At home this week

I am at home this week. My dog seems to enjoy my company and in fact has even been behaving better. He hasn't been pulling on his leash and will actually play fetch with me (Opposed to me throwing it and him not bringing it back.) Right now he is curled up in his nest with a blanket over him. He still sleeps the majority of the day but, I think he likes the companionship.

Why own a dog?

Dog's seem to take up a lot of time and money, why would anyone want one? As a dog owner I rarely think of this question but when I try to go on vacation my dog seems more of a burden then a blessing. It is hard to find someone who will watch your dog for you while you are gone and there is hardly ever a place you can take your dog with you when you are going on vacation. As you call all your friends and family you hear various reasons why they can't take your dog. Some of the excuses being that the landlord doesn't allow dogs, I have to work during the day, I have a lot of expensive items in my house he will ruin, he might go to the bathroom in the house, etc. Hearing all these reasons for why someone cannot take a dog for two days makes me wonder how I have owned my dog for 2 years and hardly ever think of him as a problem. Owning a dog has been a great experience for me. When I come home he is waiting patiently for me, tail wagging. When I need to go for a walk to ponder the day, he is ready, leash in mouth. When I need to feel a sense of accomplishment I can run through the tricks I have taught him. When I need a smile, he has always found a way to brighten my day. So despite the money, despite the rare occasion when he tears up a plastic bag or some paper, or when he had an accident, I still love owning a dog.

Home Alone

Just got home at 6, after leaving puppy wilson home all day. He doesn't seem to mind staying at home, in fact I think he is adapting to it. When I stay home he sleeps from 8am - 3pm. Napping on and off, getting up only for a drink or a nibble on food. then at around 5 he gets really excited and hyper, as if he is waiting for something. Researching to find cues for depression in dog's in case it is something I need to work on. Some other behaviors I have noticed, is increased dependance on me when I am around and acting a little rambunctious when playing together. He is getting to need to sit on my lap when I am home, which is a pain because I use a laptop for homework. Will have to keep an eye on little Wilson, he can't talk so it is important to take clues from him.

Dog Park

Just got back from the dog park. Wilson had a great time. He loves to be chased by other dogs and will get a train of about five dogs chasing him around. For his size he is quite fast, but even still he does get caught and almost always gets hurt. Whether he just gets stepped on or gets a nip on his back from a riled up dog, he immediately stops and comes to me. He won't even look at another dog after that, just sit between my legs as if he needs protecting. Is it bad for my dog to be this sensitive? I assume he just got knocked down a few pegs on the dog totem pole and instead of climbing back up he just wants to leave and retry again another day. I'll have to read into that a little more.

My Puppy

My puppy Wilson. Even though he has been in my family for almost two years now, I still consider him a puppy. He kept a lot of the same features as he had when he was young. Big eyes, big head, short snout. He also kept a lot of behaviors I would like to have had him forget.

After spending a full day with Wilson I realized he is still quite a baby. He sleeps the majority of the day, but needs to be on my lap to sleep. He lets me know when he wants to go outside, but cries when he doesn't get his way. He will bring me his food bowl when he is hungry, but doesn't realize his bowl still full of food or water before picking it up.

Seems like no matter what he learns there is a puppy trait to go along with it. Is there give and take while he grows up or should I try and eradicate those puppy traits early to stop them from happening.

Discipline

I do not have the most disciplined dog in the world, so I am not going to write about the proper way to discipline your dog. I have however, been around a lot of dog owner's and their dogs. I notice each person has a different level of patience and each dog has a certain level of obedience.

I was at the dog park last weekend with Wilson, my dog. Wilson goes crazy when he knows we are near the dog park. He starts whining and tugs on the leash, runs around back and forth trying to work more slack. He pulls so hard he starts choking himself. To fix this I shorten the leash on him, and it works really well. I noticed, coming from a different path, a man and his dog. The dog seemed very well trained and didn't get within three inches of the man. Every 3 steps the man would instruct his dog to sit and wait. I was impressed at the obedience of the dog considering how close they were to the dog park fences. As I got closer I realized the man was giving his command, and the dog was not listening at all. The man would say sit and the dog would ignore, they only time the dog would listen was when the man would twist the dog's ear. I thought how painful that must be to get an immediate reaction out of the dog. The man did it several times, the dog was not really obedient just getting tortured. I think that is going overboard, especially the amount of times I saw him do it.

