Hello! Well, Mom doesn’t have her act together yet, so we will just keep posting videos until she gets around to writing more! This is Nigel and Flower antagonizing each other! They do that all the time. Flower loves to egg him on and then jump up on the couch where he can’t get her. She almost didn’t make it this time! Notice their alien eyes at the end!
Dottie came up to me today with her Dentley’s stick in her mouth and wanted up. She is practicing being Nigel, since he is the only one who usually comes up to the couch with something in his mouth and wants up. It can be a Dentley’s stick, one of my socks, a rawhide bone, a stuffed animal.
Dottie is usually content just to sit by my side, but at times, especially when Flower decides she wants love, Dottie wants in on the action. Today, Flower started nuzzling my hand, and then Dottie did. I was trying to pet them both with one hand, but whenever I lifted my hand from Flower, she would look up and move her paw, so I had to use both hands.
I love to cup Dottie’s little face in my hands. When I do, she just gazes at me. I remembered when none of the female shih tzus wanted me to come near them. Now, Dottie will even let me kiss her. Flower is actually the biggest lover. I think she would like to be rubbed and petted all day.
Flower had a lot of energy this evening. She was dragging and pulling around the red, soft dog bed that no one ever uses. My guess is she was just trying to tear the tag off, but she didn’t succeed. A little later, when she was sitting on the couch, she started growling. Unlike other dogs, when Flower growls, it usually means she wants to be petted. However, she jumped down, grabbed a rawhide bone from off the floor, and pranced away towards the back door, with Candy following behind her.
I picked Candy up again today when she came up to the couch. She stayed until I tried to take her picture. The picture taking has definitely slowed down. I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures last year after getting the shih tzus. However, as things have gradually gotten back to a new normal, after taking in four shih tzus, the camera often isn’t in the right place at the right time. Also, my attempts at finding a small camera I like to keep near me haven’t been successful. I heard that the iPhone took great pictures, and I finally got one, but I haven’t had luck getting anything more than blurry shots inside. I have to read up on what I am doing wrong.
John and I were gone most of the day, so the poor shih tzus have had to fend for themselves. When we came home, I went upstairs to change while John gave out some treats. After a few minutes, I heard paws on the stairs. Flower came up to get me. She wandered around the room sniffing until I went back downstairs.
One of our friends was in town this week, and we went and met him for dinner. He invited us out to Boston to see him whenever we wanted to come. I had to smile at that. It was hard enough going out of town when we had one Yorkie. It will be nearly impossible with four shih tzus. They definitely aren’t the type of dogs that you kennel, and they steal don’t trust anyone but John and I, so dog sitters are out.
We decided to do a little grooming today. Partially, I wanted to try out the Fresh n Clean shampoo that came in the Royal Canin goodie basket identical to the one we are giving away, courtesy Royal Canin. John trimmed Nigel’s paws and face. After that, he started working on Dottie’s face. I decided to help him, so I started trimming her body. He informed me I had used the wrong blade, so she got a very short cut. Even though it was a mistake, we decided to do the same with Flower, since it is spring, and they don’t need long fur to keep them warm. Plus, we can go a little longer without grooming them. They look like completely different dogs than Nigel and Candy.
Flower was being sassy this afternoon. She sat on the edge of the couch, wagging her tail and waving her front paws at me, like she does when she wants to be petted. Then, she lay on her back against the couch gazing at me, her cute little under-bite showing. I waited a little too long to pet her, so she started growling, until I gave her what she wanted.
Since Flower hasn’t peed on our couch for quite a while, I put the cushions down on the other couch that she used to always sit on, but I think she has forgotten that used to be her could. She rarely goes up on it anymore. I am happy that she sits with us on the community couch — and that we have had dry couch cushions for a long time!
I still need to replace Nigel’s steps, since one set broke, and he wouldn’t walk up the next set. For now, I have an old milk box on its side that I put in place in front of the couch before John comes down and needs to sit there, and then again after he leaves for work. This morning I forgot to put it there, so I had to help Nigel up. When I looked down, he had an ice cube in his mouth. It was so cute. He sat it on the couch and then picked it up again once I sat him next to me. That little boy has so much character.
I left a throw on the floor last night and someone threw up on it. My guess is that it was Candy. She wouldn’t go out to eat when her sisters did. Instead, she hid behind the dining room table. When I picked up the throw and put it in the hall to take to the basement later, she came out and then went out to eat. Maybe she thought she was going to get in trouble. I had to keep an eye on her bowl so her sisters and Nigel wouldn’t try to eat her food for her, since they had already eaten by the time she decided to eat.
