Sonny Talk

Sonny has always been a strong communicator. I usually try and figure out what it is he is attempting to convey because I don't like it when he is in a state of frustration, but there is only so much dog speak I can understand.

Here is a sample:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzehKFl0Ri8

National Dog Day!

It's National Dog Day today! This is an action shot taken of Sonny at the dog park the other day. It's not the sharpest image, but it captures his energy!

Sonny loves going to the dog park!

What a long fun weekend it's been

This past Friday, DW and I were discussing how we don't get very many pop-ins from friends or relatives anymore.  Then Saturday happened. Sonny's favorite family came by. His favorite family consists of two adults and three kiddos, one of which, Ame, is his good buddy.

Sonny was beside himself with excitement and did really well through the day while  only needing to be kenneled a few short times; partly for time outs due to his behavior and partly to give us a break in the action.

Ame happened to be spending her first overnight with us on the same day we brought Sonny home 12 months ago. Sonny was eight weeks old at the time and just a small ball of soft snowy white fur and tiny sharp claws.  Ame was four and a half.  The two bonded right away.  Yesterday, Ame showed us her keen memory by recounting a couple of memories from that first overnight. She also got to do some one-on-one training with Sonny using handfuls of Cheerios. I'm not sure how much training actually took place, but it is amazing how much he responds to her.

Sonny did well with the other two kiddos too; however, one is three, male and has some serious energy himself and one is five months old. It was cute to see Sonny get a little jealous when I was holding the baby. Nothing aggressive or concerning, but cute. It's too early tell how he and the baby will do with each other, but I suspect just fine. As for the three year old, they do ok. Sonny is too hyper and jumpy (work in progress), so our little three year old keeps his distance.

Mom has since reported that one of Ame's favorite memories from yesterday's visit was training Sonny, but then later reported that that was her second favorite part of the day.  The first was catching toads in our front yard. I'm guessing finding and collecting slugs would be her third. These kids are not afraid of nature.

Then today happened. We had another family member drop in. Visitors two days in a row! Sonny was thrilled again, but I could see some maturity from the day before. He barked a little upon her arrival and was a tad jumpy when she got out of her car, but when we all made it into the house, he calmed almost immediately. Granted, she doesn't stand at 2 or 3 feet tall, but still; for a young JRT, he's doing remarkably well.

Note to self:  The next time I have tabs due and they arrive in the mail, put them on the car ASAP. Our guest today got to watch DW and I play a game of "cat and mouse" or "catch the Jack Russell who just grabbed and ran with the tabs." Our guest was pretty entertained at how that game was played. Fortunately, it was us 1, Sonny 0.

Funday Monday

This action shot was captured by accident when I was taking pictures of a baby gift before wrapping.

Sonny loves all things fabric so it shouldn't have come as a surprise when he tried for this. There was quite the commotion when I realized what he was going after as I was framing in the photo. His legs are long and springy so it was anyone's bet, but I beat him to the punch.

It's all in the timing!

Home alone and other firsts

We've had some pretty big firsts around here this week.

First, Sonny was left home alone... out of his kennel... by himself...! Sure, we've left him out of his kennel in the house alone before, but only for a few minutes while we ran to get the mail or take something to the garage. This time though, he was truly home alone.  We left the house, got in the car and drove away for at least an hour. Of course we baby gated the stairs to the upper floor and closed doors, limiting his floor space). Also, he was pretty calm when we left so I wasn't too worried. HE DID GREAT! There was no evidence of any wrong doing on his part. Since then, Big D has left him home alone for more periods of time. 

Second, Sonny survived his second 4th of July and wasn't affected by the fireworks at all.  Our former JRT Yodee would get so incredibly anxious at the first hint of noise and would pace the floor looking for a somewhere to hide. We would, for her sake, put her in the basement where she could find a quiet-ish spot to get away from it. Fortunately, Sonny doesn't have any anxiety whatsoever, TG. 

Another first, but on a smaller scale, he wore a t-shirt. A 4th of July t-shirt I picked up several months ago. He was somewhat indifferent but good nature about it. Because it was so hot and he got a small chew, he didn't wear it long. I think he'll appreciate it more come this winter. Next time I'll take a picture. 

