Archive: April 26, 2022

Blog update 11-22-08

Every few weeks That Mutt will feature a local homeless pet. It’s an idea I haven’t tried before. You can see the current pet Sasha in the upper right hand corner. I’m not sure how often I will choose a new dog to feature. I might just wait until Sasha gets a home. In the meantime, I’ll be writing a few posts about Sasha here and there mostly on Sundays.

I haven’t done very well lately at seeking out guest posts. If you are interested in writing a guest post on anything pet related, just send an email to Lindsay@thatmutt.com.

Ace is imagined above in West Fargo’s Elmwood Park.

What is it about a dog’s “rescue” story?

I wrote about how I volunteered to help walk and socialize two very shy puppies at my local humane society. This brother-and-sister pair was transferred from a shelter in Mississippi to my area along with 13 other dogs. since they are only six months old, I assume they grew up in the shelter system. Regardless, they are extremely shy around new people. They are scared of every little noise, every new thing.

So naturally I feel sorry for the puppies and I want to help them. Out of all the dogs at the shelter, these two stand out to me because they are so fearful. The fact that they are not at all aggressive makes them even more “sweet.” When they are scared, they huddle up in their blankets or flatten to the ground.

What is it about a dog’s rescue story that makes her so attractive? Why does it make many of us feel better to adopt a dog with a sad story vs. a dog who’s had a terrific life? There are plenty of dogs at the shelter who do not have fear issues. There are plenty of dogs who are very friendly and who practically do back flips just to get attention.

Why would I want a little dog who hides in the back of her cage? who is scared to go for walks? who closes her eyes in fear when you reach to put on her leash?

I don’t know.

Probably because I have a deep desire to help animals in need (like many of us). probably because it makes me feel important. probably because it’s a way to help myself.

Do any of you react the same way to the more ‘needy’ dogs?

There is a solid black puppy and a black, brown and white puppy. The black one is the braver of the two. check them out here.

Start the new year with canine agility! (10 photos)

are there any agili-dogs among us?

My lab mix Ace absolutely loves agility. He goes a little nuts! You can see him in the dog agility video in this post where I write about how he gets frustrated easily and barks his head off.

We took agility classes for fun a few years ago, and I highly recommend it once your canine has at least the basic obedience commands down. We never did any competitions, but just taking the classes was a lot of fun. I’ve thought about finding another class to join, but I don’t want my “senior” young boy to get hurt. He’s a little “wild” on the agility course.

Do any of your dogs do agility?

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Send your agili-dog photos to Lindsay@ThatMutt.com.

‘Is He Trained Yet?’ Why I Don’t compare My Puppy to Others

I’ve had my puppy for about three months now, and a common question I hear from mostly pals and family goes like, “Is he trained yet?” Or, “Is he trained?”

Trained at 5 months? A weimaraner?!

I’m not entirely sure what they indicate by the question, so I mean I must ask next time.

Is he potty trained? Yes. Can he walk without pulling? No. Does he jump on people? You bet!

While out and about on walks, random strangers will stop to admire Remy and then say things like, “Have you taken him to training classes?”

They undoubtedly think he needs a lot more training! (Which he undoubtedly does! He’s only 5 months old!)

So I wanted to write this post because I feel like a lot of people have unrealistic expectations for puppies and dogs.

If you’re a new puppy owner you might be feeling a little frustrated because of other people’s unrealistic expectations.

Training takes a long, long, long time. Like, years. and it’s never over.

Let me repeat. training a pet dog takes years!

Some puppies learn faster than others. Some puppies are a lot more challenging. Some mature very slowly. Some have the attention span of a flea. Some are distracted by everything and have a drive to chase or follow their nose.

[quote_right]Some puppies learn faster than others. Some puppies are a lot more challenging. Some mature very slowly.[/quote_right]Some puppy owners don’t have as much time as others, and that’s ok as long as you’re doing what you can or getting the help you need.

Sure, you can swiftly show some puppies to shake or sit in one or two training sessions, but getting him to walk on a loose-leash? Not gonna happen so quickly! Stopping him from bolting when you call him? Not so easy.

Take my puppy, for example.

Remy seems like a very smart dog, and weimaraners are known to be intelligent.

But “smart” doesn’t translate to “easy to train.”

My puppy has a short attention span, he blows me off, gets bored and distracted and he has a strong drive to chase. Oh, someone threw a ball? guess who’s going to neglect me and chase the ball? Oh, there’s a lizard? That’s a lot more crucial than anything else at the moment.

Not only that, but Remy has a lot more energy than a lot of puppies. He has to run and his body is always wiggling.

So needless to say, training a puppy or pet dog is a work in progress. It takes a long, long time and you might not think you’re getting anywhere.

Don’t give up.

If you need some help from a trainer or a group class, get it.

Don’t compare your pup to others.

Make a list of things your puppy does really well (loves all people and dogs, waits patiently for his food, takes treats gently).

Love your puppy, and keep on training.

What training challenges are you facing at the moment?

Related posts:

How long does it take to potty train a puppy?

I feel like I’m doing everything wrong with my puppy!

What do you want your puppy to do?

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