Renaissance Festival!

Reid and I thought it would be fun to go to the Renaissance Festival this year. Neither of us has been in many many years.  They had a weekend for dogs and we thought it would be fun to take Tucker with us.  Doc would not have enjoyed it quite as much.  We loaded up and as you can see I had my official dog mom backpack on for the family.  Tucker was not a fan of the bands when they would play because it was too loud but otherwise he had a great time! Got way to many treats! People loved coming up and petting him so he ended up with a good portion of a chicken sandwich and some turkey leg because of that.

Mischief

There was a week that both Reid and I were in and out for travel and the boys had a dog sitter do check ins during the day.  Tucker loves his sitters but was not pleased we were not home as much that week.  He let us know……

Sleepy Doc

Doc has some of the most unflattering sleep faces and positions. Here is one of the many faces he makes while sleeping. He was out and snoring during this picture.  

Handsome Boys

So…. I haven’t posted in forever and unfortunately I have a hard time finding the time to write.  When I am home with the boys we play and have fun and I would rather be playing plus it takes a lot more time to raise two of these handsome devils! Just some quick updates though. Doc is loving being in our little family and is now a healthy weight. He is 115 pounds and looks great. Tucker has also grown and now weighs 100 pounds himself.  With his hips we have to watch him to make sure he isn’t overweight but he is all muscle and still in a healthy weight range.

Doc graduated from Puppy 1 and is almost at the end of Puppy 2. We won’t enroll him in the Canine Good Citizen Class though. Unfortunately we don’t know Doc’s past and he isn’t as trusting of other people or dogs so to prevent stress and anxiety for him and us we decided it would be better to stop after the Intermediate class.  Doc catches on quick and is a great student, he just doesn’t like all the people in the store staring at him.  He is the biggest snuggle bug pup I have ever met though! He loves to snuggle and is so sweet.  Tucker loves having a brother and all the play time that means.

I will try to post more shorter posts or just pictures but here is one of my favorites of them taking over the bed.

Doc Goes to School

Before Tucker’s hip replacement we had enrolled him in a Canine Good Citizen class to continue his training.  They said we could wait until after his surgery and he was healed to come back and take the class.  We were all set to do that right before we got Doc.  Shortly after bringing Doc home we realized he needed some basic training to get up to speed with Tucker so we were able to switch the classes.  Doc is currently enrolled in Puppy 1 at Petco.  There are two other dogs under a year old and Doc towers over them but you could never tell he was any older than them the way he acts like a puppy.

Why is brover biting Dad’s face?

Doc seems to enjoy the classes and he is doing really well. It helps that he is extremely food motivated. He has begun to pick up some of Tucker’s traits though and learned how to hold out for the good treats for class.  We had to buy new treats in the middle of class because apparently the bacon ones didn’t hold the same appeal anymore.

The other puppies are not quite sure what to think of Doc because he is so much bigger than they are.  Doc loves to play with them though and doesn’t understand the size difference.

Whats nice is this is making Tucker go back through the basics when we train at home. This way he will be refreshed and up to speed when we enroll them both in the Canine Good Citizen Class.

Thick as Thieves

Tucker and Doc seem to be becoming best buddies. As soon as I get home and let Tucker out he no longer tries to smother me, but immediately runs to Doc’s kennel and jumps up and down until Doc is out. Then its at least a good five minutes of playing before either of them will acknowledge me.

Mom, what do you want we are busy playing!

Of course if one has a toy the other one wants it.  Even when I give them identical toys they both trade back and forth for hours trying to get the other toy.  Thankfully they moved on from the possessiveness and its a game, but its exhausting to watch.  Doc is more vocal with his approach and does these weird little bark/yips to distract Tucker and then takes the toy.  Where Tucker is stealthy like a ninja and just creeps up quietly for a sneak attach.

This is my toy brover. No matter how much you bark I will not be distracted this time.

The one thing I am super excited about is their ability to walk together. It has taken me a full year to get Tucker completely trained on a leash and it was hard work.  It was worth it because he is amazing on a leash, but I was nervous I would have to do that again with Doc.  Thankfully they both leash up and trot along great.  Because Reid is a Safety Manager our morning walks must include our high viability vests to keep us safe.

Mom, lets go. Less pictures more walking.

The boys wear their vests with pride and get excited when I pull them off the hook because that means its time for their morning walk.  Doc gets a little distracted by bunnies and if anyone is outside, but he listens when I correct him. Thankfully Tucker just looks up at me with this, “what a rookie” look in his eyes and waits patiently. So I am glad to say the adjustment still seems to be going well!

New Toys for the Boys

With the addition of Doc we had to upgrade and add toys to the basket so there would be enough for both of them. We started with some oversized elk antlers because those seem to be resilient to Tucker’s razor teeth and jaws of steel.

Mom, these are awesome! The biggest ones you guys have ever ordered!

These things were huge and the boys love them.  They spend a good chunk of time taking each others antler and chasing one another around the house with them.

Rawhides are awesome too!

We have added rawhides, kong wubbas and nylabones to the mix as well. They seem to be enjoying them and we try to alternate which ones they have access to so they don’t get bored with one.  Doc seems to enjoy everything we give him and typically just wants whatever Tucker has.

Mom, he took my toy again.

The boys are actually doing really well sharing toys.  We had a  couple sharing tiffs in the first week but we have moved on and they do really well just chasing one another and then resting when they are tired.

Mom, is Doc helping you write the blog?

Doc rests on the furniture while Tucker normally likes to roam around for the perfect spot which happens to be by one of the doors most of the time, like a handsome guard dog.

