White Shepherd Stories

Andiamo and I Went Shopping

I had a few errands to take care of and Andiamo had not been to Home Depot in a while.  I also needed a few things from Petco, which is another of Andi's favorite places to go.  We had fun in Petco and saw a friend, Liz and her husband.  Liz and her Anatolian Shepherd, "Dooley", are in our Saturday classes with Dorothy.   Dooley is the same age as Andi.  He is a lot bigger though.  Andi looks pretty big to me until we get to the class with Dooley. Dooley will probably be around 140 lbs. when he is full grown.  Andi is about 94 now and seems to be sticking at that weight.  

Andi played games (through the glass) with the ferrets.  One of them had a white face and ears, which stood up like Andi's.  It seemed to be more interested in Andi then the other ones were.   Andi also enjoyed the Parakeets.  

When we entered Home Depot, a couple of employees greeted him.  Almost everyone in there knows him and they have watched him grow from a little puppy.  He knows the ones who carry treats and he leans against them and shakes paws with them.  This visit turned out to be pretty exciting.  It was a rainy afternoon and not very busy. So the employees had been decorating for Halloween.  They sure have some amazing creatures.  Many of them have motion sensing and they make sounds and move around. Those are the ones that Andi found to be the most scary.  

He really was interested in all of them.  There was one big tall one that spoke to him.  It was really creepy.  Another one seemed creepy too, but it did not bother him.  It was interesting trying to figure out why some of them were scary to him and others not so much.  

Andi thought this one was very scary:

It was very tall and raised its arms way above it's pumpkin-head.  Andi barked at it several times and some of the employees were enjoying watching him..  Through it all though, he did not back up.  He held his ground between me and whatever horrible creature we encountered.  What a great pup he is!

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This skeleton, dressed in black with chains that rattled when he moved, seemed scary to me, but it did not bother Andi as much as the previous one.  He even agreed to pose for a picture by this one.

 

The smaller ones below, to our left, talked a lot and they bothered Andi a little more. I think maybe because they were closer to his eye level.  He watched a woman in the aisle ahead of us, walking along shaking hands with them. That made them roll their eyes and make strange sounds.

 

In the picture below Andi is stalking them, using our cart as kind of a shield.  I believe the woman had him more worried than the creatures.  She was dressed in dark clothing and because she was human, her movements were even more frightening, as she seemed to be with them. 

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We saw most of the creatures in the halloween section of the store. I realized what a truly brave boy I have. Seventeen months old and he will put himself between me and Zombies!  What a wonderful dog.

We left the halloween department and went on to find the things I needed. After our spooky experience, when Andi saw a few obstacles that he did not recognize, he thought maybe they were monsters. But there was noting that really frightened him. Andi is so good at walking beside the cart now. He has learned "turn" and we are working on left or right. He is a pleasure to shop with now. I find it so interesting to watch his reaction to different people. He sometimes immediately play-bows to some people, wanting to play. Other times he just casually sniffs in their direction. He enjoys meeting people who have dogs at home. He can always tell who they are. He is pretty out-going, probably because he has been going to Home Depot since he was little. Occasionally though, he will see someone he is just not interested in meeting. I always study them and try to understand what causes his unfavorable opinion. They can be male or female, but they are just someone he does not choose to greet.  

On our way out of the store, we had to pass through the halloween section again. One of the employees stopped to talk to us. We were right next to the small zombie type creatures that the woman had been shaking hands with when we came through before. As I was talking with the employee, it gave Andi a chance to really look over the creatures that were face level for him. He had apparently paid attention when he watched the woman shake hands with them. He would put his nose in each hand, whether it was skeleton or something else. He poked slightly to stimulate the motion that it would then make. Sometimes he stepped back slightly, to watch the response, but he did not appear to be very frightened. The one that bothered him the most was one with big red eyeballs that rolled in rather fast circles. He gave it two steps back. He was gradually finding that they were not too scary after all. The last one he was testing, he poked its hand, then went on to nibble at it a little. I decided he was getting a little too familiar with them and we went out to our car. 

