Saturday, March 10, 2012

Sunny Windy Saturday

What a very cool, lovely day....
Winks is starting to protest...just a little...and not to badly...going in his crate at bed time. A cookie get's him down the hall, I will not push him in, but a tad of gentle pressurization is helpful.  I toss the cookie into the crate and he goes in after it.  Not the greatest dog training technique but it works...
"Lady...Jake and Molz get to sleep with their crate doors open..NO FAIR..NO FAIR"
I hear this every night, he barks and whines for a few, maybe five minutes, then off to dreamland and not a peep until morning.  
He is also much more comfortable with Mollie and Jake in the backyard.  The first few days he would go off the deck and do his business then hang-out up on the deck watching the big dogs.  But now he's right out there with them all barking at the fence-line....you should see the three of them.....
"Stay out of our yard you big fat brats"
I usually have no idea who they're barking at, but they all appear to be right on top of it!  As I told all of you at the beginning of the week, Jake was not feeling to well, Hot Spot on his tail had him troubled.  But I am happy to report he is feeling much better and his interaction with Winks has improved greatly.  They are becoming good pals and pack-mates.  Weeeuoooooo 
Last night I was lounging on the love-seat with my head on one arm and my legs out across the width....Jake came up and with his rear at my chest stretched out the length of my body with his head on the other arm.  Winks kept pacing back and forth...he really wanted up there too.  So my little athletic problem solver jumped up over the back of the love-seat....curled up in the bend of my legs...placing his upper body on my legs and his head on Jake's back....I held my breath...Jake picked-up his huge head and looked right at Winks...
"Whatever, you little pip-squeezer dude" Jake sighed and put his head back down
To which Winks replied..."Ya know man I really think you're cool"
All the while Mollie Maie is stretched out across the whole 85" sofa...alone.....
"Lady you look like some kind of ridiculous sandwich" 
I felt like a very privileged, well loved and warm Lady.....
Today we went for our walk, and Winks, Mr. Curious Yellow, continues to try to be good, but I will have to admit, it takes a lot of reminding...tug tug tug, right here...right here....But he get an A+ for trying and his pulling is never really very bad.  Well it's not bad for me, I've been pulled around training some really big dogs!  
Still not one accident in my house, so as Jake would say "The dude is totally trained man"  
Now we would like to share with you all a few videos and pics we took today to show you what you are missing by not adopting a Winks....

First of all....got to love spring, in a yard where big dogs live
"Come on Lady just try to get me"
"Aw man...get ready for some Monkey in the Middle...Dude"
Silly, silly dogs...
It's a Winks Rooolllll
"Come-on a try and get me you two big -ol' hairy beast"
"Get him Molz, Get him"
Attack of the fearless Fluffy Winks
If you don't want to hear the music while you watch
 just scroll up and click the double II on the player 


And here we have three very good, brilliant dogs waiting for a cookie

And this is how a very gentle boy takes a cookie

So thanks for reading and for Thinking Rescue...Fluffy Dog Rescue!
The Lady





   

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Update from the Home Front

Yesterday I was out and about and I took Winks with me.  We went to my friend Wisha's and Winks got to meet her Maltipoo Misha the Rouge Princess and that she is.   Misha is 12 pounds of attitude and it was a buzz to see the two of them together.  Winks did not disappoint, was the perfect house guest with just one slip-up.....he marked the edge of a bed. Now this is something that he hasn't ever done here, and I have a big male dog; maybe he was showing off for Misha.  We got it all cleaned up....and Wisha was very gracious about the whole affair.   
Wisha and I were straightening up some boxes in her basement.  Winks came down with us, Misha will not do the basement stairs...so she just laid at the top and wined.  But Winks was great, found odds and ends to toss around and play with or he would just lay down and watch what we were doing.  This guy can go anywhere and have a good time.
Wisha's yard is not fenced so I had him out on a 15' training leash, I could see the Terrier in him, independent and very interested in smelling everything....remember he is curious yellow!  Didn't listen to "Come Winks"... Pretty good at just blocking that out....


"Lady, there have been deer here recently...chill out"

But when I started walking in the opposite direction he did follow along....I will test this out more at the dog park.  We will go in a week or so, Winks really needs to understand who his pack is before we head out there....68 acres is a big place with a dog that doesn't know or isn't sure who he came to the party with!


Back to our story.....while we where having lunch three young does were wandering around Wisha's yard....Winks and Misha were running from window to window with the cutest barks...then a buck came through...he only had one rack or a rack on one side of his head...very strange.....he snorted and pranced around but those to little dogs where having none of his nonsense and let him know who was large and in-charge of the inside...So Winks is very very brave too.
Once again he was great in the car...he slept all the way there and back!
He continues to amaze me with how very smart he really is....so I took a little movie to show you all....you get to see him SIT for a cookie and we tried to show you his WAIT....but Mollie was a distraction....so the wait was short.   
So there you go....Winks showing off his SIT and his WAIT...

