Tag Archives: Candy

Shih Tzu Day 59: Running From Love

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Sleeping In Until 6

The shih tzus didn’t come up to get me until 6:00. At least it wasn’t 5:00, but for a Saturday, I would love to at least get to sleep until 7:00! I have to figure out a way to reprogram their inner clocks.

Since I didn’t want them to leave puddle on the carpet, I dragged myself out of bed. My idea was to have them go out and pee, but not feed them just yet. They danced around on the porch, thinking their meal was coming,  and then stood there staring at me for a while, before deciding that if I wasn’t going to feed them, they might as well run around the backyard for a while.

I brought them in, confused, and then went back upstairs. They weren’t about to let me alter their schedule, however, so they followed me up to make sure I wouldn’t forget them. I How can I be Mom's companion, if she keeps getting off the couch?gave up and went back down and fed them, giving John a few extra minutes to stay in bed.

We spent several hours setting up the connections to a castoff TV from John’s sister, Lynda. That meant that Dottie, Candy and Flower didn’t get much attention. When we were done, John took them outside and threw them some hot dog pieces. They enjoyed them much more than the rawhide treats I got them. If only hot dogs were good for them.

Candy Runs From Love

I'm still trying to figure out if I like this lap thing. Candy continues her tradition of staying upstairs in her room, since her spot in the dining room is no longer available to her.  Dottie spent as much time as she could on the couch with me, and Flower stayed in the Safe Zone, mainly on the hardwood floor, with her head on the blue dog bed. They are so much friendlier when John is at work. I sure wish they would act around John more like they act around me. Maybe one day.

At least they no longer have trouble taking treats from him. In fact, when John went outside with the sweet potato treats, Flower started to do her food dance, but stopped short. I think she forgot that she didn’t trust him and that it wasn’t me. Dottie and Flower came in when he did, but Candy stayed in the grass, sniffing around.

He ended up going out to get her. She ran around the yard, slowly, keeping out of his reach. Finally, however, she stopped a

nd crouched down, waiting for him to pick her up. He stayed outside with her for a while, sitting on the porch with her in his arms. He said she’s running from love, but I know we’ll catch her, sooner or later.

New Blog Header

I finally took a semi-decent picture of the girls sitting on their colorful blanket, so I have updated the blog header. Dottie gets my vote for most improved hair cut!

Original blog header

Shih Tzu Day 57: Shih Tzu Askew

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Lessons Not Learned

Mom calls this my "frog dog" position.John and I watched the first night of grooming class, since we were going to Lia’s this afternoon. We decided to trim Flower. Too bad we didn’t start with the paws and private areas. We started with the easy part, clipping the body and then switched to pulling hair out of her ears, which we accomplished.

She was doing so good that we decided to take her collar and leash off, to trim her neck better, but she got crazy, tried to jump off our makeshift grooming table, and succeeded.

We should have stopped there, but Cesar says to stop training sessions on your terms. I think that would include teaching them to be groomed. I tracked her down and put her collar and leash back on her. I should have probably just put her back up on the grooming table, but instead, I decided she could have another walking lesson.

She pulls out of all three harnesses we have, so the leash had to do. She wore herself out fighting John and then pulled out of her collar and scampered across the yard wildly for several minutes. I opened the door to lure her inside, but when she came in, she saw I had blocked her flight into the living room. She ran back outside and in several times, until finally she gave up, panting heavily.

John sat down by her on the porch and stayed there for several minutes. I went inside and cut up some hot dog pieces. She took them from me when they came in. She also came up to visit me on the couch several times, even after the grooming and leash incidences.  I think I should be the one to try to get her to walk next time. We might have better results, and John won’t look like he’s always the bad guy.

