Posts from the ‘Emmett’ category

Mid August: Emmett’s 6 month training progress

Today, Emmett is 6 months old by the calendar and tomorrow: 26 weeks since his birth. And just in case you don’t remember … my birthday is Thursday, August 16. I will (hopefully) celebrate 63 times around the sun :)

Mid August. While not the hottest summer in my Montana experience, this week had its heat challenges. But my window coverings and A/C won!!

That reading was Thursday when Kalispell hit 100F and set a record for the date. The previous record was 99F in 2003. And although the gauge shows 99.3, the temp did rise to 99.5 for a bit before starting to cool about 5:00 p.m. And because of the very low humidity here, plus the longer nights as we are 6 weeks past Summer Solstice … it takes all day to get to the peak and we have enough night time and lower sun angle, that it cools quickly if skies are clear. This week, the smoke prevented the 102-105 forecast but it also kept the nights warmer than forecast.

Still, compared to the mid-west, east and south … the heat here is certainly more manageable. The A/C units I have would not work as well other places. In fact, this year, I wrapped the exhaust hoses in duct wrap. AND, I added extra light/heat blocking on windows. Previous years I could maintain about 20-25 degrees cooler than outside, but WOW -31 degrees cooler = happy, happy Summers fambly!

Double coated Auggie feels the heat outside …

He does not object very much to my keeping him in when it is hot and smoky!

Emmett likes the cool of the house and the extra cool of the fan.

Summer time is the time for taking it easy with an afternoon chew. I had to laugh at Emmett taking his chew to the towel. We’d just come in from a round in the sprinkler. I’d used the towel to dry him off and then dropped it to do something else. When I came back, he was there … all the mess of the chew treat on the towel: Mr. Neat!

Some evenings, the smoke has cleared a bit and the last walk in the woods is beautiful:

And this morning, after a cool front passed through, it is clear and the forecast high is a relatively pleasant 81F.

We had a slow start to Sunday and enjoyed.

Training! We continue and the focus the last 2 weeks has been focus, as in focus on me. And also calm. Emmett is all about action and sometimes more about what he wants than what I want. Hence, working on focus and calm.

My local trainer referred me to Kikopup’s youtube channel. WOW! I have watched many of the videos and also purchased the “Weekly Puppy Insight’s” package. So much good info and ideas as well as step-by-step training.

Kikopup is Emily Larlham. The website and her business is Dogmantics . Her intro video says it all about who she is and how she trains:

One of the videos that I’ve trained from for helping Emmett calm is this “chin rest” video.

The takeaway is that Emily is PASSIONATE about positive reinforcement training aka Clicker Training. If you’ve thought that this method is a gimmick or not effective or ??? please watch at least the 2 videos above. Emily works with Karen Pryor’s philosophy as does my local trainer and also Laurie Luck (Smart Dog University whose videos have helped me also).

AND!!! If Emily and Laurie are not enough … check out this Instagram feed:

https://instagram.com/p/BgbqmYqgzb1/

Mary (17) and Secret (3), her Aussie Shepherd Service Dog for medical alert and Autism. Their relationship as well as what they do together is beyond awesome. Mary trained/trains Secret herself based on positive reinforcement/clicker training.

Mary, Emily, Laurie and my local trainer, Will are incredible resources and inspiration. Emmett and I (and Auggie) are having so much fun as we all work together.

August and Augustus (Auggie!)

August started smoky. Rats.

NOAA says the smoke is from California and Washington fires. There is currently a Montana fire in the Yaak … about 80-90 miles as the smoke blows. So maybe some MT smoke also.

After a week with upper 80’s and 2 days in the low 90’s, a cold front whooshed through. The weekend has been pleasantly cool with very cool nights and we are enjoying as it is forecast to be a week in the 90’s starting Tuesday.

Meanwhile. The tower that I bought for Auggie when I knew I was getting Emmett … it was a bit of a mistake what with the lower height and the steps. It has taken a beating. AND as Auggie has been so stellar re THE PUPPY! and as THE PUPPY has pretty much taken all of Auggie’s toys … AND as there was a sale … a replacement tower of the same brand as the original, bought for Bob about 8 years ago. I have high hopes for a longer duration with this new tower.

