Tag Archives: chicken jerky

Shih Tzu Day 71: Country Dog, Shake It For Me

Posted on by
Reply

the shih tzus and the unwelcome guest

John went downstairs at about 4:30 to let the shih tzus out, but Candy was the only one that would go outside. After that, they were perfectly quiet. Their sharp doggie ears heard me get up at 6:45 and go in the bathroom, and the shih tzus started barking. When I opened the door, they rushed me excitedly.

<em srcset=shih tzu on dog bed looking bored.” width=”300″ height=”199″ />After I fed them and brought them inside, the shih tzus sat on the carpet staring at me, as if to say, “What now?” I usually leave them to themselves after they come inside, and start my work. This morning, I sat on the carpet with Candy and Flower for a while, rubbing those cute little shih tzu faces between my hands. I am trying to follow a Twitter friend’s website advice and give them daily, planned “love time.”

<u srcset=shih tzu eying a treat” width=”300″ height=”199″ />two shih tzus watch another get a treat.My stepdaughter Candace came over mid-morning to help me organize some papers. The dogs didn’t immediately growl at her, because she didn’t stop at Shih Tzu Central to say hi. The shih tzus did growl at her later, however, when she walked too close to them. After she’d been here about an hour, I ushered Candy, Flower and Dottie outside to see if they would let Candace give them a treat. I am starting to think Dottie will take food from anyone; she eagerly approached her. Candy and Flower stayed in the yard, staring at the treat and at Candace, but only taking a few steps towards her, then moving back. She ended up throwing them some chicken jerky, which they picked up and ate.

shih tzu getting jerky from porchAfter we came inside, Candy went up to her room to hide. When Candace and I left for lunch, I put the gate across the door, to prevent Candace from going in there and peeing on the floor, not knowing that she was already in the room. When we came back, I looked around the dining room and living room and couldn’t find her. I looked in the spare room, just in case, and found her sitting in the closet, resting on a purse.

shih tzu hiding in closet.Flower jumped up on the couch to see me several times in the afternoon. On one of the occasions, she brought her Oinkies pigskin treat with her. I thought I’d try the Hartz brand this time, because it has a sweet potato center. They seem to like it better than the other brands of that type of treat.

shake It, country dog

shih tzu shaking her buttI realized that we have been lazy this week — no grooming, no trying to get them on a leash. The only training I have been doing is still trying to get them to pee on the training pad and not on the carpet.

shih tzu shaking her butt in excitementWhen I came down this morning, there were three yellow spots on the two pads I put down, and even some poop, so someone is trying. Candy continues her habit of napping on it and chewing on treats on it, so I doubt if she is using the training pads for their intended purpose.

shih tzu shaking her butt in excitementBut good news. It’s official. Candy now gets excited when John gets home. Country singer Luke Bryan has a song called “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).” That is my theme song for Candy, only I sing to her, “Country Dog (Shake It For Me).” She is just so adorable when she shakes her little bootie.

Flower is getting better. She isn’t where Candy is, but when John got home tonight, she did act halfway excited. They now know that treats quickly follow after he comes home.

Although Dottie hung back, not one of the dogs growled. Outside, all three of them came up to him for treats readily, with Flower not giving a second thought to putting her paw on his knee. John held Candy for a while later. She seemed content. He also pet Dottie, and she let him, but she looked the other way the entire time.

Shih Tzu Day 70: Milo’s Kitchen Time Is Happy Time

Posted on by
Reply

I could really get used to sleeping this late. I heard a few barks very early this morning, but then silence, allowing us both to sleep beyond 7:00! John especially appreciated the reprieve. I do miss the energetic romps in the grass, however. If we get up after 6:30, our former puppy mill mothers don’t seem to have any interest in exploring the yard.

three shih tzus waiting for Milo's Kitchen chicken jerky This morning, John was outside when they ate. Our chairs had gotten wet the night before, so he was standing in the doorway. Flower doesn’t like change, so she was on guard for sudden movements. She would take a bite, look up anxiously, take another, jump back, come to her dog bowl, glance at him nervously, and then repeat the actions.three shih tzus waiting for dog treat

I try to be very careful of not making sudden movements, such as crossing my leg or lifting my arm, because Flower and Candy jump when I do. In fact, they jump at most noises, including the sound of kibble hitting their aluminum dog bowls. My poor, small nervous dogs. As Nicolette Larson would say (and as I’ve probably already said before), “It’s Gonna Take A Lot of Love.”shih tzu with paw on knee waiting for treat


Once inside, Dottie took her place beside me on the couch, staying there while I worked on my laptop. This time, Candy lay by my feet on the carpet. Flower went to Shih Tzu Central and stayed on the communal dog bed for most of the morning.

shih tzu one eye showing fixated on dog treat The dogs came alive once again late in the afternoon. I sent them outside to play, but it didn’t work. Too bad they don’t like to fetch or any of those fun dog games.

