Orly’s Puppy License seems to be on the verge of expiring.
Puppy License is the very broad leeway that adult dogs grant to young puppies. It’s why they let the puppies chew on them, despite those Baby Shark teeth. It’s why they let puppies climb on them, steal their beds and toys, and generally behave rudely.
As puppies grow, though, adult dogs raise their expectations. This seems to be happening with Cali and Orly.
The other day, Cali appeared willing to maim Orly over a treat toy. After the quite serious warning she received, Orly wisely backed off. Still a little puppy, though, her next choice was less wise: Orly thought she’d munch on some electrical cords instead.
Oy. Of course this all happened while I was trying to participate in a work meeting … (with apologies to everyone else at the meeting, I quickly stepped in to save Orly from electrocution or a Cali chomp by picking her up!). Fortunately, my entire team at work consists of dog lovers.
Over the past few days, I’ve noticed Cali setting more boundaries and issuing more warnings. Ever-cheerful Orly will back off in the moment, but she hasn’t seemed to realize yet that Cali is serious.
I step in to enforce Cali’s boundaries as needed, but I do want them to work things out themselves. I also make sure that Cali is always free to leave the room where Orly is, and that Cali has special places and privileges that do not include a spotlight-stealing baby sister.
Orly has definite opinions and wants — and she’s not shy about communicating them.
On day 2, she decided to try leveraging the cute factor to get her way. When she wanted out of her play pen, she grabbed a toy, stood up, and launched into full tantrum mode.
It didn’t work.
So she refined it. As soon as I walked into view, she instantly sat, perfectly quiet. That was tougher. I decided that the tantrum meant that she urgently needed to go out, so every time she threw a fit (and didn’t quiet within about 30 seconds), I let her out of the pen and took her straight outside. I let her do her business (or gave her a minute or two) and put her right back into her pen.
That helped a little, for a short while. Now we have a different pen problem: When she wants out, she simply launches herself over the top … I’m working on a solution to that one. Meanwhile, she’s spending more time outside the pen.
That has allowed her to figure out a more effective way to ask to go out: She rings the bells.
Over the years, I’ve tried several times to get Cali to ring a bell to ask to go out, since her preferred method is sitting in front of the door — not helpful when I am upstairs working. Cali has consistently wanted nothing to do with the bells, the buttons, or any other gadgets.
Orly is a different dog entirely. I put the bells on the doorknob and jangled them a bit when I let her out. After the second or third time, she walked over and nudged the bells. I figured it was a fluke or she was just playing with them, but I let her out anyhow and told her how clever she was.
Then she did it again. And again. Very intentionally walking over, touching the bells, and waiting to go out. Orly even did it when I had a friend over.
After a day or so, Cali even did it a couple of times.
Orly went through a brief testing phase — ringing, stepping outside, then immediately turning around and asking to come in. That didn’t last long; I think that she was just making sure I would respond.
I then put a bell outside, too, so she can ask to come back inside; she picked that up in a couple of days.
Orly has recently added a mind-blowing twist to the bell-ringing saga. I was sitting at the dining-room table, having coffee. Cali was outside; Orly at my feet. Cali (the bell-refuser) approached the door. Her usual MO is to stand there and wait for me to notice her. No longer.
Orly leapt into action, heading over and ringing the bell. I’m a little slow, and was on my first coffee of the morning … so I assumed that she wanted to go out. Nope.
I opened the door; Orly stood aside; Cali entered; they touched noses and … wow.
I don’t leave Orly unsupervised downstairs or outside, so I don’t know yet whether I’ll be able to hear the bells from my upstairs office. I’m pretty sure I will hear the inside bells, and I hope that I can hear the outside ones too. (I might not know that until spring!)
I suspect that the reason she picked up the bell use so quickly is that she enjoys ordering me around. Puppy and dog owners have this delusion that we’re training our dogs. In reality, they are training us.
