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Denakka Growing Up


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Denakka is growing up so fast. Thanks to the entire forum for making sure we all knew to take lots of pictures!

 

He has the house routine down like a champ. When it's time for bed and I'm getting ready, he settles himself right into his crate in my bedroom. He's not so good, however, at getting into the crate in the entry when I'm leaving for awhile! He gives me That Look--you all know which one! Of course, as soon as I'm out the door, he's settled and when I come home, he always asleep.

 

His really active period seems to be 6 pm to 8 pm and that's when he is both fun and challenging at the same time. There's a fine line for him between having fun and going overboard and it seems that once a day that line is crossed and the games stop until he can settle a bit. This is when he LOVES to run--outside if it's cooler; inside playing fetch through the great room and down the hall at top speed. He's gotten so good at fetch that he starts running in the direction of the ball and sometimes beats the ball to the end of the hall! The floors are slippery in the hall and he knows to stop running and start sliding about 3/4 of the way down. I held my breath so many times, but he's an expert now and is in total control of the slide--and seems to love it.

 

He has a solid 'sit' and 'down'. Less than solid recall--we're still working on it. He knows 'mat' and is learning 'chill'. He's doing pretty good with 'leave it' and 'give'. His leash work leaves much to be desired but then he's only 14 weeks old--we work on that almost every day. A few weeks ago, he'd let me clip his nails--now it's back to square one. Click and treat just to hold the paw; then click and treat to manipulate the nails; more click and treat to clip. Slow going.

 

He went to my family reunion this past weekend and met my niece's dog, Pennington, a mastif. They played at first but then Denakka out played the older guy and Pen just wanted to get away. My niece was horrified because Pen kept trying to hump little Denakka until I pointed out that it was hardly Pen's fault. It seems that Denakka thinks that all the hangy-down things under big dogs are the same as the hangy-down things from mom, Chawa, so he kept nosing and nudging and licking! Pen was obviously as confused as Denakka about it all!

 

Denakka_Pennington_Playing.jpg Pennington_Denakka.jpg

 

Oh yes, Denakka's crate was well used.

 

Alyse_in_crate.jpg

 

Everyone loved Denakka. My twenty year old grand newphew wants an AIDog now--he tried to smuggle Denakka! Everyone there from the 3 year old to the 75 year old is dog-wise so Denakka didn't get too spoiled but he DID learn the purpose of kitchens! I've been hiding that from him, but the jig is up now.

 

Here is Denakka the day AFTER the reunion!

 

Denakka_on_sofa.jpg Denakka_after_reunion.jpg

 

Here are some current shots of my handsome guy (and showing the healing bee sting on his nose!)

 

Denakka_smiling.jpg Denakka_in_grass.jpg

 

Deankka_coy2.jpg

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Thanks sooo much for the update and the photos. He is such a cute guy. It sounds like the training is going well (leash and recall not going perfectly....sounds so normal) and I'm glad he's found his place with your family.

 

I'm looking forward to the next installment.

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Those are excellent photos! You really caught some good moments.

 

I loved hearing about the slide. I can just picture it.

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What a handsome young man he is!!! Got your message will be in contact with you asap! Busy week this week....

Can't wait to see Denakka in person!!! Keep those updates coming...love to see them grow into happy healthy pups!

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:DB) Love the BIG slide to the end of the hall. I can just picture it. These dogs are so athletic, just you wait. You will definitely be amazed when he does air born twirls and back twist jumps in the air to catch those balls, and land gracefully on his feet. You are a wonderful writer, and I too am looking forward to the next installment. Oh by the way, your photos are priceless. Thanks for sharing the giggles.
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What's this nonsense training books talk about when they say dogs don't generalize. You know the line, "Train all commands everywhere because to a dog a 'sit' in the living room isn't a 'sit' outside." They forgot to add--unless it benefits them! My letting Denakka on the sofa for snuggling translated to "Sofa is OK for everything" and "ALL furniture is OK!" He's now getting The Rules, but he DEFINITELY generalized and continues to do so iff (that means 'if and only if') it suits him!

 

Had a BIG test of wills with D a couple of days ago. Of course I won but it took at least 15-20 minutes for him to Get It. From Taz the Tasmanian Devil back to Denakka in 20 minutes. Now his little teeth and mouth stay away from my hands NO MATTER WHAT and defiance is down from 90 to 20--for the time being. What's rewarding about these guys is that when you stick it out and they Get It, the rewards are so obvious and then remembered. And I've noticed that winning a challenge not only corrects the behavior but also corrects others as well because they KNOW you mean what you say! Now that's generalization working for ME.

