So here it is!  Thanks to a good friend for this gift, he’s able to share it with you all by himself:

What?!  huh?  Yup!  Chocko’s going to be a big brother pretty soon!  He’s up for the challenge!  He’s already been up to his handy dog self, helping his dad put together the bambino-on-the-way’s crate, er crib.

Let’s make one thing clear here, ok ma?  This blog is about me and my cute mug, got it?

You got it, dude.

Change enviroment: check

Exposure to a Challenge: Check

and Active training: Check!

We headed just down the road to Fort McHenry (remember when we took Bodie this time last year?) which is a wonderful place for us to visit.  The #1 reason?  No off-leash dogs!  Baltimore city is pretty notorious for off-leash dogs in the wonderful public parks (which we tend to avoid…sad face…due to all the unwelcome approaches), but since Fort McHenry is a National Monument, there are actual Park Rangers, which take the leash laws pretty seriously.  So, we realized we need to get here more often.  I’m embarrassed to say this was Chocko’s first visit, but it certainly won’t be his last!

We knew just being in a new place would provide many challenges, and though we didn’t have any dog on dog interactions, (I think it would have been too much for him this first trip anyway) we had some unexpected (but welcomed) challenges!

First, that Kite!  A bright pink thing that whizzed in the sky, bombed the ground and made very odd noises… Chocko was very distracted and confused by it.

Here he is, in a deep trance, staring at the pink whizzer.

We also had obstacles such as….water!  I never would have imagined how distracted this guy would be by the splashing waves along the seawall.

We embraced these two unexpected challenges and were able to work through them and get him to focus on me (still working on the ‘watch’ command) and walk with a loose leash.  Though it wasn’t immediate, we did succeed!

Focusing with the splashing water in the background

Here he is doing a down stay (the down is quite difficult for this guy, as you can see from the awkward pose) with the kite in the distance.

And a few prettier stays

We incorporated all the elements and had an awesomely successful trip!  Chocko was praised with treats, love and playtime in between and during training commands and challenges.

And how do we know just how successful it was?  By his epic sun-spot nap, of course!

Thanks for the challenge, Dude!  We’re looking forward to many more walks at the Fort to practice in the near future!

So naturally we’ve been drooling over the new line of leather collars, but leather always seemed so intimidating…you know how some people buy that nice sports car and keep it in the drive way, wash it, but never actually DO anything with it because they are too scared they will ruin it?  Leather intimidated me, so I never took the leap…

Until we got a special surprise in the mail!

The Freebird

Doesn’t the color complement my furs?

Since this was a gift, we were very open to whatever would compliment our brown boy best.  We maaaay have mentioned we had our eye on the Freebird (though the Guinness is also right up there in the favorites department), and it arrived in the ‘tan’ color (there are several different leather colors you can choose from).

Check out the detailing on the collar

I love that there are two D rings; the way it falls on Chocko, one hangs in the front and one in the back of his neck, which makes it perfect for both leash clipping and tag/ID clippings!  That is a huge perk in my book.  I also love the details in the wings and peace signs, how cool!

And you can’t ignore how handsome he looks in it, right?  I mean all he needs is a cigar and a card table, and maybe a glass of Scotch  (ew, forget the Scotch, but you get my drift), and his new alias could be The Underboss.

“You talkin’ to me?”

Are you interested in looking as dapper as this guy?

Then head on over to Sirius Republic and get a collar of your own!  And here’s a special code for 10% off your order: CHOCKO – expires this Sunday, 3/31!

 Now onto Leather Care

I asked about what I needed to know, since this would be my first experience with a leather collar.  Here’s the response I got:

“The collar comes to you “finished”, which just means we have applied conditioner and finishing products to weather/waterproof it. Care is really easy, in fact if you don’t do anything to it, it should last beautifully on its own, although a little bit of conditioner occasionally will help it look and feel great. Just take some conditioner (we use Fiebing’s brand, but any leather conditioner will do), rub it into the leather for a few minutes with your fingers to help the leather absorb the conditioner, wipe off any excess with a soft rag. It can get wet, just make sure you wipe it off after. Don’t leave it to dry out in the sun or soak it in water for an extended period of time. If it gets dirty, wipe it with a damp cloth. Leather is such a durable material, with a little bit of care and common sense, it will last nicely for many years (I actually prefer the look and feel of older leather). 

I’ve also updated our website to include leather info and care, check it out here:http://www.siriusrepublic.com/leatherinfo.html.”

Wow, that doesn’t seem too complicated now does it?  And I have to agree, I prefer the look of old leather!  So now that I know we won’t break and ruin it, we’re off to wear in our collar!  Hope you enjoyed all the handsomeness.

