Category Archives: Behavior & Emotions

Shih Tzu Day 140: Nov. 16 (Catch Up)

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welcome committee

I heard the pitter patter of the feet of the welcome committee in the hall a little after 5:30. I wasn’t sleeping, however. I brought my laptop up last night and had been working on it since 3:30, doing some catch up. I stayed in bed a little, because I am trying to train them to eat closer to 6:30, but I got up a little after 6, since Dottie’s whining was getting louder.

I opened the door before I started getting their bowls together and Flower and Candy went out. They stood at the door and growled at me for their food. They are so cute to have vicious growls. After they ate, Nigel and Flower had a face off in the dining room, while Candy rested on the porch.

wild ones

A bunch of wild ones today. Candy barked and I opened the door to see if she wanted in; Flower and Nigel flew out, had a quick round, flew in the door and then flew back out. Candy stayed outside, but just watched their carousing. When Nigel and Flower came in, they tore around the living room and dining room for a while.

After that, the wild boy came up to me and started growling, and, at the same time, sneezing at me. How many dogs sneeze when they get agitated?  I couldn’t tell what he wanted. He just kept staring at me with those red, devil eyes.

Boots and Barkley

Boots and Barkley bully sticks are more of a hit than Cadet. Flower and Nigel inhaled theirs. Dottie enjoyed hers for quite a while, making loud, weird noises as she gnawed away. John called her an old lady, and Flower was looking at her like, “Wow, yours must have really been good!” I would still like to find a good bully stick that comes in a value package!

couch buddies

Flower and Dottie sat on the couch for a while. Flower doesn’t seem to care anymore if the Man is on the couch. Maybe they are getting more used to him because when he is home and up, he gives out the treats, following the advice of dog trainer Victoria Stilwell.

Candy the kitty dog

I call Candy our “kitty dog.” She acts as much like a cat as a dog. She pounces on things and bats them around with her front paws like cats do. She also really reminds me of the Persian cat, Goo Goo Doll, that we had years ago.

four on a couch

While John and I watched the X Factor, Nigel lay between us and Dottie on my side. Candy wandered up and looked around at everyone, so I lifted her up. Then Flower jumped up, resulting in all four shih tzus on the couch with us, which is very uncommon. Dottie must have thought it was too crowded and jumped down, but I moved Candy to dad’s lap and Dottie came back up. I would love it if all four of them sat with us more often.

Shih Tzu Day 139: Nov. 15

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thrashing shih tzu

Somebody threw up in Nigel’s bed and on the floor near it before I came downstairs. I threw it in the laundry and checked breath, but couldn’t tell who might have done it.

Once I settled down on the couch and Dottie came up, she started thrashing around, making a whining sound. I couldn’t tell if she was in pain or not. She was on her side, and she put her front paws together and moved them up and down on the sofa. I scratched her ears in case that was the problem, and when I went to move them, she lifted her head and touched my hand with her mouth, so I kept doing it. When I stopped, she had stopped thrashing.

the green dog mystery

Flower ran up to the couch a little later, Nigel in hot pursuit. After she jumped up I noticed that the green dog was lying on the floor in front of me. Either Flower had it, and that’s why Nigel was chasing her, or he brought it as a gesture of peace. I imagine it was the first scenario.

Once Flower jumped up on the couch, she kept staring at me, so I figured she wanted her haunches rubbed. She loves that the most. She always raises her head and then moves it from side to side when I give her a massage, her eyes looking bigger than normal.

Nigel ventured back to the couch for the green dog, and then ran out the door with it. When I ended Flower’s massage, she jumped down and followed him outside. She came back in with a rawhide flip in her mouth; I think Nigel smuggled it outside earlier. Nigel ran in after her, but then did his roadrunner beep beep routine, running into Shih Tzu Central and then back out and out the back door. I couldn’t tell if he had something in his mouth, but he was probably stealing something else.

Flower’s partial escape

When we brought the female shih tzus home, we made a makeshift fence so they couldn’t get up on the landscaping tiers and escape into the backyard of the neighbor behind us. Flower found she could get through a small entrance, though, and when I looked out, she was on the bottom tier, making a dash in the direction of the squirrel, high above her head. I had to get up on the landscaping tiers and chase her down. John will need to secure it a little better.

Paws up

Candy and Flower both came and put their paws up on the couch this afternoon, their cutte, little faces next to each other, moving from side to side. Looking for treats, I presume. I am still not used to Candy doing that. It always makes me smile to see both of them there.

Later, Candy came up to the Nigel and John end of the couch and put her paws up on it and looked at me and at Dottie and Nigel. I picked her up and she sat down for several minutes before crossing over me to sit next to Dottie. She let me pet her for a while, and then she moved next to me and curled up and stayed there for a while. She surprised me again by going up to John later for petting and sniffing his boots.

Shih Tzu Day 138: Nov. 14 (Fan Tan Candy)

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John had today off. First thing this morning, we weighed Nigel. He is now 11 pounds. I think he was 9 pounds when we brought him home from BFF Rescue. I guess he is fully recovered from his pneumonia. He has probably put on weight from all the treats he steals as well.