This is why they call me Winks...my hair is always falling over my left eye...
Once again I apologize for the dark spot that is showing up here on his side...really he is all white and a lovely shade of butterscotch....and he loves to back his bottom up on stuff...silly boy.
He is playing with all of the toys we picked-up, they're not as dumb or boring as he first thought...each one is either earless or eyeless but no chewing on anything else.....Cool Man!
Well forever family make sure you have lots of variety of toys and bones around so he will have something to do.  
"Bummer...I dropped that dumb red bear"

Thanks so much for reading and thinking rescue...
The Lady.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Tuesday Afternoon I'm Just Begin To See

Winks personality....
Do you want the good news or the bad news????
Let's start with the bad news....there is much less of it....
Winks likes to tear fabric, he has attempted to rip the mattress cover and blanket that I put down in his crate...
I have marrow bones around here "Sure thanks a bunch Lady I will chew on this for awhile, but it's kinda hard to toss"
I have plastic squeaky toys around here "Like noooooooo thank you they are dumb"
So as a distraction this morning I stuffed one old sock inside another and tied a knot..."Cool Lady, lets see how fast I can shred this"  Twenty minutes and I was getting worried that he would eat it and that could be a problem.
So at lunch I went to Pet-Co and picked up two small stuffed animals with squeakers..."Well, they are kinda boring Lady"
And I picked up a Water Bottle toy...."Cool lets see how long it will take me to shred the ears off the chicken"   Twenty minutes but it's not a sock!
So the bad news is over....Yeah that is it....
Now the good news...
Within 48 hours his has SIT down....loves the Wellness Cookies I have!  He now sits so politely when he hears the lid come off the cookie jar.....What a guy.
Within 48 hours he will SIT AND WAIT for either his food dish or a cookie.  The first night he was here, now that was Sunday....I started Sit and Wait for the food dish....he made every attempt to get past my hand, but sat and waited for a full 2 seconds on his own.  We continued to work on that yesterday, each meal and with cookies on the floor in front of him.  Tonight at dinner I said "Sit...Wait" and he did it for a full 20 second count.  Amazing, he is one brilliantly talented boy.
Within 48 hours he is pretty darn good at WAIT to go out the door.  I decided to have all three "Wait" even at the back door to go outside, I do this with Molz and Jake sometimes as a test...I figured it would help enforce Waiting at the front door before we start a walk....It's working....
Tonight when I was making the crews food I only had to remind him 3 times..."No dogs in the Kitchen"  each time I just pointed and said "Out" and out he went!
One more small piece of bad news...I was taking the food out to the Feral cats at dinner, I had no idea he was right behind me when I opened the front door, wam-bam-boogie, 5 Feral were just too much and he was out the door chasing cats.....for fun....but the good news is he came to me when I called him and the Ferals just ran under the deck!
More good news...told ya there was more good then bad....he is doing so much better on the leash, he is very gentle but his curiosity and his oh too cute strut likes to lead the way.  We are working on this and each walk, two today; just cause it was too beautiful out not too,  and he is getting it...slowly.  He even sat nice and politely when I tied all three to a post in front of the gas station when I went in for a water.  He also was great on STAY AND WAIT when I dropped the leashes to take a photo of the three of them today on walk # 2.
He was a riot when I was out in the yard cleaning up after 3 dogs....ran circles around me...loved it when I would stamp my feet and then chased and raced past Molz...she's not too hot on chasing but loves to bite at Winks as he runs by.
The mud is coming....so tonight we are going to see how the Winks does with a brush...he was pretty confused when I put his paws in a coffee can with soap and water in it, but got the idea and settled into OK for the very first time....I use a bucket for Molz and Jake....it's as tall has his back!


  Waiting at the door for a walk
Not his fault I wasn't fast with a camera
My two Fluffy White Boys...is that a song?
I stepped back to get all three in the photo
Really Cesar...
They did it once...see the orange leash on the ground!
Then they did it again!
Sorry about the dark spot...it's on my lens and I can't get it off...bummer

Good Dogs, Brilliant Dogs, What a Pack!
So there you go forever family this Winks is a real find, smart, cute, silly, good with kids, dogs, cats completely house trained what more could you want!
Thanks for reading and Thinking Rescue 
The Lady

Monday, March 5, 2012

Winks is Curious Yellow

Our first night and full day has been eventful.....
Winks is curious yellow, every square inch of the little house on the prairie has been thoroughly sniffed and examined.....
"What is That"....

