Stuff from September 29. 2012

Today was a momentous day for Echo.

Jean decided against the PetSmart obedience classes, because she chose a different trainer, that she thought would be better, Kathy Kupper (the last name is pronounced "Cooper").

Our first meeting was set for the Wal-Mart parking lot, in Yelm.  Echo had not eaten since early morning, and we were to meet Kathy at 2 PM.

The trip did not go well.  Echo started drooling, badly, soon after getting into her crate, in the truck.

Because of her "car sickness", we had to stop at the Nisqually reservation to clean out her crate.

By the time we arrived at the Yelm Wal-Mart, she had "yakked" in her crate again, and had proficient drool on both front paws.

So, we were late.

I think our session with Kathy went well.  I'm pretty sure that I received more training than Echo did. 

Because I had forgotten her mobile watering bottle, after everything was over, Amy went into Wal-Mart and bought water, and something for Echo to drink from.  While she was in the store, I was with Echo, with the doors open, while she was in the crate.  She drooled like crazy.  I wiped her face, and part of the crate, twice.

Once Amy and I, both got in the truck (and cleaned up the mess), Echo "crashed" hard in the crate, on the way home. 

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Let's stop for a minute and examine Echo's "car sickness".  (Because, I am not sure that it is "car sickness".)

1. With the exception of Kathy(more on that later), today, everyone that has seen Echo and I together, has remarked on the "bond" we have.
2. As noted in this blog, I took Echo, in the crate, on numerous trips in the truck, whether I had others with me or not, and there was no "car sickness".
3. The first documented episode of "car sickness" was the day I took Echo to pick up Amy from work.  Echo was fine, when I went into Amy's workplace.  There was no vomit in the crate when I LEFT her in the truck, with the A/C running.  When I realized that Amy was not going to be ready to leave work for a bit, I went out to check on Echo.  THAT is when I found the vomit in the crate. There were no more problems on the way home.  Just when she was left alone in the truck. (I had left her alone, in her crate, with the truck running, before without any issue, just not that long.)
4. The next time she went out in the truck was to take her to the vet, with Jean and Pan.  On the way there, there was no "car sickness".
5. Leaving the vet, I put Echo in her crate, with the door facing the car door (unlike anything I had ever done), and shut the door in her face.  For a split second, as the door was closing she gave me a look that was heartbreaking.
6. Every time that Jean or Pan put her in a vehicle (including the trip from the vet to Jean's house), according to what I have been told, she "spewed"  like Linda Blair in "The Excorsist".
7. Her next time in a vehicle, in a crate, was to go see Kathy, today, and she "yakked" twice.  So much so, that we stopped at the Nisqullay Reservation to clean the crate out, after the first one.
8. After our session with Kathy was over, we put her back in the crate, in our truck, and Amy went into Wal-Mart to use the bathroom, and get Echo some water.  ... Echo drooled PROFUSELY during this but did not vomit.
9. Once Amy and I got in the truck with her, and she was in her crate, she went to sleep. No drool, no vomit.
10. On the way home, I took the way, accidentally, that had the most twists and turns ( a route than can induce "car sickness" in people that are not prone to it).  There was no "car sickness".  In fact, Echo slept almost all the way home.

I might be anthropromorphizing here, but, the above timeline leads me to believe that Echo does not, in fact have a "car sickness" issue.

Given everything she has gone through over the last few weeks (Going from the breeder to Jean's house for a few days, spending 3 weeks in my house (and us bonding), then back to Jean's, then this trip), I think she has "separation" issues, not "car sickness". ... Whether or not it is "separation anxiety", I don't think that true "car sickness" is her issue.  I think travel in a vehicle is the "trigger" of the problem, not the problem itself.

The main reason I believe that is: a) I had taken her on MULTIPLE trips in the truck, with all of the conditions being the same, without any problems; b)  the problem grew EXPONENTIALLY the first time that she was put in a crate, in a vehicle, and I was not there for the trip; c) her trip "out" today was bad.  (Echo is VERY smart.) After she figured out that she was leaving (going home) with us, THEN, she stopped "yakking", drooling, and went to sleep.

I might not have a completely accurate diagnosis of the problem, but what I know of dogs, and this "Little Girl" tells me that I am on the right track.

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Most of the issues from today's training session were to be expected.

I felt like Amy and I received more training than Echo.  That's cool, and as it should be.

I look forward to more sessions with Kathy.  I think she is going to be great for Echo.

Spending that time the Wal-Mart parking lot was good for Echo. 

We were off in a corner, away from any traffic, or anything that could harm her, but, she was, still, receiving "input" from her environment that she hadn't received before.  We went on a walk as a group. 

By the end of it, she was exhausted.  Kathy, Amy and I were talking, near the end, and Echo just "laid out" on her side, on the asphalt, and went to sleep, at our feet.

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One of the other things to come out of today's training sessions is that Echo didn't want Kathy to touch her back paws.

Other than getting Amy, Jesus, and Andrew to "mess" with her, I'm not sure what to do.

Before Kathy mentioned it, I can't recall Echo having a problem with me "messing with" any of her body parts.  I've dug things out of her mouth.  I've "messed with her ears.  I "pet" all four of her paws on, almost, a daily basis.  I rub her belly.  I play with her tail. I've wiped drool from her face.... She has no problem with ME doing any of that.

In fact, both sets of shots that she has received, since she left the breeder, I held her, and the vet tech gave the shot.

To test this situation, I have "messed with" both of her back feet, multiple times, tonight.  Pet the feet, ran my fingers between the tops of the toes, and ran my fingers around all of the back foot "pads".  ... No problem.

In fact, I think she might enjoy me "massaging" her feet.

So, I don't know if I can solve this problem without help from someone else.

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After we came home, she, mostly, crashed for a while, ate, peed, and crashed again.

I had to go out and take care of some extended family issues.

When I came back home, she had just woke up.

We tried the no xpen, let her roam loose thing for a bit.  That didn't work well.  I think it was primarily because she needed more physical exercise, and "input" that the house and the yard were not giving her.

So, I took her on the kind of walk that Kathy suggested today, just a much shorter time.  ... I forgot the "treat pouch", and couldn't work on the "marker word".  However, the street was free of enough distractions that is was easy to keep her focused on me, and the walk, without treats, or a "marker word". I had to use "come on" on a fairly regular basis, when her nose caught something that tried to distract her, but it worked well.  In general, especially after putting on the vest, she got that we were out for a purpose.

The only thing that was close to a problem was that when we finished "to the park and back", and I tried to get her to cross the street with me, to go back to the house, she was reluctant. (We had to cross the street to get to our driveway.) ... It was after dark, and she had seen multiple cars coming at us, with headlights on.  (Once again, Echo is SMART)  After a couple went past us, she quit flinching from them as they passed, but, I think she figured out that the middle of the road was where the cars belonged, and she wasn't supposed to go there. ... Of course, the other option is that she wanted to go for a while longer.  ... Finally, she was skeptical of the house, until we got to the step, and she could see inside, THEN she recognized it as "home". (She didn't want to cross the street, or walk up the driveway. ... It was, only, once she could see inside the screen door that she was happy to be home.)

