The day before Reading was hit with more than eighteen-inches of snow, Syrus was acting a little strange. He seemed to be favoring one of his hind legs, at the time I simply thought he must have slept on it improperly and it fell asleep.

After his morning outing, he came into the house walking on three-legs. The hind leg he was favoring was now tucked up under him and he was not using it to walk. I was not fond of the idea of taking Syrus to the Vet, the reason being I was not happy with the level of care he received at this particular office. While in work, my wife spoke with a friend of hers and got a recommendation for another animal hospital.

Later that evening my wife called the Veterinarian and made an appointment for them to see Syrus and take a look at his leg. My wife and I were under the impression Syrus must have pulled a muscle and the technician on the phone agreed with this assessment.

The following evening we were scheduled to take Syrus over to the Vet’s office but had to reschedule due to a tremendous amount of snow and made plans to visit the office the following Monday. As the appointment grew nearer, Syrus was getting better. Over the course of a few days he began using his hind leg part of the time, and before long was running around as if nothing was wrong.

When Monday rolled around, Syrus was running and playing as normal but wouldn’t sit on his hind leg. He would sort of drop down onto his butt then lean heavily in on direction, almost as if he was lounging rather than sitting. This was unlike him, so we took him in to the see the Vet as planned.

After a miserable experience with out previous Veterinarian, I didn’t have high hopes for the visit going all that well. The same stigma that follows Syrus’ breed apparently wasn’t halted at the door of his previous Veterinarian, so my wife and I expected the same sort of smug attitude with this new care-giver.

Amazingly, we were completely wrong. From the moment we walked into the waiting room, the receptionist was kind and praised Syrus the instant she laid eyes on him. Before long a second receptionist was leaning over the counter to pet and praise Syrus. A few minutes later we were making our way back into the exam rooms. The whole way back our technician was playful with Syrus and made not only him, but my wife and I, very comfortable.

When we got into the exam room, the technician was on the floor patting and praising Syrus. After a little play and a quick pre-exam, she had all the information needed to present to the doctor. A few minutes later the Veterinarian entered the room and once again I was surprised by how kind he was. Before the exam, he was down on the floor scratching and patting Syrus to make him comfortable.

Before leaving the office, the technician informed us that Syrus had a bit of a temperature. This information, paired with the problem with Syrus’ leg lead the doctor to suspect he may have Lyme Disease. Before the blood test was to be performed, the Veterinarian checked out our pups leg to ensure that he had full range of motion and wasn’t favoring one leg over the other. It turns out that Syrus’ had a slight problem with his range of motion in his one hind leg and was putting more weight on his good leg.

After the exam, the doctor left us and called on the technician to draw some blood and test for Lyme Disease. Despite Syrus’ playful nature, he remained still enough to allow the technicians to draw the required amount of blood. While taking her sample, the technician made mention that Syrus couldn’t have scored any higher for his ability to give blood. Our pooch didn’t even seem to notice that there was a needle in his leg.

After the blood was drawn, the technicians left us to wait while they tested the sample for Lyme. Syrus seemed bummed out that his new friends left him and he was moping around the exam room and whining quietly. After about ten minutes we were joined once again by the doctor.

We were informed that Syrus’ tested positive for Lyme Disease and that it was definitely the cause for his limp. It would seem that one of the symptoms of Lyme is a lame leg in addition to running a fever. The doctor gave us an antibiotic for treat the Lyme, pain medication to make Syrus more comfortable and reduce his fever, and a specimen cup for me to somehow collect a urine sample to be tested for full kidney function.

After paying for treatment, my wife and I headed home. With Syrus sleeping in the back seat, we got to talking about our visit. We agreed that this Animal Hospital was the one for us and our previous care-giver was no longer going to see Syrus. Everyone from the receptionist, to the technicians, to the veterinarian, was kind and made sure that Syrus was comfortable and happy.

We have a follow up appointment scheduled to check the progress of the antibiotics and see how Syrus is doing. After our first visit I no longer have doubts about it being a miserable experience and look forward to checking on Syrus’ progress.

If you ever find yourself in the Reading Area and need to have you animal checked out, I would highly recommend giving Willow Creek Animal Hospital a try. We were thrilled with the level of service provided to us and our pooch.

Post from: Walt in PA

Syrus gets a new Veterinarian

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While this is all going on, we generally let Syrus out into the yard one last time before we settle down for the night. At some point during the routine, Syrus is let in and he becomes a shadow at our feet. He knows that bed time is near and that he can’t enter the bedroom without our permission. So, he follows us around knowing that one of us will eventually make our way to bed mere minutes ahead of the other.

