25 January 2017

Gracie with her blankie

Gracie with her blankie, my old unstitched ugg boot.

Life's good with our little black Scottie, Gracie. She watched a television documentary with me yesterday called Dogs, their secret lives. I think she liked it because she sat quietly as we both watched and listened. Every so often she got up and ran through the house like a crazy thing, then came back to watch again. I wonder what's going on in Gracie's secret life.

This week she discovered cane toads in the back yard and chased one.  Luckily Hanno removed it before she caught it. They have poison glands in their back and can cause a lot of trouble in dogs and cats.  She's a good girl most of the time but we're struggling with one important command - Come Gracie! She only does that when she thinks there's something in it for her, but maybe that's a sign of intelligence. 😊  We're patient people, we'll get there.


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22 comments

  1. Hope Gracie will learn quickly to obey...tis so important with dogs or children. Keeping them from harm takes a lot of work sometimes.
    Elizabeth

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  2. I really believe dogs are very intelligent. I would love to know what goes on in their minds, a lot more than we think I'm sure. Just the looks they give you, those eyes, that face are worth a thousand words.

    Gracie has such a spark about her, I love that too. I'm glad she is bringing so much joy to you both.

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  3. What a gorgeous girl you are Gracie ~ loving those eyes! A wee bit of cheekiness there that's for sure! What a treasure ♥

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  4. What a great reuse for your old boot! My dog only started consistently responding to come when I made it sound like the best party ever was happening right now! The trainer suggested making is sound like the dog was really missing out on something wonderful and then throwing a praise and pet party when they respond. Now that she is older she responds consistently with less effort on my part. After all we have to compete with whatever has them exploring the world at the moment.

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  5. I had the same problem with my puppy. When you called her she would never listen. I found that whistling works well. Now I never call her, just whistle and she comes running. Good Luck

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  6. She sounds like a beautiful little companion, and I'm sure she's intelligent. The most important thing is that you are there with her, most of the time, so you can be persistent with her training and also have some fun.

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  7. I know what you mean about dogs being too intelligent (for their own good too sometimes) - our dog Rosie is part poodle who are supposed to be very intelligent, and she won't come if we call her even though she knows we have a treat for her. She is 10 years old so I guess that's a lost cause now. That's why we call her a cat cos she comes when and if she feels like it😊

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  8. Cute, so cute! How could you ever get mad at her??? Sometimes our puppies come when we call, but they don't do well at all when we say stop or stay. Blessings, Carolyn in Florida

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  9. We had a dachshund rescue dog that loved to eat crickets. He played with them like a cat would play till he killed them, then he would back at it a few times then eat it. Silly dog. Sure miss him. Once we thought he had poisoned himself. My husband was in the garden spraying with BLUE plant food. Well, Highway (the dog's name) found a pouch my husband had not put away and he ate it. We took him to the vet to have his stomach pumped and the vet did, cost us a lot of money, but Highway must have got some of it into his stomach anyway because for 3 days we had mounds of BLUE poop in the back yard. It was very soft and looked like snow cones till we figure out what it was.

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  10. She looks so cute with her blankie! I am sure she'll learn to respond to all your commands in time. I had forgotten how much time and patience it takes to train them. We keep talking about having a family dog eventually (DH and I both had dogs before we met; I had a cat too). Maybe when the kids are a bit bigger because I can't imagine the ruckus here if we add a furry creature to the mix. Thank you for sharing photos of Gracie.

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  11. awww what a lovable cutie she is! those eyes!
    yeh the come command does seem to be the one that takes a while, like Juhli said, you have to get excited & almost throw a party. good luck. do you take her to obedience school? that/they may help?
    thanx for sharing
    selina from kilkivan qld

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  12. What a cutie, they are such great company!

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  13. Our pets our important part of our lives. Hope you share more about pets.
    I purchase items for our dog Ms Daisy resent I got her a stuff elephant.
    Coffee is on

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  14. Having the same trouble with my Sheltie, Rhonda. Recall is a big issue and one that must be learned. It could be a matter of life or death in some cases. Independent working dogs (like herders) have a bit of a rougher time with this one; because even though they have to follow commands, they often work alone. Once they get fixed on something, it is hard to tear them away. Their independence is a double-edged sword! But you will get there. Patient consistent training sessions that are not too long each day, will reinforce it.

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  15. i have 5 kitties. one of them gets REALLY engrossed if there is a cat/dog/bird show or commercial on the tv, and will often sit in a chair or in front of the tv as a young child might, eyes up and rapt. the other kitties almost always show no interest. a couple will perk up if they hear a kitten cry or a dog barking, and one might notice a bird flying. --suz in ohio/usa

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  16. I love to read what Gracie is up to.

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  17. That's a very soulful look from young Gracie. Maybe in her secret life she is Grace the Mighty Toad Killer, and if her family only understood her super powers, they would know that they could leave the poison toad removal to her. Bailey had that same terrier tenacity/stubbornness and we never knew if he would come when called if he had locked in on something interesting. Beth in MN

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  18. Gracie is very cute!! Glad she entertains herself with your wold ugg boot! Adorable!!

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  19. Gracie is growing into such an intelligent looking little creature. We have a Gracie too, our two-year old Goldie who is such a big (in every sense of the word) part of our lives. I have always found that no dog can resist rushing back to you, when you crouch down, arms wide and calling their name in the happiest manner you can. Dogs love human faces! If you combine that with a little treat while she's young, hopefully it will become habit to her. Standing, just doesn't seem to have the same effect. Good luck.

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  20. Gracie looks lovely. As a dog trainer, may I suggest to help with teaching her the 'come' command (the most important command of all), you use a long lead or rope up to 10m in length, and when you say "come" you gently start reeling her in to you, all the while encouraging her to come to you. Once she is with you lots of love and praise is given. This is helpful where the dog has figured out to only come to you if you have treats, and won't do it without the treats present. It also enables you to let her know that she cannot ignore the command of 'come' as you will be able to make her do it, but with love encouragement and praise. I would suggest a few repetitions of the exercise then let her free to play. Repeat this a few times a day both outside and inside, and with the repetition she will learn.

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    Replies
    1. I'm pleased to say that she will come when called now. Thanks for your help.

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