Then, I  got her inside, removed her vest, took her through the "great room", out into the back yard, she peed, I took her back in, and she crashed HARD.  (To clarify "great room": our house does not have a separate "den", "living room", "dining room", "breakfast nook", and "kitchen"; it is all one "great" (or large) room, that is 5 or more living areas in one.)

In fact, except for a few "go in the backyard and 'hurry'"  or "get a drink of water" moments, she has been dead asleep either in my lap, the crate, or in her crate, in the x pen.

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It's been a good day.

While I think that Jean, Pan, Kathy, and I have some things to figure out about stuff that is going on with Echo,  today has been VERY productive, for Echo.

With that said, once I came home, and after the walk, she has been very "clingy" to me.  But it has "let me crash in your lap" clingy, not "'Dad' is home! ... I never thought he would come back!" clingy.

Which could be indicative of a problem I hinted at before with the "car sickness" part. 

I'm beginning to think that her "safe place" is not her crate.  In fact, I am pretty sure it isn't.  I think I might have done the "bond" thing too well.  What if, in her mind, her "safe place" is anywhere within my "touch"?

That would explain her hate of the light lead, and how she doesn't, normally, pull at the heavier one.  I've been told that one of the primary reasons keep the lead taut is to feel like they are connected to their person.  With a heavier lead, she would get that sensation without having to pull. ... And a LOT of other things.

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Some things to think about.
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Here are the pictures that Amy took today (for those of you that need a "Cast of Characters" list: Echo is wearing the "Service Dog In Training" vest; I have the baggy jeans, the dark green shirt, and the thinning hair; and Kathy is the one who looks like she knows what she is doing.):

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I know I have stayed up too late doing all of this for one reason:  Echo has either gotten out of the crate, at my feet; or crawled out of my lap, and walked to the bedroom door and looked up me, like: "Let's go to bed.", TWICE!

At least in this way, she is, already, acting like a service dog, because she is right.  I should have been in bed before she said it was time for us to go to bed.

I could write more, but, I am going to take Echo's advice, and go to bed. ... I learned a LONG time ago that there are certain things that you shouldn't question, and trust your dog.

Notes from September 28, 2012

First things first, Sorry no pictures or video from today.  I hope to have some from Pan in the next few days to post, from her time with the trainers.
  
Echo came home today!  She seems to have gained some weight.  Amy thinks she is taller than when she left.

I was worse for wear, when Jean and Pan showed up.  It's been a long couple of days.  I was able to accomplish a lot of things, but with considerable wear and tear.

Echo seemed happy to see me.

Jean and Pan gave me some instructions on what they had done (which will, probably need a review later).  Pan's notes in Echo's journal book are AWESOME!  There is, obviously, something of a language barrier, but her sketches and doodles make it obvious what she is talking about.

Apparently, the car sickness issue has gotten worse.  Jean found out that "ginger snap" cookies help with that.  She brought a bag of them for Echo.  (Which I need to mark, to insure the kids don't get into them.)

She came in, wanted to explore the house a bit, and went out to pee, pretty quickly.

I took her back to the bedroom, thinking I was going to have a chance to clean up.

Echo wanted interaction.  So, we played on the bed for a bit, very similar to her first morning here. (If you follow the link, it's the story that starts in the 12th paragraph.)

After about 5-10 minutes of this, with Gimli assisting, Echo "CRASHED".  Apparently, the last few days for her, like me, have been heavy "brain" days.  She slept for about 3 hours.

After that, it was a lot of time following me around with her lead connected to a belt loop on my jeans with a carrabiner.  That seemed to work well.

In the middle of all that, Amy asked me to open the front door.  She had heard something outside.  I put Echo in the xpen, and went out the front door.  I didn't see anything.  Then, I turned to go back inside, and a black blur sped past me, and went in the front door.


Our neighbor's dog, Cody(Cody is a Labrador/Chow mix.), had gotten loose, and "came to visit".  When he saw the front door open, he launched himself through the door, did two laps around the "great room", and headed into our back yard.


I won't get into my thoughts into Cody and his family, much, but I don't think much of their idea of "pet ownership".  We have "dog sat" Cody on several occasions.  ... and when Cody breaks free of his confinement, he heads straight for my front door.  I'm not sure if it's because he would rather come live with us, or he considers Gimli to be his "buddy". 


Once dinner was fixed and things settled down, I started to work with Echo on name recognition, "sit", and "kennel".  That went pretty well, until Gimli decided that he needed to be a part.  Then, training became a "juggling act".  (It's interesting to me that Gimli will not eat a "Cheerio", unless a) he sees Echo eat one first, AND b) it comes from Echo's treat pouch. ... Then, he LOVES them.)  I think all three of us had fun, though, and I think the time was productive for both dogs.  They did not focus on each other, and stayed focused on me.  The only problem came when Gimli decided that if Echo was not going to follow the "kennel" command, and get the treat, he would.  (Gimli has known the "kennel" command for several years, now.)  If he was between the kennel and Echo, she would not even try to follow the "kennel" command.  Which made things interesting, with Gimli, we have worked hard to establish Echo's crate as "her spot", that he cannot violate.

She went to sleep a bit later than normal, tonight, but I think that might be due to the long nap she had this afternoon. (It was after 11.)

My only concern is that it was after midnight when she pooped for the first time since coming home, and, at the end, it was soft.  (She woke up and it was "Two exits, no waiting".  "Little Girl" had to go, and go NOW. It woke her up.  She was sleeping in her kennel, and when she woke up, she told me about it.)

I'm not too concerned about the softness.  While she was with Jean and Pan, her food was switched from "Taste of the Wild" to "Nature's Recipe". Adapting to a change in diet, normally, means that there will be some irregularities in the stool. So, I'm not too concerned about that.

That will be an ongoing issue, however, because once she finishes this small bag of "Nature's Recipe", she is switching to Nutro's Puppy Recipe.

I'm hoping, at that point, we can stabilize her diet for a while.

The upside is that her stool no longer smells like a mix of toxic chemical waste and decomposing animal corpse.  It's not a pleasing scent, by any means, but it's not an "eye-burning" stench, either.

After that, she wanted to come back in and sleep.  First, she "asked" (did not climb or jump) to get on the couch and curl up with Amy, where she was asleep. ... Then, she moved to the floor, on a pillow, and has been there ever since.

Once she moved to the floor, I followed Jean's suggestion.  Using a carrabiner, and the lead she hates, she is fastened to our coffee table.  That gives her plenty of lead to crash on a pillow, on the floor.  Very much in an "at your feet" situation, like the collie write-up that Jean has given us talks about.

Okay, I lied about the lack of pictures.  I just took this one of Echo, in the floor, on the pillow, more or less at Amy's feet.

Note from September 26, 2012

Echo is spending a few days with Jean and Pan, her trainers, as I said yesterday. 

I was promised pictures and/or video (HINT, HINT, JEAN!), but I received nothing today, in terms of pictures or video.