After getting green light to enter the bedroom, Syrus bolts for the bed. He will jump up onto the bed and lay down near the foot. He will stay there, eyes and ears alert until the other one of us comes to bed. Once that happens, he usually picks a spot on top of the covers, at the foot, to go to sleep.

I’ve said before that I have a very clingy Pit Bull. Even at the foot of the bed, Syrus isn’t happy unless he is laying against my wife, or me. Throughout the night, Syrus creeps up towards the head of the bed. On occasion, I’ve woken up to him adjusting himself in his sleep while nuzzling up firmly against my back. Depending on how irritable I am from being woken up by a tossing and turning dog, I’ll either let him be or wake him up to be sent back down to the foot of the bed.

A few weeks ago I had a similar experience, although when I awoke, all I could do was laugh. After having gone to bed with Syrus planted firmly against the back of my legs, I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of snoring. The snoring isn’t unusual, but it was a little louder than usual.

In my sleep I seemingly rolled onto my left side and had my left arm out in front of me, at a ninety-degree angle. My right arm was on my right side. With my eyes half open, in a not completely coherent state, I felt something on my arm. I felt hair, which was far too short and wiry to belong to my wife. As I began to realize that it must be Syrus laying on my arm, my attention was drawn back to the snoring.

The surprisingly loud snoring had me thinking about waking Syrus up. From time to time he sleeps on his back with all four paws up in the air. In this position he tends to make a racket for such a small animal. Just as I was about to shake off the thought and go back to sleep, I felt warm air on my neck.

Still in a not-completely-coherent state, I wasn’t able to put everything together. I closed my eyes the rest of the way and tried to go back to sleep when it hit me. My eyes popped open and I moved my head so that I could focus on what was going on.

Not three inches in front of my face, clear as a bell, was the head of my sleeping Pit Bull. In the night he must have creeped up towards the head of the bed and made it further than usual without waking someone up. He found my arm sticking out and thought it would make for a good pillow.

Here I am, in the middle of the night, jarred from my slumber to find my dog sleeping next to me with his head on my bicep. We are face to face, mere inches apart, so it is no wonder why the snoring seemed louder than usual.

Dumbfounded, I pulled my arm out from under Syrus’ head. As I did, I jarred him from his peaceful sleep. For a brief moment we both did nothing but look at the other with a dumbfounded look on our faces (Pit Bulls make some hysterical facial expressions). As if to break the tension, Syrus gave me a quick lick on the chin before noisily rolling over and nuzzling up against my wife. I took Syrus’ lead and rolled over to go back to sleep. As I laid there thinking about the events that unfolded just a minute ago, all I go do was laugh before drifting away.

Under normal circumstances, I would have sent Syrus back to the foot of the bed. Because all I could manage to do was laugh, and he didn’t seem to be bothering my wife, I let him be. I find it amazing how our dog always has this urge to be with us. It is as if just being close isn’t enough, he wants to be right there in the thick of things. Even during odd jobs around the house, he would rather follow you around to watch what you were doing rather than find a nice warm spot to curl up and sleep.

While the cuddly, always need to be around you, personality of Syrus is really cool at times, we definitely need to nix it when it comes to bed time. I don’t mind him sleeping at the foot of the bed but I’m not fond of him encroaching on personal space while my wife and I sleep.

Post from: Walt in PA

Woke up to Syrus using my arm for a pillow

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Pit Bulls are a very special breed of dog. They get a very bad rap, which in many cases they do not deserve. This post is not meant to change your opinion on the breed, but to point out a personality quirk of my own dog Syrus.

When my wife and I adopted Syrus, we began doing a lot of research on the breed. One of the many things we learned was that Pit Bulls are very loyal to their owners. In fact, I read one opinion piece that I found rather striking. It went on to say that the Pit Bull breed isn’t the type that will pull you from a burning building, instead it will curl up on your lap and stay with you until the bitter end.

It is this personality trait in my dog that is both awesome and annoying at times. You see, Syrus can be extremely clingy. Have you ever had a child climb up in your lap, wrap their arms around your neck and hold on? Its nice right, getting that loving hug from a child. Now have you ever had that same child not know when enough is enough and not let go. The embrace has gone on too long and you just want space, which the child isn’t willing to give.

Syrus can be very much the same way. My wife and I set boundaries for our dog. He is only allowed to freely climb up on one piece of furniture within the living room, and that is an old chair that neither of us use. He may come up on the sofa, but only if invited. Any other time he tries to come on up, we tell him “off” and we do not back down just because he looks cute.

