Today it rained in Bad Rap class! I guess there's just nothing I like about blacktop. I already knew I hate sitting on it when it's hot, and it turns out I also hate sitting on it when it's wet---plus it gets my pretty white feet all dirty. We did lots of spins and weaves today in Tim's class. As long as I didn't have to sit, I really enjoyed the exercises. On the way home I chewed a hole in my "indestructible ball". SCORE!!!
In Gilroy class on Wednesday night, we did an off-leash "sit and stay" exercise. Janet got very upset when I turned it into a personal romp through the entire building, running as fast as I could around the room until the teacher caught me. (Apparently I wasn't supposed to do that??) The next day, Bill installed a zip line that follows the sidewalk all the way across the back of the house. Janet clips my leash to the cable and makes me do "off-leash" lessons on it. I'm not happy about this. I put my ears back and hang my head down, so Janet must know I'm not happy about it, but she doesn't seem to care. Really? I have to be on a leash when doing "off-leash" lessons? That sucks. On the up-side, I am getting extra treats while I'm doing this stuff.
Janet found me, Bernie and Bosco a terrific new place to walk---the levee in Gilroy. It's wide enough for me and Bosco and our two people to walk in one "lane". In the other lane there are lots of friendly folks and dogs walking toward us. People ride bicycles and pull wagons with babies in them, too. It's never boring. One time we met some teenage boys who had found a little snake I thought it might be fun to play with. They were a little intimidated by me at first, but they warmed up after Janet introduced me. Bosco always enjoys the squirrels, but he says he likes me best.
By the way, Bosco knows our car and gets overly excited whenever he sees it. Bill took our car to Bosco's house the other day without me, and I was told that Bosco looked all around inside the car and then laid down next to it waiting for me to jump out. He's taking this "socialization" thing pretty seriously. And I have to admit that since he came into my life, I've become a WHOLE lot more comfortable with other dogs!!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Two-month Anniversary
I've been out of the shelter and living in Gilroy for two months!
Besides my Bad Rap Pit Ed classes in Berkeley, I've started going to school once a week in Gilroy. The rules are the same, but the dogs are very different. For instance, last week I met Abby. I didn't think she was a dog because in my experience, dogs have big shovel-heads and stocky bodies or they have lots of hair and tall pointy ears and bushy tails. Abby doesn't fit either of those descriptions; Janet says it's because she's a greyhound. We kept looking and looking and sniffing and sniffing each other----she was just as curious about me as I was about her. I guess she's never been around a dog that looked like me, either!
My friend Trudi who is going to walk me if Bill and Janet are gone was in our class with a black lab puppy who wanted very much to play with me and Janet. I don't like Janet talking to other dogs, so I have to jump on her if she pets someone else to make sure she keeps loving me best. But I think I will eventually learn to like other dogs besides my best friend Bosco. I even wagged my tail the whole time we were in class on Wednesday so everyone there would know how friendly I am!! A few of the people still didn't believe me, and they kept their dogs far, far away. Janet says I just have to be the most well-behaved dog in class so they'll respect me even if they never learn to like me.
Janet hasn't been lettng me play off-leash because I decided last week while we were working with the flirt-pole that I didn't have to come back to her when she called. So right now we're just going on walks and practicing all our walking lessons. I miss chasing my Squeaky Kong in the park, but since I chewed it up I can't play with it anyway. Janet has been spending a lot of time on the computer reseaching dog toys, and she got me a black Super-Kong. I like chewing it, but it doesn't squeak. I DO miss that squeak...
Speaking of squeaks, when we were out in the garden the other day, I saw a rat eating berries off the vine growing on the gazebo!!! I pulled my leash right out of Janet's hand and chased the rat, but it went through a tiny hole and under the fence. Ever since, whenever I'm in the garden I keep my eyes glued to the spot where I saw it, just in case I see it again. While she's brushing me in the morning under the gazebo, I sniff around and tell Janet about everywhere the rat's been the night before. It likes to sit in her chair and eat berries and climb up and down the vine's trunk and walk across the wall. Janet won't let me chase it because she says I do too much damage in the garden (remember my nickname, "Wrecking Ball"?) But do I REALLY look like I would do any damage??? Don't you think I just look like the mellowest pibble ever???
Besides my Bad Rap Pit Ed classes in Berkeley, I've started going to school once a week in Gilroy. The rules are the same, but the dogs are very different. For instance, last week I met Abby. I didn't think she was a dog because in my experience, dogs have big shovel-heads and stocky bodies or they have lots of hair and tall pointy ears and bushy tails. Abby doesn't fit either of those descriptions; Janet says it's because she's a greyhound. We kept looking and looking and sniffing and sniffing each other----she was just as curious about me as I was about her. I guess she's never been around a dog that looked like me, either!
