Such a cutie no wonder she loves your backyard. Thanks for posting these maybe you can post 3 pictures of Tomoe for the Nihon ken Calendar so far there's no pictures from other Kishu owners yet so it'd be nice to have a few for the calendar. =)
I will definately be posting 3 as candidates for the calendar, I just need to get a couple of really great shots. Seems like so far, the best shots are blurry, and the clearest shots aren't the nicest. Unless you like puppy butthole, for some reason those come out great. ;/
She pees like our Akita. Our Shikoku girls kinda sit down when they pee (looks like they are laying an egg), tho Ahi will lift her leg like a dude sometimes... but that's a different story.
Our Akita do that same serious pee thing tho, where they take position and then kinda look all around like "I'm peeing here! See, I'm peeing really hard right here. Don't mess with me". Haha.
For the leash walking, try to jog a bit, she obviously likes to chase you, so try letting her chase you on leash. Also, you could let her just walk around with the leash/harness on so she gets used to it - then try to walk her on it. That way the whole experience isn't new, just the walking outside the yard part.
LOL I'm a little dizzy from watching the video....but it was SOO worth it! lol She's SUCH a cutie!!!! I agree with Brad. Try letting her drag the leash around for a while.....or let HER guide YOU. Once she gets the hang of it, she'll let you lead.
Yeah it's my first camcorder, I have no idea what I am doing lol.
It also doesn't zoom or image-stabilize very well.
Thanks for your comments - I am just amazed at how quiet she is, and how she was potty trained before I got her at 8 weeks. Also, she goes right into her crate, no fuss whatsoever.
She hops like a little bunny! lol. Koda pees like that too, but his are longer now so it's this really hard serious pose and gaze. lolol.
You might want to try a shorter leash, or wrap it up more to help guide her, and like Brad said trot a little. Koda did the same "what do you want" walk for the first few days. I think that's better than a dog who pulls you right away. If she's more comfortable following you, then she might not grow up to be a leash puller. Koda still follows me most of the time, on the right and about one foot behind me. It's good because I barely have to hold onto the leash and walking him is a breeze. Her following you could be a blessing!
She's gradually getting better with the leash - I'm not too concerned with her on-leash behavior right now to be honest because, while I will take her to puppy kindergarten, I am leery of her coming into contact with the leavings of the other neighborhood dogs.
A friend of mine who raised a "carolina yellow dog" as she terms her told me I should get a good prong collar. I kind of assumed those were universally decried but it looks like some folks around here use them, but mostly for dogs that pull a lot? I figure I'll keep that as a possible tool for down the road when she's in her teenage period, if she is very rebelious.
prong- right, dont get one now. Waaay down the road when you have exhausted other collars and harnesses. MAYBE. (One of my dogs does wear the prong collar but only in very specific situations and I never pull it to 'correct' him.)
Don;t worry about the tool you use- let your relationship do the heavy lifting. She;s really young- and her relationship with you is very early stages. She doesn't yet KNOW whether you will let her get away with pulling everywhere. Teach her kindly that if she follows you, you will show her good stuff- follow me to the stone wall to look for chipmunks, follow me to the fence post to sniff for other dogs, follow me so I can put this bowl of food down. Theres a thing Suzanne Clothier teaches us - the Auto Check In- in which you reward any time she gives you eye contact on a walk. reinforce her looking to you with it being her idea. The best thing you can do for walking your dog is to be present and engaged with her- like you are friends walking and talking together. Everything is new to her and she needs to drink it all in- go real slow and let her absorb it at her pace. If she balks, its okay- shes in a new world.
So often we (everybody) ditch the dog and space out on dog walks, or talk with people, or we just observe the dog. Really be WITH her, share what she sees, poke your finger into holes, flip over leaves. The goal is not to do X mileage and just tire her out, it's to have quality time with a best friend. With this foundation the mileage will come later and when it does you'll both enjoy it more because you set the precedent that walks with you are fun following time where you check stuff out together, not where you are on two different pages tied together with a leash. Get the zoomies out before the walk, then try the leash walk after so she isnt counting on the leash walk time to be crazy time. (You have a nice yard for that!) Leash walk is explore time, and travel time.
I was thinking about this as I walked with my dogs on leash- they don't want to get 'in the zone' and crank out distance, they want to investigate and sniff stuff and pee on things and visit neighbors, and I learned that is what makes a good walk for them. Many people will tell you that you need to be the leader and not to let them sniff and to tell them where to pee and keep them trotting along. I have grown to disagree. I remembered my dog -Fred- growing up, who we just let out the door to wander the neighborhood, and basically that's all she did, visit neighbors and check stuff out along her route. She had free choice. So I think as I am with my dogs that they are just being Fred, and probably want to do what Fred chose, but now we walk on leash and go together for safety and together time, I choose the safe route and the dogs come with me and we check stuff out.