Much taller and no steps.

A very fun hanging ball to bat around.

Training is in progress to make the tower an “Emmett-free” zone.

It is a work in progress.

Emmett is now 40 pounds and looking much like a small version of a grown up English Shepherd!

And he LOVES the woods – YEA!

In preparation for the forecast hot and smoky week, the third A/C unit has been put into place.

Auggie’s new perch is high and cool … VERY cool :)

Here we go August!!

Mid July: Auggie, Emmett, CSA Veg and Food, Scenery

This past week, Auggie turned 5 years old !!!

And Emmett turned 5 months old !!!

Emmett and Auggie do a bit better every day and playing not quite so rough. They both know I don’t like the rough stuff. When I walk over to have a few words, they immediately separate with that look of “What, we weren’t doing anything!!”. I stay out of it as long as possible. My primary concern is Emmett’s puppy brain going into overdrive and some accidental injury to Auggie.

Emmett is now 35 pounds and has his permanent teeth. I felt horrible a few days when I saw teeth emerging and his gums were swollen and bleeding – ouch. He didn’t whine, but every once in awhile I saw him kind of working his mouth. I believe they are all in now, thank goodness! And speaking of teeth … I have done “husbandry” training as well. Since I brought Emmett home, I regularly put my fingers along his gums and teeth, play with and clean ears, play with feet and generally put my hands over all of him. All of this to make sure that he is ok with being examined and for me to clean teeth, ears and trim nails … and take his temperature if necessary. He had nails trimmed at the breeders and I’ve been trimming them once a week, I’ve started cleaning his ears and now that he has his permanent teeth I’ll do a brush twice a week. (Auggie gets regular teeth, ear and nail upkeep also as I started when he was a kitten.)

Other training continues well. We are mostly working on all that he already knows – all useful stuff so just continuing to use it during daily life. All of the training has been part of play time all along and the current difference is I very randomly click treat and more often just praise. We mostly walk off leash, but I keep him on leash if we are out when Auggie is and then we practice loose leash walking. All very beginning stuff.

I’ve mentioned it before, but Will (trainer) has also reminded me that Emmett is very young and we are building bond, trust, behavior … over time. This is such a relief to me especially with leash walking and recall. Will told me to continue my turning and running with sing-song noises to distract Emmett from deer vs trying to teach a grown up come when Emmett is not ready and likely to ignore it. We build the recall over time as Emmett grows up.

Another good lesson for me came from Laurie Luck of Smart Dog University: Make your dog training more powerful . The gist is that using management as we train makes the training go faster and also contributes to less unwanted behavior that we later need to correct. An example is: put the shoes away! Teaching a puppy to leave shoes alone is not realistic. BUT, if he can’t get the shoes, he doesn’t learn to like the shoes and we don’t ultimately have to teach “leave shoes alone”. “Leave it” is another of the behaviors that takes some maturity. We are in the beginning stages of “Leave it” and so my management is to put things I want left alone out of Emmett’s reach. My other management is sometimes leashing Emmett in the house. I did this a lot for these past several weeks to allow he and Auggie to be together, but to be able to restrict Emmett from really rough stuff. It has worked much better than trying to step in or keeping them completely separate.

As always, I think I’m learning as much or more than Emmett! Although I still make mistakes and get annoyed with myself, overall, I am so happy with how we are all doing!

Weather wise, it got hot and dry and the local farmers are producing gorgeous vegetables!

The vibrant landscape is going to fade with upper 80 temps, some 90 and no rain … so I’ve been soaking in the color and clear air.

The weekly CSA box is getting better and better. Week 8 I added some extra cauliflower and broccoli…

About half, I roasted and of that 1/4 I ate as a side dish and 3/4 I pureed with tomatoes for a vegetable marinara … well, that’s what I call it. The roast vegetables add a bit of sweetness to the tomato sauce – I love the flavor as a base for soups as well as a pasta sauce.