On those occasions where we let him up onto the sofa with us, or sit on the floor, Syrus likes to climb into your lap. At roughly fifty-pounds, he isn’t what I would consider a lap dog. Sitting next to you is not good enough for him and he feels the need to be sitting on you. Next thing he will do, if you allow it, is he will place his head on your shoulder or place it against your face.

Sounds kind of sweet right? It is at first, but it doesn’t take long to get old. Because he is primarily American Pit Bull Terrier, he has a relatively small body size with a lot of muscle structure. The muscles are what make him so heavy and solid. While fifty-pounds may not seem like much, when it drops into your lap in the form of a relatively small frame, it isn’t very comfortable.

The amazing thing is that if you don’t move Syrus from your lap, he will just stay there. It is pure unconditional love from an animal that seems as though he wants nothing more than to just cuddle up with his owners.

The photo at the head of this post was taken on November 7th, 2009. I came home from a long day at work and was checking my blackberry while sitting on the sofa. Syrus was sitting at my feet staring at me, as if waiting for me to tell him to come on up. I told him it was okay and in no time he was on my lap. I reached out and snapped the photo with my phone, which is a pretty good example of how he likes to sit with my wife and I.

Post from: Walt in PA

My Clingy Pit Bull

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Instead of forcing a review, I fired up the camera and went with a Shooting The Breeze format. I decided to simply shoot from the hip and talk about whatever came to mind. The topic that came to mind, and wound up lasting twenty minutes, was more on my pup Syrus.

Post from: Walt in PA

Shooting The Breeze: More Dog Talk

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Today I went to visit my Mother for Mothers Day and decided to bring Syrus along to meet my nieces and nephews. While visiting I was able to see first hand the difference between a dog with zero obedience training and Syrus with four weeks worth. The difference was incredible and I can’t express how proud I was of Syrus when he responded to practically every command I gave him during our visit.

Post from: Walt in PA

Shooting The Breeze: Dog Training Progression

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Another dog training week has come and gone, but this time the weather was actually pleasant! After an orientation with snow flurries, a week of rain and mud, and a thunderstorm which canceled a class, I was loosing hope in actually having a nice night to train the pup. After a ridiculously hot April day reaching 91 degrees, temperatures dropped towards the evening and made for a nice night.

Week three of training started off like any other week, I arrived early with Syrus and we took a walk to allow him to take in all of the smells in the grass. As time passed, more dogs arrived and Syrus was hardly vocal at all and seemed to be getting used to being around other dogs.

We worked on longer heeling patterns as well as Sit, Down, and Stay. Syrus did very well with everything except heeling while walking. I am struggling with getting him to pay attention to me and not sniffing the grass as we walk along. This makes it extremely difficult to change direction as we walk without him hitting the end of the leash and being forced to move back into the heel position.

Post from: Walt in PA

Shooting The Breeze: Dog Training Week 3

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At 6:00 PM my wife and I packed up the car and headed out to class. As we drove down the highway, the skies to the west (where we were headed) were dark gray with random beams of sunshine punching through. Those beams of sunshine quickly disappeared as we got closer to class.

When we arrived, the skies were gray but the temperature wasn’t bad. I got out of the car and took Syrus for a little walk around the field to get warmed up. Before long the wind began to pick up and the temperature dropped. I threw on a sweatshirt over my t-shirt and continued right along.

A few minutes later a few random raindrops began to fall, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped a little more. I headed back to my car and put on my jacket to keep relatively dry and warm. After class got underway, the rain steadily increased.

About a half hour into our one hour session, lightning began to illuminate the sky and thunder spooked the dogs. Syrus was so shook up that he refused to take food or listen to any commands given. Seeing all of the dogs reactions, the instructor told us to go home and that we would simply make up a half hour next week.

So far classes have looked like this:

• Orientation (Tuesday) – Snow Flurries & Windy
• Week 1 Class (Tuesday) – Rainy and cold
• Week 2 Class (Tuesday) – Thunderstorm, class ended early

Post from: Walt in PA

Shooting The Breeze: Dog Training Week 2

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Just a few minutes before writing this post, I walked through my front door with Syrus. Our first Dog Training class was complete and I couldn’t be happier with the little guy. We had a couple of stressful moments but in the end it exceeded my expectations.

Just like kid on his first day if high school, I had a couple of butterflies in my stomach as we approached zero-hour. After the reaction Syrus gave other dogs during his first vet visit, I didn’t have high hopes for him behaving during class.

