I'm still alive!

So, just to update since it's been... well... quite a while now, I suppose.

I started juicing!  I have to say I LOVE it and how I feel overall since starting it.  WHY did I start it in the first place, you're wondering, right?  Well, I watched this documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead  and it really opened my eyes about what I've been putting into my body lately. The part that REALLY got to me was when I learned that Joe and the other guy both had auto-immune diseases.  Like me.  They showed a picture of the meds they took and named them off and I'm like.. "Hey, I take that too." So, I have now been juicing for 5 days (I think) and I feel pretty good.  I have found that if I eat anything of real substance... like say, a salad, I will be munchy-hungry the rest of the day.  So I'm better off fighting that desire for something to chew and sticking with just the juice instead. Today I didn't do too well and yesterday I didn't do so hot either so this week I really have to crack down on it.  Wednesday will be hard because I have to make a birthday cake for a meeting I'm going to and of course Valentine's Day is coming up too on Tuesday. Well, I guess I could reward myself by eating chocolate whenever I reach the goal I've set for myself.  When will that be?  I don't know how long but soon.

In other news, the pups are beginning to really grow up!  And I don't just mean physically!  When my kids and I go outside so they can get on the school  bus they always go with us.  When my oldest goes out to catch his, which is before the one comes for the littles, they go out with him.  He is highly annoyed by this and thinks they are attacking me... but if you know Bricker you understand.  They've also begun with the barking.  I mean SERIOUS barking.  The other day I drove up and someone was on a tractor behind our yard and a strange small beagle was with him (strange to me anyway). When the tractor turned off and the dude climbed down the dog, namely Copernicus, started in on his barking.  He perked up all over and looked so majestic standing there!  Then he crossed the creek and got a bit closer to whomever it was he was barking at, whether the man or the dog or the squirrels-I don't know, but as soon as the dude climbed back on the tractor and starter her up and drove off Copernicus relaxed his entire body and turned around, crossed the creek again and proceeded to flop back down on the patio which is normally how I always see him.

About a week ago I began looking at the dogs following us out to the bus more like they were going along with us as our bodyguards instead of just puppies.  I think it started when Bricker started walking out to the bus alone.  I would stand in the doorway watching... and then the pups would always trot down there to where he was.  As soon as he got on the bus they walked back up to the house.

I think they know what they're doing.

Also, after I put the 3 youngers on their bus (and yes, the dogs are with us down there), I ALWAYS walk back to the front door, go in, walk through to the back door and go feed the puppies.  Around the same time all this with Bricker started going down.. or I started NOTICING it anyway, I also started watching them when I walked in the house.  In the beginning, Zeta would paw at the front door after I went in... wanting me to come back out or me to let her in. But now she watches ME and when she sees me open the back door she and Copernicus run around to the back door so they can see me again and so they can eat.  I know, I know... ANY dog can learn that!  Sure...  I agree. But I still think they're smart.

Case in point- I started working more with them lately on some simple commands. One I've been REALLY wanting to teach them was "WAIT". I take a treat and hold it in my hand right in front of their face and every time they start to nab it I say the command and they stop.  If they touch me I voice my disapproval and they back off.  Then, I use the "GET IT" command when they are allowed to have the treat.  I am getting closer and closer to their faces with this exercise each day I work on it and they've pretty much gotten it down, but I want to get them REALLY good at it, meaning that I want to be able to sit the treat on their nose and them not move until I give the "GET IT" command.

After we finish that fun exercise I then tell them "GO EAT" and they move on to their food dish.

It's all about repetition, really.  They're doing great and I'm having fun teaching them things.

One "problem" I need to break them of is that they LOVE to play with the cats.  Zeta in particular.  When I say "play" I mean pin them down on the ground with oh, say, her mouth around their head or throat.

MMyeah.  So... even though she never HURTS them... I still don't believe it's a good habit of play because what happens when I have goat babies or chickens? Not a pleasant thought.

We had to buy new collars for them recently too.  The martingales (see the collar pic) we got when

Martingale Collar

they were babies were so tight around their necks that I had to literally cut them off! Anyway, so the new ones are made for LARGE dogs and have metal locking clasps.  It was a bit difficult to get their dog tags on them but The Dude is strong and able!!!  So now they have nice, bright, easy-to-see collars which aren't covered up but all the hair....

Speaking of hair, they need a good brushing out.  But honestly, every time I think about doing it they go and run through some wet, black soot from the burn pile or go run through some Alabama mud somewhere.  Another day, perhaps.  Too cold anyhow.

Anyone planting yet?  Starting seeds?  I bought a LOT of seeds recently as well as my potato and onions to plant.  We've decided to plant them on our "farm" as opposed to here where we're living.  Why not?  We have the land... shouldn't we use it?  Absolutely! So maybe when it warms up just a TAD we will get over there and clear a spot and till it just a bit and get these babies in the ground.  I'm SO ready for Spring!

The beginning...

Did I already write a post titled that?  Ah, no matter.  For this feels like it really IS the beginning.  Beginning of what, you ask?  Life with animals.

A number of things have happened since my last post.  I learned that the puppies would be pickable-upable on the 6th of this month and because we wanted all of us to go so we could all tour the farm there we were going to wait until the following Saturday.  So this past Saturday we had a full day of work planned. The main thing being to finish the dog house.  So imagine our surprise when I got a phone call that morning saying we could come pick up the pups today if we wanted to.

!!!

!!!!!!!!!