This is all I have received, in terms of things that are pertinent to the blog:

Good news though....Echo was CEA normal for her eyes so she has no eye
problems at all with that.  She did have 2 ppm's which are two points in
the very fringe of her left eye (colored part,not the vision part) where
the pupilatory membrane (closed until the pups eyes open) didn't come away
completely.  This causes no vision problems at all.

We met with the new Trainer who will be coming on board with All American
Dogs in a volunteer status.  She is wonderfu and she thought Echo was a
doll and so smart.  Echo was sick in the car today.  She ate about 3 1/2
hours before we left.  I just found out that there are 3 other pups from
this group who are showing signs of car sickness right now.  We are
hopefull they all grow out of it.  She doesn't make sounds before she gets
sick which if in her crate in the car, you may have a hard time telling
because she attempted to eat what she threw up today. Please keep me posted
on this if she keeps getting sick ok.

Echo is supposed to come home late Friday morning.

Last night, as you probably noticed, I was going through "Echo withdrawal".  Tonight, well ...

Gimli, unlike most dachshunds I have ever had, has never really chosen a person.  Today, on the other hand, he was all about "Dad".  To a point where he emulated Echo. 

Most nights, Echo, when it is time for her to sleep, she crashes on my lap, then moves to the floor or her crate. 

Tonight, Gimli would not "crash" until he got in almost the exact pose Echo uses in my lap.  THEN, he crashed, and stayed there for several hours.

That NEVER happens.

Why?

"Why?"

It's a simple question.

It deserves a simple answer.

June of this year:  Amy was sitting in the pharmacy at Madigan Army Medical Center, waiting for a refill of her MS medication.  She took a picture of a soldier in the waiting room, with her phone, and we have talked about it weekly, since then.

July:  American Legion Department (State) Convention, I hear about "All American Dogs" for the first time.

August: I attend the Department's "Legion College", and hear about the need for a "puppy raiser"/foster home for Echo.  I take the information home to Amy, and we talk about it. We contact Jean, and a dialogue ensues ..., which leads us to ...

September:  On the 3rd of the month, Jean and Pan deliver Echo to our house, for us to foster/"puppy-raise".
"Fostering" Echo has, already, benefited my family.  I am sure it will continue to benefit us.

That is not the reason we do this, though. THIS is:

I've told this is Richard and Zeke.  I assume Zeke is the dog.  But that is a vet with his service dog, doing what they like to do.

Notes, pictures and video from 25 September, 2012

Today was a big day for Echo.

It got off to an inauspicious start.  Things were going fine.  I had just finished getting ready for our day's activities.  Echo was telling me she needed to go out, when the doorbell rang.  I thought she had a few minutes to spare, so, I put Echo in her pen, and answered the door.  It took me about 10 minutes to deal with the person at the door.  When I came back, she had made a mess in her pen.  She was, obviously, upset.  I didn't make a big deal of it.  Picked up as much as I could, sprayed the spots with "Spot Shot", and took her out.

While we were out, my cellphone rang.  It was Jean and Pan.  They were at the front door.

They got to see what we have been doing, where we have been doing it, and see Echo and Gimli together.  We spent about an hour and a half together.  Jean, in particular, remarked how quiet Echo was.  That, when confronted with noises that other dogs would bark at, she just looked and observed.  Both noted how much smaller she is than her brother and sister. ... And, unlike their last visit, both seemed to be impressed by Gimli, and how well Echo and Gimli got along.  They fitted her with the harness we have been waiting on.  it should help to stop her from pulling on her lead.

We went to the vet together.  Echo received her third Distemper/Hepatitis/Parainfluenza/ Parvo shot, and had her nails trimmed.  Leslie, the tech at the vet whom we have had the closest dealings with in the past, gushed over Echo profusely.  Jean, even, remarked at how well she interacted with Echo.

By the way, Echo weighed in, at the vet, at 21.6 pounds.  She is about 2 pounds lighter than Gimli, at the moment.  I expect her to surpass Gimli, in weight, in the next week or so.  It's interesting to me, because one of the nicknames that Gimli responds to is "Big'un" ("Big One" for those of you that don't speak "southern".)  He acquired the nickname because, by the time he reached maturity, he weighed as much as the two "old farts" (miniature dachshunds) COMBINED.  As I have said before, Echo responds probably more to "Little Girl" with me than her name.  So, soon, in my house, "Big'un" will be the smaller dog, in every way, and "Little Girl" will be the large one.

Then, I helped Jean and Pan load her in Jean's SUV, and she went to Jean's to stay until Friday.

I had some "Proud Papa" moments throughout this, with both dogs. ... And Jean was right, sometimes you need a break from each other.

I ran some errands, picked up Amy from work, did some serious prep for my orchestra rehearsal tonight, and didn't worry about what Echo was doing as I played Mozart, Gounod, and Grieg with the Olympia Chamber Orchestra (which, also, meant spending time with some of my closest adult friends in the area).

By the time I arrived home, however, I was ready for the break to be over, kind of.

The next couple of days are going to give me an opportunity to do some things that I couldn't do with Echo here.  For the most part, I have been postponing them until we got to this point.

On the other hand, "my little girl"  didn't go to sleep on me, literally, tonight, for the first time since September 3rd.  She's not in her crate, at my feet, as I write this blog post, for the first time since it's creation.  ... you get the idea.

I've said, multiple times in the past, that we have "bonded".  Well, that goes both ways.

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I will tell more about the rest of Echo's day, later.

First, Amy sent me some video that she shot for a few days ago.  Jean, as I noted before, commented on how quiet Echo is, and she didn't use the word "calm", but she implied it.

Uh-huh. 

Echo is a puppy, and a happy, active one.  As Amy's videos will show:

Obviously, this time Amy didn't mute the camera.

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About the time I came home from orchestra rehearsal, I received an email from Jean.  The pertinent parts read:

Here are some pics of Echo. She is doing pretty good. Got home and she played with Liberty for while and then crashed. She is so much better than when we had her almost 3 weeks ago. She doesn't bark at all in the xpen at the other dogs. Which means that she is really comfortable being in the xpen and that is something you have done great. thank you. She is upstairs right now with Pan probably sleeping. We are headed for a field trip tomorrow to meet one of the new possible volunteer trainers for AAD. Then maybe starbucks and some other places to see how she reacts. We will take good care of her and will keep sending pictures. 

As for the pictures, I am going to post all of them, BUT in the order I want, not the order they were in the email.

First, at the house today, after Jean and Pan started talking about how well Gimli and Echo get along, and they "gushed" a bit about Gimli.  There was a moment that both of them thought was so cute, that Jean wanted a picture.  So, after it happened the first time, they did it again.

Here is the shot:

Pan is standing on the edge of my deck, with a treat.  Echo and Gimli, both, want it. ... Gimli held that pose for about a minute.

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Jean talked about two of Echo's littermates.  A male and female.  Apparently, she has had some contact with them.

She remarked that they are both, roughly, twice Echo's size.  So, I have been accurate.  My "Little Girl" is little.

Here is a picture of her brother and sister.  The brother is the one on the right, that looks like Echo. (I wish there was something in the picture that gave some sense of proportion, as to the size of these dogs.)

