6/6/09 Ok, I'm finally getting a chance to officially post info about Crazy Dayze (meaning her color not her personality LOL) it helps us to verbally distinguish between our previous foster too =)I picked up Dayze from Nancy at Aussie Rescue on 5/30/09. Nancy had asked us at BCRMN if we could help her out due to the amount of dogs that she has. Dayze is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 yrs old, Blue Merle, Catahoula Leopard Dog Mix. She was assumed to be an Aussie Mix due to her color only. There is nothing about this dog that says Aussie. She is fully house trained and crate trained, but we haven't had to use a crate with her at all.
Please visit ARM's website for the dogs that Nancy has available at this time. She has more coming in and they will be posted as soon as she can get them up. http://www.aussierescuemn.org/.
Before I get too involved in updating you on the week I've had with Crazy Dayze, please take a moment to find out more about the Catahoula Leopard Dog by clicking these links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catahoula_Cur
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoula.htm
http://www.terrificpets.com/dog_breeds/catahoula_leopard_dog.asp
After bringing Dayze home I took her and Cache for a walk together (with my cousin Jackie). I highly recommend walking your new pack member with the rest of the pack immediately, Cesar Millan does it, and it really works! We went for a just a quick walk around the block and when we got back home the dogs were walking together great and just wanted to play. We came in the house and they started to play almost instantly and other then to sleep they haven't really stopped =) they seem to really like each other.
That first evening was fun, the dogs played and hung out together. I gave them a little dinner, they ate next to each other the first night! I totally trust Cache to be good and I had Dayze on the leash incase I needed to pull them apart. (picture is from a few days later) She ate her dinner and tried to push Cache out of his bowl, I pulled her away and made her sit and wait for him to finish eating...they have been eating next to each other twice a day every day for the last week and she now goes to the edge of the kitchen, sits and waits for him to finish =) Cache seems to perposely leave a few pieces of kibble in his bowl for her, it's super cute.
Later that night we were sitting around and relaxing and I decided to look for the dogs, it had been "too quiet for too long"...I found Cache sleeping in the kitchen but couldn't find Dayze at first...we checked everywhere (but the bedroom - the main door was closed, but apparently the door through the bathroom was not). When I finally went in the bedroom for look for her I found her crashed out on the bed! She gave me a dirty look that said "Hey I was sleeping, turn the light back off - geez". I took a few pics with my cell phone, sorry for the quality, I didn't have my camera and didn't want her to move.
That night I slept with her taking up most of my spot on the bed and she didn't want to leave it all night! This girl certainly knows where the comfy spots in the house are and takes full advantage in the fact that I allow dogs on the furniture =)
Last Monday (6/1/09) we had some friends over for dinner. Dayze greeted them like she's known them all her life. While we were grilling our dinner some neighbors walked by with their 3 dogs, Dayze and Cache were in the house at the front window and she got REALLY excited! Barking and jumping around. When I came in I had to clean up the ENTIRE BUCKET OF WATER that she dumped all over the kitchen floor. I really don't think it was an agressive response, just a really excited one. While we ate dinner Dayze slept on our bed and didn't beg for table scraps AT ALL. After dinner it was "party time" for the dogs again.
She and Cache play VERY HARD AND ROUGH, they are like 2 bulls in a china shop. There is a yelp every now and then, but it's just play. I wouldn't recommend she goes to a home with a small dog, as she is so big and strong that she may accidentally hurt a smaller dog. I even describe her tail as "a 2x4 being swung around by a midget gladiator" and anything under 3 feet high is fair game to be broken LOL
Tuesday night (6/2/09) I took Dayze and Cache to the park to meet up with some of my Disc Dog friends. She rode great in the back seat of my truck, looked around for alittle while, then laid down and relaxed. When we pulled up to the park there were a TON of family's and kids at the park. She got REALLY excited again and barked a few times, but quieted down when I told her to. I parked and grabbed my things, then let Cache out and told Dayze to "Wait", she actually listened! and waited for me to get her leash and tell her it was "OK" to come out. We walked over to my group, she pulled a little, but is respectful of the prong collar and didn't drag me around. We hung out for a little while, then we went to Chuck and Don's Petfood Outlet to get a few things and weigh the dogs. Dayze weighed in at 72.2 pounds! I was pretty sure I saw "MOOSE" appear on the read out too LOL
While at Chuck and Don's Dayze helped herself to a few biscuits that were within reach of her...I tried to stop her, but it was too late. I'm happy to say that the cashier didn't charge her with shop lifting =) We picked up a few pigs ears, cows hooves, tennis balls, and a "big dog" harness for our upcoming bike rides.
