Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – August 10, 2014

He’s really just a lazy dog.  Honestly, he will work at that Kong for like five minutes, then it drops to the floor and he waits while you pick it up and poke the fruit out of it.  So I thought, why not save him that step and just give him the little frozen paws of yogurt and fruit I made?  Nope, he looks at you with those sad eyes, as if to say, why are you punishing me?   So it’s back to stuffing a Kong for him.

Delilah on the other hand, cherishes her Kong and eats it as enthusiastically as Ethel eats her chocolates (brownie points if you know what that reference is) LOL  She will work on hers until it’s empty and if she gets the opportunity, she will go over and take his off the floor. 

They are polar opposites I tell you.

Controlled Freedom

What I love best about this awesome community is how we share in each others joy and sadness. I knew when I hit publish that you all would be cheering with us.

Emma said, “That’s great news! I bet you can really see that he is much happier too. I guess the last step is for you to start jogging with both dogs.”

Yes, I can tell he’s happier.  I actually think his sadness had a lot to do with how long it took him to recover.  As for the running…um, no thank you. LOL  Delilah would take me out at the knees.

Jessica said, “I am desperately behind on my blog reading, and this is exactly the kind of news I hope to tune back in to.”

OMG me too.  It seems I can never catch up.

I Could Use Your Help

My mom is a new reader to the blog and she will always ask me, “Did you read your comments?  So and So had a really nice comment.”

I always tell her, I have the BEST READERS ever!  When I ask you guys for help, you don’t just come through for me, you come through in spades!!   And I can’t thank you enough.

Here’s where I think I went wrong.

When we first started walking in the woods I got lax with working the dogs.  I mean, everyone around there has their dogs off-leash and I kind of fell into that ‘they don’t need manners’ mentality.  Then Sampson got hurt and at first he couldn’t take his walks.  I felt bad that he was getting so much attention and Delilah was kind of on the back burner, so when I walked her, I let her dictate the walk. 

Along comes Sampson’s surgery and he needs to be walked but her exercise needs are different than his, so I walk them separately.  I’m exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally and again I let her dictate the walk.

Bottom line: I became complacent and lazy with my dogs, and increasingly frustrated.

Enter you guys, you are so freaking awesome!!  There are so many excellent suggestions as to working Delilah that I began implementing a number of them immediately!!  And it’s helping!  In fact, I’d forgotten how much Delilah loves to work and learn.  I want to share with you what we are doing so I’m planning on a full post about what techniques we’re using and how they’re helping.

In the meantime, if you are struggling with an issue with your dog, please go back and read through these comments, I guarantee you can find something that will help you.    And it doesn’t have to be complicated, redirecting a dog for a sit to change their mindset works wonders!

Sampson’s First Muttgarita

Emma said, “As for the stuffing on the floor, I though maybe Bailie had been at your house. Lately it looks like that around here a lot and some young GBGV is in a lot of trouble over it!”

Oh Emma, I’ve been following Bailie’s exploits on Facebook, she’s really hitting her stride in her adolescence isn’t she?

Sue asked, “You do bring up a good questions though – what is the legal age for drinking for dogs?”

Would that be three? Or four? LOL

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s mom said, ” I have to hide Callie’s “stuffie” toys from Ducky, too, so I understand!”

Sometimes the minute he gets a new toy, she takes it and guts it.  Other times the toys just hang around until that wild hare comes back. LOL

Jan K said, ” Stuffing on the floor is a common sight around here too. Luke and Sheba’s latest project was tearing apart a Kong Wubba.”

Typically the stuffing does not bother me, unless I’ve just vacuumed. LOL

2 Brown Dawgs said, ” Our dogs would destuff and probably eat.”

They eat the stuffing?  Thankfully they do not eat the stuffing, but they will pull the squeaker out and eat the end off.  Buttheads.

Well that’s it for me, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.