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I know what you mean. I have also read that Dogs live so in the moment, that they don't remember what they did a half hour ago, so to get on them about something they did a while ago has no benefit. But if that is true, how do they remember a command?

 

Not that I recommend dwelling on past behavior, but I can see that the AIdogs remember what got them in trouble yesterday, as well as what was so very fun yesterday, and what they can hardly wait to do, again, today. They also can understand future behavior.

 

It was clear to me, and to my Mother-in-Law, that Coyo knew what behaviors would get him in trouble, and would sometimes decide that the punishment was worth the crime. So funny to watch the machinations on his face.

 

Now he is such a good boy--so communicative. Still headstrong, but he is amazingly sentient, and so much more intelligently aware than other breeds I meet.

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Not that I recommend dwelling on past behavior, but I can see that the AIdogs remember what got them in trouble yesterday, as well as what was so very fun yesterday, and what they can hardly wait to do, again, today. They also can understand future behavior.

Sometimes you just have to trust yourself and your relationship with your dog. My Bouvier clearly remembered messing up, and had that guilty look we've all seen, the one that lets you know they did something wrong as soon as you walked through the door. Danza is the same way (my dunderhead pit-lab mix does not seem to do this). I'd read people saying that dogs weren't capable of remembering something they did in the past, and I'd think "How can you say that?!"

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  • 2 weeks later...

At 17 weeks old, Denakka had his very first accident in the house--and IT WAS MY FAULT. He rang the bell to go out and I let him out in the back yard like always and he came right back it. He goes out through the downstairs sliding doors and in through the upstairs sliding doors where I usually am. Within 5 minutes he asked to go out again. I'd been waiting for him to discover controlling and getting my attention by making this round trip over and over and over, so I said, "No, you just went out and didn't stay out at all." He asked again; my response was the same. He came in and peed on the floor. There was no defiant look to it (believe me, I KNOW his defiant look!), just desperation.

 

After some thought I figured it out. He's going through a mild 4 month fear phase AND it was later than usual and therefore dark outside. The normal last outside trip of the night (usually the only one in the dark) is with me, on a leash (Denakka, not me--but on second thought...), into the unfenced front yard. I'm pretty convinced that he had to go and just didn't want to do his business in the dark and alone! Today I'll be working on better lighting in the back or come Winter I won't be a happy camper at all!

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Thanks for sharing I got a good chuckle out or them he sure looks pooped out laying on the couch

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... He came in and peed on the floor. There was no defiant look to it (believe me, I KNOW his defiant look!), just desperation. ...

 

...I'm pretty convinced that he had to go and just didn't want to do his business in the dark and alone! Today I'll be working on better lighting in the back or come Winter I won't be a happy camper at all!

 

 

I'll bet you felt guilty when he peed on the floor. I know I would have. At least he looked desparate, so you know he's with the program! The worst part is that now you've lost bragging rights that he never piddled in the house!

 

To this day, I still go with my dogs for their "final go-out" of the day. I want to make SURE they go, so if they start whining in the middle of the night I know it isn't because they didn't do their business before going to bed.

 

One of the BEST things I ever did was teach my dogs to do their business on command. It is very helpful on road trips and at night. If they don't have to go when I give them the command, they'll go lift a leg or squat anyway. :-)

 

Bobbi

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This is my first really rainy morning since getting Denakka. I knew he didn't like the water--or the rain--but this is ridiculous! He refused to go beyond the overhang of the house and I had to carry him way out in the yard and put him down. 5 minutes of trying to convince him; 5 minutes of standing in the rain while he looked miserable; then UREKA--he peed! Boy, howdy, did I praise him! I'm soaked, of course. Anyone else have an AIDog who absolutely refuses to go out in the rain??? What have you done to convince them they will not die if they get wet? He's curled up on the sofa glaring at my now. Silly puppy.

 

It was however his first time off leash in a non-fenced area. As soon as he did his business, I let him off leash knowing he'd make a beeline to the door--even after seeing a baby bunny run by in the other direction!

