We had an awesome weekend. Friday night we hung out with Nikki and Abbey, whom Gatz just adores, before I snuck him into my dorm room because we had to be up and on campus early Saturday morning. He didn't really like that much, too many people walking past my window and he was sort of growly. It was too close a call to try again, and I didn't get much sleep keeping him quiet.

But Saturday was great! My student group ran a water table for a small bike race that was coming by, and he was just so good. There were a bunch of little kids, under fives, and he was just a doll. All four feet on the ground, minimal licking, super friendly, just excellent. So proud of him. Later that day we went to a street fair (from which the bikers had come) and he got a doggie ice cream. Big fan of that; I think it's just frozen peanut butter. After that we went to the dog park where I threw frisbees to myself since he was having none of that.
Sunday was the first class of intermediate obedience I was able to go to (the first lesson was the week before labor day; I couldn't make it because of school so Deb took him). I'm not going to lie, he's not quite at the level of the other dogs (so disctractable!). He did really really good though. He has such a joyful recall that I'm thrilled about. Stays are getting better, though he did keep popping out of his down stay. Loose leash walking still needs work, and that is totally my fault for being lazy about it. We started heel work and automatic sits. I'm actually really pleased with how that started.

Playing Catch-up (Among other games)

Sorry it's been a while! Not for lack of things happening, because a lot has been going on.

When we last left Gatsby, he was run down and expecting company (that weekend was my 21st birthday). I am pleased to report that by the time the party arrived, he was feeling much better! He got some wild rice and chicken soup and perked right up. When my ENTIRE FAMILY showed up at the door, what can I count on my little guy to do? Growl his little heart out, of course. I don't know what he's expecting to do, since he still crawls up to whoever he's growling at, wagging his tail. Literally every single person I am biologically related to was in the room at one point. Granted, there's five of them, but it still. They are also not "dog people." (Although my cousin has a malti-poo, which is a rant for another time.) He was much better when friends of ours came over though, who are dog people and had a brittany that just died a few years ago. They brought him toys too, which helped. Including a frisbee! More on that later.

And then Gatsby found the balloons.

The weekend was hard, we out running around most of the time so he didn't get much attention. That Sunday (the week before Labor Day) I moved back to school. Gatsby got to come along, and hang out with my student group during a carnival for the end of New Student Orientation. He was pooped that night! Which was good, because the next week was awful.

School kind of exploded. I work on campus, and there have been some reorganization such that every minute I was not in class that first week, I was working. Luckily it's calmed down since then, but I still didn't even get home to Gatsby until Thursday. My aunt was able to let him out and take him to the dog park.

Labor Day. My aunt's best friend was having a birthday party in Chicago that Saturday. Gatsby came with us, since Sunday we were going to the Earthdog Trial sponsored by the Madison Dachshund Club. Can I just say, they are excellent. I had nothing but a positive experience from the people. In Gatsby, however, I was a little disappointed.

In hindsight, I really should not have been surprised. My dog does not like to walk on tile what was I thinking he would go in a small dark tunnel. He was interested in the rat, he just didn't want to go the right way to get to it. I'm not sure if we'll try again, maybe if there is an event closer. I can't tell if he just doesn't like it or didn't get the game. The other dogs there were mostly dachshunds and border terriers (from the Great Lakes Border Terrier Club), but there were a few other miniature schnauzers there. Actual minis, which showed just how giant mine is comapred to them. I'm happy he's bigger though, he's a great size for me.

This past week was better. Work is calming down, and I have a nice hour and a half break on Tuesday/Thursday when we have time for a run to the dog park, and a shorter one MWF when I can jet home for a couple minutes to play.

And what have we been playing lately? FRISBEE! Well, "disc" if you want to be technical. I love playing frisbee. Love love love it. Since Earthdog does not seem to be our thing, I'm trying disc with him. It's trying. As with everything, he's great at it indoors, interested in the disc and going after rollers most of the time, but forget it outside. There are Smells. These are more important than your stupid piece of plastic.

Gatsby's Gastrointestinals

Warning: Gross details about dog puke.

Gatsby has gastritis. He was throwing up last night, it was very unpleasent. It was a light brown watery liquid. I'm pretty sure it was well digested food. It really didn't seem to bother him, all Gatz wanted to do was eat it. I can't figure out what caused it though. He eats really fast but from what I read (hurried Googling for "dog vomit" at one in the morning) that usually causes regurgitation, not vomiting. He went to the vet this morning, I almost didn't take him in but I'm glad I did. He got a shot for it and is on a 24 hour fast. Friday morning he'll get a little bit of rice and bland chicken and we'll take it from there. I'm nervous because my entire family (all five of them) is coming to town tonight for my birthday this weekend, plus I have to work for most of the day tomorrow and it's not something I can get away from for a bit.

He's been pretty run down this afternoon, curled real tight in a little ball. I'm not really worried about him, it's just a little puke from an upset tummy and I'm sure he'll be fine in a few days, but still. I fret. I go back to school on Sunday and won't be able to be with him as much. Dogs aren't allowed in the dorms so he has to stay at the apartment with Deb. It's only five minutes away and I'll be able to let him out at noon between classes and be home most weekends, but summer's ending. Back to life.

