Scout and I Made More New Friends!

Before I go into our magical experience I want to talk about how beautiful Seattle is. It's gorgeous, we're spoiled out here. At home in Iowa this is what some not-so-lucky dogs are trying to walk in:

The really wonderful thing about Seattle is the community infrastructure. You can tell they really care about their parks - it's like Leslie Knope lives here!  Here's some pictures from the beautiful local trails Scout gets to experience!





Pioneer Park



Luther Burbank Park

Island Crest Park





 

Luther Burbank Park on Lake Washington

Now for the good stuff!

This morning I was taking Scout for a walk on the trails of Island Crest Park when we met two dogs and their owner. I started out with my usual opening line "Can we say hi?" to let the dogs introduce themselves. Their owner was a sweet lady about my mother's age and she asked if I'd taken him off leash in this park before. I said we hadn't, but we're taking baby steps towards that goal. Then she offered for us to walk with them! So Scout was off-leash running around through the woods with her Cocker Spaniel and Golden Retriever. He had such a good time! The played chase and he came running back right away. Now granted, I don't know if he came back because of me, or because he was chasing the other dogs - either way - what a great experience for him! Especially to make new friends and work on his socialization! During our walk my new friend told me all about the neighborhood and their "unspoken" off leash dog park, best places to buy houses, where to meet the locals, etc. She was so nice! I seriously should've asked for her number! Haha!

Scout is now worn out from all his fun and I'm amped up to try out the new places she recommended. I still say Iowa is a friendlier state, but this made it feel more like home!

When In Doubt. Peanut Butter.

My dog is weird. He doesn't like to go on walks.  Now I know I bragged about how good he was on a leash earlier, but his walking skills have severely diminished. The funniest thing is, he's very choosey. He'll walk fine with a group or a strange place, but if I want to go around our apartment complex his reaction is to wiggle out of his harness!

The worst part is, I would often let him win! It gets embarrassing having a barking dog in public - especially right outside someone else's window. Determined not to be the loser anymore I employed a new creative strategy: Peanut butter. 

For the first few walks I would lure Scout along step by step with a spoon full of peanut butter.  We looked ridiculous. But it has started working! I'm slowly trying to wean him off of the peanut butter using it only as a reward for good behavior like "wait" and "heel."  He's done really well so far - about half way through the walk he even forgets that the peanut butter exists because he's so busy sniffing out new trails!

I imagine this is working because we had never rewarded him with peanut butter before, mostly dog treats or cheese, so Peanut Butter is an extra special reward We'll have to see if he keeps it up! My goal is for Scout to one day enjoy walking for the fun and adventure...not the peanut butter!

New People and Pets

We've been working hard to socialize Scout to all sorts of humans and animals. 

Last weekend Martin & I had a date day and our friends Kate & Jacob so graciously offered to puppy-sit at their apartment! Considering this is what Scout is like whenever they're r over - I wasn't too concerned!

This brought many opportunities: work on separation anxiety, new environment, new people, and new animals. That's right, Kate & Jacob have a cat and a rabbit - so Scout got to make some new friends terrorize their pets!

This weekend we visited Martin's Aunt & Uncle in Portland, OR. This was Scout's first sleepover anywhere and he did really well. Their family dog is an older rescue that is still working on socializing well with other dogs.  Darcy is so sweet, she's mostly just scared of Scout, but the fear manifested itself with a few growls and snaps. It was a bit overwhelming having to constantly monitor both dogs at once the whole weekend, but we survived! By the end of the weekend Darcy was initiating play with Scout, which was a really big deal for her!

By the end of the weekend they were walking like a pack. It was so sweet! What I can't get over is the gorgeous landscape, you would  never see such tall trees in Iowa!   We can't wait to go back to visit and continue to cultivate the dog's relationships!

Brushing Teeth and Cheating at Puzzles

So much has been happening it's hard to keep up!

We started brushing Scout's teeth and he's taking it like a champ!  It's a small victory since we're still struggling with baths and nail clipping.  Right now we're brushing about every 2-3 days. Keep up the good work, Scout!



Moving on


One of the more interesting facts I learned during puppy class was that dogs expel a lot of energy through smelling, not necessarily running. This is because when they are sniffing around 80-90% of their brain is in use.  So smelling should be an important part of their walks and play time.  We got Scout this sniffing puzzle.  Ideally, the dog is suppose to sniff to find out which pocket the treat is under and try to open the flap.  Unfortunately, Scout found a flaw in they system.

Twice His Size!

