Easter Sunday and Four Months Old

Easter Sunday, Bruno and Maxi turned four months old. Nice day for that especially as they were born on Christmas eve. Bruno is now 36lbs and Maxi 32.5Lbs. Their break from training classes is almost over with the next session starting this Sunday. One slight problem----as there always seems to be one, why change now right---Maxi and Bruno had a collision while playing in the yard leaving Maxi with a painful torn tendon and a lame right front leg. I truly love our yard but the fact that it has a slope means that when Bruno gathered momentum hurdling down towards his brother it was inevitable that some mishap would befall poor Maxi. So, the vet told me I should keep Maxi quiet---obviously that is a problem---and prevent sparring---another problem. So here we are about to start new classes with an injured puppy who is not only in pain but is bored and frustrated by being kept away from his brother. A great start to the new session. Maxi knows every move I make even if he can't see me. He knows the clink of the leash, the drone of the garage door, the car starting up, and hey, where is Bruno? Not fair!! On another level Bruno is aware that Maxi is not himself and has taken on Maxi's role as the barker in the household. Prior to this Bruno never barked he just watched, but yesterday he warned me that some guy was mowing his lawn with some huge loud machine. He did the barking for Maxi. It was sweet and you know what Bruno has a nice voice:)

Beginning Week17

Spring has sprung at long last! Warm evenings in the garden, walks around the lake and more fun than ever:) One blip along the way was the last of the round of vaccines. They were none too pleasant for Bruno. He seems to be more sensitive all round. He is more skittish around unfamiliar places and noise and now has reacted badly to the vaccines. I believe it was the vaccine against Leptospirosis that caused him pain and an upset stomach as the others he has had before. He is better today which is a relief. Maxi had no reaction at all:) Both are growing fast with Bruno weighing almost 35lbs and Maxi 32lbs. 

Graduation Success

For all the trials, tribulations and stresses we managed to successfully graduate from puppy training classes onto the next level, intermediate classes. Classes start May 1st. Meanwhile we plan to practice, practice, practice. The journey to Therapy Dogs in public is a long one, mostly fun, but if you've been following this blog you will know it is not always straightforward:) No matter how much I planned for success there were always some dynamic I had not considered--much like life in general I suppose, there is always something waiting in the wings to throw you off course:) In the case of these little guys it can be something as simple as a rainy day---Bruno especially hates the rain--it is a trial of patience to get him to comply and go out to toilet. I win, but it means I get a good soaking too. LOL I'm not sure what I dislike more--a good all round soaking or the occasional huge cold drip  that runs down the neck from the pine trees--the latter I think. Moreover, while this scenario is playing out there is an added insult to injury. The drone of the sound of my husband enjoying a lovely hot jacuzzi bath! There  is something entirely wrong with this picture. 

Successes:)

Today I thought I would write about the puppy successes and changes of the past week. One of the best changes is that they have moved on from a car crate to car safety harnesses. I chose the Easy Rider harness. which turned out really well. The pups got used to them very quickly, they are easy to put on and take off, and they fit easily to the seat belts in the car.  I find it much easier than lifting them into a crate. Moreover, they can be used as a harness while walking. They are sturdy yet comfortable with a fleece lining. They also look pretty cool:) It means safe comfortable travel for all. Their accomplishments are nothing short of amazing!  Of all the commands they have learned one of the most valuable has to be the WAIT command. It is a wonderful way to prevent them charging at the door in eager anticipation of a walk or a car ride, or charging at the crate to get out in the morning. They have learned composure and calmness means great rewards. These guys are growing so fast they could easily send me flying should we get caught up in exiting the door. Of course as they are so young this does not always translate into good composure outside the home with all the distractions of a busy area, however, I am confident that will happen as they mature. They already know the lesson. Some other very valuable commands they have mastered include, drop it, leave it, lie down, come, let's go,sit,stay, walk on, give a paw and 'be clever' (this is their trick of curling their body into a C shape touching nose to tail and walking towards us---very sweet) We are moving on that's for sure. Tomorrow they graduate from puppy class and move onto the next level. Wish me luck that I get it right and that they wear their graduation hats for a photo shoot! Can't see that happening but who knows these little guys are full of surprises.

Week 5 Puppy School

One day I will get this thing right! I thought I had it in the bag, yet again, when I decided the pups needed some exercise before class to calm them. So off we went to the park where they had a good run and a fair amount of exercise or at least that was what I thought. I also parked away from the store so they could not see the door from the car which always gets them worked up with anticipation of lots of attention and fun. So far so good, we got into class on time with a relatively smooth transition, if I may be so bold as to say so.  We had a nice chat with the trainer about the week's events then had a quick walk round the store for meet and greet with strangers and  we were now ready for the new lesson. When I say 'we' this did not include Maxi and Bruno. They were out cold, fast asleep lying peacefully on the floor of the training arena. I felt very sheepish when the trainer asked me if I had tired them out. Someday, I will 'get it' right and have the pups ready for peak performance--they might well be adult  dogs before I manage it:)

The unexpected benefits of a snoring Boxer pup.

Snoring cannot ordinarily be thought of as a good thing, however, Bruno's heavy snoring has some unusual therapeutic consequences:) He snores much more heavily than Maxi, his nose is more squished, which means his little (or not so little anymore) body vibrates at the same time. The result is a warm comforting massage for my husband's shattered leg and hip. A wonderful therapy dog all round:) I'm just very glad we have a big  enough house to be able to sleep far away from the pups at night! Snoring Boxer

Vaccine Time Again

That should have been a breeze, the pups like their Doc and do not associate any negative feelings about the vets office. Everyone there adores them and they actually seem to enjoy their visits, that is until  this past trip. Cheerfully excited as we approached the office entrance things quickly took a downward turn. Two very aggressive angry dogs exuding all kinds of terrifying energy were snarling and pulling their owners around in a very unsettling manner.The pups have never come across such aggression and quite frankly neither have we. It was hard to calm the pups but we managed to distract them enough that eventually they sat quietly by our side. I was immensely proud of them at that moment. Soon after, a 5 month old cute fur ball of a puppy came to greet them and we breathed a sigh of relief that all attention to the other dogs was stopped. We relaxed and let them greet only to be horrified by the puppy attacking them--it was ferocious!! Quite a shock for Maxi who thinks he has  fierce sparring down to a fine art. The young woman was shocked too saying he had never done that before. I believe it was the general sense of fear and tension in the waiting room. I was so glad when we were finally shown into the separate little surgery only to turn around and see Maxi throw up all of his lunch! How could that much be in such a little stomach? Yuck! Not good at dealing with that--thank goodness for my husband:) It is the first time either have been sick--the doc said it was probably the fear and stress in the waiting room. Great, has that set a precedent for further visits:( Hoping not.