Tag Archives: play yard

Shih Tzu Day 16: Shih Tzu’d, Sidestepping and Dental Care

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Who Shih Tzu’d the Blue Dog Bed?

I don’t know who shih tzud the blue dog bed, but someone did. I decided this morning that I wanted to move the indoor play yard across the room. It’s very hard for me to see the shih tzus during the normal course of the day, since one end of their pen is blocked off by the couch. Also, if a picture-worthy moment is in action, I am usually not in the position to capture it. My thought was to move them directly across from me, sitting their pen next to the stairway.

I succeeded in moving the play yard over, but when I looked at its former location, the girls were gathered together on one small doggie bed. They didn’t look too comfortable, physically or mentally. It wasn’t until a little later that I smelled evidence of poo coming from that area, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. However, when Dottie ran across the floor, she was tracking something brown behind her.

I traced the smell to the blue striped doggie bed they were sharing. They must had been really afraid when they saw me moving their home. The bed had tell-tale brown spots, and a dog bone looked like it had been dipped in chocolate. Ugh. I  tried to corral all of the shih tzus to wipe their feet, but Dottie and Candy were the only ones to submit to the baby wipes. The bed went directly into the washing machine. Boy, with the blankets, doggie beds and towels I wash for or because of these little darlings, that machine gets a lot of use these days.

After all of that, I decided it might not be the right time to move the pen, so I moved it back before John left for work. They recuperated relatively quickly from the moved pen ordeal. Before I left for the store to get the girls some more things I thought they needed, Candy had wandered up on their couch and begun frantically digging in the blanket that protects it. One day, I’d like to find out what causes dogs to do that.

Dottie Side Steps the Step Stools,

Since Dottie has attempted to get up on my couch a few times over the last few days, with, at the least, embarrassing results, I came back from my shopping trip with what I hoped was a solution. One was a small, pink child’s step stool from Target. The second was a foldable black and white step stool from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

When Dottie came up to the couch this time, I pointed her to the first experiment, the pink stool. She gave it a quick look and scurried away. I tried the other stool the next time, but she wouldn’t take the bait. I guess I’ll return them and try the real dog steps.

A Substitute for Brushing

Since we aren’t at the point in our relationship where I can attempt to brush their teeth (I never did succeed with our Yorkie), I scoured the shelves for the perfect dental treat. I brought home Dentist’s Best Chewy Treats, described as tasty and fully digestible.

The girls didn’t know what to think about these white and blue specked treats shaped like chicken bones. At first, Dottie and Candy smelled them, looking disinterested. Flower moved hers to a safe place and then went and grabbed Candy’s and trotted off with it. Later, they were all chomping away, leaving white flecks on the red blanket on their couch and the brown one on ours.

Shih Tzu Day 7: One Week Anniversary

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There is just something exciting about the morning!

The shih tzu sisters woke us up at about 6 this morning.  We could hear them romping around, and one of them, probably Flower, was barking.

I forced myself to get up at 6:30 and go downstairs. All of them started dancing around. When I went into the kitchen to start getting their food together, they all followed me. Once again, however, when John came downstairs, they got back in their pen and sat there quietly. At least there was no growling.

Dottie and Flower still won’t go outside when I tell them to. As soon as John steps inside the play yard, however, they fly out. We have it set up so they walk out of the pen and behind the couch to the kitchen. From there, they just need to turn left and go out the backdoor. However, instead of doing that, they turn right and scatter into the dining room.

I now put a small safety gate up so they have to turn left. It worked, so it only took a few minutes to get them outside this morning. I was proud of Flower for following Candy’s example and pooping outside instead of on the carpet. Someone finally figured out how to use the training pad, too! Also, although they were tamer when John came outside and sat next to me, they still came up to me to be petted.

Shih Tzu Day 3: Yum, Yum, Yogurt

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Say pretty please, and I might eat some more yogurt.

You're not fooling me. I know all people are BAD!

Flower hasn’t decided to be friendly yet. She had a fit when I walked into her pen to guide her outside, but she finally went.

When John went outside, she started barking and growling. I was sitting at the edge of the steps, and she tore towards me and flew up them and beyond me, squeezing herself through the narrow door opening into the kitchen and into her play yard.

Her attitude frightened Dottie, who started shaking again. None of it affects Candy.

About an hour later, I gave the three shih tzus a little bit of Noosa Yoghurt. All of them gathered around the container and eagerly licked it up. At dinnertime, I picked pieces of chicken off chicken wings and fed it to them.

Candy continues to come out and roam around the living room and dining room. I sat her on the couch with me and fed her a small piece of chicken jerky. She let us pet her ears for a while before jumping off. Flower’s eyes still get huge when I pet her, but she doesn’t act startled.

If this is yogurt, I guess we like it!

