Tag Archives: Dottie

Shih Tzu Week 33: Feb. 9 (Day 225) – 15 (Day 231)

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Shih Tzu Day 225: Thursday, Feb. 9

change of format

Anyone taking care of four dogs, working, and trying to make time for a family knows the feeling of always playing catch up! Because I have that problem, I am trying to figure out the best way to keep this journal up to date. For now, I think I am going to try to do one update  per week. We’ll see how that works out. It might seem kind of odd, because I am going from Thursday to Wednesday, but that’s because the shih tzu sisters first came to live with us on a Thursday.

closer shih tzu

Dottie used to sit at the end of the couch, facing forward, but now, she tends to sit at the end of the couch, but with her body facing towards me, so her head is right next to me. Her position means that Flower jumps on her half the way when she comes up, or else Flower comes up on the “male” side of the couch and then crosses over me.

Shih Tzu Day 226: Friday, Feb. 10

I had to spend some time in the spare room on the com­puter agan this morn­ing. Flower, Nigel, and Dot­tie fol­lowed me in there. I worked for about five min­utes before I smelled urine. When I turned around, there was a yel­low spot on the car­pet, but no shih tzu near it. I asked who did it, but, of course, no one answered.

I have to admit that my voice raised louder than it should have. Nigel doesn’t scare eas­ily, but he tore off out the door, and Dot­tie trot­ted off behind him. Flower just sat near the chair look­ing at me, like ‘Where are they going?” I don’t know if that meant she was inno­cent or guilty. When I went back in there later, I also found poop on the floor. I don’t think I missed it ear­lier, so I guess some­one just snuck back in.

I guess that car­pet is still too much of a temp­ta­tion, so I will have to put up the gate again when I am in the room. Partly, I think they are con­fused, because they aren’t used to me spend­ing much time any­where but with them in the liv­ing room, unless I am gone.

tem­po­rary lap shih tzu

Once I was back on the couch work­ing, Flower came to sit by me and started growl­ing at me. This time, instead of pet­ting her, which I know is what she wanted, I picked her up and sat her on my lap. I tried that once before, and she jumped right back off, but this time, she looked at me, star­tled, but then lay down on my lap and stayed there until about twenty min­utes later, when I had to get up. I would try to hold her more, but there isn’t much room  with a lap­top in front of me most of the time.

Shih Tzu Day 227: Saturday, Feb. 11

The shih tzus wanted me up at 5:30, but I didn’t budge until 6:20. I closed the gate when I went into the spare bedroom, but they looked so disappointed that I let Nigel and Flower in; however, I did turn position my chair so I could try to catch the culprit that likes to pee on the carpet. And  I put a box over the area that was being used as a training pad. No accidents.

Shih Tzu Day 228: Sunday, Feb. 12

Valentine’s Day

We weren’t home most of the day. John and I had some shopping to do, and then we went out for an early Valentine’s Day dinner, since John gets off so late during the week. They were all very excited when we did get home, especially when they got their treats. Flower particularly seemed irritated that we left them alone so much. She stayed in her corner most of the evening.

Shih Tzu Day 229: Monday, Feb. 13

SHIH TZU APARTMENT

I have started to call Candy’s corner in the dining room, hidden from my sight, her “apartment.” For the most part, she lays in her bed in her apartment much of the day, especially now that it is cold outside. Once in a while though, especially when she thinks it should be treat time, she leaves her apartment and wanders over to the couch. For some strange reason, that is usually right when John leaves for work.

This morning when she came over and put her paws on the couch, moving her head from side to side, she got Flower, on the floor, and Dottie, on the couch, excited. Flower and Candy were dancing around, and Dottie was wiggling around on the edge of the couch and slid off of it backwards. It was a very funny sight, but I am glad that she didn’t have far to fall.

When John leaves, it usually has been about three hours since they had breakfast. So, when Candy comes up, I get up and either give them a chicken-wrapped banana treat, since they are so small, or a small chicken-wrapped sweet potato treat. Then, they usually go and lay back down for a few more hours.

Nigel resting.Shortly after I gave them their treats, I heard Nigel and Candy fighting near her apartment. I imagine she dropper her treat and he followed his rule, which is if anything falls to the ground, it’s his. Although I didn’t see what happened, I gave Candy another treat. My guess is that she stays so thin because of all the times the other shih tzus steal from her.

I felt bad again this morning, because Candy was outside for about an hour before I realized it. I wish she would learn to “knock” to come in, like the other dogs. But she just sits or lies on the porch until someone remembers her.

Every time she trots by me, I think she needs a little pearl necklace. She is so dainty.

surprise lunch visitor

Flower lounges on her fluffy sister.John is delivering in this area today, so he came home for lunch. He started the shih tzus; Flower jumped off the arm onto Dottie. Then, she sat on top of her for the next 20 minutes, using her as a lounger. Dottie didn’t seem to mind it.