Third, Sonny got to spend the whole night sleeping in our bed last night.  It went well, unless one considers (a) how much he tosses and turns, (b) gets hot under the blankets and crawls out to cool down - several times a night, (c) how crowded out Big D was and had to sleep on the edge of the bed, and (d) he wanted to get up before the second morning alarm went off (the one that says it is really time to get up now). I'm still in the habit of setting an early alarm to get him out of his kennel and bring him to bed.   

I told me friend at work about Sonny's all nighter. I mentioned that this may not be a nightly occurrence. Her response was simple, "it won't be up to you now"  hahaha!

Tonight, Sonny is back in his kennel though. He went in with treats and without complaint. 

I have to say again, Sonny is truly a good dog. He has a sweet, gentle, playful, curious nature. Oh, and he loves sleep on laps.

Food for Thought

Who is the person your dog thinks you are?

TG it's Sonny

I was paid the sweetest compliment by Sonny when I go home from work today. When I opened the door to his kennel, he picked up the bone Big D gave him when he put him in, walked out and immediately offered it to me by jumping on my lap and holding it up to my mouth. (Once he eats the marrow out, we recycle them over and over again by filling them up with wet dog food, peanut butter or coconut oil sprinkled with Cheerios and then freezing them)We don't fill them completely, just add enough to give him a little extra treat. He loves them.) It was super sweet behavior and totally made my day especially - I worked through lunch and barely had time to go to the ladies. Dogs do that, they offer so much of themselves without asking for anything in return; unless you count: belly rubs, ball, treats, walks and a couple of meals each day.

Sonny Rules!

He's so tired (UPDATE)

This is what a walk, a trip to the dog park and a couple hour car ride followed by a small lunch of carrots, apples and blueberries looks like. He hasn't moved in over an hour.

Watching Sonny sleep like this reminds me of what it was like to watch my son sleep when he was a baby; just stare and drink in the moment.

A well run tired dog, is a happy dog

He'll be full of P&V when he wakes up though which means I have to make good use of my time while he's out.


UPDATE: And this is what is looks like after some more time outside.  I love the funny little poses Sonny makes. This is one I haven't seen before.

Dog tired

One Year Ago

We've now had Sonny in our home for one year! Here he is with one of his first toys, sans collar. When I look back at old photos it makes me miss those early days and how small and cute he was then. If I could turn back time, there are a few things I would do differently - hindsight being 20-20 and all - but I wouldn't want to do it all over again. Raising a puppy, especially a Jack Russell puppy, is A LOT of work.

This guy is worth it!

Saturday Funday at the Park!

Cool as a cucumber

There is something about this picture that screams "cool" to me as in "he's just one cool little dude."

Sonny's pack and play

I was looking at old photos of Sonny to send to a friend and came across the one below. It's one of my favorites from his early days with us.

The pen shown in the picture (sans cardboard bottom) became an important part of his first year of life and was invaluable to us. It gave him a lot more freedom in a confined space in the house and gave us piece of mind as wasn't able to get into places he shouldn't. We took it everywhere with us (like many parents would a pack and play). And then, as he grew, it became a permanent outside pen only larger as we purchased a second one, giving him more play area. It was a very diverse piece of equipment too. Sometimes we attached them together and sometimes we set it up in two different outside locations.

The whole thing eventually became a fence around an area we laid grass seed and has now been put away altogether.

Sonny's little play pen

Don't Make Eye Contact

Every night it's the same. Sonny gets put in his kennel for the night. And every night when I glance in his direction I think, "don't make eye contact." Sometimes it becomes almost like a mantra because, as he's looking out with his stern looking little face questioning why he can't sleep the night in our bed, it's all I can do NOT to let him out. We're not quite ready to open that can of worms. Once opened, it'll be hard to close and go back to his nightly kennel up time. We used to think that when he turns two he'll be mature and trustworthy enough, but now we're thinking one and a half; so just a few short months.

Sonny has two in-door kennels (and a small car/traveling kennel) which are comfortable and spacious enough to give him room to stand, turn around and do almost anything else he needs to do in them. The kennel is our bedroom is placed in such a way that allows him to see only a portion of our bed. He has to angle head just so to get some kind of a line of sight.