An hour before class was to start, I packed up our stuff and my wife and I headed out to class. We got there about a half-hour early so that Syrus could get comfortable with the field and do all his sniffing and investigating before class started. We were one of the first people to arrive so we have a large portion of the field to walk Syrus in.

As more people showed up, things began getting a little closer and Syrus was becoming more vocal and excited with the other dogs. On a few occasions he thrashed his body around and made a horrible howling/barking/screaming sort of noise but was easy to get under control.

When the trainer arrived we all needed to get closer together so that we could hear him speak. Before getting into the group, Syrus seemed to have an issue with this very large dog that was being walked near us. This dogs name was Thor and he looked to be some sort of Saint Bernard mix (read: 100+ pounds heavier than Syrus).

When it was time to get together, Syrus and Thor were about 8 feet apart. This immediately sent Syrus into one of his barking/shreaking frenzies. Out of courtesy, I pulled Syrus aside and set myself apart from the group. I moved far enough away that Syrus was no longer reactive (~20 feet). The trainer thanked me for being courteous but asked that I move back to where I was initially. He explained that Syrus was part of the group and that he would have to get used to being in such close quarters with another animal.

When the class got underway, Syrus paid little attention to Thor and was hardly vocal at all. He would occasionally whine and throw out a random bark but was otherwise very relaxed. We worked on learning the heel position and getting the dog to move into it. We also did a little work on walking with our dogs and getting them to pay attention to where we stopped and having them move into the heel position from there.

After the class was complete the trainer complimented us on all of our dogs. He went on to say that the first class went better than he expected. All of the dogs responded very well to treats and there wasn’t a single incident where a dog acted out and became difficult to control.

While waiting for the trainer after class, I spoke briefly with his assistant. She complimented me on Syrus’ attention. It seems that while my eyes were on the Trainer, while he talked, Syrus repeatedly looked up at me for direction. I didn’t realize he was doing it and was thrilled to hear about it.

With week one in the books, and some homework to work on, I’m excited to get started with week two. I’m sure Syrus will become more relaxed as we progress and things will get even easier as we go.

Post from: Walt in PA

First Dog Traininig Class in the Books

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This post comes a little later than usual. After a long day of yard work yesterday, and an unexpected visit, I just didn’t feel like writing up something before calling it a night. The topic I wanted to touch on was Dog Training Classes.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but Syrus is scheduled to attend his very first formal obedience training class tonight. This class consists of about 10 other dogs and two instructors. They are essentially training us how to train our dogs.

At orientation day last week (without dogs), we were informed that it is an hour long session that is held outdoors (rain or shine). Classes run for 8 weeks and are supposed to teach us how to train our dogs to follow standard commands, such as, Sit, Stay, Down, Heel, and how to properly walk on a leash.

I spoke with my designated instructor last night (there are about 10 spread between 5 groups). He seems like a very capable guy with impressive dogs (pair of Golden Retrievers). After informing him of Syrus’ potential dog aggressive streak, he did not seem concerned at all.

I’ll have my wife bring along her camera as well as my Flip Mino and try and put together an update of the first class tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Post from: Walt in PA

Training Starts Tonight

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It seems that this toy didn’t stand a chance against a dog that is hard on toys. On Saturday night I looked over at Syrus and saw him on the floor with a small ball in his mouth. Upon closer inspection I found it to be the same ball that was inside the Kong Wubba Toy.

A very short distance from where he was laying I found the mutilated Kong Wubba. Its a shame because I thought that this toy was a winner, guess I’ll have to go back to looking for something a little more durable. He sure did love it while it lasted though.

Post from: Walt in PA

R.I.P. Kong Wubba

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Last week I made an entry on how I made a Flirt Pole for Syrus. Whenever the weather is nice, and my lawn isn’t muddy from rain, I take Syrus out for a good 15 minute session with his Flirt Pole. Surprisingly enough, this short session is generally jam-packed with lots of sprinting and diving. This short session tires him out and leaves him panting and ready for a big drink of water.

After a drink and a short break, Syrus is ready to go for another round. Sometime I’ll give it another go and sometimes I’ll skip a second session. I do this so that we always end the session on my terms and without him getting bored. Structuring play in this way seems to keep him much more responsive and obedient when I give him the occasional command to sit or come to me.

Post from: Walt in PA

Syrus and his Flirt Pole

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The time spent with the vet went just fine. Syrus received a clean bill of health and is expected to peak at about 50 pounds. Before seeing the vet, however, things were not so honkey dorey. Upon entering the waiting room, Syrus laid eyes on an older Black Lab and immediately started growling and barking. Being visibly shaken up, I took him over to the far end of the waiting room and sat down.