I weighed the dogs today. I have read different answers regarding what shih tzus should weigh, with the range going between nine and twenty pounds, but the average answer seems to be ten to sixteen pounds. If so, we’re not doing too badly. Nigel now weighs 13 pounds. I think that is a good weight for him. He only weighed 10.5 pounds in October, but he was still recovering from pneumonia. Candy weighed 11.5 in October and now weighs 12 pounds. I’m not as happy with Flower and Dottie. Flower was 14 pounds and is now 15.5. Dottie was 14 pounds and is 16 pounds now. Flower and Dottie might be within the range, but we need to work on that.
Now that the shih tzus are more comfortable with John and I, I think the leash training will go better. My goal is to really get on this right after Easter!
I am hoping that our diet will benefit the shih tzus. I know that some people don’t give dogs people food, but we always have. I am trying to replace some of their dog treats with people food. For instance, Flower, Dottie, and Nigel all like celery, although Candy won’t try it. I am particularly glad that Flower does, since it is better for her than plastic bottle caps!
We had tuna salad on a romaine leaf tonight. I left out some tuna to give them a few pieces while we ate.
I wonder what a morning would be like without Flower raising a ruckus? She wouldn’t stop barking at John this morning.
To mix things up a little, I decided to feed the girls their food in front of their couch. They are very comfortable eating outside now, but I need to make them comfortable inside, around John, and need to get Flower to quit barking, which makes the others uneasy.
They all came up to their bowls and began to eat without a problem, but Flower kept looking around nervously. She eventually ate, so the others did top.
I love my little Wild Flower, but I am definitely losing patience with the little psycho baby/control freak. Beyond the barking issue, she has to really want your attention to accept it. I went to cup her face in my hands this morning, which I often do, and she bolted out of the pen like her tail was on fire. Less than thirty seconds later, she was back, as if to say, “Oops. I overreacted, but just don’t get so close.”
My new nickname for her is the Poophead Princess, although it should be stronger, like Shih Tzu Head Princess.
I had “elegant egg salad” (egg salad with big pieces of eggs) for lunch and decided to give the dogs some. I hand-fed Flower, Dottie and Shiloh some, and they loved it, but as usual, Candy held back timidly, so her sisters ate any intended for her.
I decided to put a little in each of their bowls. I set Shiloh’s in the kitchen and the girls in the living room, up near the dining table. Flower and Dottie went to eat theirs, while Candy was deciding if it was safe. Then, Shiloh rushed in and decided he’d eat Candy’s. I got irritated, since this is a habit, picked him up abruptly, said it wasn’t his food, rather loudly, and sat him down on the rocking chair. Candy flew under the table, and Flower followed her. I finally got Flower to come back out. The tension didn’t seem to affect Dottie.
I had placed a dog gate in front of the table to make it harder for Candy to hide under it, but she had found the opening. After the Shiloh incident, I ended up putting her bowl on the other side of the gate, with her, so she would be comfortable eating. I figured if she was that stressed, I’d let her stay there for now, as Flower (and Shiloh) are the worst problems, and not her shyness or insecurities.
After Flower ate, she had egg salad on her face, so I got a pet wipe, hoping I could get close enough to clean up her already usually scruffy face. Not a chance.
I followed her into Shih Tzu Central and attempted to gently put the cloth near her face, but she jumped back and forth, eluding me. When I tried to catch her and hold her, she acted like she wanted to nip at me. I gave up, exasperated.
Later, I caught her chewing on the vacuum cleaner knob. I really need to find some nice, hard, plastic toys suitable for dogs with plastic fetishes.
Flower avoided me for a few hours after the egg salad incident, but decided later to come back around. First, she lay down on the carpet in the vicinity of my feet. She visited their corner for a while and then decided it was time to hop up on the couch and see what Dottie and I were up to.
Flower sat there for a while, staring at me while I petted her. When I stopped, she deciding to lie down.
Candy spent much of the day under the table. When she decided to come out, she grabbed one of the stuffed animals I got the other day off the floor. She initially stopped on the carpet with it, then started to go back to Shih Tzu Central, but instead, ran back under the table with it.
She stayed there for quite a while before deciding to join the others back in their corner.
Usually once or twice in the afternoon, the dogs communicate somehow with each other that it is time to rush out of Shih Tzu Central. Sometimes I know what pushes their buttons, like the Magic Mesh commercial, but today I don’t know what caused it.
I had my small camera next to me and decided to try to catch their antics on video, so I picked it up and hit record. Shiloh got a little carried away and knocked it out of my hand. Oh well. One day I’ll get them on video.
Flower usually checks to see where Dottie is on the couch before getting up, but I don’t know why. She still aims her jump at one spot. Today, that spot was where Dottie’s head was. It amazes me how resilient dogs seem to be. Dottie didn’t even flinch.
Flower raised hell again when John got home. Heaven knows what makes her that way. When we went outside to give them their treats, she tore through the garden, jumped up onto the porch, rushed back down, then back up, bumping into things along the way, until she wore herself out. Sigh. And worse, my camera was inside.