That being said I am sure he did not see any problem with what he was doing. Certain people don't see that as punishment but as conditioning.

After that incident I kept a close eye on the other owner's interactions with there dog's or even other people's dogs. I was surprised to see a different reaction out of each of them for the same common behavior. Dog's like to jump up on peoples leg's. Mine does it a lot, in fact I think I encourage mine too. I call them Wilson hug's and scratch his back and give him a lot of attention for doing so. But some people really get offended to a dog jumping up on them. I saw people push them off, yell at them, yell for the dog's owner, hit the dog, and even kick the dog. I was surprised how one common behavior was treated so differently. The reaction to the behavior shows the level of discipline they show their own dog. From going soft on them, to the extreme.

In this long ramble I figure there is a point to be made. I think we forget that our dog's have feelings and we need to treat them a little nicer. They have the mind set of being in a pack, somewhere they belong. I feel hitting them or treating them badly is mentally damaging and makes them feel like a prisoner versus a member of the pack. Treat your dog right.

Choosing Your New Family Member

When you decide to bring a dog into your family, there are many things to consider. One of the most crucial is the type of dog you select. It is very important to do your research because a dog is a big commitment to make and choosing the wrong one will cause much unneeded stress in your life.

The first step in dog selection is to be open. Be prepared to have a list of 5 or 6 dog breeds to choose from and then weigh their pro's and con's against each other. Some dog's are better with children, some do not require as much attention, etc.

Size doesn't matter a whole lot, smaller dog's are a lot easier to manage in smaller spaces. Exercise is key to any dog so be prepared to take your dog outside a lot. I think it is possible to have a bigger dog in a smaller space with the correct amount of daily activity.

Hair length is another factor to keep in mind. Grooming, house cleaning, and allergies are just some of the nightmares a shedding long haired dog can bring. Some dogs need to be bathed often and some require almost no bathes (just a wet rag over their fur).

Certain dog's have certain health characteristics to look out for (for example some breeds are more prone to hip displasia then others.) Be sure to do your research on this before choosing.

The reason I stress research on choosing your pet is because a lot of people get a dog without considering the commitment they have gotten into. I would hate for someone to pick an animal and after a year drop him off at a shelter. Be as sure as you can with your dog choice because they will be with you for over 10 years.

Introductory Paragraph

This is blog is about dogs, but before I start I think I should share a little about myself.

I was born in East Meadows, New York, were I lived for the majority of my life with my father and siblings. During my 10th year of schooling my mother gained custody and we all moved to Idaho. I have lived here ever since.

I live with my girlfriend Shauna and my dog Wilson.

I work in an auto shop full time and I find it stressful at times because I am learning as I go. Sometimes I get into a project and realize I am over my head a little. I also do air national guard weekends once a month.

Weekdays are very busy for me and I enjoy my weekends. On weekends I spend time with my girlfriend and dog, usually at the dog park and more recently at Camel Back Park. I spend my weekend nights with my friends downtown.

To go over it once more I am going to break it down into a list:

1. Born in New York

2. Have brothers and sisters

3. Lived in Idaho since 10th grade

4. Live with G/F Shauna and Dog Wilson

5. Work at an auto shop and for the Air National Guard

To complete the assignment I must add 20 more random things about myself.

6. Listen to Rage Against the Machine (a lot)

7. Favorite candy bar is a butterfinger

8. Hate bike riding

9. The only television show I watch regularly is House

10. I like to be organized and on time

11. Do not know how to 10 key

12. Never seen a movie in the Terminator Series

13. Not allergic to dairy

14. Have held a job at McDonalds once before

15. Am at least 21

16. Enjoy mornings more if they start with coffee

17. Never broken a bone (and I was hit by a car last week)

18. I do not wear sandals

19. Sleep with a light on

20. Have sold plasma for gas money

21. Like to play first person shooter games

22. Miss living by the beach

23. Favorite pen color is red

24. Like to be colder then warmer

25. Never owned a pair of shoes with blinking lights