My Dog is Weird

I had a milk jug in my room because I was going to cut it down so it would fit around another milk jug to act as a water jug/bowl combo for when we go to the dog park. Because I'm lazy, I hadn't gotten around to it. Gatsby decided this was not supposed to be a water bowl, but a plaything. Since he's generally adorable when tossing a thing around and working out a way to carry it, I let him go for it. I had an eye on him and after a while he came to bed.

This morning he rediscovered it and pulled it into the living room to play. I left the room for a couple minutes to futz with something, and when I came back discovered he had peed in it. Not ON it, INSIDE a milk jug. Through the narrow little neck that milk comes out of.

My dog is weird.

Sidebar: I picked up The Other End of the Leash, by Patricia McConnell today. I'm very excited to read it because I have a suspicion that if I can get my body language sorted out, Gatsby and I will really make headway. I've got agility plans for this dog, and I kind of think I want to try obedience or rally.

"Nose Driven"

Gatsby has one thought. Smell. Things. Everything else: lookin' at stuff out the window, keeping me in eyesight at all times, licking every last atom of peanut butter out of his kong ball, these are all obstacles in the way of smelling more things.

When the nose goes on, the ears go off. While frustrating when trying to build a reliable recall, I wish I could see like this dog smells.

Now, one perk of having a purebred dog despite being an outspoken shelter mutt lover is the AKC will let my dog smell stuff and let me stick a bunch of letters on to the end of his name. They call it Earthdog, and if I didn't not pay rent I would grab a shovel and dig a 9" trench in the yard right now. There's a trial in Illinois right across the border Labor Day Weekend. I don't know how Gatsby can't not love it, it is all of his favorite things. Sniffin', barkin', other dogs, and more sniffin'. I am, in a word, stoked.

I'm going to make a little cardboard tunnel for him to make sure he'll fit. Legs like a giraffe, my mini has.

Crates are Great

When we paid for Gatsby, we got his crate as well which was absolutely FANTASTIC because otherwise that would have been another fifty dollars. But when we got him home, there was not much success with the crate. He would go in with a little persuasion, but when I came home to let him out he would be so excited that he'd pee in and immediately outside of the crate. That week was awful. I tried putting the crate on the tile in the hallway so at least he'd pee on tile and if he could just hold it for the ten foot bolt to the door, we'd be set. I forgot that he was a afraid of tile. All in all, the whole thing was just a huge hassle, and since he really could hold it until the excitement of someone coming home, we just stopped crating him and left him free in the house.

That went a lot better. No accidents in the house and when he ran to the door it was just a matter of sidestepping the jumping and peeing. I think he didn't know that we were going to come back and now that he knows we will, he's better. Still bonkers to see us, but no pee. Good dog Gatsby!

I still want him to be comfortable in the crate though, just in case plus that's where he's supposed to sleep during the school year. I've been feeding him in the crate while I shower in the morning, so there's good connections between the crate and me being gone.

Last night we went to the motherhouse fields to run around and try some off-leash recalls. There was very little of both of that. Gatsby mostly just sniffed and dug for gophers. He dug his very first hole! I'm very proud. Videos and pictures of our outing will be up later today. By the time we got home (after custard for the humans) he was beat, even though it was an hour before we usually go to bed. I'm sitting in the living room watching the Rachel Maddow Show and watch Gatz trot out of the room and hear his tags jingling in my bed room. Then nothing. Then tags again and he appears in the living room looking at me like, "Well come on, are we going to bed or not?" I get up and follow him, and find the dog curled up at the back of the crate (cuddling his food dish, I might add). He slept there most of the night, but hopped up on my bed at one point. I know I really need to break him of this, because it's not going to fly with Deb, but I just love having him sleep with me! He's so warm.

Different Tricks, Different Treats

I bought a bag of puperoni the other day at obedience class because I was running late and completely forgot everything (including the clicker, which I now cannot find for the life of me). We were mildly rebuked for not practicing enough (my fault, because I would much rather work on "stupid tricks") so I've been making an effort to do stays and fronts more at home. And since I have the 'roni, might as well use it, right?

Gastby loves it. It stinks, which I'm sure helps this nose-on-feet, and tears up into tinier pieces than the kibble anyway so one stick goes pretty far. I read somewhere that size is pretty immaterial to the dog, since it's about the flavor. I've been calling him away from the window when he gets barking at something and I can actually get him away! Only when he knows I have a treat though. Fading rewards continues to kick my butt.

Other things we've tried are cheese (cheddar block and Kraft American singles), which he likes but doesn't love and Oscar Meyer sliced ham which seemed to work but made his stool runny (and stinky!) and was a pain to carry around. I'm going to try nuked-to-a-crisp hot dogs next, I think. He's on grain-free kibble (to which I suspect he might have allergies, we'll find out Friday at the vet) and in an ideal world a raw diet for treats, but I'll take what's cheap and gets results. I put more thought into what the dog eats than I do.