About a half hour after they came back in, I saw Flower start to sit down on the carpet, but I knew that wasn’t her sitting stance. It was her peeing stance. I got up and told her sternly not to pee there, while walking towards her, but it was too late. I tried to pick her up and put her on the training pad, but she took flight, escaping underneath the table. I put a paper towel down on the wet spot barely visible on the carpet and sat it on the pad, hoping she would figure out what the fuss was about.

I guess I have been wrong for assuming Candy is the main culprit when it comes to peeing on the carpet. As fo Candy, she makes good use of the pad. She loves to take naps on it, or to chew on treats on it. I don’t know if she ever actually uses it for its intended purpose, however. Now that I caught Flower peeing on the carpet, I’m not really sure who uses the training pads. At least Dottie.

Candy wagged her tail for John again when he got home. When he gave out the Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky outside, Flower got so excited she first used Dottie as a footstool and then broke her “don’t touch the treat man rule” and came up and put her paw on his leg. Another first. Every victory counts.

John has also been trying to get them to scratch at the screen door when they want in, so we can leave them outside unsupervised at times. Today, they were outside on the porch for probably twenty minutes until Flower finally barked to be let in.

 

 

 

Shih Tzu Day 69: Canned Dog Food and Lap Dogs

Posted on by
Reply

canned food test

Shih tzu on red blanket. We continued our experiment of shutting the bathroom and bedroom doors again last night, to see if our shih tzus would let us sleep longer. I could hear someone barking at 5:00. However, the barking stopped, allowing me to stay in bed until a little after 6:30. When I opened the bathroom door, three happy and excited shih tzus rushed me.

We have never fed them canned dog food before, and John wanted to know how they would like it. We picked up a can of Priority beef dinner and I gave them each a tablespoon with their dry food, instead of cottage cheese. They definitely liked it. Dottie ate hers in one bite and before I could stop her, rushed over to Candy’s bowl and scooped the tablespoon out, eating it, too. I told her sternly that she couldn’t eat Candy’s food and then went and got Candy another tablespoon. I can see why Candy only weighs eleven pounds and Dottie and Flower weigh fourteen. I have to watch them diligently to make sure they don’t steal her food.

lap dog?

shih tzu in dog bed.After the shih tzus went into the yard to do their business, Dottie came back and put her paw up on my leg. I thought she might want me to hold her, so I picked her up and sat her on my lap. She sat there peacefully, so I guess I was right.

Although shih tzus are supposed to be lap dogs, these dogs haven’t got there yet. I think this was the first time Dottie ever acted like she was asking me to pick her up. Flower acted like she wanted to sit on my lap once when we were outside, when a noise scared her, and Candy has never indicated she wanted to be picked up and held. I hope that changes over time.

excited dog and jealous dog

excited shih tzuIt was a quiet morning, with each of our small dogs in different beds. I left the house at 11:00 and didn’t get home until after 4:30. Once again, the shih tzus were yappy happy. I took them out to do their business and gave them a small sweet potato and chicken treat.

When I heard John’s truck in the driveway, I started telling the girls, “Daddy’s home,” in hopes that I will one day train them that it’s a good thing. When he opened the door, they barked and ran to hide under the dining room table. When he told them hello, Candy cautiously came out, and then did her tail wagging, hello dance.

Once outside, John passed out their chicken jerky. Candy and Dottie came up to him readily. Flower came up to him, grabbed her piece quickly and leaped off the porch, a safe distance away from whatever she thought was going to happen.

When we came inside, Dottie took her usual seat on the couch by me. When Flower jumped up to join us, Dottie growled at her. She did that a couple of times, and John said that I should correct her because she was beginning to think she owned me. I shook my finger at her and told her to be nice, but I am not sure how to correct that behavior.

Shih Tzu Day 61: A Manless House

Posted on by
Reply

4:15 is too early!

Last night I told myself, and John, that I would get up at 6 and come downstairs with the girls, since I am behind on my work. If I haven’t explained, John’s job doesn’t dictate that he is up at the crack of dawn, so we tend to want to stay up late and sleep in beyond that time. It didn’t quite work out. Two of my furry alarm clocks came up at 4:15, with Dottie scratching on the bed and Flower barking. We said “ssssh” and “quiet” many times until Flower finally gave up and left the room. I don’t know, but Dottie probably stayed there on the floor.

They came back a half-hour later, and we still didn’t stir. At 6, since they had interrupted my sleep, I couldn’t convince myself to get up. John decided he would try to get them to go outside to do their morning business, since they have been going outside with him for treats. He succeeded. I got up shortly after that, and they had come inside. They gave me a little dance and then I started getting their dishes together.

back to the grooming table

I hope Flower overcomes her grooming fear soon.When the shih tzus came in, I cleared off the temporary grooming table and went and put the leash on Flower’s collar. When I think back about our earliest days with the girls, I realize that in itself is an achievement, considering how hard she struggled when I first tried. If she could, she would run, and if not, she would flatten herself against the wall and snap her teeth together, trying to nip at me.