Shih Tzu Day 230: Monday, Feb. 14

Valentine’s Day

I got up this morning and made Valentine’s Day cookies for John. I haven’t made cookies for years. He told Leticia later that he was really surprised, because when he smelled the scent coming rom the kitchen, he thought I was baking for the shih tzus. I guess that means I had better bake for him more. And, I think I will look for a recipe for treats I can bake for the shih tzus, since I haven’t ever done that yet.

shih tzu tummy petting

Dottie let me sleep until 6:38, when she barked to remind me that their breakfast was late.

Flower has figured out that she likes being petted. Although Dottie and Flower continue to act leery of John, he continues to try to get closer to them. Today, he went up to Flower, who was lying on her back next to me, and he started talking to her before reaching out to pet her tummy. Before, she would jump up, but she has learned that she loves her tummy petted, so she didn’t move.

When John stopped petting her and walked away, she looked at me and growled. She wouldn’t stop until I started petting her.

Shih Tzu Day 231: Tuesday, Feb. 15

grooming needed

Every time I look at my babies, I think how badly they need grooming. Flower, especially, really looks like a wooly mammoth, except she doesn’t have tusks. I thought we might be able to make Nigel look like a traditional shih tzu, with long hair to the ground. However, the first issue is that his hair is very curly. It would hang to the floor if it wasn’t. That’s probably typical. I imagine there is some kind of product people use, plus, do people style shih tzu hair to make it straighter? I don’t think I am going to have the time it takes, so we’ll trim his fur shorter again, as soon as we can.

Flower has been sitting on Nigel and John’s side of the couch a lot, when John isn’t home. I think she would sit next to me, if Nigel hadn’t staked his claim. I picked her up today and sat her on my lap again for a while. She sat still for a while, and then wiggled free.

Shih Tzu Day 209: Old Shih Tzu Habits

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Old shih tzu habits die hard

Candy started barking at 4. John turned the flashlight on and pointed it down the stairs to get her to stop. She started again about 5. I ignored it and stayed in bed until 6, when Dottie started whining.

I am learning that just because the shih tzus are getting better, it doesn’t mean that old habits won’t resurface. Flower, Dottie and Nigel often go into the spare room with me when I have to use my backup PC. They wander around, try to find things to chew on, or just sit there and wait for me. No one had been pooping or peeing on the carpet, so I stopped barricading the door during other times of the day. But this morning when I glanced in the room, I saw that someone had done number one and number two. The barricade has gone up again.

When I went downstairs to get laundry, I heard Flower coming down the stairs. I walked out of the laundry room and started to cheerily say, “Hello, Flower!” but then saw her squatting on the floor. She was mid-stream when I hollered her name! Sigh.

shih tzus in need of grooming

I hate to admit it, but the dogs haven’t been groomed since the end of December. We have to catch up, so we decided to bathe one dog and do some grooming on as many as we could. John groomed Nigel’s face and trimmed up his paws and cut his toe nails. He did the same with Dottie and Flower. He was having trouble with the clippers, and I think that’s why he cut one of Flower’s toe nails too short. She was being very good, but that frightened her. Still, she was so much better than the days when she would poop on the table whenever we sat her on it. She just pulled her paw away, but then let us do the grooming on her face.

Dottie wasn’t quite as good, but, again, not nearly as bad as she used to be. I noticed this morning that she appears to have dog dandruff, so we decided she would be the one to get bathed. I have to keep an eye on that and figure out if something is causing it, besides the fact that she hadn’t had a bath for a few weeks.

Shih Tzu Day 205: Shih Tzu Improvements

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shih tzu memories are secure

It has been quite a month. A computer crash and backup hard drive problem at the same time caused me to lose all my data. Although professionals told me I couldn’t get it back, persistency and lots of computer research led me to do just that. Yesterday, I got to the point where I had even recovered my DayOne files, where I kept my Shih Tzu journal. I am so happy to get back a few lost weeks that I hadn’t transferred to my blog yet. I also recovered ALL of my videos. I was heartbroken that I thought I had lost all those firsts with the shih tzus. I was kicking myself for not having put any up on my site or on YouTube, because I hadn’t yet figured how to edit them. Now everything gets backed up on a backup drive and elsewhere!

attitude adjustment

One of the biggest things I have noticed over the past few weeks is Nigel’s changed attitude. He still gets rambunctious and still has to be corrected, but ever since I brought the “dog house” inside and put him in it when he was picking on the girls, he has not been nearly as possessive of things and doesn’t bully them to where it is unbearable.

