the sheltiechick blog

Payback

So I think most of you know that Payton’s favourite toy in the world is a leaf. Last night he came running up to me in the yard carrying a stick with a few leaves still on it, all excited he had found one last stick to play with. We were getting ready to go to bed so I put it up on the picnic table on the deck to keep safe until we could play with it properly.

We went out to play today and Auggie decided it was time to enact a little bit of payback.


Auggie: You like this? Here let me have it.


Payton: HAY! That’s MINE!


Auggie: I want it. Give it to me.
Payton: Noooooooooo


Auggie: I am taking it now.
Payton: WAH!!

I was secretly cheering Auggie on. Seriously, he doesn’t even really LIKE sticks… he didn’t really want it except for the fact that Payton had it therefore he decided to steal it. This is the first time he has ever done this, LOL. Usually he’s the one getting puppies (or Pepper) running up to him going “WHAT’S THAT?” and he drops it so they can have it. Good for you Auggie, LOL.


“Hay Mom it’s kinda windy out here!”


My very handsome little boy. With dirt sticking out of his muzzle. Sigh.


A Very Sheltie Christmas

Yes okay I am AWARE that Christmas was almost a week ago OKAY I KNOW


Georgie gets to open her presents first!


Ooooh what’s in the box?


I eats this?


I eats the cardboard tag instead.
This was my present to Georgie. I bought her that Cuz toy (because she defuzzed one of Auggie’s balls so I got her that to try and defuzz), her very own firehose, an orange monkey, and something else I can’t remember right now.


Auggie is next… NOM. He got a bottle wrapper from Clean Run!


Next, Paytonmobile.


Hmm, how to rip this?


He DID start ripping it but then he stopped to try and eat the paper he’d just ripped off. So I had to help him. He got a sheepie ball also from Clean Run.


Georgie opening (one of) her present(s) from my mom… her own sheepie ball so she doesn’t have to steal mine, LOL.


The boys got a bag full of toys from me – this is Flappy, except I think his name is really Jolly (it says so on the back of him) but Flappy sounds better and he makes hilarious flapping sounds when you shake him from all those flappy legs flipping about. Payton LOVES Flappy.


Georgie stocking!


She got some Kong squeaker balls of her own, and…


this Kong squeaker bone thingie. That Auggie would like plz.


Auggie vacated so he could see what’s in his own stocking.


Gingie bread man squeaky ball!


Obligatory head in stocking shot.


Payton sucked at de-toy-ifing his stocking, LOL, so here’s a photo of what was in his stocking.


And what was in Auggie’s stocking! Yes that is a different sheepie ball than the two sheepie balls I already own AND the new sheepie ball… yes we have lots of sheepie balls in this house… Also he got a full bag of those orange Kong squeakers, but he was playing with the rest while I took this photo.


Babies playing in the wrapping paper!


And the loot for the boys. Except for the reindeer bottle wrapper, I bought a bunch of good tugging toys so they could play together.

Payton then proceeded to run around throwing all the toys in everybody’s faces, and Georgie ended up in her crate because she kept trying to steal Auggie’s new tennis balls instead of playing with her OWN new tennis balls and he was getting mad at her. And Auggie sat there like a grumpy tennis ball miser. MY TENNIS BALLS… MINE… PREEEECIOOOOOUS…

And then Christmas was over, and we all had a major sad!


24 Photos for the 24th


For the record, I made Payton cross his paws like that. He lay down with his legs like *SPRAWL* and I was like “You look stupid. Here.”


I was actually surprised he left them after I crossed them LOL.


And his stay is so good! He is the rock star stay-er in his puppy class.


Auggie, of course, is always a rock star. I was thinking I would like to take another class with him just because he would be so good it would make me feel like hot $@)# LOL.


My boys. <3


Just Georgie-Porgie!


She has had runny poo the last few days. We finally got her pooping solid again so she got a bath this morning to wash all the icky off her butt.


My mom was like “She looks stupid from the front with her puppy hair going everywhere! Did you STYLE her like that?!”


Yes Mom that is exactly what I did. I made your puppy look like she stuck her tongue in the electrical socket. On purpose. That is what I did.


Mom: “She looks like a HUSKY or something.”
Me: “No, she looks like a SHELTIE PUPPY. That’s what they LOOK LIKE.” Poor Georgie. I think she’s adorable, LOL.


Just Uncle Auggie with baby Georgie… aww!


