I woke up to a single “I need to PEE!” bark this morning and came to the realization that it wasn’t 6 am and Voodoo had slept through the night last night in his crate! A full 8 hours! GOOD BOY! Let’s hope that trend continues 🙂
Monthly Archives: May 2016
Slept through the night!
What I learned today
Gave Voodoo a day off from planned training today, but he didn’t have a shortage of new things to learn/experience!
The cone was an accident. He had stolen them when they fell off the agility table and I was giving him treats and doing a trade when a treat went INTO the cone! He dove in after it and I started video. LOL I thought it was an accident that he tipped the cone over to get the treat out, but when I put a second treat in, he did it again!
He also learned to drink like his big brother.
PUPPY FEET!
Too bad he can’t relax 🙂
He also got to work on staying with my husband while I mowed the lawn. Apparently that still needs some work and he wasn’t happy I left without him. But I’m sure he will learn to settle even when he can’t see me for an extended period of time. I have a training plan for that 🙂
Harness wearing and photos
The harness training has progressed to where Voodoo is now wearing the harness! He fully understands that shoving his head in the loop gets him the treat and he’s doing so with gusto and even when he has to move away from the treat to do it!
I also did a session on “release” (drop it) with a toy, but the camera ran out of battery right after it started. 😦 No doubt we will be working on that more.
Photos from today:
At night, he spends about the first 4 hours in his crate, then he wakes up and needs to go out. After his potty break, to prevent him from barking and waking up my husband, I then put him in bed with me and this is where he wants to sleep. But he’s quiet and doesn’t care if I move around and he sleeps for nearly another 4 hours, so I’m not complaining! 
This morning he stayed like this after I got out of bed, long enough for me to get the photo at least 🙂
Just a swangin’… He seemed to like he patio swing.
He keeps inching closer to Dazzle to see where the boundary is. It has gotten smaller and now seems to be contact. I get a “mom, he’s touching me” look after he warns him off with a grumble. I am SOOO proud of Dazzle though. Today he caught a mouse sized mole and really wanted it, but Voodoo dove on it and stole it right out from under his nose and Dazzle just let him do it!! I was sure he would defend his now dead prize, but I guess “puppy license” wins. Voodoo also REALLY wanted that mole!! I had to pick him up to keep him away from it and then he kept sniffing around where it was after it got pitched over the fence.
Voodoo has scared me a few times by “disappearing”. The first time I called him and he wiggled out from under the low Jog-a-dog I busted out laughing (he also likes to go under my bed). He likes to take his toys under the machine. His 9 weeks measurement at 12.5″ tall at the withers (1/4″ taller than Dazzle was at that age), but I don’t think he’s going to fit under there much longer. 🙂
I think the toy box exploded 🙂
Found a cool spot 🙂
Barn Hunt Intro
Voodoo had a GREAT time in the Barn Hunt area of my basement! This was his first time around the straw and he was having a blast! Even did the Open level tunnel a few times! Then he found the partial bag of rat food and who knew that would be SO much fun to dig at, bite and drag around!
Day 2 of training
This shows hand zen, the progression of the harness work and the start of the settle mat. I’m SO proud of him with the harness work! We’ve only done a few sessions so far and already he is moving away from accessible food (that he really wants) to put his head through the harness loop! Even when I accidentally make that rather hard to find. I love how happy he is to see the harness now too!
Today’s playtime video
More hose wrestling and some tug with some dangling ropes. Because as the movie quote goes, you can’t focus on work alone!
I have today’s training vid to share too, but it’s still uploading so it will get posted after midnight.
Day 2 photos/videos
Part of today’s training: https://vimeo.com/168421104
Conditioning to a harness, crate games, mastering the ramp to the van in 1 minute and a baby pool intro. He’s getting really hot playing in the yard, so I’m hoping he will quickly figure out how nice the water in the pool will be 🙂 But I’m not going to rush it.
He also discovered how fun it is to shred a sheet of computer paper and an empty paper towel roll today. Still working on a couple more video clips, then I’ll get to the photos. I can only work on them in between bouts of energy when he’s recharging. but at least he DOES sleep. I don’t recall Dazzle doing that as a pup! LOL We even took an hour nap today even though he did really great last night! He slept for 4 hours straight without a peep in his crate. Flopped down and went to sleep almost immediately. About 6am, he needed to go outside. After that, he slept in bed with me and eventually worked his way up to my pillow where he wrapped his body around my head.
On the exercise egg: https://vimeo.com/168423149
With some of his toys: https://vimeo.com/168424383
Attacking the hose
Good to the last bite!
Just chillin
Dandelions are tasty
Profile- almost 9 weeks old
Rolling in the grass
Smile
Caught this brief moment when he was stopped to look at the tractor, but then he dismissed it as nothing exciting
Pool noodles are fun!
Day 1 Photos/video
Okay! A few photos!! And a collection of short clips in one video. He has had a VERY busy day. I picked him up at noon and after a short bit of fussing, he slept on the hour drive home. Then he spent the next couple hours exploring the yard and house and finding out his pen area has goodies! Then he had his first vet visit. He was SO tired from all the exploring that he kept trying to fall asleep 🙂 When we got home, he gave me a stool sample and my husband took that in while Voodoo got a nap and I made a dent in photo editing. He just finished exploring the yard and house and playing tug and now he’s sleeping on my lap as I type. Whew! He’s a busy boy and I love it! We’ll get started with actual training sessions tomorrow. I just wanted to spend today getting to know him. He’s definitely food motivated and his nose works really well! He was in my arms and sniffed out the treat container on the vet’s counter 🙂
Hanging out with Laura’s Lab when I arrived to get him.
On the way home!
Too comfy to get out of the crate 🙂
Meeting his new daddy
Checking out his puppy pen
Too tired to sit or stand for exam
Checking his toofies
I’ll just take a nap here
Chillin’ for a moment with Dazzle, who was quite hot from his game of fetch.
But not for long! Too much fun to be had to lay still 🙂
One minute and thirty seconds video of several short clips from his first day:
And this is where he wants to hang out. He won’t be able to do THIS for much longer!
HE’S HOME!!
He’s doing great! He has explored the yard and house, Dazzle is totally ignoring him (which is not a bad thing) even in the office where he has wandered in and out, we had a play session outside and now we’re getting ready for his vet check up appointment. I’ll post photos/video as soon as I get a chance. Watching him explore is a full time job 🙂
Will get Voodoo tomorrow
They are able to get to Chicago and then Laura’s husband is going to drive up and get them- bless him! Since they will be getting home so late I’ll be picking up Voodoo tomorrow. Bummed it won’t be tonight, but glad she was able to work out a way home after such a LONG day of traveling! And it really will be better to get him home in the daytime rather than middle of the night. 🙂 Though I suspect Laura arranged the storm just so she can spend more time with him!
Raising a Genius Puppy 