Syrus continued to make all kinds of noise and made numerous attempts at getting away from me. Eventually the mature Black Lab was taken into the back to see the vet and Syrus calmed down. At this time another dog came in which sent him into another frenzy. Same as with the Lab, once the dog was out for the room Syrus was calm and playful with the staff.

This intense behavior went on for a series of three dogs before Syrus had to be physically picked up and carried into the doctors office. Once away from the other animals he was cool once again. We explained to the vet that my wife and I had signed Syrus up for a group obedience class and we were concerned with him acting the same way towards dogs in the class.

The vet recommended that we get in touch with the class instructor and inform them of how Syrus behaved and see if they still felt comfortable with him in a group setting. Having spoken with the instructor leading up to the class via email, contacting them was easy. The following day I received a response that it sounded as if Syrus was being reactive towards the other dogs and not aggressive. However, there is no way to know without seeing it first hand. The verdict was that they would like Syrus to attend the class and feel that they are capable of working with his behavior due to his age (8 months).

So now that you know the back story, your probably wondering where this Chihuahua Scare came from? Well that was an incident that happened about two hours ago and had me very concerned. A few minutes prior to the incident my wife asked me to carry a load of stuff down to her car for her. Before doing so, I put Syrus out on his leader, I planned on staying outside with him after loading up the car.

About fifteen feet before I hit the sidewalk, I see one of the neighbor kids from down the street. Walking nonchalantly in front of him was the families pet Chihuahua. This dog and I have met before, I would sometimes be growled and barked at as I made my way to my car at 5:30 AM. It seems this pet is allowed out among the neighborhood unleashed from time to time.

This Chihuahua generally doesn’t bother with my yard, but today it decided that it was going to take off and adventure around. As soon as he went into my yard I stopped dead in my tracks and told the boy to please get a hold of his dog as I have one of my own up towards the house.

I received a bit of a blank stare before he called for the dog and it bolted. I dropped my wifes things and sprinted up the hill towards my house. I yelled back at the kid that he needed to get up here and get this dog (which he did not attempt to do). The first thought that entered my mind was that Syrus was going to maul this tiny dog due to his behavior at the vets office.

Before I knew it the two dogs were nose to nose, a split second later and Syrus had this Chihuahua on its back and buried his nose into its chest and face to get a good sniff. I stopped running changed my pace to a walk while calmly telling Syrus “Be Nice”. He lifted his head to look at me and the Chihuahua took off back down the hill.

It ran down the lawn, did a lap around the child and made a b-line righ back up towards Syrus. After a minute of herding the Chihuahua back down my lawn, the kid picked it up and began walking home. He didn’t get too far before my wife began informing him that the event scared the hell out of both of us and asked that he get a leash and use it.

After the car was loaded up, I kissed my wife goodbye and she went on her way to visit a friend. I walked back up to the house, took a seat on my porch steps and called Syrus over. I gave him a pat on the head and thanked him for not swallowing that tiny dog whole, although I’m sure he had no idea what I was saying.

In the end, my wife and I walked away with an adrenaline rush, Syrus met a new dog (although not how I would have liked it to happen) and the Chihuahua went home without a scratch on him.

How does your pooch react
to meeting other dogs?

Post from: Walt in PA

The Chihuahua Scare

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Being so impressed with the durability of the Kong Classic, I picked up a Kong Air Dog for Syrus to pounce on outside in the yard. With the very first toss of this tennis ball material covered stick, Syrus went tearing off after it. Within a few minutes, the once squeaking toy, no longer squeaked. Within three days of moderate use, Syrus had the outer skin ripped off of it on one end.

Hoping that this was just a fluke, I picked up another Air Dog. This one squeaked for a couple of days, then went silent. Just like the first, Syrus had the skin torn off in spots within just a few days. With $20.00 invested in two destroyed toys, I did some research on the more rugged toys. The single toy that kept popping up, after the Kong Classic, was a toy called a “Wubba” by Kong dog toys.

This toy is made up of three parts. There is a small ball on the top with a larger squeaking ball below it. Below the balls are a series of straps. The idea is that the pooch can chew on the balls as well as pin it down and tug on the straps.

Having to make a Petsmart run for food, I made a point to pick up a Wubba. I brought it home and handed it to Syrus. At first he had no idea to do with it and carried it into his crate and gently placed it on his bed. I pulled it from the crate and tossed it for him. Syrus ran off to retrieve it, then carefully placed it into his crate once again.

