Charlie's TWIN up for adoption???

Jasper. Charlie. Jasper. Charlie. Jasper. Charlie.

Have you been looking at Charlie's pictures saying OH MAN I WANT A DOG LIKE THAT!

Well, here's your chance!

No joke.




Jasper

 


 

Charlie



Jasper





Charlie



I would LOVE to see this dog in person... Jasper is up for adoption with 4 Luv of Dog and he is 2 years old. It looks like Jaspers neck is longer and his nose is a little smaller then Charlie's but look at them...

Find more information about Jasper and other adoptable dogs here.

Dog Sitting



Jackson



Recently I dog-sat this big goofy dog for a weekend and it really made me start to think, why? Here is what I came up with.

There are a lot of reasons that I like to take care of other people's dogs:

1. To appreciate where Charlie is.

2. To motivate me to work more on Charlie's problems.

3. To see how other people interact with their dogs and ask owners questions.

4. To just love dogs and be around them.

From taking care of others' dogs I have realized that my dog is above the everyday family dog in training. Of course Charlie isn't really a family dog... He's mine. 

When I dogsit a dog who can't sit I sometimes become frustrated because everyday things I do with my dog involve him sitting: to wait for food, go outside, get a toy, to pass other dogs and people on walks... ect. Charlie sits to do a lot of things. The day I got Charlie he knew sit. It is the only command he knows that I didn't teach him.

When I take care of a dog who knows something Charlie doesn't or who does things in a way I wish Charlie did I am often motivated to work with Charlie.

When I am walking a dog that loves people and we pass a little kid who asks to pet the dog I am often motivated to work with Charlie and his stranger issues.

When I am able to talk to other owners face to face before or after I take care of their dog I like to start conversations about how they think certain things should be done.

Anything from loose leash walking to vaccinations, or one time I even had a conversation with somebody about when a dog needs to be put down. I learn a lot about what other owners think and sometimes even research things they talk about and form completely different opinions on a subject then I had previously, before I talked to them.

And, of course I love dogs. I've never completely understood people who don't like dogs.

Now I haven't taken care of a lot of dogs. I've probably only watched 10 dogs on my own while owners are away on vacations and it isn't all fun.



Larry



When I was 13 I dog sat my neighbor's oversized Yellow Lab and Golden retriever for the first time while they went to Vegas. The dogs jumped, but not on you, just right in front of you and as soon as you reached their door they barked like they were going to go after you. Why didn't I stop taking care of dogs at this point?



Also that year I was watching a family friend's Vizsla who, on our walk, decided he wanted to go after a bird and I was dragged halfway across somebody's yard and looked up to see them staring out the window at me as I dusted off my pants, wiped off my shirt, and attempted to walk away like I knew what I was doing.



Sparky



Why didn't I decide, when I was hurling across that yard desperately clinging to the leash, to end my dreams of caring for and owning every dog in the entire world? We may never know for sure, but I hope to continue to follow a slightly less ambitious dream (one where I wont own a few of the dogs in the world).





P.s. Current carreer madness: Vet Tech and Trainer for agressive dogs. Can I handle the needles? The teeth? Hopefully the job shadows i'm doing this summer will clear those up.

Trainer for Charlie

Well if you read my post about Charlie's vetrinarian you know that I'm pretty particular about who interacts with my dog. I actually leave with Charlie when one of my grandparents comes over. I say "Don't say his name or lean toward him and I'll bring him out." Guess what she does immediatly? Thankfully my other two grandparents understand some of the things I tell them and they now get along with Charlie.

So we called the trainer that Charlie's vet suggested. She walked in today and Charlie is barking his head off. I've got him on the leash and she walks in, and he jumps up on her (noooo Charlie, I've taught you NOT to do that!) and she kneels down and Charlie sniffs her and growled a little and walked back to me then to her until he just stared at me with quick glances back at the trainer. And that was it.

We talked about Charlie and through the entire meeting he watched me. We even got a surprise visiter and she got to see how he reacts to the doorbell and new people at the door and, of course, how I react.

