Potty Training your puppy

Potty training does not have to be a stressful situation for you or your dog.  If you adopt or purchase a puppy that is still with their mother then Mother Nature is on your side. Puppies eat and relieve themselves and their mother’s clean them.  Dogs as a rule do not like to relieve themselves in their den.  As the puppies get older and can go outside with their mother she teaches them where to relieve themselves and they learn by imitating their mother.  For example: my Rottweiler’s have been conditioned to only relieve themselves in the back section (our yard is fenced off in 3 separate sections) of our yard. This gives us a 2^nd section for play and exercise and the 1^st section for relaxing and entertaining!

A second built in aid is the puppy’s digestive track. 5-30 minutes after eating the puppy will need to relieve itself. This is an excellent time window to take your puppy outside to condition eat, relieve, reward.  A consistent schedule will help make the potty training process quick and efficient.

A third tool is your own biological clock or routine.  First thing every morning when you wake up (and have relieved yourself) is an excellent natural opportunity to take your puppy outside.  This will condition your puppy to go outside.  When you come home at lunch or if you stay at home another natural opportunity is every time you go, take them outside afterward. 

Each time your puppy successfully completes the proper elimination process outside, make sure to reward him/her to help condition the positive behavior.  When your puppy does have accidents do not punish, raise your voice, or hit your puppy. This associates negativity with their bodily functions and can create stress and frustration with the housebreaking process. Quietly remove your puppy from the area (so they cannot see you clean their mess) and clean the mess up.  Quickly the puppy will begin to learn to relieve themselves outside and the entire learning process would have been painless and helped you bond with your puppy. 

Meet Mazus! She needs a forever home

My name is Mazus. I am named after a tropical flower because my mom was named Dahlia after a flower too.  I come to my name often. I am cinnamon colored with blue eyes.  When I was born I was the smallest of all my siblings but I have outgrown both of them.  I will be 8 weeks on May 10^th and will be ready to find my forever home! I am the independent of all my siblings and can often be found around my foster mom’s house without either of my siblings. I really like her Rottweiler and can often be found following her around, laying with her, climbing on her or just napping beside her. She’s very warm and I like to snuggle up close to her.   I like to follow my foster mom around too and see what she’s doing.  Sometimes though I just sit on an outaman and watch my siblings wrestle with each other until the perfect moment appears for me to jump on both of them!  I really enjoy when my foster mom picks me up and pets me. Sometimes I can sit with her as long as she will let me and let her pet me.  I also have a habit of licking her. I am not real sure why but she doesn’t always seem to mind unless I try to get in her face.  I am the most affectionate of all my siblings and the bravest! 

Mazus climbing on NaKoda

Mazus' mother Dahlia

Meet Indigo! She is in need of a forever home

My name is Indigo.  My foster mom named me after a tropical flower since my mom was named Dahlia after a flower too.  I am black with blue eyes. I will be 8 weeks on May 10^th and will be ready to find my forever home.  I am still a little timid and shy but I do love to play with my siblings Calathea & Mazus. We can get pretty wild with our running and jumping on each other and our climbing. My foster mom has a Rottweiler that I like to lay with.  Sometimes I can just sit and look at her because she’s so big. I wonder if I will be that big! I spend most of my time pretty close to my mom Dahlia but when my siblings venture out around my foster mom’s house I go with them but sometimes sudden movements scare me and I run back into the office I stay in and hide. 

Indigo playing with her sibling Calathea

Indigo's mother Dahlia

Indigo and siblings playing outside near NaKoda

Meet Calathea! She needs a forever home

My name is Calathea.  I am starting to learn my name and every now and then I come to it. My foster mom named me after a tropical flower because my mother Dahlia was also named after a flower.  I am orange and white in color with blue eyes (although they could still change).  I will be 8 weeks old on May 10^th and will be ready to find my forever home!

I am a rambunctious kitten and love checking out my Foster mom’s house.  She has a Rottweiler that I love to follow around the house, lay with, climb on and play with! My favorite thing to do is climb. I try to get on everything I can and the higher the better.  I am pretty independent but I do spend a lot of time with my sibling Indigo (she’s black with blue eyes), and I am the feistiest of us all.  I love to run and jump on Indigo and tackle her. I even enjoy the play sessions with my mom and can get pretty rough with her, but she always lets me know when I need to settle down.  Sometimes at night I don’t always go back in the bed with my siblings and mom and can be found on a cushion behind my foster mom’s chaise lounge but when my mom Dahlia comes looking for me I always follow her.  

