He's Got Great Skills

Ossi, celebrating victory, at the dog park!














We did it! We passed Level 1 doggie class. Ossi has got great skills! I guess the stars lined up just right and the temperature was perfect and he had just enough to eat and just enough exercise and we had just the right treat combo because he passed!! He sat while the training assistant greeted him, no jumping! He paid attention to both B-Dawg and L-Dawg for five seconds when we said his name and he sat for nearly the entire hour without pulling on his leash. Wow. Now we're nervous about Level 2. Is he ready? Will his mad skills pale in comparison to the well-behaved dogs already acing Level 2? I guess we'll find out. We're very proud of our guy, especially since after last week we were ready to give up!
It was, however, a tiny bit disappointing since we didn't even get a diploma or anything. Geez. There were some serious treats and clicking happening, I think that deserves a certificate. Or at least a free pass to sniff the rear ends of the other dogs in the class.


Ossi, showing off some of his
other skills...or just putting up
with a silly pose his dopey
humans put him in

Big Adventures II

A sad looking Ossi stares
out the window longing to
go out after the "under the
house" incident
















Where to start? Ossi has had a momentous week. Some good moments, some not so good.

Remember...I'm part Yellow Lab too!
L-Dawg took Ossi for a walk at Diamond Lake early last week. As usual, Ossi enjoyed himself immensely. On the way back to the car after the walk, L-Dawg looked down to see Ossi with a new "toy" in his mouth...a dead, frozen squirrel he'd picked up about 100 feet earlier. L-Dawg freaked out (and, I believe, rightfully so...how gross!) and brushed Ossi's teeth as soon as he got home. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Hmmm...I'm Missing Out on Good Stuff Under There
The same day as the "dead squirrel" incident, L-Dawg was off to work and, 15 minutes before scheduled arrival time, let Ossi out to potty before an afternoon of crate napping. Being ready to leave, L-Dawg called outside for Ossi to come in and could hear Ossi, but could not see him anywhere. It quickly became evident that Ossi was hiding out under the house. Before Ossi's adoption, L-Dawg thought she buttoned up this area pretty well, but apparently the little stinker found a way in. But, he couldn't find his way out. After 20 minutes of coaxing with toys and treats, digging so he could see how to get out and reaching into the abyss to pull him out it was finally the jiggling of keys in the garage door and saying "Let's go for a ride!" that got Ossi to squeeze his way out and that lead to the above photo. Because B-Dawg and L-Dawg had to re-button everything with metal fencing, Ossi was not allowed to frolic in the backyard until the next day. This was sorely disappointing to him because he saw his next-door friends (a pair of 12-year-old boys) playing and he desperately wanted to play too. Too bad, so sad.

Dog Class II
Ossi has attended his second dog training class and is not exactly the star player we know he can be. He is *VERY* easily distracted by all the noise and dogs and treats and clicks and people and...and...everything. It takes about 1,500 tries just to get his attention by calling his name. He needs just three things to "graduate" to Level II training: 1) Doesn't jump up on people unless invited 2) We can get Ossi's attention away from something distracting and get him to focus on us for 5 seconds and 3) No pulling on the leash. In other words, we're going to be in Level I dog class *forever*.


Ossi in dog class,
getting a reward for
finally paying attention













All My Doggie Girlfriends
On the upswing, Ossi went to the Eden Prairie dog park the other night. Eden Prairie is totally fenced in and, since it was later at night, there was only one other dog there--Addie the cattle dog/shorthaired pointer mix. The two of them ran and ran and ran for an hour while B-Dawg and L-Dawg became part of the "club" and caught up on the dog park gossip with park regular Katie (Addie's "person"). Ossi was so happy to have a new girlfriend that loves to play and we're pretty sure that every time he gets into the car he thinks he's going back to the dog park.
While on a regular daily walk the other day, he also got to play with his girlfriend Sugar on the next block. They wrestled and tumbled around in Sugar's driveway and L-Dawg felt pretty ridiculous for keeping Ossi away from Sugar the first time they saw her (she's an American Staffordshire Terrier and looks a little scary, but is the sweetest thing as her name would suggest). B-Dawg also, allegedly, let Ossi play with the infamous Lucy through her fence too and said they had a great time. L-Dawg has her doubts about this since Lucy has been very vocal about her dislike of Ossi in the past. But who knows...maybe Lucy is warming up!