I am resting and protecting.

Sleeping Arrangements

Doc is a cuddle bug to the extreme! He loves to be laying on top of you wherever you are.  This has been a change because Tucker is a bit more reserved with his affection.  If we are on one couch he will be on the other, the only time he willingly cuddles me is in the middle of the night when he wants me to pet him.  Doc on the other hand loves to be next to us at all times.  We are learning things as we go with Doc and we learned a lesson very quickly about sleeping.

Mom, Doc takes up the whole bed.

Rule #2 Two Dogs and Two Humans Do Not Fit in a King Sized Bed

What do you mean there isn’t room? Doc can just lay on top of you.

Finalizing our sleeping arrangements took some patience and strategy to figure out.  Of course Doc wanted to be in the bed and we thought it was sweet. Until we discovered how Doc sleeps.  First I will start with the least of our problems, he snores.  I can handle snoring, Reid snores whether he wants to admit or not.  The part that gets me is the full body kicking in his sleep.  Doc likes to lay as much of his body on top of me as he can get away with and when he falls asleep he kicks something terrible.  So depending on who he was laying on the other person, including Tucker, was getting kicked around like a soccer ball.

Just trying to share the blankets with everyone.

Doc is a solid 110 pounds and once he lays down there is really no moving him.  After a few nights of being kicked out of the bed by Doc we decided we needed to rethink everyone sleeping in the bed.  Tucker has a nice fluffy bed on the floor that we determined was a good idea for Doc.  For now it seems to be working.

He is on my bed Mom. How does he fit on there?

Of course there are always exceptions to the rules.

Exception #1  Once 4 AM hits all bets are off.  Tucker likes to jump off the bed and start trying to wake us up at this point. Doc uses that time to sneak on the bed and spend the last hour cuddled up while Tucker wanders.

Lets be realistic Mom, all of this is mine.

Exception #2 Only one human is home.  When one of us is out of town both dogs can fit in the bed.  Doc has enough room to kick and not injure anyone and Tucker can still curl up next to my legs.  Morning snuggles for everyone are a requirement if this happens though.

Glad Dad is gone tonight, more room for everyone!

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Walk in the Park

As we were getting Doc acclimated with everything we thought it would be a good idea to take him for a walk on the trail next to the dog park.  There are lots of people and dogs on the trail so it would help us gauge Doc’s reaction to strangers and other animals. Quick disclaimer: they did behavioral tests on Doc at the shelter and he did great but we just wanted to double check everything before we just let him loose in the dog park.

Car ride!

Doc loved the walk and being out on the trail.  He was great but he gets a little too excited when he sees another dog.  He starts whining, barking and jumping trying to play with the other dog.  He did this when he met Tucker too.

Mom, hurry up brover is beating us.

In a way its cute because he really wants to play with the other dog but its also not good because its a 110 pound dog jumping up and down which can be scary to many people.  So that is something we are working on.

That’s better! Look at us go!

Minis the overwhelming excitement he displayed we were pleased because it was excitement and he so obviously liked other dogs.  The trail was beautiful and we packed plenty of water for frequent breaks, that was a mess. They got more water on me than they drank but it’s worth it to keep them hydrated.

Mom, water….Can I jump in?

Doc and Tucker were tired by the time we got back to the car and ready for some AC. They actually ride really well in the car together. Doc is a bit of a seat hog but Tucker adapts.

Mom, he is in my spot…..

Ok this is better. Feel the AC!!!! You can have the back brover.

Cool people in the front seat only.

The only thing that makes traveling with Doc difficult is the slober.  Its everywhere and gets on everything.

Mom, gross look at what he did.

Brover got his slime all over the seats too.

I will be creating a list of rules as we go with Doc.  Of course there are exceptions to everything so those will be included on the way as well.

Rule #1: Slober Rag is a Must When Traveling

Exception: No exceptions he mass produces slober.

 

 

All Things Doc

So I have been a bit of a stranger on here and I apologize. I absolutely love my new job but it does require more hours so when I am home I spend all my time with Reid and the pups.  Speaking of pups its been a whirlwind having a household of two giant breed dogs.  In total we have about 200 pounds of dog between Tucker and Doc.  As I mentioned in previous posts Doc was sick with Kennel Cough and that delayed him coming home.  When we brought him home he was still sick and finishing up his medicine.  That took about one more week to kick but I am happy to say he is recovered and well.

Mom, brover is still sleepy all the time. What gives?

Even though he is feeling better Doc does not have the energy level that Tucker does. He is perfectly content curling up on the couch (on top of whoever was sitting there) and just relaxing. Tucker is still very high energy and is a bit more restless.  Even though Doc is not as high energy as Tucker he also loves the dog park and is quite the social butterfly when we are there.

I’m exhausted between chasing my brover and all the dogs at the park.

Doc seems to be adjusting and loving his new home.  He listens and is highly food motivated so that helps with his training.  Tucker helps with that too because they both learn from each other and mimic the good and bad qualities they have.

What are these bad qualities you speak of mother? I thought I was your well behaved angel?

After having Doc and seeing how well he listens and behaves I realized I dropped the ball on certain areas of Tucker’s training. Mainly his recall, Tucker refuses to come when called unless he wants to. But Doc, who just learned his new name, already comes trotting back the first or second time I call him. Although Doc doesn’t enjoy a leash so they each have areas we will be working on.

Mom, Doc is sleeping again. Wake him up lets play.

I promise to be more dedicated to this blog! Look for more posts with updates on Tucker and Doc. (If I promise it I have to do it)