I sat her up on the table and let her smell a Vienna sausage. She wouldn’t bite at it. John turned on the clipper to do her paws. She sat still for the first paw, but got restless on the second one. I know I am not supposed to let her touch me while she is getting groomed, since, as Lia says, that is a reward and she hasn’t earned it, but since we still don’t have a grooming arm, that’s the only way I can keep her on the table right now.

We finished the second paw, and then realized she had pooped on the table. Poor thing. She didn’t seem frightened, but that’s always a big sign that she is. We decided she had been good enough and had enough for the day. We praised her and John rubbed her face, scrunching it up, like Lia does to dogs, telling her how good she had been.

My constant companion, Dottie.When we put Flower down, she started to run away without claiming her treat, but I called her back, and she came and took a bite. I took the rest of the Vienna sausage into the living room and gave Dottie a bite and handed the rest over to Flower to finish it off, for being good on the table.

When Lia is grooming, and the dog is good, she says, “Nicely Done!” I want to find my own saying for when they are good. I have one for when they are hyper, which is, “Chill, Winston,” from “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” I also have some Ludacris lyrics for when I am trying to get the dogs to follow me on the leash. They are,  “When I move, you move, just like that.”

three companions

I’m not sure why, but all three of the dogs have been in the living room since I got home from running some errands a few hours ago. I don’t think I saw Candy run upstairs all day. If I was her, I would be up there. It has to be cooler in her swamp cooled room than it is in the living room. I am trying to keep the treats to a minimum, but I gave them small pieces of Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky. They hadn’t had it for awhile.

Candy stayed with us all day, instead of hibernating in her upstairs room.Having three shih tzus lying around makes me want to do something to keep them from being bored. I got up from the computer and led them outside, knowing they would think they were getting yet another treat. Instead, I walked out onto the grass and started walking around the yard. Flower and Dottie followed me, while Candy found a comfortable place to sit. I ran a while, with Flower and Dottie running behind me. Then, I went and picked Candy up and had her run with me. When I put her down, she ran a little bit before sitting down again. I know it’s not much exercise, but they do get a lot running up and down the stairs in the morning and running around the yard at the break of dawn. It will have to do until we can teach them to walk on a leash.

Shih Tzu Day 46: Short People on the Loose!

Posted on by
Reply

a long, quiet day

I have to hide! But where?Flower, Dottie and I had a very long, lazy day. Mom and Father left the house pretty early. They said they were going to the mountains, whatever that means. I can’t tell time, but Dottie said she thought they left at 10:30. Before they left, we heard a lot of talking and laughing coming from outside.

If I sit really still, they won't see me.We roamed around seeing if we could find any treats Mom forgot to put away, but we couldn’t find any. I wrestled with Flower for a little bit, but then I went in my corner for a while and just thought about things. It looks like the little black and while male dog is gone. I wonder if he found a forever home? Mom said we did. It’s nice having a forever home. We don’t have to move again. Although Mom does make us do things we don’t like sometimes, like take baths and get fur cuts. Oh, and sometimes she tries to find us icky food.

I'd bite your fingers off, but I'm too scared.We kept thinking Mom and Father would come home, but it kept getting later and later. Dottie said they were gone for more than eight hours, and that is a long time if you’re a dog waiting for food and to go outside to potty.

We were so excited when we finally heard the garage door open and close. We wagged our tails and ran to the door, and there was Mom. She told us all hi, grabbed a dog treat bag and opened the back door. We all ran out, happy as can be. We were just getting ready to get our chicken jerky, and then some of those short people rushed out the door!

I did not "let" you pet me! I ran to the back of the yard. Flower ran back and forth, not knowing what to do. Dottie hid under the trailer. I was right in front of some vines and I had an idea. If I got really close to them, the short people wouldn’t see me. I know — like camouflage. I heard about that on TV.

I stayed really still, and I thought it was working, but then Mom went inside for a minute, and the short people all ran towards me, calling my name. I flattened myself against the vines, and they all started petting me, saying, “Hi Candy. Hi Candy.” I couldn’t breathe! I was so scared.

I was relieved when I saw Mom walking towards me, but then I saw she had her camera. One of the short people was shouting, “Look Grandma! She’s letting her pet us!” Letting them! Are you kidding me?

Mom couldn’t resist taking some pictures before she told the short people to get away from me. I’ll get even with her for that!

Thank you, no. Please go away. I wasn’t happy, but I felt really sorry for Flower when some male short people came out and started trying to catch her, waving around a toy gun, which was making way too much noise! She went flying off the porch, but not before she left them something to step in. Sure enough, one of them did. Good going, Flower!

Mom thinks we should be nice to the short people, and she gave them jerky to feed us, but none of us would take it. Some big people came out and started talking to Mom. Eventually, the short people left with them.

Mom let us stay outside while she told all the people goodbye. When she came back to get us, I wouldn’t look at her. Either would Flower. Dottie went up and got a treat from her, but it just wasn’t worth it. We went and hid under the table, in case the short people came back.