Nov 11, 2005 -- Training Continues

Cry cry cry...
*conk*
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

This is the essence of crate training.


After a couple days of warming Jewel up to the crate by keeping her food and water bowls in there and wednesday's 15 min treat funhouse: we put her bed in there and she slept in it with the door open last night.

I've closed her in there for her morning nap, she played for a while then started throwing a fit before conking out. I'm making blueberry muffins to take to
Daddy's office on our way to the vet, so I'm back and forth into the kitchen, and she screams everytime I get up off the couch.

I'm experiementing with the douse-the-tantrum-with-a-squirt-gun approach, though with some trepidation: I'm not convinced that negative reinforcment has good outcomes, but it's working for the moment. It's one thing to scream when I'm out of the room, but not when I'm 2 feet away.

I doubt she's forgotten that she was able to get out of her pen whenever she wanted.... hmmmmm.

Yesterday after our trip outside, Jewel needed a paw bath which gave us the opportunity to practice with the blow dryer.

I decided to trim her paw hair, first standing on the counter with her eating, which works for the rear feet. Then she started getting cranky and willful, so I put her on her back in my lap and she calmed a little, so I started doing her feet that way, but it was a bad angle, so I turned her so her head was facing me and her feet were facing out.

This worked well, especially since she was exhausted (no nap all morning because I was cleaning the house: Jewel *hates vacuum cleaner*, and followed me everywhere) and fell asleep on the first paw. I got really trim-happy (since she was dead asleep) and trimmed the hair so short that you can see her nails when she's standing on the ground.

Oops, Mom make Jewel's feet look dorky.

Well, I didn't know it would look like that, and I wanted it short enough so I had a clear view of her nails for trimming next time.

She did 15 minutes in the crate just now, mostly good and is being rewarded with a nap on the couch, which has just morphed into a nap sharing Mom's lap with the
computer. Her face is a bit damp from the squirts. She wasn't on the couch hardly 10 minutes yesterday because mom was all around the house all day.

She's been pooping about 3 times a day, 2x before 8am (though yesterday she had 4 in the morning, including the extra one that occured while I was vacuuming)

Until 2 days ago, we gave her lots of carrot and apple treats, and I think the fiber was making her poo more. The other thing I noticed is she seemed to be getting
skinnier (though she's noticably bigger since we brought her home), so we're using her puppy chow as treats for most of the training, and just occassional
veggies.

Housetraining is at a plateau today, probably because I didn't spend much time on her yesterday. She's been going to the pads, but getting the pee or poo half off
the paper: or 2 paws on the paper and it actually missing the pad. I stopped her mid pee doing this this morning: but she didn't finish.

I think she's holding it longer, now. Peeing about half as often, I suppose. I haven't really been aware of how much she's drinking, we clean and refill the
water bowl at least once a day. She held it forever last Sunday (of course she wouldn't eat or drink, either since we were in the car and stores so much).

Mom hasn't been much fun the last 2 days: she's had *important* things to do. But the weekend looks promising!! (If they don't get a wild hair to go skiing, Dad's wanting to wait for a deeper base snow, and mom wants out of the house!)

We can hardly wait to bring Willow home! Guilt is such a powerful force when it comes to animals that can't control their environment! Jewel just has so much energy we can barely fully entertain her when we're BOTH on the ground playing with her.

Jewel's first doctor's appointment is today at noon!

Afternoon Update

I just got Jewel to 'sit,' 'down,' and 'stay' in the open crate!!! And she's napping there now. I put her bed up so she doesn't have a choice for any other soft place. It's hard breaking these expectations she has (which pisses her off), she wanted up on the couch.

I don't enjoy pissing her off, but she needs rules. She will, of course, be welcomed on the couch when she's crate trained and goes where she's told, when she's told.

Things we talked about at the vet and his recommendations. Her eyes: he wants the hair poking her eyes, which he says causes the tearing, to be trimmed since it can cause corneal ulceration (which can cause blindness by 8 yrs of age).

Mom's throwing a FIT because she wants LONG hair! And, honestly, the hair is half an inch from her eyes, how can it be touching her eyes? But then there's no explanation for why she's tearing.

Well, maybe we'll trim the hair on the bridge of Jewel's nose. The WHISKERS are STAYING. Even if we have to hold them out of the eyes with our hands all day until they are long enough. He also said when they sleep with their eyes open, that's a problem, since the cornea is exposed; again, a risk for blindness.

Her belly button: Well, the doctor says he doesn't buy the idea of delayed closure. He'll repair it when she's spayed.

Her heart: Her heart sounds good. Mom's glad to hear that.

She weighed in at 3 lbs 12 oz today.

Jewel was VERY good during the exam. The only time mom really "helped" was when the Doctor was auscultating her heart and lungs, so mom gently held her face and looked in her eyes, which made her hold PERFECTLY still, since mom knows it's hard to hear the heart and lungs well when a patient is moving around or talking.

Jewel liked the Vet clinic, except for the part when we were in the closed exam room. But at least the vet tech/medical assistant came in to visit the PRETTY and SUPER FRIENDLY PUPPY a FEW TIMES, even went to look for a chewy squeaky toy for her to play with since mom left her Little Bear and Pedge Pog in the car. Oops.

This vet puts more distance between vaccine doses, so we've scheduled her next round of the distemper series to be administered during Willow's well-puppy exam Nov
30th.

Bordatella vaccine: On hold, we haven't decided if we'll have the occasion to board them or go to obedience training. We'll do it if and when it's necessary.

Worming: We'll take a stool sample in on the 30th and worm based on those findings.

Puppy food: It's a naturopathic vet, so I expected to hear it: the BEST dog food is home-cooked food. But he did tell us his top 5 recommendations of doggie kibble. His #1 choice is one that is made with only meat and vegetables, no grain.

Nutrients: Plant-based digestive enzymes if we feed puppy chow, because it's processed. This, I did not think about.

Omega-3 fatty acids: I started her on yesterday. and Probiotics.

I mentioned before I had stopped feeding her so many carrots the other day because I thought she wasn't getting enough calories, but now I think I'll give them again. In fact, I think we'll include vegetables into her diet on a daily basis, and not just as treats. BOY will DADDY be glad he doesn't have to eat the rest of the acorn squash! He can give it to Jewel!

Crate training: Since she screams in the crate (though it's getting slowly better), I was thinking she might be a Pulsatilla (forsaken) or Chamomilla (just royally pissed) homeopathic remedy. Doc said to work the behavorial aspect for a while. The crate is "bed" and he said to makes sure to move it all over the house.

House training: He doesn't like pad training (this Vet doesn't mess around!!!!), just be vigilant getting her outside and listening to her every peep. He thought he was raising a 3rd baby when he brought their puppy maltese home, getting up with him in the night (Is he for real!?!?!).

Well, he has a point. Just do it right the first time, she'll learn faster and won't get confused. At least we know all this for Willow, now. I hope I've got it down with Jewel by that time. Again, I renew my efforts...