Whirlwind becoming a breeze??
Posted: July 13, 2007 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain 4 CommentsThe past two weeks have been a whirlwind, soon to become a gentle breeze after this upcoming weekend. Obviously, I remain ever hopeful for that idyllic life! Long summer days, lounging on the deck, basking in the fresh mountian air, soaking up some rays, reading great novels. Ah! My intention, my own personal participation in the blog, is to post something of interest daily. Being gone for a week and then making up for lost time this past week…well, the best laid plans…. Whew! I guess it doesn’t hurt, every once in a while, to be reminded of why I can’t groom a full-schedule five days a week. Productivity goes way down after Day Three. Not to mention the wear-and-tear on the ol’ body. This weekend I’ll be spending time with friends at dog shows in Eagle, Colorado while my husband holds down the fort here at home. Look for lots of new posts next week, including the awesome photos and dog updates some of you have sent.
I currently have the settings of the blog set so anyone can post, which is the way I’d prefer to keep it. Yesterday, the first spam was posted. As administrator, I am able to remove those posts, which I promptly did along with reporting it to the blog host. If spam becomes an issue, I may have to adjust the settings.
You may have noticed the graphics next to each Recent Comment link. I’ve learned that’s called an avatar, in blog lingo. Obviously, there’s a way for each of you to have an avatar. As soon as I have time to figure it out, I’ll let you know and you’ll have the option of using your own photo, a photo of something you like or remaining a white figure in a gray box.
Kunza at FleetFire Timbers 
Debby,
Your blogsite/website is awesome!
Zeke is 9 months old today. He is awesome too! I know you can’t keep all the puppies for show but this little guy is a champion in every way for sure. This is the smartest dog I have ever been around, and he gets wiser every day.
We had been leaving him in his gated area with his crate when we had to leave him at home alone.
But the other day, when we were getting ready to leave, he said “It is boring to stay in my crate. Please may I stay out? I will be very good!” We let him stay out and were gone for four hours. When we got back he greeted us at the door with his usual energy. Curious as to what he had been doing, we looked around and found a warm spot on the bed pillow where he had been sleeping while we were gone, along with his favorite toy. Such a good boy! He no longer has a gated area, but is master of his domain!
Thanks again for letting us have one of your very special Apsos. He is precious beyond belief!
Hello Ken, I enjoyed reading about Zeke. I have his father FFT One For the Road. ( Roadie ). I think, check it out if you have time. I have had him since 1/07. I live in Philadelphia in the city. I have never put him in a crate. When I confined him to one room he barked and barked. He is now my second shadow and has bonded to me completly. He sleeps in my bedroom sometimes on the floor beside his bed and sometimes in my bed. Have had no accidents in my bedroom since I have had him. He is very smart also. Wakes me up at 6:30 or 7 to go out. I let him out in the yard he does what he is supposed to do and runs back in the house. I am beginning to read his different barks and growls (smile). Very Mischievious and inquisitive. I correspond with Debby frequently. I go to AtlantiC City about once a month and I leave him, put paper down and give him a raw marrow bone (which Debby told me about). That keeps him occupied until we return. Sometimes I think he holds his potty until I return which is about 5:00, we leave about 7:30 a.m. I take him in my car for walks in Fairmount Park.
Hi Alma! Yes, I have been following Roadie’s new adventures, too. He’s quite the handsome fellow, and I see where Zeke gets his looks from. I think he looks like his grandpaw, Seth/Samson too.
We never really trained Zeke to actually stay in a crate. (I sort of have claustraphobia, and my own personal issues with being tightly confined, so I’m pretty sure that’s why I was unable to be comfortable confining a dog to a crate, however good the idea might be for some.) His “gated area” is our entryway/mudroom off the garage, and he had about 30 sq. ft. of space, with his soft-side travel crate (his den, which he loves) and water, food, toys and some paper on the floor, just in case.
When he was about 3-4 mos old, we did try and train him to a crate at night, at my aunt’s insistence (she’s had “little” dogs all her life, and she’s very “imperative” with her advice.) But, soon went back to him sleeping on our bed with us, where he started out. He’s been house trained since he was about 6 mos. At least, he’s been fully cognizant of what we were asking him to do (potty outside)since about 6 months. He had some issues, let us say, one of which was he did not wish to be brushed at night; he wishes to be brushed in the morning, and he acted out his displeasure by doing it in the house, in very inappropriate places, sure to be found. The Stinker! We resolved his issues, once identified, and he’s been “Mr. Perfect” since. He’s quite the clever boy, as Ken said. I feed him a 90% “raw” diet, with skinless chicken neck bones being his favorite mainstay, and the occasional marrow bone, couple times a week. Only, he doesn’t eat his marrow bones right away. He has to “age” them first. Takes a couple of days, and they have to be aged in various places around the house and garden. Yesterday, I found one “aging” under his pillow on our bed. I moved it to his bed and showed him where it was. A while later, it was back under the pillow on our bed! That’s what I get for feeding raw bones to an Apso, but I wouldn’t do it any different. They are so good for him and he loves them. He has the most perfect set of teeth I’ve ever seen on a dog. Straight, not crowded or crooked, pearly white and very strong. No tarter at all. The raw meaty bones will keep them that way, but they are so perfect because of the good nutrition Debby fed his parents, and grandparents before that. They are amazing dogs, aren’t they, Alma!
Katy Widger
Hello Kathy, I read your commment. They are so alike. When my daugther first saw Roadie, she comment about his teeth, like he had false teeth in the front, so even and straight no tarter etc. I went to Atlantic city yesterday, and came back the marrow bone was clean, I gave it to him right before we left. I had paper in the dining area , he had free roam of the house. No accidents. I can’t believe he could hold for that length of time, since when I am home he goes out frequently during the day.
Yes, they are amazing dogs.