Another improvement has been in the “tinkle” department. I got tired of putting the small carpet I put under their two training pads in the washer and dryer, because I could always smell the rubber backing, and it was too hard to wash it by hand. Instead I have been using an old dish drying mat as the base and putting one pad on top of it. For the most part, they are hitting the mark, although I do have to clean up the hardwood floor in the morning, because of whichever dog seems to squat on the edge. The best part is at least they seem to be really trying! I am not sure, but it seems like Flower might be waiting to go outside in the morning.

shih tzu amnesia

Flower and Dottie seem to develop amnesia every morning. I have been coming downstairs at 6 but John usually doesn’t come down until 7. When the dogs hear his footsteps on the stairs, they act like he is an intruder and bark like crazy, throwing in a growl here and there, even when they see who he is. But there is hope. He can now come up to them and pet them and assure them that he is not an intruder, and they do stop barking.

Shih Tzu Day 202: Shih Tzu Lost in Time

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Hello everyone! It is impossible to think that it is January 17. I know I haven’t written a word all year, except to say that I had a computer malfunction. I won’t talk about it very much, except to mention that it has been a nightmare, but things are finally getting back to normal.

As for the shih tzu sisters, and Nigel, however, we grow to love them more every day! The winter months have slowed us down, practically into hibernation. Of course, they rouse periodically from sleeping to seek out food or treats. This afternoon is typical. As I type on my computer, wondering where the time went, Dottie snores beside me. Nigel is lying on the other side, not snoring, so I can’t tell if he is asleep. Flower goes back and forth between the couch and Shih Tzu Central, where she is right now. Checking on the dogs made me realize that Candy has been outside for probably an hour.

Dottie and Flower have taken a cue from Nigel, and now know how to “knock.” Dottie frantically tapes her front paws on the sliding glass door. Flower does too, but when she is really impatient, she backs up and jumps at the door, hitting it with her front paws and then doing it again. Candy, however, sits on the porch until someone realizes she is waiting. Half the time, even when you do notice she is missing, when we go to let her in, she runs back out into the yard. Strange child, that one.

More soon, both forward and backward in time.

Shih Tzu Day 105: Puppy Mill Study

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Puppy Mill Findings

a shih tzu that is a former puppy mill mother.Since Dottie, Flower and Candy were puppy mill mothers, I read everything I can find on puppy mill dogs. I read an interesting study today on dogs rescued from puppy mills. Best Friends Animal Society and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary collaborated on the study.

It said that dogs from puppy mills show significantly elevated levels of fears and phobias, which we’ve experienced firsthand as adoptive parents to our shih tzu half sisters.

three sisters that are former puppy mill mothers.The study also said that they might have a heightened sensitivity to being touched and have compulsive and repetitive behaviors. It said the most prominent difference was in the level of fear, and that compared to normal pet dogs, the chance of scoring in the highest ranges for fear was six to eight times higher in recovered puppy mill dogs.

What I thought was very interesting was that the puppy mill study showed that the behavioral differences existed whether the dogs came from dirty, inhumane puppy farms or from cleaner, law-abiding large commercial breeding operations. The reason is that puppy mill dogs are confined with little or no interaction with humans or experiences outside their confines.

three shih tzus who are half sisters and former puppy mill mothers.The study showed that dogs that have not been positively handled were psychologically in worse shape. It concentrated on former mill dogs that have been in new homes an average of two years. Although many owners saw dramatic improvement, some were still struggling. Ninety-five percent of the new owners said that would adopt another puppy mill rescue, and the researchers believe it is because bonds with mill dogs are very deep.

A follow-up questionnaire led to a list of strategies that could help puppy mill dogs adjust. This including being patient, being sensitive to the dog’s reactions, holding and cuddling dogs and having a well-adjusted dog in the household. I was happy that the study verified what I thought about Nigel probably being a good influence on the girls.

After reading the study, I thought what I have thought many times, which is that I would have liked to see what the girls would have been like if they had not spent the first part of their life in a puppy mill. I wonder how different their personalities would be. But, it sounds like there is hope. It will be interesting to see how they change as the months and years go by.

Nigel’s doctor visit

two shih tzus lying on a couch.When Nigel and I walked out of the bedroom door this morning, he seemed dejected. I think it is because the girls don’t yet ask him to join in their morning “reindeer games.” He doesn’t understand that their prancing around is their way of greeting me, and that it does not signal that they want to play with him.

Delores from BFF Rescue picked Nigel up at 10 a.m. to take him to his vet appointment at Clear Creek Animal Hospital. Dr. Lindsey said his stitches from his hernia surgery have healed nicely. She noted that he has a small cough, probably from getting over pneumonia. She also said he has a small rash on his tummy, which could be from eating grains. I will need to experiment with his diet to see if it goes away.