I spilled coffee this morning and Flower and Nigel ran to lick it up. It made me think of Joey. She loved when someone dropped food or spilled a drink, and by the time we grabbed a paper towel, she usually had cleaned it up.

When I went upstairs to put some clothes away, Dottie came to find me. I picked her up and came out into the hall. Flower and Nigel were both there waiting, which is unusual. When we got downstairs, I went to set Dottie on the couch and Nigel attempted to bite her tail. She barked and growled fiercely at him again.

Flower seemed to be acting confused this morning. I think it was because I took all of the couch cushion covers off to clean them, after Flower did her pee on the couch routine again. All the cushions were standing up, so she had to stay at ground level. I successfully washed the covers in the washing machine, although I wasn’t sure if I should. I used a little bit of upholstery cleaner and regular detergent. It would be nice if I could find some type of waterproof cover to put over the couch, so I don’t have to keep washing the cushions. It would be even nicer if Flower stopped peeing on the couches!

Later, after the cushions were back in place, Flower came up to the couch, and Dottie growled again, hoping she would scare her away. Flower rebelled and jumped up anyway. Dottie growled and barked. This time, I formed my hand into a bite and firmly “bit her,” made a sound and said “no!” I still am not sure what my “no” sound should be. John said the dog trainer in Accidental Tourist advised clucking, but I can’t quite get clucking down.

I gave the shih tzus DreamBones today, which do not have rawhide. It’s hard to get them all to like one thing. For several minutes all I could hear was chewing. I think Dottie was the loudest.

Nigel and Candy were playing today when he discovered Flower had found a red and white rawhide twist somewhere. He barked incessantly, and when he had the chance, ran up and took it from her. I took it back from him and gave it to Flower. She took it to Shih Tzu Central so she could chew in piece.

Flower and Nigel were tussle partners this afternoon. He must have gotten too rough, though, because they seemed to be having fun and then Flower shot across the floor and hid under the table, the Grinch right behind her. A little later, when he ran up and started barking, I let Dottie growl and bark at him. I don’t know if I should correct her every time she does that. Sometimes I think he deserves it.

Candy is so cute when she waltzes by the couch. Her tail looks like a fan and waves when she prances. I’ve started calling her Fan Tan Candy, after the Fan Tan Fanny song that goes, “Fan Tan Fanny was waving her fan,” from Guys and Dolls. This time, her body was bending in two, like a cat, as she waved her tail. Then she started barking at either John or Nigel. it must have been Nigel, because he jumped down to play with her.

Nigel’s shenanigans were trying John’s patience today. I was a little relieved. He often frustrates me and John doesn’t seem to understand why. I guess he got a taste today of my normal day with the shih tzus. After John spoke to him sharply a few times, he wandered over to the black and white dog bed, dragged it around a while and then threw himself into it and put his head on the side, a pouting look on his face.

(Pictures coming later)

Shih Tzu Day 137: Nov. 13 (Catch Up)

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Last night while John and I were watching TV, I kept smelling the distinct scent of dog urine. I finally realized it was coming from the cushion I was sitting on. There wasn’t a wet spot, so Flower must have relieved herself on it earlier and I didn’t catch it. I soaked it with cleaner this morning, and with the no-mark spray I have been using.

That left me with no where to sit, since I wasn’t thinking and soaked the other couch cushions for good measure. I moved my laptop to the kitchen table, but Dottie looked so confused.She is so used to sitting by me. She kept wandering around, glancing at me from time to time. I finally grabbed a throw and sat it in front of the couch. I used Nigel’s stairs for a laptop stand. I thought Dottie would come sit by me, but she went to lay in Shih Tzu Central. Nigel came and plopped down by me, though, with his bully stick in his mouth

Dottie eventually came up to see what we were doing, spotted my unattended coffee cup and snuck in a few sips before I caught her. After that, she cuddled up next to my side, which is unusual, with her head on my leg. I thought she was being affectionate, but then I realized that she was trying to get to the coffee cup I had sat between my legs.

Flower was sitting on the floor near us, but when the Man came down, she ran back to Central. Dottie got affectionate again after I grabbed a bagel and cream cheese. In fact, she was growling at me, showing her displeasure in my non-sharing mood.

The girls and Nigel had bully stick wars this afternoon. Nigel still believes that if I pass out four treats, they are all his. Flower can usually jump up on the couch to get away from him with her treat. However, Nigel somehow managed to jump up on it today, causing Flower to flee, bully stick clenched between her teeth.

Shih Tzu Day 136: Nov. 12 (Catch Up)

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I tried something different today and cooked up some ground turkey to mix with vegetables for them, instead of ground chicken or hamburger. They all liked it.

Dottie is getting more comfortable with John. When he was giving out snacks in the kitchen, she came up to him without hesitating. She wouldn’t do that a month ago.

Candy has been amusing me with her cuteness again. She was doing her pony act, bucking all over the place, spurring on Flower and Nigel. She did it right in front of John, which is another first. I have been turning over food and treat duties to him as much as possible, so they will bond with him. It looks like it is starting to work.