What A Difference a Haircut Makes

Wow! What a difference a haircut makes -- for pets as well as humans!

Rufus was so long and shaggy and very dirty. I have been under the weather and haven't felt like cleaning him up. So I finally decided to take him to the groomer. Well, when I picked him up, I almost didn't recognize him. See the before and after---

Rufus before grooming

Rufus after grooming

Which do you like better?  I think I prefer him before--he was just so cute! But now there will be less hair floating around my house. :) And it will grow. And he is nice and clean!! Poor baby, he is one tired doggie!! He will get a good rest tonight!

Stay tuned for more from Salsipuedes!

                                       

Rufus-the talking dog

Remember when I first brought Rufus home, how shy he was? Well, he has definitely overcome that in some areas. When he wants me to go to the living room and turn on the TV, he talks to me. Here is a short clip!

He doesn't stop this infernal whining (he calls it talking)  until I go to the living room, turn on the TV and sit down! And he doesn't even watch it now. He did as a puppy, though, so maybe he just likes the sound. Some spoiled dog!

Stay tuned for more Rufus clips!

A Lesson in De-spooking Bochica

As I may have mentioned, when I bought Bochica, he was very afraid of many things. Remind you of Rufus? I seem to be destined to have spooky animals. Maybe that is my purpose in life--to de-spook them. :) Over the years I have worked many hours with Bochica, using many different objects to make him less afraid.  I have definitely become a more patient person. Wish I had owned Bochica before I had children. :) This training lesson involves two types of objects --a pom pom and swimming pool noodles. First I began with the pom pom, shaking it around him, getting it closer and closer. And by the way, Bochica didn't read the book that said you can't train horses with  treats. I have used treats very successfully to get him used to many things-- clippers, having his ears handled, etc. So first I shook the pom pom around him, all the while rewarding with treats when he stood still and lowered his head. Then I brushed it over him--at first he jumped to the side but eventually calmed down. Then I threw it over his back and then his head, all the while rewarding him with a treat when he didn't shy away. This is the final result. I decided the pom poms sounded too much like a rattlesnake, so moved on to the noodles.

Gee Mom, I look like a dork in this getup!

                                             
 First I began by setting the noodles up in the pasture and letting him get used to them. Then after a few days I led  him up to them, let him look at them and then backed him away. Then I asked him to put his nose on one of them--rewarding him with a treat each time he did it without jumping around. Finally, I opened them up a little and led him through them. I did that around 20 times, then saddled him and walked him up to them. He put his nose right on one, then I backed him up, gave him a treat from the saddle and walked him up to them again. That first day I quit on a good try. Then the second day he seemed eager to go to them. So I walked him up the first time, let him sniff, walked him up a second time, and he walked right through, calm  as a cucumber. (Are cucumbers calm?)

Success-here are a photo and a video. Next step is moving them all together and doing it again.

Gee Mom, why were you so worried? This is fun!

                                         

Rufus and the Ice Chips

My animals are a great source of joy in my life. Windows run along the entire front of my house, and  I placed my computer desk in front of a window in my living area. I often glance outside while I am working and watch all the animals.  One cold winter day this year I looked out and saw the funniest sight. There are no gutters on my house and  the puddles in the drip line had frozen. Rufus, my puppy, had cracked the ice when he walked over them and  was eating the ice chips Then, to my astonishment,  he started  furiously digging a hole. He was actually carrying the ice chips to the hole and burying them. I guess he thought they were treats! He carefully covered them up by pushing the dirt over them with his nose. I wonder what he thought when he dug them up later and found nothing. :-)
I just cannot bring myself to discipline him for digging holes--it is too much fun to wonder what he will bury next!

Stay tuned for the story of Rufus, Bochica and the umbrella.

Rufus

When I began thinking of getting another dog (it had been about 2 years since my last beloved dog died), I decided I wanted a small dog, a female, and one that didn't shed. Instead, I have Rufus, who is growing like a weed and sheds copious amounts of hair even though I brush him often. Rufus  seems a funny name for a dog-I'm not sure if I had ever even heard the name Rufus, but when I adopted this puppy from the local shelter, the name just seemed to come to me and fit him perfectly.I first fell in love with Rufus at the vet's office. I then visited him  at the shelter, and even though the woman who runs the shelter suggested I get an older dog, I  just could not resist him.  (I obviously forgot how puppies can be.) When I brought Rufus home, he was terrified of everything in the house and everyone except me. Having Rufus has definitely been a great and funny adventure! The first night I had him, I settled down with him on the sofa and turned on the TV. He bolted over the back of the sofa and would have run for his life, except that he was afraid to go into another room without me. He finally came back to sit with me, and after a while, was glued to the TV. Now he loves it--every night he whines for me to sit on the sofa and watch it with him. Then he goes to sleep. Yikes--he has turned me, a dedicated non-TV person into a couch potato for a few hours every night!!

Stay tuned for the story of  Rufus and the ice chips!