PeeMail from Heriots

Ok. So I know I'm a puppy. But I wasn't born yesterday. There is something strange about this white dog.

Kathy wrote my breeder

Hi James, 

Sure thing. We spent his first 18 months trying to find food he could tolerate and have firm “output”. We went through a bunch of highly recommended food, including a visit to one vet who insisted we make all his food from scratch.  In the end, it turns out he handles Costco’s Nature’s Choice (Blue bag) Salmon and Sweet Potato the best, with supplements of high quality home cooked meat. Everything else resulted in pudding poop. He eats two cups of kibbles twice a day with meat supplements and treats at bedtime, (tooth cleaning types).  He’s still on his Nu-Vet supplement.  We now have a lovely fenced in backyard romping area, where he galumphs through the ivy with joy, and we are blessed with a private dog park nearby. 

Yogi loves to run hard, loves chasing balls almost every single day of his life. We’ll find out Tuesday how much he now weighs.  Yogi is an incredible athlete. I’ve never seen anything like what he can do in that his reflexes are lightning fast, he leaps through the air, and his agility, oh wow. I’m looking at this rendering of his photo from one of our trainers, and it looks too tall and skinny.  I’ll have more data after he goes for his health certificate to fly on Tuesday.  

Yogi is the same height of the other Rottweilers in his training classes, but his musculature is more defined, (the dude is cut), and he is fast. He’s got a bit of that adolescent Rottweiler bravado going on, and is more than happy to challenge dominance plays.  He doesn’t start it, but makes it clear he could finish it, and we don’t want him going down that path, so when big boys pass by in the dog park,  he has to hold a sit stay, on lead. We are ambassadors of the breed, and we’re not raising him to be a protection dog.  That’s already built into his DNA.  If we need it,  we’ve no doubt he will be equal to the task.  

One of his best friends is a rather enormous English Mastiff, Stella, and he’s utterly smitten with her. They just groove together in class. 

Yogi has a regal demeanor and elegance about him, and people notice that.  Thank-you for pairing us with him. 

Now that I think of it, I have a photo of Yogi’s last canoe training exercise. Perhaps this one will give you a better perspective.  He’s not going to be a gladiator sized Rottweiler.  And that’s ok. 

Service Dog for small group

Steve and Karen agreed to let me come to the Lake Tapps Community Church small group last night wearing my jacket. I feel so needed. Now, I just want to play with my ball.

This was my first time at the Sumner library

We went to Lakeridge Park and then Jim Grasley's class

We stopped at a restaurant and I got a bowl of water with ice

PeeMail to Rodeo from Kathy

Hi Mark,  

We are looking forward to having Yogi train with you again!

Yogi is now 20 months old, and still acts very much like a puppy.  He has earned his AKC Star Puppy certification, and we are preparing for his Canine Good Citizen certification.  Walking through a crowd is the hardest components of that test for him. He’s doing great with his nose noose lead, but we will not be allowed to use that for the test. Sometimes he’s just our goofy, floppy eared moppet. He is a petite Rottweiler.  He runs every day, and is very agile, muscular.  He loves fetching balls, galumphing through the ivy, putting his snout in shrubbery, and alas, sometimes digging. We now have a fenced in yard, so he can run freely both in the yard and at the dog park. He does not understand that roads are dangerous, so we keep him on lead at all times near roads. Yogi resumes dog training this Saturday in Sumner, and trains with someone who studied under Caesar Milan while in Kauai.  We’ve been through her “Bootcamp”, and will continue with her upon our return to Kauai.  She describes Yogi as being a middle of the pack dog.

We would like to have Yogi gain more experience with a stable pack of dogs. He does not mind if I put my hand in his mouth, food dish or water bowl, but he resource guards if another dog tries to drink out of the same water bowl with him.

Our number one training goal is to lessen his reactivity. He barks and growls when anyone comes to the door, barks and growls at all delivery people, sometimes motorcycles, anything with small wheels,  including some baby strollers, bicycles, even a basketball being dribbled. We’ve worked on desensitizing him to skateboards. We don’t know if he was trying to herd them, or what.  When his bark echoes across our little lake, Yogi barks back at his own echo.  He no longer barks at his own reflection in a glass door, and has no reaction to looking at himself in a mirror, and is no longer afraid of our Roomba vacuuming robots.  We think it’s fine if he gives one bark to alert us, but not a full on production. 

