Episode 10: 17 weeks: Adventure Fail!

Amy Shackelford
May 5, 2021
6 min read

Updated: Jul 4, 2021

Bonnie

Staffordshire Terrior

Color: white with brown spots

Red Nose

Expected size: about 70-80 lbs

Current weight: 33 lbs

Clyde

Staffordshire Terrior

Color: Lilac

Red Nose

Expected size: about 80 lbs

Current Weight 38 lbs

ADVENTURE FAIL

This week we ventured out and explored more of the park behind our house. There are acres and acres of fresh smells, moving kites and birds, galloping horses, and babbling brooks. We thought that the pups would be super excited to explore such a vast wonderland of new discoveries.

We loaded Bonnie and Clyde into the truck and drove to an area that had a creek and flay rock to stand on. With the vision of lots of glorious new photos, we excitedly got the pups out and led them to the stream. To our amazement, they spend most of the time sniffing the weeds around the stream, just like they do at home. This was disappointing for us but I’m sure the puppers loved it. I did get a few pictures of them in the water.

The water adventure (or lack thereof), we headed up the park to a spot that Moxie and Penny love. The is a huge tree trunk that has been left as a makeshift bench (or climbing toy). The pups were too small to climb it alone, so Bradley hoisted them up one at a time. I positioned myself for some great pictures. Just then a beautiful husky came along with his owner and sat in the cool grass.

Both Bonnie and Clyde spend the next few minutes trying to reach him to play instead of giving me a photo op. We spoke with the owner, who loved the named “Bonnie and Clyde” and learned a little about her well-behaved dog. We took a few more pics, then headed home, back to our regular routines.

NEW TOY

Bradley found a football shaped, rubber toy at the store. It bragged at its own toughness, so he decided to try it out. Moxie has never liked rubber toys, so she ignored it; Penny thinks ALL new toys must pass her approval, so she took to it right away. The puppies were immediately taken captive by its texture and chewable size. They hovered over one another waiting for their turn or they waited for a weak moment in their opponent and pounced at the perfect time.

The new toy was a hit, but its “toughness” claim was put to the test. Bonnie chewed it and Clyde stole it, Penny engulfed it, chewing relentlessly, growling and daring any of the other pack members to touch her new toy. It was a tug toy, a chew toy, and a fetch toy; the most desired object in the house for a few days. It obviously had a magical taste because one of the dogs, except Moxie, always had it.

We have toys made of rope, fire hose material, and more. Even though some of them do last a little longer than others, this toy has proven to fall short just like the rest. We now have small red, rubber chunks all over the living room that we have had to snatch up (and take from their mouths) to prevent them from being a choke hazard. But the dogs did love the toy!

MOMENT TO REMEMBER: STRONG CLYDE

Early one evening, I took the pups out, as is the new ritual. Normally, when Bonnie and Clyde hear a new noise or focus on movement, they sit and stare until it passes. This night was different. They have learned how to react in a much more demonstative way.

Far off in the distance, there was a gallop headed our way. The pups were in the back yard which has a privacy fence on both sides. This means that the pups didn’t know what was coming, they just heard a new, loud sound. When the horse finally reached their view, the hair stood up on their coats and they both jerked in surprise as the large horse sped through their line of sight.

Bonnie recovered quickly as she regained composure and continued sniffing. Clyde took off running as hard as his little legs could take him. He reached the end of his lead but continued, pulling me along with him. We took turns being in charge as I repeatedly steadied myself after Clyde would knock me off balance. We ran and pulled to the side o the house. I quickly discovered that his fear was taking over, and his strength was more than I could bear. I could hold him in place to keep him from running farther but didn’t have the strength or the balance to pull him back to me to console him. Finally, after losing ground, a foot at a time, I reached the side of the house (which meant Clyde was almost to the front of the house). I used the house as my pillar. Bonnie, sensing Clyde’s issues was acting sporadic also. I was trying to maintain her, gain back control of Clyde, and not smash the bag of poop that was sharing a hand with the leash.

What a disaster. My phone was in my pocket. If I could reach it, I could call for help, but no one was home and Bradley had already gone to bed for the night. I needed Clyde to know that I could handle it and he could trust me, so I pressed on. Bonnie wiggled herself closer to Clyde, which distracted him long enough for me to shorten the leash. I petted him and tried to calm him. I tried to pick him up, but he was too heavy. I tried to push him toward the back door (do this a lot and it is normally effective); he would budge. He was balled up against the house holding firmly to his spot. Bonnie finally got him out of his shell enough that he darted to the back door. I saw that he was running into the house, so I dropped the leash (lest I pick myself up from the ground).

When inside, in his fury, he had tangled himself in the leash, which I fixed as he hi-tailed it to hide under the desk (his favorite cubby). Bonnie, reading the Clyde was in distress cuddled up beside him, put her head on his back, and licked his ears. What a good sister. She loves to play but, in that moment, she was the comfort that he needed. The rest of the night, and the next morning, he was apprehensive about going into the back yard but he eventually fully recovered.

PUPPY PAD UPDATE: 97% accuracy

We have started shrinking the number of pads so that the pups will not have as much of the convenience as before.

They are developing the morning routine of going to the field to relieve themselves!!! Mornings are normally accident free.

OUTDOORS: 60% accuracy

CUTEST MOMENT

The pups love Penny. She loves them as well. Check it out. Penny’s paw is around Bonnie.

Spoiled pups!!! She holds the rawhide as they chew.

WHY... JUST WHY MOMENT

Clyde notoriously has a weak stomach. We have had to be more

careful with his treats and his routine. Several times he has had loose stool or diarrhea. The night of the horse debacle (described above) he was too traumatized to use the bathroom before bed. Clyde will bark

from his crate, one single bark accompanied with some whines, in the middle of the night if he needs to use the bathroom. Obviously, I did not react quick enough because when I got downstairs, the stressed-out Clyde couldn’t wait any longer.

In the effort not to poop in his crate, Clyde positioned himself into the corner pushed against the metal sides, relieving himself through the wire mesh of the crate. I must give him credit for trying to be diligent but getting poop out of all of the crevasses required moving furniture, getting a flashlight, and MANY paper towels. And if that wasn’t bad enough at 5am, the pile of paper towels fell and slid down the wall creating MORE to clean-up. Now, the carpet needs to be shampooed AGAIN for the upteeth time. Why Clyde… just why?