Payton kept trying to ruin these photos by wandering in front of the camera. STUPID PAYTON


I love this one LOL… Auggie’s face…


Auggie has recently decided he doesn’t completely hate her after all. I’m sooo glad!


I tried to get him to wrap his leg over her but he was like “NO.” Okay, okay. I guess I shouldn’t push it.


Soooo if you make funny sounds Georgie tilts her head…


so that’s what I was doing… because it’s soooo freaking cute.


and over and over and over hahaha. I was making sounds like Pepper makes hahaha. I always say she sounds like Blue from Blue’s Clues. Bow-bo-bo-bow!


All three dogs! Aaaand Auggie looks pissed LMAO. Thanks Aug…


Little less pissed. (And yes I was still making Pepper-noises at Georgie.)


Probably the best shot of all three. Stupid Auggie and his stupid angry face hahaha.


The babies messing up the shot…


This is why Auggie always looks pissed. “JUST SIT STILL AND TAKE THE STUPID PHOTO YOU GUYS. GOSH!! IDIOTS.” (/Napoleon Dynamite)


Aaaand Payton started crawling away because he found something on the floor so one more of just Uncle Aug and the baby.

Merry Christmas everybody. =>


Secret Santa has arrived!


A box is here!! OMG!


So many beautiful little packages in there!


Auggie says nom nom nom my gift…


It’s a skull charm for his collar! Auggie says “oh I loves it. I kiss it.”


Payton got an awesome new toy!! I have told Georgie to keep her tiny puppy teeth off it because I love it and want to keep it safe, haha.


And Auggie got TENNIS BALLS!!


The boys were actually so enthralled with their toys they didn’t even notice there was more in the box… and that it was treats… Georgie, meanwhile, was like “Ummmm can I has?”


I couldn’t get the boys back to get a picture taken with the treats so I just took a picture on the floor, LOL.


The charms! Payton got a little bone with a blue blingy on it! And Auggie’s awesome skull and crossbones!


Payton with his dinosaur!


“Payton, that is your first ever Christmas present,” I said. “That’s exciting!”


“…well, for me, anyway.”


Santa pic 2011

Payton looooooves Santa.
Like a lot.


Some Christmas photos…


First, we asked Georgie to down. Auggie proceeded to do this. “ohhhh my goooood these puppies are killing meeeee.”


Bros! Poor Auggie has a busted lip right now. =< Not sure if he got it playing bitey face or if he bit himself at some point.


All three little doggies. Georgie apparently thought the boys had cooties today – she did NOT want to get anywhere closer to Payton.


Happy Aug!


Then we busted out the costumes LOL. “Payton won’t move now because he has something on his head,” I said. If only the same trick worked with Georgie…


Payton didn’t like the reindeer antlers so we switched him and Georgie.


Brudders <3


I think this might be the one I send to everybody! (And look! Auggie’s big ol’ chunk out of his leg hair has mostly grown back!)


Santa Auggie!

The end! I might get the big ornaments out again this year but I have to find the time to do it… not sure when that might be unless it’s literally Christmas Eve…


Auggie’s new Fetching Tag is here…

and I love it, LOL.


Auggie says, “I’m not only the founder of the No Testicles? No Problem! club – I’m also a member!” Oh you sure are Augs.


I can’t stop laughing.


I went with a tennis ball on the back this time. <3 For some reason the skull seemed weird with this tagline LOL.


Payton the Amazing

This dog is awesome, and hilarious. I’ve posted a couple of times about our perch work. The last time he was on the perch was two or three days ago (I know, but I’m also working on other stuff, so we are actually rotating tricks…) He was going about a turn and a half for me, a turn regularly but often giving me more. I want him to be doing more than that before we start lowering the perch and then fade it out entirely, but he’s doing pretty good. The hand signal I’m using is Celeste Meade’s, which is a fist with my knuckles down towards the dog.

Well, I just had him in the bathroom with me while I was getting ready for bed. I wanted to put him in a sit so I said “Payton, sit,” and made the hand signal I use, which is scooping my hand up towards my face. Normally I have my hand open, palm up, but I was holding something so it was basically raising my fist up in the air. He looked at my hand but didn’t sit right away, so I just waited. Sit is his default behaviour so I knew he would sit in a second anyway once his brain caught up to his feet.
Except he didn’t sit.
He stared at my hand, which was a fist, knuckles down… and he thought about it, then proceeded to start pivoting his butt around.