Several months ago a ritual was started wherein he gets to come to bed first thing in the morning. This practice started one morning after I "made the mistake" of falling for his little cry. In his mind making that noise got him what he wanted and so he proceeded to cry, scratch and shake his collar every morning after that one and at an hour that was long before the alarm clock was set to go off.
We continued this pattern for several days before I decided to try something new. I was annoyed and frustrated by being woken up way too early and losing sleep because of it. This, I decided, wasn't going to fly. I wasn't going to allow him to dictate our wake up time.

I'll show him, right... My idea was to make him wait for the alarm to go off, no matter how much time was left on the clock, before he would be let out of his kennel. I started setting the alarm clock one hour earlier than necessary for me get up. No matter how much noise he made, I was determined to make him wait. It took a few irritating days, but it worked.

Mornings are now much better and we get our rest as he patiently and quietly waits for the alarm to sound. The moment it does, I jump out of bed so he can climb in. I guess I showed him, right!

A Night Without Sonn

At first it seemed like a great idea to send Sonny to the kennel for some much needed R&R (ours, not his); and then we watched "The Secret Life of Pets" and Max, a/k/a tiny dog, reminded me so much of Sonny I started feeling really bad that he's not home with us. It's too tonight to go get him and so I'm going to try and put him out of my mind and not worry about him. He'll be fine. He always comes home happy, albeit a little indifferent. He's alway seems a bit more mature too.

I've already decided that I'm going to skip a standing meeting tomorrow evening in order to get home right away and scoop him. Then, after he's bathed, we'll cuddle up in our favorite chair and bond.

It's so strange how quiet the house is when he's gone and yet his energy is still here. His presence is so strong.

Enjoying some sunshine before his play date at the Kennel

Throwback Thursday

Sonny at 2 months old in his very first collar. Those eyes.

Wacky Wednesday Running

Nothing is funnier at the end of the work day than coming home to a pent up little Jack who cannot stop himself from racing around the house burning pent up energy. Watching him is a great stress release for me and I LOL at the rowdiness of it. Sonny tears it up by running back and forth as fast as he can up the stairs, onto the bed doing a quick turn on the comforter jumping off and running back down again in a loop that he doesn't stop until he's exhausted. The sight and the sound of it are sooo funny and cute!

His bursting around the house is one of only a few ways he can stretch his legs when he can't get outside due to the weather. Another is "cat and mouse" ball; it's one of our funnest games. I throw the ball up the stairs and when he chases after it, I run the other way and try to hide before he makes it back down. He's usually much faster than I am, but every once in a while I manage to make it to another room or around a corner where he has to look for me. It's good exercise for both of us.

Life would be too calm, quiet and boring without this handsome fun little guy in the in our lives.

Rays of sunshine coming down
Running running running round
Going crazy chasing ball
Jumping high landing low
Always under feet below

Funday Monday

For me, Mondays are just another day of the week that just so happen to fall the first day after the weekend. Fortunately, I have never been one to hate them. Getting up on a Monday morning has never made me feel resentful that the weekend is over. Don't get me wrong, I am not a super cheerful Monday morning person, just a resolved let's get it done kind of gal.

It's the Monday evenings that kick my butt. It's the one day of the week when I come home from work and don't want to do anything, but sack out on the couch and watch some TV. Sonny, however, doesn't see it that way. He wants to play and he doesn't care what kind of day I've had or what day of the week it is. I try to amp up my energy to give him the time he deserves.

Sonny School Sunday - Who's teaching Who

Today was a challenging day with Sonny.  He's been kind of bored lately and I have been kind of tired and a bit lazy when it comes to continued training. He tries my patience on many different levels and I fear he's wearing me out. At the dog park today there were no other dogs for him to play with. I pulled out the ball to play our first game of catch outside, ever, and it turned into a game of catch, run back toward me, run past and drop the ball beyond, ignoring it completely.

There are really only a handful of things that cause me stress when it comes to Sonny and his training. Things he knows, but doesn't obey: 1. come, 2. no bite, 3. no jump, and 4. drop. Drop and come are generally used simultaneously after he grabs an object and runs completely ignoring "come" and "drop." It's frustrating beyond comprehension sometimes and it's all I can do not to lose my temper. It makes me question what the hell I have done and/or are doing wrong.

