Dog Park & Collar :)

We spent the evening at the doggie park :) I needed to cheer myself... I mean Charlie... up after a horrendous trip to the pet store (more anxiety issues to put it mildly!). So we made friends at the park... there were 3 great danes that loooved Charlie...

This crowd makes Madison look tiny!! Everyone was friendly though :) 

The love wasn't quite mutual! He found a little malti-mix that was more his size to play chase with!

Here are pictures of Charlie and his big kid collar! I had to find it under his new fluff! I'm so happy his hair is getting long! Charlie sat patiently (for the most part) while I snapped pics trying to get the color to show... its darker in real life! Almost the same as his copper points!

What do you mean they can't see the collar?

 

How about now!

Get my good side!

"Agggggh NO MORE PHOTOS Mom!!!! They get it! I'm cute... new collar... blah blah!!"

 oh Charlie...

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

Tonight all of the kids in the neighborhood were playing... all of a sudden in addition to the hundred kids there was an impromtu puppy play date in my front yard with Madison, Charlie, the neighbor's 2 Jack Russels, and Zoe, a 5 mo lab pup! All puppies were having a blast running barking chasing etc etc :) Zoe is 1 week younger than Charlie and she weighs in at a whopping 47 pounds!!!!!! Charlie is a meager 14!! Although I did measure him and he is almost 16in at the shoulder :)

Cut to the chase... the reason for our post is because *out of the blue* Charlie let TWO count em TWO men he had never met before pet him!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no idea how it happened  or why but who cares I'm so proud of little nubs!

He was also the only doggie (besides Madison of course) that was an ANGEL with recall and sit stay whenever a car creeped by!

I am SO PROUD of Charlie :)"mom said it was hard to find a crown that fit my ears..."

Update

I decided it was time to catch up on all the issues that I've been neglecting here...

1. Charlie and I are still looking for a job in Ithaca... we miss Beau!!!

2. Charlie is still fearful :( I am working very hard to take him at least one place a day. We frequent the pet store and pick up my little brother from school (WHOA kids!). I take him for a hot dog and cheese walk in the neighborhood every day because the meer sound of cars people and garage doors makes him anxious! The walks are getting a little easier, and he doesn't bark/growl when people approach him. He just runs to the end of the leash which is still frustrating.

On the upside my parents have people over quite often and this is great for Charlie, most of the neighbors even welcome him to their house if we go for dinner or a playdate. I've found that asking strangers to ignore Charlie and occasionally toss him a scrap of food (without making eye contact or talking to him) that he warms up really fast! Maybe people ignoring him makes them less threatening? After a few well placed scraps Charlie is sniffing legs and after about 30 mins usually accepts eye contact and a quick pet! Men take a little longer but I'm really pleased with it! Of course downside... BEGGING! But I think begging is easier to fix than panic... so I'll take it.

3. Madison is walking alot better. She is putting full weight on the leg and not on painkillers anymore. She is still stiff especially after laying down but can even trot without a noticable limp. We are assuming she just overexerted her self too many days in a row and her hip couldnt take it :( poor girl! So we are talking to the vet about a joint supplement and the beloved racquetball is in hiding for a few more days (shes a fetch addict).



Well its time to work on sit-stay.. we are facing the all favorite puppy challenge of rushing the door when it opens! SO glad hes a fast learner!

Won a battle! ...still fighting the war!

Well I must talk about my proud victory... and my still going on seemingly never ending challenge with Charlie.

Good news first.. WE FOUND A NEW SHEEPY! Charlie's first ever toy was this little stuffed squeaker sheep. It's his favorite and makes a wonderful tug toy for him and Beau. However.. Sheepy has undergone countless surgeries...lost his squeaker... lost his ears... his tail.. and all of his stuffing. He had to go. So in the fashion of that Petco commercial I toted my pup and the dead sheep to the store and even held it up to the sales associate who definatly thought I was insane.. but none the less led us to the stuffed animal asile. There was ONE sheepy left!!!!! VICTORY!!!

However I am still battling the timid (understatement of the year) bit of Charlie :( I'm hoping that living without Beau until I move to Ithaca will allow him some alone time to come out of his shell. Last night a neighbor brought his 4 month old yellow lab pup to visit. Charlie loved Zoe of course, but was very afraid of her owner. By the end of the visit, Zoe's owner could get Charlie to sniff him but not much more... I was pretty darn happy though. Normally he bolts and barks from a distance. However our other neighbor (who is a larger man and looooves Charlie) still cant get within 5 feet of Charlie even with treats!!

Following the advice of countless 'googles' and my mini aussie buds (thanks you guys!) I bring a hot dog/cheese/chicken with me everywhere (ew!). Today we went to a park with my younger brother... Charlie was a mess! After half a hot dog he calmed down enough to walk around the playground. He was still terrified of the 13yr old boy who tried SO hard to entice my puppy closer. Later though he was able to be comfortable with a little 4 yr old girl who was feeding him hot dog and her mom, who was just sitting and offering a friendly hand. He wasn't overly excited but he relaxed and laid down and allowed them to pet him once or twice... thats all I want!!!!! So... we are making some progress.. small children are definatly easier for him to warm up to and women are... well they're easier than men!!

I just get so sad when people ask me over and over if he was abused??? :( I guess I just need to be more patient. Its frustrating when I can think of nothing that would have brought this behavior about though (he was an outgoing baby).

But I will trudge on with my trusty hot dog. I'm trying to think positive.. it only took about 5 minutes for him to take a treat from the tiny girl... be thankful for small victories!

Here is Charlie zonked from his hour of torture... maybe he is counting sheep?

Trouble with being timid....

Charlie has all of a sudden become.. TERRIFIED of EVERYTHING!!!

He's always been shy around new people over the past week its gotten so much worse! I tried to take him on a walk (by himself) and despite the fact that I was on a quite street he was darting in and out and crying the entire time. :( I took him to the pet store with Beau and he had the same panicked reaction... When people try to pet him (even very gently hold a hand out for a sniff) he bolts the other direction! I don't know what to do because at home he is wild crazy and boisterous but as soon as hes alone or somewhere 'new' hes miserable! :(

Anyone else had a timid scared pup? I hope its a stage... all I can think of to do is keep dragging him everywhere I can... but its so bad that people give me funny looks when my cute puppy runs and cries from a welcoming hand :/

Today I tried a solo walk with a handful of treats and we made it halfway down the street with no anxiety but when we went for ice cream with Beau he was crying and wanting to be held or run away the whole time even though I was offering treats and the doggy ice cream!


Oh Charlie...