Last Pics with Parker, Part 2

Parker apparently likes to snuggle with me better than sit and stay for Nick : )

Just love on me....

Cookie?

playing with his legs : )

Happy Smiles

Last Pics with Parker, Part 1

So per tradition, the last week of our foster being with us, we try to take some nice pics of him.... not so successful with Parker Baby....

I think Nick is mid "stay".... not sure how successful that was

Yeah, all they wanted was the food.... and yes Tink is wearing Mardi Gras beads....
Nick's idea, don't ask. Isn't she pretty?

Parker Shark.....

Going back through Older Pics....

So I was going through our camera and thought it might be nice to down load some pics that have been sitting there! Here's Parker during a thunderstorm.....

High ground...must...get....to...higher....ground....

Stupid people....look at all this STUFF!

the closet is totally safe

What are you looking at?!??!

And while Parker is panicking in the closet (since he wasn't allowed on the furniture) Tink is doing the following....

...Contently sleeping!

Zzzzzzzz.....

A storm? no way....

mmm, comfy bed.....

Another Parker Update 7-15-09

Just before bed last night, Anne emailed us with another wonderful Parker update! Here it is:

"We are so pleased with Parker's progress. He is happy and relaxed. He is playing with us, jumping and running. Last night he wanted to go for a walk even though he had two walks already, so he went and got his leash and put it in front of the door. He lets us know what ever he wants. He doesn't always get it. He is eating well and sleeping in his crate with no problem. He sat on my husband's lap yesterday when my husband was sitting on the floor. Today he got up on my chair, but got off as soon as I saw him. I am thanking you again for the good job you did with him." ~Anne

I am so excited and pleased with how he is transitioning! Proof that all he needed was a foundation to build on!!!

Tink, Nick, and I are off to MA this afternoon for a nice break with my family ; ) Hopefully we'll get some nice pictures of Tink, Stretch, and Jazz as well as some of the horses. We shall see!!!

Parker Update

Parker's Mom, Anne called me this afternoon and shared that Parker is settling in quite nicely. She said that he loves his food, his walks and his crate. He looked for me all friday evening after I left but appeared to settle in on saturday. He goes to the front door for walks and goes to the back door to go potty. He leaned up against her for a nice rub and rolled over for a belly rub this morning. He follows her around the house and has been having fun with one of his bully sticks.

As Jodi has said, it's like a beautiful cinderella story for Mr Parks. Sounds like everyone is transitioning nicely! Yeah for Parker : )

Parker's gone and done it this time....

...he went and found a perfectly good forever home!

It is with tears of joy and and sadness that I write these words. I've spent the evening packing up his bags, gather directions, and generally getting ready for the big drive tomorrow afternoon. A wonderful family from NJ is very excited to adopt Parker and make him a big part of their family. It looks like a fabulous match and I am so excited for them.

I'm so very sad that he is leaving our home....he has spent 9 weeks with us. The first month was very rough, but the second was this amazing growth and development of Parker and his relationship with me and our family here.

This is what fostering is all about though: rescuing and saving these dogs from near death, the horrors of the mills, neglect, etc. and rehabilitating them, loving them, and providing a future and a hope with a family that loves and cares for them. As a foster home, we are but one piece in each dog's puzzle. And the hardest, most painful moment for the foster parent is the moment everyone in the rescue works towards. We work towards the day when each dog is adopted into their forever home. It hurts when the dog takes a part of my heart with him, but knowing that we took care of him when he needed it most is worth it all.

I love you Parker. Take care as your chapter with us closes. Tomorrow is where your story really begins.....

A lazy day....

Parker and Tink enjoyed a peaceful laid back day at HOME today! What a novel concept. It was so cute to see both of them sacked out; Parker on the floor sucking his bed and Tink on the couch. We walked and they sniffed until their little hearts desired several times today. Tink was taking a long time to do her business this evening and Parker apparently was tired of waiting so he flopped himself down into the grass belly up to wait/take a nap!

Tink woke up this afternoon with her head/neck stuck down to the right with what appeared to be an enlarged right shoulder. She didn't want to walk and she didn't have good balance. I gave her some baby aspirin with some yummy cottage cheese and let her sleep a little more. When she awoke, she shook and stretched and smashed her face into the carpet which let me know that she had shaken whatever kinked her up earlier. She is so precious when she smashes her face into the carpet and rolls around...

