Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Mia Update - To sleep with your dog or not...


Mia puppy is now 12 weeks old.  She has been with us an entire month...plus.  Where has the time gone?  She is growing up so quickly and we are enjoying every minute!

The happiest event of puppy raising seems to be when they can go outdoors to potty solo! And I am  happy to report Mia goes outside with the big dogs now.  I open the door and she runs out with Alli collie and Ezra.  She is able to pop down the deck steps (three steps total) and do her banking and then head back inside with her pack.  I am so thankful for this turn of events, as we have had a few very cold days.  Temperatures in the single digits with them plunging below zero a couple times...cold, cold, cold! I'm also thankful that these extremly cold conditions have not deterred Mia's brave heart from facing the elements to dutifully do her business in the great outdoors!  I now get to stand at the door and watch, so I can be sure I know she has done the deed.  I do have to give a big thank you to Alli collie for helping me train Mia to use the deck steps.  I directed Alli to jump off the side of the deck which has the steps and she dutifully did so.  She also would wait for Mia puppy to get around to doing her banking and then happily bound up the steps of the deck at my direction...Mia following every step of the way!

I am pleased that both Alli and Ezra have fully accepted Mia as part of the family pack.  Even Maui kitty has thoroughly embraced Ms. Mia puppy.  Everyone loves her and seems to enjoy the breath of fresh happy air that only a puppy can bring to a household.  Both 10 year old Ezra and 8 year old Alli have been playing like puppies with little Mia! What a sweet sight!


Mia has been such an accomodating puppy from the start.  At first we let her outside for the last time around 11 pm to potty.  She would then wake us up about 5 am.  Good puppy!  Now 4 weeks later, Mia turns in at 11 pm and doesn't wake us up until around 6:30 am.  She is coming right along.

I just read an excellent article questioning whether to allow your puppy/dogs to share your bed.  The article pointed out several good thoughts on the pros and cons. First and foremost the decision to allow your dog in bed is a very personal one and there are no right or wrong answers.  You also have to take into account the personality of the dog in question.  Some dogs are not able to make it through the night without having an accident in the house.  Some dogs are not able to go through the night without hopping off the bed and getting into mischief. These dogs are best confined during the night. Waking up to a huge mess is not something anyone of us find amusing.  Some dogs are just too big and take up too much space on the bed and it is important that the human be allowed to comfortably rest through the night, right?

I also found the author's thoughts on why some trainer's recommend a no tolerance on dogs in beds interesting and worth sharing.  It seems to go hand in hand with the more dominance style of dog training.  Although, there are some dogs who truly can get a bit dominant and even aggressive about the bed, but I must add, usually these dogs are also allowed to be dominate in many other areas of life with their human.  So they truly need intervention.  In which case, contact me, I can help.  :)

My husband and I have agreed that our dogs may share our bed. We have often been happy that we had a "3 dog  night" when it is cold.  Dogs are the best foot warmers! We have experienced that the benefits far out weigh the disadvantages. And I have to add here, it is a great advantage to already have good doggy role models in place to help our new puppy learn the ropes from the very first night. Thankfully we are both light enough sleepers who are aroused when the little puppy wakes and waddles around the bed saying they have to go outside.

Our puppies join us in bed from day one and we all get a good night's sleep from the start.  With exception of our larger collie puppies, who often stay in a crate the first few months.  Because of their size, they are able to jump off the bed and find a place in the house to relieve themselves.  But once they are fully potty trained we allow them to make the decision to join us.  Oddly enough, most of our collies will join us on bed at one point, but most of the time our collies just seem to enjoy their space and the ability to stretch out.  Often times they will jump off and enjoy the doggy beds that we place by our bed.

Our Jack Russell Terrier puppies have been the easiest by far.  Their diminutive size makes it easy for them to find a small space and snuggle right in between us and sleep happily until they wake us to use the great outdoors.  Sweet Mia has fit our night time routine without one hitch.

Mia is an inquisitive and curious puppy, which I find very nice.  Every new experience is a happy adventure and it is so easy to build on her outgoing nature and personality.  She is socializing well with our ponies, our kitty, our other dogs and our grandchildren!

