Day 11:
They are coming along fine. I am watching these guys get bigger every day, she has put on three pounds, him four. I’m feeding them pretty good. They eat 3 parts puppy food, one part whole protien (beef, chicken or eggs). I made a ‘gravy’ which I add to their food as well. I ground up the puppy vitamins (which they refuse to eat whole), mix it with olive oil, fish oil, ground flax and a little garlic powder. They love it.
House training is going surprisingly well. They sleep through the night and it has been about five days since they have messed in their cage. Since I live on the second floor, we figured the best way to go about it is to use a sandbox. I let them out on the balcony, they climb in, do their business, and come back to the door. They know just what to do. Occasionaly, they do pee in the house, but that is more my fault than theirs.
Ulysses is my man. He has a great drive for both prey (toys) and food. He is ready to work and eager to please. Whatever I ask him to do, he hustles. He picks up things fast, is already sitting reliably without lures, and is starting to lay down. He has one hell of a grip as well, when he bites his rope, you can pick him off the ground and he won’t let go. When he is getting into something he shouldn’t, I just call his name harshly and he leaves it alone. He is the a-hole of the two though, and unsupervised he will wreck my home. Once again, more my fault than his.
Lily is harder to motivate. She seems to have little drive for food or play. She is more timid of the two. She is an avid cuddler, and would rather sit on a lap than eat or play. Her training is coming much slower. I know I need to be patient, and I am hoping she’ll start to follow his example. I’m thinking she will make a great therapy dog, visiting hospitals, schools, senior homes, etc. and brightening peoples days.
Yesterday was their first days on a leash. So far, they reject it, pretty much refusing to walk. They stop, or drag their feet. I can get them moving about 10-15 feet at a time. Slow and steady, soon they should be loving it. Lord knows they are ready to start walking and burning off some of that energy. Currently, they wear harnesses, not collars. It gives me better control of their body, and less stress on their necks. Plus, the harness makes a great handle to pick them up by.
I’ve never used it before, but we are using a clicker with training. It seems to help them catch on fast. When they do something good, I click and they get a treat. The theory is they hear a click and know they did the right thing.
There will be more pictures soon. I’ll keep updates coming. Again, all advise is welcome.