I gave it a little time then sat down with it on the floor. Syrus gently began mouthing it before getting the idea that he could rough it up like his other toys. Before you know it, he was pouncing all over it and generally abusing it. He put a few holes in the straps but otherwise this toy is in great shape compared to his others.

Below is a quick video of Syrus playing with his new toy. Lets hope that this one outlasts his previos toys.

Post from: Walt in PA

Syrus and the Kong Wubba

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On Tuesday my wife and I were scheduled to see a local Vet so that Syrus could get a wellness checkup after adoption. Aside from an incident in the waiting room (which will come in another post), everything went very well. Syrus weighed in at 37 pounds and is in excellent health. He had all of his shots prior to adoption, so this visit was routine.

After the checkup was complete, we had a few questions for the Vet. The major one on our minds was what his professional opinion was on the breed of our pup. Our paperwork states that Syrus is a German Shepherd mix, but no one that has seen Syrus feels that is a correct guess. The Vet informed us that he felt that Syrus was some sort of Pit Bull and German Shepherd Combination (which we expected).

Having learned through my research that bully breeds are very different than other breeds, I immediately hit the web for a forum specific to the breeds tendencies. That night I came across Pit Bull Forum, I registered, posted my introduction, and did some light reading before calling it a night. The following morning I found that the forum was shut down as an April Fools joke and I was forced to find another to further my education.

I quickly found Pit Bull Chat and went through the same registration and introduction process. I spent all of my free time on the forum reading up on the breed when I came across this crazy idea for a dog toy. This toy was called a Flirt Pole. It is essentially a really big cat toy, you know, the thing with the stick and string with a fuzzy thing on the end to whip and around and drive a cat bonkers.

I laughed at it and moved on. Later on during the day I came across a mention of it once again. The poster of this thread went on and on about how much their pup loved it and that they recommended it everyone. Being a little skeptical, I read into it some more. By the time I was finished reading I convinced myself to give it a try.

This toy was simple enough to create that even the novice DIY’er could pull it off. Basically all it called for was a broomstick, a length of rope, and some towels or other item to act as a chew toy. Not having a broomstick handy, I swung into Lowes on my way home from work and put my own twist on the toy.

When it was all said and done, I had a toy that my pup absolutely loves and it only cost me $6.77. If built the same way I made mine, you can add another $12.00 for an over sized Kong toy (I had one handy that was too big for Syrus, we wound up buying him a smaller version shortly after adoption).

Materials List:

• 1 Six foot section of PVC pipe (1″ diameter) – $2.17
• 2 PVC end caps (to fit 1″ PVC pipe) – $1.06
• 1 Length of 1/4 inch Solid Braided Nylon Cord (15 feet long) – $3.15
• 1 XL Kong toy (Had this handy but could be swapped out with a towel) – ~$12.00

Construction:

• Using a 5/16 inch drill bit, drill a hole into the center of each end cap
• Slip nylon cord through end cap and tie a knot
• With a lighter, heat the nylon cord so that it begins to melt and welds the knot together
• Slip cord through PVC pipe and apply end cap (No glue, friction fit only)

• Slip nylon cord through the second end cap and apply
• Pull nylon taught to stretch it, then tie a knot and allow it to spring back against the end cap
• With a lighter, heat the nylon cord so that it begins to melt and welds the knot together
• You should now have a piece of PVC pipe with a cord running through it and end caps firmly in place
• Slip the nylon cord through the XL Kong and tie multiple knots
• With a lighter, heat the nylon cord so that it begins to melt and welds the knots together
• Pull the nylon cord firmly into the Kong (or knot around a towel)

• Toss the toy and watch your dog go after it, when he gets close pull it away and watch him frantically chase after it.

After three fifteen-minute sessions with this new toy, my pup is now sound asleep snoring away. This is the first time since adopting him that he has been this pooped. To my amazement, this activity seems to burn far more energy than an hour long session of playing fetch (and Syrus doesn’t get bored nearly as fast)

Have you created any DIY dog toys
that your pet goes crazy for?

Post from: Walt in PA

Flirt Pole, it just works!

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After a few minutes he is all finished and we head back into the house for a couple of minutes. Once I finish up doing anything that needs done (sorting mail, setting something aside for dinner, etc.), we head right back outside so that the puppy can stretch and burn off some of that energy that built up from simply chewing on a toy while my wife and I were working. A couple of tosses of a toy, some serious sniffing around, and about an hour and a half, we head back inside. The pooch gets fed while I start getting ready for dinner (or while my wife makes dinner).

