Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Dottie Update


Okay, by popular request, I am doing a Dottie update.
Dottie is now 4.5 months and I think is looking pretty nice for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. Though I love the "puppiness", I also like the fact that she is looking much more "dog-like" and soon we will see how she turns out. She is pictured here with her mentor "Buddy" AKC Ch Quicksilver the Highwayman. Quicksilver is my prefix for all dogs that I have bred. He is 10 yrs. old and was bred here at home. Dottie was bred by Dana and Jenny Merritt of Trugrip. Dottie's registered name is Trugrip Rockin Merengue. Probably more than you wanted to know! I think I should give Dottie her own blog...well, once she starts having adventures.

Dottie's inventiveness and ability to find things to do keeps us on our toes. Luckily the older Staffys have stepped up to the plate in child rearing and are doing a great job. I think their daily puppy workouts of "Tag yer it" , face fights and toy contests are resulting in slimmer trimmer more fit senior citizen dogs. Sometimes I think they are too nice to her, but they seem to slam her to the ground when she gets out of line. What they don't set straight now is going to come back to haunt them when she is full grown and intent on elevating her status in the pack.

I've been working her on sit-down-stay exercises, especially at the front door and at feeding time. She gets walks around the neighborhood with her "pack" and with just me and her. I am hoping to get her into a puppy agility class before spring. So far I either have to drive a long way or the trainers I want are booked up. But we shall persist. This girl craves learning and games and things to do.

We have a heat vent on the floor in her "puppy area" in the kitchen nook. She loves to lay on it and soak up the heat. (I am sure its drying her skin, but what ya gonna do) the down side for her is that the air blows up into her ears and makes her shake her head, giving little yelps and eventually barks of anger and jumps off the vent. Only to return a few minutes later to repeat the cycle. As she grows, she over laps the vent and her ears are getting farther and farther away from that pesky forced air. So the problem is being slowly resolved. :D

Life with a puppy in the winter. Boy is she going to be surprised when the sunny days come back and the world opens up.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Oh boy, they are cute. And Buddy is kinda mischevious looking. :P

Sara, who regrets not having a camera when she owned a Jack Russell Terrorist