Some things we love about miss Tink:

1. her little head fits so perfectly in the crook of my shoulder
2. the pleasure she gets from rolling around and smashing her face into the carpet first thing in the morning and after meals
3. her gently disposition and easy going attitude
4. She NEVER gives up
5. her ability to love and trust us completely
   

Nick and I went out for just a bit this evening and when we came back home both dogs grabbed their kongs and had a kong party here on the living room floor side by side. It was adorable!

Parker has been such a joy! He's been affectionate, well behaved, and gentle with miss Tink!
Here are a few of our favorite things about Parker:

1. I love how he body slams himself into the grass first thing in the morning. He rolls around and slides down the little hill in the back head first, on his back.
2. The smile he generally wears on his face!
3. The joy he shows in all of his favorite activities: walking outside, chewing on bones, belly rubs, dinner time....
4. how long he looks when he is sprawled out with his froggy legs behind him and his front paws fully extended!
5. He loves car rides! He will attempt to jump into ANY open car door or trunk!

It's been a beautiful weekend....and now we must get ready for our 4 day work week!

Quick Camp Recap

It was a beautiful weekend at the cabin...Parker was almost a completely normal and socialized dog! He loved being outside and going for long walks. He did great around the family. We had 2 small incidences with Pop-pop that we worked through. He barked at the 4-wheeler (and ate dinner by it one night to help that issue...), laid in the sun, and overall enjoyed himself. He didn't beg during meal times, he was quiet...he woke up extra early though. I think the travel crate was just a tad too small for him to get completely comfy. But my darling Nick got up each morning with him and took him for a 2 mile walk while Tink and I slept in : )

Tink did very well too. We had plenty of snuggle time, plenty of walking, and lots of yummy food. I thought she was feeling a tad under the weather on Friday. She slept more than usual for most of the day and then mid afternoon she woke up and was ready to go. Everyday can be an adventure with my little one!

I kept meaning to get the camera out when Parker was laying in the sun or chewing on a stick or sitting so pretty and handsome... and yet it was never around except in my mind's eye. We took him down to the Creek this afternooon and his stuck his feet in. I think if he could have gotten on solid footing he would have gone in. The rocks were slippery and he was playing it safe.

I didn't realize what a sun worshipper this guy is! He found the sun spots in the cabin and followed them as they moved across the floor. All curled up so cute and sleepy like.

He jumped into my trunk last night while we were putting stuff away. I didn't think the entire process through and I went to reach in and help him out...yeah, he growled and snapped. Nick's been thinking it through and Parker in general and has come to the conclusion that Parker doesn't like to be cornered and then reached at with a hand. Which is exactly what I did last night without even realizing it. It was late and dark and he was tired and ready for some normal routine.... Next time we'll do it differently.

Potentially some really good news for Parker coming down the line...not going to say anything more, but big smiles for Parker Bailey. He has come so far and worked so hard. Right now he's sleeping/snoring/sucking on his bed. He's a bit cranky this evening. I think he is very over tired. Time to get out a really yummy treat and get him outside for his last potty of the night!

Taste of the Wild...

The dogs are almost completely moved over to Taste of the Wild fish variety. So far, I am loving it and they appear to be loving it too. Much less poop-- 2x a day rather than 4x! There is no hesitation on Tink's part to eat in the morning even when I just put yogurt in it. (Ok, so I know I spoil them with eggs and chicken and cottage cheese and such, but c'mon, plain kibble is oh so plain!)

The Holistic Eagle Pack served us well over the past 3 years, but for whatever reason is no longer meeting our dogs' current needs. Each bag seemed so different and the dogs responded to each bag very differently lately, and lately with much more poop than necessary!

So here we go, on to new food! And it's grain free which I'm loving too.

PS: Parker is exhausted! Tink is rediculously adorable sleeping here on the couch with me! I love these dogs so much : )

I Want to Add to the Beauty....

Parker and I walked to our last basic obedience class this evening. I was listening to my ipod with one of my favorites, Sara Groves. Sometimes I crave certain artists and songs and tonight was definitely a Sara night, Add to the Beauty CD to be specific. As I was listening to "Add to the Beauty" a few profound thoughts hit my mind. Regardless of what I am doing or what I need to do in life, I want to always add to the beauty and not take away from it in this world. There is so much ugliness and I just don't want to have any part of that. Directly related to the dog world, I want to create an environment where our dogs want to do well and want to thrive. I want my home to be safe and loving environment to every one and every animal that walks through these doors. I want my attitude to add to the beauty while working with these dogs. Unfortunately for me, that is not always how it goes. But God is good and He gives us new days and His strength and dogs who also extend grace...(ha, that's a funny concept to think about, dog's giving grace, but it's true!)

