Too cold to play outside!

Let the games begin!

What do you do with your puppies when it's too cold to go out and play? My guys like to play find the kibble. I pull the gate across the living room door while I put little pieces of kibble all around the room. Some on the chair seats, some on the coffee table, the piano bench, and for Shylo some on the floor. As a mill puppy, he hasn't learned to use his nose to sniff out goodies. Although he is the tallest of the four dogs, he doesn't smell the kibble that is at nose level-he does pick it up off the floor if he sees it and the others don't get to it first. They love this game! It's a riot watching them all run around looking for the kibble treats, especially the puppy. Mandy is only 9 1/2 months old and is the smallest of the four so she really has to stretch to see the treats, but she finds them. I have brought Shylo in by himself for a couple of practice runs but he still hasn't totally gotten the idea yet.

Where's the treat?

Found some!

It actually got up into the thirties over the weekend so I decided to  try and take all four for a little walk. Up until now Shylo would only go as far as the next door neighbor's house even if the others were with him. This time he surprised me and went trotting along with the other three like he had been walking on a leash his whole life. We actually walked about half a mile! A neighbor went by in a car and he didn't panic. Wow! We continue to make astounding progress. I have been reading a lot about mill puppies and realize now that some of them never reach the point he has. He is happy to be with us, plays with us his foster brother and sisters and even with his toys. He is much more comfortable when people come to the house, even men. I'm thinking this is going pretty well!

Shylo loves snow days

All we can see are tails!

 There is plenty of snow here in CT this winter, and even though Shylo is a "southerner" he seems to love it. We actually (meaning my daughter) made a "track" for the dogs so they can run around the yard without disappearing. Shylo hasn't figured out why he can't just walk on top of it; he keeps trying and falling in! We can't leave them out very long because it has been so cold, but they love every chance they get to go out. They line up at the door waiting for Shylo to get his leash on (or sweaters if it is really cold.

Shylo has really settled in and become one of the gang. He is now wrestling with Tigger our 11 year old Shih Tzu/Lhasa mix. Mandy looks a little confused since she thinks she is the only one Shylo should play with. It is a wonderful process watching Shylo (as my husband puts it) becoming a real dog. I had no idea what I was getting into fostering a "mill puppy", but it is incredibly rewarding. One by one the issues are going away; he really is a sweety.

There they are!

Shylo's Games

When Shylo first came to us, I don't think he knew he was a dog. He had no idea how to play; he didn't know what a ball was. Now, after two and a half months, he is a totally different dog. He loves chasing a ball around the house and better yet he loves chasing Mandy around the house. Since winter has arrived in CT he doesn't get to spend much time outside, mainly because it is too cold or too muddy. He and Mandy barrel around the table in our sun room and then tear up the hall to my studio where they will wrestle for a while or turn around go back down the hall and repeat the process. 

On the days when he can play outside, he has invented a game of his own. We call it Shylo's Six Flags. He runs through the yard and up onto the hatchway door and slides down. (For those of you who might not have a basement, The hatchway is an outside entrance to the basement, the doors are at an angle like a sliding pond). It is especially funny if there is snow on the hatchway door because he is slipping and sliding up and then down again. I haven't been able to get this on the camera yet-he is so fast!

Not to be outdone, Mandy (who is much smaller), runs behind a wicker chest when he is chasing her. He stops . . . looking for her and she pops out from behind the other side of the chest and its GAME ON! Can they possibly be any cuter?

Shylo's Christmas Gift

This is Shylo's favorite place to just hang out and watch whatever is going on. Not today though . . . on this very chilly Christmas morning he lined up with the other three to get a treat and get ready for a walk. He actually walked with the other dogs as if he had been doing it all of his life. We walked partway down the street until he saw a moving car . . . end of walk! But at least he didn't freak out this time, just changed direction and started walking home with all of us in tow.

More presents for me. For the last two days he has been full of enthusiasm running IN and out of the house when I let them all out. When we are outside he is starting to run up to me instead of the other way. Yesterday he picked out a toy to bring outside with him! Who is this not so shy dog?

Almost a lap dog

Do I need a bigger lap?

Yesterday Shylo actually came over to me and acted like he wanted me to pick him up. (By that I mean he came over and sat at my feet unlike my others who get up on their hind legs and beg to be picked up) I picked him up and put him in my lap and he is quite a lapfull. He is bigger and longer than the others but weighs about the same as Tigger (17 pounds) When he first got into my lap he was still a little tense but after a few minutes he started to relax . . . and then he went to sleep! I wish I had been able to get a picture of him sacked out but of course I was holding him!

My daughter came over today to play with him and the others and we worked on getting him to come in the house voluntarily. (He still does not want to come in from outside). We practiced "coming inside" encouraging him with special treats. He comes in with a little coaxing, takes the treat and goes right back out! It is definitely a work in progress!

Tonight I took him for a short walk on the leash, we went out the front door down the driveway and up past the neighbor's house. Then a car came down our very quiet street. This is the first time he has been out front and seen a car; we then double-timed it back down the hill and up the driveway. He calmed down, did his business, walked up to the front deck and walked right into the house without a moment's hesitation!!! I wonder if it could be the slider that leads to the back deck that is spooking him?

Here is a clip of Shylo (and Mandy who has to be wherever Shylo is) playing with Christie, his favorite human.

Shylo learns what it's like to be a dog

Shylo continues to amaze us with his progress . . . when he first came he wouldn't let anyone touch him. Now he comes up to anyone who comes into the house. The other day he approached a man he had never met; he didn't bark or cower just walked right up to him and asked to be petted along with the other three. Our son, Stephen, said if it were not for those "crooked teeth" he would have thought it was a totally different dog. His personality is really developing, you can see how playful he is in the clip with Mandy. The two of them play constantly and seek each other out. The older dogs mostly supervise the play activity. After tearing around the yard or the house they all settle in for a nap.

Nap Attack!

Shylo's Thanksgiving Surprise

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. This year we had two new members of the family, Shylo and Mandy. We were planning on 16 people for dinner and I was concerned about Shylo. I didn't want him traumatized with all of these people, many of whom he had never met before. I decided to gate him in my studio and explained to everyone that he was shy and would probably run away if approached. He complained a little as he heard more people coming in the door and the number of voices increased along with the volume. Christie went in and spent some time with him; he loves Christie because she spends so much time with him and calls him her little "buddy". Mandy managed to squeeze through the gate and spent a little time with him as well. (Mandy is a real extrovert, the more people the better and she loves them all!) My sister, Gloria, another dog lover went in and sat on the floor and just talked to Shylo. He got close enough to give her a few tentative licks.When we left him alone he did complain and I was starting to feel a little guilty about having such a crowd so soon after he came to us.

Once we got everyone seated around the table and the noise level went down a little, I told everyone I was going to let Shylo join us and for everyone to please ignore him, don't reach out to touch him or try to call him over. He came out of my studio and walked into the sun room (which doubles as a dining room on holidays). He never made a sound! No barking or running away! He just started making the rounds. He was under the table part of the time and came up to people to sniff. He actually approached some and got up on his hind legs to get a better look. What a shock! The rest of the day he was just one of the gang; all four dogs were on their best behavior, what a relief! He really seemed to enjoy his first Thanksgiving with a real family!Everyone agrees that he is a special little guy and we all love his blue eyes.

Christie & Shylo