Episode #22: The Pack

Amy Shackelford
Jul 26, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Aug 4, 2021

Bonnie

Clyde

FULL PIT CREW

Nico was back for a visit, so the entire pack was together. Bonnie and Clyde ran to greet him like he had never left! But the mobsters have grown a lot since his last visit, so the wrestling was much rougher. Penny kicked over to protect mode several times, Moxie steered clear (at least at our house), and the puppies couldn’t get enough. When he comes over, it definitely wears them out.

CRANE PARTY

Several girls came over for a “Crane”party (folding cranes for a wedding). We moved the kitchen table into the living room and laughed as we folded. Bonnie and Clyde were super. They greeted without barking, they “mostly” didn’t jump up on people, and they were friendly enough that the “pit sensitive” people were set at ease.

As the night went on, I kept peaking over at them and they looked so bored. They were just lounging around. Then I realized when we moved the table, we took their playroom. They had no place to wrestle and run. Clyde came over several times to get affection and both puppies ventured under the table to lick toes or shins. After the short night, we moved the table back and they made up for lost time!

Nico “Gotcha Day”

This week was Nico’s “Gotcha Day.” He was already back home in Indiana on that day but it didn’t stop the celebration! All the cookies were passed out, pictures taken, and shared so we could all enjoy the moment.

We all know how dogs hover at the door waiting to go out. Some dogs wait patiently for their turn while others try to eat the door to get what they want. Well, our Diva gets to enjoy a few amenities and the other dogs want it.

Moxie is so chill about everything. She doesn’t really care about greeting people, she might want to greet a walking dog (but usually not), and she doesn’t run off. When she goes outside, she is in her zone and does her thing. She loves to go out and sit in the grass and sniff the air as she sits and watches ALL movement in the area.

Both dogs peed on the couch at different times this week. Clyde, out of anxiety (even though I had JUST taken him outside), and I don’t know why Bonnie decided it was okay. But they have now lost their couch privileges forever!

No (Aaa Aaa) COMMAND

Reason

Thankfully, the dogs know this command either way it comes out of my mouth at that time. I believe they read the emotion more than the word. But it helps them learn their boundaries and grow to be well-balanced adults.

Describe

We all probably do the “no” command without even thinking about it. The only thing to remember is:

1. Try to catch them in the act to be more effective.

2. It’s too late to fuss at them if time has passed and they have moved on to a different activity.

3. Never let them get away with it (even if you’re tired or busy).

Dogs’ short-term memory is between 1-2 minutes. If they do something that needs to be trained out of them, act quick EVERY time. They need the line drawn so that they know where it is.

Progress

Most of the time, Bonnie and Clyde respond quickly to this command (Clyde more so than Bonnie). If there is extreme temptation (critter or close dog), they still need extra work.

We had to leave so I needed to pin the pups. I said, “Okay, let’s go to bed.” Both of them know these words. If I ever needed more proof, (which I didn’t) Clyde looked up at Bradley which such pity in his eyes. As if to say, “Please Dad, don’t make me go.” We both melted, then put him to bed.

I was sitting on the couch talking to my youngest daughter (standing in front of the couch) and Bonnie decided to pee on the blanket on the couch. She had never done that before AND went out about an hour before. We both screamed to stop her, and she froze. I, unsuccessfully, tried to push her off the couch; so Hanna reached up to push her off. Still in shock from the simultaneous screaming from both of us, she rolled like a boulder off the couch without catching herself with her legs. We couldn’t help but laugh. Why Bonnie…just why?