Parker did very well tonight. It was almost like he was showing off, because he was MORE consistent at obedience tonight than he is in general. Of course, in his defense, I fed him 1/4 of this meal and took the rest with us, so he was hungry. It worked out well minus a small issue at Tink's bowl this evening. It was my fault, I let him out of his crate too early...he must have kicked Tink away from her bowl with a growl. I came in yelling. He almost went after me, but then thought better of it or I ordered him to his crate too quickly...? Not sure, but his "crate up" was solid even when he was hungry! I don't put him in there as a time out too often, but sometimes I need a break and in this case I needed to see where Tink was and how she was doing. Of course she was fine. Parker and I had a little heart to heart and then we were fine again.

Oh I digress...anyways, Parker greeted every dog at obedience with a wagging tail. Now I had a good hold on him, but still, no sign of aggression or fear. He had one of the best "heels" while walking this evening. His sit, was impeccable; he sat beautifully while a tween greeted him and while an adult greeted me.

I still have to wonder what types of dogs he has issues with. I haven't been able to typify them yet. We met a lab mix of a dog, Baron, in the parking lot earlier this afternoon and Parker snapped at him a few times. He met a Rottie and a Portugese Water Dog mix this evening without any issues. Small dogs, jumpy dogs were ok too. I'll keep looking for a trigger or pattern, but he's not making it easy to find!

He wasn't keen on me interlocking my fingers under his chin and stroking his jowls, but we'll take that slowly. We spent some time working through being able to touch all over the dog's bodies and while I know that is important, it's gravity hit me again tonight. I have spent the past month or so working on being able to do exactly that with him. I can brush him anywhere, we're working on his feet, I can rub him down, etc. It's also a really neat opportunity to spend time bonding and having fun together.

So yes, that's my update on adding to the beauty, one dog at a time.....

Add to the Beauty--Sara Groves

We come with beautiful secrets
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange place, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

It comes in small inspirations
It brings redemption to life and work
To our lives and our work

It comes in loving community
It comes in helping a soul find it's worth

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful
This is grace, an invitation

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out our best

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

Parker...is it really you?

So Nick and I have been trying to decide if someone traded out Parker for an angel or if we just imagined all the issues we've been working through the past 6 weeks. Week 7 and 8 (has it really been that long?) have been going beautifully. I continue to train with part of his meal and feed him the rest in a bowl....he's been going for at least a mile walk every morning and a decent walk in the evenings, he's generally well mannered and easy going.... I spent over 30 minutes this evening brushing him and dremeling his nails. He wasn't totally thrilled about the dremel part, but we kept it playful and food oriented and fun and he did just fine. It was fun to play and be silly for a bit with him, taking everything slowly and keeping it positive.

Now don't get me wrong, he has his moments, but they are fewer and less severe. Heel has been an amazing training concept as walking him is SOOO much nicer. He's improving when we walk around other dogs. He's still a nut case, but he's getting quieter and getting over it quicker. He's actually a really nice pleasure to be around. The flat buckle collar has been indespensible in this process too.

The 4 of us are soooo looking forward to the cabin! (ok, so Parker has no idea, and Tink could care less, but still!) After a fabulous friday night with company I am confident that Parker will be just fine. He's going to run and run and run and stay outside and sleep and eat and lay outside and did I mention lay outside? Sigh, hopefully we can exhaust him and he will sleep past 7am : ) That's my master plan. But regardless, it's going to be a beautiful weekend to relax and take it easy with some family and our pups!

It has amazed me how every once in a while, especially now that Parker has manners, I realize how bratty miss Tink can be. Now I love her dearly and she has earned certain rights, but when she clamors at dinner or refuses to sit nice while Parker is quiet and calm, I remember that she needs obedience maintenance too. I say to Nick "It's pretty bad when the foster dog shows the forever dog up!" Fortunately she shapes up pretty quickly....One night not too long ago though, she was pawing up at me at the dinner table and I had to correct her (ha! Her correction was "Tinker off" with a gentle push to put all 4 paws back on the ground.) Parker's face looked as if he was to saying "finally! I thought that dog could never do anything wrong!"

