rossie

Did you decide to bring the dogs? If so, I can suggest some good hiking spots. I live in Ann Arbor.

Hmmm...well, Buzz's legs sometimes quake a bit when we hike. I was a little worried about it until I realized that it happens on the same part of the trail each time...right before we get to the opening where I let him off leash! He's just excited! The vet is always a good idea if something seems off, but I wouldn't worry too much...

It's interesting that he will eagerly walk home. It might be a fear thing. I wonder what would happen if you drove to a neighborhood he hadn't seen before and walked him around there.

Can't resist sharing this photo... There are few things Buzz loves more than cardboard.

In my town, a loose dog without a license is immediately taken to the pound; a loose dog with a license is usually taken to their owners home. So, it's not just a difference between 1 ticket (loose dog = $75) and 2 tickets & 1 fee (loose dog, unlicensed dog, impoundment fee = $200), it is the difference between my dog being taken on a 40 minute drive to a very stressful place or taken on a much shorter drive to his own home! Oh, and to license a dog in my town costs $16 every three years; proof of rabies vaccination is required.

I live in Michigan and during the summer it is regularly over 80 degrees and quite muggy. I rarely turn on my air conditioning and was wondering what I should do to ensure that the dog stays comfortable when he is indoors. I’m especially concerned about the 5 hours per day when he is crated and I’m out of the house. Buzz is only a year old and he is not trustworthy out of his crate unattended. He has water in his crate—both a hamster bottle and a flat-sided pail. Should I also point a fan at his crate? I’m not sure if he would like that or find it annoying. Thanks in advance for your advice.

When it is time for Buzz to get a playmate, I plan on fostering for a rescue. That way, I can see whether we work as a two-dog household before making a commitment to another dog.

When I first got Buzz at around 12 weeks, he definitely did not like being held on his back. I only did it once, at the shelter, as part of a temperament test on him and his brothers. Of the three dogs, one NEVER struggled and the other two never stopped struggling. According to the books I had read, a "good" puppy will struggle for a bit and then relax, but if you have to pick between one that always struggles and one that never struggle, you want the one that always struggles. Don't know about the noise thing because Buzz is very quiet in general, but didn't RDM say these were the noisiest puppies she'd ever had? Now, Buzz has no trouble with me handling him in any way because we've built up a trusting relationship. If I were you, I wouldn't force it. When the puppy is resting on his side or back, that is a good chance to pet him and maybe shift his weight around a bit so that he gets used to you moving him in this way. That is what I ended up doing Buzz kind of by accident; he had a herniated umbilical that I had to massage and check every day, so I would just sneak my hand onto his belly when he was lazing around.

Yep! No, they don't squeek. They also do not bounce around very much. And they aren't squishy. They are a no nonsense ball. I suspect that their lack of bounce, squeek, and squish is why Buzz will play fetch with them: there is no other fun to be had with them! With anything that bounces or squeeks he can have fun chewing on it or playing soccer or tossing it to himself.

I would try separate crates, just to see if that helps. I'm a complete waste of skin without a good night's sleep, you have my heartfelt sympathies!

I bought Buzz a road hockey ball two days ago. Since then... 1. He figured out how to play fetch (not just get the ball once and then play with it independently, but actually going and getting it and bringing it back and dropping it at my feet.) We have been working on this with MINIMAL progress for weeks. Now, all of a sudden, poof! He gets it. 2. He was exceedingly sweet to a puppy that was loose at the park and got in his space. This is a people-park where dogs are supposed to be on leashes. Buzz was on his leash. I was yelling "come get your puppy! My dog eats puppies!" Buzz did not eat the puppy. Buzz played really nicely with the puppy! 3. He made amazing progress with the command "wait." I usually only say "wait" when we are walking and waiting to cross the street. Today, I needed him to wait in a totally different context, where I left his side for about 15 seconds. He waited perfectly. We haven't even been working on this! I said "wait" without thinking and was so surprised that he understood and obeyed! I think it is all due to the magical hockey ball!

Wow! These pictures are somehow simultaneously calming and energizing. I want to use one as the desktop image on my computer if it is okay with you. Please say yes!

This picture is too much. I'm dying over here. Happy Birthday to his Tweirdyness!

My friends and family are all animal lovers and they enjoy Buzz and understand that he makes me happy. I do get funny looks sometimes if I give a very long and nerdy answer to what was intended to be a simple question about him, but I'm a PhD student, so that happens on any number of topics

Buzz has a number of different collars; I like to use a martingale for most activities, but sometimes prefer a buckle collar or a quick-release. He's always collarless when crated and usually collarless in the house. All of his collars have a tag that says "If I'm alone, I'm lost. Please call my family." and then list my phone number. In my city, he's required to wear his dog license, but because I switch his collar often and I don't like the noise of multiple tags, I just keep his license on my key ring, so far, we haven't been arrested! Boomerang collar tags are very nice. I have also had great success buying tags from eBay for less than $2 a piece. this seller does nice, deep engraving http://myworld.ebay.com/gemini_airis/