The Potty Patch

When I took back the last contraption I bought (Wee Wee On-Target Trainer) with the intention of house training the shih tzus, I asked the girl at PetSmart about the Potty Patch. The commercial says, “Is your house one big doggy bathroom?” Well, it seems like it is, so I was interested. This one looks like grass. A plastic tray sits on the floor, with some type of layer above that and a layer that looks like grass above that. It is supposed to make them think about the grass outside, I guess. I ended up buying one, hoping it would save on the cost of Wee-Wee pads and stop them from peeing on the carpet.

Since the girls continue to get us up early, and John is on vacation, we have been taking naps in the afternoon. For the most part, they let us sleep. Dottie came upstairs this afternoon and sat by the bed. She didn’t fight me when I picked her up and put her on it. She sat for a while and then lay down. When I woke up, she had jumped down.

The Independent Shih Tzu

Candy pauses on the communal doggy bed temporarily.Although Dottie was outside and saw the goings-on with Flower, Candy was upstairs in her room. She alternates between there and the corner in the dining room, but we had to take away her dining room option. We can’t do much about them tinkling on the living room carpet, but we decided to block off the dining room carpet by surrounding it with their plastic gate. That also blocked off one of Candy’s favorite spots, sorry to say.Since things are usually calm, unless we are trying to train someone, I don’t know why she feels the need to be alone so much. Is she trying to escape us and her sisters?

John has a theory that she chooses those places because they are probably cool, and it has been so hot this month, even with the swamp cooler. Also, there is a lamp that puts off quite a bit of heat near their corner in the living room. When she goes in the spare bedroom, she sits between the bed and the wall. John says she might like it there because the swamp cooler makes so much noise that she can’t hear anything else. She is so afraid of most noises, however, especially vacuums, that I would think she wouldn’t like the cooler noise. Maybe she is just used to it. When Candy did come downstairs, she went to her dining room corner and stayed there for a good part of the afternoon.

I have been wondering if I should move their beds to Candy’s dining room area, but that might prompt the other dogs to be more reclusive.

Shih Tzu Day 38: Another Saturday with the Shih Tzus

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A Shih Tzu Saturday Morning

No sleeping in anymore, even on Saturday morning! I think I got to stay in bed until 5:30. Got up and started doing laundry, helping the shih tzus with their Twitter account, deleting old email. Flower barked when John came downstairs. I think she thinks he needs her permission to move around the house. I finally stopped her. She barked while she was outside waiting for food, but stopped as soon as I brought it out.

I sure wish I could get control of the peeing and pooping in the house situation. Someone, probably Flower, thinks she should pee when she comes upstairs to greet me in the morning, too. Always in the same spot.

I watched Dottie use the training pad the other day,so I know she knows its purpose. However, she only managed to get half on the pad, and the other half on the freshly steam vacuumed carpet.

I also watched Flower squat right next to it, like I saw Candy do the other day. I stopped Candy in time, but not Flower.

The Horrible Harness

I succeeded in almost putting the Comfy Control Harness on Flower. I didn’t get it on quite right, and when I tried to fix it, she tried very hard to bite me. It’s hard to take her serious, with her eyes so big and her head bobbing from side to side. She looks more like she is trying to catch flies than bite me.

Dottie is the calmest of the bunch, so I slipped the harness on her, attached the leash and had her walk around wearing it, the leash dragging on the ground. I took her outside and she took a few steps, not really knowing what I was trying to accomplish.

When John got up and came outside, I decided that he could try to get her to walk on the leash while I tried to get the experiment on video. Dottie suddenly wasn’t calm anymore. She bucked like a Bronco, twisting and turning, then stumbling over something on the ground. John decided it might be better if I held the leash next time. I went and picked her up, but she wouldn’t look at me. I’m sure she felt I betrayed her by taking her out of her comfort zone.

A Playground for the Dogs

John and I spent the afternoon expanding the dogs’ playground. We gave them the entire backyard, except for a very small area we fenced off at the far back, where the landscaped area slopes up to the neighbor’s fence. It would be possible for a determined dog to get up there and get through the fence into the neighbor’s yard. I doubt if the shih tzus would venture up there, but Shiloh already has climbed to the top.

