Zuzu saves a Pumpkin

The pumpkin thieves came back again last night.  Zuzu did a scary scary bark/howl as soon as she heard them.  She sounded sort of like a ghostly giant monster!  We turned lights on and went outside after we knew it was all clear, and they had dropped the pumpkin and the stem had fallen off it, but everything was lying right on the front porch.

We put the pumpkins inside for the night, so that the poor puppy could get some sleep.

Halloween has gone well so far tonight.  Zuzu is very alert, and barks when she hears the doorbell, but is not overreacting in any way.  Maybe next year I'll let her sit on the front porch or walk around with us.

Here she is, watching Darby, Alex, and Tressa sitting on the front porch, waiting for more kids.  It was a really slow night, so that probably helped some.

Getting Ready for Halloween

Zuzu is a beautiful princess ballerina!

Isn't she pretty?

Koshka is a scary black cat.  Oh, wait....

That's not a costume!

Barking

Last night, just after midnight, Zuzu started barking like a MANIAC down by our front door.  She was barking as if a chainsaw murderer was breaking into the house.  I have never heard that angry of a bark come out of her ever!

I turned on the downstairs light and went down to get her, calming her down and bringing her upstairs.  I didn't see anything wrong, so we went back to bed and she guarded me from the bedroom.

Today, however, the girls noticed that a pumpkin had been stolen right off our front porch.

I credit Zuzu to the remaining two left behind.  I have no doubt that the thief heard the barking, saw the light flip on, and headed out quickly before grabbing the rest of them.

Good dog!

Training Opportunity

I tend to see everything as a training opportunity.  Some, training for the dog.  Some, training for me.

When it was time for the bus to come home today, Zuzu wanted out, so I put on her collar and leash and we went out into the front yard so that she could do her business.  When she finished, the bus pulled up, so we sat in the driveway and we waited for the girls.  She was very good!  She did a good, but wiggly, sit-stay, and didn't move until the girls were standing over her greeting her.  We all went into the house and played some more.

Later in the day, just before dark, there was a break in the rain so we went out again.  I didn't put her choke chain back on because we were just going to head out for a second to pee.  After Zu had again done her business, I looked up the street and noticed a teenage boy riding down the street on a skate board with his lab on a leash running behind.  I started bringing Zuzu back towards the house, but I wasn't worried.  This would be another great training opportunity.

I was mistaken.

As soon as the boy got near us, Zuzu took off running.  Without her choke chain on, I had no leverage other than my body weight to hold her in place.  I was ready for the pull and I had a great hold on the leash.  So great, that when she bolted, I hung on like a champ as she ran across the yard and down the hill with me on my belly dragging behind her!

The yard slopes down towards the street, and the grass was wet, so it was a nice quick ride down to the sidewalk, where I slowed down.  I think that was the first time that Zuzu realized I wasn't sprinting behind her.  She stopped when I slowed down and looked back at me like, "What are you doing, mom?"  She actually looked concerned.  (Or maybe that's just me being hopeful.)  She turned around and licked me until I was back on my feet, then tried to bolt again.

This time I managed to pull her back and grab her collar and drag her by her collar and ear back to the front door.

When we got inside, she ran for a second, then realized that I wasn't playing and laid down in her hypnotize pose as I scolded her.  Then she followed me around giving me little kisses for the rest of the night. She even slept in my room last night.

When I called Jim to tell him the story (he's doing the business trip thing), he truly laughed out loud and said we need to start keeping the video camera out and pointed at Zuzu all the time!

Her walk this morning went fine, and she only pulled a little when she saw a dog that she wanted to meet.  Of course I had her choke chain on today, so a small pull from her and a quick snap from me prevented any other antics.

The morale of the story....it appears that both the dog AND the human need a little more training!

Good Dog

I tend to write about antics.  And, let's face it, she has way more of those moments than any others, so it's pretty easy.

Today, however, we are going to focus on a brief moment in time where she truly impressed me.

One of her biggest challenges is meeting people at the door.  She becomes so exuberant that some people are actually afraid of her.  I think the UPS delivery man is either an Olympic athlete or he can teleport.  He can knock on the door, and be sitting back in his truck before Zuzu and I reach the entryway.

The Terminix men have serious Zuzu-fear as well.  They will not step in the house if she is present.  The first one wouldn't even step onto the front porch until I had put her out back.