I have nicknames for all of the girls. I call Candy “Candy Mandy,” which is what we used to call my stepdaughter, Candace. I also call her Skittle, because she is skittish. Dottie is Dippin’ Dots and Polka Dots, and Flower is Flower Child. Collectively they are the little Ewoks or Furbies, and sometimes even “Children of the Corn,” or “Cujo,” depending on how they are acting. Of course, the last two references are exaggerations. They never act that bad, although Flower tries to be scary when she growls and barks.

Candy is getting more and more bold. She came up and put her paws on the couch, looking for more Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky, I assume. I had some, but didn’t want to make it too easy for her to get, so I held it away, hoping she would jump up on the couch. She started barking and wouldn’t stop. I thought earlier that she might be too short to jump up, but I found out that isn’t the case.

After I went up to the bedroom, John came downstairs and found Candy on the couch, searching for the jerky. So, I guess she can jump that high. The next time he came downstairs, Candy and Dottie were wandering around the living room and ran back into their pen. That’s the first time Dottie ventured out into the living room on her own.

Shih Tzu Day 2: Candy, the Early Riser

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Where can I hide?Dottie, Candy and Flower made it through their first day here as foster dogs. It probably has been how Delores first expected. The shih tzus have been tentative since Delores and Barbara left.

John got up at 4 a.m. this morning, because he kept hearing someone’s dog tag tinkling. Barbara told me that her husband usually got up about that time and took them outside before he went to work. I hope they will adapt their schedule to us, instead of the other way around.

When he came downstairs, Candy scurried back into the Superyard. She hesitantly came back out, and then she went outside and did her business. John said she growled and barked at him. She has never growled at me, so men must frighten her.

I came down about 7 a.m. and got Candy to go outside. I also picked up Dottie and took her outside. I couldn’t get Flower to budge. I should have left her, but I went in her play yard to try to get her to go outside. She went, but she wasn’t happy.

I was just getting used to my last foster mom!

When we came back inside, I put Dottie on the couch next to me. She was still shaking a little, but she did allow me and John to pet her, and every once in awhile, she’d look up at me. That was at least better than yesterday, since she wouldn’t make eye contact with me at all then.

Nothing smells familiar!

After John got up from the couch to get ready for work, she jumped down off the couch and went back in the pen with her sisters.

Candy surprises me. She came out of the pen a couple of times when I was talking to Mom on the phone. She was the last one I expected to venture out on her own.

Shih Tzu Day 1: A New Foster Home

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We aren't moving out of this corner!Delores stopped by this morning to make sure the improvements were made in the backyard to keep the shih tzus safe. We passed our BFF Rescue inspection. She came back about an hour and a half later, with Barbara and the shih tzus. We were all pleasantly surprised that Flower surveyed her new Superyard without appearing frightened. Instead, she danced around, tail wagging, jumping over Candy, who was the quietest one. Delores tried grooming her face yesterday, so she might not be that happy. Dottie roamed around the house a little. When we opened the door to go outside, they all followed us, and circled their outdoor exercise pen several times.

If she tries to talk to us, pretend you can't hear her.

It reminded me of scenes from Toy Story when Barbara and Delores left about 45 minutes later. Dottie, Candy and Flower all went back to the far end of their pen and huddled together, as if they had never come alive.

I went to the store this afternoon to get them some chicken jerky and a water bowl. Barbara gave them Waggin’ Train they bought in large bags at Sam’s Club, but they didn’t have it at Costco, so I bought what they had. I also got a  very cute ceramic bowl from the Dollar Tree that said “Lap Dogs” and “Feed Me” and pictured traditional lap dogs. Although shih tzus top the list of popular lap dogs, I have no idea if these little furry fellows will ever sit on our laps.

When I got back from shopping, I opened the back door and Dottie and Candy went outside, but Flower wouldn’t move. I tried to give them some jerky, but none of them would take it from me. I put a few pieces on the ground, though, and someone ate one of them. After that, Flower left the pen, strayed a few feet and then came back. Maybe she was just looking for a way to escape, or maybe she was looking for Barbara. I tried to utter the magic words, “Silly girls,” which Delores says makes them dance. It didn’t work.

I hoped to have better luck getting the girls to eat at dinnertime. I had recently read that most dogs like hamburger, mashed potatoes and green beans (Joey did, but she liked most food!), so I planned to treat them with a good, home-cooked meal after John got home.

The furry critters didn’t seem too frightened when he walked in the door. When John started cooking, I hoped the delicious smells would lure them out of their pen, but it didn’t happen. Instead, I fixed them petite plates and served it to them in their play yard. Flower was the first one to eat the hamburger, followed by Candy. However, they left the potatoes and green beans mostly untouched. Dottie wasn’t eating at all, so I took her out of the pen, hoping she might eat in a different location. It didn’t work.

Their stress doesn’t prevent them from sleeping, however.  They appear to be sound asleep right now.