Yogi barks at gloves.  If any of us put on gardening gloves, Yogi is up in arms and wants to nip or bark at the gloves.  We have no idea what the association is there. He does not chew shoes, our belongings, never has, but that could be because he has so many toys.  We control his access to them, (a toy box out of of his reach).

He taps on the door with his paw when he needs to go out, or wants back in. 

Yogi knows the command:  “Go to your mat”, and has mats in strategic spots throughout the house. He is allowed to snuggle in our easy chair when invited, but is not allowed on any other furniture in the house.  When we sit outside in the evening, he has his own plastic chaise lounge that he sits on  He likes being with his pack, and essentially follows us around everywhere. When he comes in a dog friendly store with us, we bring a small mat and he knows that’s his spot. We’ll leave a mat with you if you like.

We make Yogi wait at the bottom of the stairs when we go up or at the top when we go down. He knows he must wait, (so he doesn’t bowl us over rocketing up and down stairs).  He still wants to be the line leader wherever we go, so we have to remind him that we go in and of doors first.  He knows that’s the protocol, but being an adolescent Rottweiler, he’ll test that in a heartbeat.

We crate him after a training exercise to let him absorb it.  Yogi likes his large wire “condo”. 

We took him to Leavenworth, WA last weekend for lots of exposure to people, strollers, new sights, sounds, and horse drawn carriages. Stephen was able to desensitize Yogi to horse drawn carriages.  He simply sniffed the air as they went by after getting used to them.  We’ve taken him out in a canoe twice this summer, and he’s getting better at that with each trip.  He’s sitting down in the boat, (most of the time), and watching ducks and geese, but not barking at them. He even jumped off the dock voluntarily. He has his own dog life jacket that doubles as a rain jacket when the flotation is removed. We’ll bring that with us.

Of course Yogi loves food:  2 cups of dry kibbles two times a day.  He has to sit and wait while his meals are prepared and cannot move until he’s released.  He will sit patiently and drool until released. He has a supplement he gets once a day; I’ll leave those with you. He thinks they are treats. We eat before he does while he watches. 

His favorite treats?  Playing ball, and crunching on ice cubes (huge treat for him).  We give him a minty “bone" at bedtime to help clean his teeth.  I stopped brushing his teeth early on, but could probably get away with doing it again if I went and found some more liver flavored dog toothpaste.

I hope this helps!

Aloha, 

Stephen, Kathy and Yogi

Renaissance Faire

Today we hiked around the Bonney Lake Renaissance Faire. I met lots of people and saw a number of dogs. One fair maiden gave me a water bowl with ice in it.

Canoeing

Sit in the boat, sit in the boat, sit in the boat.

Summer, oh summer

Sometimes I think Washington State is the land of endless winter and rain, but it got to be 90 degrees today. Stephen said it felt good to sweat. What is sweat? Anyway, we went to the Banker's Spit dog park twice today, that was fun.

30 days in the hole

I could see it coming. Stephen and Kathy were putting their removable fur in those big black bags. Then they took me to Petsmart and left me. At first I thought I was there for puppy play time, then I realized they weren't coming back.

It is a bit noisy sleeping with the other dogs in cages; was it something I said?

Summertime in Seattle

Today the temperature reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit or about 33 Celsius. What is a Rottweiler to do? We can't sweat so how can we handle the heat. Easy! Jump in the lake, so Kathy and I did. She had me practice retrieving my ball. I don't really like putting my head in the water, but I do like holding my ball in my mouth. Life is a tradeoff.

Later for Hound Around Town we went to the Al Lago patio. Tiare brought be a big bowl of water with ice cubes, yumm.

Wading in Lake Tapps

Friday, the pack decided to declare Pau Hana and we went to the Banker's Spit dog part. After we Played Ball, I cooled off in Lake Tapps, Kathy sat on the shore and Stephen played with his iBone.

