Zeeke’s being such a good boy today. Day 3, and he’s not growling at me about bones anymore, and isn’t even picking them up and walking away. When he’d do that I’d follow him and hold him by the collar (both to stop him from walking away again and to hold him back if he felt like snapping at my other hand), to take it away. He’s really not vicious, lol. I also found that if I used a happy voice when reaching for the bone he got a lot less agitated. And every time he gave me to bone, whether it was by force or him droping it, I got very happy and told him he’s a good boy and gave it back. So now I’ve enforced that not only is mommy happy when he gives up the bone, but that he gets it right back. =) (The time he didn’t give it up nicely it was taken away).

But the other funny thing I wanted to mention was that I flopped on the couch to watch tv. He grabs his one fuzzy-squeaky toy and starts ripping the fur off it. So I got up, took it away, and put his rawhide bone between his paws in replacement. I sat down, and he just started chewing on that instead, like nothing had ever happend. *LOL*

I just came in here to check email and write this down, and I hear clink clink thud as he pads in behind me, flops down on the floor, and starts chewing on his bone again. He insists on being nearby. *g* Isn’t he a sweetie?

Okay, okay, so I’m starting to like Zeeke… just a little bit. Okay, maybe more than a little bit.

It really stuns me that you would find a dog like this at a shelter. How could anyone give up a dog as sweet as this? He loves people - he’ll bark now and then, but usually with his tail wagging furiously. He sleeps wherever in the house, but if one of us gets up to go to a different room, his head will inevitably pop around the corner to see what’s going on. He knows sit, and he’s already learning “drop it”, though I still have to catch his collar before he’ll listen to that one. ^_~ He’s fully housetrained.

Tonight he was a bit restless as I was watching tv, and he climbed up on the couch beside me. His head rests on the back of the chair when he’s laying down, lol. So I petted him for a while, spoke to him. He got up after moving around a bit, so I moved to the floor and got him to lay down for me so I could brush him. He seemed to enjoy that. =)

They weighed him at the vet’s today: 78.8lbs. Heh. That’s nearly double Oreo’s weight.

I think what’s affecting me most is that firstly he’s calmed down and isn’t always all bubbly, so I get to sit quietly with him sometimes. And secondly, I’m starting to see some personality emerge. At first he was just a very big dog. Friendly, but suddenly there’s this big adult dog in the house. It’s a little off-putting. But now I’m getting used to him, getting to know him. I know that he doesn’t like his tail being touched, and that if you’re petting him he’ll put his big huge paw on your arm. I know that he likes some of his toys, but not enough to keep him occupied for very long. I know he’s not very food-motivated - curiosity-motivated, maybe, as in, “What’s in the package?? What do you have there?? Lemme see, lemme see!” And then I give him his special bone and he says, “Oh,” and drops it. *LOL* I can’t believe there are still bits of his bone on the living room floor and he hasn’t eaten them yet. -.- Oreo would have licked the floor squeaky clean in about ten seconds. And he has this very personality-filled stare he gives me when he’s eating a bone or chewing on a toy. It’s kind of funny, just the look he gives me, like he’s sizing me up, waiting to see what I’ll do. I just crack up every time, there is so much going on behind those big brown eyes.

I’m starting to think hardwood floors aren’t the best choice for a dog-filled family. Poor Zeeke is still sliding all over the place. We took up the hall runner the first day because every time he hit it it all ended up in a pile in the corner anyways. The living room throw has to be put back into place every half hour or so. We really need to get some carpets with underpadding so it won’t slide. But Zeeke’s getting used to it - he jumps down off the couch and bed much more cautiously now, and doesn’t quite run through the house anymore unless he’s really excited.

Oh, but he still needs a bath.

Zeeke got sick this morning. Very sick. Had a bit of an accident in the house *shudders, remembering* but it was my fault - I thought he was just upset that Den left, not that he had to go outside RIGHT NOW. =( I felt bad. But I served my penance by cleaning it up…

So we quickly made an appointment and took him to the vet. She couldn’t see any reason for him getting physically sick, figures it’s just the stress of change and it should go away on its own. We figure it also has kennel cough, which also is supposed to go away on its own. We’re to go back to the vet in a few weeks to make sure it’s all cleared up and to get his shot updates and schedule his neutering appointment.

I’m trying to get the pictures in a place everyone can see. I’ve changed the links to another site where I uploaded the pics, a site that allows public viewing. Sorry about that. -.- I also took some more pictures of Zeeke, hehehe.

Zeeke’s doing so well! Sometimes he’s giving a little growl when I reach for his bone, but it’s much less pronounced than it was yesterday, more of a grumble than a warning. It’s kind of funny, because all I have to do is distract him and take the bone, and as soon as I have it he’s all happy-happy again. However, the growling must stop - and will, quickly. I was nervous yesterday - today I’m not even half as much. That’s helping. He’s a big baby, really. But jeez, when a new dog growls at you, you suddenly realize how BIG he is and how much damage a dog could really inflict on you if he wanted to.