I have to remind myself that you can't reason with a dog, especially a Jack Russell Terrier who is strong willed and determined to try and go his way. In his way, he reminds me that with patience and tolerance we will get past these challenging times. Because there are times when he does pause long enough to let me know he's thinking about doing the right thing and there are times when he actually does, sort of.

I also keep reminding myself that we are closer to the end of the puppy months and maturity will set in. Until then, patience and tolerance. Patience and tolerance. Patience and tolerance.

Training days and Sundays

You know when you say a word over and over again it starts to lose all meaning? Well that's how it is for me lately on days spent with Sonny during this crazy adolescent training/retraining time. I feel like I'm constantly hearing myself say, "Sonny" "Sonny come" "Sonny sit" "Sonny lay" "Sonny down" "Sonny off" "Sonny no jump" "Sonny drop it" ""Sonny quiet" "Sonny ..." "Sonny ..." "Sonny ... ."

Lying here in the quiet reflecting on the day and remembering the sometimes craziness of it all makes me wonder what the hell we were thinking in getting a puppy when we did. I know Sonny is going to be a great dog someday; he's almost there already, and I have to keep reminding myself that it's going to take more patience and tolerance before we get there fully. 

I always say you cannot reason with a dog; unfortunately, and I think it's up to us two-leggeds to make decisions with his best interests in mind so he can mature into a calm, happy and stable Jack. I also think we have to be careful not to tip the scales either way and be mindful of how we handle him in certain situations as I try to remember our training  with Lynda.

Yodee, our little female JRT before Sonny, was calm, sweet and quiet. She rarely barked, and by rarely barked I mean once every few weeks to a few months and then it would only be a quiet bark or two at a time; so few that when she did we were so surprised or question if we heard anything at all. She had her set of quirks for sure (nervous in cars, super anxious through thunder storms and fire works, and she wasn't much for cuddling), but we knew we lucked out with her as she was an older rescue and felt grateful she wasn't more damaged (DW believed she had been neglected).

Hurri was the polar opposite. He had a big personality and wasn't afraid to show it. Everyone who knew him continue to tell stories about him today - he's a bit of a legend! He didn't care for anyone getting to close to his favorite people, especially if he was on a lap, nor did he care to be home alone and would voice his frustration until someone came threw the door. A former neighbor once said that "he needed to learn a different song." And a friend commented to DW that "he's going to need a cough drop" his voice would go so horse it sounded more like a whisper. DW was his person and wouldn't let me get close to him sometimes, hearing me away from him if I ventured to close. For all his quirks, Hurri was one hell of a dog.

We have yet to see what kind of dog Sonny will turn into. Which ever way he goes, I'll stand by and enjoy the ride!

Our first Easter with Sonny

Our first Easter with Sonny has been a nice and relatively calm one. It's nearing day's end and Sonny has a fresh Himalayan cheese stick. His behavior with it is quite odd and I'm trying to figure out if he's attempting to hide it, bury it or just plain ignore it. These cheese sticks used to be one of his favorites, but because of his resource aggression he doesn't get them very often. However, because today is Easter, I wanted him to have an extra special treat.

He bores easily. Even after after a play at the dog park where he amped it up with another terrier mixed breed named AnnaBelle, outside time in the yard and on the deck and even more time outside his kennel.

Sonny recently turned one year. His baby months were nothing compared to these past couple of weeks and I those were intense in their own way. I can hardly wait for his next 1/2 year birthday when he'll start to settle into a calmer phase (or so I've been told). Trying to keep an adolescent JRT occupied and stimulated is a challenge. Every ball we bring home he bites open and pops; and, every toy we purchase he destroys by tearing out the stuffing - sometimes within the first minutes of play. It's very frustrating and quite costly; although, I haven't added it up (I'm kind of afraid to!).

He finally decided to sample his stick and has been enjoying it very much! I'm a little concerned about what we'll do when he chews through the whole thing. Hopefully it'll be nap time!

Sonny's first birthday

Sonny is one year old today!  When I think back to how little he was when he came to us and how big he is now I can hardly believe it. The year as a whole went by fast, but when pieced together incrementally, it hasn't. He's come so far in his maturity too (although now he's in the prime of his adolescence and he's a bit of a jerk some days). He's such a good boy and there are so many stories to tell of his "firsts," but this post today is about his first birthday!