Viking park and Hound Around Town

The weather was fantastic today and no self respecting dog would stay inside. So we loaded up the mobile crate and headed to Viking Park. I saw Kyle and Casy; Kyle and Kathy talked while Casy and I romped. She is a pretty skilled ball dog. I told her a little about the Wailua Homesteads Large Dog park and she told me what she has been up to; she likes to hike.

After a good round of ball we got back in the mobile crate and headed for a shopping center to work. We did Hound Around Town from Good Will, past Hungry Dawgs to the Safeway and back. We went into Pet Pro and Kathy and I walked up and down every aisle, (they have some really interesting stuff at dog level). Stephen bought me a Kong and Kong biscuits and when I got off work he gave it to me.

The Virtually Indestructible Ball

Stephen and Kathy were at some video on Snoutbook. Looked fun so I picked up my iBone and ordered one. It got here today, gosh, I lick Amadog Prime.

Banker's Spit Dog Park - Hound Around Sumner - McLenden's

I had a good day. First we went to the Banker's Spit Dog Park. To get in I had to show my membership card. I met Lola there. She was OK until she went postal.

We all walked away and sat by Lake Tapps. I drank from the lake and walked around.

Then we got in the truck and drove to Sumner. I have been there since before Thanksgiving. We parked by Fred Meyer and walked through town.

We passed the tire store.

Then we walked back and took the truck to McLenden's. I was working so I could not accept a dog treat at checkout. But it was still a nice day.

Whoa what a rush

This morning the pack got up real early.  Stephen and I Walked Close around the block. I smelled K13, but Stephen wouldn't let me get close.

Then they put me in my crate and we drove to the airport in Lihue, I had hoped I was going to Bark Bark Backyard, but they turned into the airport. I remember it, this is where I started my Hawaiian vacation. Inside of the airport, I was a good Hound Around Town and sat patiently while they did all my paperwork.

Then I had to get back in my crate and they put me on a cart and took me away from Stephen and Kathy.  I remember a guy writing on a small piece of paper. After that it got dark for a while and the next thing I knew, I was back in my forever home.

Mini and Jim, Jack and Joane

Mini, Rhodesian Ridgeback, brought Jim to the Wailua Homesteads Large Dog Park today. She loves to run, so we chased each other all. Jack, the Australian Shepard is feeling better and he played some too.

When we got home, Stephen rested for a bit and then we walked through town.

La'a Kea

Yesterday, I got to meet La'a Kea at the Wailua Homesteads Large Dog park.

I also did a Hound Around Town walk with Stephen. I jumped up on the counter and Na Na's Hula Skirt decoration came down, so Stephen parked me on the sign while he put it back.

Stephen is doing much better in Hound Around Town walks.

I wear the vest

I am in training. I am not sure what for, but I am sure I am. When we go out on HATs, (Hound Around Town), I put on my vest. Saturday we did a HAT with Stephen and Kathy, but mostly it is Stephen and me.

I did a HAT yesterday and two today. Stephen really goofed when I went potty and now I am starting to pick up sticks again. I know I shouldn't, but they feel so good in my mouth. I do have a question though, why do humans they they are dominant, if they are running around picking up our poopies? Have you ever seen a canine pick up a person poopy? I don't think so. Anyway, I did get a trip to the dog park yesterday and played with Missie.

On the second HAT it rained on us. All the humans were running for cover. Why can't they just shake like a normal canine? Can't they see or smell it coming?

Makenna AKA Mouthy Girl and Pongo

Two of my friends were at the Wailua Homesteads Large Dog Park today. We ran a lot, Mouthy Girl nips when we run.. And I played ball. They love their masters. When one of them left all activity stopped and they stood and watched until he came back. Dogs do that.

I think Kathy might have been unfaithful to me recently. Her clothes smelled like girl dog and when I went for a walk I smelled her on the ground. Hope its not too serious. I would hate to have to get another fur mom.

The long walk and Lala

Yesterday, I was supposed to go to Sunday Strut at Bark Bark BackYard. Stephen drove me there, but then Kathy was not feeling well so he drove me back. While Kathy took a nap, we went on the mother of all Walk Closes. We went past Otsuka's on the bike path, back through Kapaa town and then home to give me some water then we headed South to the river. I stood on the bank and looked at the fish. Then back home.