When something doesn’t work (standing-up tantrum), they try something else (magic sit). If we could get people to do what we wanted just by sitting down and looking at them, wouldn’t we? And now that Orly has deployed her communication skills to get me to let Cali in, who knows what’s next. I’d better watch my back. She’s definitely the smartest person in any room of this house!
I’ve been trying to take great photos of Orly. Years of trying to get great photos of Cali, Jana, Oriel, and many other dogs notwithstanding, I am failing.
You probably noticed that my photos in the post introducing Orly were blurry. Of course they were: She never stops moving. She’s even active when she’s asleep! In that she’s like her aunts Cali and Oriel, both dogs with extremely active and varied dream lives.
When we picked Orly up from her breeder, we tried to help with a cool photo: Orly’s mom, Charm, with a puppy from each of her 3 litters: Orly, her full brother Dash, and their half sister Lila.
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It was not to be. These are all very young golden retrievers, after all. They do not sit still. Especially not when there are other goldens to play with and new people in the room!
When I worked at NEADS, I was always amazed at the graduation photos, with as many as a dozen dogs, all perfectly posed in the unlikeliest of places. I never did figure out how the photographer did it.
Just once, I tasted success. I still have no idea how I got this photo:
It finally happened. After just over a week, Cali started playing with Orly outside. Cali would lead Orly on a wild chase through the snow, around the raspberry bushes, between the cherry tree and the fence, through even deeper snow … and so on.
Then she invited Orly to play inside. They are very sweet together, wrestling and tugging toys.
When Orly is very tired and in bite-everything mode, she starts to nip at Cali’s neck and legs and tail, and I have to intervene. Orly gets a nap and Cali gets a break.
First, some very nice people came in and … took away her sofa. The sofa that she loved to lie on so she could look out the windows in comfort, getting up only to bark at people who had the nerve to walk by with a dog.
Her mom keeps talking about a new sofa but Cali is beginning to think that her mom is imagining things. There’s no sofa. No, but there is a big puppy pen. Not a good sign. Then her mom left town for almost three weeks! Imagine! OK, well, she got to stay home with a great dog sitter, and Deni showed up after a couple of weeks, but still.
Finally, Cali’s mom came home. Just when things might be looking up, the whole family got into the car and drove all day in very cold weather. They went to a house with a bunch of golden retrievers, including this small puppy. So annoying.
Finally, they went to a hotel and got to sleep.
But.
The next morning guess what happened?!! They went back to that house and took the puppy. That’s right. That little puppy got into the car, into a spiffy little red crate, and settled in as if she belonged there.
Why does Orly get the best bedroom?
(Which she did.)
They all drove home and the puppy took up residence in the living room.
Cali is not delighted to have a new little sister. She does not like the new living room decor. No sofa; instead, a huge ex-pen with a puppy in it. And the puppy has all the best toys.
Even so, she’s starting to come around. She spends a lot of time watching Orly, the puppy. And has even sort of maybe considered playing with her, just a little, but only when she thinks that no one is watching.
Cali has a new little sister, and the Thinking Dog Blog has a new co-star. Orly joined the family on December 29 at almost 10 weeks of age.
She’s one smart cookie, and benefited from an amazingly thorough early-puppyhood enrichment program in her birth home: She is a master of stairs already, is comfortable in a crate, and asks to go out when she needs to go.
She’s a connoisseur of treat toys and enjoys slow-feeder “puzzle” bowls, snuffle mats, and a wide variety of stuffable and fillable treat toys. (A good little Montana girl, she seems partial to her West Paw Toppl and Tux toys.) She also loves to play tug, chew on just about anything (we call her Baby Shark), and run around in the snow. She enjoys watching TV but has not (yet) asked for a tablet or smartphone. She’s well on her way to mastering the magic sit, and has fabulous recall.
She’s a little analytical and often sits and watches a new thing, seemingly pondering what it is or why it’s there. She notices everything but does not seem to fear anything.