Ossi, all curled up and sleeping,
after his busy night at the dog
park with new friend Addie.

The Dog Park

Ossi post-dog park
playing with the Kong
Frisbee












Ossi made his first visit to the dog park today and it was a hit! It was only 75% fenced in, so L-Dawg didn't feel comfortable letting him go "off-leash" like the other dogs, which put Ossi at a little disadvantage. However, he made friends right away and there was sniffing galore. He played with a beautiful Husky named Tasha and a very tall Rottweiler named Max. In fact, Max was so tall that Ossi could run right under his legs...like a Toyota swerving under an 18-wheeler. However, Max's "dad" seemed to have had a "wee nip" or seven and was annoying L-Dawg so that made it easier to cut the visit short when a big, oaf-y German Shepherd puppy named Dante kept "playing" with Ossi and Ossi fought back. Dante didn't seem to understand that Ossi wasn't enjoying him and Dante's "person" was nowhere to be seen, so someone said, "Let Ossi show Dante who's boss and they'll either be best friends or Dante will leave Ossi alone." So Ossi growled and snipped and dopey Dante didn't seem to get it so we left.
But Ossi was fine with that and happily slept the rest of the afternoon dreaming of the new friends he'd made and his next visit to the dog park...next time off the leash.

New Year, New Ossi

A handsome Ossi fresh from
the groomer


















Ossi's first dog training class went okay. The nice trainers at the Golden Valley Humane Society noticed that he was a "leash puller" and insisted on giving the Gentle Leader collar/harness a try. Ossi hated it. That might be putting it mildly. His utter disdain for the Gentle Leader completely distracted him from actually learning anything during the class because he spent the whole time trying to get it off. To make matters worse, it didn't fit properly because his head and neck are weird sizes. So, as much as we were admiring girlfriend Sugar's Gentle Leader collar, we will not be investing in it. He has, of course, behaved very nicely since the class as if to say, "See...I'm not so bad. Please don't make me go back where they put that thing on my head and tried to force feed me treats." Oh yeah...they kept telling us to reward Ossi and give him treats, treats, treats to keep his attention and for positive reinforcement. However much Ossi loves treats (and he does love treats) he is not always a food motivated dog. If something else is catching his attention, no matter what the treat, he'll ignore it and seems to figure it will be there later. B-Dawg and L-Dawg will have to find a nice middle ground with the Humane Society trainers so we can all work together to teach Ossi some manners in a way that works for him so he'll actually do it.

Today, Ossi had his first grooming appointment at the Paw Spa and he looks handsome and smells go-oood! As soon as L-Dawg came to pick him up she could hear his tail thump, thump, thumping against the side of the crate he was hanging out it, so I knew he was okay.

Ossi playing tug with his Booda Velvet Bone
his "I-Was-Good-At-The-Groomer" treat

Happy New Year

Ossi "ringing in"
2006











Ossi has a new trick and he's been working on it for at least a month. After carefully observing B-Dawg and L-Dawg open the lid on the small step trash can (the kind where you step on the pedal and the lid opens) in the bathroom, Ossi has figured out how to open it on his own and is now a "paper product dog". He seems to enjoy nosing around and slinking off with used Kleenex. He's been scolded many times and now the bathroom door is closed all the time. So his new new trick is now lightly head butting the bathroom door and, upon finding it closed, scratching on the door with his paw as if to "knock" to get the trash can to let him in.
I guess if that's the worst trick he's got, we're still pretty darn lucky to have such a good dog. Maybe it will get us to cut back on Kleenex use.

Tonight is Ossi's first dog training class. Keep your fingers (and your paws) crossed that he's at the head of the class!!