Today, we went to the Wailua Homesteads dog park. There were no large dogs, but Lala and I did some fence running. When we got home, Stephen and I Walked Close,

Dreams of The Wailua Homesteads Large Dog Park

I have felt a bit better, less on edge, since boot camp at Bark Bark BackYard. Yesterday, I was so pleased at how Kathy is learning to Walk Close me.  We were in perfect harmony, kind of like Jennifer Kolde and her husband ball room dancing.

But today something just is not right. I could almost hear Caesar Milan whispering, "excess energy". When they put me in my crate, which is a lot of the time, I dream of the dog park. Running and jumping and sniffing and catching Ball and sniffing and playing with other dogs.

Sunday Strut

Stephen and Kathy went to church this morning and I spent some time with myself in my crate. Then we got in the truck and headed to Lihue. Hey, I know this place it is the industrial park with Bark Bark BackYard.

This was my first Sunday Strut, so I didn't know what to expect. However there were some cool dogs there Lexi a golden and Mia, who I am guessing is an Australian Shepard, (they didn't let me get close enough to sniff in real life).

First we practiced laying quiet.

We practiced Walk Close, though at Bark Bark, we don't say it, we just do it. Then some crazy stuff. They wanted me to run through a tunnel. No way! Next jump up on a box and sit. No problem. The see saw was a bit whacky, but OK. And hurdles, hey, I am a dog not a horse, but they were actually kind of fun.

Boot camp!

Wow! I just spent a week at Bark Bark BackYard in Boot Camp. It was a good tuneup. And I learned a lot, not just how to exercise on a treadmill. They taught me how to walk Kathy. Stephen was sort of OK, but it was a kind of win ugly experience. But now I can walk either one of them. This is going to be lots of fun.

PeeMail from Raligh of the Novak Pack

Hi Yogi,

My name is Raleigh and my fur mom is a longtime friend of your mom and dad!  Your dad brags all about you; I think you are his pride and joy!

I like to watch TV!  Nature shows, dog movies like Babe, and cartoons get me going.  I don't know what I'm seeing isn't real so I'll scratch the screen, bark, whine, and try to bite what I see.  I got a big laugh when I saw someone teasing a dog with a treat because I tried to snatch it!

Mostly, though I'm spoiled and insist on going to the frozen yogurt store after getting a dog bath in an adjacent store.  It's kinda like getting a treat when you leave the dentist's.  

Well, it's getting to be time go bed - I've got 4 of them.

Love and licks,

Raleigh

Party Animal and First Saturday Kapaa

Thursday, Stephen and Kathy dropped me off for a day at Bark Bark Backyard. Got to meet a few new dogs and people. And, did my first treadmill.

Then we made a quick stop at the Kauai Veterinary Clinic.

Yesterday, no Wailua Homesteads Dog Park? What is up with that? And I can tell something was going on. Stephen and Kathy are moving furniture around, hanging lights, Stephen has his big speaker out on the mid-deck. He just walked in with two huge bags of ice; I love ice, hope he drops some. The canine analyst in my brain is screaming this pattern matches for a party. I got excited, a little too excited. Whoops next thing I know I am in my crate, but it really wasn't that bad, I needed a nap.

About nine, Stephen came to get me. Some of the people had already left, I could smell hints of them, but they're not here. But Millie and George, Cynthia, Kina and Bonnie were there. I greeted them, but my real interest was the bits of food that had been dropped. Judging from the food drop pattern, I would say there were three little girls here earlier.

Today, we all got up early. They took me to the Dog Park before noon. We came back and Walked Close as a pack. Then I took a nap.

After evening kibbles, Stephen brought my lead, we were planning to go to First Night in Kapaa. However, when we got to Kina and Bonnie's house there was a pit bull off lead. Stephen and I crossed the street, but when the pit saw us he came over. Stephen let me go slack on the lead and we smelled each other. He was friendly, no growling. After a while Stephen felt it was time to Walk Close again, but the pit kept coming over. So we stopped for another sniff. The pit came along when we started walking. With the pit all around me it was hard to concentrate on Walk Close and I started to spin up. Then three tourists came by and the lady wanted to meet me, but Stephen and I thought that might not be a good idea. The pit finally moved on and then in the distance we heard a boy with a really high pitched voice screaming Boson, Boson, (could the pit be a mariner?). Stephen asked the boy if he was looking for a dog with a brown and white face and the boy said yes. Stephen pointed out the pit's location. Then the pit ran up to two dogs by their truck and they barked and growled. Then the pit took up with the small brown dog that runs Lihi park. Finally a local guy corralled the pit and gave him to the boy.

