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Cha Cha misses Doglirious!

Blame her Mommy and this new job of hers!

Major update! Cha Cha just celebrated her first birthday! YAAAAAY!!

That’s right, my little one is no longer a puppy. Does she know the difference? No, not really. She knows that her mommy came home with some presents one day and doesn’t quite know why. She knows her mommy kept making a fuss over her for no apparent reason. And soon enough, she’ll know that these things precede getting sharp needles poked into her back. Yep, it’s time for her annual shots.

We’re still experiencing some potty accidents, mostly while I’m at work. She makes a good effort to go on the pad, it just tends to..um..overflow onto the tile.  I believe she’ll get it down to a science soon enough.

Sorry for the quick update; just wanted to let everyone know that Cha Cha is doing well! I’ll write a post about the VET trip very soon!

A “Quality” Walk — how do you know?

Daily exercise is such an important part of Cha Cha’s routine, as it is with all our pooches. As dog guru Cesar Milan reminds us in every episode of “Dog Whisperer”, a dog’s life should consist of “exercise, discipline and affection”. Okay, so how do you know when the doggie is getting ENOUGH exercise?

Let’s keep in mind that my little one weighs all of 7 pounds. Cha Cha and I have fallen into a pretty regular walking routine; 15 minute walk in the morning for elimination purposes (and she is actually making it through the entire night now, so she’s allowed back into the bedroom!). When I get home from work, we take a longer 20-25 minute walk around my community for elimination and exercise, then frequent potty breaks at night — or, another walk, depending on the weather. Now, Cha Cha is alone all day long, so I know she has a lot of energy to expunge. Sometimes running around my house suffices…sometimes she unexpectedly breaks out into the “zoomies” (you know, when your dog takes off at top speed and runs in circles?) (which, by the way, is HILARIOUS). This seems to be enough to tucker her out, and she’ll sleep through the night.

I still can’t help but feeling like I’m shortchanging Cha Cha on her walks, however. Should I be walking her until her tongue is hanging out of her mouth? With the weather heating up, it doesn’t take much to get her to that state anymore. Why does she take off sprinting (off-leash), even after what I feel to be a nice, long walk? It’s one of those weird dog things I don’t understand.

This past Sunday, my friend and I took our dogs to downtown Tampa’s Gasparilla Art Festival. Many people had their dogs out. We walked around for about an hour, and the temperature went from about 80 degrees to 76 while we were out. When I brought Cha Cha home, she was completely pooped. I’d never seen my dog that tired…she slept all evening! And I’ve heard it said time and time again: a tired dog is a happy dog.

Unfortunately, since I recently moved I’m no longer living near any decent dog parks. And when I did, Cha Cha spent more time standing next to me than she did running and playing. So, my fellow dog owners, I’m looking for input: How do I gauge that I’m giving my puppy adequate walking time?

Adventures in Car Travels

Things have been fairly quiet in the past few days. Cha Cha hasn’t jumped into any more bodies of water and hasn’t had any more fecal impactions. So, all is well! She continues to sleep in the kitchen, although I have allowed her in the bedroom twice in the past week. Yes, I know, I  preached about being consistent, but she’s been such a good girl and sleeps soundly through the night that I felt comfortable letting her back in the room.  She went to daycare on Monday night and had a playdate with her BFF Ronnie the Shih-Tzu yesterday, so I had a happy (and pooped) pooch on my hands.

All of this activity necessitated some car trips for Cha Cha this week. Now, she enjoys riding in the car – from what I can tell. When I first got her, she would show some hesitation as we walked to the car. Although she doesn’t “hop right in” these days (and that may be due to her size), she doesnt resist either. I keep a doggie bed in the car for her comfort, although it has been advised that I purchase a harness or doggie basket for her safety. And mine. And I think it’s time to make that move.

Cha Cha has a habit of jumping into my lap while driving. She’ll stick her head out of the window, or right up to it if it’s closed. On occasion she will lay down in my lap. I fully recognize how horrifically dangerous this is. I try repeatedly to put her in the passenger seat, but she continues to jump back over. If I put her in the backseat, she lays down and sleeps. She is apparently nervous about the leap from the back to the front of the car. 

Monday night, as I was pulling into my driveway and entering the garage, Cha Cha threatened to jump out of the driver’s side window. I reacted to her action and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going with the car….hit my side mirror on the side of the garage. Nice.  I immediately said “Cha Cha! You made me break my car!!!”. When, truthfully, if I had been transporting her correctly, this never would’ve happened. Now I have to pay to get that fixed.