Oh I love having these 2 around. Tink's my little snuggler and Parker is my little project. His next home will appreciate all the time and energy that has gone into him and will work to maintain and continue his training! Soon, very soon hopefully.

I need to take some more pictures of Tink and Parker....our new Macbook should be here tomorrow and then Nick and I can play with it and post some pictures next week when we return from the cabin! Oh what fun times ; )

So much happens....

...in one week that it's hard to fully share and give a good explanation of all that's gone on in it.

I'm not going to lie. Parker had me really nervous this week. I've spoken with several different trainers who, like therapists, all had a different perspective and way of handling Parker. I like to think that Nick and I are intelligent and well trained people and we have been listening closely and learning from each person we come in contact with. We generally ascribe to a more behavioral approach to things and that is the main angle that we are using with Parker. Positive reinforcement, rewarding the behavior we want and attempting to ignore behavior we don't want are some strategies we are using. I've learned from working with people with Autism that no 2 people respond the same way to a given behavior plan. What works for one will not necessarily work for another. So we're taking an individualized approached and really working hard to study Parker and use what will work best in his individual case.

We've started controlling his food intake. I struggled with this initially, but after talking with Ed in Frenchtown NJ on Wednesday and processing through it with Nick, we've developed our own plan with Parker. Ed made it quite clear that Parker is too comfortable and full and therefore won't work as easily. Which was totally true after thinking it through. He's turned down hot dog, chicken liver, and hearts on me. He recommended that Parker work for every single morsel of food that he eats to gain more control over him. (From a different perspective, this also reinforces that people are good and that good things come from people and to be nice to them : ) He suggested 1 meal a day with lots of training.... We're still feeding 2 meals, but they are much lighter. He works for at least 1/2 of his meal by doing things: crate up, sit, down, stay, look, come, touch, etc etc. 1 or 2 pieces of kibble at a time. Then he usually gets a 1/4 of his meal in his bowl with the last 1/4 used while we're walking. Although this morning he got 1/2 and 1/2 with some on the walk as well. His heel and looks are coming along out and about now.

One of Sarah's recommendations was using NILIF (Nothing in life is free.) The main premise behind this is that the dog is expected to do something before he gets what he wants. If he wants to be petted, I asked him to sit or touch (I really like that fun one). If he wants to go out, he sits or waits before he's given the ok to go through the door way. Fortunately he was asked to do something to get something about 85% of the time anyways. Now we've just upped it to 100%. He loves to "touch" my hands and just like Sarah said, I can get him moving around without touching him : )

He works so much better being slightly more hungry. He's more motivated and actually better behaved overall. He has filled out so nicely and his coat is so beautiful that I don't feel badly about leaving him a tad on the hungry side. He wants to please and I think he is enjoying his job of working hard. I do make sure the leash is on him when we're working so if I need him to come or "crate up" I can help him following through. Generally, he doesn't need any help.

We had company over last night and I was nervous. Much to my surprise, Parker was amazing. He had no major issues with Nate, who has a full face of hair. He actually seemed to PREFER him and sat by him at dinner and kept a close eye on him, not in a nervous way, but in a companion-like way. Then Christina and Ben joined us later and again, no issues and he seemed to really enjoy Ben's company. I kept the leash on him and had them drop or hand some treats to him. Everyone made him do something before they petted him and he listened like a pro.

Parker is a morning dog. There is no way around it. He konks out on his bed in the living room (even last night with 5 of us playing games and laughing and being loud) around 9:30, 10ish at night. He's slightly grumpy at night in the way that he just wants to sleep and be left alone. But man, 5:30 am comes around and that dog is ready to bounce of the walls! He is so happy and happy and happy that it's morning time! It's a new day and he is ready to seize it with a walk and food and love and all the great things that a dog enjoys.

Ok so this is long winded and probably boring, but I enjoy it.

The Beauty of Positive Reinforcement

So, after emailing with Sarah at side by side training an looking at a local trainer's website (in the dog house) she suggested, some thoughts began to click which I think should have clicked earlier. I need to continuously motivate Parker to WANT to do what I want him to do. Duh. I need him to be excited about what I need/want him to do! Doing it once or twice and expecting him to always be excited without a tasty treat once in a while is unrealistic.

