Trade!
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Saturday, October 2, 2010
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chuck
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ferrets
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java
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service dog
Meet the new Chuck!
Ok her name is Java. She is the only toller in the program and came in for her final training a month ago.
Java is going to be staying with us for a few weeks. She doesn't seem to know much besides sit and down and progress has been painfully slow this last month at the facility. It's hard to motivate her when she spits out half of the treats and doesn't want to play tug of war or fetch. So she has come home with me for a little bootcamp! My plan is for a lot of attention work and hopefully to get at least a retrieve and tug on her. I am hoping that being in a home environment and "competing" with Lance and Vito for training time will help motivate her.
Goodbye Chuck! Since 4 dogs, 5 ferrets, and a cat don't fit in the rented basement Chuck had to go. No worries, he'll be back! He is with a short term foster family right now and fingers crossed he is being a good boy :)
Back to Java.
The introduction has been so smooth with my 2 boys and the cat! It's amazing how calm and relaxing their intro has been. No pouting at all and barely any angry faces! Vito seems to just get her and the two are content to lay down and have a good chew a few feet away from each other.
No one has played with each other yet but Lance has tried! What has not gone smooth is the introduction of Java to the ferrets. So far she hasn't been here when the ferrets have had their playtime and has only seen them through the cage or in our hand. She sniffs nicely and doesn't act like she wants to hurt them, but man is she obsessed! We had to make a barricade shutting her out from the ferret cage as she just is toller crazy! Whining, pacing, and dancing around their cage constantly if we let her! It's her 2nd night and she's finally starting to calm down and not check at the barrier every 10minutes. Fingers crossed that she learns to chill and is good with the little guys, otherwise this plan is going to have to be aborted.
Bootcamp! Ruh roh! Well, little Java went to the right place. I would think that ferrets would be a mighty strange critter for a new dog to get used to, but it is only temporary, right?
Hey, I think our next door neighbor dog must be part toller dog because she squeaks like Vito when she is watching us play tennis ball.
Slobbers,
Mango
Java looks cute! Is it strange to have another Toller around that's not Vito? ;) Are they very different from each other in personality? Or do they share a lot of Toller characteristics? I'll bet she'll streak ahead under your tutorship! :)
I can sympathise with the ferret obsession thing - Honey acts that way around strange cats, although without the Toller whining, etc., of course, but just that obsessed stare - she can stand by our garden fence, watching our neighbour's cat for hours and hours! She is very respectful if she ever gets near them but again, coz of her size, am always abit nervous if she DOES do something, she might hurt them - even inadvertently. I always wonder how she'll react when we finally get our next kitten!
Hope Java learns to chill out in the next few days. Looking forward to hearing all about her training!
Hsin-Yi
Haha she's pretty cute, not a bad swap! What fun bringing new dogs home, but I'm sure its blimming hard work. Hope Chuck behaves himself in his new home.
I get busy and see what I miss? I'm going to write a little bit about ferrets next week maybe. I don't think I would EVER trust either of my dogs around a small, fast-moving critter like a ferret.
Have you ever written about how you teach them to co-exist safely? I'd be interested in the process.
I have written a FAQ on ferrets and I get asked that question a lot.
But honestly most dogs really don't have a hard time being around ferrets, even if they're crazy around squirrels or bunnies! I find what gets most dogs is the chase, but ferrets usually aren't sprinting everywhere, they walk about, hopping sideways when really happy. They also are really great at standing up for themselves. So a curious dog gets a bite on the nose, lip, or toe! Many dogs that have been over to our place end up being scared of the ferrets!
That being said, I introduce slowly and supervise always. Dogs I am more concerned about are the terriers and hounds. While retrievers and herding breeds have intense interest, they usually are quite gentle with ferrets.
oh the faq is located on my sidebar, here:
http://laurawaudby.blogspot.com/2010/05/ferret-faq.html