Moral of the Story? Restraints can be your friend!

WARNING: Dog Potty Tale, Not For the Faint of Heart…

If you have a weak stomach, are easily grossed out, or are eating at the moment, I suggest you stop reading now. The anecdote I’m about to share is nasty. NASTY. I’m sharing it here because my friends don’t care to hear about such things. And, as fellow dog owners, perhaps some of you can relate to what I’m about to share.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

cha-cha-backedup-image

Cha Cha experienced some "personal" issues

This morning, I took Cha Cha out for our morning walk as usual. She usually does her business, we walk around the block and back in. When I arrived to the kitchen prior to the walk, I saw that she had urinated on the floor…at least she hit the edge of the potty pad. Thanks. And how urine gets UNDER the potty pad? Beyond me.

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions for cleaning urine from tile grout, please share.

Anyway, I recognized that she had gone #1, but was well past-due for a #2. On our walk, she pleased me greatly by jumping into the grass halfway through and squatting for her potty.

Only nothing came out.

She squatted for a minute and found another spot. Nothing came out.

I said, “What’s wrong Cha Cha?” and tightened the leash. Using her potty disposal bag, I investigated her anal area and felt something hard. OMG. Turns out, she had an old stool there that had dried and was obstructing anything else that wanted to come out. And guess whose job it was to get it out?

I love being a dog mommy, I really do, but some things are simply horrifying.

I took Cha Cha home, placed her in the sink so she wouldn’t run away – the advantages of having a 7 lb dog – and had to cut away the old ca-ca using a pair of scissors. I did that after washing the area thoroughly and trying to soften the stool as much as I could. I promise you, I’m gagging as I recollect this whole thing. The smell has lingered in my nose all day. Cha Cha was not enjoying this, that is for SURE. But, after about 10-15 minutes of tedious work, the area is back to normal. Tonight when I get home, I will have to cut down all of the hair surrounding her little anus so no more feces get stuck there.

Moral of the story? Keep the hair in that area as short as possible, AT ALL TIMES! I don’t want anyone else experiencing what I experienced this morning. *shudder*

The Power of the BULLY STICK

Well. After Cha Cha’s plunge into the murky waters of the local conservation pond, I knew something had to be done. She ended up at Ketch, her doggie daycare, on Friday to burn off some of that pent-up energy. She must have had a blast, because my puppy was exhausted when I brought her home. There is nothing cuter than a 7-pound puppy laid across your lap, snoring her head off. I would’ve taken a picture, but didn’t want to wake her from her slumber while getting the camera.

cha-cha-bully-stick-image

Cha Cha and her Bully Stick

Ran to PetSmart after leaving church on Sunday to get her a few things: a nail clipper, potty pads and some treats. I invested more than I wanted to for a guillotine clipper with a built-in quick finder, but Cha Cha wasn’t havin’ it. I let her sniff the clipper and get comfortable with it. I was able to only get to one nail, which indicated I was clear of the quick (that’s a cool little feature), but I was not fast enough with the clip and she yelped and jerked and pulled her paw back. I don’t think I hurt her – I think it was the sensation and pressure of the blade on her nail. However, I was spooked and tried to use a nail file instead. Epic fail. I might just take her back to the groomer and let them do it. I’m certain Cha Cha can pick up on my nervous energy.

Doglirious recommends the Bully Stick

One treat I bought her is a favorite of hers and mine: the Bully Stick.

Introduced to them by her dog trainer back in August 2008, the Bully Stick has been a godsend. These firm sticks, made of a dried bull tendon, can keep her occupied for a long time. In fact, after gifting her with the Bully Stick on Sunday, Cha Cha proceeded to chew/play with it for two straight hours. Do you know how much I got done while she was preoccupied?!? I tend to take it away from her while she is actively chewing it, which continues to make it appealing to her. If she gets bored with it before I take it away, it simply becomes another toy. Although a Bully Stick tends to run about $15-20 (depending on the size), it’s a great investment. A good one, like the Red Barn to the right, can last MONTHS!!!

Today, Cha Cha Learned to Swim….

A major drawback to crating your dog during the day is the sheer amount of pent-up energy that is released once said dog is freed from the cage.

