Amox at the Potomac River

Prior to me picking up Toby on Saturday Amox and I went to the Potomac River and walked/jogged...well,l in all honestly Amox was frustrated with me *trying* (emphasize on trying) to walk fast/jog with him.
He LOVED it, as usual. We added a new feature to our walk which is his new dog saddle bags, they had water containers and a few odds and ends for his walk. I've figured he's going to start hauling his own stuff. I need him to get more tired then me, or work out more during our walks. I'm planning on getting him a weighted vest and/or collar to start, but I wanted to see how he'll do with wearing something. I rarely, dress dogs up, just not my thing, I never understood the purpose of it unless the dog was in extreme weather or they weren't suited to the outside environment.
Last time when we were in training, he was shivering. I do notice that Amox's coat isn't as full as other dogos I've had in the past, so I was concerned that his shivering would somehow inhibit his learning and focus during our training. But in honesty, it happened during the cool down time after the training, when we each checking in with the trainer.
After reading up some posts from other dogo owners, it may be that he needs time to adjust to this, and perhaps environmentally grow a thicker coat? Not sure about that overall yet. We'll see how the weather develops and how he does.
Otherwise when we went out to the river on Saturday, it wasn't too bad outside. He enjoyed it and got some exercise. I wish I could get up earlier in the morning and do this regularly.

New Foster Dog - Toby, A Great Pyrnees

I guess I'm working my way through the breeds that make up the Dogo Argentino.
This is our newest addition as of Saturday evening, his name is Toby, which is English for "God is good." Which after what I've been through recently, I can't doubt.
He is about 6-8 months old, was a Craig's Listing posting for free, I picked him up in Fredericksburg. I just couldn't leave him. He is a sweetheart. Great temperament. Protective. I beginning to understand the meaning of the whole livestock guardian dog and what that entails.
Toby has a sweet temperament, we'll see how well he hits off with Amox. They just started butting heads.
I need to apply the rules I use on Amox to Toby, and I'm going to need to get another anchor for the house and move some stuff around. Toby is quite a big boy. He requires veterinary care, possibly even surgery because he has some back end issues.

"OFF THE COUCH"

We are working on staying off the furniture. Amox is no longer allowed to be on the bed or the couch - he's slowly tests the bed occasionally but the couch is a constant trial between the two of us. I know he sleeps on it now, I'm debating whether I should let him be in the smaller bedroom that I'm basically using for storage, and how that would go in dog-view.
Its interesting that ever since he's been removed from "possessing" the couch or the bed, he's a lot more compliant with certain things, so that is an improvement.


We are also working on his command to "watch out", I think he likes it, his body language speaks volumes as far as noticing, he likes his "job". When I notice that he is watching out, his body gets stiff, he may cock his head to one side depending where the sound is coming from, he is completely paying attention to the smell and sounds coming from the outside. When I see it I give him praise, when he barks and acts appropriate to weird noises outside, I give him a special treat that's specifically for that command. The good thing is when I tell him, thank you for letting me know he stops the barking, unless he hears more. Amox gets sooooo happy when its acknowledged and he gets rewarded for "watching out". So I think that makes him feel utilized and his confidence is built all which makes me happy.
I can't wait till I feel better and we can start going out. Its raining ice here, so he was wondering what the heck I was going to do when we were going outside, the idea didn't appeal much to him.

We haven't really been out much since I've been sick, but I am thankfully, starting to feel better but the weather has been keeping me indoors as well, as I'm scared to get sick again.

Sick Owner means Frustrated Dog

I've been sick for over a week, and Amox has been feeling the boredom and frustration so he lays back and does this crazy dance and looks up at me as if to shout I'm BORED!
And I so understand, he's even watching movies now, especially if they have animals or guns or high action.
He's also learning his "notice" command more, we've been practicing that one.
I've been too weak to do any actual physical movements, so we've been doing more establishing boundaries working with the hitch rings I put up and learning place. Plus, its pretty cold here so I can't be otuside for long, I'm hoping I feel better soon and can do more outside stuff. I'm anxious to start, I hate staying indoors myself.

Amox goes to the birds

I was thinking about getting birds for a while, I really wanted a larger bird like a parrot, but on limited funding I figured might be best if I went with something cheap and simple. So I went 'trolling' on Craig's List and found some doozies! Anyway, I located a couple of cockatiels, thinking that's what my biological father had gotten me when I was a new baby in this world, but turned out I was wrong according to my mother, they were canaries - oops!
Anyway, Amox totally was going birdie over the birds, he enjoyed watching them, scaring them to death, getting pecked (well, he didn't enjoy that but I did!;). So anytime I had to clean their area, which was quite often, their cage got put on the floor so he would take advantage of this opportunity to 'play' with them, and do bows in front of them and get them squacking good and loud. Needless to say the bird and dog language are not similar in the least.
I haven't repeated "leave it" so many times in my time with Amox and then he trots over and looks at me with a big doggie smile plastered on his big face over having disturbed the birds.