On Monday, I called them back to help get rid of some seriously creepy spiders that were visiting just in time for Halloween.  I hadn't actually seen any of them, but the webs they were stringing and flinging around my porch and deck were not how I prefer to decorate.

As usual, Zu was out back when he was inside and inside when he was out, but I had released her to roam when he reached the front door for the final signature.  She was so excited when he came to the door!  She would finally get to meet the bug man!

I looked at the excitement in her eyes and the fear in his, and realized that opening the door at that very second could be tragic if I didn't control the situation.  I looked over at her wagging and barking body (yes, body, not tail and head; her entire body was shaking, wagging, and contorting in excitement) and said, "Sit!"

Guess what? She sat!  I said, "Stay!" and opened my front door while holding my breath.  She let me step outside to sign the paperwork, and didn't even bark!  She was such a good girl!  I even heard the Terminix man say, "wow", softly.  It was very cool!

When I finished, I thanked him and stepped back inside, with no puppy antics whatsoever.  I gave her lots and lots of love.  She is such a good girl!

Now if we could only get her to calm down around the Senior in high school that Darby has started dating, who also is afraid of dogs.

Never mind, nix that.  A healthy fear of dogs is probably good for him.  ;)

Fall Fun

What's this?  Leaf blowing?!  Yay!!!  I'll catch them for you, Daddy!!!

When I snap my fingers....

It's a work in progress, but check out what Tressa's teaching Zu to do!

Oh yeah....it's Monday.

You know it's Monday when....

-  She's so upset about the kids leaving for school that she won't even sit still to have her collar put on.  Today she sat, looked up at me, then ran back to the door to cry, then came back and sat, looked up at me (I almost got the collar on that time), then ran back to the door to cry.....

-  We stop at the basketball court for refresher training and she decides the slow jog around the court  means forget to heel and bite my butt, then my arm, then my shirt, then my butt, in glee!

-  I say 'down' and she face plants with her front paws behind her like she was shot, wags her tail, then happily rolls over onto her back, wagging so hard that she moves around the basketball court.

-  She's suuuuper pully on her walk, then LEAPS into the air to bite a fly.

-  She barks nonstop during my entire shower, because she knocked her favorite rawhide under the bookshelf.  Never mind the 10 others surrounding her on the floor - she wants THAT one!

-  She tries to beg for the chicken soup cooking all day in the pot, but accidentally squeaks when she barks, then jumps at the noise, looks around like 'who did that?', then gives me a normal bark.

- She doesn't sit still for more than ten minutes in a row, all day!  (Though that could have been caused by the chicken soup smell, not just the Monday thing.)

- She does not want me typing on the computer, so she keeps bringing me every toy and rawhide that she can find, and keeps knocking my hands off the keyboard with her nose.

Is it Tuesday yet?!!

The Nose Butt

See that look?  When she's looking deep into your eyes?  I love to scratch the side of her face and she looks up at me so sweetly and her eyes begin to close.

Then....BAM!  She jumps up and butts my nose with her nose.  Every time.  Ouch!

Grounded

It has rained all week.  ALL WEEK!  Again!!

And then it stopped.  So, I did what all good housewives do and I cleaned the house.  I vacuumed, and mopped, and bleached, and scrubbed, and we were clean.

Then, I drove Darby to ballet.

I came back and asked Tressa, "Where's Zu?"

"Oh. Outside."

Really?!  In the muddy dirt that Jim has been trying to grow grass in after it's rained for a week straight?!

"Oh.  Oops."

I look out, and she has happily dug a nice big hole in the yard, and she is COVERED in mud.

I grounded them both to the porch for an hour, while Tressa cleaned her up.  Luckily, Tressa does an excellent job washing and grooming.  Zuzu came inside cleaner and fluffier than she was before she went outside!  My clean house stayed clean for a tiny bit longer.

Jim can fix the yard tomorrow.

And here is why I LOVE fellow puppy owners!!!

Penny,

 

Just read your blog and I am dumbfounded!

 

Kodi has adopted the same way to sit, it is his favorite position now. His other is laying down with his head on the step above him.

 

He is also crazy, weird. As you can see from last Saturday’s agility he is somewhere on an other planet. A couple weeks ago he was pretty much predictable. Now we have no clue how he is going to react or what he is going to do other than run wildly (unfortunately not vary gracefully). He who could run, jump and fly now forgets which direction he was going or what he intended to do all resulting in some dramatic antics. Auntie Lynne said we need to send him to ballet school after he ran after his toy she threw and decided midway to do a rollover getting totally twisted around flopping on his back.