Wowzers.

Every day after work, I release Cha Cha and we immediately go outside for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. She will go #1 immediately, #2 comes in time, and due to her small size, that seemingly brief walk helps her calm down a bit.

Not today.

We walked longer than usual, in spite of the colder temps in Florida today. She didn’t have to go #2, so I decided to let her off-leash when we got back to my yard. I do this sometimes to let her roam around and go #2 freely.

Today, Cha Cha decided to take off. At first, she ran in circles which didn’t necessitate me chasing after her. It was funny at first. But, she then ran off to the grassy area next to the conservation pond. I called her back, but she decided to ignore me. It looked like she was going to go #2 anyway. Then, she disappeared over the grassy knoll. This caused me to run. And when I got over there, she jumped into the pond. The only water Cha Cha has ever been in is bathwater. But she managed to get herself out. And, she apparently thought my pursuit was the newest game in Cha Cha/Carla land. She ran further and further away, chasing the cranes that were taking flight afar. She eventually ran back 50+ yards to me, at full speed. Yet refused to go inside. I had to snatch her up and carry her in myself.

And she earned herself a nice bath as a result of these shenanigans.

Can this dog ever be trusted off-leash? Perhaps…when she’s sleepy.

Cha Cha a.k.a. Shawshank struck again.

Why Consistency Matters

Cha Cha and I have had quite the week. Just as I was singing her praises about the housebreaking, we had a few setbacks.

For purely selfish reasons, I allowed Cha Cha back into the bed at night. This began Sunday night. She did very well that night, and even remained there asleep when I awoke in the morning to begin my routine. In my mind’s eye, all I could see was her soiling my bedspread while I showered. It made me anxious. She proved me wrong.

Monday night was a repeat of Sunday. Wonderful night, obedient and patient puppy in the morning.

Wednesday morning, I was rudely awakened by the unmistakable smell of dog feces at 4 am. Yes, Cha Cha had pooped on the floor. (Thank heavens it wasn’t on the bed!) I got upset…I admit…as we had spent almost 45 minutes outside prior to bedtime and she opted to gnaw on wood chips than poop. (btw, it’s a pain trying to get those things out of her mouth) After cleaning up the mess — which, fortunately, was very solid (sorry, TMI) — I put her in the kitchen. After I woke up and got ready, we went out for our morning walk. No poop. She decided to run upstairs and handle that once she was inside.

Thursday evening, another accident on the carpet while I was showering.

Thursday night, she was back in the kitchen.

Friday morning, another indoor accident…this time because it was raining out and Cha Cha does not DO rain.

This has been typical of my patterns with Cha Cha. I’ll come up with a strategy/routine, and then change it. Or deviate. One thing I’ve come to understand about dogs is, they need consistency. Processes and activities that remainsthe same allows them to become acclimated to the routine. Consistent discipline for naughty behavior helps eliminate that behavior. Praise for good behavior promotes the behavior. I learned this during my freshman year psychology class, thanks to our lesson about Pavlov’s dogs and behavioral conditioning. However, Cha Cha’s cute face or pathetic whines sometime result in a break in the conditioning.

Have any of you struggled with your doggy’s discipline?  If not, how in the world did you manage to be consistent?

The Joys (and Guilts) of the CRATE

Please forgive the crude photo, first of all.  This is Cha Cha, asleep on her back in her crate, this past August.  I’m sure you would’ve had no idea if I hadn’t explained it. (No worries – I have a new camera, better pics to come).

Ahem, back to business….

4 months old, in her crate

4 months old, in her crate

Prior to picking up Cha Cha from the breeder, I did my fair share of homework about the best way to manage a new dog. All of the literature I consumed – and this included websites, Yorkshire Terriers for Dummies, advice from friends – sang the praises of The Crate. I was informed that it not only helped behaviorally, but helped expedite housebreaking by leaps and bounds. Since one of my biggest anxieties was housebreaking my dog, I was all for it. So, I purchased Cha Cha a crate prior to picking her up.

It turned out to be far too small.