I see so much more now- more of my dogs, more of our environment. I still need to be the follow-ee, as I have a reactive dog who can't be allowed to act on impulse, but it makes him crazier if I force him to check out of his own brain and just trust mine - he wont do it, too wary- and trot along "destination walking" and much better if we go together and read each other. I can't claim we take 3 mile walks, but he is a good loose leash walker and enjoys his walk if I choose good routes and read him as we go- ready to go home if hes scared or to linger and sniff around a tree.
You and Tomoe are going to really enjoy each other, on and off the leash.
Comments
I can see why she loves your backyard.
Congrats, btw, on your new Ki puppy!
I'm not a dog but even I love your backyard! Great pictures!
Jesse
Congrats!
We have not been successful for walking Tomoe on a leash, but that does not necessarily mean she is inactive.
She pees like our Akita. Our Shikoku girls kinda sit down when they pee (looks like they are laying an egg), tho Ahi will lift her leg like a dude sometimes... but that's a different story.
Our Akita do that same serious pee thing tho, where they take position and then kinda look all around like "I'm peeing here! See, I'm peeing really hard right here. Don't mess with me". Haha.
For the leash walking, try to jog a bit, she obviously likes to chase you, so try letting her chase you on leash. Also, you could let her just walk around with the leash/harness on so she gets used to it - then try to walk her on it. That way the whole experience isn't new, just the walking outside the yard part.
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It also doesn't zoom or image-stabilize very well.
Thanks for your comments - I am just amazed at how quiet she is, and how she was potty trained before I got her at 8 weeks. Also, she goes right into her crate, no fuss whatsoever.
Can't wait for more!
You might want to try a shorter leash, or wrap it up more to help guide her, and like Brad said trot a little. Koda did the same "what do you want" walk for the first few days. I think that's better than a dog who pulls you right away. If she's more comfortable following you, then she might not grow up to be a leash puller. Koda still follows me most of the time, on the right and about one foot behind me. It's good because I barely have to hold onto the leash and walking him is a breeze. Her following you could be a blessing!
A friend of mine who raised a "carolina yellow dog" as she terms her told me I should get a good prong collar. I kind of assumed those were universally decried but it looks like some folks around here use them, but mostly for dogs that pull a lot? I figure I'll keep that as a possible tool for down the road when she's in her teenage period, if she is very rebelious.
Don;t worry about the tool you use- let your relationship do the heavy lifting. She;s really young- and her relationship with you is very early stages. She doesn't yet KNOW whether you will let her get away with pulling everywhere. Teach her kindly that if she follows you, you will show her good stuff- follow me to the stone wall to look for chipmunks, follow me to the fence post to sniff for other dogs, follow me so I can put this bowl of food down. Theres a thing Suzanne Clothier teaches us - the Auto Check In- in which you reward any time she gives you eye contact on a walk. reinforce her looking to you with it being her idea. The best thing you can do for walking your dog is to be present and engaged with her- like you are friends walking and talking together. Everything is new to her and she needs to drink it all in- go real slow and let her absorb it at her pace. If she balks, its okay- shes in a new world.
So often we (everybody) ditch the dog and space out on dog walks, or talk with people, or we just observe the dog. Really be WITH her, share what she sees, poke your finger into holes, flip over leaves. The goal is not to do X mileage and just tire her out, it's to have quality time with a best friend. With this foundation the mileage will come later and when it does you'll both enjoy it more because you set the precedent that walks with you are fun following time where you check stuff out together, not where you are on two different pages tied together with a leash. Get the zoomies out before the walk, then try the leash walk after so she isnt counting on the leash walk time to be crazy time. (You have a nice yard for that!) Leash walk is explore time, and travel time.
I was thinking about this as I walked with my dogs on leash- they don't want to get 'in the zone' and crank out distance, they want to investigate and sniff stuff and pee on things and visit neighbors, and I learned that is what makes a good walk for them. Many people will tell you that you need to be the leader and not to let them sniff and to tell them where to pee and keep them trotting along. I have grown to disagree. I remembered my dog -Fred- growing up, who we just let out the door to wander the neighborhood, and basically that's all she did, visit neighbors and check stuff out along her route. She had free choice. So I think as I am with my dogs that they are just being Fred, and probably want to do what Fred chose, but now we walk on leash and go together for safety and together time, I choose the safe route and the dogs come with me and we check stuff out.
I see so much more now- more of my dogs, more of our environment. I still need to be the follow-ee, as I have a reactive dog who can't be allowed to act on impulse, but it makes him crazier if I force him to check out of his own brain and just trust mine - he wont do it, too wary- and trot along "destination walking" and much better if we go together and read each other. I can't claim we take 3 mile walks, but he is a good loose leash walker and enjoys his walk if I choose good routes and read him as we go- ready to go home if hes scared or to linger and sniff around a tree.
You and Tomoe are going to really enjoy each other, on and off the leash.
Another running Tomoe. I am big fan of running with her.
She is now taking nap. Now seem to be the time for me to go out and pick up some tooshbrush & nail clipper.