If interested in adopting Calathea or her siblings please contact Amy at Corine T. Smith Animal Center  325 646 0617

Choices

What choices have you made that are genuine expressions of who you are and in alignment with what you want from life? What choices, in hindsight, took you away from the person you really are, into an image fabricated by your mind and your society?

The choices I have made in my life that are genuine expressions of who I am and in alignment with what I want from life have helped to simplify my life and help not to be so materialistic. I downsized my home, I stopped going to the bars with friends and stayed home more, I have started engaging in activities I enjoy, such as crafts, painting, photography, writing, home improvement and exercise more.


Making the choice to do what people expected and being what people expected of me took me away from the real me. Not worrying so much about the person people expect me to be and working to be the people expect me to be has helped to alleviate stress in my life and help me be at more peace with my life in general.  

How to master the dog walk

1. Walk in front of your dog.

                When you walk in front of your dog you are the pack leader.  If you allow your dog to walk in      front of you or control you (continuously pull) on the walk, he/she is the pack leader.  When  leaving for the walk you (pack leader) should be the first one out the door and when returning  home from the walk you (pack leader) should be the first one in the door. 

2. Use a short leash (6ft or shorter).

                Using a short leash allows you more control.  Attach the leash at the top of your dog’s neck. This

                Allows for easy correction and guidance on your walks and keeps your dog’s mind moving in a 

                forward motion. 

3.  Allow enough time for the walk

                Like humans, dogs enjoy routine.  For most dogs 30 mins – 60 mins. Of exercise each day is 

                necessary. It is important to observe your dog’s behavior to know if he/she is receiving enough  

                exercise.  If you cannot commit this amount of time to exercising your animal each day, it may  

                not be a good idea for you to own a dog.

4. Reward the appropriate state of mind (calm, submissive)

                When your dog is in the proper state of mind it is important to reward this behavior.  A pat or  

                 positive word can do. 

5. Continue to be the Pack Leader

                When the walk is over and you have returned home; continue being the leader.

                As you take off your shoes, put away the leash, etc. continue being the pack leader and helping

                your dog remain in a calm submissive state.

6. Reward the walk

                After you have walked and returned home and performed any immediate tasks you need to. 

                This helps allow your dog to “earn their keep”.

Feelings of Disrespect

Are you constantly feeling disrespected? When is the last instance you felt you were treated badly? Why?

There have been many instances in my life I have felt disrespected. I wouldn't say the feeling of being disrespected is constant but there are certain persons in my life in which the behavior is consistent. For example I feel like my entire life experience with my biological father is one of consistent disrespect for me as a daughter, an individual and a woman. As a child the neglect and consistent allowing of his 2nd wife to be verbally abusive is an act of disrespect in my opinion and as a person his lack of effort to know anything significant about me in order to form a real relationship with me is disrespectful in my opinion.  


There have been other situations in which I felt disrespected as a friend, wife, family member but since those times I have made the decision to move on away from them and not let them have power over me.  


The last time I felt disrespected was more of a general feeling of disrespect and it was in regards to being respectful of others time, situations, and needs.  A friend of mine consistently neglects our relationship until she feels the need to reach out and when she does I feel she expects things to always take place around her schedule or needs and expects me to just drop what I am doing or change my schedule around to make it convenient for her.  

How do you judge yourself?

Think of any area where you judge yourself as either inferior to others or superior to them.  This is your ego jockeying for position. Fess up to that, and you'll have moved beyond ego—simply by recognizing it.

I am my worst critic. I judge myself more harshly than others do because of the internal diaolouge that goes on inside my head that has been beaten into me from years of childhood abuse.

Appointment and Donation - The Hero in You Donate Blood

Appointment and Donation History - The Hero in You

How do other see you?

How do you think others see you? How many of your choices are made to maintain this image?

I believe others see a somewhat true image of me but on occasion have false beliefs about who I am. I believe others see me as a strong, independent, successful, ambitious woman who has it all together.

Some of this is true. I am strong, independent, successful and ambitious but I don't have it all together and at times I am not strong and wish I had a partner to fall back on. Many of my choices are made to maintain this image because it is who I am for the most part but it's who I am because it's who I have had to be.

