my full throttle alert on a recent visit.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am still a gentle dog. I'm officially untested with cats, but having come across one in the neighborhood I did show a bit too much enthusiasm for Foster mom's comfort.

Rest assured, my prey drive has only been exhibited towards cats, squirrels and birds. I absolutely love my tiny foster sister, Zoe (Jack Russell terrier/Poodle mix), who weighs about 8 pounds. That might seem odd to some, but we dogs live through our noses so I can certainly discern a tiny dog from a cat.

I've also been around kids of all ages and have been told I was very well-behaved.

I'm feisty but sweet; independent yet loyal; and truly a fantastic dog who just wants to find my forever home. Fill out an application here if you're interested in making me yours!

More peanut butter please

My dieting days are officially over. Foster mom took me for a weigh-in yesterday and I'm just a hair over 40 pounds now. Woo hoo! Bring on the peanut butter Kongs.

Yesterday was a busy one. Foster mom took me to the adoption event at the Cary Petsmart where it was packed as well as hotter than Hades. I met Bella, a dog that could not stop kissing me. I found that funny since on the way to the adoption event, Foster mom turned around and told me my amber eyes are Edward Cullen-ish.

As per usual, while in route to and from our destination I spent some time resting my head on the rear seat of Foster mom's car. She took the photo below on our way home. (Off-centeredness due to Foster mom's responsible driving and therefore lack of aim/focus).

But we also took a couple of detours so Foster mom could take me to meet her most favorite veterinarian in the world, who is no longer going to be practicing in Durham after next weekend. (Foster mom is quite upset about that).

Here I am in the Starbucks drive-thru. This was taken just before I made an attempt to jump over the back seat. The girl at the window asked if I was trying to say hi, so I answered with a bark (yes). She told Foster mom that I am a super cute doggie, but I didn't blush because I know it's true!

Date Saturday

I'll be at the Cary Petsmart this Saturday from 10 am until 12 pm. Please come meet me and the other BFPA dogs and puppies who will be there.

Also, Foster mom found it quite funny that her god daughter Sydney (3-years-old) picked up on my nickname originally given to me by my first BFPA Foster mom Carol. By the end of the evening on Tuesday night, Sydney was also calling me "Russell T."

Sunday afternoon snuggle

Foster mom barely had the chance to catch these pics of me snuggling with Zoe in our tiny dog bed yesterday afternoon. She was lucky her camera was nearby, because once I realize I'm about to be photographed I often skedaddle or walk right up to her and sit by her feet - usually too close for a photo.

I don't remember when the small bed landed on the large bed, but it makes for an extra-cushy place to snuggle!

Beauty shots

I wasn't really cooperating when Foster mom tried to take some pics of me Friday night. I can't help it! When I hear my name I want to go towards her.

Therefore, a few "goof" shots became what she decided to label "beauty shots." The first one is my extreme close-up. Yes, I know I have lovely white teeth, thank you.

The second shot is my profile. I hope you'll notice my pretty merle "collar." I think it's kind of cool. It gives me some natural bling!