Once everyone is fed, we head back outside for a business break before taking a walk around the neighborhood. This is the longest part of the day, as Syrus has his nose to the ground sniffing far more often than he has his head up paying attention. There are frequent stops while he tries to inspect a bush or fire hydrant, then we get back to walking again. A mile to mile and a half walk can quickly turn into a hour and half session due to our frequent stops.

From the discussion I had with the kennel coordinator, it seems Syrus and a few other dogs were driven to a park and let loose. I get the impression that they were not taken out for structured walks, thus my pooch has no idea how to walk with me on a lease without sniffing and inspecting anything and everything in sight.

Fortunately, this may come to an end soon enough. Not making any ground teaching Syrus on my own, I’ve signed us up for a Basic Obedience Class at a local Dog Training club. In April I will be attending an orientation (without Syrus) to get briefed on how the class will function. For seven weeks after that, we train for an hour, one day per week in group of twelve to thirteen dogs. Once the weekly training comes to a close, all dog in attendance should be able to Sit, Down, Come, Stay, and Heel.

In addition to formal instruction, we become club members and are given discounts to other programs as well as access to the grounds for additional training on our own. While I don’t expect this class to work miracles, I am looking forward to the things that my wife and I will learn along the way with our new family member.

Post from: Walt in PA

Working with Syrus

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On Saturday I posted that my wife and I had plans on going to a kennel and visiting out potential new family member. After an hour in the car, we arrived a little earlier than expected. We went inside and hung out looking at photos and reading pamphlets until the Kennel Coordinator arrived.

After meeting the Kennel Coordinator, we headed out to a separate building. It seemed that the animals in this building were those that were being introduced to potential owners. We were taken through the building and into the back yard. At this point Syrus was set loose and he tore out after us. Full up puppy energy he leaped into the air and hit me in the chest, falling to the ground in a licking and tail wagging frenzy.

Once the puppy was finished greeting me, it was my wifes turn. She got the same treatment without the leap featuring twenty-five feet of added momentum. Once the greeting was finished he ran off for a lap around the yard before coming back.

At this point we got to talking with the Kennel Coordinator about the puppy. It seems that this animal is fearless and extremely friendly. He has a tendency to mouth your hands, but he is gentle when he does it (that has since changed). We were told that he is approximately six to eight months old and is expected to only get about an inch taller. It is believed that he is German Shepherd Dog with a variety of other mixes.

I wanted a dog that was at least twice his size, but my wife and I took a liking to him. We decided that he was the dog for us. All the necessary forms were signed, a donation was made, and we were on our way home.

We spent the remainder of the day going for a walk and playing in our yard. We learned alot about him and definitely see where we are going to have to work with him to improve some things. In his first day home, he learned how to sit and how to patiently wait for me to throw his toy (now if I could only teach him to let it go).

Post from: Walt in PA

Syrus’ First Day Home

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photo credit: fugzu

Last week I shared with you the progress that my wife and I have made in adopting a dog. Since then I have managed to get a clearer picture of what my home owners insurance guidelines are. Below is the email I received stating that the “no-no breeds” can not be the primary breed of the animal (which is how I came to understand it).

To further clarify:

Our underwriting guidelines dictate that we may not accept new risks
with a dog that is predominantly any of these breeds: Akita, American
Staffordshire Terrier (Pitt Bull), Chow, Presa Canario, Rottweiler,
Shar-pei, Wolf Hybrid. We may also not accept risks for any dog on the
premises that has a previous bite history or displays vicious or
dangerous tendencies.

If we may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
us.

Sincerely,

Customer Service

Over the weekend I explained the situation to a friend of mine that seemed a bit puzzled. He asked me a question that made a lot of sense. “Do you plan on having your dog bite anyone?” When I followed up his question with the word “No” and a puzzled look on my face, he then asked why I was worried about what my insurance company deems as potentially dangerous.

His thought is that this is going to be my dog and if properly trained, the insurance company will never need to be involved, so why concern myself with their policies at any stage of the game? While I understand where he is coming from with this train of though, I’d prefer to keep myself covered in the event of an accident.

Of the breeds listed by my insurance company, the only one I had given any thought to was a Rottweiler, so I’m not overly concerned with having a problem with my home owners insurance, now that I have come to understand that my dog can not exceed 51% of the above listed breeds.

Since last week I have been up to my eyeballs in articles and video. I have read a slew of information on the basics of dog training and how to properly care for a new pet. While this information is widely available for free on the Internet, I’m finding that much of it contradicts many other articles. The video I have found on YouTube can be the same way.

As a result, I’m going to need to swing into my local Barnes & Noble to pick up a book or two written by a professional. I think that should give me a better base to start with. Not knowing for sure what breed we will come home with has made researching difficult. Each breed has different traits and energy levels which makes preparing difficult.