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My bet is that he will get used to the rain, puddles for fun, etc. Tolinka hesitated a bit with his first rain, but then when I walked out into it and kept going, calling him, he decided to follow, and that was pretty much it. However he still stays away from the river pretty much. He won't swim, but he will play in the shallows. This is fine with me because the river is like the boundary on my property, so I have never encouraged swimming. He has done it, but it was in the middle of winter (he had followed fisherman across the dam), raging water, and he didn't like it at all. It was dangerous and swift, but he made it back across. Whew!

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Coyo doesn't like the rain, and we live in Seattle! He will hold it, as long as possible. However, if we go for a walk in the rain, he has no problem, as if he doesn't even notice. I guess he wants me to get wet, too.

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Yep, you are absolutely right, Allison! Two days of rain--two long walks in the rain and Denakka is fine and enjoys the walks as much as on a sunny day. Home, asks to go out but won't go unless I put on his leash and walk out with him. Ugh. I'll try coaxing him out with treats and see if that helps. Rain in the ears is not the problem; his ears dropped while teething; he just doesn't like the water in any form except to drink. Will put pictures up of his floppy ear stage in a day or two.....

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been away--lots of reasons, the latest being Hurricane Irene. I was one of the lucky ones--only about 48 hours without power; 3 days without land line phone; 4 days without internet; and one tree down. The storm wasn't too intense but very wide-spread so CT couldn't borrow line workers from neighboring states to help get the modern conveniences back. Some of my friends are still without power and it's been a week! Ugh.

 

There've been so many wonderful posts in the time I haven't kept up, I wanted to respond to some but I decided to just start from scratch. I LOVE hearing about those just getting their pups. Gosh, I feel like an old timer and Denakka isn't quite 5 months yet. Just to drive home once again the need for lots of pictures; here is Denakka at 8 weeks and Denakka now.

 

Den_8wks_007.JPG

 

Better_Den_Handsome.JPG Den_profile.JPG

 

Yep, his left eye is brown on top and blue on the bottom. I love the sable coat and those black framed ears. And so happy he kept his little white stripe down his face. My handsome boy....

 

We walk every morning at a large park bordering the Long Island Sound. Several weeks ago we ran into an old friend of mine with her older (10, I think) GSD who she said was not very dog friendly. We talked at a distance and slowly decreased the distance and then we walked together. Denakka was determined to make friends and worked at it for the entire time. We now walk with my friend Mavis and her dog Monroe every morning! Monroe likes Denakka and plays more than she has in years. She's gotten complacent about life and Denakka has added a spring to her step! She's taught Denakka how to be polite to older dogs and lets him know when he's oversteppping. It's so much fun to see them together! Monroe's favorite game is to get something Denakka wants and lays down to chew it while Denakka tries to take it away. Great game as Monroe does little and Denakka uses energy.... More pictures.

 

Den_and_Monroe1.JPG Den_and_Monroe2.JPG

 

Den_and_Monroe3.JPG Den_running.JPG

 

Denakka is doing well. He lets me know what he wants/needs. I have a crate in the living room where he stays if I go out during the day and one in my bedroom where he sleeps. He had been walking into the sleep crate when I said it was time for bed. But two nights ago, he told me he didn't want to sleep there...who knows why. I made him go in and he was fine for the night. The next night the same. On the third night, I took his crate down and put up one of those 6 sided surround gates--about a 64X32 rectangle. He loved it. I figure that if he's being polite and telling me what he wants and it's reasonable, I'll comply. He's totally reliable at night and as long as he knows where to stay and sleep, I'm happy.

 

He's not even 5 months and already he is so communicative. And as Gib says--they DO seem to understand our language. One night, almost to myself, I said, "Guess it's about time for bed." Denakka got up and walked back to his bed. I noticed and said, "You still have to go outside the last time." And he came walking out and sat at the door! Of course he still tries to get his way when it's NOT reasonable--such a little brat.

And he's NOT good in his training class. He just can't agree that he should work when there are all sorts of dogs and people to play with and greet and have fun with! When I keep him with me and try to get him to settle and concentrate (just a little), he barks at me and we end up with a time-out! The little imp.

 

I'll shutup now and let the few pictures peppered around this post do the talking......

 

Denakka and one of more reasonable sleeping positions!

