Toby the Puppy

My guy loves his pyramid toy from Clean Run http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...ntPage=whatsnew Robyn

My trainer has a sign on her door that says 'Ring the door bell and run...the dogs need exercise"

Thanks everyone. I will see about switching his food then. He has his regular vet check soon so I will see what he says about environmental allergies as well.

I forgot to say, he does get a fish oil supplement daily. Maybe this food is just not for him. Thanks.

I recently made the change from Canidae to Innova Evo. It may be a coincidence but ever since starting on the Evo Toby has been really really itchy. He bites at the tops of his feet and is always scratching his body and face. I am wondering if I should stick it out and see if the itchiness subsides or if I should switch him to something different right away. I hate to see him suffer like this. He just finished up the last little bit of his Canidae so is now on Evo only. Any thoughts?? Robyn

Some of the people in our agility club will put a little tuna water in the drinking dish to entice the dog to drink on hot days. I haven't tried it but I bet it would work.

I had a nice gentleman tell me that Toby must be crossed with an Aussie because of his ticking. Funny!

Toby is also obsessed with squirrels. He almost went through the sliding glass patio doors yesterday. Earlier he had noticed a squirrel running along the top of our back fence and he was jumping at the door and barking. I was working on getting him to listen to me when I told him 'enough', but he gets so focused on the squirrel that it is very difficult. A little later he was in the front hall and somehow managed to see another squirrel going along the fence and he took off like a bullet but he didn't stop at the door, at least not until his face hit the glass at mach 10. If it hadn't been so scary I would have laughed. The way he hit that door, OY! I don't know why the glass didn't break. I guess I will have to put curtains on those doors now even though I don't need them for anything else.

Toby did the exact same thing with our elliptical at work. I was upstairs with him one day and noticed that the 'gym' area had been set up and was ready to go. I stepped up on the elliptical, not for a big work out, but just to try it out and Toby went nuts. I have decided that when I want to work out Toby will be in his crate in my office. As far as getting the behaviour to stop I don't know. I have been successful in getting Toby to stop attacking the vacuum cleaner just by saying 'no' and stopping the behaviour. It used to take me a long time to vacuum but eventually he stopped. Now I just have to get him to stop trying to attack snow shovels and snow brushes. I see all these behaviours as sort of the same with a different catalyst. But then I don't know much so I may be wrong.

Toby was at the vet this morning for his annual check up. He got scared when the tech came out to show us into the room. He sort of jumped and barked at her. Later in the room he scooted a little and I said that was weird because he had never scooted before. Then she mentioned she could smell his anal glands so he probably released them when he got scared of her. It wasn't a pleasant smell but it also wasn't overpowering or anything. Later today Toby was sleeping in my office when a gentleman came in, Toby was again startled and barked a bit before realizing this guy was ok. This time he must have really released his anal glands because the smell is overpowering to say the least. I have sprayed Febreeze air freshener and now my office smells like Febreeze with anal glands. My assisstant has taken Toby outside to play in the snow to see if she can wipe his bum off a little because the oils might be lingering there and causing the smell to not dissipate. This has never happened before, I would never forget that smell. Is this something that I am going to have to live with or did Toby's glands just need emptying and it shouldn't happen again until they fill again?? Please tell me it is the latter because I can't have my office smelling like that. I am sure my visitor thought I had terrible gas!! Oh dear!!

I am happy to report that Toby is feeling his usual self today (full of energy ie: trouble!!) I can't believe he doesn't even appear sore today. If I did that I would be laid up for days. Thanks for all your kind words. I also feel less guilty today, these things happen right?

This morning when we got to work I played a little frisbee with Toby as I always do. Well, on the third throw I spazzed and threw the frisbee wrong and it arched over to the right. Toby chased after it as always and just as he was lifting up his front end off the ground he ran smack into a tree stump. There was such an awful thump and Toby yelped really loud then tried to walk back to me but he didn't make it and he lay down whining. I was sure the way he hit the stump he has smashed his ribs. I put him right in the car and took him to our vet's which luckily is only 1/2 a minute down the road. They had a good look at him and except for a small cut in the corner of his mouth he seemed fine, just very sore. She gave him a shot for the pain and I am starting him on anti-inflammatories later today. I feel so bad, if the frisbee had just gone in the right direction it never would have happened. He has run into things before chasing frisbee or balls because he is just so focused on what he is chasing, but never like this. I didn't even see it coming either, I was watching the frisbee too. I think I yelped just as loud as Toby did! My poor boy!

Haleigh: He was sitting while she groomed him. She also ran her hands over him, looked in his ears and lifted and examined his paws.

Yesterday Toby had his CGC test and he passed with flying colours. I had even considered pulling out because I didn't think he was ready yet but felt we could both learn a lot by doing it anyways. He went into that place and showed off like some kind of highly trained obedient dog I do feel like a bit of a fraud though because he snapped at my hand earlier in the day when I was trying to brush him (he dislikes being groomed especially around the butt) and had he done that during the test it would have been an automatic fail. I was so proud none the less because he was the only dog in his group that passed and some were on their second and third tries. I couldn't get over how poorly behaved some of those dogs were!

I am happy to report that this week's class went much better. I had planned on keeping Toby away from the action and distracted by working on behaviours and tricks etc with him. We did that and it worked wonderfully. The lab that was so out of control last week was a different dog. The instructor had worked with the owners and taught them how to use a clicker to teach him quiet and except for a very few small barks he was great. There was another big dog acting up this week but I was able to distract Toby and keep him occupied when I noticed him starting to stress. Toby did everything I asked him and picked up the lessons so quickly it made me so proud! We are really looking forward to the next class now instead of dreading it. Thank you all for your suggestions. I have also ordered the books Control Unleashed, The Other End of the Leash, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, and 101 Dog Tricks (just for fun). I think these books will be really helpful to Toby and I.