When we brought the dogs out for treats, they forgot all about eating. We had thought they might slowly venture away from the area they had used before, but that wasn’t the case. Flower started sniffing around outside the old perimeter, going further and further, followed by Candy and finally Dottie. They all explored quite a bit.

After getting treats, Flower and Dottie went in, but Candy the Inquisitor was content to roam the yard for another 30 minutes.

The Dog Whisperer Barker

Shiloh had a little extra fun in the afternoon. He got to sit on the riding lawn mower with John.

Later, however, he got into trouble. He just can’t stand it when dogs bark on the “Dog Whisperer,” and I refuse to not watch it because of him. We have three shih tzus to train, and we need all the help we can get! This time when he ran to the TV, tried to leap into it and began barking, we pulled him back and put him on a leash. He still rushed the TV, barking, a few times, before he got tired and settled down. My fear is that the shih tzu princesses will follow his lead.

Shih Tzu Day 33: Video Shy Shih Tzus

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video shy shih tzus

I was very excited about getting up, my new camera beside me, and trying to catch the dancing shih tzus on video. That didn’t happen. Dottie and Flower came up to get me this morning, doing their Sesame Street wobble and bobble at my bedside, putting their paws up on the side, and jumping up and down.

However, it was too dark, so I asked John to turn on his lamp. Of course, as soon as he did, the shih tzus stopped their routine. I tried to get them to start up again, by pretending I had gone back to sleep, but they just wandered off.

Next, I decided I would see if the “Candy committee” was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to dance and prance for me. She started to, but immediately walked away when she saw the black object in my hand. They wouldn’t perform their lion dance either, although Flower and Dottie did a few lackluster moves. I ended up getting some video of them dancing a little outside, but mainly eating. I was in the picture, and this is all about the shih tzus, so, I will try again another day.

We are trying to figure out ways to get the shih tzus more comfortable with John. When we came inside after feeding the girls, John knelt by the couch and petted Dottie. She seemed completely comfortable with it.

I left the house for a few hours to take my mom shopping. When I came back, I tried to video the shih tzus again, but they still seemed to say, “This is only for you, Mom. This is our private life.”

cheap dog toys for our shih tzus

I brought the grandchildren and shih tzus back two bags of stuffed animals I bought at a thrift store for three dollars. There had to have been at least 30 animals in the bags, including a couple of Beanie Babies. While I was putting them in the washing machine, the shih tzus barked incessantly — well, at least Flower was barking, but it sounded like at least one other. I had been gone too long and they were demanding attention.

When I came back upstairs, I took the shih tzus outside to give them a treat. Once back inside, Dottie settled in beside me on the couch, while Candy chewed on a Pork Chomp on the carpet. Flower was lying on the carpet, but she went back to Shih Tzu Central. Actually, she didn’t retreat quite that far. She took possession of the dog bed between the couch and their safe zone, where Candy usually hangs out.

Flower on the people couch

I decided I would try to approach Flower to see if she’d let me hold her. My chances are usually 50-50. She bolted out of the dog bed, but instead of running any of the places I would expect, she jumped up on the people couch, which is what I wanted anyway. She jumped back down almost immediately, but then she stole the Pork Chomps treat Candy had been gnawing on, and jumped back up. She jumped up and down a few more times. Either she really wants to sit by me, or she wants to tell Dottie that she’s claiming the people couch.

I don’t think I should say she let me pet her. It’s more like she demanded it, because as soon as I would remove my hand, she would look at me like, “Put it back.” That got a little difficult, since I was trying to type on the computer. Also, if I petted Dottie, Flower would look at me, like, “Why are you doing that?”

I tried to move Princess Flower to the left side of me, so I could at least pet her with my left hand, but she didn’t want that. Instead, I typed as long as I could with just my left hand. I finally had to give up trying to please her, knowing she’d probably jump down. While this was going on, Shiloh decided to sit on the back of the other couch, looking bored or lonely; I’m not sure which.

analyzing Candy

I have been trying to analyze Candy. I am starting to think, or to get back to thinking, that she might hold back because Flower pushes her out of the way many times. I have definitely seen that happen. I will have to keep an eye on that.

