Dogs and Cats

Jenny and Béla have been hanging out alot closer to each other lately. I keep hoping for the day when they are found snuggling together somewhere, but even if that never happens, the peace in the house between them is all I could really ask for. They still play chase, but it is a mutual play chase.

Hanging out closer in the kitchen

I woke up one morning to both of them laying by me!

FIRST time Béla has sat on my lap (willingly) with Jenny on the couch at the same time

Improvement with Guests
I was so proud of how Jenny acted when Terry and Nancy came over last weekend. I talked to them beforehand and asked them both to ignore her when they came in the house and just allow Jenny to bark for a minute and just watch them. When Jenny started to approach them, I told them to not even look at her, but to drop some treats in her direction. We did that a few times and Jenny started to come near them more and more. By the end of the night Jenny allowed them to pet her. I could see that she was still a little cautious towards them, but what an improvement from her growling last time! I am going to continue this approach and see how it goes. Letting her meet people at her own pace and associating guests with good things (treats) seems to be the way to go!

End of the night pets from Nancy....no growling!

Random Pictures

Being silly with mom

Sunbathing on a nice Saturday

Enjoying the sun...

Jenny stealing Béla's spot!

Sleepy....

"Sometimes I like to rock one ear up!"

How we feel about 5am weekday alarm clocks!

Nail Trimming

It does not sound like an exciting topic, but when you see what it took to finally get her nails trimmed this weekend you'll understand why I am writing today.

The last two times we went to the groomer, Jenny put up quite a fight. The first time we ever went, the groomer was lightning fast with clipping nails and was able to do it  without incident. I could tell Jenny wasn't happy, but we were able to get the job done.

The second time had Jenny almost biting the super nice lady. Jenny was NOT a happy camper! Oh, and to show her displeasure with the whole nail trimming situation, Jenny decided to pee all over me while I was holding her. Thankfully I am not grossed out by that kind of stuff... but I have to admit, it was an uncomfortable drive home. 

Over the next few weeks I tried to get her used to nail clippers to do it myself, but she was way too squirmy. Plus, her nails are black, which makes it very hard to see the quick (the part that can be painful and bleed when cut.)

So, this weekend I knew it was going to be a fiasco at the groomer. The groomer we were going to is inside of our local pet store Centinela. I absolutely love it there. They do not sell any live animals and the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They even carry my kitty litter out to my car every time I need a refill! The groomer is super sweet, but as soon as we turned the corner to head towards the grooming area, Jenny started to pull away and look at me with her "NO WAY AM I GOING IN THERE!" eyes. She put up such a  fight with me and the groomer that the groomer had to tell me that she would not be able to trim Jenny's nails.

I completely understood considering the way Jenny was acting.

Luckily I had a plan B - the vet. Sure it was almost twice as much money, but I was willing to pay anything at this point to get those sharp talons cut!

When I brought her in, they took her to the back. When I noticed it was taking a long time, I knew something was up. After a few more minutes, the vet emerged and said, "Three people.
One to hold her in a blanket,
one to pet her and talk to her,
and one to trim her nails.
But we got it done!"

Three people! Wow!

Random Things
She is starting to act very playful when she encounters 2 dogs that she sees a lot on walks (Leftie and Sasha.) I guess she is getting used to them! Today Leftie's mom said, "I'll take playful Jenny over fearful Jenny any day!"

She started to kick grass after she goes to the bathroom on walks as if to try to cover it up. I'm glad we don't have grass in the backyard!

The last 2 days she barked a few barks at me when I got home from work. I am not sure if this is her way of saying hello now, or complaining about me being gone, or what. She definitely has been getting more vocal in the house when she feels threatened by something outside. Sometimes she will sense someone outside long before we even see them. She still barks sometimes in the backyard if she hears/smells something strange to her.

When I get home from work and let Béla downstairs, Jenny's first order of business is doing "inventory" of any sweet potato chews that might be around. She then frantically walks around with it, looking for a place (usually upstairs in our bed) to hide it.

She was not happy with our friends Terry and Nancy who came over the other night. I was surprised since she has seen them quite a few times already. She barked when they came in and continued to growl at Nancy throughout the night. I think part of it was that Nancy was staring at her, which is a trigger for fearful dogs. Hopefully next time it will go a little better with them. 

A Few Pictures

On "Home Base" in the kitchen

"I don't want to get up this early!"

My favorite time of the day....

She loves her Aunt Christine!

My SoulSister came from South Carolina to visit this weekend and Jenny was AWESOME with her! She only barked for a few seconds when Christine first came in the door, let Christine pet her right away, and then within a few hours she was on Christine's lap!!!
She also barked at Christine for a few seconds in the morning when Christine came downstairs ( I guess she forgot Christine was still here?) but overall she was very welcoming to her aunt! I am certain that she could sense that Christine is an animal lover. I was so proud of Jenny!