Koala has been sweet and tolerant with Orly; as of Day 2, Cali is still pretending that she’s not here.
Orly is Cali’s niece, the daughter of brother Sailor.
We’re working on some basic training and we’ll start puppy class in a few weeks.
Orly will undoubtedly take some of the pressure off of Cali by providing fodder for many blog posts in the coming months. She’s also the reason that the Thinking Dog may publish less frequently … I’m hoping to post at least every two weeks and will try for every Monday as usual.
When I watch TV in the evenings, Cali will often boycott. She’ll watch the first few minutes, then let me know how dreadful my taste is by simply walking away. She’ll hang out nearby, on a comfy dog bed in the next room, and keep her ears peeled for the sound of snacks, but … she won’t stay in the same room with me, much less let me cuddle her.
It’s distressing. And a bit insulting.
My friend who recently dog-sat for Cali for a couple of weeks has figured out the secret. When they spent time at a co-working space nearby, it became clear that Cali’s favorite show is …
A fake fireplace.
That’s right; she was mesmerized.
When she wasn’t watching the fake flames, she met all the other people in the building and showed them her new carrot toy. Exhausted from the socializing and the exciting viewing, she also napped quite a bit, I hear.
All the people programming Dog TV and figuring out how to teach dogs to make video calls should save their efforts … dog owners can just turn up the heat and watch their dogs tune out.
I read this article in WDJ recently: High Visibility Clothing and Gear For You and Your Dog. Since it’s dark in the morning when I walk Cali, and dark after work when I walk her, this topic has been on my mind, and I’ve been trying out different things to make her — both of us — more visible.
For a few years, I’ve had a light-up collar for her. Jana had one (pink, of course); Koala has one. They recharge with a USB charger, and the charge lasts a long time, maybe a couple of weeks. I use the non-flashing setting because the flashing light is annoying to me, and, I am sure, to the dog. But it’s effective: It makes her visible from quite a distance!
But the WDJ article points out that an approaching car won’t see the light if the dog is right in the path of its headlights, since the bright light of the headlights will sort of cancel out the softer colored light.
They suggest using reflective gear instead. I think we need both.
Since I read the article, I have been watching for cyclists and dog walkers when I walk or drive in the dark. Often, when I am driving, I’ll notice a walker or cyclist approaching from the side — well before I’d be able to pick them up in my headlights. I want to know they’re there before I am heading straight for them as they cross the street! Those (rare few) who have lights are visible, which is very helpful for keeping my blood pressure at its normal level.
Unfortunately, many walkers and cyclists do not have any; some lack reflectors as well. If I notice anything, it’s a dark shape (with a death wish) moving off to the side. Scares the crap out of me sometimes.
I also agree with the point made in the WDJ article that reflectors are useful when you happen upon someone strolling across the street, right in your path!
So, clearly, Cali and I need both; her pretty lighted collar is a good start, but not sufficient.
To that end, I bought some reflective tape and attached it to Cali’s harness. I left for a trip before I got to really test it out, though. Cali also has a spiffy winter coat that has reflective trim. It definitely helps, but she’s only worn the coat a couple of times so far this winter, since the weather hasn’t been very cold yet.
For myself, I have a reflective strap that I can wear over my coat, and I have a headlamp or flashlight with me on most walks. There’s got to be better gear, though, designed for runners or cyclists. I’ll check into that. Cali and I both need to be able to see and be seen on our winter walks!
What do you use? If you have suggestions, write them in comments!
In addition to her swim therapy, Cali has had a few acupuncture treatments. These, along with her new pain meds, are intended to help Cali deal with her painful muscles and readjust her gait.
Fortunately, Cali is not bothered by needles. I’m not sure she even notices when she gets a shot at the vet’s; she’s too focused on the treats.
That must be the case at acupuncture, too. The first time we went, Cali got a Toppl toy filled with … I am not sure what, but Cali loved it. I’m not sure she noticed the acupuncture; she was deeply engrossed in licking clean this wonderful new treat toy.