Andi almost immediately went to sleep in the passenger seat. What a guy!  We went home and he could hardly wait to get to the house and greet his brothers. I usually open the garage after the gate is shut behind us. Andi likes to race from the gate to the garage as Pirate is coming out to greet us. You would think they had not seen each other for a year, rather than a few hours. I hurry inside to bring Journey out of his gazebo and we walk around the yard a little. We all love the fall, even the rain is usually pleasant here.  Our weather is normally pretty mild. We more often get mist, rather than heavy rain. It is what keeps Washington green. I moved here when I retired, about ten years ago. I have never regretted it. I love country living, small towns, lots of rivers, lakes, mountains, trees and the Pacific coast. It is dog friendly here and I love the green!

After the 4th of July

We made it through another 4th of July "celebration"?  I changed a few things in the way I handled it.  Some things seemed to make it better and some things apparently did nothing to help Pirate.  It is a helpless feeling when all I can really do is help him through the night.  This year I had a helper.  Andiamo was determined to figure out what was wrong with Pirate and to help comfort him.  A beautiful thing to witness.

During the day I did one-on-one training sessions with each dog. Much to the dismay of the two left in the house, we practiced some obedience; some ball retrieving, and a little rally.  Not extremely long sessions because I was afraid the firecrackers would start at any minute.  I could hear a bit of activity from the town below us, but the distant firecrackers did not upset Pirate as much.  He was so happy to show off what he remembered from his rally training.  It was fun and Pirate is very good at it.  He especially loves the "come front" sit, then the "around & heel".  He does it with such flourish and style.  What a dog!  

Andiamo is currently learning all this in his classes with Dorothy.  So he is very up to date on everything.  One thing he needed practice, is retrieving the ball. He is perfectly capable of doing it and when he feels like it he does it quite well.  He is just not a high drive ball player like Pirate.  Andi showed a lot of promise though, when it was just the two of us. His retrieval was flawed by dropping the toy maybe 20 or 30 feet back from me.  So I started placing the treat on the edge of the toy when he brought it to me.  When I had to go get it I just threw it again, no treat.  It did not take long.  He sometimes dropped it, and ran to me.  Then suddenly remembering, he raced back to the toy and brought it to me.  We did well.  Without the distraction of the other dogs, he quickly learned what was expected of him.  

Andiamo doing a nice stay!

Journey is such a wonderful agility dog, he was always too busy with that training.   He is great at some things that he uses in agility. His "stays" are legend.  He is rock solid!  He knows the name of every obstacle.  He is a much better agility dog than I deserve, but some people think that just being out on the course at my age is an accomplishment.  I realized that Journey had not done much obedience since his last obedience class, probably when he was in his first year or two.  Then he was busy with earning his Grand Championship before he turned two.  After that he was busy with agility.  Since he is currently restricted from agility, it was a good opportunity to do some obedience brush-up.  He really enjoyed it and so did I.  We will be doing this more often.  

 

Journey doing one of his wonderful stays, waiting for his cue from me.   

We all came inside just in time for the start of the fireworks.  It has been a long time since I've had a dog that was afraid of fireworks.  Spirit and Quest were not fond of them, but they just ignored them as best they could.  it was not a huge issue with them.  They seemed to become more sound sensitive as they got older.  

Journey is not extremely frightened of them, he seems fairly calm as long as he can sit or lay next to me, he will sleep.  If I leave the room he is right beside me no matter where I go.  Andiamo was not here last year.  Pirate is the one that is most concerned. He usually goes into the shower room and stays except for occasional visits out to see how the rest of us are doing.   Before the noise really got started, a friend called and I was talking with her for quite a while.  She mentioned that I didn't seem as worried about Pirate as last year.  I told her I was trying to minimize  the concern I showed because I did not want to alarm Andiamo. He was already concerned with Pirate.  Pirate was trembling and panting heavily.  He had no interest in games or treats or anything else.  I talked to him as calmly as I could.  I told him I was sorry he was having such a hard time with all the noise.  I told him he did not deserve this to happen to him.  We discussed how much we all love him and that I wished I could make it stop.  He listened, then he went back to the shower room.  