She was impressed with how much work I've done with Charlie, how many tricks he knows, and especially how freaking adorable he is. (I'm bragging)...

After the initial meeting Charlie ignored her and stared at me the entire time. She eventually reached out and touched his back when he was standing by her and he was focused on the hot dog I had just taken out and completely ignored her!

So, next thursday we will meet again with her and start working on Charlie!

Of course I'll probably put updates on this blog. I've come to realize that this blog is not really for readers, but so that I can eventually look back and see (hopefully) how far we've gone.


P.s.

School.
Is.
OVER!

Fargo Marathon!

Hey all three of my followers! I haven't posted much in a while because school is coming to an end and you know what that means... FINALS! WOO! No. I'm so unexcited for that.

Now a version of my favorite overused sentence on this blog: But that isn't what this post is about.

It's about the Fargo Marathon.

I have two complaints, but first I just want to say that I actually love the marathon. I think it's awesome. I will never have the... whatever it takes to even attempt a marathon, so I applaud those who do. I also would like to add to a big thank you to those who dressed up like super heros and whatnot because you kind of make my day every year. Especially you, man running in the yellow towel with the rubber ducky! but I sincerly hope your wearing some sort of shorts under that in case of an incident...

Now my first complaint. I love the supporters and everything but the constant clapping on my street corner with literly .5 seconds between every clap from 7am to 1pm when the constant stream of runners finally stopped. I mean really, a little variation if you're going to subject me to that obnoxious behavoir.

Second.

I couldn't get out of my freaking house. I eventually had to join the runners for half a block trying to make it to the otherside because I HAD TO ESCAPE THE CONSTANT CLAPPER OUTSIDE MY HOUSE. So I live on the side of the block where there are two houses. Mine and lovely old Howard's house. Well they went by my house, around the block and up by Howie's.

Really?

I couldn't drive anywhere. I mean I know I'm talking about being lazy here while some people are running 26.2 miles but seriously.

I have a right to be lazy and I fully intend to take advantage of that right.

Every.

Chance.

Is that wrong?



So anyways I saw a lot of people run by that I knew while I was sitting with Charlie outside, and when I went inside for lunch I continued to watch out the window of my runner-surrounded house and I saw who I was pretty sure was the only marathon runner who has ever read my blog... and I wasn't even outside to cheer her on. So I just wanted to apologize, and congratualte Lindsay for finishing the entire marathon. (I hope, you were really close when I saw you...)



The extent of my running.



P.s. Charlie handled the marathon like a pro. He ran through the people with me and didn't pull towards/away from any of them, didn't even growl once.

After watching tennis on thursday, Charlie showed my science teacher/tennis coach his pearly whites and I was starting to feel a little down but since we walked by bands and yelling people and CLAPPERS (the constant clapping is DRILLED into my head), and ran half a block with a marathoners/half marathon runners I'm suuuuuuuppppeeeeer proud of my puppy.

Happy Got'cha Day Charlie!

Happy 730th +1 day Charlie! Two years ago yesterday I walked into the Petsmart and came out with a DOG! Unfortunatly I did not know very much about owning a dog and I didn't take the little clues of Charlie's problems that I would discover later. But on the other hand I'm glad I didn't leave him there.

We, my mother and I, arrived at Petsmart for the Adoption Days two years ago and spotted one dog that fit my dad's requirement- "Small." Though he was a little bigger then we were expecting and a lot more energetic I knelt down to say hello and he put his front paws on my legs and VERY viciously attacked my face with his tongue. I walked him around for a while and I decided I was going to give him a try.

He never went back.

Too big? naaah.

So May 3rd became his "Got'cha Day" our replacement for a birthday since we do not know his birth date. Ironically, his vet's random birthday guess was the same day as my uncle's (aka the owner of the only dog faster then Charlie on Thanksgiving Day at the farm.) birthday.

So Charlie got everything he asked for for his Got'cha day! He got a special meal... (Chicken Dinner... wet dog food) and a rawhide bigger then his head. Okay he asked for one bigger then his whole body but he went with to buy it and I felt weird enough with the rawhide he got, while walking a 20lb dog.