The remainder of the broccoli and cauliflower, I riced and froze. I use the riced cauliflower in place of rice and the broccoli is great mixed with some grain and parmesan and stir fried.

This salad – an excellent combination that hit the flavor, crunch and fill me up buttons!

Yes. Behemoth 1 in place…

And as the note says, I used the sound dampening quilts instead of adding the bedroom unit. I did put the “boy’s room” unit in place. And since the above photo, I neatened up the look of the quilts by adding a tension rod so they hang behind the curtain.

An added benefit discovered on 4th of July … not only sound dampening, but the quilts made the bedroom much darker. This time of year it does not get dark until after 10 and is getting light again by 5 in the morning. The extra dark helps all of us settle and get to sleep at our normal, early hour.

Oh – Emmett slept through the fireworks. We had some practice with earlies, gun shots and thunder. Sometimes he would stop and look at me. I laughed and gave him a treat and praise and pretty soon he was not paying much attention to any of it. YEA!

Emmett likes to see what’s what … Auggie is unfazed and continues his lunch!

Oh, Emmett :) … fortunately, he does not mind a rinse off. He also likes to be toweled dry and it is giving us practice at feet: 1 at a time. He figured out the routine very quickly.

He also figured out that in front of the fan is a good place to be on a hot day!

This is my favorite scenery photo from the week. It was in my Instagram story and is saved in the highlights along with some other photos from Friday morning on my way to town to get my CSA box. As it gets hotter, I head to town at 6:00 a.m., pick up the box, grocery shop and head for home before it gets hot.

Week 9 CSA.

Auggie stays home and keeps an eye on things there.

Gorgeous sunrise, but the clouds meant that it did not cool Friday night :(

So, a relaxed morning at home vs a trip to the market for extras.

French toast made with my homemade cherry sourdough and topped with fresh sweet cherries made a good breakfast.

Emmett knows how to relax!

Mid July: 5 years for Auggie and 5 months for Emmett … Happy Days!

It won’t always be like this

Over 7 years ago, when I was in the throes of caring for Karl … 8 months of cancer, not cancer, what is it and the last 3 months outside several times in the night … I thought to myself: “it won’t always be like this”.

And in the last year with Bear and particularly, the last 6 months when he needed help getting up and down and all that went with that, I thought to myself: “it won’t always be like this”.

With both Karl and Bear, it was a fear of what I knew was to be the inevitable loss, but also a wondering if I could physically and mentally go the distance. And even in the not wanting the loss of each of them, wanting “normal” life. But I knew “it won’t always be like this” and that helped me continue on caring for and loving them until it was time to let them go.

So, now … a puppy! Such joy, such love, such cuteness. So much heart healing.

So much attention needed!! It is sometimes nearly overwhelming even with all of the tools at my disposal: crate, pen, work from home …

It won’t always be like this. That makes me both glad and sad. Puppy time is so fleeting! If not for the notes I kept when raising Karl, I would have forgotten many puppy details. My vivid memories of life with Karl are of grown up Karl.

I am so thankful I kept notes. I also bought my first digital camera before I even brought Karl home so I have a LOT of photos. And of Bear. And of Bob and Auggie.

But back to Emmett and puppy days.

Monday, it will be twelve weeks since I brought him home. He is a bit over 4.5 months old. He is looking like a small version of the grown up dog and less like a baby dog. Pee and Poop is happening outside and all of the constant watching and dashing outside is done. Oh, there is still a LOT of puppy in him, but he has outgrown 2 collars and 3 harnesses. The nighttime pen barely contains him. The crate that fits in the Jeep is almost too small. His puppy teeth have been replaced by his permanent teeth!!

Gah!! My baby is growing up.

My personal challenge is to enjoy every day and to be the best human I can to my canine and feline companions … to lead and teach and yet allow them to be dog and cat. To look forward to grown up Emmett while enjoying the remaining puppy time.