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Here is Echo in the pen, at Jean's house.

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THIS is the moment that made my day.  When I showed this picture to Amy, she made the kids stop what they were doing to come look.

My "Little Girl" wore her "Service Dog in Training" vest, for the first time, today.

No, I AM NOT "tearing up".  ... There is something in my eye. 

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Addendum:

I think the only being in my house that has missed the "old farts" more than me, Radar, in particular, is Gimli.

If, given your reading of this blog, you think that Echo and I have bonded, then, you don't know "bond".  Radar and I were "bonded".

... And, after we added Gimli, Radar was the undisputed "alpha dog" of our three-dog pack.  Gimli was, always, on the lowest rung of that pack order. The eternal puppy.

That was the role he was relegated to.

After the "old farts" passed, there was nothing in our house to tell him that he should be any different. ... Just continue being a puppy.

THAT is the dog that Jean and Pan met 3 weeks ago.

Then, Echo came to live with us.

We have been careful to ensure that he doesn't dominate her, and vice versa.

However, we all know that Gimli is the "dog", and Echo is the "puppy".

This situation has enabled Gimli to mature, in terms of persona, in ways that he hasn't had, EVER.

In those ways, he has matured more in the last 3 weeks than he has in the last 5 YEARS.

Jean and Pan noticed the difference today, and commented on it.  That change is the reason Jean took the picture posted above.

On the other hand, while neither are "alpha", they both, in their way, acknowledge that Gimli is "dog", and Echo is "puppy".

Given what I have seen tonight, Gimli is grateful for the break from the "puppy".  He "crashed" about 4 hours ago.  Except for a few minor changes in positioning, he, still, looks like this:

"Downside" to extra food ...

Everything was calm an quiet, when I finished my last post.

I was, finally, "chilling out" and figuring out the newest sleeping arrangements, per the last post (re: crates).

Then, Gimli woke up, and agitated Echo.

Apparently, that wasn't all that agitated Echo.

First, I took her out and she peed.

She settled down for a bit.

Then, she was agitated, all over again.

And when I say "agitated", I don't mean "ready to play".  She was not "right".

So, I took her out again.

And she pooped.

It appears that pooping at 4 in the morning is the equivalent of hitting a "reset" button.

She is "WIRED".

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Before all of this happened, I was watching an hour-long TV show, off of my DVR.  Over the last 4 days, I have started, or watched parts of it, approximately, 5 times.

When all of this started, I had 18 minutes (with commercials)  of the show left. (With DVR (the ability to fast forward through commercials), that means I have about 8-12 minutes of TV to watch, with the end credits.  Less time, if I don't watch the credits.

The way things are going, I don't think I'm not finishing the show tonight. If I do, then that means both dogs kept me up long enough that I had no choice.

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Gimli has, just, brought the last piece left of the rawhide bones I bought last week within her sight.

He's chewing on the piece like it is his last supper.

Gimli would not, normally, do this, at this time.  But, he knows she is watching.

He is playing it up.

Then, again, Echo is in my lap, while this goes on, and Gimli is in the floor.

Thankfully, she is exhausted, and falling asleep in my lap.  Her ears are following every move of Gimli, but her eyes are staying closed.

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It's a good thing I love my dogs.

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Jean, I make no promises as to what shape I will be in when you get here this afternoon.

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To quote Amy:   "It's ALL about the dogs."

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On the other hand, as the self-proclaimed "dachshund guy" (my first doxie was a birthday gift, in 1970, and, pretty much have had one (or more) ever since then), my best/favorite dachshund ever is about to get on my last nerve.

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On Echo, to me, that little cleft that all dogs have that runs from the nose leather, on the top of their snout, has grown longer.  I can feel it, tracing it up, to about her ears. Last time I noticed, it ended right above her eyes.

Another thing, check her first picture on this blog, and the latest. The "dip" that most breeds have from the top of the skull to the bridge of the snout is getting more shallow.

Echo is beginning to look more and more like a "classic" collie!

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She, finally, crashed in the green crate, at my feet.  Hopefully Gimli will do something similar soon.

He and I just had a "Come to Jesus" meeting.  It was firm words, with lots of eye contact, and that was it. ... But, it appears to have been effective.

We will see.

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Welcome to a "long 'dog' night" in the Robertson household. 

I wish I could have documented several of the earlier ones as well as this.

The rest of the stuff from the 23rd, and Notes from Today

Let us start with the stuff that Amy sent me yesterday.

We start with a couple of pictures.

Echo and Gimli, together, to start.

Amy shot a few videos of Echo.  She thought Echo was "frenzied", like she was "overstimulated", or need to go out.  To me, these shots look a puppy playing with her toys. 

If you don't hear any sound, the problem is not your computer.  Amy muted the sound on the camera for these clips.

"Chase" is going particularly well.

First, we have closed off a portion of the yard on the west side of the house, for a "run".  Amy leaved the lead on her, when she takes her there.  I'm afraid that the lead will catch on something and choke her.  So, when Echo and I go there, I take the lead off.

If our relationship had not progressed to it's current point, I would leave the lead on.  But, she stays focused on me, when we are there.  Whether we play chase, or not.

So, we played "chase" in her "run", today.  It went well.  After we played for a while, she became so focused on me that I moved the game into the larger back yard.  The quick turns, and the lack of even ground in the run, were killing my knees, and ankles.

We ran the width of my backyard.  She stayed completely focused on me.  It was, ALWAYS, her chasing me, not the other way around.  I'm not sure she realized that we had moved out of the "run".  That is how focused she was on me.

---

Amy did an unofficial weighing of Echo.  (You know.  Step on the bathroom scale without the dog, and, then, step back on it with her.)  According to that, Echo, now, weighs over 20 pounds.  We will get an official weighing at the vet tomorrow.  My guess is that Echo weighs about 21 pounds, now.

When we first took her to see Doc Jo, she weighed in at 16.350 pounds, and she was being fed 3 cups of food a day.  That seemed to work well, for a while.

Tonight, after finishing off her third cup of the day, she acted just as hungry as she was when she was first fed. 

I want to make sure we are feeding her enough, but I know dogs.

Put on a regular feeding schedule, they will eat everything put in front of them, no matter how full they are, or not.  On the other hand, I've been a dachshund "guy" since 1970.  I know that over feeding a dog can create ALL KINDS of problems.  (The only thing that makes the geometry of a dachshunds back work is the muscle structure of the dog.  They need to be fit enough to make that work (combination of food and exercise).  If they get too heavy for the core muscles of their body, then back problems in the dog are inevitable.

But, she is a puppy going through a pretty serious growth stage. She is going to burn through more food than an adult dog of her weight would.

So, I did the feeding of a portion of the food through the side of the kennel.  I let her eat and find all of that.  Then, I gave her the rest of the final feeding.  I watched her for a while.  After some time, (enough time that her stomach should have "registered" that she had eaten a full meal), she was still acting "hungry".  It was, then, I made the decision to give her another cup.

That seemed to fix her problem, at the time.

