Sergeant Got a Troop!

Sergeant got a new puppy! Ok...so maybe Sergeant didn't really want a puppy at all but we hoped he would enjoy a playmate. Jarrod has continued on with his mob grazing and spends lots of time moving cows, filling up water buckets, and making sure everyone is doing well. Because of all the time he spends out there alone (I usually have to go teach or keep up with housework) I really wanted him to have a companion to keep him company. I figured a perfect companion for him would be an Australian shepherd so that not only would he have a companion but maybe he could have a working companion. 

Wish granted! My parents' aussies had puppies and we quickly fell in love with a red tri-color aussie. He has an easy going, joyful, playful personality with the sweetest face and dopiest little amber colored eyes. We named him Troop.

We've watched countless videos and done endless research on how to train this dog so we couldn't be more pleased to find how smart he is! He's 9 weeks old and can sit, stay, and lay down. "Come" is a bit of a challenge but we're working on it and Sergeant is really helping in that area because he is so militant about following commands. Whenever we can't get Troop back, we tell Sergeant to go get his brother and in about 30 seconds they are both back at the door waiting for treats. 

We've been trying to train him with treats and without treats so that he doesn't depend on them. He does well without them but does better with them. His attention span is short at this age but we are amazed at how much he soaks in during the short training periods. After training sessions, we give him lots of love, reinforce good behavior and let him nap so he can ponder all he's been taught. Like I said earlier, Sergeant makes it easier because if Troop doesn't understand, he watches Sergeant and picks it up almost immediately. He is motivated by affirmation and truly enjoys hot dogs. He's such a good boy and continues to fit right into our family.

Sergeant gets a little grumpy some days and we are quickly learning to separate them and remove any territorial inducing items on those days. We've also re-enlisted his leash to control fights and remind him who is boss. We are trying desperately to stay away from frustration and anger and lean towards joy and affirmation but his stubbornness continues to test us in those areas. He's a brilliant dog and we know he will reform but the vet says it will take about 6 weeks so we just have to be kind and patient in the meantime. We keep telling him to chill because in about 2 weeks, "little brother" will become "large brother" and will be able to eat Sgt as a snack but he thinks he can take him. LOL. Aggression usually comes from a place of fear so for now we try to reassure and show him that Troop is safe and with us he will always be protected. 

I LOVE having 2 dogs and can't wait to see what Troop can learn. I'll try to keep y'all updated on the Sergeant-Troop dynamic and post tips on how to ease aggressive behavior in dogs. Catch ya later!

Sergeant Turns The Big 8

Sergeant is a very important member of my family. As a member of my family he gets treated to the long standing tradition of over the top birthday celebrations. Birthdays are a big deal to me and I always love to make people feel special on their day...Sergeant included (what?? Dogs are people too!).

We decided for his 8th birthday that we would not say "no" to him at all (as long as it didn't put his life in danger but at this point in his life we can pretty much trust him to make the right choice unless it involves a rodent or Cruella the cat). This was surprisingly more fun than I thought it would be! It was so nice to not constantly be on him, disciplining him, and crushing his zeal. He barked and barked and barked and barked and barked ALLLLLL day and I let him! He went outside as much as he wanted (which wasn't much because he prefers the heating blanket) and he got as many hot dogs (small pieces) as he requested (he stands a the refrigerator and stares and jumps). I let him chase Cruella and he went wherever we went. It was awesome!

He invited his Auntie Lucy (my mom's tiny but fierce chihuahua), Nana, and Pop Pop over for his birthday party and Lucy got a party favor for attending. I plopped (literally) some wet dog food on some plates (Sergeant got more than Lucy because she's too small to eat all that), shoved some peanut butter treats in Sergeant's "cake" and we sang his favorite song to him for the 20th time that day - Happy Birthday to You. He sings along and jumps with joy every time we sing that song so it's kind of fun. I'd include a video but I'm afraid it would just be painfully loud for your ears...it is for ours sometimes. He's small but he has a big voice, big ears, and big personality. 

We love that little dog more than we probably should but we find so much joy in having him as part of the family. We truly adore him and love celebrating his life and the joy he brings us. He's my best friend.

Sergeant, the Yorkie

When I, Jessica, graduated from college, Jarrod bought me a puppy. This wasn't just any puppy, this was Sergeant. You probably read a little bit about him in our "Meet the Farmers" post but he deserves a page of his very own. He means that much to us.

We were dating when Jarrod got me Sergeant so he bounced back and forth between mommy and daddy's house. He went to daddy day care while I went to school and then I'd pick him up after and he'd spend the evenings with me. Because of this shared time with us, he is equally, and probably unhealthily, attached to each of us. When we got married and moved in together, Sergeant's world became complete.

He lived primarily with me once I graduated, got a job, and moved. In our apartment, he became restless, lost his appetite, and had severe anxiety. When we got married, his behavior improved a little but apartment life was hard for such an energetic doggy. That summer we moved to a house with a yard and doggy door and Sergeant was in hog heaven! His behavior, moods, and appetite improved tremendously. We realized he probably acted badly at the apartment because he was unhappy. (Just look at that sad puppy.)

Now that we live on 40 acres and don't really have a yard for him, he gets free roam of the land. We are overprotective of him so he doesn't literally get free roam but he gets more room than he had at the apartment or small yard we used to have. He gets exercise from running around barking at animals, he eats well, we play with him in the evenings (we don't have a choice here...he's quite demanding), and he sleeps like a rock at the right times.

It's important with any dog to be strict with them. You have to teach them who is boss by way of dominance. Dogs are pack animals and NEED an alpha in their lives. This doesn't mean you have to beat your animal into submission; it just means you have to discipline your dog and stand firm in the area of obedience. I don't think I've ever actually hit Sergeant before - we do what I call air spankings...which means I clap my hands together near him and say "spank! spank! spank!" and he cowers down as if I've hit him. If your dog figures out you're a softy, he or she will detect this and take advantage of it. Sergeant is a brilliant dog and can always tell between light-hearted mom and serious, get-your-butt-over-here mom. Since we are so strict with Sergeant, he gets a lot of freedom. He knows at this point what is allowed and what is a no-no and when he's not sure, he looks to us for permission. (Unless it's a rodent, then he loses his mind.) We believe discipline and love go hand-in-hand. If you love your animal, you discipline them for their own safety.

I believe Sergeant knows we love him and I believe he loves us back. We feel love from him in the form of cuddles, licks, trust falls, and nuzzles. He feels love from us in verbal affirmation, pets, scratches, nuzzles, and beggin strips. A happy, disciplined, loved dog is a good dog. Please take that into consideration when assessing whether your dog is just a bad dog or if he is trying to tell you something is off in his life. Dogs are surprisingly good communicators so take time and listen to what your dog is saying to you.