Slow week

It's been a slow week for Rainier. No dog parks. No long walks. No playing with other dogs. No strenuous physical activity. So, she stays at home and does silly things. She climbs on the bed when she is not supposed to. She runs around the house (small house I might add) like it is an acre big field. She takes shoes and every thing she can get her mouth on...

Snip... snip...

It's all done. For those of you expecting Newfie pups in the future... that's not happening.

When we got Rainier, we ran into a dilemma. She was not "fixed". With Shasta, we didn't really have to give it much thought... adoption dogs (and cats) from shelters and SPCA come spayed or neutered. Rainier was not from a shelter nor SPCA. Jessica and I had a discussion of whether to fix her or let her have a litter (or more). However, after some advice from a vet friend, we decided we were going to have her spayed. It was not an easy decision. But, besides spaying being the responsible decision, it was also a health reason. Apparently, dogs that were not spayed had a higher chance of getting breast cancer. Rainier, being a extra large breed dog, already had a shorter lifespan (about 10 years only), and increasing the chance of her having breast cancer, just didn't seem right.

So, today, we brought her in to get her fixed.

We were supposed to call at around 2pm to check on her and then pick her up between 3-5pm, depending on how she was doing. When we called, we were informed that she was fine and her tail was wagging, and that we should get her at 4pm. We expected a fully conscious dog at 4pm but what we got back was still a pretty drugged up dog.

Instructions were to let her get more rest. However, she had not eaten since 7pm last night. So, we got home and fed her... well, she usually eats standing up... not today.





She couldn't even bring herself to stand up... she ate her whole meal laying down... a very nutritious meal, I might add... some chicken liver stew mix that Jessica had created for her...

Going... going... gone

After a day of being a complete puppy (also read as being a punk!!)

She finally decides to calm down...

And put up this cute little face... the angel face, of which she was not, the entire day...
And then...
THREE...

TWO...

 

 ONE...

 

She's done being a puppy for the day.

What do dogs dream about?

I don't know. I don't think many of you dog owners know too... but it's just amusing watching them move like that when they sleep. Maybe it is just muscle spasms and nothing interesting is happening... who knows??

Chicken Liver treats recipe

Chicken Liver Poppers Treats

Chicken Liver Poppers Dog Treats

Before baking

Before baking

Makes Quantity: 60 bite-size poppers (poppers size quantity estimate is for extra large dog)


Bake Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes



1 lb. chicken liver
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil (olive oil is optional)


Puree liver with olive oil in food processor. Alternative, chop liver into fine bits, put the chopped liver into a big mixing bowl and add in the olive oil. Mix well.


Beat 2 large eggs in a small bowl.


Add in 1 cup of flour to the liver mixture. Mix until the flour coats the liver. Add in half of the eggs into the liver mixture. Mix well until you don’t see the eggs.


Add in remaining of the flour and eggs to the liver mixture. Mix well.


Preheat oven to 350F.


Lightly grease cookie sheet with unsalted butter or margarine.


Make little ball shape (chicken poppers size) with a spoon and put on the grease cookie sheet. You can make the size of the poppers according to the size of your dog. Note: smaller poppers will need shorter bake time around 15 - 20 minutes.


Bake in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Remove and flip poppers over. After flipping the poppers, put them back into the oven to bake for another 15 minutes. If your dog prefers them to be less brown, you can remove the poppers after 10 minutes. (Bake time of 15 minutes after flipping, should give a dark brown, crispy crunch).

And the finished product...

These poppers freeze well. You can freeze half of the baked poppers for up to 3 months. The remaining half can be stored in a tupperware or ziplock in the fridge for up to 1 month.


 Rainier loves these treats and she finishes them within 2 weeks. 

(These treats may not be suitable for all dogs. Please find out if your dog has any allergic reaction to the ingredients used before feeding it to her.)

Crate Training

Please note that this is not a certified training website. It is a personal blog.
Please note that we are not certified dog trainers. We are just sharing our experiences.
What might work for us may not necessarily work for you.

We have always felt that crate training is a very important part of the dogs training process. We have not treated crate training as a negative thing. Meaning, we do not use the crate as a form of punishment. In fact, when successful, the crate can be used as a place for the dog to have a "time-out" (kind of an act of punishment) OR it can be used as a place where they can "hide". Many experts feel that a crate satisfies the dog's (usually puppy's) need for a "den-like" enclosure. Something that caters to their wild instincts. We had found that crate training really worked for us to potty train Shasta and also to give him a place to hang out when either the house got too crowded with people or the people that visited didn't like dogs. But, we had Shasta from 8 weeks old and crate training him seemed almost too easy. Again, Rainier is 9 months old.