I asked Stephen if it would OK to got to First Night some other time. We headed home. I worked on Self Calm and I think I did pretty well, but I was still spun, however, Stephen didn't need to pop my training collar and that is a plus.

Routine

Sunday we went to the dog park right after Stephen and Kathy got back from church. Then when we got home, they left again with several bags. They came back just before sunset smelling like salt water. Wonder what they were doing. Then Stephen and I Walked Close. I did it right and got a whole lamb chew treat.

Monday, we went to the dog park and I was alone most of the time. Then Pongo and Makenna, (us dogs call her Mouthy Girl), showed up. They were really antsy, so we didn't play this time. The Wailua Homesteads Small Dog Park was empty so they went there. We did some fence running. After I rested, Stephen took me to Walk Close. I ran into some challenges, on Moanakai a dog ran out of his house. We considered playing, but he seemed to just want to mark his bushes. I managed to calm back down. A little while later we ran into John N. When Stephen asked me to Sit to Greet, I lost it. I bounced around and tried to bite my lead. Then snap. Stephen popped my lead and that causes my training collar to pinch me. I found a dried toad to put in my mouth, putting things in my mouth helps me calm down.

Today we went to the dog park and I was the only dog. Stephen threw me the ball, but my heart wasn't really into it, I like an audience. Stephen sat on a bench and read a catalog and I walked around sniffing and marking the fence. Then Luke came, he is four and a half, and pretty big. He didn't really want to play so I let him watch me play some Ball. I tell Stephen I am done by not bringing the Ball back. He put my lead on my collar and we went home. We just got back from Walk Close. I found a piece of coconut to put in my mouth and didn't pull on the leash once, it was a quiet peaceful walk.

I suppose it all sounds like a dull routine, but I am comfortable with it. There is one thing that is different. Instead of the truck, a new car was here for three days, I got to ride in the back and feel AC. Then the truck came back and that is nice too.

A perfect weekend until I blew it

We got up Saturday morning, had kibbles for breakfest and then headed to the North Shore Dog Park for Paws on Parade. First I checked in at the membership tent, I am a member.

The event had many dogs, people and booths.

I visited the judges tent, though I was  not competing.

They even had a booth for CPR and first aid for dogs. Stephen is signing up for the class on May 14. What's CPR?

Then we went home because it was raining. I even heard Stephen's trunk switch to 4 Wheel drive, (I am always in 4 Paw drive). So they decided to stop at the Wailua Homesteads Large Dog Park to let me run. I saw Tom and his Brittany.

And also Kai, she is a dog whisperer and her Dobie, Shakira.

It was a perfect weekend till Sunday afternoon. Stephen and Kathy left me alone to go to church. Then they took me to the dog park and left me alone again. When they came back they smelled of Hanalei, they went there without me. But Stephen got the gear to take me on a Walk Close, but I had a puppy surge. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. And so the sunset with 30 minutes of social isolation.

A note from Stephen

Stephen here. Yogi is downstairs, probably visiting Harry and Keely, so I grabbed his iBone to send a quick note into the Dog_o_sphere. The Wailua Homesteads Large Dog Park was empty today and so we threw the ball to Yogi and did some training.

Kathy took one for the team and dropped off the food for the Calvary Chapel Soup Kitchen, so I got to take Yogi on a Walk Close. He did really well. This is the second Walk Close in a row that he handled every distraction perfectly. Walking him used to be almost scary, I never knew what to expect.

We are starting to set our sights on the Canine Good Citizen certification. If we keep working on it, I think will get there.

PeeMail from Mist and Runtie

Hey Yogi. All the pack moms are no where to be found. They took off in a rental car wed night and sent me this picture from Nashville. 

Our dad Nash must be famous to have a ville named after him. 

Mist and Runtie