I looked at him, totally shocked, then looked at my hand, and realized he was doing EXACTLY what I asked him to. Just not what I MEANT to ask him to do!
And he did it without the perch anywhere nearby and without having done any kind of fading of the perch. Just up and turned a pivot on the bathroom floor.

I then almost fell over laughing hysterically. Really, Payton? Wow. Okay.
Now I don’t know if I should just ditch the perch and make him start doing pivots without it since he already proved to me he can, haha.


Dogs in a box

It all started with a sale on treats at Petco.com. And a rather large order of treats from Petco.com.

Then I had a huge empty cardboard box. Well, you can’t have an empty box in my house for long.


It’s a good thing Pepper’s not here because I don’t think FOUR would have fit. Well, maybe if I got Pepper and Payton to sit.


“HALP” says Payton. Auggie tries to figure out if he can jump out before I notice.


Georgie: Oh no you don’t! If I have to be in the box SO DO YOU!
Auggie: NO!


Auggie: *starts to scream*


Auggie: *more horrified screaming*
Payton: haaaahahaha.


Auggie: I HATE YOU


Georgie: So stay there.


Boys: Fine. HI CAMERA LADY
Georgie: Now I gotta figure out how to get out of here.


Payton: Haha now she’s trying to get out and we’re all stuck in here!


Boys: LOLOLOLOL
Georgie: Curses! Why am I so little?!


Payton: Okay I’m bored with this now can we do something fun please?
Georgie: Maybe if I jump up and down I can tip the whole box over?
Auggie: I hate my life.

Shortly after Georgie managed to scramble halfway out and I told the boys to jump out and that was the end of that.
I take it as a good sign that Payton was pretty much like “Meh, this is normal, right?” He’s totally gotten used to living here…


Just two pics of two dogs

Better lighting today (the sun was just barely peeking out from behind the clouds) and I grabbed a couple of treats to make it easier on me… I’m a cheat.


Payton’s mane is getting out of control… the hair around his face, OMG. Floof!!
Also I’m obsessed with how he sits. It’s so nice and tight and straight and proper… LOVE it. Auggie is like “meh, I’m six. *slouch*”

And I love this one…

Not exactly what I intended, I wanted Auggie to lay down, but the Payton peeked out over Auggie’s shoulder… cute!!


Recall Bootcamp

After a lot of thought and a lot of staring at my bank account, I decided to enroll in Susan Garrett’s 5 Minutes to a Brilliant Recall e-course. It wasn’t exactly cheap, but I asked myself what a good recall is worth. If somehow Auggie or Payton were to get out the front door, or maybe broke the gate in the backyard, or escaped from their lead at an agility trial… and were running towards a busy road with cars coming… how much is it worth if I said “AUGGIE” and my dog would turn around and come racing back to me without hesitation? The answer, for me, is that it would be worth a lot more than I paid for the class.

So that will be our winter project… how much work we’ll get to do outside once the snow dumps on us, exactly, is anybody’s guess. But I will at least be arming myself with the games and the learning to work on it later.

Both dogs have also been learning perch work. Payton is doing better than Auggie, who ever since I got out the clicker and tried to teach him to speak has added barking furiously at me to his repertoire of “stuff to try during shaping.” Auggie was giving me two full turns around the perch but frequently would stop and bark at me, so I dropped WAY back and am currently rewarding for two steps in a row WITH NO. BARKING. and hoping that eliminates the annoying barkface.
Payton, on the other hand, is now doing a turn and a half. Sometimes he gets overly excited and ends up slipping off the perch and since he is no longer on the perch starts jumping around the room (my puppy is so weird) but once he gets himself collected and hits the perch again, he returns very quickly to pivoting. I’m very proud of him… when I first brought him home and tried to teach him to touch a target, he wouldn’t do anything. He would just sit down and stare at me. Having gone from that to a dog who learned to start zooming around a perch purely from offered behaviours, it just makes me smile. I almost cried when I saw the light bulb go off in his head and he started stepping in a hurry around the perch. Hurray for Payton!

So I will probably be posting some updates here, maybe with some videos, while we work through Auggie’s Recall Bootcamp! I’m looking forward to it for sure. (How can anybody NOT look forward to not having to go out and retrieve their dog who is in the back of the yard barking at ABSOLUTELY NOTHING through the fence when it’s 20 degrees out and they are only wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts?)