I purchased another crate, but I could not bring myself to keep her in there for long periods of time. At night, I’d coerce her into the crate with treats, shut the door, then go off to take a shower or get in bed myself. Sometimes she would whine, at other times she’d fix her bed (which is adorable to watch) and go to sleep. My largest struggle at that time was how to manage her during the day. I couldn’t fathom keeping her crated for the 10 hours I’m gone, besides she wasn’t old enough to hold her bladder all day. So I used my friends’ exercise pen. Cha Cha learned to escape from that…along with any other enclosure I used….enough to earn her the nickname “Shawshank”. By November, I had given up. I let her run roughshod all over the apartment and hoped I wouldn’t find a huge mess when I got home. She turned the dining room into her personal potty while I was gone. But since I was moving, I didn’t care so much.

In the same vein, BECAUSE I was moving, I knew I needed a better plan for my new residence. I decided to go back to the crate, and in addition purchased a spring-mounted puppy gate that she would not be able to squeeze through.  ($26 from PetSmart, best investment yet). I also purchased a water bottle that mounts to the side of the crate for my long days. Keep in mind, Cha Cha is now 9 months old and has the ability to “hold it” all day.

I was AMAZED at how quickly I began to see results. I sometimes feel terrible when I place her in the crate, but I return home and see that she is fine. I began with short stints — 2-3 hours at a time, just to get her acclimated to being in her “room”. I can count on one hand the number of accidents she has had since I began crate training…mind you, before this, accidents were a DAILY occurrence. So that is HUGE.

I keep her crate in the kitchen, which is also where she remains when the gate is up. I’ve interchanged using the gate and the crate…sometimes I’ll let her roam about the kitchen when I’ll only be gone a short time, and I’ll return home to find her laying happily in her crate. I will confess that she rarely goes in there voluntarily when she knows I’m about to leave, but I always give her treats and love. Now that she’s older, she understands that I am going to return.

My newest battle has been nighttime. I was letting her sleep in my bed, but she is so small that she often gets lost. I’ve found myself about to roll over on her a few times. Or I’ll wake up in the morning and find her on MY pillow. Or, I’ll be on the edge of the bed and she’s in the middle. Not to mention, I’d found myself rushing my morning routine trying to prevent any accidents from her before we go outside. For these reasons, I’ve revoked her bed privileges and have her sleeping in her bed…in the kitchen. She is less than happy about this. I’ll shut the gate and wish her a good night, and hear her whine and cry for another 15 minutes. It’s heartbreaking to hear — I have to turn up the tv — but eventually she stops and goes to sleep, without another peep until morning.

It’s not easy, and you’ll hear many differing views about crate training. But take it from me — it’s EXTREMELY effective!!!

Introducing Cha Cha!

Hello Doglirious!!!

Allow me to take a few moments to introduce the star of this Dog Story: My nine month old Yorkshire Terrier, Cha Cha. (That would be her in the photo, lovingly gazing at my face. Or, plotting a way to lick me in the mouth).

Cha Cha and Me

Cha Cha and Me

I acquired Cha Cha when she was three months old; she was born 4/16/08. I’ve always wanted a Yorkie, and this past July I became more serious about it. I saw an ad in the local paper from a breeder in Naples, FL (two hours south of Tampa, which is where I live) and contacted her. A few email exchanges later, I was driving to Naples to get my new dog. Cha Cha — or Baby, as she was known at the time — was the last of her litter.

When we met, she was outside playing with her mom. Although she was sold to me as a purebred Yorkshire Terrier, I still think she’s mixed with another breed. She’s only 7 pounds, but when we encounter other Yorkies, she’s always the larger dog. Her snout and legs are longer than purebred Yorkies, and her tail isn’t clipped. But, she’s adorable. I signed the paperwork and talked with the breeder for a while, then it was back in the car to Tampa. I was nervous…Cha Cha was nervous…but I was excited. I finally had my dog!

The first few weeks were difficult. I had never owned a pet before, nevermind a dog, and didn’t realize the amount of work it takes to get them trained. We immediately enrolled in puppy obedience classes at PetCo, which helped to an extent. Had I been consistent with the training, she’d be a rockstar right now. It’s all my fault.

Cha Cha is a well-behaved dog. She loves attention, she loves to hide her treats to find later, rarely barks and she loves carpet. She claws at it, pees on it…she loves carpet.

Right now, our largest challenge/triumph is housebreaking. I recently moved, and my new home has been much more accommodating to housebreaking than my previous apartment (no stairs to climb, for one). I also pushed my guilt out of the way and began crate-training her…which is a completely separate post.

Stay tuned as I share more of the day-to-day fun with Cha Cha. Next up: The joys and guilt of crate training!