Riding in the car is still a chore. He’s constantly trying to climb into the front seat. I wish we could put up some sort of gate, but there’s not enough room to do that in the car - I don’t think they make anything like that for cars? A crate for something his size would never fit in there. The last option in my mind is a harness to buckle him in, and I’m not suggesting that to Den until he asks for my opinion, I’m letting him deal with it for now. For the future, I’m looking in the back seat and thinking, christ, we can’t even fit ONE more dog in the car right now! Zeeke takes up the whole back seat, pretty much. -.- So Den might be looking into getting an SUV when his lease is up. I didn’t expect to need one quite so soon. *lol* But at least SUVs can handle a big crate or some sort of divider to keep him in the back so he’s not climbing all over. That would make car rides with him MUCH more pleasant.

Getting a leash on him was interesting too. He wanted to get out so bad that we just could not get him to sit still long enough to get the collar over his head. Even when I told him to sit, he’d move his head every which way to avoid the thing. But this afternoon I told him to sit, and he sat patiently as I slipped it over his head. He did the same for Den just now. Way to go, Zeeke!!

At the Vet’s, when she came into the room, she said, “Hi Zeeke!” and he stared at her intently. She looked up in surprize. “He already knows his name??” Yep. That’s Zeeke. Smart boy! (But whether or not he listens to it at this time is another matter altogether, LOL)

Well, we got our new “puppy.” At the shelter he was just too excited to sit still or listen to anyone - he just wanted to say hi to everyone. Holding onto that leash was interesting, especially when he caught me off-guard. We found out his name was Sam, but I’m not such a fan of it. One of the people there said he looks like a Zeeke. Den and I both liked the name. We tossed it around all day and it stuck.

He’s a very friendly dog, wants to play and say hi. We took him to baseball practice where he said hi to a few of the guys there and even chased one around for a bit. He woofed a few times, too. We were having issues mainly in the car - he does not want to stay in the back seat. I hope this sorts itself out soon, because he’ll be a pain to drive places if he can’t sit still.

Of course we’re having problems with dominance. He’s not a pushy dog, thank goodness, but he definitely has the idea that he should have his way now and then. He growled and even snapped at me as I reached for a bone he was chewing on. Den quickly corrected the problem with a little talk, whereupon Zeeke flopped over onto his back. However, my voice doesn’t get quite the reaction. We seem to have little staring contests now and then, as if he’s sizing me up. I’m trying not to let him get away with it, but I am a bit nervous about being bit. I don’t want to provoke him - but I definitely don’t want this continuing. Yes, it’s his first day - but he’s going to quickly learn that we’re in charge.

We got him a rope toy, a kong toy, a bone to chew on, some tennis balls. And what does he bring in to chew on? My slipper. I told Den he needs some fuzzy toys, but noooo. I did manage to throw one fuzzy toy in the cart, but it’s a squeaky toy, and relegated to the land of when-Den’s-not-home. So tomorrow he can munch on it.

After expending some energy and getting used to the situation, he’s calmed down enough to just flop out beside us. But if one of us gets up for any reason, he gets to his feet and follows us to wherever we’re going. I’m not sure if it’s curiousity or anxiety or what. Maybe a little of both? He doesn’t seem like a very anxious dog, though - but he definitely wants to keep us nearby. He’s not velcro - he’ll wander off to find a toy - but he always ends up flopped by our feet.

He is definitely Den’s dog. I was really hoping for a puppy, because all puppies are sooo cute, and you can train them right from the start - Den put it best when he said this is “culture shock” for me. I’ve had Oreo for 8 and a half years - introducing this grown german shepherd into my life is a little daunting. So, like I said, he’s definitely Den’s dog. I’m hoping he’ll grow on me - I already feel a fondness for him, but it’s nothing what I would expect with my own dog. On the good side, this makes it much easier for me to sit back and let Den deal with Zeeke however he wants.

Pictures have been added in the menu. Hosting them off-site for now, along with Tessa’s - makes it easier to post them on the PetFinder forums (too much traffic to be hosted here).

Our application was accepted: we’re bringing home our new dog tomorrow afternoon. I must say, I’m quite nervous. All my previous pets have been wee puppies. I don’t know what to expect. I’m excited, but at the same time kind of distanced from it. He’s cute in a lanky, stumbly kind of way - and yet at the same time, he’s not my type of dog. I was kind of hoping for a mostly black shepherd, and yet when we saw him his coloring just didn’t matter anymore. I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. I just know I’ll fall in love with him and refuse to leave in september, but I’m just nervous!

Oh, and the dog’s still nameless. -.- Den and I have come up with a very short list of names we both sorta like (which is quite something, considering we disagree on just about everything), and yet nothing really quite seems to “fit”. We’re not sure. Here’s the names we’re tossing about:
Fenway
Cody
Paladin
Loki

Copied from an email from dad - man I wish I was there, they sound hilarious.

Right now both dogs are in the room with me, Oreo growling at Tessa and Tessa being sassy barking back at her.