There are days when I’d like a time out!! I said that today in the grocery … this is smallish town Montana and I’ve shopped the same grocery for 16 years so there are conversations in the checkout … and walking to the car, I thought … if I had a day without Emmett I’d likely miss him so much that I wouldn’t enjoy it.

Puppy days are intense and full and fun and funny. I love it and I am so grateful I get to experience it with Emmett and Auggie. Auggie remains THE MOST TOLERANT cat! He deserves a medal. I use some of Emmett’s crate time to give Auggie some one on one, but still. Auggie has accepted the changes in our lives and routine better than I could have imagined.

I tell Auggie: “It won’t always be like this!”

The other thing that won’t always be like this is the weather. We have had a perfect Spring and early Summer. Rain and sun and mostly moderate temperatures. The local organic farms, including my own CSA farmer have had wonderful growing conditions in spite of snow on the ground longer than normal.

But we are approaching that time when it is likely to suddenly get hot and dry … and maybe smoky from fires.

So, like puppy days, I am enjoying pleasant days while we have them.

It won’t always be like this.

A very good week

It was a good week all around: work, Auggie and Emmett, weather and food. I have zero complaints!

Emmett is 18 weeks old and has been with Auggie and me for 10 weeks – Unbelievable!

We continue to work on less wrestling, more snuggling … a work in progress!

And in other training news, we started attending a training class at a spot not too far away headed by Will and Andrea Brunz. Will is a Karen Pryor Training Camp alumni, does continuing education and referred me to Laurie Luck’s Smart Dog University site. (with the many videos on clicker training). I am incredibly fortunate to have someone of Will’s expertise and experience to guide me in my training of Emmett AND to have great classes so that we also learn to do things at different places and with a variety of distractions.

The first session was too exciting to do much except absorb the smells and sounds. There were 3 other dogs, all over a year old and all large dogs. All well behaved and nice people. Emmett was beside himself wanting to say hello. Much like the video when he watched the deer, he sat with tail wagging and whole body wiggling. As things got going he walked around but was not interested in treats or the click … too much happening and too much to sniff. Toward the end, we were able to do a few things but primarily I was thrilled that he was so confident and interested – no fear or reluctance at the other dogs or the horses.

He barked at the horses and Will showed me a technique to help him learn not to bark at them. As soon as Emmett stopped for an instant to draw breath, click-treat. I.E. reward the cessation of the unwanted behavior. As we continued, the barking slowed and then I was able to get Emmett’s attention and we turned away.

Normal (adversive) training would have me saying “NO!”, and forcibly turning him away. One of the benefits of the positive reinforcement is that there is almost immediate understanding of the desired behavior – stop barking marked by clicker and reinforced by a treat. With the adversive technique, “does she mean don’t look at that thing, don’t bark, turn around ??? – what is No and what is Ok?” Communication is both quieter and succinct with positive reinforcement (operant conditioning). Everyone is happier with everything and we progress faster.

The technique of marking the instant the undesired behavior stopped was a light bulb moment for me. I’d read about shaping behavior but it was like it didn’t click for other things we are working on: jumping up, grabbing clothing, getting too rough with Auggie. So, a new tool in my training tool box. For jumping up, I was standing still and then click/treat when Emmett sat but he was getting the idea that to get a treat, he jumped up and then sat. So, I changed to click/treat in that moment before the jump which in a few uses, stopped the jumping. I will need to keep watching but there is much improvement.

We went to a second class yesterday and because weather was a bit iffy, we were the only ones there. Emmett was excited as soon as I pulled in to park so good memories. He sniffed around, looked at the horses, some boarding dogs in adjacent yards barked and he sat and watched for a bit and then ignored. We were able to go through the things we learned and also start the official “loose leash walking” and prelude to “walk at heel”. Will explained all the steps and it makes so much sense to me. We are at the beginning but Emmett did the first part very well and we will continue practicing that this week.

I can read and watch videos, but there is nothing like having someone observe, correct timing and technique and explain the progression of steps. I am beyond thrilled. Both Emmett and I have fun, learn and come home ready for naps!

Other items:

The CSA vegetable haul keeps getting better:

The weather alternating between warm sunshine and soft rain has provided perfect growing conditions.