It has been 8 years since we have welcomed a new puppy to our family!  As a dog trainer, I know how active a puppy can be.  We thought long and hard before adding a new puppy to our home and family.  Realizing in the span of 8 years we may have forgetten just how much energy it takes to train a bouncy new puppy.

We are so thankful we decided to go ahead and welcome sweet Mia to our family!  She has been such a joy to us already in the 4 short weeks since her arrival.  I am enjoying watching her grow and getting to know her personality.  Such fun to develop her talents and gifts.  I often wonder what is in store...  Each of our dogs have taught us so very much and have taken us on new adventures.  What dreams may come...the skies the limit!

And as always...Happy Trails!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

A New Year, A New Puppy - meet Mia!


We have a new Jack Russell puppy and her name is Mia.  We are so happy to welcome this precious little one to our family.  We have been looking for quite some time for just the right puppy.  When we saw a picture of this sweet girl - she looked like she was meant for us - as is so often the case when we lay eyes on the one meant to join our family.  In fact, when we inquired about her she had already been spoken for.  I couldn't help myself but to say she looks like our puppy, but I understand, if something changes let me know.  Sure enough, as fate would have it, this little girl became available.  I just knew she was meant to join our family.

The first week with Mia has been fantastic.  We have been around this block a few times and have puppy rearing to a science.  Be consistent and have a sense of humor!  But, I have to say this little one has been super easy.  Maybe it's been easy because she has a great temperament, perhaps it's because we love puppy rearing, maybe it's because she truly was meant to be ours and sent to us from our little Libby.  I am not completely sure but I think it has something to do with all of the above, she has certainly wiggled into our family and life.

She fits with us like a hand to a glove! We couldn't be more pleased with her and are enjoying her tremendously!

The best part is both our dogs love her too.  I have noticed this before with Alli collie and JR/mix Ezra - they can be aloof at first.  Very normal, trying to get to know the new dog in the house.  We are always sure to carefully introduce our new puppy and we supervise a great deal of course.  We also have had may different dogs come through our home.  Maybe just for the night, a couple nights, couple weeks, couple months...  New comers are just a part of our normal routine here.  They come, they go...some stay.

Today was a great day, a break through day, as both Alli collie and Ezra finally played with utter abandon with new puppy Mia.  They let their guard down and really enjoyed her.  Alli collie did her play bow over and over again and everytime I turned around she was inviting Mia to play.  They romped a bit in our fenced yard as well.  Alli has been playing tug throughout the weekend with puppy Mia and then today sweet old Ezra played tug with her too.



Perhaps my son in law, Brian, said it best - maybe they finally know that Mia is staying.  She is a part of our family and is not going to leave us. I believe he is correct!

I just read a blog post entitled "Defining Moments" from one of my favorite trainers and mentors, Susan Garrett.  (To read more visit http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2016/01/defining-moments/) It was so timely for me.  Susan shared from her life of defining moments...
"Defining moments are the decisions we have made, the actions we have taken or were afraid to take.  Defining moments are mysterious things. We often don’t know “why” we are making a certain choice until we look back years later and then it all makes sense."  Of course she was talking about the dogs she has had in her life, what they meant to her, taught her and often times where they took her in her life as a trainer.  

I too have had the most wonderful dogs in my life.  Not sure what it was when I saw them or their picture, why I chose them OR if they chose me in some way.  But each one of them have taught me many lessons, have taken me to winner circles and good places I never dreamed of going - therapy work - schools, libraries, rest homes, hospitals and they list goes on, competition obedience, agility and more...


I have had the most precious moments, sitting in the quiet solitude - allowing myself to be still and enjoy my little puppy who will only be little for such a short period of time.  Of starting her training in tiny bits.  Of allowing myself to dream dreams of what adventures we might go on together.  I have reveled in the thought of what will this little tiny spirit teach me...  I feel privileged to be on this journey with Mia...writing her story, our story.  Developing her talents and her gifts and in the mean while opening a part of myself that this little puppy was sent to open.

Here's to 2016 and our new puppy Mia and in the words of Susan Garrett
"Heres to 2016 a year where all of our choices are conscious acts taking us a step closer to all of our goals."

Happy Trails everyone!!