The funny thing is that the entire time, John never said a word. He did, however, get up and walk towards her several times, which fired her up even more, until she eventually calmed down.
Poor Dottie didn’t know what to do, so she ran wherever Flower ran, always a little behind. Candy just tried to stay in the background, out of the way.
I decided to bring Dottie upstairs with us, away from her shih tzu sisters, for a few minutes at bedtime last night. I closed the doors so she couldn’t run out, and I just talked to her. John said, “Do you think she’s going to answer?” because I talk to them constantly.
When I got into bed, I put Dottie between us. She stayed on the people bed for about twenty minutes before she finally lay down. I could tell that her head was still up though, so she wasn’t completely relaxed. I turned over and set her on the other side for a few more minutes, and then I put her down on the floor and opened the door. She ran into the hall, but then she just sat there wagging her tail. I’m not sure if she went downstairs or not after I went back to sleep. I’m thinking about getting a dog bed to put upstairs and see if any of the shih tzu sisters give it a try.
The furry alarm clocks went off at 5:30, which was way too early, since we stayed up late. John was researching tools on his iPad, and I was working with pictures and updating my blog.
Again, I tried to ignore the shih tzu sisters, but they kept coming back until I dragged myself out of bed at 6. John was reading the instructions for the camera we just bought, so he couldn’t help me get the bowls together, as he sometimes does. It took longer than usual, especially since Flower kept barking while I was trying to get everything together, so I kept stopping to go to the door and tell her to be quiet. I know she needs some discipline. We’re getting to that point. Inch by inch.
Our experiment with Dottie yesterday resulted in the shih tzus still acting afraid of John this morning. I think Dottie and Candy would have forgotten it, and maybe even has, but Flower has gone back to barking constantly at him. The result is that they all scatter whenever he gets near them in any way.
John and I went out for pizza after church, so we were gone for a few hours. When we got home, to try to get the shih tzus a little more comfortable with John again, he passed out the treats. It seemed to help.
It has been very hot, and the swamp cooler doesn’t seem to be doing its job. That might be why the girls have been on their beds in their corner so much this afternoon. However, at one point, all the animals came alive. I don’t know who hit the switch. Shiloh jumped up on our couch, and Flower jumped up on her couch, bringing one of the Angry Bird toys with her. Dottie had been next to me, but she jumped down on the floor. Candy stayed behind at Shih tzu Central.
John took a bike ride, with Shiloh on a leash. Shiloh did very well. When they came back, we sat outside in the twilight. Flower barked a little, but not much. They all wandered around the garden or sat on the porch. They all came in but Candy, so John went and picked her up. He held her and stroked her for a few minutes. She didn’t seem to mind.
John and I were talking this morning about the cute factor of living with these shih tzu sisters. He said he was thinking about the little tykes and thought of the children’s TV show, “Romper Room.” I knew exactly what part he was talking about, when the hostess held up her “magic mirror,” and said, “I can see …” and named off the guests. My magic mirror is my camera: “I can see Candy and Flower and Dottie … and Shiloh.”
I decided to continue my experiment with Flower and take her to McDonald’s again. It was a repeat of yesterday. Yup. She hated the car ride again, but, no poop, so we are improving!
I took her home, took the kids out back and fed them a gourmet lunch on the porch. She might not have liked her trip, but at least maybe she will start to realize that something bad doesn’t happen each time she gets in the car. I wish I had tried harder with our Yorkie, Joey. She thought every trip was a trip to the groomer or vet, and she shook violently anytime she got in the car. Then again, every trip was a trip to the groomer or the vet because of the way she felt in the car!
When we came inside, the girls weren’t ready to go back to their safe zone. They all roamed around the living room for a while. Flower and Dottie’s tails were wagging. I still haven’t figured out if Candy actually wags her tail. I don’t seem to ever catching her doing it.
Flower decided to repose on the floor between the safe zone and me to take a small nap. It’s odd. The dogs will be in their corner, and suddenly, somethin
g will set them off, and it’s like someone let them out of their cage. They descend on me, cute as a bunch of little lions. I can see why they’re called “lion dogs.” Especially Flower. Sometimes the way they rush me reminds me of those zombie movies.
I disappeared for a while to go upstairs to gather laundry. The girls thought it was morning again. When I came down, they started their prancing and biting routine.
Candy and Flower have fin
ally decided to play with the orange dog I got them. Candy was carrying it around, tugging on it for a while, but then Flower, the bully, took it from her. When Flower got tired of them, she leaped up onto the couch to visit me. Her time limit seems to be about five minutes.
Flower still barked, growled and ran when John came in. She scurried around the room, darted here and there, while the other three dogs took treats from him. I think it would be a little better if Shiloh wasn’t constantly trying to be front and center. I know the day will come when they will realize that he’s a good dad. It’s a strange switch. Joey was so devoted to John. But, I know they will come around.