So I started to problem solve one potential issue, his growling at me at night while on the chair.

I want him to get off the chair to get outside and potty. He is perfectly comfortable sleeping where he is at. How can I motivate him to move? hmm, If I have yummy treats by the door and he gets up and comes when he is called then he gets a big yummy treat as a reward for doing what I want. And as a result, he gets what he wants, a yummy treat. I will start by getting a treat and showing it to him before I ask him to come to me. I know he is food motivated and I know what treats he likes. Theoretically he should beat me to the door in no time!

I cooked up some hot dog and chicken hearts and armed with a bag full of small pieces of treats, a leash, and a positive attitude, Parker and I went down the street to McCracken's to have a positive experience! Once out of the car I showed him the treats, asked for a sit and look a few times in the parking lot and off we went.

Systematically we went. Once through the door, Parker, Sit, look! Good-boy! give treat. Up first aisle, Parker, sit, look (longer pause) good-boy! give treat. We avoided the group of people at the counter at first...too many men with facial hair. The place cleared out and Dave, one of the men that works there offered to help us out a little. I let them know up front, we're working through men with facial hair issues and he was ok with that. He let Parker come to him. No body language that showed fear or uncertainty. I treated Parker with a nice "good-boy" and Dave moved away. Dave came around Parker a few more times while we were there without any issue or hint of fear or aggression. Parker received lots of praise and treats during the whole experience. He was well behaved, attentive, and polite!

He did manage to pee on the floor though : ( I watched him go to pee and tried to get him moving... all i succeeded in doing was have him pee on the floor rather than the display. So we cleaned it up and kept on rolling.

We picked up some Zuke's mini naturals so I can have treats strategically placed around the house so I can catch him being good and reward quickly and effectively. I love the hotdog, but it needs to be refridgerated (ok, so I hate the crap that is in hotdogs, but I love the results I get with the dogs when working with it....the positives outweigh the negatives in this case...plus I don't really want to pay 8 bucks a package for hotdogs without perservatives...I'll wait til they're on sale : )

So that's my positive outlook. Let's keep him motivated to do what I want him to do, give him the training and consistency so he knows what I want him to do, and stay loving and kind to this little bugger!

I am so proud of how his was in public today! Go Parker!

Pouring doesn't even begin to describe it!

I love Murphy's law, really I do. I heard Parker whine just a bit at 6:45 this morning and I closed my eyes again. At 6:55 I heard rain start and quickly got out of bed to get Tink and Park outside for the morning pee. By the time breakfast was served, it was raining hard. I decided to see how long I could wait until Parker needed to go out again as he growled at me when I tried to towel him off from the first pee break of the day.

Ha, well 15 minutes after breakfast, he's peeing on my floor. I catch him mid pee and take him outside. Of course he doesn't like the rain and it takes him 10 minutes to pee. Good-boy! Inside we go.

I'm up, I might as well get some voice memo/work related computer stuff done that I've literally been putting off for months....as I finish that up, Tink is stirring. I take her out with an umbrella and she goes quickly (we're both trained with her!) By the time I get Parker out it was raining the hardest I've ever been in. Umbrella or not, we're both drenched. It's like a flash flood in the parking lot. My pants are soaked up to my knees and my backside is wet from my flip flops splashing up. We're standing under the trees by the dumpster and I am just at a loss about what to do. He's beginning to show signs of panicking and while he's peed he certainly hasn't pooped. I rationally figure that he's not going to at this point. We do our best to get back quickly but the once parking lot, now river is impeding fast progress.

He let me towel him off when we got back and he seemed in a happy mood. I think he was cranky this morning from me raising my voice (a firm "No! We potty outside!) when he peed on the floor and from realizing he lost his chair privileges. (He's growled/snapped at me 2 nights in a row when I try to take him out for his last potty of the night. Now there are 2 big boxes on the chair so he has to sleep on a dog bed on the floor. It's a shame, really.) I'm not sure how going out in the rain cheered him up any, but he seemed to be more tolerant after we came back.

For now Tink is sleeping somewhat content on the couch and Parker seems content on the bed in front of the couch.....maybe the rain will stop before I see an ark floating down the road...

Never a dull moment....