My friend Trudi who is going to walk me if Bill and Janet are gone was in our class with a black lab puppy who wanted very much to play with me and Janet. I don't like Janet talking to other dogs, so I have to jump on her if she pets someone else to make sure she keeps loving me best. But I think I will eventually learn to like other dogs besides my best friend Bosco. I even wagged my tail the whole time we were in class on Wednesday so everyone there would know how friendly I am!! A few of the people still didn't believe me, and they kept their dogs far, far away. Janet says I just have to be the most well-behaved dog in class so they'll respect me even if they never learn to like me.
Janet hasn't been lettng me play off-leash because I decided last week while we were working with the flirt-pole that I didn't have to come back to her when she called. So right now we're just going on walks and practicing all our walking lessons. I miss chasing my Squeaky Kong in the park, but since I chewed it up I can't play with it anyway. Janet has been spending a lot of time on the computer reseaching dog toys, and she got me a black Super-Kong. I like chewing it, but it doesn't squeak. I DO miss that squeak...
Speaking of squeaks, when we were out in the garden the other day, I saw a rat eating berries off the vine growing on the gazebo!!! I pulled my leash right out of Janet's hand and chased the rat, but it went through a tiny hole and under the fence. Ever since, whenever I'm in the garden I keep my eyes glued to the spot where I saw it, just in case I see it again. While she's brushing me in the morning under the gazebo, I sniff around and tell Janet about everywhere the rat's been the night before. It likes to sit in her chair and eat berries and climb up and down the vine's trunk and walk across the wall. Janet won't let me chase it because she says I do too much damage in the garden (remember my nickname, "Wrecking Ball"?) But do I REALLY look like I would do any damage??? Don't you think I just look like the mellowest pibble ever???
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Seriously...
I've had a couple of experiences this week that reminded me just how lucky I am.
Bosco and I were out on a walk through my neighborhood when a couple of Golden Retrievers bounced out of their open garage and started jumping all over us. They just wanted to play, but you know what blondes Goldens are----and they won't take "no" for an answer. Janet kept trying to get them to back off while they sniffed us and jumped on us and crawled under us and got tangled in our feet and leashes. These idiot dogs were relentless. And they kept following us down the street. Finally Bernie asked a boy to knock on the door and ask if the humans could please get their dogs under control. I was getting close to giving them a piece of my mind. But I knew I had to keep my cool---otherwise I could just visualise the headlines, "Pet Golden Retrievers attacked by Pit Bull". Janet kept reassuring me that I was doing all the right things. After it was over at least I got lots of praise and treats....
Next I experienced bully prejudice first-hand when I went to check out a local trainer's class. All the dogs in this drop in session obviously already knew each other. There wasn't another bully-type in the group. When I walked in quietly on my leash and we sat down at a reasonable distance from the other dogs to give everyone plenty of space, one of the human handlers said, "That animal's just a biting machine". I thought that was totally uncalled for. I managed to ignore the Boston Terrier that kept barking and trying to get me in trouble. I already knew how to do almost all the training exercises, and I never made a sound. But I was pretty much glued to some part of Janet's body the entire session. It was really stressful.
So I'm looking forward to a quiet walk in the country tonight with Bosco, and my class in Berkeley on Sunday where I'll be with people and dogs who appreciate me for who I am. I can't thank Bad Rap enough for giving me & Janet the tools to deal with these situations, or thank BACS and its amazing volunteers enough for all the love and support they gave (and continue to give) me. I'm a VERY LUCKY DOG!!
Bosco and I were out on a walk through my neighborhood when a couple of Golden Retrievers bounced out of their open garage and started jumping all over us. They just wanted to play, but you know what blondes Goldens are----and they won't take "no" for an answer. Janet kept trying to get them to back off while they sniffed us and jumped on us and crawled under us and got tangled in our feet and leashes. These idiot dogs were relentless. And they kept following us down the street. Finally Bernie asked a boy to knock on the door and ask if the humans could please get their dogs under control. I was getting close to giving them a piece of my mind. But I knew I had to keep my cool---otherwise I could just visualise the headlines, "Pet Golden Retrievers attacked by Pit Bull". Janet kept reassuring me that I was doing all the right things. After it was over at least I got lots of praise and treats....
Next I experienced bully prejudice first-hand when I went to check out a local trainer's class. All the dogs in this drop in session obviously already knew each other. There wasn't another bully-type in the group. When I walked in quietly on my leash and we sat down at a reasonable distance from the other dogs to give everyone plenty of space, one of the human handlers said, "That animal's just a biting machine". I thought that was totally uncalled for. I managed to ignore the Boston Terrier that kept barking and trying to get me in trouble. I already knew how to do almost all the training exercises, and I never made a sound. But I was pretty much glued to some part of Janet's body the entire session. It was really stressful.
So I'm looking forward to a quiet walk in the country tonight with Bosco, and my class in Berkeley on Sunday where I'll be with people and dogs who appreciate me for who I am. I can't thank Bad Rap enough for giving me & Janet the tools to deal with these situations, or thank BACS and its amazing volunteers enough for all the love and support they gave (and continue to give) me. I'm a VERY LUCKY DOG!!
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