Today has been a fun day for Sonny. It started with a homemade breakfast pancake from DW (gluten free, of course). Next was a car ride (the mere mention of the words "car ride" makes him so excited and each time he goes for one he is learning to be more and more calm) to his first visit at the dog park, which was a smashing success! He got to open it up and run sans leash, something we have been wanting for him for a long time.

He made a new friend named Bella and the two of them hit if off immediately.

After the dog park we stopped by the DQ and Sonny got to enjoy his very first pup cup. I was a bit concerned he'd develop a brain freeze, but DW was careful to give it in small increments. He loves vanilla!

Once home, and after some decompression time, Sonny got a really warm cleansing bath and he has been on the sofa sleeping it off ever since happy and content.

Happy Birthday, Sonny! Here's to a fun and feisty year ahead - if the next 12 months go as smoothly as the first, we'll be home free!

Sonny School

Sonny G completed his final class last night!

Our local Petco has been a godsend this past year, from the early months of attending the many weekend puppy plays to the last few months of training classes.  I honestly don't know what we would have done without it.  Sonny was socialized with other dogs there. He would run and play and burn off steam and come home so tired out that he would sleep the rest of the day away. The weekend puppy trainer at puppy play, Ryan, loved Sonny and would always take care and pick him up for a rub. At six months old, he aged out. Man was that a sad time. I felt a little lost without it. 

The classes were invaluable too. Trainer Lynda doesn't sugarcoat or let one get away with too much (2 legged as well as 4) and she was great to work with! After Sonny was neutered, we took a long break from class. At one point I was losing my mind with Sonny. He was entering a new phase of life and decided he didn't need to listen anymore. It was as if he lost every bit of training he learned and reverted back to young puppydom. I was losing it at times because I didn't know what I was doing wrong. DW took it upon himself to call Lynda and get a few words of advice. We quickly realized we needed to get back to basics. Once we did that, everything was fine and life with a young jack turned back to normal, or as normal as life can be with a young jack in the house.

If, in the future, we go back for advanced work, Lynda will be our go to teacher.  After all, Sonny isn't too cool for this school!

Happy National Puppy Day!

Almost a year old and we still consider Sonny to be a puppy.

Here are then:

and now:

photos.

I miss the young tiny baby Sonny.  Those sweet-crazy-fun puppy weeks go by way too fast.  Sonny is maturing into a good dog though.  We comment every single day on what a truly good boy he is.  He rarely barks, is relatively low energy for a young Jack, doesn't wake us in the night and will usually stay quiet in his kennel until we get up,  he doesn't beg from us at the dinner table and, if told, will lay down patiently while we eat, he rides well in cars (in or out of his travel kennel), he snuggles and loves being held, he's good with people, kids and other dogs.

We have yet to introduce him to a cat; although, a while back he watched one through the window walk up the driveway and scare away the wild turkeys and deer who were grazing together under the bird feeder.  Sonny has been watching the deer, turkey, squirrel, birds and chipmunks through the window from the first day at our home, but he has never seen the cat.  He didn't like what he saw that day and barked his feelings through the window as the cat sat looking back unflinchingly.

The only real frustration we have with Sonny is when he gets a hold of something really juicy like a glove, a shoe, a sock, a piece of mail and refuses to drop when commanded to.  At those times, he will run away cat and mouse style like it's the coolest game in town.  There are no amount of pocket treats one can produce to get him to come, stop or drop.  That's when I bolt for his cupboard and grab something to trump whatever item he has.  Only then will he, reluctantly, let go and move on.

To all puppies great and small, Happy Puppy's Day!

This Jack Russell cannot be trusted

Even at 11 months old, Sonny cannot be trusted to be in rooms of the house by himself for any length of time. Although, less and less, find myself craning my neck around the corner to see what he's up to. He's getting there though as he is well on his way to full maturity.  Sonny is an aggressive chewer. If he doesn't have something he enjoys chewing on (rawhide, bone, ball), we're afraid he'll go after things we enjoy sitting on. Sonny was diagnosed resource aggression which has pretty much taken rawhides and bones out of this daily rotation. And balls are just for play because, if given the chance, he'll chew through any type of ball in no time.

Each day, week and month that he matures, the more he gets to be by himself.  One day, we may even try leaving him loose in the house when we are not home. One day... Until then, it's kennel time.