Useful Tricks

My latest trend has been "useful" tricks. So far they have been the most difficult to learn. So, are they worth it? 

 

 

Trick 1: ACHOO!

 

Pros: You will always have tissues if you have a cold
Cons: Scout enjoys eating the tissues more than fetching them, and the box is chewed up
Deciding Factor: Its adorable!

Trick 2: FETCH THE REMOTE

 

 

 

Pros: You don't have to move from that comfy position on the couch to change the channel!
Cons: The remote is slobbery and the back falls off
Deciding Factor: I'm lazy

Trick 3: CLEAN UP

 

Pros: The floor is clean
Cons: You have to work hard to walk Scout through the process
Deciding Factor: I'm a neat freak!

Learning to Swim

 

For a dog who used to whimper during every rain shower, Scout's come a long way! Scout loves jumping in the lake when we're at the dog park.  He hasn't quite mastered the doggy paddle, but he's making some great progress!

 

 

It's been a hot summer so I'm sure Scout will get a lot more practice.  I hope he'll get to be as cool as those Golden Retrievers  who are swimming machines!

 

 I would like to point out that the little black dog you see actually fetching the ball in the video above is not Scout, but rather a much more advanced lab puppy. 

 

One Playful Pup

Who doesn't like cute videos of puppies playing?!

 

 

 

 

Sorry sometimes the cuteness is hard to capture- but I hope it brightened your day!

THIS FACE

Happy Trails!

We finally made it to the Olympic Peninsula! Martin and I love hiking and we have been eager for Scout to join us! We went on the Notch Pass Trial, a low altitude hike, perfect for the early season.  It was quite the adventure, starting out with Scout's first ferry ride. 

As expected it was a chilly day for hiking.  But, that also meant the trail was deserted and we were able to train Scout off-leash on his first real hiking experience!  I think he did an excellent job!  He's going to be such a great trail dog!

 

 

 

To prepare we took an REI class on doggy trail-side first aid.  We learned about what to pack in a dog first aid kit and how to provide first aid if needed.  Not only did I learn a lot, it really helped my confidence (I tend to be a bit of a Nervous Nelly).

We followed up our OP hike by heading to the Cascades with some of Scout's favorite humans Kate and Jacob!  Scout has grown so much that his doggy pack finally fits!

We can't wait for more exciting adventures!


 

Agility Updates!

Agility classes are going well.  Martin and I both agree this puppy class is much more fun! There are 2 teachers for 4 puppies, so we get lots of attention!  Also, the instructors are super friendly and willing to challenge Scout.

Martin is by far the best member in the pack at agility, Scout and I are still learning. Martin has an advantage in handling Scout because he has longer arms, therefore an easier sightline for Scout.  We're also learning fancy handling steps like front-crosses, which are very similar to hockey moves.

Here's some cute clips!

Scout the Stealth Snuggler

We've known forever that Scout has been one snuggly pup.

ADORABLE. 

9 weeks old

And even as he's approaching 6 months (WOW!) he continues to be super cuddlesome.  CUE THE CUTENESS.

His favorite snuggle position is to rest his head on your neck. How original.

 

 

 

 

At night Scout knows he's suppose to sleep in his bed.  So when it's time for lights out he settles down in his own bed. But at 2am I'm woken up by a sleeping dog on top of me. He waits until we fall asleep to crawl into our bed to snuggle up to us! I don't know whether to be mad or overjoyed.

Review of Puppy Kindergarten

Scout recently finished puppy kindergarten class! It was a 6 week class to learn obedience basics through the positive training method. Scout, of course, passed with flying colors. If you're curious as to training classes for your dog here's what I've learned:

Scout knew a lot of the basics before we started class (because he's a genius)! But teaching the positive training method moves VERY slowly. In order to "shape the behavior" we couldn't use any commands or hand signals - we just had to wait for them to offer the behavior.  Some dogs moved very quickly  (like Scout) and others moved very slowly. In fact, still by the end of 6 weeks we weren't using any commands, mostly waiting for them to understand the pattern.

What I got most out of puppy class was the puppy play time.  First of all, it's completely adorable to watch. But secondly, I learned a lot about dog behavior.  I had little experience with how dogs interact and this is where I learned the most. Although Scout was typically the bigger, dominate dog all of his play buddies continued to initiate play with him.  So although he acts like the playground bully other dogs don't seem to mind his actions. Most importantly, we made a new friend and Scout has been on a few play dates with Lucky!

Scout & Lucky

My only frustration was that Scout learned things in record time. We weren't provided a lot of guidance on how to move forward with specific commands or how to better challenge Scout. We spent a lot of time feeding him treats for behaviors he had already grasped. I've continued training at home and I'm mostly making it up as I go :)

Scout's next adventure is Puppy Agility Class!  We had week 1 a few days ago and I can already tell he's going to LOVE it! Stay tuned!

