Tag: #germanshephards

Posted on in dog training, german shephards, humor

I Smell Like Bacon and Other Dog Realities…

When it is blazing hot we take fun inside. But today we worked. I took the entire day to train one command. My training titles are a tad different from the traditional dog blogs. Why, I am not a trainer, just a GSD mom, who is in over her head. I trained every hour on the hour for ten minutes. My command. Get off my effing lap. Now, she is a jumper, because she is a dog, but she is seventy pounds and my height. It ain’t cute. It was my first order of business and unless super thrilled or overly crazy, she no longer jumps on me as I stroll through my air conditioned sanctuary and our makeshift training grounds. Now, she is not a food girl. But I found her weakness bacon treats. Disgusting. Little tiny preshaped bones, are her version of cavier and because I am cheap and do not want a chubby pup. I break them up to almost a powder form that she licks with delight. I now smell like prefabricated bacon.

We worked from chair to chair in my house. Of course with both pups, because the other one is well a follower, and while he would never jump, he thinks he is working. Not so bright. Loving. But. He enjoys short walks, a bone, and getting brushed. She is killing me. All day she was amazing. I thought I had this off my to do list before school resumes. Nope. At the end of the night, up she came again and this time sat on my lap to watch TV. That little b**** . Literally. I ignored her as the experts say to ignore. I got up (interesting maneuver) and walked away, again the experts wise expertise. I sat in another chair and called her over and I gave her love when all paws were down, if one paw came up for a cute look at me, it was a stern stare, a hand before her face and a NO, a quiet one. This was my call. We did this in every chair with the added bacon. She did not jump. I brought her back to reality and put her to bed. She is truly more tired than I am. She knows she met her match. But she will test again and again and again. Until she gets that it is a hard no, or until I permanently smell like bacon. As for her buddy he got brushed ate a nice rawhide bone and was happy.

Posted on in german shephards

Scheduling A Dog’s Life

Dogs, are like children and German Shepherds, while wonderful, are high maintenance. During our summer training, part of my role, is setting up a fall schedule, for my working days. They are not the walk, eat, sleep type of dogs. So, today after our walks, I finalized the schedule, after including longer walks, puzzels, and two training sessions per day. I am no expert, but finally we only had two larger barking sessions towards the little dogs, and nice inside play with toys instead of biting each others ears. So while tomorrow is another day, going to stick to this schedule. Make tweaks as necessary and get ready for the fall.

The Night Before:

1. Set up dog puzzels and ice blocks

2. Set up my lunch. Yes. Me.

3. Set up protein shake and coffee, still me.

The daily work:

5:00am

1. Walk Coco

5:45am

2. Walk King

6:15am

3. Set up breakfast for dogs and make my coffee and shake for school.

4. Dogs complete puzzels. Takes less than two minutes.

5. We train or “work.” Five to ten minutes.

6:35am

6. Dogs eat breakfast and go out

7:10am

7. Set crate or play area with one indestructible puzzel for each pup.

Leave no later than 715am showered and with makeup.

4:00pm/home

1. Peanut butter mats

2. Train

3. Ride my peloton

5:00pm

1. Set up dinner their dinner

2. Floors

3. Set up morning

5:20pm

1. Eat and play

7:00pm

1. Short walk, dinner for adults, collapse and repeat.

The only way to keep the house intact, dogs loved, and the adults fed is to stay tight on the schedule. One day the list will mellow as they age and while I will be relieved, I will be a bit saddened.

Posted on in family, german shephards, life, sixty

Nothing But Love

There were things I did today. Yes, but there was also alot of nothing. Silence. Occasional thoughts. Not many. Just sitting and watching stupid TV, a summer goal, and live with my thoughts that have been relatively reflective on a life level. Between just normal life, training our furry friends and introducing them into their new lives. I can’t help but think about my former life, as a young mom, and draw comparisons to my current summer life. Schedules, activities, meals, more activities, a ton of no’s, daily teaching, and a car ride or two. I love this summer. Not because it’s our dogs settling into life, but it brings me back to a time where there was a bit of mental nothing on a daily basis, but filled with plenty of activities for others. In that time of my young mom’s life, I got excited when the diaper did not fall off. My current situation of teaching the sit… down…sit…command, with success, was a highpoint of today. It came to me today that this is my final attempt at parenting. Furry. Yes. But parenting. Once in awhile, my real kid might need my advice and he will always have my love and worry, but he does not need what these two need. My furry friends are giving me exactly what I need at sixty. Not much. I got it all, well, not all. But everything necessary. So, these pups are giving me back my simplistic life and tasks from long ago. My days are filled with mental boredom but a complete focus on others, too much TV in the background for noise (drowning out other dogs) and great for breaks during their frequent naptimes. I get my mom life back one more time, and this makes this summer, while not exciting, and filled with trips. It is a walk down memory lane as I look at them and remember that while it is alot of nothing but daily groundhog tasks. It is filled with the unconditional love. This brings back my first set of memories, of pure love and the true importance of the daily mental nothings. While not I.Q. raisers, they are physically and mentally challenging, that simplistically thrill me in a way that brings back the best time in my life.