My next concern is bloat.  I know she is being fed some really great dry food, but, it is still dry food.  she has started drinking a lot of water after eating.  More so than before.  When we went out for the "hurry" after her last meal, her stomach felt almost hard.  While we were out, all she did was pee.

I'm probably being a bit paranoid, but I'd rather stop the problem before it happens, as opposed to dealing with it later.

---

I don't know if anyone from AAD has a copy of "Legionnaire" for the month of September.  There is a great write up on Casey, Liberty, and Freedom ... and their appearance at this year's state convention for the American Legion.  There is a nice full-color photo of Chris, Jean, Liberty, Casey, and Freedom ... I assume the other person in the photo is Stephanie.  There is no caption.

I didn't find a copy of the photo online, and our scanner is not working. So, I can't post the photo.

However, I plan on giving my copy of the paper to Jean, tomorrow.

---

I'm kind of excited about the possibility of moving Echo to Nutro dog food. 

I am sure there is nothing wrong with the Taste of the Wild food Echo has been on, since we got her.

However, while her flatulence has diminished in regularity, the stench of her gas and poo can only remind one of a toxic waste site.  In my opinion, nothing living that produces that kind of smell can be "right".  I, still, have to fight back the urge to retch when picking up Echo's poo.

Gimli has been eating Nutro's Lamb and Rice formula for about 5 years, now.  He seems to do better on it than the IAMS and Science Diet products he was eating before.  While he still has "dog farts" occasionally, they are nothing compared to the "weapons of mass destruction" that Echo emits.

One other thing, before Gimli went on Nutro, his shoulders and hips, in particular, creaked and popped a lot.  Nutro has Glucosamine, and Chondroitin in it. (One of the reasons we switched to this food.)  Since being on this food, those pops and creaks have all but disappeared.  Another reason we switched is that, at the time, Radar and Tas were beginning to have some joint issues.  Moving them to a food with Glucosamine and Chondroitin in it seemed to help them.

Echo has no regular "pops", or "creaks", but I'd rather her not develop any, either.

It's easy to find, relatively. (Petsmart, the PX and Commissary carry it)  And, it's fairly close in price to IAMS or Science Diet.

... My main issue is still the God-awful smell of her gas and poo.

---

To elaborate on that point, Echo came to live with us on a Monday.

Trash is picked up, at our house, on Tuesday morning.  We keep a trashcan on the deck.  That is where all her poo goes.  So, on her first full day in my house, she started with a clean trashcan.  The trashcan gets emptied when it is full, or the night before the next trash day.

By that Thursday night, we had to move the normal location of the trashcan because the overwhelming stench of the can was invading the part of the "great room" that Jesus and Andrew use most use. They were beginning to get nauseous from the smell. ... It was as if some vermin/rodent had died of ingesting toxic waste, and was decomposing in the trash can.

I am sure if that smell was present anywhere near the prison at Guantanamo Bay, it would be considered a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Part of me is trying to be funny, but, REALLY, I'm trying to explain in terms that truly express the magnitude of the smell, what is going on here.

---

Last thing, I think.

We have "crate" issues.

Don't get me wrong, in general, she like her crate.

In the beginning, the one that was brought here for her was great.  She loved it, kind of.   She loved it as long as it was "her spot", and not "her prison".  She didn't mind the door being shut.  She didn't want it shut for too long, though.

Then, she grew too large for that crate.

I've posted pictures of the green crate that we have been using in the living room.  She is fine with that one. It's not as large as the "wire crate" that we were provided with, but it is large enough for her, now.

The "wire crate" that we were provided with, on the other hand, while of an adequate size, she hates it.

I think the problem is that the wire crate is too "open".  The other two crates have solid roofs, and mostly solid walls.  Kind of like a primal dog's "den".  The wire crate, no matter how you cover it, does not provide that kind of "den" feeling.  It's too open, and instead of being "her spot", she acts as if she is caged.

The above photo was shot shortly after writing the above paragraph.  Illustrating my point.  This kind of crate she treats as "her bedroom", not a prison.

---

Echo is SMART. 

And opposed to picking up a lot of bad habits, as I feared, she has REALLY learned some things.

Not too long after taking the above picture, she woke up, kind of.  Not really awake, but enough to get a drink of water, and some other minor movement.

I opened the door to her crate.  She stretched, and came out.  Just to the right of the above camera shot is a bowl of water.  She took a good long drink. When she finished (I was standing over her), she looked me in the eye, and, without breaking eye contact, put her chin on "my spot" on the couch, and didn't move.

I, then, sat down in "my spot", picked her up, and put her in the place that so many pictures have shown her next to me.  Within a few seconds, she settled, and became a "boneless collie" in my lap.  She stayed that way for about 3-5 minutes. (I know because it was about the length of one song on Comcast's "Soundscapes" music channel.)  Then, she got up, got a drink of water, and got back in her crate.

I shut the door. 

Without moving, she "eyed" me as I went out for a smoke.

When I came back, she was asleep.

I opened the door of the crate.  She stuck her head out of the door, and looked up at me.  She wasn't comfortable.  I took an old shoe of mine, and laid it under her head.  She used it as a pillow, and went right back to sleep.

Here is what I saw:

---

It's like the "lead" issue that we had some time ago.

I don't think she has an issue with crates, or being crated.

I think she doesn't like THAT kind of crate.

By the way, I used THAT lead with her again, today.  She still hates it, and doesn't mind the other.

---

In my experience, Echo is very smart, sweet, and lovable.

She wants to be trained, and do the right things.

However, like a dachshund, she has her idea of how things should work.

Thin, flimsy leads are things she will pull against, badly, and chew on.

A lead with some "heft", and not too thin, she will accept.

A "wire" crate that is basically see-through, makes her kind of crazy.

A crate that has a roof and some kind of walls, where she can feel like it is, for lack of better terms, her "bedroom", she loves.

Like almost every other dog I have had, when you pay attention to what she is telling you, no matter how "bad" she might behaving, she is trying to tell you something.

The key is paying attention to the "clues" you have been given.

First set of stuff from the 23rd of September

Through the "filter" of Amy, I was, kind of, taken to task for being too much of a "pet owner", by Jean, today.

In my defense, Amy and I were inundated with information about what we were going to do with Echo.  So, I asked Jean and Pan what we needed to do until they came back.  ... I didn't need to know all the intricate details of every step on the long road-map to Echo becoming a service dog.  I needed to know what to do with her for the next few hours/days, until they came back. I asked for a list.

The list, from Jean and Pan,  was: work on "sit",  name recognition, and "bond" with her.  Pan concluded with "You cannot love on her enough."

Well, according to the list, we are doing okay.

She sits on command.  If you have Echo's attention, and she thinks you might give the "sit" command, she does it.

We will talk about name recognition later.

"Bond"? ... and "You cannot lover her enough."? ... I think we have that down.  Echo "likes" Jesus, and Amy.  When Andrew is in her sight, she follows him with her eyes.  Echo and I are bonded.

While it has grown stronger since then, I think it started the first night we spent together.

The first day was hectic and crazy. 

She was a "baby" thrown into the 2nd or 3rd new environment in as many days.  There were 3 new people, and an adult dog to try to get to know, in just few hours.

