Courteous Canine: October 2011

Monday, October 3, 2011

8 Months and Counting!

Kash at 8 Months Old

Every day is so fun with Kash. He's still a teen - don't get me wrong - but rather than be frustrated at the things that he does that may not be ideal, I celebrate the successes and the humor with which he brings to every day! For instance two days ago, he found a toilet paper roll that I (silly hooman) did not put onto the roll right away. It was, in fact, laying on the bottom of three steps that leads to our jacuzzi tub. Being on the floor, and all, it MUST have been a toy! So he grabbed it, and out he comes, jumping all four feet into the air, "shaking it dead", and running from end to end of the room, in glee and SO proud of what he found. Rather than take it away immediately, I watched him play with it for a good five minutes. He had no intentions in shredding it, just in running with it and holding it in his mouth. I laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I did eventually ask him to "Give" and then played a good round of tug with him as a result.

He remains a very social, friendly boy (albeit hormonal, being intact), and enjoys the social contact he gets out and about in public. He attended the PEI Pet Expo with me all weekend (along with the others in the Schnauzer quad!), and while it was quite stimulating for him he did exceptionally well given his current level of emotional development. And he remains intensely devoted to his buddies at home, and you can often find them lounging together or playing somewhere.

He LOVES to learn. He learns at a rate that is controlled only by how much time I can devote to training him. He learns so fast, that I need to keep challenging him in his skills. He is much like Gaci in this regard - with the benefit of having a dog who is happy to show those tricks off in public (in which Gaci is generally more preferential to being a closet-trickster). He has a wide array of things up his sleeve, and that is growing daily with maturity, and when "mom" can find time to teach amidst the crazies that every day brings!

He has a lot of maturing to do yet, before that brain returns permanently from vacay, but I'm going to enter him in his first Rally Trial this fall, and see how he's coming along! I'm only putting him in three out of six - even if he is ready for his Advanced title, I'm in no rush with him! It's always been about the process, not the prizes.

Kash chilling in his "apartment" with Gaci (on top) and Shimmer (on left!). They love their kennels, or in this case, kennel.

Can't believe he's four months shy of the big 1 year! As I keep saying time and time again, I am WILDLY in love with him, each and every day he brings a smile to my face. Looking forward to all that is to come!

Schnauzers on-duty.

My Crew

I share my days with four Mini Schnauzers:

Gaci, my little black spitfire, who is a walking bundle of energy with an attitude bigger than life itself. She has overcome so many issues, but meets every one head on. She is my true heart-dog and has blessed me with so many things. I have her specifically to thank for directing me into my career path.

Shimmer, my sensitive butterfly, who loves nothing more than the simple things in life, from a sunny spot on the floor to dragging her own toys along behind her in play. She emanates joy and has the greatest sense of humor, you can always expect a laugh with her around.

Zipper, my wise old man (as I call him), who really is a dream dog, and one-in-a-million when it comes to stability and relations to the world. He loves children most, and dogs second, but will happily meet anything big or small with friendship - unless of course you are a wild bird (which he has a rather keen interest in as a play/prey item).

And Kash, my newest addition. A Zipper son, born in January 2011, he is proving to be every bit as stable as his dad, with the work ethic and spunk that I was hoping to increase from his dad. He's a bundle of fun, a real comic, and a joy to be around.

So many dogs have blessed my life in the past, and I am thankful to have extended relationships with many others. Every dog I share my life with has left an imprint on my heart, and has taught me some life lesson that can only be learned by living with dogs.

Courteous Canine

This is my small corner of the world in which I can share my life with, and love of, dogs. I made a commitment early in life to try to do the best I can by the animals who I get to spend my days with. Through them I have developed my long-wanted career as a dog trainer to help others build trusting relationships with and to help to better understand their dog.

Here you'll find a variety of topics, ranging from everyday experiences with my own dogs, to my budding business endeavours, to behaviour and training, to inspirational people or ideas who have touched me along the way.