Posted on in german shephards, life

The Hat

I have never owned a hat and at sixty years old, that is probably odd. I am not a hat person, and the Kentucky Derby is not on my bucket list for this very reason, along with the humidity. My hair swells. Think Monica on the vacation episode. No control. Just additional volume. Alot. But now, I am a German Shephard mom, and their walking needs are about three to four miles a day or more, a hat in Arizona is a necessary new clothing must. If you do not know, it is hotter than hot by 7:00 AM. So, the hat helps, a little. But I still look like an absolute fool. The worst part is the hubs who bought this little heat miracle, laughed the moment he saw it on me. Like out loud in public, to the point that people turned and stared. Probably secretly joined in as well. I am not a hat girl. The next day, after his folly and expense, I tried to get out without wearing my new friend. He reminded me. Yup. He wanted a giggle; I am sure of it. I obliged due to the heat, not his upcoming laughs. I tossed it on like a hat pro, it is a bucket hat, so really this is just much worse, with a tie. Yup. Glancing at my hubs of thirty-five years, I knew what was coming, but secretly hoping that possibly I had become a hat gal overnight. Nope, laughter that he tried to stifle. My eyes rolled and then for him it was over, even the pups gave me a look. But the heat. So, I prevailed, kept the hat on and walked my dogs their miles, still hot. Not me, the physical feeling of hot. But the feeling of sparing myself a bit of UV rays made me feel like I was the winner.

Posted on in dog training, family, german shephards, humor

The Pheromone Decision…

If you scream outside, trust me, no one comes. Even in my sleepy little neighborhood, that is Legislative District friendly. No one comes. Oh, the screaming. A bird in my dogs mouth. Second walk for the day. My Coco was perfect. Onto King. I made the decision to bring on socialization using just grass sniffing. He was fine, not pulling, a dream and suddenly I see feathers. I was not wearing contacts or glasses. Note to self. Big blue feathers. He was thrilled and shoved it my way. So proud. I screamed a sound so panicked and ear piering that he dropped the decapitated bird. We hustled across the street away from the terror. I sat him down and rattled on my thanks but no. We carried on.

Now, my GSD babies are young and we are successfully working on seeing other humans, dogs barking, cars, and garage doors. They are learning life, as until us they had no interaction with anyone but their owners and cows. Yes, cows. yesterday they were so rough in their play, I was worried. So I researched calming behaviors. I found adaptil. It is a naturally calming collar using pheromones. I needed calm as I am the summer trainer and their activity was taking up my day. So, I rushed two to my house. They are on and they are noticeably calmer. Not high, but chill. Oh, pheromones are natural. I highly recommend. Go to the link or Amazon. https://www.adaptil.com/ Get it today.

I love them. But life cannot be stopped because of breaking up spats of play, all day. I do that enough in my day job, middle-school teacher and I feel like my vocabulary has not passed the word “no” in eight weeks. How do I know this. I keep a lesson planner on their every move. A bit OCD. But I want to see the data on their progress. If you nuts or need a reminder you are doing them justice in your training. Grab a journal and write. About them. Everyday. Or just be a normal dog owner and enjoy. My political hubs thinks I am crazy, but I remind him of his profession and suddenly order is restored.

Posted on in dog training, german shephards, humor

Welcome to Doggie Charm School…

Leave it, sit, stay, stay, stay, no…and a finally an occasional good dog. This is my new vocabulary. A chosen one. But words that I am already wanting to expand. Quickly. Coco and King are loved, wanted, but wow…a handful. I blame the small yippie dogs next door to us and the fact that they are allowed to bark all day long. But in reality my pups are just doing their job, too well. They need to quit. Turn in the resignation and spend their days getting spoiled. Breaking their German Shephard bad habits is my task this summer. Some days, I feel like a Master Teacher. But most days, especially today, I am struggling to get a passing grade. Shush, leave it, good dog etc works along with love and treats but they are toddlers mixed with teen brains, so my reputation is high and some days their desire to listen is low.

Their barking is the worst habit. Next up chewing if not monitored, and just overall a level of play that boggles the mind. But my day job is teaching teenagers, so if anyone has the patience, it is me…I think. This morning they wanted to get up before 5 am. Nope. We did go out to create more shit for me to pick up, but back to crates for me to choose their morning walk time. Now this time is akin to a toddler running to the next line at Disneyland, or it was. It took six weeks, but we have a routine with no pulling. No longer do I fly down the street. So, this morning, I will wait. They will wait and perhaps they will learn that I enjoy the light of the day. Or not.

Do I have suggestions? Absolutely not but my new reading genre is self-help for GSD, but if you are reading this and just found a shoe, chair or chairs in tatters. Remember you are not alone. Just stay patient, calm, and take it one day at a time. There should be a group for this…Hi, my name is Tracy, I have two GSD and no patio furniture…insert no judgement and other stories with a prayer to not find disaster awaiting you during your escape. It would fill.

***Please note, my reference to a dog discussion (self-help) group does not make light of sobriety groups. They save lives. I know that, first hand.***