So Parker's a really good boy. I love him a lot. But man, I need to be 100% focused when we walk. I forget that he isn't my ready made Tink and that he will be "unpredictable" at times.
Case in point...I get tired of walking the 2 dogs separately all the time. Last night I thought I might "cheat" a little and take them together. We went out back in the field and such on a "safe" route where we wouldn't encounter any dogs and we could hang out in the grass and take it easy. Aside from the minor intricacies of walking a blind dog and a space cadet together, we were doing ok. We were on our way back when the loud obnoxious Min-Pin from across the street came bombing at us barking with his hair raised up...

Yeah, so I began to freak out...and then began yelling bloody murder for someone to get this dog off my dogs. The Min-Pin was in our faces and went after Parker and then he saw Tink. As he headed her way, I thought I was going to really lose it! Oh, it was quite the scene. I had visions of Parker killing the Min-Pin. There was no way I was going to get in the middle if anything came down. I thought of kicking, but with my two so close there was no guarantee who I'd actually hit.

Fortunately I have a strong set of lungs and people from across the street came running and got the dang dog off us. Apparently they thought I was hurt as they kept asking "are you ok... are you sure?" Ha, or maybe they thought I was just plain crazy...or some of both.

All this because I was trying to save a bit of time and energy....definitely didn't save either when it was all said and done! Parker is a good boy, he just requires a bit more energy than Miss Tink. He's making huge strides; he's only been with us for 6 weeks. I have high hopes for him!

So the moral of the story is: walk one dog at a time and carry a big stick : )

Parker, Obedience Week #2

So we survived our second obedience session tonight. The weather held out and we were able to walk over and back and stay dry! He was quiet as a church mouse with the other dogs this week. A few chicken noises and whining when a big dog came near or when the group congregated together for the first time. A marked difference and noticed by all who were there.

I shared our experience with Parker and Don this past weekend and fortunately we had 2 men with dog experience and facial hair around to help work with Parker. Bob works with prison dogs and/or big Rotties and walked us through a few different experiences. Parker was ok with him initially but when Bob leaned over towards him and invaded "his" space, Parker began to bark and show agitation, to the point that when Bob turned around to walk away, he would have gone after him if i let him. We practiced with Parker sitting and snacking on a treat in my hand while people came up to greet us and shake hands. Parker did very well with both Bob and Ron during this experience.

Bob seemed very knowledgeable and was very patient working with us. He seemed to agree that he thinks Parker was hit or abused in the past judging by his ducking and body language when Bob entered into his space. He is fearful but once a person turns around he perceives the fear as gone and acts all tough which one possible reason why he then goes after the back of someone's legs like he has done with a few select people. I say and think, once he learns to trust and learns that all his basic needs are met with love and care, the fear, through work and diligence, will slowly decrease. I've already seen marked improvement here in the house. And while Tink is a very different dog, once she knew she could trust, life changed for her and she blossomed.

Parker is currently sacked out on "his" chair. He really is such a good boy. It's hard work fostering and not falling head over heels for these guys!

Parking and his blankies....

So I've noticed that Parker enjoys sucking on blankets, my sweatshirts, his bed...i've read and hear about other BT's doing this, but never seen or had one that's done it personally. It is soo cute but hard to catch on camera!

Sucking on a yummy blanket

No, I wasn't, stop looking over here!

mmm, fabricy goodness!

I'm gonna just stay here for a bit...

Tinker & Parker misc....

So Tink continues to feel better and act better and have more energy. It really is an amazing thing! The 4 of us have been talking nice walks both in the morning and evening together this weekend and it's been lovely. Overall, Parker is very patient with her particularly with letting her bump into him on the walks to keep her on the path. Don't get me wrong though, she can take the lead and enjoys being lead dog too some nights : )

Tink's just about back on her normal diet with her usual kibble ration plus all her extra yummies. I think she is sad that she isn't getting as much chicken any more. She used to scarf it down. Now she eats but there's a slight initial hesitation...."mom, are you sure I'm well enough for this food...?"

I'm thinking of switching both the dogs to Taste of the Wild with the next bag of food. Both of them have been pooping up a storm with the Holistic Eagle pack. The Taste of the Wild is grain free and another high quality food. I would love to see if that will help minimize the poop factor. Now my concern is switching Tink over slowly enough so as not to mess up her system again. I have a few weeks before we'll make the switch though....