Writing Sample - About Rottweilers

Rottweilers

My passion has been the Rottweiler for many years. The Rottweiler has a large boxy head and a powerful body. Muscular and athletic, this dogs body was built for work. The muzzle is well-developed with a scissor bite. The Rottweilers eyes are dark with an expression of goodwill, curiosity and loyalty. The ears are triangular, carried forward, and its nose is wide and black. The lips are black and inside the mouth it is dark-colored. The tail is customarily docked within three days of birth. Often born with rear dewclaws which are usually removed when the tail is docked. The coat is short, hard and thick. It is black with brown markings on the cheeks and muzzle, paws and legs.

Rottweiler bitches often have large litters; 12 puppies are not uncommon. With the two litters my female had there were 12 puppies each time.

Some claim there are two variations of Rotties, the German Rottweiler and the American Rottweiler. German Rotties are said to be shorter, stockier and have a bigger blockier head, and American Rotties are said to be taller and leggier without the block head. In any case, there are breeders breeding for the German Rottweiler look, which goes outside the AKC standard, while others are breeding for the American Rottweiler look, which follows the AKC standard more closely. Most people when they think of the Rottweiler and are considering purchasing one for their companion are looking for the more boxy look however, I believe a Rottie is a Rottie and all are loveable, loyal creatures with the exceptional ability of being an excellent companion when cared for correctly!

Temperment

The Rottweiler companion has gained a bad reputation through much help from inappropriate breeding, training (or should I say lack of training) and abuse. The Rottweiler is calm, gentle, loyal, obedient and extremely loyal to its primary caregiver. The Rottweiler will protect its master/mistress fiercly. They are very strong fighters and almost appear to be immune to feeling pain. Firm and careful training is a must for ANY Rottweiler to be able to control these extremely desirable traits. Without proper and continuous training these dogs could become quit dangerous when left to be as they desire. Without training you could end up with an extremely dangerous and aggressive companion.

Because of a Rottweilers size if you are considering a Rottweiler as your companion it is imperative that you are able to control and properly handle their size and strength. Rottweilers are extremely intelligent and if you are not the alpha dog in the pack then your Rottweiler will assume the leader of pack leader and the Rottweilers idea of being pack leader is not the most socialized, well behaved example. Dogs natural instinct is to live as a pack and every pack has its own pecking order. The human members of the pack must establish that they are first in the pecking order. Children must be trained to lead Rottweilers as well as their adult pack members. The primary caregiver usually is identified as the pack leader. Establishing the pack leader role is the only way to have a successful pack that includes a Rottweiler. Socialization is also another key factor in proper training. We all want our Rottweilers to protect our homes and families but we want them to be gentle with our friends and loved ones who come to visit or whom we visit.

Height and Weight Statistics

Height: 24-27 inches (61-69 cm.) Bitches 22-25 inches (56-63 cm.)Weight: Dogs 95-130 pounds (43-59 kg.) Bitches 85-115 pounds (38-52 kg.)

Proper exersice is a must with a large breed dog such as a Rottweiler. Too much weight on a Rottie can lead to joint issues and other health problems.

Health Problems

The Rottweiler is prone to cancer, hip displasia and other joint related diseases, and other gastro intestinal diseases. Educating yourself on these ailments and what causes them will help in the proper care and long life of your companion.

Living Environment

Rottweilers can adapt to any living environment when proper exercise is provided. A Rottweiler requires long fast paced walks at least once a day, preferably twice if possible. Rottweilers are relatively inactive when indoors and should have a proper yard or place where they can exercise regularly.

Rottweilers do not have a natural desire to wander away from their pack so open spaces where they can freely run are excellent options. Rottweilers are also excellent swimmers and love to play fetch. Their desire is to please their master/mistress.

Life Span

Rottweilers normal life expectancy is 10-12 years.

Grooming

A Rottweiler requires little grooming. Their coat requires a regular brushing with a bristled brush and bathing only when needed. Shedding for the Rottweiler is pretty average but most peoples idea of what is average differs. I personally have no carpet in my home and I sweep every room in my house (2 bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen) twice a week.

Group

The Rottweiler belongs to the AKC working dog class. It is believed that they originate from the Mastiffs.