My wife and I submitted an application for adoption to a shelter that is out of county. Of the available pets listed, there were two that grabbed our attention. Reading up on the FAQ of this organization, I can expect to hear back from them in a few days and potentially get an appointment to come down and visit with the animals. If all goes well when meeting the animal (they take to us well), my next update will be loaded with pictures of our new family member.

In the event that the animals are adopted before my wife and I can get a chance to meet them, or they don’t take to us, we will be right back to searching once again. Wish us luck!

Post from: Walt in PA

Another Puppy Update

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photo credit: Zevotron

I wanted to give everyone a little followup after I made mention that my wife and I wanted to adopt a puppy. In order to gain a little more information in regards to the adoption process itself, I fired off an email to my local Humane Society.

After a few days of waiting, I received an email from the Kennel/Rescue Coordinator apologizing for the delay. it seems she was on vacation and emailed me as soon as she returned. The woman I exchanged emails with was very nice and provided me with all of the information I would need. Turns out that it is as simple as visiting the Humane Society with some documentation.

Unfortunately, the Humane Society occasionally receives puppies. They have several young adults (ages 6 months to 1 year), which seems like it may be better for my wife and I. With our new family member needing to spend roughly six hours alone while we both work, the bladder control of an older dog may be to our benefit.

While we had our hopes on getting a puppy, I think we will be just as happy with a young adult. We may visit the Humane Society as early as next week to take a look at what is available and to get the paperwork taken care of ahead of time.

The most frustrating step thus far came today. I was speaking with my father and he informed me that I should contact my home owners insurance company and find out if there are any restricted breeds. I made the call this afternoon and have more questions now than I did before the call.

The person I spoke with rambled off seven “no-no breeds” from a sheet he had in the office but was unable to clarify. Those breeds included Rottweiler, Pitt Bull, Akita, Wolf Hybrid, and two others which are eluding me at the moment. Not having a clue what a wolf hybrid was, I asked the gentleman on the phone if it included something such as a Siberian Husky. His response was that he did not know, he was only reading from the form in the office.

He went on to say that if I would have had one of those breeds at the time I bought the house, the policy would not have been written. Now that it has, I’m told that it would not be void due to these potentially dangerous breeds, but they would not cover any accidents with the dog.

Knowing that this person was unable to help me, I sent an email via the company website for clarification on the breeds. Living near a fairly large city in Pennsylvania, it is extremely difficult to adopt a dog that is not of mixed breed. As a result, I need to know what percentage of said dangerous breed can be in my potential dog before it becomes a problem. Majority of the dogs here are Pitt Bull mixes, which could cause a potential problem. Even though my wife and I were not planning on adopting any of the above mentioned breeds, there is a chance that our dog could have a bit of the breed in them.

On a more positive note, I’ve been checking out all the information I can on training dogs. I came across Dog Whisperer today on television and am amazed by the work that Cesar Millan does with dogs. There was some sort of marathon on today which made for an unproductive day outside of searching out information on dogs.

Not much in terms of a story, or a point really, just wanted to share a little of my dog experience along the way.

Can you recommend a source of information
on dogs and dog training?

Post from: Walt in PA

Puppy Update

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photo credit: kellygifford

Over the past few months my wife and I have talked about possibly adding a puppy to our family. Our talks never developed into much, we had the intention but never set the wheels in motion. Last week my wife and I went to visit a friend of mine in Spring City.

It was the first time I had been to his house in a few months. Since my last visit, he adopted a Black Labrador from a guy in Philadelphia that could no longer care for it. From what I am told, the dog was kept caged in a small apartment for the first 2-3 months of its life. As soon as a suitable adopter was found, the puppy was given a new home. My friend went on tell tell me how the dog, Bruno, went from being terrified of the grass in his back yard, to playing in it for hours at a time.

After playing with the dog for a bit, my wife and I got to talking about adopting one once again. Unlike before, this time we took the next step and did some reading on the adoption process. With a variety of different facilities within driving distance, it has become tough to make a decision on where to start.

We have decided to look into the local Humane Society. Since making the decision, I have sent them an email asking for some additional information on the adoption process itself. I’m looking forward to hearing back from them so that my wife and I can work to get ourselves a new family member.

With any luck, my wife and I will be able to find a Siberian Husky, Black/Chocolate Labrador, or German Sheppard puppy. We are not looking for a purebred, just something with dominant characteristics.

Post from: Walt in PA

Adopting a Puppy

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