**The Freebird was a gift to us and all the opinions in this post are my own.  Seriously…awesome freakin’ collar!**

Today we’re coming clean about Chocko’s personal space.  I’ve been meaning to post about this for abouuuuuut 4 or 5 months…oops?  I guess I was hesitant because, well, let’s be real…I didn’t want him to have ‘issues’ and I was in DE-NI-AL about his leash reactivity. As you know, Knox was pretty much a roll-with-the-punches guy and nothing really rustled his feathers…like at all.  I was thankful.  And spoiled.  I knew there were ‘reactive’ dogs, picky dogs, dogs that needed special accomodations…I never imagined I’d own one.  Well, I do.  And he’s awesome.  He just…likes his personal space when he’s out on walks.  I’m ok with that, most days.

A few weeks ago our virtual buddies over at Love & a 6 Foot Leash posted a PSA about dogs who have preferences; both Sir Chick and the ‘Dude, renowned Wonderdogs, admitted their limits, so figured it was about time to do the same over here!

Now we didn’t know Chocko was leash reactive at first.  And he’s only reactive sometimes.  He doesn’t make any loud noises, scary barks, or show teeth.  Which tends to deceive walkers, thinking he’s all approachable and wants to say hi.  Well, I learned that is not the case.  We adopted him in July, and it took a little while for his ‘reactivity’ to really show up, by October, it was clear to me that Chocko had a serious pet peeve:

Face to Face on leash greetings (the kind we run into kinda all the time turning a city block)  are his least favorite thing EVA.  You could see how a girl could be confused though, right?  I mean check him out below.  This picture was from October, at BARCstoberfest.  A crazy crowded scene full of dogs, and he does great in those settings.  He then ran with a MABB foster (Julius, who has since been adopted) in his first 5k, also kicking butt!  The day went off without a hitch.

So really, it just took me a little longer to realize, look into (aka research) and acknowledge that those ‘boo’ turns around the corner that leave you face to face with another dog OR the loooooong, drawn out, face to face approach (his 2nd least fav) when you can’t jump into traffic, are not his cup of tea.  Do I know what goes on in his big blocky head?  No, I don’t.  I’m not an animal behaviorist, or a trainer, or an expert.  Clearly it took me quite a bit of time, with my lack of experience, to realize my dog’s needs.  My guess?  He’s a big wus.  I think he’s super intimidated and finds the need to ‘puff’, a kind of ‘I better get that guy or he’s gonna get me’ posture.  Either way, he certainly gets his point across, a big “get the f out of my space” (sorry for the language, but he doesn’t say it gently either, and that’s exactly what words I imagine coming out of his big mouth).

Once he’s introduced, he’s golden.  A little co-walk a few feet apart, followed by allowing him to be in the rear (and sniff the air a bit) then he play bows and rolls on his back, which he does often with his pals.  It’s his magic recipe.  

Flirting with Mollygirl

Honestly, I’ve figured out what he needs, and we’re still working on getting him to not act on his impulse, ensuring he feels comfortable (and that it’s my job to protect him, not the other way around), and hoping he trusts us not to put him in a situation that makes him feel unsafe.  Sometimes, it’s out of our hands, but luckily we’ve been able to manage ok (maybe not ideal?  But good enough).  I’ve ensured that so far, since October, he has never been able to get face to face with another dog on leash without a proper intro.  I think that’s a success.  But we get hit with the random corner turns, and those get me in a funk.  He doesn’t do ‘perfect’ and sometimes neither do I.  We are a work in progress.  Which is ultimately why we haven’t fostered full time yet.  It’s not because he’s not good with dogs in the house, it’s because I can’t walk two big dogs at one time (and remember, that’s the only way anyone gets any potty breaks or excercise since we are yard-less).  I also don’t have the luxury of walking them separately with my work schedule so, fosterless we will remain until we are a little closer to perfect.

If your still here, thanks for reading this REALLY long post.  It feels good to come clean.  And it feels good to love my dog in all his unperfectness (and who are we kidding, in all of my unperfectness too!)

Luckily for him, he just watches us all working hard and huffing and puffing.  He just gets to stand around looking like a model athlete (body by PB Kongs?  Should we market that?)

Body By Kong

“OK Dad, I’ll Watch, you lift”.

But the truth is Chocko doessss work when he goes to the gym.  He works on box jumps (they come so naturally!) and staying on top of them till he’s released.

He also gets to socialize off-leash, in a controlled environment, with some of his buddies!  Like him, a bunch of the girls like to play rough, so when they do play, we like to practice ‘stopping them’ verbally, and putting them in a sit-stay for a time out to catch their breath.

Here he is with Chloe, working on a down-stay.  