LOVE!

"I can tell this is Mommy's special friend!"

We've given in....
Before we got a dog, we talked about how we would allow a dog to sleep on the bed with us as long as it was on TOP of the blankets. Well, Jenny has been trying to sneak under the blankets for the past month or so. Every time she would sneak under, I'd put her on her nice soft blanket and cover her up.

Her blanket is softer than my own!

But....
over the past week....
she has been quite sneaky....
and quite snuggly......
and has been getting away with sleeping under the blankets!

She usually snuggles up right next to me, but last night she was all the way at the bottom of the bed by my feet (weirdo!)

This is a picture of her emerging this morning from under the blankets...

"I win!!!"

Thankfully it barely rains in Southern California...

...because this little Diva does not like going out in the rain!

When it is wet out in the backyard she will stand by the open back door (with me outside trying to coax her out) as if to say, "Ummm.....no."

The other day it was actually raining a bit (which is rare here) and she once again did not want to go out. So, I grabbed her raincoat and least made her misery a little bit drier. Sadly, the hood is too big so I didn't get a pic of her with the hood on. 

 

Three B's

Bathtime
Today was bath day!
She does not seem to really enjoy baths, but there is definitely an amazing trust that I feel from her when I am giving her a bath. She tries to jump out of the tub if I sit on the outside and try to bathe her, so I now put on shorts and a tank top, close the shower doors, and go in with her. She always looks at me with a face that says, "This really kinda sucks, but I trust you mom..."

"I got some water on my nose"

"I can't wait to get out!"

"Yay! We are almost DONE!"

Bully
Jenny's new nickname with me and Craig is "Bully."
I don't think she is purposely being a  bully, per say.....I think it is more of a Napoleon Complex because of her size. I first noticed it with our friend's dog Maybe when she came over to play. Jenny was definitely trying to make it known to Maybe that she could be tough even though she is small (growling with even a little tiff between the two.) I blew it off as her just not being ready to play with a dog who is significantly larger than her.

She used to be able to play nicely off-leash with Molly next door. (Molly is just a tiny bit bigger then Jenny.) But, the past few times we have gone over there, Jenny has been a little too rough. She has been growling and biting at Molly's neck. This is normal play behavior for dogs if it is reciprocal. Sadly, Molly wants no part of it and now acts a bit fearful towards Jenny :(
We even tried with Gremlin up the street. She is about Molly's size - just a wee bit larger then Jenny. Same thing - growling and biting at Gremlin's neck and back while Gremlin's reaction was like, "WTF...get away from me!"

I have to admit, I was sad about it at first, but I am trying hard to remember that it is not the end of the world if Jenny cannot play well with others.  If Jenny does not seem to want to play with another dog, who am I to force her to just because I am friends with the other dog's owner and *I* would like them to get along?

I can't force it, but I will keep trying to socialize her more and work on her play behavior.

I read about trying "time outs" whenever bullying behavior starts. I may have to try that. I'd also like to have her play with a dog her size or smaller and see how she does. I wonder if she would play differently?

Béla
My friend sent me this video, which I have seen about 5 times already. It totally reminds me of how Jenny is was with Béla...

Jenny has gotten MUCH better and BRAVER about passing our cat on the stairs and in the hallway. At times, I still do have to "save" Jenny if I hear her whining. Usually that involves Béla blocking Jenny by the back door. I remember during the first 2 months trying to teach Jenny how to 'hug the wall' to pass Béla or just charge and run quickly pass her. I must say I notice a huge difference from those first few months!

A Few Pictures...

"What do you mean I wasn't picked for the Puppy Bowl? I'm not THAT much of a bully!"

Comfy blankets...never again on a cold concrete shelter floor

"Here comes the sun..."

Who's your Daddy.....and Momma?

I have always been a dog breed geek.

Ever since I was a kid I loved to learn about different dog breeds by reading books and watching dog shows. I still love trying to guess the breeds of dogs I see (I even shocked myself by recently being able to identify a Vizsla and Bedlington Terrier out on walks.)

Looks like a little lamb....Bedlington Terrier

So, when I got Jenny, of course I was curious to know for sure what breeds she was made up of. I was told that she was a Chihuahua mix at first. I assumed that due to her coloring and long body that she must also have some Dachshund in her as well. Plus, she loves to dig, which is a huge personality trait for a dachshund! So, we started calling her a "Chiweenie" which apparently is the true name of a Chi-Doxie mix.

I figured....Chiweenie for sure!

I was excited to find out that there actually was a dog DNA test to check for breeds.

At first I was skeptical. I assumed that I would have to send a picture and that got me thinking, "Well, they can just guess by the picture!"

Once I read the reviews and found out that you did NOT need to send in a picture, simply a DNA swab sample from your dog's saliva, I knew I needed to buy this! I chose the Wisdom Panel 2.0 and must say it was worth every penny!