I told John that Candy would have to be his project, since Flower was so jealous. After I learn about fearful dogs, I need to learn about jealous dogs! And I need to learn how to handle fearful/spoiled dogs that bark constantly.

Since Flower seems to try to block any overtures towards Candy, I stayed outside with her when the other dogs went in. I tried to pick her up, and she ran off a few feet, but then stopped so I could pick her up. I held her for a few minutes, showed her the rainbow that had appeared and talked to her.

When I passed out Pork Chomps Big Blast dog chews to the shih tzus, I was glad to see Dottie chewing on one. She doesn’t seem to like, or perhaps be capable of, chewing many of the treats. I never know if she’s just picky, or has problems eating them due to her teeth.

Shih Tzu Day 26: Shih Tzu Sisters Baby Steps

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More Baby Steps for the shih tzu sisters

There's something soothing about this new toy.I don't know why Candy is sucking on her toy. Everyone knows you bite it!!I guess having guests all weekend tired me out. I couldn’t get up until 7. The shih tzu sisters came up to get me about 6, but I didn’t budge. They kept running up and down the stairs, then into the bedroom, playing with my hand whenever I dangled it down to them. (I had a warped thought as they gently bit at my hand. A famous aviatrix named Pancho Barnes had several dogs. When she died, the story goes, they began nibbling on her arm. I imagine she might have played the same game with her dogs before her demise! I said it was warped!)

No Barking Outside

Sorry to say, one of the shih tzu sisters has discovered that they like pooping in the spare bedroom. It might even be Shiloh. We really need What will you give me if I give you back your mail?a surveillance camera in every room so we can catch the culprits in action. And now for positive news:  John prepared the dog food bowls for me, so the dogs could learn to eat from him. They followed him outside, ate, and then went and played in the garden, without barking at all!

Flower Sits With Dottie and Me

Dottie spent a lot of time on the couch with me today. Flower has tThis floor feels cool on my tummy! I like it. aken to jumping up into the rocking chair that John used to sit in when he smoked his pipe. (It was actually a nice smell, but he has been tobacco-free for a year!) I hurried to get my camera (I need it near me at all times!), but she jumped down as soon as I moved. Surprisingly, instead of going back to the play area, she jumped up on the couch, to sit with Dottie and me.

Candy Warms Up to John

John is making great headway with Candy. While he prepared his lunch this morning, she wandered in, looking for food, I’m sure. He gave her a little cheese, which she fearlessly took from him. That brought Shiloh and the shih tzu sisters in to gather around him. Another victory!

Dottie Visits PetSmart

Do we really have to leave the house?I thought I would be daring and take Dottie to PetSmart with me. I considered the trip successful. I put her in the As Seen on TV ComfyControl Harness to get her used to it, although I didn’t plan to have her walk. She seemed a little nervous in the car, but she did well at PetSmart. I carried her around the store while we looked at Kongs. Mom says dogs are supposed to be crazy about them. I bought one for each of the dogs, although I didn’t know how I was going to get them to use their own and not steal everyone else’s.

In the car, I tried to give her a Waggin Train’ chicken and apple treat, but she wouldn’t take it. I think she was a little too nervous from the outing. She did eat two when we got home, though.

If I just stick my tongue in this hole a little bit farther...Of course, Flower was the shih tzu sister who figured out how to “use” the Kong. She took Shiloh’s too, and ran off with it. Candy and Dottie didn’t show much interest, or didn’t know how to get the peanut butter out. Instead, I put some peanut butter on Candy’s pacifier and she licked it off. I did try to feed the dogs carrots and apples again, but only Shiloh gobbled them down. He is at least proof that some dogs will eat raw fruits and veggies.