So in actuality, he does ‘work’ when he goes to the gym, just not like us.  He mostly stands around wondering why we kill ourselves with these things calls burpees, box jumps, double unders, deadlifts, and hang cleans…amoung other things

***Please excuse the quality of these photos!  Most were taken with an iphone with terrible lighting!***

Flirting with Mollygirl

Chocko’s actually extremely similar to Knox with other dogs in the house.  He sees them as friends and wants to cuddle, play, lick and romp around with them.  There has never (knock on wood) been an issue with other dogs in the house (or Kittens for that matter).  As a precaution, we keep toys and kongs and feedings separate, but since it’s near impossible to keep a 2nd dog in this house totally separated for more than a few hours, I’m thankful he’s so welcome to sharing his home.  The one thing he doesn’t like to share is his mama- he’s quite the attention snob- so we easily fix that by not showing any attention to either dog while they are together, and that seems to work like magic.  Chocko’s most pride possession is me (flattered, really), though I wish it wasn’t so.  If I were to guess what he would resource guard, if push came to shove, it would certainly be me.  So we just eliminate that (me giving physical attention to the dogs) completely.

Gremlin, aka Rudy

So, the weekend in review: here’s a batch of un-edited, blurry, and fun snapshots of these two.  I love interpreting the body language in some of these still frames; I could watch dogs interact all day if I had time.  And I did for a while this weekend.  I’m just amazed about how much they ‘say’ without words.  What do you interpret these pictures to communicate?

They hit it off pretty well.  Rudy came in a bit shy and intimidating by Chocko’s overzealous excitement.  She certainly seemed more comfortable in the chair, above Chocko, though she learned to trust him pretty quickly.  He was often seen on his back swatting at her face, giving her his best, “How could you resist this hot bod, sweet little lady”.  Like I said, entertaining to say the least!  I’d chalk up the weekend to a big ‘ol SUCCESS.  And it made me love the Chockster just a teensy bit more.  :)

If your looking for a pint size pocket gremlin pittie, fill out an application for this lil Rudy girl!

We have an ADOPTABLE IN OUR HOUSE!!!!   Oh my lordy!  Yes, it’s true!  Meet Rudy.

This pocket sized pittie is here only for a short time.  She’s a scrumptious little thing, and sweet as anything.  It’s a nice little trial to see how Chocko does with fostering while Ruby’s full time foster mama is out of town.  Can’t wait to give you the full report on how things go next week!  (fingers crossed it is an excellent report!)

kisses!

Hooray for the first step in getting out feet wet in the foster game again!

Chocko has been spending lots of time at the gym (more on that later) but we wanted to make sure you were still out there because we have some exciting things to share in the next few days!

Have a great week!

It sure does take a special person to handle a litter of bottle pups.  Unfortunately, when a litter like these 5 adorable pups show up alone, or with a mother that can’t (or isn’t) caring for them, their only chance of survival is going to a skilled and knowledgeable foster home who (this is the kicker) is WILLING to raise them, as their mama, for the next few weeks.

Do you have any idea what that means?!  I sure didn’t, until I started taking pictures of the first litter of bottle pups I posted.  It means, at first, feeding them every two hours, even over night!   Just like a newborn human.  Unlike a human though, there are 5 mouths to feed, not one.  It means doing laundry, every single day.  Stinky laundry.  When puppies are very young, their mothers do all the feeding and cleaning, so a mama with a litter is usually a whole lot easier to care for then a litter without a mama.  You care for the mama, the mama cares for the pups, done deal!  But, no mama?  Tough luck.  These pups need cleaning up around the clock (who’s going to invent puppy diapers?!)

I was unsuccessful at getting all 5 to look at me at any point – still cute though!

These little cuties also happen to have a pretty bad case of kennel cough- that’s rough when you’re only 3 weeks old.  Luckily, our fabulous MABB puppy extraordinaire is there to look out for these snotty, whiney, soft, cuddly balls of fur until they are ready to be adopted!  They are somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks old right now, so hopefully in a month or so they will be healthy, well socialized, exuberant 8-week old pups!  Keep an eye out for these fabulous five in a month or so!

The three boys

Handsome chuncker!

Fostermama’s favorite, the lil runt…such a sweety!

Last year Knox and Lola were gifted a super cool dragon toy with like hundreds (ok, maybe dozens) of sqeakers!  It brought hours of entertainment to these two, thanks to Kate and her crew over at Kate with a Camera.

This year we received a very prompt package from our Secret Santa!  We were so super excited to open it.  Do you have any idea who could have sent it?!

Why of course, the cold-weather experts from  the arctic tundra Chicago!  Our virtual buddies Miss M and Mr. B were gracious enough to custom make Chocko his very own adoption year hoodie!  How warm and athletic does he look in his hoodie?

It even makes his butt look cute

We’re amazed how perfectly it fits, and super appreciative of the very thoughtful gift.  We can add it to Chocko’s growing collection of winter wear.  Chocko even has Mr. B’s Christmas card face smack over his crate, to keep him company.

So, want to know what everyone else is getting?  Go do some hunting and check out the other blogs – Here’s the list:

Our Waldo Bungie

Two Pitties in the City

Two Grad Students and a Pittie

Love and a Six Foot Leash

That Touch of Pit

Kate with a Camera

A Heartbeat at My Feet

Peace, Love & Fostering

Two Kitties One Pittie

Happy Holidays from Chocko and his humans!!!