Tink and I just had a delightful Sunday afternoon snuggle nap, but now it's time for dinner and a relaxing walk for the gang. More to come for sure : )

Paker Update, Week #5

So Parker has been with us for 5 weeks now. It seems kinda crazy to think about. Here are some of last weeks highlights

• He learned to climb the gate in the kitchen. The third time he climbed it was Wednesday night and he earned himself the priviledge of sleeping in his crate instead of the kitchen as a result. He doesn't seem to mind the crate so much which is good because he goes in there whenever we leave now.
• Both and and Tink seem to be in cahoots about the morning hours. He consistently barks between 5 and 5:30 and if he happens to sleep in a bit, Tink wakes me up and wants to get rolling around 6, 6:30. Blah. All I want is to sleep until 7am! My darling husband took care of Parker the Barker on saturday and Tink let me sleep until 7:45am : ) For those of you who know how much I am NOT a morning person, I'm doing ok with all of this considering the lack of morning sleep I've been getting.
• I've been consistently brushing out his coat. For people who think BT's are a short-haired dog we need to think again! This dog practically has an undercoat!!! I brush and comb and comb and brush and it keeps coming out! I learned yesterday why people bath their dogs at a dog wash.... He clogged my drain with all his hair. So gross. But his coat is looking so much better! The bath yesterday helped soften his hair even more. His skin is good and when all the crap coat leaves, he's going to look even more stunning
• My in-laws came for dinner on Friday night and overall Parker did pretty well. He appeared to have a slight issue with Don and possibly with hands....Parker was watching me with the food in the kitchen and Don came in to throw something away. When Parker turned around and saw him I think it partly scared him and he let Don know it. So after a time out and later in the evening. We repeated the scene in a controlled fashion so it would have a positive outcome. Parker's sit and look is very strong so we used that to "let" Don come into the kitchen, treating Parker for listening and looking at me rather than going after Don. Then Don gave him a treat too and Parker did ok. He's such a quick learner and I am certainly not afraid of him. I am confident that in time he will get over his fears and trust the people in his family more than he fears strangers in his own home.
• Parker doesn't like thunderstorms. I think it was Tuesday night we had one go through. Now previously I had been working furiously to keep Parker off the furniture to help him not get too comfy here. The storm hit and Parker sought high ground. Our bed was the highest he could find and when I found him I of course pulled him off the bed but I realized he was nervous. He tried getting up on the shoe rack in the living room and then the couch. And he settled. So I let him lay there. So as a compromise, we have a blanket on the chair that he gets to sit and lay on. And generally he doesn't even try getting on the couch any more : )
• We've been noticing more stiffness in his gimpy leg. Valley Animal hospital said to give 3/4 of an adult aspirin (264mg) to help the pain. But for a 21 lb dog it seems like so much. Dr. Haver, Tink's vet, said 1/4 of a baby aspirin (20mg) for her and she is 15 lbs.... So i've been giving him 1 or 2 baby aspirins with food at night when I notice he looks particularly uncomfortable (maybe once or twice in the past week and 1/2).
  

Overall, he's doing very well and he is a pleasure to have around. He's a lot of work, but he's a lot of fun too. He would love a fenced in yard when he can go and lay and roll around. So often we take him outside after a meal or for a walk and he literally body slams himself onto the ground for a good roll! It cracks us up!

Parker Starts Obedience School

So Parker and I started obedience with GEARS at the Etown fairgrounds last night. True to form, he was a nut case with the other dogs initially. I thought the walk to the grounds and around the grounds might help, but not as much as I was hoping. Fortunately he's a quick learner. It didn't take more than 3 sprays of the bitter apple and he was quiet as a church mouse for the most part : ) He settled down as the rest of the class (9 others) settled too. (There are some cute puppies there too!) He likes his order and routine, and 9 other chaotic dogs did not help his need for a sense of order.

His sit, sit-look, down, and even spin are coming along. He really wants to please, and now he is learning what he can and should do in order to please his people. I'm not sure if he thought it wasn't ok to look humans in the eyes but last night when he was given permission, he sure got good at it quickly! This crazy boy is going to make someone a good companion some day soon!

Here are some more pictures from a few evenings ago. I can't wait to see how he improves over the next few weeks and some consistent practicing!

Pretty down

I love his wild eyes : )

Look at that face!

Notice Tink in the background...?

Belly rub please!!!