I was still talking with my friend when he came back out to the living room to check on things.  The noise was louder and his attitude was close to panic.  Quite out of character, he stepped up on the couch next to me.  My dogs are not supposed to be on the couch.  I don't let them get on furnishings that I cannot wash. So they can get on the beds, but I am hoping to make the couch last for a longer period of time.  I didn't say anything to him.  Something about the way he did it right in front of me, as if he was letting me know how desparate he was, just made me ignore his transgression. I kept talking with my friend and just casually let my arm down across his shoulders.  I stroked his neck softly and rubbed his ears - all the things that he likes.  I made sure he was not blocked from his escape route to the shower room.  After a while I noticed he was no longer trembling. He was still panting, but his eyes were closed and he almost seemed ready to put his head down.  As time went on I gently picked up his brush and began brushing his coat.  He just seemed to relax with that and I kept it going for a long time.  

Eventually he got off the couch, and he lay down next to Journey.  Andi quickly lay down next to him, on the other side.  Pirate's coat was absolutely gorgeous on the brushed side.  It had been going so well I didn't want to disturb him by having him turn over.  

Pirate is a very high spirited dog.  Nothing he does is really casual.  Rather than just "like" something he finds pleasing, Pirate "LOVES" it.  When he is joyful, it shows in his entire body.  He arches his neck and prances like a stallion.  He loves to be chased and he dares the other guys to try and get things away from him.  Whether he is diving or swimming, or running, he is competitive.  I was a little surprised when Pirate began to fear the fireworks.  It did not surprise me that when this happened, he was intense about it.  His fear began about 3 or 4 years ago.  Maybe it was just that our neighbors across the road began throwing their own huge fireworks shows that have progressed to a near professional level.  Last year he paced so bad, and was so disturbed, I put him on leash and insisted he stay with us.  It didn't really help him.  

I looked at him peacefully sleeping beside his brothers and it was a good feeling.  The fireworks had dwindled to only occasional distant ones.  I said are you guys hungry now?  The other guys jumped up and began to play.  Pirate thought about it for a minute or two and then he was up and prancing around the living room, around the dining table, and into the kitchen.   It was a long overdue dinner but they all three enjoyed every bite.  

Pirate is so full of love.  If he gave kisses we would all have been on overload.  Pi's way of kissing me is to place his muzzle on my hair, just above my forehead. He gives a deep intake of breath and that has always been his way of giving me a kiss. Trust Pirate to have a way all his own.  I am so glad that the 4th is over for another year.  

I don't know if we fixed anything this year.  I don't have any idea if the things we discovered would be helpful for anyone else's dog.  I didn't really plan what happened, I just watched him closely for his response and when what I was doing seemed to help him, I continued.  Since I am able to spend most of my time with my dogs, they have taught me so much ... maybe even more than I have taught them.  I have learned that offering support to another being is not always a matter of coaxing them to do something you decide would be right for them.  Sometimes it is just following them to the shower room and sitting next to them.  It might be that brushing one side of their body to a gleaming sight of beauty and leaving the other side a little unkempt is just being considerate.  Sometimes it is giving them what they need at the time, not necessarily what you think they need.  And sometimes it is looking the other way when your best friend needs a couch to lay on, even if it is off limits.   

 

 

Cinco de Mayo - Andiamo's 1st Birthday

"We are having a Cinco de Mayo Birthday Pool Party!  Hooray!"

A beautiful day - warm and sunny, what else would do but a pool party!   Andi had just started swimming at the end of the season last year.  I wondered if he would feel secure enough to go in this year.  He is gradually edging in, but not quite there yet.  If I went in with him, as is our custom in the beginning, he would be swimming by now.  Unfortunately, the pool is a bit too cold for me.  I like it to be at least 75 degrees.  I am not sure what it is right now, but doubt if it is in the 70's yet.  Our heat source is solar and though we have had a few hot days, we have also had some cool ones.  The pool thermometer is not working so I am not sure what it is right now.  Once it is into the 60's the dogs enjoy it.  