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

??  This kinda threw our day for a curve.. (huh? did that make sense?)  Anyway, I of course, wanted to go pick them up so we loaded everyone up in the truck and headed off to the farm to get them.  There were only 2 boys in the litter of 9 and we picked the only one with badger markings.  We told them we had wanted a white female but there were so many it took us forever to pick one out.  The Dude had one picked up but I was a bit afraid of her because she seemed so spooked.  But she was keeping herself separate from the other puppies almost as if to say...."Here I am.  Pick me!  Pick me!  The one over here!"  So I went ahead and took her too.  :o)  We figured if we loved her enough she'd snap out of it.  So we picked them out, they got the worm meds and first immunizations (did you know i canNOT say that word?) and then we toured the farm and checked out all the goats and headed for home.

We had taken this huge rubber-brand name tub and put chux pads in the bottom in the back of the truck for them to lay in but I wanted to hold one on the way home. One of the boys held the girl and I held the boy.  One chux was under the boy on my lap and the other started out under the female.  Then kid #2 put it in the floor.  Well.... long story short the female got car sick and although most of it was caught by the chux laying in the floor, quite a bit landed on the beforementionedkid.  He was now pretty grossed out by it.



We unloaded and set the puppies down.  The female (Her name is now Zeta.) went under the truck and could not be persuaded out.  Even with dog food.  The boy (His name is now Copernicus.) went somewhere... I don't remember where.  Anyway...  The Dude and The Before Mentioned Kid and I (though I did very little) finished building the dog house so they'd have a place to sleep, although at this point I'm sure we'd have all let them sleep inside with us.  Later on we gave them both a bath in the mop sink (I used heavily diluted Dr. Bronners Lavender Castile Soap) and used the hair dryer to dry them off.  Then we all sat in front of the gas heater taking turns petting and brushing the puppies.  Sadly at some point it was time to put them down for bed.  I think around this time The Dude and I were still finishing the inside of the dogs house.  We put some scrap carpet down in the floor (Or HE did rather.) and some rugs and some old shirts in there for them to snuggle with.  We stayed in there with them for a while... just making sure they were nice and snuggled down for the night and plus because we wanted to keep petting them.

Copernicus...

Zeta...




















Before then and since then a number of things have occurred. (hey, it's my blog I can talk how I want and not make sense if I don't want to. and not capitalize either.) Several days ago a stray dog  showed up here and hasn't left.  I've posted pictures of him and tried to give him away and he's just not going.  So he now has a collar and a home apparently. He is maybe part husky though I really don't have any idea.  He seems to be really smart but that kid is ENERGETIC!  And he's eating all the food and making it known to the puppies that he is the alpha.  The head honcho.  De Boss.  I have been concerned that this will continue and only get worse until the pups are big enough themselves to where they can easily intimidate the other dog and thereby prove their dominance.  Also, at first it seemed Zeta might be the more dominant of the pups, but since then I have seen small glimpses or Copernicus coming out of his shell.  For instance, yesterday the black dog (the kids named him Attila.) bullying her.  Going up to her and nudging her with his flanks or his nose.  This is how they show their dominance.  Well, Copernicus (smart dog!) saw it and went over to her and laid his head down over hers and put his paw over her obviously in protection.  Then today I rescued "Perny" from a corner trapped behind some stuff and when I took him out Zeta ran over and started rough-housing and playing with him.  (I forgot to note that anytime I talk to the puppies Attila runs over to where I am and shoves them out of the way and wants all the attention.) Attila came over and started bullying and I heard Copernicus growl at him.  At first I thought it was Attila but then I heard it again and saw Perny clamp down on his neck a few times.  This is proving his dominance.  When training a dog (according to some online research) you can pinch them on the neck mimicking what their mother would do when they were being bad, thereby showing them Oh no you don't!

This is their dog house..very nice and cozy inside...carpet on the floor and everything!  Needs a bit more trim work and paint but it's basically done.  The Dude Done Did Good!

So let's recap a little.
I was worried about Attila maintaining dominance over the pups for so long it would remain later even after the pups grew full sized.  However on day 3 Copernicus has already been showing some signs of establishing his dominance over the pup pack.

Oh, did I mention he's only 5 weeks old?

Yes.  Seriously.

Every day I am noticing they are more relaxed and at ease where they are.  Last night I watched them come out of their house and start wrestling with each other.  Then they went potty and walked around and explored for a while.  When I went to feed them this morning, they saw me come through the door of their house and they jumped up and ran over to me.  They wanted some snuggles and love! (no, they didn't just want food.  They still had some in their dish.  I know you were thinking it!) After I gave them some love I went to get their water and when I came back they were out nosing around here and there.  A while after I finally came back inside I peeked out through the kitchen widow and saw them chasing Attila and exploring some more.



I think they're happy here. :o)

Notes on training:
I worked with them a little bit with the "sit" command and rewarded them for what they did.  I also rewarded Copernicus for showing his dominance over Attila today.  It's one thing for dogs and puppies to want attention from humans but it's another to bully other animals into believing they're the boss.  He does it to me too and today he was biting me and biting Muffin and jumping all over her and me.  I've been working with him on the "sit" command also and rewarding him too.  When he's up close to me he will obey but if he starts to get up and I tell him again he won't do it.  And he never obeys when he's not right in front of me.  He just has so much energy and wants to boss everyone else around.  I might have to put our babies on hold until I get him under control.

I am still learning as I go but it's fun and I know it will be very rewarding when they will obey and do the things they're asked to do.

OH!  I forgot another time that Copernicus growled at Attila when he was jumping all over me and ran over to me when I started yelling at him (Attila).  He did the same thing when the Attila was jumping all over Muffin.

I think he's going to be okay. :o)

Now if I could keep his paw out of his collar I'D be okay!

Until next time...more pics and video to come. <3