The Fuschia agree!

The view from the road home is spectacular.

A very good week.

***In honor of “Father’s Day”, some photos of Emmett’s father: Connor. Connor and Emmett have very similar markings. I think Emmett will be slightly smaller. Connor is 51 pounds. I’m thinking Emmett will land at 45-48 pounds.

Early June: continuing education

This photo …

It was taken at Flathead Pet ER last Sunday. All is well.

Emmett started with diarrhea Sunday morning, which turned into the squirts getting worse and worse and then some blood so off we went. He was not lethargic at all so I suspected something he ate, but I don’t fool with that kind of thing!

Short story is that was the conclusion and meds immediately got things under control. He had a few squirts after we got home but slept through the night and had no issue with light meals of rice, chicken and pumpkin the next day. We continued through the week, gradually reintroducing kibble.

I am so grateful that we have such a nice pet ER. Coincidentally, the ER vet this round was Dr. Becky Jessup, wife of my regular vet Dr. Scott Smiley. She could read his handwritten notes on Emmett’s vaccination and well check exams :)

Emmett was stellar!

Things started a bit rough. I went into the clinic without him – I always do that because especially at the ER, who knows what might be going on. I’m especially thankful for this habit this visit. Because of his age, even with Dr. Smiley’s records … they immediately told me to touch nothing … they needed to rule out Parvo, which is highly contagious. I understood but it disconcerted me to say the least. A tech came to the car, took a swab and said it would be 10-15 min.

Emmett and I sat in the back of the Jeep and watched the comings and goings at the next door Equine Vet Center. He was calm and interested and shortly the tech came out with the negative for Parvo news. Even though I was 99.9% sure that it could not be Parvo, I had one of those delayed reactions so sat and cried a bit, holding Emmett, who licked my face. Gah.

Then … some difficult things for other animals inside. I was so fortunate that a young woman I know, was there with her dog. She’d had to put down the dog’s sister about the time I had to do the same with Bear. We shared the current ER experience and a few tears. Through all this, Emmett was sitting beside me and eventually lay down with his head on my purse … that is the view in the first photo. He mostly relaxed, sat up when people went by but did not seem at all bothered or anxious. We waited nearly an hour to see the vet and all went well with that. We got the news that a normal recovery was expected, got our meds, paid the bill and came home. Total door to door time was 4 hours.

I didn’t work on Monday. So many things from the ER experience were on my mind and I had not slept well even though Emmett and Auggie did! Anyway, took a day.

For training, we continued but no click-treat for several days until I knew things were really stabilized. This was enlightening because I did “good boy” vs treats and good behavior continued. I also used the crate a bit more as well as the bedroom pen for at least 1 daytime nap.

The best training advance this week is the Emmett and Auggie play. It has become calmer and there are many times when they are in the same area or pass by each other with just a nose touch and no wrestling. Great progress and I am so happy about this! I think Auggie would like to snuggle with Emmett, but Emmett is still a bit wiggly if Auggie gets very close. Auggie is persistent, though as in CATS ARE PERSISTENT!! Also, one evening, when Emmett got to the “overtired/rambunctious” stage, Auggie did something, Emmett yelped … so that gave me some extra confidence that Auggie will say “Enough!” when it needs to be said.

So, Onward!!

I am unsure if it is Auggie’s example or just Emmett, but Emmett feels that he should see what is on top of anything he can get to. Currently, I am doing a low key “off” … but, it is so cute I have a difficult time enforcing…

The lupins, the lupins!!!

I get such a kick out of the serious observation from Beardog Point. Emmett sits “at attention” and watches. Maybe Karl and Bear have been/are whispering in his ear about the duties of the dog in the fambly Summers!

CSA Week 4 – such bounty in NW Montana … the FIRST week of June!

And the wildflowers: a double Mariposa Lily

After a week of sunny and warm-hot (HOT to Auggie, Emmett and me!), we had a whooshy, thunderstorm-y cold front on Saturday. We all love the cool down!

Yea.