The Toppl is a cup-shaped toy made by West Paw, a Montana company that makes indestructible dog toys. I have since gotten her her own Toppl, which I fill with Greek yogurt and freeze. She gets that after each swim therapy session, since we all know how hungry one gets after swimming.
But I digress.
Acupuncture. Cali gets needled in her back. Both times, one muscle twitched strongly several times when the needles went in. This is apparently a sign that the muscle is releasing tension.
The second time we went, the Toppl toys had all been emptied by some hungry Labs (I wonder if they also swim), so Cali had to make do with regular treats. She was a little more restless and at one point, she stood up and gave a big shake.
Once a muscle relaxes, the needles become loose and can just fall out. So … well. Needles went flying! Fortunately, they have bright red tops, so we quickly found them all.
The combination of swimming, acupuncture, and meds seems to be working. Cali has been energetic and playful to the point of constantly asking me to go outside with her and throw the ball. She even brings it back (sometimes)! And we’re taking longer walks in the neighborhood and along the river, too.
Those of us old enough to have been teenagers before everyone over the age of 4 had smartphones in their pockets may remember how desperately we wanted our own phone. By which I mean a physical telephone that was an extension of the family landline, but one that we could use (for hours) in the privacy of our own bedrooms.
Not only are today’s children more likely to have their own phones, apparently, so are some dogs.
The DogPhone, invented (one must wonder why) by a Scottish professor, is a device that allows a bored, lonely, anxious, or playful dog to call her owner’s cellphone. Actually, the device triggers a video call, which puts the dogs in a technical skills league ahead of many adults …
Showing some insight into dog behavior, the inventor of the DogPhone packaged the phone inside an appealing ball. This nicely sidesteps the problems of dialing without opposable thumbs and an inability to read the numbers on those tiny keys.
Apparently, your dog also needs her own laptop or tablet, as moving the ball triggers a video call which connects the dog’s laptop with the owner’s phone.
The inventor, Dr Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, told Gizmodo that the device is intended to enable researchers to “study the way dogs experience technology” and “improve and study the user experience for dogs.”
I wasn’t aware that my dog had a smartphone “user experience” other than leveraging the observation that I am using one as a chance to bark or otherwise demand attention. It had also never occurred to me that Cali might “experience technology” other than as the source of many irritating noises or as competition for my attention. So if you’re mystified by the need for this device, you’re not alone.
Cali has many talents but holding up her end of a conversation is not among them. And I can deliver neither treats nor belly rubs via video phone; I also cannot let her out / back in or throw a tennis ball. Since those are my only useful functions, I am not sure how much use Cali would have for the device.
A short YouTube video about the DogPhone offers some interesting insights. A hint: Despite her statements about the importance of giving dogs agency and control over their use of technology, I am not convinced that this is actually about the dog. For instance, Hirskyj-Douglas mentions feeling anxious if her dog doesn’t phone at his “usual” time.
I’m all for giving dogs agency and choices — but within limits. And within parameters that are meaningful to dogs. I let Cali choose which toy to play with or which direction to go on our walks, for example. But I do not let her order takeout or borrow my credit card to shop at the Holistic Pet Nutrition Center, her local grocery, treat, and toy emporium.
Anyhow, most of us have enough friends and family members calling, texting, Snapchatting, and Slacking us throughout the workday to torpedo our productivity. Do we really need to add a bored dog to the mix? How are we going to resolve her boredom from afar anyhow? Or, consider the other end of the spectrum — the dog who just loves to play with this specific ball… triggering constant chats until the battery dies!
So no, Cali is not getting her own phone for Hanukkah this year (or any other year). And I am adding this to a growing list of dog-focused technologies that just did not need to be invented. Just because we can make a phone for dogs, that does not mean that we should!
Orly’s Puppy License seems to be on the verge of expiring.