Then, as the people went to bed, I created our version of the X Pen, and put it with an opening to one of our couches.  That's where I slept. Sometime during the night, I brought her onto the couch with me.

When I woke up in the morning, she was laying on her back, between the back of the couch and I.  I woke up before she did.  The first things her eyes were able to focus on were my eyes.

She didn't lift a lip, or, really, change her facial expression in any way, maybe it was her eyes. I don't know.  But, I do know, that in that moment, she "smiled" at me.

For about the next 20 minutes or so, we played a "game".  I don't know the name of the game, but it involved her flailing her legs a lot, as she lay, between me and the back of the couch, and she was "smiling", if not "giggling", the entire time.

Ever since then, we have been "bonded", and I have been working with her to make the bond stronger.

Name recognition needs some more work, though.  I don't feel too bad about that.

I've talked a lot about Tasselhof and Radar, the dachshunds we lost to old age, last year.  Amy and I, first, met them as pups, when they were 8 weeks old.  The breeder was not going to let them go until they were 12 weeks old.  We could buy a pup in the litter, and visit it, in the breeder's house, but she was ADAMANT that they would not leave her house until they were 12 weeks old.  I know it seems I have "beat this horse to death", but I would like to prove my point, visually.

The following picture is of Echo, and a dachshund "beanie baby" doll.  ... The doll is the size that Tas and Radar were when they came to live with us.

According to Amy, and her efforts with our bathroom scale, Echo and Gimli weigh about the same, give or take a pound or two. ... Echo has, at least, a year of growing to do.  Gimli, at age 7, fits many veterinarians' definition of "geriatric".  ... Not that he acts like it.

---

The next thing.

Okay, as part of furthering the bond, I have encouraged her to go to sleep on or near me. ... Mostly, in my lap. ... HOWEVER, as soon as she "settles", I do my best to put her in her crate, near my feet, or allow her to sleep under my feet.  NOT IN MY LAP.

---

I think that is enough "business" from tonight.

I have a bunch of stuff to upload from Amy, and we will see what that brings.

Video, Picture, and Notes from 21 September, 2012

Since I joined the Army in 1989, all of my dogs have had "dogt tags", just like me.  They have had the dog's name, our address, and our contact information on them.  If one of those pieces of information changed, then the dogs received new "dog tags".

For instance, Radar and Tasselhof lived with us in Panama (one set of dog tags), then moved with us to Oklahoma (new set of dog tags), they came with us to Germany (another set of dog tags), and then to Washington (another set of dog tags).

Some of our dogs have taken to the dog tags on their collar right away, and others haven't.  Some dogs have liked a "naked" dog tag, and others have preferred a "silencer".

Hugo, our first dachshund, preferred a "silencer" on his dog tag.  Radar, Tas, and Gimli have hated silencers.

Echo has had a "dog tag" for about two days, now.  She has HATED the dog tag. She "attacked"/chewed on it constantly.

I put a "silencer" on it, tonight.  Once the "tacky-ness" of the rubber wore off, she, finally, forgot the dog tag was there.

The picture above shows Echo crashed out in my lap, with her dog tag, in a silencer.

For those of you that don't know, the grey thing on her collar is the "dog tag".  The black border on the grey thing is the "silencer".

Echo's tag the following things on it: her name, my name, my cell phone number, Amy's cell phone number, and our address.

This is not unusual for us;  For instance, we decided to not have Gimli "chipped", because dachshunds "papered" under the club he is "papered" with are required to have unique codes tattooed in their right ear. (Gimli is "papered" through the Dachshund Club of Northern Bavaria. ... To put things in perspective:  the AKC defers to the Dachshund Club of Germany, as the ultimate authority on Dachshunds ... and the Dachshund Club of Germany defers to the Dachshund Club of Northern Bavaria as the ultimate authority on dachshunds. ... In Germany, dachshunds are, still, raised to be hunting dogs.  Gimli's papers are full of show and field trial champions.)  My "insane barker" is a precious commodity.

Anyway, once the rubber of the silencer stopped being tacky on her fur, Echo forgot the silencer, and the tag were there.

I was pretty happy with that minor triumph.  Teeth marks in the dog tag would defeat it's purpose.  She stopped trying to chew on the dog tag, once the "silencer" had begun to do it's work.

---

Echo is smart, which is good.

Because she is smart, it's all too easy for her to become bored.  ... Bored 13 week old puppy, NOT A GOOD THING.

On the other hand, tonight, I found a way to do "my part" in the house, and deal with Echo's boredom.

We played with ice.  I shot the video with my phone, holding it normal, like a phone.  So, the video is sideways.  Sorry.

Notes and a Picture from September 20, 2012

Today was a whirlwind!

There was a parade of people in and out of our house.

It started with Dean, the handyman that works for our landlords.  Echo met him a couple of days ago.  He was here to fix the floor and the toilet in the front bathroom.

Later, as Dean began finishing up his work, Mika (who was here the first day that Echo came to live with us) showed up, with her brother, Kaishu, whom Echo had never met.  Almost immediately after that, Jen and Justin showed up.  (I, at this point, was not expecting ANY of them.  Jesus, and Andrew were, both, gone.) ... So, Echo was met more of the "Teen Hoard" this afternoon.

THEN, I received a text from Jeannie, Brandon's mother-in-law, that her and Steph (Brandon's wife, and another member of the "Teen Hoard") needed to come over and scan some  Army paperwork, to enable Steph, her and Brandon's stuff, and their cats to join Brandon in Germany.

So, they, and a pile of computer hardware, showed up at the house.

Everyone gushed over Echo, and treated her like a "pet".  (It's probably going to take a while to fix that.)

I was running in 10 different directions, and not able to prevent the encouragement of bad habits in Echo.

About 4:30, after Kaishu and Mika take Gimli for a second walk, Gimli and Echo, both, collapse.  They are just worn out, from all the excitement/attention.

FINALLY, everyone leaves,  and I start prepping for the American Legion Band rehearsal that I have to conduct tonight.

I leave shortly after 6 PM, and get home shortly before 10 PM, and there are THREE MORE members of the "Teen Hoard" in my living room, that I have not seen in a while: Anna, Alyssa, and Jon.

Jon and Alyssa (cousins) leave, together, about 10:30.  Anna doesn't leave until around 11.

By this point, Echo is "overstimulated"/"wired".  It's after midnight before she begins to calm down.

A couple of times, while dealing with her "wildness", I put her in our "X Pen", not because she needs a "time-out", but, because I needed one. ... I didn't want to raise my voice to her, or give incorrect commands.  So, I took myself out of the situation.

Overall, I think the experience was good for her.  ... But, it was a tough day for myself, Echo, Gimli, and Amy.

---

Okay, I am giving in to the "crate is too small" idea.

I'm not sure if that is the whole idea, as far as Echo is concerned, but, I will grant that it is time to change her crate.


Starting last night, she wouldn't go into her crate.  It's never been a problem before.

The problem persisted after I cleaned her towel of the vomitus from the truck trip, earlier in the day. (No, I didn't use detergent when I ran it through the washing machine, per our previous instructions.)