The Stages of Walking with Scout

STAGE 1: Do yoga to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for Scout's walk

STAGE 2: Optimism.  Scout's too excited to smell everything to forget that he's walking.

STAGE 3: A test of will power. Scout decides to plop himself down anywhere and not budge. I try everything. I try luring him with treats.  I try calling his name. I try petting and talking calmly to him. Scout nonchalantly looks away and pretends to count all the strands of grass. This stage usually lasts 45 mins.

STAGE 4: Depression. This is where I stand still and cry in the middle of the side walk and say things like "I'm only trying to provide you a fulfilling life!" Note: Tissues are a must for walks.

Now here the walk can take separate paths....

STAGE 5A: Walking! If Scout and I can successfully make it out of the apartment complex he can loose-leash walk perfectly. Then I take him for a nice 2 mile walk ending in off-leash time and play fetch time. We are happy and lots of treats are involved.

STAGE 5A

STAGE 5B: Loathing. I give up. I am angry at Scout for misbehaving and I am angry at myself for letting him win. I turn around and march straight home. I put Scout in his kennel for time-out. I don't know if he knows it's time-out but it makes me feel better.  I go on a walk by myself to help release all of my pent-up anger.

**In case you can't tell this post was written after stage 5B.  If anyone has any insight on how to curb this behavior I would be very interested in your opinion. **



Scout's A Winner..... Again!

Our apartment had another Pet Photo Contest.  So naturally, I was all over it. The theme was challenging: Pets Dressed Up As Other Animals.

I utilized our friend the cone to turn Scout into a Frill Necked Lizard.

First Place! Cash Prize! Love it!

Scout's paying us pack for all of his expensive vet bills!

Scumbag Scout?

A few days ago Scout and I went for a walk when we came across a nice family. The mother wanted to stop and pet Scout so her stroller-ridden kids could "See the cuuuute puppyyyy." I love complying because it's important for Scout to be socialized. Excitable mom asked what was the his name. What came out of her mouth next left me laughing for days.....

"Scum! How cute! Kids wave hi to the cute puppy, Scum!"

I was too busy trying to control my laughter to correct her. For one thing, she kept repeating Scum over and over.  I mean, who names their dog Scum? Scummy people! That's who!

Scumbag Scout?

Only when he steals all the toilet paper!

Practicing Some New Tricks

Just a quick update on how Scout's training is coming along.  You'll see a couple old and a couple new tricks in this video. A lot of our recent work has been on loose leash walking- we're off the Peanut Butter! But we still have a long ways to go.  I'll admit sometimes I get frustrated, but then all I have to do is remember he is 4 Months old!

A Romp with Scout

Scout has been getting better about being off-leash.  Well, in all honesty, I'm just being less of Nervous Nelly.  I don't think Scout knows the difference.

Sorry for the shoddy camera work. Hopefully you can make out all of his cuteness! We're going to make a trail dog out of him yet! :)

The Muddiest Dog in the Pacific Northwest

I LOVE the trails Seattle and surrounding areas provide me and the little dog. I do not, however, love the mud it provides. It would be one thing if just his paws were muddy. But he is a little mudball when he gets home! 

Exhibit A:

The picture hardly does the mud justice, especially on Scout. Not to mention the peanut butter stains on my pants!

To top it all off I bought a white area rug for our living room. Because, you know, I'm optimistic stupid. But the light in our apartment is awful, so it's kinda hard to see all the stains, so there's a win. 

The Cone of Shame!

That's right! Our little dog underwent some surgery recently.  Why?

One night when Martin & Scout were playing tug when Scout's canine teeth broke.  I'm sure it sounds extreme, but it's actually pretty common. His teeth needed to be extracted to prevent infection.  Our vet decided while we had him under the knife to get everything done in one foul swoop.  He had his upper canine teeth extracted, neutered, and microchipped. That's a lot for one little dog!

He's recovering great though!  Post-op they tell you things like, "oh, he might be lethargic, that's normal." Ha. Ha ha. They clearly don't know my dog.  He was back to causing trouble in no time! When I went to go pick him up I was getting discharge instructions from the vet.  Scout heard my voice from his holding area and started whining at the top of his lungs.  The vet gave up and brought Scout in to finish the discharge! Aaaawww, I think he likes me!

He has 2 weeks in the cone of shame - wish us luck!

 

Scout's a Winner!

Our apartment complex recently held a "Cutest Pet Contest"

Can you guess who won??
The choice was obvious!

Bonus: There was a cash prize for 1st place. Boom! Thanks, Scout!

So which picture took this title?



Cutest Pet on all of Mercer Island

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.