Luca Dean's Training Progress!
 

Well, Luca Dean went a WHOLE day with only one tiny pee-pee accident the day before yesterday! In a little over a week he's made two new canine buddies, has the cat chasing him instead of vice versa, will sit and lay down for treats, figured out what 'no' means, and doesn't whine in the crate if I leave the room for just a few minutes!!! We sure are proud parents. He knows "kisses" too. (Sticks his nose to my lips -- but doesn't lick faces for some reason!)

Oh, and he figured out how to move the heating pad to wherever he wants it on the bed so he can have the softest AND warmest place, LOL!!! Went in there earlier to check on him and he had moved it from a flat place in the middle of the bed up next to Daddy's pillow (his fave). They are so smart! I'm amazed! I've heard they're smarter than most people think, but I'm still kinda shocked.

So, we will be moving on to making whole days without elimination accidents and leaving for longer periods with him in the crate. Besides the usual stuff, was there anything y'all taught to your babies that's really helped out? (Besides sit, saty, heel, down, "place" or "kennel"?)

Higgins is a year old now.....and we're still working on sit (won't), stay (pretty good at this), heel (no way), down (means drop the frisbee to him), place or kennel ("Isn't the Casita all mine?"

HOWEVER! Higgy is an ace at leaping into the air and doing half gaynors and backflips and catching his little soft frisbee. He will play this until we physically pick him up and tell him he has to rest now.........

ALSO! Higgy sings great backup howl to Pogo's howl when I play the harmonica! What a trio we make! Jay Leno is next.........

That's so awesome. We try and wear Dean out in the same manner ... he can fetch, but doesn't do it consistently. Mostly just runs around picking up stuff, dropping it, playing with the other guys.

Good luck on the Jay Leno gig! I can just imagine higgins running back and forth, back and forth .... commercial break .... comes back to show Higgins running back and forth!!! LOL!

lucynfred ... sounds like Dean is doing great with his potty training and being alone for awhile! Good job! The most important command that Toto learned early on was "No"! That and the "sit" and "stay" ... just say one of these and that little butt hits the floor and she stays like she's glued there!! :) She loves hearing "Good Girl"! ;)

Hey, Mary Ellen ... we have been trying to get Toto to learn to "catch" her frisbee and she just stands there or "ducks" and looks like "Are you trying to kill me with that thing?!" :confused: How can we get her to begin to "get the idea?" BTW ... guess you heard ... looks like we won't get to make "Rock Crusher" this year? :( Toto and I hate Papa's new project!!! We are just so far away and figure we would have to be gone for 2-3 weeks because of driving time! This darn thing is so demanding for Patrick! Toto got e-mail from Jack Benz the other day ... saying how he had really looked forward to seeing her this year! He later confessed ... it was really the Peanut Butter pie that he's disappointed about!! :eek: It was toooo funny! Can you be the "Proxy Pie Person" this year? Patrick is sooo disappointed .... it's really a "kick in the head" to plan something for so long and then not get to do it! I think he still has our reservation, but we have tried and tried to figure how we could do it and just can't see any possible way! Can't see his way clear even to go home until April!!! Needless to say ... Toto and Nonnie "ain't happy"!!!

I'd be happy to be the Peanut Butter Pie person! Can't have the Rock Crusher Rally without it! I will tell them all that you sent it FedEx!

One problem: I didn't bring the recipe with me. Could you send it to me? Or better yet, post it here so everyone can enjoy this Bettyeanne specialty!!!!

Now for Frisbee: Do you have the soft cloth and surgical tubing kind of little flying disc for Toto? I wish I could remember the name.....It's all blurred and I can't read it anymore. They are really hard to find and wear out fairly fast. I'm mending Higgin's second one nearly every day until I can find another one to buy. The point about these little things is that they are soooooo light they can't hurt our little guys. Hmmmm.....maybe I could make one! Or find one online.......I'll go look.......

Don misses Patrick online......give that man a hug from us. And smoochies to you and Toto from me and Higgins.

I FOUND ONE ONLINE: http://www.dogtoys.com/flyinfristoy.html

It's the 7" smallest one.....soft and floppy. Only $8.95 online.....I paid over $10 in the pet store!

Think I'll go back to that site and see what else they have.......

We just threw it and threw it for Higgins. For months. Didn't expect him to catch it....just enjoyed playing fetch with him. Then he caught it a few times (almost accidently) and we exploded with praise and much applause. Now he just about kills himself trying to catch it every time. And he's getting better and better.......

Thanks, Mary Ellen!!! I will hunt up the receipe and get it to you ASAP! I'm sure I have it here somewhere. Just wish we were going to be there! Patrick is so tired by the time he gets home from the office ... he seldom gets online! He misses everyone! Thanks too for the website ... had to order some of those "tiny toys" for Toto! Her frisbee is like Higgins' ... we will just keep trying. Hopefully she will get the idea and stop ducking like we are shooting a canon at her!!! :eek: When I talked to Ava yesterday, she told me that she still has Toto's sister, Gracie! Sure was tempted .... nahhhhh ... ain't gonna happen!!!! As spoiled as Toto is, if we had two of these sweet little brats it would kill me!!! ;)

Now WHY did you have to go tell me about Gracie??? Evil woman. Sigh. Three dogs in a Casita? Oh well.....I can hope.....someday.....another little one.......

Those soft little discs are really the only ones I would throw for a Yorkie. The rope-edged ones will knock them out or kill our little guys if ya hit 'em in the head. Higgins has a couple of those, but he KNOWS not to try to catch them. You'll see.....I'll bet Miss Prissy Paws will catch the little soft one! Then we can make them some nice sort of "tennis outfits" to wear........white cable sweater with red and blue trim?

Give Patrick a hug from us. So sorry he is having to work such long hours! Work sure does interfere with the leisure class.....