I think there are three possible reasons for her not wanting to get into the crate that she was brought to our house:

a)  It is now too small;
b)  To her, it, still, smells of her vomit;
c)  Over the last few days, she has had to spend more time in the crate than any other time since she has come to live here.

Luckily, we still have the shell of the crate that we used to ship Gimli from Germany to the US.  It's about 8 inches longer, 6-8 inches wider, and about 6 inches taller than the crate Echo has been using.  It's, also, smaller than the wire crate we were provided with.  So, it's a nice intermediary step.

Here is a picture of the two crates, together, with Echo in the larger one:

The odd stroke of luck is that I don't know where the hardware is to hold the two halves of this crate together.

This works out well because ... well, in the right foreground of the picture is the door to the green crate.

I can remove the door in just a few seconds, and she doesn't feel "imprisoned" in this crate.  Yet, if I have to get up and do something, I can put the door in place in just a few seconds. ... So, I have addressed the possible feelings of "imprisonment".

It's significantly larger than the tan crate, and she can, easily stand up, and hold her head up in it.  .... So, "size" of the crate is addressed.

Finally, before a few hours ago, the only other dog that has been in this crate is Gimli, and he didn't vomit in it.  So, that possible issue is addressed.

I put her towel in it, put it next to me near the couch, and she was fine to "crash" in that crate.

Problem solved, for the moment, ... hopefully.

Disclaimer

It might seem like Echo and I a growing TOO attached.

This would be a good time to re-visit my son, Brandon.

Okay, my brother is his biological father.  AND, my brother's best friend from high school was his step-father.

I AM Brandon's only "Dad".

There is a long story to go with this, but, Brandon only lived in my house for 13 months.

After that, he got married, and then, joined the Army.

I did my best with the time I had, but, I had to let him go.  To do otherwise would have been a disservice to him.

---

It's kind of the same with Echo.

---

At my retirement physical today, a nurse and I had a conversation about Echo.

I told her about the entire situation with Echo.

The fact that both of her parents were "service dogs".

That, of her litter, she seemed to be the most apt to be a "service dog".

The bond that we share.

The nurse, at first, couldn't understand how and why I would do this.

It's simple.

It's "Brandon", all over again.

---

She is "my little girl", forever.

However, she has the potential to do great, and wonderful things.

If I hold on to her, and don't let her go to do them, then, I am doing a disservice to her, and whatever veteran she was MEANT to help.

---

Brandon is a medic in Germany, with the Army, now.

He is helping soldiers EVERYDAY.

---

Echo is meant to help a single veteran, EVERYDAY.

---

When she begins to do that, I will be just as proud of her as I am of Brandon.

---

Whether it's Brandon, Jesus, or Echo, there will come a time where the best thing I can do is to let them go, and allow them to be what they are supposed to become.

---

So, Echo has become "Daddy's Little Girl", for the moment. .... and I am enjoying the moment, mostly.

I know the moment will pass all too soon.

If I can, in the end, be as proud of Echo's service, as I am of Brandon's service, then, that's a good answer.

A Song for My Lanky Little Girl

Going to have to "dog dance" to this song, with Echo. ... Unless I can find a better version of the Little Richard original.

Catching Up

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days.

It's been a combination of several things: a) in general, Echo has fallen into a routine, and there hasn't been anything that notable to report; b) with Amy's new job, Jesus prepping to start college tomorrow, Andrew starting a new job, and me taking care of the final details for retirement, things have been a bit hectic.

The one picture I have to add is this one:

Amy took this one about 1:30 in the afternoon on the 16th.  Amy was in the X-Pen with her.

So, onto the recent developments.

I reported a few days back that I bought two rawhide bones for her and Gimli.  Between the two of them, one of those is gone.  Tonight, Gimli took one of the knots off the end of the remaining one.  That has become his toy, and Echo is working on the rest.  I am pretty sure it will be gone within the next 48 hours.

Then, there are family issues.  Not bad ones, per se, but there are issues.  Echo and Andrew get along well.  With everything else going on, in general, Echo ends up trying Amy's patience, all to often. Jesus ...

Jesus didn't grow up around dogs.  In fact, until he started coming to our house on a regular basis in 2007, he had limited exposure to dogs.  When he, first, started coming to our house, Radar and Tas were almost 12, and Gimli was 2.  So, Jesus' exposure to puppies was VERY limited, before Echo came to live with us 2 weeks ago.  Don't get me wrong, he loves dogs.  You don't have to see his face to "hear" him smile as he talks to Gimli, who he refers to, regularly, as "the Black Monster".  He is just not sure what to make of this puppy, never having been around a real puppy, before.  So, Jesus doesn't dislike Echo, but, I don't think he likes her that much either. Once again, limited exposure to dogs/puppies, has discovered a love for dogs, not acquainted with the reality of puppies.

As I relate this, I realize that I have not introduced the entire cast of characters.

There have been multiple pictures of me on the blog, and the photo in the right hand column is me, with Tas across my shoulders. (He loved napping that way.)

Amy has been in multiple pictures.

Gimli has been in a few.

This is a picture of my two sons.  They are both "fosters", but I couldn't love them more if they were my biological kids. (Jesus is on the left, if you can't guess.)

This was taken two Christmases ago.  The first Christmas Jesus spent with us.The one on the right is Brandon, my biological nephew.  He is, currently, an Army medic at the Troop Medical Clinic in Hohenfels, Germany. My boys have been best friends since 8th grade, and Jesus was Best man at Brandon's wedding.  Jesus is starting work on an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) degree at South Puget Sound Community College, tomorrow.  He's my "gentle giant" (he's about 3 inches taller than me, and has about 30 pounds, or so, on me).  When he was doing "clinicals" for his Certified Nurse Assistant course, his teacher went out of her way to remark that he has a natural gift for caring for others.  ... I've, also, seen the boy pissed off.  If he is mad at you, I am not going to get between the two of you. Luckily, he has developed a highly refined sense of restraint, in that regard.

I could go on ... and on ... and on ... I'm proud of my sons, and I love them.  I think they are fine young men.  Enough said on that.

Back in 2007, when Brandon and his father moved to the Olympia area, Brandon started assembling a group of friends(Jesus, as noted before, was part of that group.).  A friend of Amy and I referred to them as "The Lost Boys", referencing the story of "Peter Pan".  Because they all needed something from each other that they were not getting at home.  Amy, once they started coming to our house on a regular basis, started referring to them as "The Teen Hoard".

Just like Brandon and Jesus, they became family that we "chose", as opposed to the family that genetics imposed on us. ... Unlike Brandon and Jesus, the rest of the "Teen Hoard" have become "chosen" nieces and nephews.

That's where Andrew comes in.

Almost from the start, he was part of the "Teen Hoard".  When he fell on hard times, and faced a choice of homelessness or reaching out to people he could trust, he contacted us.  So, until he gets "on his feet", Andrew is a part of our house.  He is not a "son", but he is "close family". (Andrew is on the left, in the above picture.)

---

That gives you faces to put to names, when I talk about things.