 

I knew ZuZu would protect you all when it mattered. Loved the school bus video as watching her made me more comfortable as to the way she wriggled around similar to Kodi. Right now he is driving me crazy with his soulful, head slightly down, look over his shoulder much like a wolf does except he gets the most pitiful look in his eyes. One minute he is challenging us the next he acts like we beat him. He does the same with Keiko, one minute wrestling, biting, growling, attacking the next lying on his back in a submission poise. Even Keiko looks at him wondering what she did to prompt him to roll over – looking back at us with that I didn’t bite him look.

 

We lost the tassles to a runner in our dressing area due to his chewing. He seems to need to chew more now than when he was teething and loosing his puppy teeth. He will chew on his cow femur bone for an hour and even then reluctantly let us take it away. We only like to let them chew for 15 minutes every other day but he wants his bone daily right now.

 

Yes – will be glad to see this stage end  and oh-  don’t kennel her. She will never, ever forgive you especially at this delicate stage. We are amazed as to how attached and family oriented our puppies are. Kodi has to be involved in every household activity and will pout if not included. We sort of expected a dog who would prefer being outside with some alone time. Not Kodi! 24/7 with us. We love it but he so loves doing even the most mundane chores such a vacuuming with us we are afraid to break his heart by leaving him for a couple days. The other day we had to take Keiko to the vet for them to draw a urine sample (she has an e-coli infection and poor girl is on two different massive dosages of antibiotics) and when they took her out of the exam room to get the sample Kodi freaked! We thought he was going to have an emotional breakdown in the room.

 

For whatever reason this seems to be an emotional time in his life as he swings from happy. happy, crazy happy to a bit moody and reluctant. He also is off his food unless steak or yogurt. Never was a good eater but now he prefers to take a bite, leave it and come back later for another bite but never really finishing his meal. So after 15 minutes his dish is picked up and looks at us as to why?? Even not eating he still weighs in at slightly over 102 pounds and height wise is somewhere around 28 inches at the shoulder but his butt his now taller again and probably why he is so clumsy again.

 

Ron

Her new, favorite way to sit

Paws on a step lower than her butt.  Think she could be doing the lopsided growing thing again? 

Sunshine!

Thank God for sunshine!

My puppy is WILD lately. Non-stop energy on steroids. The 30 minute morning walk and afternoon game of tag with Tressa is just not enough for her in this gorgeous cool fall weather.

And thank God for fenced in back yards!

I knew that was tippy top on my list of requirements for where I would live, and now I remember why. I've never seen her run so fast for so long as I did this morning. What a happy, happy dog!

And she's so big. She loves the stack of firewood that Jim keeps under the porch. The logs make great 'sticks' to run with and to toss in the air! We tried to play fetch with a tennis ball, but she bit it too hard and flattened it, so now it won't roll. No fun.

Maybe tomorrow morning I'll have her run before our walk instead of after.  I think I learned that when she was really little...play first, walk second. Hmm, I guess humans can use refresher training too.

Zuzu and School Buses

Growing Pains

Is anyone else’s puppy going INSANE right now?  Mine is.

I don’t know if it’s the change in the weather, or if she’s growing, or if it’s all just some strange puppy teenage angst, but I’m ready for it to be OVER.

The chewing.  Again?  Really?!

I’ve lost:

...more of my living room rug.  I have given up on it, but won’t replace it until she’s three.  Guests will just have to understand.

...a set of blinds in my bedroom.  Neighbors - just close your eyes and pretend they’re there.

...one of Darby’s fuzzy slippers.  They came to a tragic, tragic end. Better them than the cat.

...the corners of the walls of my house by the baseboards.  How do you replace that?  I’m glad I’m not renting anymore.  I’d be in soooo much trouble!

...the ability to walk her calmly.  Short leash, long leash, it does not matter.  It’s all pull pull pull!

Today, if I tried to sit down, she jumped on me and started play biting.  It’s like she’s reverted to two months old.  Help!

She needs to leave this stage and leave it NOW.  Jim says she can’t come to Florida at Christmastime with us.  He said he won’t bring her into my parents house like this, especially now that we don’t crate her.  I’m afraid to board her, both because I will miss her too much and I don’t want her to be in a cage at the boarder’s either.

Please, puppy!  Grow out of this stage in under two months!!!!