"Not sure if I remember how to do this,  Wish mom would hold me and walk with me in the pool."

They were all having a good time anyway.  Pirate has all kinds of games that he teaches the others.  He seems to just make them up as he goes.  Pirate dives off of most any sides of the pool.  There are a couple places he does not enter from, probably they are slippery spots.  Pi throws whatever toy he is currently playing with, then he dives in to retrieve it.  When he swims to the stairs to get out, Journey or Andi reach in to help him with the toy, and then he comes out on the stairway.  That is the first thing I teach my dogs, is how to get out of the pool themselves.  I start by having them in my arms, I sort of float them off the stairs, and out a ways into the pool.  I then release them and let them swim back to the stairs by themselves.  We gradually increase the distance.  In no time they take off by themselves and do a lap or two of the pool by themselves. It is neat to watch their confidence build and good to know they will not panic.  I need to be certain they know where the stairs are.  

Pirate has decided that the round filter basket covers are the places he wants to leave his toys when not playing with them.  I am guessing here, but I think it may be because when he drops the toy on the cover, it makes a hollow thump sound and gets attention from everyone.  Anyway, he always knows where to look for his toys.  He prefers the one on the north side of the pool.  It is sort of a pool toy landing pad.  Andi observes carefully and I have already seen him attempting to land a few toys there.

Pirate is carefully placing the bumper toy in the middle of the pad. 

Andi is watching.  Then they both look a little concerned that the toy might fall in the water.  

Pirate retrieving his jolly squirrel.

Andi & Journey getting a drink.  

Pirate dropped his bumper toy into the water (accidentally on purpose).  He is still training Journey to go get things on command.  Next I am sure he will be putting Andi in training.

Journey getting the bumper for Pirate.

"I've got it Pirate".

Journey returning toy to Pirate.  Andi and Pirate on deck waiting.  

These games are all figured out by the dogs.  They stay busy playing and sometimes change the rules a little. It seems to be okay if different dogs change the rules slightly.  Pirate is definitely the alpha dog, but it usually seems fine with him if Journey changes the rules a little.  Andi is just a fascinated learner at this point. I love watching them.  It fascinates me how busy they stay, just playing their own games with each other.  I have all kinds of time to take pictures, or even read while I spend time in the pool house with them. This ritual of training new dogs was also the way it went when Journey was a puppy.  Quest was the alpha at that time.  

Andi went outside onto the agility field.  He is watching to see if the others will join him.  

Andi is sitting by me waiting for the other guys to come out and play.

Here they come!

Andi rolling, Journey and Pirate playing with red jolly balls.   

Pirate and Andi playing rough, as Journey watches.  

Pirate likes to wrestle and play wild with Andi.  Journey and Andi are starting to play more like this at times. When we first got Andi, Journey did not seem to be that happy about it.  For a while he did not want Andi to climb on him and was a little grumpy about all the time Pirate spent with Andi. Journey had been the "baby" for five years and it was hard to give up that position. Pirate fussed over Andi so much, and sometimes he discouraged their play by barking at them and coming to me to tattle on them.  It has been my experience that solid lead dogs know what they are doing, often more so than the humans who might consider getting in the middle of it.  I have a few commands that are understood by all.  If someone comes to me for assistance, I use terms like, "easy" or "lighten up", "be nice".  Everyone looks content to obey and all is well.   With all the un-neutered males in our packs, this was all I needed to do to insure there were no squabbles.  We have never had a fight, or even anything close to it.  They immediately lighten up and give each other kisses.   This makes us all very pleased.  

Andiamo, Journey & Pirate.

Andiamo - the 1 year old Birthday boy.

 "Chewy" is busy with the jolly ball.  Pirate will stop him from chewing the handle off if he catches him.    

My favorite little plum tree.   

The handsome Birthday Boy - 1 year old.