---

Back to Echo.

---

She has begun obsessing over bugs.

She will, actually, stalk them in the backyard.

She's become quite good at it. (More on that later.)

---

I hated doing this, but I had to.

Amy and Andrew had to work.  Jesus was doing things to get ready for his first day of college.

I couldn't put it off any longer, I had to do my physical for military retirement.

Which meant that, once I left the house, Echo was in her crate for about 4 hours.  She was awake when I put her in the crate.

Since she came to live with us, she has NEVER been locked in her crate that long, unless she was asleep going in, and was going to sleep longer.

She wasn't happy when I got home, but that was okay.

I took her out, she peed, she pooped.  I took her in and fed her.  We went back out.  She peed.  We went into the "cordoned off" part of the backyard, and played "chase" for a bit.

I'm not sure what Echo does with Amy, Andrew, or Jesus, but, if I run, she will chase me anywhere. 

---

Amy thinks her original crate is too small.

I don't think so.

She can lay down, comfortably.  She turns around with ease.

Amy says that she can't stand up.

The roof of the crate is higher than her shoulders.  She has to duck her head to stand up, but she can stand up.

---

So, today, during her normal "afternoon nap time", I moved the larger crate into the bedroom, threw her towel into it, along with a couple of her favorite toys, and laid down for a nap.

She HATED it, at first, but after a while, she napped there.

I think her towel helped.

---

After "naptime" was over, I put her in her crate, put the crate in the backseat of the truck, and we went to pick Amy up from work.

She did fine on the ride over.

I had the opening of the crate facing me, as I drove.

She seemed fine.

We arrived at Amy's workplace.  I left the truck on, with the A/C going, and went in to get Amy.

After about 5 minutes, I saw that Amy was not going to be ready to go soon. So, I went out to check on Echo.

She had thrown up on her towel, in the crate, and was eating it.

It was, mostly, semi-digested food from her last meal, but there were a few whole chunks.

We've taken the towel out the crate (it's in the wash now, no soap), but she has been reluctant to get into her crate ever since.  Even after I put pillow cases that Amy and I have slept on, in the crate.

---

So, all through the evening, when Echo would, normally, get into her crate and crash, she has put up a fight going into it.

---

If part of the goal is to get Echo to bond to one person, it has worked.

If she knows I am in the house, then she doesn't want to be near anyone but me. ... She doesn't want to play with them.  She doesn't want to be .... anything.

She is inconsolable unless she is being "my dog". She gets irritable if I pay any attention to Gmili.

---

Tonight, she did not "crash" at her usual time.

It was, almost, 1:30 AM before she settled down. ... as opposed to 10:30 PM.

She didn't want to play.  She didn't want to eat, or "hurry", or whatever.

She was a pain in the rear end, UNLESS, she could sit in my lap on the couch.

She wanted to "crash", but it HAD to be on my lap.

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If things continue the way they are going, I feel sorry for Jean and Pan, and whoever else is in the house with them, when they take her on the 25th.

If tonight is any idea of how that is going to go, then she is going to be insane.

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I just hope that she will bond with her "veteran" the way that we have bonded.

Echo is a "sweetheart".

She would rather play with "her person" than any toy.

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Which brings me back to this afternoon, we played "chase" in the "sideyard", as Amy calls it.

Echo was off lead. in a confined space.

We ran back and forth, until my knees and ankles could take no more.

She chased me, and, if need be, waited for me to run.

Her eyes were COMPLETELY focused on me.

We did this twice, today.

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Amy and I have, only, had dachsunds.  We were married in June of 1985.  The first dog in our house was a dachshund, in March of 1986.  Except for a few visitors, all of our dogs have been dachshunds.

Amy is not sure what to make of this "leggy" girl.

I had noticed this sometime before.

Before tonight, I had never said this aloud, but I said it to Amy:  "Think of her as "Long. Tall Sally".

... Music link to follow.

Notes and Picture from September 14, 2012

Not much of interest to tell today.  Pretty much a standard day.

The only thing of any real interest is that, like any puppy this age, Echo has started chewing more. 

We've been successful in keeping her from chewing on things she shouldn't.  (Once again, we are getting lots of practice with "drop", and she is responding well. ... To a point where, jokingly, I am concerned she might think her name is "Drop".)

The rawhide chew toy that Jean and Pan dropped off with her was destroyed a few days ago.  So, today, I bought a couple of basic rawhide bones, until we can get to PetSmart and get something decent for her.

Because of the nature of these toys, both dogs only gets to chew on them for fairly short amounts of time, and are heavily supervised when doing so.  I don't want either of them to ingest any chunks of rawhide that could cause stomach problems later. 

The only other minor point of interest is that I finally got around to stuffing Echo's Kong toy with her food, covering the open end with peanut butter, and putting it in the freezer, like Jean suggested.

There hasn't been a need for it.  The way we were told to use it was put it in her crate with her, when she is locked in there, and no one is around.  Well, other than the couple of times I have crated her and taken her on errands in the truck, she has never been crated with no one around.  So, she has never been in the crate for more than 10 minutes with no one around.  In fact, most of the time she is in the crate, the door is open, someone is within her sight, and generally within arm's reach.  We are trying hard to establish the crate as her "safe place", not a prison.

To the best of my knowledge, Amy hasn't taken any pictures of her, today.  I've taken one.

It's caption is:  "It's a shame no one in this house loves Echo, but Kevin."

(That's Amy in the pen, by the way. I think that's the first picture of her on this blog.  ... She isn't in most of the pictures because she takes most of the pictures.)

Pictures from Septmber 13, 2012

Most of today's shots are of Echo playing out in the yard with Amy. Too many of Echo's pictures have been of her in her pen.  She, really, does not live there. It's just easier to get good pictures of her while she in in there.  She spends a lot of the day in the yard.  Either: on her lead, in the main part of the yard; or off-lead in a fairly small area we have fenced off, where she can run, but not run away.

 

 The following is more of a common "night time" picture.  Those are my knees she is sitting between.  Just beyond my feet is our coffee table.  To the right, outside of the shot, next to her crate, is a bowl of water.  Most nights, from her "mid-evening nap" until she crashes, this is where she spends her time.  In her crate, at my feet (okay, whether sitting or laying down, she is mostly ON my feet), or with me on the couch.  To reiterate from a few posts ago, thanks to Gimli's habits, for Echo, all furniture is off-limits, unless a person places her there.  The "invitation" thing didn't work. ... With that said, she gets "placed" on the couch next to me on a regular basis.  In fact, she is on the couch next to me as I type this.  (She had been sleeping in her crate for the last few hours, but it was time to settle differently.  Apparently, for her, at this time, the kennel was too far away from my contact.)

Pictures from September 12, 2012

 This has become a common picture in our house, recently.  Because of things noted before, our bedroom is not ready for Echo to move in there.  So, I have been sleeping in her pen with her.  Most of the time she sleeps in the crate, but ... Anyway, in the above shot, that is Echo's head on the maroon pillow, next to me.

 This is a better idea of what happens.  Just keep in mind, these pictures are supposed to show of Echo, not me.