It was gone 11.30pm and I wanted to put Tikva to bed in her crate so I could get myself undressed etc. Tikki was zonked out in her "nest" on the couch so I shook her jar of tiny treats to wake her - then - and I must have been mad - opened the door and plonked outside, with the jar of treats, got her to follow me [or probably the treats] and told her to make pee pee. And she did! Outside! It is taking a long time to housetrain her but slowly slowly she is learning and I am not going to push her. Nearly midnight now so I am off to bed. Very pleased with my little Tikki!
Well done indeed - this puppy is almost impossible to train but we will get there. Eventually. Oh yes, especially when her usual is off the couch, pee on the carpet where she lands, and up on her nest again! But - she has been up since about 7.30am [it is now coming up to 8.45am]. She had pee'd in her crate earlier because I ignored her pee eep, and as soon as I let her out she rushed into the salon for a little poo on one of the pads in there. Had a tiny biscuit and then asked to go out. She will not have her breakfast [frozen chicken neck] until 10am so after the usual fight to clip on her tether, so has been out quite happily. Comes in to check on me then goes out again. And she has pee'd in the same place she did last night. So - she has learned that it is OK to p&p outside when she is outside, but when she will learn to ask to go out - who knows. She will never be a perfectly behaved and trained puppy but she is happy. And she is rather sweet, even though she is a devil at times!
She did it again last night - outside and pee'd - same place. What I did not say was that both times she went out without a tether and not on a leash - she needed a tiny treat to get her off her nest but knowing I had the little jar of treats in my pocket, she went out, pee'd, and shot back in. But like the saying "one Swallow does not make a summer", a pee to order from Tikva does not make a house-trained puppy. It is going to take a lot longer - but one day...
One day - maybe. But I wanted to go next door into my neighbour earlier today and she shot in there when I opened the door because she was not on her tether. I knew my neighbour was home and her door was open - and obviously so did Tikki. And I know that Tikki will not go run run. She has a great recall so if I call her she shoots back to me, but she wanted to go in next door. First time she has ever been in there but she explored the place and then followed me back home, after doing lovey lovey to my neighbour and to a friend of hers who was there. So - Tikva is definitely no where near trained but but she has a great recall - I call, she comes. Maybe one day she will actually behave?
The devil puppy went next door again. I cannot find the photos but she cannot go straight next door but has to go towards the pavement and then shoot in next door. She knows exactly where she is going - gotta go see my bestie - it is a Good Thing that my my neighbour is my landlady! And a Good Thing that my neighbour and Tikva adore each other. But I still do not like her being out without her tether, even though she is just rushing into my neighbour and she will come straight in when I call her.
Update: I am now doing what I did with Pereg, leave Tikva clipped onto the tether with the door open enough for her to go out and come in. And the door is not opened to anyone unless she is clipped onto her tether. Just in case... even though when she is in the door is open a little bit so I can see out, but it is on the chain so she cannot get out. Someone told me off this afternoon when he saw her outside - and told me she was far too thin and I was not feeding her properly or enough. Whaaaat? I might try to weigh her tomorrow but I know she has gained quite a bit since she was spayed almost four months ago, when she was ~6 kilos and I have increased her two meals/day a bit, but not much, but she is rock solid bone and muscle. So you can see her ribs. So what. She has a broad, deep chest, then a waist to die for and a perfect tuck. Yes, she looks thing compared to many dogs who are far too fat, but she is such a strong little girl - rushes around like a lunatic [then sleeps it off and starts again]. Thighs like a body-builder because when she is outside she is like a Meerkat on her hind legs so she can see more, dancing around on them as well. And Michal says there is no way she could do that if she was not strong enough, and her muscles and bones are very strong so there is no way it could harm her. As I cannot stop her doing that, or stop her jumping and leaping about, she says I should not worry. Thin? No. Rather slim? Yes. Does she get enough to eat? Oh yes. And she gets the extra vitamins and supplements that she might need due to being raw fed. The things that are added to commercial food to make up for the rubbish that is the rest of it. [Apologies to those who feed their dogs on commercial food, no offense intended]. General training is slow but getting there. Ten months old and I am still teaching Sit and Stay - the Stay meaning keep sitting and do not move! Works for about three tiny treats and then... Tikki is Tikki and or she will or or she will not. But I still dare not go near her when she is eating or has a chewbone. But I do love her - the little booger!