The first time we tried to put Rainier in the crate, it was her second day here. It was something short of impossible, trying to push an 85lb dog into the crate. There was food and treats in the crate but she just wouldn't go in. The second time... was impossible. She's a smart dog and the first experience didn't feel good to her. Plus, she had only been with us for 2 days.

So, after a week of totally not using the crate at all, we started feeding her in the crate. We would put her food bowl in the crate but just let her eat without bothering her. We didn't even watch her. Of course she seemed a little weary initially, but after less than 3 meals, she started getting comfortable. She would not go all the way into the crate but at times, she was 90% in. One of the reasons she might not have gone all the way in is that the crate is probably only just right in size for her, maybe a tad too small.
Then we started throwing treats into the crate. That seemed to work even better. She would go in and stay in.
Step 3 (if we could call it that?). She really likes the chicken liver treats that Jessica bakes for her. And Jessica would throw them into the crate, kind of lightly push her butt in and then lock the door. She would then continue feeding her the treats through the door. We worked from 5 mins and gradually increased to 20 mins.

Step 4. We then put cottage cheese, that was frozen in a "kong" like product, into the crate. At first, she would go in, take the "kong" out and then work on the thing outside. We then kind of lightly pushed her butt in again and then locked the door. It would usually take her anywhere between 30-45 minutes to finish the frozen cottage cheese. So, when we first did it, we would lock her in the crate for about 30 mins and that gradually increased to an hour. On at least 2 occasions, even after Jessica opened the door, she continued to lay in the crate, finishing her frozen treat.

(At this point, if it works without the dog whining/crying, you have most likely succeeded. However, you need to continue doing this for a few weeks. Consistency is key. Also, try not to let the dog out when they are whining/crying.)

Two nights ago, Rainier got into her crate, even when there were no treats in the crate... and she lay there. She didn't spend the night in the crate but she lay there... like it was her "safe" zone.

Rainier and Bebe at the park

Some of the posts are out of chronological sequence... just because I am trying to catch up. 3 days after we got Rainier, we made a trip down to Eugene. We got a chance to go to a dog park with Mark's dog, Bebe. Rainier and Bebe play really well. Here is a video clip. The only down side... our black and white Landseer is now... brown??

The problems

Rainier, as we have mentioned, is 9 months old.
When we had Shasta, he was 8 weeks old. There is a HUGE difference training a 8 week old and a 9 month old.... as we have discovered.

Rainier has/had several "outstanding" issues.

i) potty training

She was not exactly fully potty trained when we got her. So, in the first few days, she had several accidents in the house. Not unexpected, just sometimes inconvenient. She somehow loves our basement bedroom landing and has pee-ed there several times.

The funny thing about a Newfie/Landseer, they don't really eat very much. They eat about the same amount as a fully grown Lab would... but they drink like fish!!! The amount of water she drinks would be almost triple what Shasta used to drink. So, they pee a lot.
Fortunately, this problem seems to be under control... for now.

ii) jumping/pouncing

As with any dog her age, she gets excited when she meets people. She is a very people-loving person... and I guess she has never been trained not to jump, as a greeting. Which is very unfortunate, not to mention DANGEROUS. She is 85lbs and when she jumps on me, her front paws actually come up to just between my chest and shoulders!! She has knocked over an old lady at the park and thankfully, that's been the only incident so far. We are very aware of this characteristic and have been working on it. As you might imagine, Rainier doesn't quite know how big she is. So far, I think we have made progress that might give us an "F" grade...

iii) mouthy

No, not like she barks all the time. But more like she bites all the time. She has a rather soft mouth and her teeth are dull. So, it is not like it is extremely dangerous nor painful. However, she likes biting. The vet did mention that she has all her teeth fully grown, so, we are actually not too sure where the problem is. Also an "F" grade on this.