Scout is growing so fast.  It's hard to believe the tiny puppy we first got has grown twice his size in only 1 month!  When we first got Scout at 8 weeks he was 7.7lbs at 12 weeks he's weighing in at 15.5lbs!  Here's some before and after pictures, although I'm not sure they do him justice.

I hope he slows down, I'm not sure how I'm going to handle a big dog jumping off my furniture and climbing up onto my dishwasher. I'm going to miss my little lap dog. 

An Ode to the Vet

I love our vet.  When we first moved to Washington I quickly realized that "Iowa Nice" really is a thing. We hadn't met our neighbors, no one had time for pleasantries, and I was feeling very out of place.  Thankfully, the vet changed all that.

Whenever I call I have about 15 questions to throw at them, and the sweetest receptionist and the vet techs calmly take time to answer all of them. After every phone call I apologize for all the hassle our sick dog must cause them.  Every time, the receptionist says "That's what we're here for! Call anytime you have a question!" I can't believe they still want to see me.

To add to the love the sent this sweet card

I'm going to be honest - Katie's note is my favorite. And I'm inclined to believe her.  She's the vet tech who is wild about Scout every time he comes in.  I love the attention, I'm not so sure about Scout :)  So thank you Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic for taking good care of my dog's physical health and my mental health. 

The Power of the Internet

I could not have raised this puppy without the internet.  Sometimes, I don't know how people had dogs prior to this invention. Thanks, Al Gore.

Between the worms, eating rocks, and many more puppy mayhem; sometimes I feel like just getting Scout to live to 3 months has been a challenge! I have been both reassured and made really really nervous by the answers the internet has provided to my questions.

I think these will provide a pretty clear synopsis of what life with Scout has been like so far :) Despite all of his adventures he's still going strong!

Jess' Google Searches:
1. How to get puppies to eat
2. How much should puppies eat
3. Prognosis of Giardia
4. Puppy always hungry
5. My dog ate rocks
6. What to do if your dog eats rocks
7. Dog throws up rocks
8. Puppy won't walk
9. How to get dogs to walk on a leash
10. How to puppy tricks
11. Are skittles poisonous to dogs
12. Is Greek Yogurt poisonous to dogs
13. What to do if dog eats plastic

Preparing for Puppy Class

Scout has his first puppy class this Saturday! He'll be learning the fundamentals including: obedience, proper puppy play, and how to interact with new humans. I'm was excited to find this program because they focus on the positive training method (as opposed to punitive), which I've been trying to do with Scout!

Martin & I attended an orientation for the class where we learned the basics of clicker training.  We're feeling pretty confident going into the class since we started clicker training Scout when he was 8 weeks old. Scout already knows the basics, but he could always use the practice and socialization.  Martin & I still have a lot to learn as well.  The really nice thing about this class is that the attendance is capped at 7 puppies - so no matter what level we're at we'll all get the attention we need.

Scout is 11 weeks old, we've had him for three weeks. So far he's learned: sit, stay, leave it, down, roll over, speak, play dead, shake, high ten, spin, and fetch. This video highlights a few - he was in a pretty feisty mood, so you'll definitely see some areas Scout has to work on. I had a number of late clicks as well - so I'm eager to hone my training abilities!

For our next few training sessions we'll be going back to basics. I want to see if Scout can learn the commands with just the voice or just the hand signals.  Wish us luck!

So Seattle

Martin and I like to joke that Scout is "So Seattle." Here's why:

1. He loves coffee! Don't leave your coffee unattended around here!
2. He loves IPA beer.  He sniffs all beer, but he REALLY gets excited about IPAs
3. He hates the cold and the rain (Yes, people here complain about the weather, I don't why, it's so beautiful!)
4. He's really good with computers

So when we found this toy we knew he had to have it! Fetch Roasted? Too cute!

Scout loves it! We're starting to teach him fetch with it - cute videos to follow!

Housetraining

 

I call this post: The Joys and Pains of Housetraining as Explained by Jess as Interpreted by Pop Culture GIFs

Scout is smart. He can learn tricks in a matter of minutes - so I was expecting housetraining to be easy breezy beautiful. Yea, not so much.

When we first got Scout home he started off strong. He peed outside before we even got him in the house! And your like - my dog's a genius!

But then he has his first accident. It's okay, he's a puppy. This was suppose to happen. No biggie.

The next day arrives and you say to yourself  "I read the puppy books, I know what to do. I'll take him out every 2 hours and he'll be fine. I got this."

But the second you turn your back....

It's okay, brush it off. He had a lot to drink.

At night a small whimper wakes you up and you're like: THIS IS NOT A DRILL. It's now a race against the clock to see who can get dressed, ready, and out the door with the dog.

And that's just the first week.