 

Den_sleeping.JPG

 

Here's the typical AIDog crouch/stance

 

AIDog_crouch.JPG

Better_Happy.JPG

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Nice, thanks for all of the photos. He's handsome and still a gangly puppy. Very cute.

 

I'm doing something with Danza that might help Denakka focus on you. We're doing short training session where the only goal is to get her relaxed and focused when we are working together. She sits in front of me, and we just look at each other. As soon as she is not panting, is meeting my eyes and has her ears pricked forward she gets a treat. We're doing it for about 5 minutes at a time, and it helps her a lot when we are doing other things. It's something fun and easy to try when you are not at the obedience classes.

 

Good luck with the rest of the Irene cleanup. I know it can be hard to get a tree taken care of after a big storm.

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Thanks, Karen. I am doing some focusing exercises with Denakka but I'll have to wait for the next group lesson (Monday) to see if they are working. He's learning "focus" and "touch" (target) and we do those everywhere. Unfortunately there is no place we go that is as exciting and distracting as basic obedience class! His classmates are puppies that he sees every week at puppy day care and puppy socials so he thinks it's play time. Of course, AIDogs think they should decide things and they aren't quite a quick to give in if they really want something--especially at 5 months! Right now I'm just asking for a focus--I'll try to get the 'relaxed' part this week. I hadn't thought of that part of it and it's important so thanks again.

 

My favorite part of the day with Denakka is the morning. He's not a morning dog (YES!) so I get up and dress and then let him out of his bed. We spend about 5 minutes on the floor petting and snuggling and I give him a real good massage. He twists and turns his body so I can get it all. Are ALL these dogs such good stretchers? I've never seen a dog stretch like Denakka; each body part individually and then all together--from the tips of his ears to his toes to his tail. I love it when he arches his back like a cat and he looks so happy while doing all the stretches you can just hear him saying, "ohhhh, feels so goooood"--

 

Also, any advice out there on when to neuter? There seems to be controversy about whether to do it at 6 months or whether it's healthier for the dog to do it when they are more fully developed--at about a year. I know the 6 months is mainly for population control; I wonder if there are any advantages for the individual dog. The probablily of Denakka getting away from me is extremely low and I'll do what it takes if it's healthier for him.

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here is Denakka at 8 weeks and Denakka now.

 

I showed Joan your post and she said the same thing I thought -- "He looks just like Draco!!"

 

Draco is now one and a half years old. Wicca is almost 5 months.

 

The day we picked up Draco...

Draco_Pickup_Day.jpg

 

 

One of those looks they give us....

Dracos_Look.jpg

 

 

 

The day we picked up Wicca

The_Four_of_Us_2.jpg

 

 

You have an especially handsome brute there!(Not just because he and Draco look so much alike!)

 

 

Keep the pictures coming.

Edited by Gib
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Wow, he really does look like Draco! Denakka's stripe is a bit narrower and he has blue eyes--other than that the same coloring. So gorgeous! I just love the sable coat and it FEELS so good to pet. But my favorites are the stripe and those black framed ears--so distinctive. Why didn't I notice the similarities before---it's not like you haven't put lots of Draco pictures up!

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I showed Joan your post and she said the same thing I thought -- "He looks just like Draco!!"

 

 

Hahaha, we said the exact same thing. We are always talking about how handsome Draco is, and when we saw those pictures last night, we saw the resemblance.

 

 

You really have yourself a handsome boy there, Gramtot! I can't believe how big he is already!

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Wow, he really does look like Draco! Denakka's stripe is a bit narrower and he has blue eyes--other than that the same coloring. So gorgeous! I just love the sable coat and it FEELS so good to pet. But my favorites are the stripe and those black framed ears--so distinctive. Why didn't I notice the similarities before---it's not like you haven't put lots of Draco pictures up!

 

 

Joan joked with some friends last night that we've already got names picked out for our next two AI Dogs!! (She's kidding -- I think.)

 

 

We just weighed Draco -- 61.5 pounds. Draco's a big boy.. how much is Denakka?

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Humm, I don't know how much Denakka weighs right now. I'd weigh him on my scale--you know, weigh youself then weight you holding the dog and subtract--but I'd have to become aware of how much *I* weigh! Ugh. I think he'll be larger than the advertised 45-50 pounds when done growing! He and his brother, Vega, were the only pups in the litter so got a really good start on this growing stuff.

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Gib. At 5 months minus 1 week, Denakka is 36 pounds.

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