Thursday night (6/4/09) I set up my agility equipment in the back yard to work with Cache, she watched from the back window and only occassionally barked her protest to being inside. I worked with Cache, and then my neighbor (who Dayze hadn't met yet) came over and saw her in the window. Ashley got closer and when she looked in at her Dayze started to growl, quietly, but loud enough to hear from outside the door. I went in, gave her a quick correction, made her sit and then brought her outside to meet Ashley. She jumped up on her and gave her the full body wiggles while she said hi, so at least she's quick to figure out who is a friend. I figured while I had the equipment out I would try to see if Dayze would be interest in going over a jump. I had to put the jump down to about 6 inches before she realized that I was asking her to go over it. I don't think she is going to be an agility dog, frisbee dog, obedience dog...just a really good house dog that goes for walks and hangs with the boys during a football game (and guard the house and her family).
I know I've said she barks, it probably sounds like she barks a lot. I'd actually say she only barks when she gets REALLY excited at first, and when she hears a knock on the door or see's someone coming up the driveway/sidewalk. Otherwise she's actually VERY quiet.
This morning (6/6/09) I took advantage of not having a puppy that needed to go out at 5am and slept in =) it was GREAT! When I got up Dayze and Cache welcomed me with a big "Good Morning, now please let us out - PLEASE", so I let them out (in the rain) and after doing their morning business they got breakfast. After breakfast I gave them both a cow hoof and they laid next to each other chewing away. Now they are both laying down taking a nap. Dayze next to me and Cache on the couch =)
I will be working with Dayze on the following things:
Walking/heeling on a leash: She was returned to Nancy the first time for "dragging" the gal around and not being able to be controlled.
Sit, Down, Come: She really seems to know what these mean, but has a STUBBORN side to her and doesn't listen as well as I'd like her to.
Wait and Stay: She doesn't seem to "know" completely what these mean, to her it's don't move your feet for 1/2 a second. I want her to understand these commands really well as I use them all the time.
Leave it: She has no idea what this is yet, she doesn't really get into things, but again, I use this command a lot and feel ALL DOGS should know and listen to it.
Shake Hands: She'll do it occassionally, sometimes she thinks you mean jump up on you, and that needs to stop, she's way to big to be jumping up on people.
Roll over: I would love to teach her to roll over on command, she does it a lot during play with Cache and I think she should have at least 2 tricks =)
Dayze is a really sweet dog that just needs a fairly active family or person to fall in love with her. She is a really good looking dog, the pictures DO NOT DO HER JUSTICE!!! I wouldn't recommend her going to a family with small kids as she is so strong and lacks a few basic manners and could EASILY knock over a small child.
I'll keep you updated on the progress of the training and any activity or cute things that she does. I'll try and get some descent video of her and some more pics too. You can also post a comment or question about her below and I'll answer as soon as I can (usually in about 24 hours).
Later!
Jessica
6/11/09 I just got the pictures cropped and uploaded. They do not do her justice at all, she is a really good looking dog. Very sturdy and thick boned. She's a great dog looking for that great person or family to call her own. She hasn't done anything bad while at my house (ex: chewing non-dog things, going to the bathroom in the house, barking all night...nothing). She really likes the cow hoof and pig ears and drives Cache crazy as she only wants to play with the toy that he has.
Come on out and see her and I promise you will fall in love with her. She is always smiling and wagging her tail.
6/12/09 We are having an adoption day at Petco in Minnetonka again this Sunday (6/14/09) from 11:00-2:00. All of our available dogs will be there, and Nancy from Aussie Rescue will be joining us with a few of her available dogs. Come on out to visit and to meet the dogs in person.
6/12/09 I had the chance to test Dayze on cats, she was initially fine with my neighbors cat until he moved! Once he moved she instantly (and all at the same time) growled, snarled, and lunged for him. I had her on a very short leash so I could react in time if she reacted, so Franky wasn't hurt, but due to the instant switch into "Kill the Kitty" mode, I will not approve a home that has cats or other small animals.
This does not mean that she is a dangerous dog in any way. Due to her breed (which I hope a potential adopter had clicked on the links at the top of this page to read about the Catahoula Leopard Dog first), she was bred to HUNT prey.
Cat's, small animal's (ferrets, guine pigs...), and maybe even small dogs, could trigger this deeply natural instinct in her. So please, if you have small animals, check out one of the other dogs that we have available at BCRMN or at ARM.
Thank you,
Jess