iv) commands

I'm not sure if the only thing she knew when we got her was "sit". She looked at us with a puzzled look whenever we said anything else. The Russian lady told us her name was Oreo, but she didn't respond to that either... ???? So, here's some progress. After 3 and a half weeks, she now recognizes her name as Rainier. She will respond to Rainier!! She does sit, lay down, stay, leave it, come here... all pretty well when NOT DISTRACTED. When she is distracted, like at the dog park, all bets are off.  I would give an "A" grade on this, but since we still have not succeeded in getting her to "come here" at a dog park... I put it as a "C", "C+"...

v) walking on leash (let's not even go to walking off leash yet)
Again, let the "commands" section above, when not distracted, she actually walks pretty well on leash. When distracted, again, all bets are off. She has stopped pulling as much on a short leash. She still tends to pull a little more on a loose leash.

vi) crate training

I am going to dedicate another post just to this portion. But, "A"!!! When we first got her, she refused to go into the crate. Last night, she voluntarily went to sleep in her crate!!! Jessica's proudest moment since we got Rainier.

Food? Maybe...

Rainier is just not that food motivated... which sometimes makes training a little tougher.
In this video we took at a friends backyard, the food is long gone from the dispenser, but.... ????????

I love the kitchen...

up until we decided to put a carpet on the kitchen floor...

I think this dog is related to the polar bear. She likes the kitchen because it is tiled and the floor is cold. The rest of the house is either hardwood or carpet.

Nap time

She is truly 9 months old.
She has the energy of a kid.
And, whoever had her before us, pretty much never trained her.
Like the vet assistant said, Rainier needs to learn some manners.
We are trying to train her... slowly... but training a 9 week old puppy that is 1/4 her weight is so much easier than training a 85lb 9 month old "puppy"...

Wind in my face

 

Wind is edible...???

Rainier says Hi!

Meet Rainier!!
The newest addition to our family.
Rainier is a Landseer. Many kennel clubs consider this breed to be the black and white version of the Newfoundland Dog.

The Newfoundland, or Newfies as they are often referred to, has long been my favorite dog. We have always discussed getting a Newfie. However, there were several reasons why we never got one. First, with the great number of abandoned dogs in shelters, it seemed really irresponsible to go out and buy a dog. And these dogs are not small. It would be difficult to keep them in a small place. We even talked about getting one while in Singapore, but that would be very cruel. These dogs love the cold, they have a double coat and even with MY single coat (some would say I have more than a single coat), the weather was intolerable for me in Singapore. The dog would suffer in Singapore. So, we never got one... till now!!

On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, Jessica asked me if I wanted a Newfie. It surprised me because we really weren't planning on getting another dog till a little later on, when either Jessica's business picked up or when I found a job.

Well, apparently, there was an ad on craigslist where the owner was giving up her Newfie... well, for $200. Jessica had emailed her and she had actually called back. First step in verifying that this was not a scam. The lady said that she had a 9mth old Newfie and that she had only had the dog for 1 week, however, her son was allergic to the dog and she needed to get rid of the dog. The lady also said that it was a purebred Newfie, she had some papers from the breeder and that she needed to get rid of the dog ASAP. However, the lady said that there was someone else who had replied before us and that we were second in line. That seemed to be the end of the story.

A few hours later, the lady called back and said that the people ahead of us couldn't make it to see the dog. And therefore, we now moved to first in line. However, everything that happened after this point failed to convince me that this was still not a scam. The lady wanted to meet us in less than half an hour at the Costco in Tacoma. Tacoma is at least a half hour drive from our home, if not more, especially during rush hour... it was 6pm. We managed to get to Costco by about 6:45pm. The lady arrived at near 7pm and there came this clumsy but extremely friendly Landseer. The lady had A PIECE of paper saying that this dog came from some breeder in the midwest, but anyone could have printed that piece of paper on their home computer. The lady was Russian with such a strong accent, we couldn't even figure out what the dog's name was. Apparently, she had 7 children and one of them is very allergic to the dog. So, she had to give up the dog. Well, I took the dog for a short walk while Jessica discussed the details of the dog with her. And 10 mins and $200 later, we had adopted OREO. Everything happened so fast, we had to run into Costco to get dog food. We had other stuff left over from when we had Shasta, however, we had no food.

Well, unfortunately, the name OREO just didn't seem to work for us... so, she is now Rainier.

On February 22, 2012, we brought her to the vet bright and early next morning and found out that Rainier was not microchipped nor spayed. Well, honestly, I am still not fully convinced today that she was not stolen/found and sold to us by that Russian lady. However, since we weren't able to find the real owner, should this really be the case, Rainier is now part of our family.