I had breakfast a few minutes ago, and as usual Oreo sat and watched and waited for any hand outs and Tessa worked her way up closer and finally was chewing on Oreo’s tail. LOL Well, Oreo finally noticed and turned and snapped at Tessa, the result was Tessa backing off and barking and bouncing all over the place, I guess she wanted Oreo to play with her. I got a good laugh out of that.

There, just gave Tessa a leather dog toy to chew on, I think she must be teething, always chewing on things, like rugs, fingers, nose, ears, Oreo’s tail, what ever else is handy. lol

Oh my, they’re back at it again!!!! LOL Tessa is such a little bugger, I mean that the way it is spelled, she bugs the hell out of Oreo and I’m sure she intends it that way! She pauses from chewing on the leather and now she picked up a plastic bag and ran across the room and shoved it right into Oreo’s face. LMAO Now they’re both barking at each other face to face at about a foot apart. Guess I should get them both outside before something gets broken or a fight breaks out! I had forgotten how much a pup can find to get into, why people go grey!!!

Thank goodness Oreo is such a wonderful girl!

Went back to TJ OConnor shelter today to see the GSD she said would be available. At first as we looked around for him we wondered if she was wrong and he wasn’t there, then we peeked in a window and there he was. Den pretty much gasped. We got to see him in a greeting room, and Den was just grinning ear-to-ear. It’s a purebred GSD, 1 year old male. A little older than what we were originally looking for, but he’s all puppy. He’s huge, though - probably twice as tall as Oreo, but he’s lanky (with huge paws), so right now I’d place him at around 60lbs. He’s gonna be big. We put in an app on him, they told us to call tomorrow morning to find out if we’ve been accepted. It looks pretty good - we asked about their regulations on adopting out to people without fences, she said it wasn’t a problem. So the only hitch might be the Vet reference, but since I included mine we should be okay. So let’s hope for the best! He’s one cute dog… for a GSD. =P

Apparently we have got another little piggy. Dad said Tessa loves food and wags her tail in time with her mouth when eating. LOL

They are starting to suspect she was drugged for the 7 hour car trip home… she slept the entire way and was so placid and laid back. Now she turned into little puppy hellfire. I just laughed and said yep, that’s a puppy for you.

Her introduction with Oreo went very well - they have quickly established the pack order and have had no problems at all beyond their first meeting where Oreo ignored her and Tessa freaked out. Now Oreo just growls if Tessa gets too pushy, and Tessa is, surprizingly, respecting that. Though dad said she likes to push her luck. Just like a little kid, lol. I think Tessa might be starting to emulate Oreo, too - dad said they were laying in the same position watching him today, lol.

Angel is absolutely freaked out. He has a great relationship with Oreo, but he’s afraid of pretty much everything and everyone else beyond the family. This new puppy in the house has him spazzing. But my brother said he’s extremely curious… just too scared to check it out. I’m sure that will change with time.

Cory has become the most doting daddy ever. Despite his teenager-ish attitude that is common to him, he’s apparently turned to mush around his new daughter. My dad (who stayed home from work to dog-sit - didn’t want to leave the pup alone yet) said that Cory called home from work at 9 just to check on Tessa. It’s so cute!

I so wish I could be there. Right now I settle for dad’s stories and seeing pictures and webcam.

Really really great adoption center in Springfield, MA: TJ OConnor Adoption Adoption Center. I was really impressed with the place.

We didn’t find the right dog for us, but she told us a young GSD male will be available for adoption on monday, so we’re going back then to see him. Fingers crossed!

The Truth About Border Collies - very funny article. Snippets:

“Many casual dog owners have mistaken this for an ordinary dog and taken it home. They spend an average of six weeks in rehab getting over the experience.”

“[BC Owners] Have superior verbal skills that allow them to explain to the neighbors why all of their children are standing in a tight group, pinned against the house, under the watchful eye of their BC.”

“Every time a BC stares, there is a single message embedded in the gaze. In the case of my houseguest, the communication was clear: BALL, BALL, BALL, BALL, BALL.”

“BCs are happiest when they are assigned a job with their human partner. The challenge is that when they are left to their own devices, the BC reads the classified ads and goes out to get a job on her own.”

“In the agility ring, these dogs run with afterburners. The crowd hushes. They finish the course in half the allotted time. They compete with each other for tenths of a second. Competitors in these sports who do not have BCs both admire them and pray for a new federal law requiring that they all be sent back to Scotland.”

“Although the BC is bright, their instincts often overshadow their intelligence. Their instinct tells them to chase and control anything that moves. In order to get this job done, the BC will grip or bite moving objects. This is not good when the moving object is a child. Those who worship this dog have a solution. Teach the child not to run.”

“Want to be cool? Get a Border Collie. Want to move a sheep across your 3000 acre ranch? Get two Border Collies. Want to really compete at agility? Get a Border Collie. Want to have a job, a life, and your sanity? Get a Lab.”