Tazer settles in ..

[IliamnasQuest]

It's hard to believe that it's been nearly six weeks since I traveled to Anchorage and picked up this new pup! She's growing like crazy and has pretty much settled into the somewhat haphazard schedule I keep.

I'm very pleased at how social she is - no problems with people, other dogs, etc. She's very curious and finds airplanes fascinating (probably wonders how she can grab on .. *L*). Toys are very important to Tazer but I would have expected that from a working line GSD. She's giving me very focused attention at a sit, even with meat in my open hands an inch away from her face. We've worked a lot on recalls and some on downs, a little bit on tricks too but mostly I've let her be a puppy and concentrated on socializing and fitting into the household rhythm (she now sleeps all night!).

The other girls have accepted her, although Dora and Kylee (grumpy old chows) still don't really want anything to do with her. Trick is still great at helping Tazer understand the "do's and don't's" of interaction between puppy and adult. And Khana has finally gotten past the "OH MY GOD, this puppy is STAYING!!" stage and has really started to play with Tazer. It's hilarious to watch since both dogs have a pretty high level of herding instinct and they take turns herding each other back and forth. And then Khana will flop over onto her back and pretend to struggle while Tazer climbs all over her, gnawing on her neck and legs. Khana currently outweighs Tazer by some 30 pounds .. *L*

Here are some new pictures taken this week:

And some links to other photos, in case anyone is interested:
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs/khataz20septlook.jpg
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs//khanatazer4sept3.jpg
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs//tazer4sept2.jpg
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs//tazkhatri27aug1.jpg
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs//tazertrick17aug2.jpg
http://www.iliamnadesigns.com/dogs/tazer17aug1.jpg

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

She's GORGEOUS!

And where have you been, by the way?

~Tucker

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Gorgeous GSD! I so miss having one around

 

[jess2416]

She's beautiful

 

[milos_mommy]

She's so beautiful. I love the second linked picture.

 

[Saintgirl]

What a beautiful girl!

 

[Kase]

Oh she is so lovely!!!

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Oh-- what a lovely girl!!

 

[IliamnasQuest]

Awww, thanks .. I do tend to think she's a beautiful little thing, but I'm a tad bit biased .. *G* .. she could be the ugliest toad-dog out there and I'd still think she was gorgeous!

We just got back to a trek out to my friend's homestead where she ran and played and had a tremendously good time. She met a huge male mastiff .. *LOL* .. he loped out toward us, she took one look at this huge beast and scooted her little butt under the nearest bush to hide! But when she discovered he was friendly (I already knew he was) she came out and circled him several times and then jumped in to play. The contrast between 25 pounds of puppy and 150 or so pounds of mastiff was pretty cute.

Tazer did get nipped pretty good by a GSD my friend adopted last March. Addy was pretty grumpy about the pup and indeed about the other dogs (she also went after Khana, who is one of the least aggressive dogs you'd ever meet). Khana just shrugged it off, but Tazer ran around yelping after getting nipped and my friend felt really bad. Tazer was fine, though. I took some photos while out there but haven't uploaded them to the computer yet.

Tucker - I've been busy with a puppy! *L* Actually between work, looking for a place to live, taking a college class, training (have some more trials coming up) and dealing with a pup, being online just isn't happening as much as it used to. I tend to hang out with the GSD people on another forum a bit more now that I have a pup, too. So I just pop in here once in awhile and I'm usually so far behind on threads that I don't bother to post.

Melanie and the gang

 

[DanL]

Nice looking pup! There is a similar looking sable at our working dog club who is about 12 weeks old. They are letting him play with a rag and you can tell he's got amazing prey drive even at that age.

 

[anna84]

It's a sable working line GSD...so basically my dream puppy running around, be still my heart. She's absolutely gorgeous, are you planning on doing obedience or agility with her? Oh and does her breeder have a website? I'm years away from buying a dog but still like to look =)

 

[SummerRiot]

Fabulous shots!

Beautiful little pup too! Congrads!!

I'm also going to have to congradulate you as to ALWAYS having such a nicely groomed Chow! SOO many people that come into work with their Chow - its nasty looking.. ungroomed and definately unbathed.. VERY smelly.

 

[~Jessie~]

Awww, she is adorable

 

[IliamnasQuest]

Dan - yeah, this pup has way more prey drive than I need in her, so I'm trying to dampen it without dampening her personality. She gets SO worked up chasing Khana that she starts this whine/bark out of frustration, and then grabs any part of Khana she can - yanking out chunks of hair in the process! *L* Khana's got so much hair that she doesn't seem to mind, but I mind! So I stop the play at that point, everyone has to settle down and then they can go back to playing again.

It's changed a little now that Khana is more willing to play directly with Tazer - Khana is grabbing back and that has taught Tazer a bit more restraint. I also do a lot of hands-on play with Tazer and include tugging - she's a great little tugger at this point! She likes having a toy in her mouth at all times, too, and will probably figure out that it keeps her from using her mouth in inappropriate ways (both Trick and her brother Dax discovered that, and will run to find a toy when they get excited just to keep their mouths busy).

anna84 - she comes from Anlaufstelle kennels in Texas, if you google that I'm sure you'll hit the website. She's not a big breeder, but has some very nice dogs.

SummerRiot - I actually don't groom my chows a lot .. *LOL* .. but GOOD food, indoor living and grooming as needed keeps them looking pretty good. Khana's coat is such a gorgeous coat and with the raw diet it just stays looking like that. I have to watch for little mats behind the ears and behind the front elbows (the hair is thinner and more easily tangled there). I know what you mean, though, on how bad the coats can get. We used to see them in at the vet clinic and I never understood how people could let the dogs get SO matted and dirty. But most of those probably lived outdoors.

Melanie and the gang

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

Ahhh.... Fair enough. But we miss you!

And your puppy...

~Tucker

 

[Toller_08]

Tazer is beautiful! I love sable GSDs. Those are great pictures.