I love the way his tail curls over his back....
Every cat has been met, So I says Joe, Joe for short...has been chased.  But this is not to say that Winks chases cats, just that Joe loves to be chased and Winks was more then willing to oblige.  
He went into his crate last night with a few barks and whimpers, but dudes it's a new crate in a new house and he settled down very nicely and sleep through the night.  Yippee Ky Aye....
Jake is not feeling to well, hot spot on the tail...so he is just a little grouchy, but we are all working through that.  Trip to the vet, some shaving on the tail, some antiseptic and we are good to go.   
I would also like to tell you that this darlin' boy loves to cuddle up next to you on the sofa and enjoy an evening of TV and his fur is like petting silk.  Last night while he was cuddled on one side Jake came up and laid across my lap and their heads were touching, so I have every reason to believe we are all in a good place.
Molz and Winks have played chase and race out in the yard and can you get me in the living room, they're fast friends.  
We are working on SIT and he is doing very well with that.  He is leaning that I go out the door first at walk time, and with just a few well placed blocks and the WAIT command he is getting that too.  Tonight while I was making the crew food he leaned the rule, NO DOGS IN THE KITCHEN....wasn't fond of the rule, attempted to break the rule, but a few OUTS....STAY....and this boy got it.  So what I guess I am trying to say is Winks is VERY VERY SMART!   Who-rah!  
"OK...All Right...I'm staying"

On our walk today, after the vet trauma drama, Jake and Molz did their very best to show our Winks the rope....
"Dude, like man the Lady really totally hates dogs that like ya know pull..." Jake informed him  while walking with a nice loose leash....
Mollie added as she followed behind "Yes she really appreciates a nice loose leash...and if you just pay attention...we all get a very good...good dogs... brilliant..in her nice voice...and she won't give you all those quick tugs"
"Listen ya'all I'ma doin' my berry best..but there's just sooooooo much to smell and look...did you see that squirrel...is that a pterodactyl?????" Wink said breathlessly...
"Dude like no...its a Crane...."
And that is how the day went...as I update you Jake is crashed out in his crate...Molz is on the Day-bed and Winks is sleeping at my feet.....
"Good Dogs, Brilliant Dogs"  The Lady whispered.....
Such a sweet face
So there you have it...thanks for Thinking Rescue...and have a really nice night.
The Lady
  

Sunday, March 4, 2012

A Winks and a Prayer

Hello all
We have a Winks here with us and I just wanted to let you all know that he arrived safely...
This is what we know...
He rides great in the car, just sat in the back for a few then fell right to sleep...dream boy.
When Winks and I got to my house I left him in the car while I talked to my neighbors Kara, who is 9 and her Dad, Bill.  They agreed to help me with the introductions to Molz and Jake.
Winks played a little shy...30 seconds...then warmed up to Bill and Kara; they then walked Winks up the street.  I went and got Molz and Jake and we started walking up the road toward them....Winks appeared very interested and Molz and Jake were as calm as you can except when about to meet a new dog....All went great!
Kara, Molz, Jake, Winks and myself proceeded on a 45 min walk around the hood....Good way for all to get to know each other, and a good idea after two days in cars!
Winks pulls somewhat on the leash, but nothing a few tugs on his leash doesn't correct for a few minutes, he will do wonderful with a puppy class and lots of walk...he'll get it!
After the walk we explored the back yard with all the dogs.  I walked the fence line and put a few cinder blocks in some places a dog this short might sneak through!  
Next into the house, I brought Jake in first and wiped those big furry feet, next Winks and he did very well with that,  followed by Molz....she is so polite about waiting to come in don't ya know.  
Jake went to his crate and was not too interested in Winks smelling his very own den.  Winks took the hint and proceeded to check out the house.  He and Molz started a little playing around the living room.  Then Jake came out and all continued very well.
Molz and Jake went outside to lay around the backyard, Winks really preferred to stay in with me.  Sniffing here and there, then having a drink.   Cat Man and Gema watched all of this from the stairs, it's a spiral staircase so it is open with great views.  Cat then came down and met our new friend, it was very calm and uneventful...so yes Winks is good with Cats!
As I type this to all of you Winks is laying in his new crate with door open and very content!  
Winks is cream and butterscotch blend...such beautiful colors, his coat is very very soft, his eyes are a very warm brown and he's about 14" at his shoulder.  He was somewhat freaked by the sound of the type so this is an estimate.  He is so very sweet and laid-back for a guy this young. 
Here are some shots we have taken today....
Just hangin on the sofa....
Got to love this face!
See the butterscotch....
A Winks and a Cat Man!

What a great guy...so forever family if you are out there this is one very cool little dude.
A big Fluffy Dog THANK YOU  to all the helped with the transport...we are all very grateful!
The Lady