Our first training session with A Breed Apart, Inc

I've been searching for a trainer to address Amox's issues of obedience during distractions and for mental stimulation, in addition addressing Amox's possessive agression with food, attention and his things. Totally not acceptable in my book. But I knew I needed to step up the way I was handling him because he is a difficult stubborn dog, not always re-directed easily. I've visited training sessions with a few different trainers, and I always end up a bit cautious because of what I've seen.
With much trepidation I attended our first session with A Breed Apart, Inc. with Mr. Ira Hartwell in Annapolis, Md. I left stunned and amazed at how awesome of an experience it was, and more importantly how four cold hours later Amox was a whole new dog. At first I watched other dogs with their owners and saw challenging breeds, a Belgian Malinois, a Rottweiler, a herding collie, a Tosa Inu, a brindle mastiff, even an impressive little poodle. For the most part they were behaving, some seemed to have barely any issues. Some were handler issues, like me. Amox was left observing in the car anxious to come out and figure out this new arena, plus he wanted to see what I was up to.
I saw dogs walk perfectly, and I knew this was what I wanted and longed for, while still keeping a good relationship between Amox and I, having an obedient dog. Protecting his instincts as a protector and guardian, his happy fun personality, and endearing affectionate self. So I hoped he would take to this well, and that I could absorb these skills and apply them appropriately in hopes of making Amox a good spokesdog for his breed and rescue.
So when the trainer asked me to prong Amox and bring him out, I prayed within myself asking for guidance and open brain to learn all the minute details.
Amox and I initially practiced simply walking with a prong collar and a European lead, corrections and appropriate walking. There was a TON of distractions, and Amox tested the prong to the point he threw himself on the ground in protest, something he does to refuse cooperation. As well as testing my limits of embarrassment and strength, enforcing a correction that he would feel was difficult and I wanted them felt. Mr. Hartwell kept saying they (the dogs) can endure roughness, and we have to give it to them. Encouraging us women to man-handle our pooches. We've been "nice guys" long enough, it was time we used force to make ourselves heard and obeyed.
I knew this applied very much to the relationship between Amox and I, while solid, I acknowledged whole heartedly that Amox often did dominating behaviors, and "managed" me. So I knew to make the "us" work I was going to need to drastically change our world and I needed help. As the way this was going it was a ticking time bomb, and I couldn't afford the explosion.
I think my most memorable moment was when Amox did a beautiful 30 yard distance sit with an e-collar. He improved his heels and attention while we walked, stuff he did okay at home, was horrid in public. I nearly cried. I could hopefully walk my big baby monster out in public safely and well. I knew I had come to the right place for us both.
So we worked while we joined the circle, and shortly without too much effort Amox walked well just like the others while I walked stunned and proud of my monster.
He kept checking in with me. And if anything was wrong it was usually me!
So we signed in, and felt wonderful, leaving with anticipation as to what the week would bring.

This is the big white monster taking a break...

From his long ardous day of holding down the couch, watching the birds, and keeping the tin box safe.

La Mona

When I was employed by a local SPCA during my college years, I adopted this awesomely beautiful Husky Shepherd who had just had her first litter and was about a year old. This was my first dog as an adult, and I moved mountains to have her. A friend of mine held her while I moved to an apartment that allowed me to have dogs further from school but totally worth it.

Mona became my princess, she was great company. She was the substitute momma for my first dogo pups. And would correct them by smacking them upside the head when they didn't listen, it was quite comical to watch. She would teach them where they were allowed to go or not. And she would be the beta female at the house. Mona suffered from seperation anxiety, and broke through any and every crate we ever bought for her, she did best without any limitations in small spaces. Mona's anxiety caused a few thousand dollars cumalitive worth of damage in all the places I've lived.
Mona currently lives with my parents having a quite and spoiled retirement which is well deserved. She's not feeling well, so we are taking her to the vet.

Introducing Amoxtl

Amoxtl is a Dogo Argentino that is aproximately three years old, he was adopted from a wonderful rescue group called Dogo Argentino Education Rescue and Rehab or DAERRs. According to Amox's rescuing angels he was in a shelter in Georgia and then brought to the Carolinas to stay with an awesome great boarding kennel where Amox had a chance to get better and get more love and attention while he waited for his family.
While his rescue angel, was boarding him she searched for the right home, and she remembered me and my situaion with foster care teens. And I had expressed interest in helping out this awesome dogo. So we had a family meeting at my house, and the teens all agreed to pitch in and so we met with Amox's rescue angel and we brought him home.
Well, when my eldest teen saw Amox he fell in love with him and claimed him as his own. Their relationship grew and they totally hit it off. Amox worked therapy on my eldest, it was beautiful to watch them together, as my eldest tried to avoid the world gaming, he'd nuzzle against him remind him to stop and enjoy things.
I was amazed watching this totally unexpected development between them. They spent many hours sleeping in together, wrestling, gaming, watching movies curled up against each other, this gang-banging, emotionally issued man boy who usually refused any physical closeness thrived with Amox's attention.