Posts tagged ‘Phoenix’
Full On Wrestling Match!
Puppy Gurus Day! This was the first time we took Phoenix to her (our?) obedience class. Unfortunately, her vaccination status is such that she’s still not able to be let on the ground with other dogs. However, she was able to “mingle” with the other vaccinated puppies in class.
She started as she meant to go on, by submissively urinating on the floor in front of an ultra-bouncy collie. It was all a little frustrating because her lack of contact with other new dogs means that she “over-reacts” when she does finally get to socialise with the canine kind. All our previous training obviously gets filed away somewhere in the deep recesses of her doggy mind.
Hopefully, this is something that will improve rapidly after tomorrow when we can start mixing her with the general dog population. On the plus side, Phoenix did (eventually) remember how to sit, lie down and stand after bribery with garlic laced liver chunks (yum!). Ultimately, she was more interested in meeting and greeting the other five pups. Roll on tomorrow and the biog wide world….
Parrots, Petting and Popularity.
Phoenix and Tim.
Another trip around town in the sling. Phoenix was a huge hit in the local pet shop. Over a dozen people of all shapes and sizes came up to speak and pet her. One person said she liked the way Phoenix’s skin was so loose – we explained that she still had a lot more growing to do… More great socialisation experience – as usual she greeted everyone like a long lost friend, despite the towers of dog chews, pigs ears and assorted canine ephemera, she remained remarkably well controlled. We tried to introduce her to Jethro the African Grey parrot but he was more interested than she was.
Should we have called her Chewie?
Puppy Sarcasm?
Let’s talk power chewing – God the power chewing. If it moves, chew it, if it doesn’t move, chew it, if it neither moves nor doesn’t move, chew it anyway, just to be safe.
When we first met Phoenix at three weeks old, the first thing she did when Tim sat in the welping box was to come over and chew his foot and it hasn’t stopped since.
Our favourite chewing episode was discovering the shredded front cover of “The Power of Positive Training” in pieces, which must have been skilfully selected and then stolen while our backs were turned, in order to wreak a terrible hypodermic-tooth filled justice on it. Perhaps this is Phoenix’s first attempt at irony?
On the plus side, the plastic milk bottles come along brand new everyday, so it’s like an ongoing Christmas for Phoenix. Second to bottles are carrots; – busting with vitamin C and oh so crunchy.
Ice is Nice.
Walking on Water.
First journey around the land – we live on five acres of land which is planted up with around 1900 trees and shrubs. There’s also a river and a woodland. This was the first time our pond had frozen up – Adam took a chance and walked out into the middle. Phoenix decided it looked like fun and slip-walked her way out too, causing mild heart attacks all round. The words “hip dysplasia” and “astronomical vet bills” echoed in our heads as Phoenix effortlessly glided over the ice. Luckily, she soon wandered onto land again.
Phoenix is more or less toilet trained now – apart from an occasional accident. It’s been the use of the crate that has regulated her bladder,we were unsure about the whole crate thing as it seemed like we were caging her up, but she has found it a place of safety and comfort, retreating whenever she needed to. A bit like a den in the wild.
This, along with clicking and treating at the right moment, in the right place, has worked really quickly and really well.
She seems to be a smart cookie this one…but then we would say that wouldn’t we?!
Party Animal
Tim trying out new sling indoors.
First attempts at “stacking” using the clicker and treat method – as a preparation for Phoenix’s big turn in the (future?) show ring…show-biz is calling.
… we had a semi hunger strike on our hands. Phoenix took a look at her biscuit based breakfast and basically refused to eat – where’s the good stuff? Y’know the meaty stuff. Biscuits no longer working as a treat – not cutting the mustard anymore. Luckily we’d already stocked a freezer up with her specialist raw food. We made a 50/50 blend of raw food and biscuit, mixing them up. This was accepted without any problem.
There were only a couple of other dogs at the puppy party – organised by the lovely nurses at the vets in their own time – seven were expected and only two turned up. A springer-spaniel called Sasha (who barked a lot – an unfortunate trick which Phoenix immediately took up as her own. Arf and indeed Arf!). The other party animal was a beautifully trained 14 month old rescue border collie belonging to one of the nurses.
Sasha was quite timid and over-awed by the whole thing and also by Phoenix’s confidence and bouncy demeanour. Phoenix and the collie had an intensive play session and as usual she gave as good as she got…
Sleep update: not much of a problem, a bit of a howl at night but then all is well.
Chewing: oh, the chewing! We have been following the advice of Ian Dunbar (“Before and After Getting Your Puppy”) who says you should allow your dog to bite you in order to give appropriate feedback as to the intensity of the bite, so they can gradually soften the bite pressure. This is called bite inhibition. She seems to be softening her bite: only mouthing gently…
So it begins…
Camouflaged amongst the chair legs.
Day 2: Phoenix woke up every hour on the hour, not much sleep for Daddy A (Tim) and Daddy X (Adam) Phoenix was introduced to the world of clicker and treat today, Phoenix learnt her name, and learnt to sit. Toys were chewed.
First contact was made with the cats, who didn’t want to play. At all. Phoenix couldn’t really understand why her new fluffy puppy friends didn’t want to rumble.
First trip outdoors: Phoenix was overwhelmed by being outdoors. It was really cold and frosty too, in contrast to her supreme confidence in every other situation.
Toilet Training bulletin: a bit hit and miss but give her a break it is day one in a new home! A few puddles. We put in a turf filled tray for her to use but she didn’t know what grass was! Let alone frozen grass.
The Phoenix Has Landed!
Favourite New Toy.
Day 1: Bleary Eyed.
Day 1: Seven and a half hour journey from North Norfolk to North Devon. It went howl, snooze, pee, play, eat, poop, sleep, pee, play, fidget, squirm, howl, arrive! Most importantly, nobody was sick. On touchdown in the kitchen, she arrived like it was her long lost home. She immediately dived into her crate (the one we had been worrying about for weeks about how we were going to entice her into it – involving complex uses of peanut butter, biscuits and stuffed kongs).
Somebody was very excited with her box of new toys and managed to eat a meal before pegging out for the night….
Belatarr HWV’s – An Introduction.
Morehay Lars of Belatarr ShCM Belatarr Django Reinhardt ShCM Tarndair Phoenix of Belatarr
Top HWV Stud Dog 2014, 2016, 2018 Top HWVC Puppy 2012 Top HWV Brood Bitch 2014, 2016, 2018
BELATARR IS THE UK’s TOP HWV SHOW KENNEL FOR 2014, 2016 & 2018 (OUR DOGS)
Welcome to the Belatarr Blog – a record of our Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas, from our foundation dogs, Phoenix & Mingus through the subsequent generations of 71 Belatarr puppies, including our own Django, Lyra, Aja, Cuba and Alfi.
Details of each of our own four dogs can be found at the Meet The Dogs link at the top of the page, whilst the exploits and adventures of all of the extended Belatarr clan can be found on the blog posts below.
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 