Jenny and her "Who's Your Daddy" kit

The swabs drying off before send-off....

It was a super-simple process - all I had to do was use the little brushes to swab the inside of Jenny's cheek, put them back in the box, and send them off. The box was received by Wisdom Panel on January 10 and I had results on January 30. (I think it normally takes even less time. We received an email that results would be delayed due to high volume after Christmas and other issues such as severe weather.)

I was pretty surprised when I found out that she was NOT a Chi-Weenie!

It turns out that she is a Chihuahua and Cardigan Welsh Corgi Mix (known as a Chigi!)

(I did not send her pic until AFTER the results were sent to me. They asked for it to put it on this certificate.)

The following picture shows the POSSIBLE breeds that are on her Corgi Mix side.  

I believe she does have some Manchester Terrier in her, but do not see any visible traits of the other dogs listed. That's why I like to think of her as a Chi-Corgi-Manchester Terrier mix.

Jenny = Chi + Corgi  with some  Manchester Terrier

 It was truly fascinating for me to be able to find this out, not only for my own geeky dog breed curiosity, but also for Jenny's health reasons. It is good to know what disorders are common in certain breeds so that you can look out for them and be prepared. It is also excellent for training to know certain behavior characteristics that are common in particular breeds.

I knew the Chi part of her was what made her wary of strangers, but now I know that the Corgi part attributes to that as well. I now also understand that both sides of her family attribute to her difficulty with playing nicely with dogs who are even slightly larger than her.

I have to add that Wisdom Panel's customer service is excellent. I gave them a call today to ask if there was any way for them to tell if the Manchester Terrier in her was a Toy Manchester or Standard Manchester (yes, I'm that geeky about it.) They offered to run her DNA again just to look for those 2 breeds and within 30 minutes I had an email, explanation, and a graph. The results showed that Jenny’s blue dot does not seem to be grouping with either green (Toy) or red (full-size) cluster in particular. This is most likely because the Manchester terrier was reported to be possibly in Jenny’s mix and not in her recent ancestry. Because they did not receive as strong of a signal from this breed originally, it is difficult to determine whether Jenny is more related to a Toy Manchester terrier or to a full-sized Manchester terrier.

I'm so glad I splurged on Wisdom Panel and HIGHLY recommend you trying it if you are interested in what breeds are in your dog!

So true...

Small Successes and Lessons Learned

Jenny learned how to "sit!!" 

It took about 2 days to really get her to start doing it. It is definitely still a work in progress (sometimes she sits for the 'touch' command,) but I am so proud of her!

We also started working on "shake" a few days ago and started to have a little bit of progress!

Redirect, Redirect, Redirect....

I am also seeing progress with her and Béla in the chasing department. I am trying hard to get Jenny to stop instigating a chase with Béla in the hallway if Béla is simply laying in the hall or just trying to walk pass Jenny to go into our bedroom. Jenny has been getting better about coming to me when I call her to redirect her before a chase can happen. I found that keeping a baggie of treats on my office desk really helps with this. Simply averting her attention away from Béla is usually enough to prevent a hallway chase.

Right now is a great example. I am sitting at my computer and Béla is laying in the hallway...

Jenny decides she wants to try to instigate a chase....

Then I call Jenny over with "Jenny, come!" and thankfully she turns and comes over....

....and then I take that opportunity to sneak in a practice of "sit"

"Note my wagging tail!"

"I forgot to watch my dog! I forgot to watch my dog!"

Remember the lesson from my last post with the rolled up newspaper?
Well, I am glad you do because apparently I already forgot it!

Jenny had been doing SO WELL with staying out of Béla's room. Even if I went in there to put clothes away or play with Béla, Jenny would just sit or stand by the door....

"I know I am not allowed in there!"

Well, the other day I let my guard down when I was downstairs and Jenny ran up. I continued what I was doing instead of monitoring her behavior. Normally Jenny will just go up and nap on our bed if she goes up without me, but I had a gut feeling *something* was going on the other night...

"Hey! There's a big comfy BED in here!"

I came upstairs and found Little Miss Jenny in Bela's room on her bed....with Bela sitting near the door staring at her as if to say, "WTF??!!!!!"

No, I did not buy my cat a huge bed....it is the bed leftover from when we had the greyhound. Béla really seemed to like it, so I kept it. Spoiled? Yes!)

 

 

"Seriously?! WTF?"

My lesson once again was learned - WATCH YOUR DOG if you want to prevent certain behaviors. Of course I wasn't mad at Jenny, just at me! She has tried to sneak in a few times since then. If I need to I will put the gate back up, but one thing is for sure - back to training on boundaries with that doorway.

People
Ending on a positive note, she let a man that she had never seen before approach and PET her yesterday!  Go Jenny!

Random pics...

"I am more fashionable than my mom!"

"Where's the squirrel??"

Nap time!

"Yes....I AM this cute!"