The Big Crazy Food Dish

My foster mom brought this big crazy food dish in the house. She carried it in from the garage, and set it on the floor inside the house.

At first I had no idea what it was for, but then she set it down and started placing food on it. So, apparently it's a new food dish for me. Jazzy won't come near it. That's okay, when food is involved I prefer having it all to myself.

Sadly, my foster mom is not very bright. This dish has no side on it so the food falls off. Also, there's a little hole in the middle and once the food falls inside, it's impossible to reach. Even worse, when I try to get to the food sometimes I have to step on the side of the dish and it moves! Yikes!!!




The biggest challenge for me right now is how to get the food that's fallen in the middle. I know there HAS to be a way, and I know if I stare hard enough and look very closerly, I'll be able to figure it out.

De-Orbiting

Shelties sometimes have peculiar habits. Many of us spin, some pace, and I happen to orbit. When I'm excited I run around in circles. I run around the dining room table, I run around the yard, and I even run around other shelties. Once I was at the park playing with a fluffy Bichon standing next to a tree, and he kept watching me as I orbited around him. He kept whipping his head around so much to watch me that my foster mom was certain that he was going to get dizzy and fall over.

Since people sometimes comment on my orbiting, and my foster mom has concluded that I run around in circles too much, she has decided to put me on a "de-orbiting program." Here's the information that was given to my foster mom from someone (who wants to make my life miserable!) at Southland Sheltie Rescue.

"Circling/orbiting is a nervous behavior and the best way to get them to stop is to distract and redirect the behavior as soon as it starts every time and then reinforce the replacement behavior. Here's the trick. You cannot reward the dog with a treat, toy, or attention while they are orbiting."

"There are many ways to stop this behavior. Here’s two ideas:"

"When I'm training new dogs I will put them on a leash and teach them how to follow me around all day in the house and outside. They cannot orbit when they are on lead. They become more confident and are rewarded for everything they do in a relaxed and calm state. You can let Clover wear the leash and let it drag as she gets further along in her training. When she starts to orbit you can step on the leash to interrupt her. Do not reward her when she is panting, appeasement licking, or looking off into space."

"Squirt bottle – if the dog can be distracted by squirting water in the air, then when you have their attention, ask them to sit or come, then reward the sit or come response. Watch me, sit, and come are the commands/ behaviors you want to reinforce. Never touch, talk, or give toys & treats to a dog that is not paying attention to you."




Yesterday was my first day "deorbiting." I was on a leash while Jazzy had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. It's sooo unfair! My only consolation is I had nice things to chew. I had this yellow rope tied on my harness that was a gnawing challenge. Also, I was able to reach part of my harness and chew it off when my foster mother was distracted.

But really the best thing about deorbiting is I get to be next to my foster mother all day. Until I get my forever mom, she is my person, and being with my person is the very best thing in all the world.

Except maybe orbiting around my person. That might be the very very best!!!

Birthday Girl

I had my birthday. I am now a year old. My foster mother tells me I need to act like a big girl. She says I need to be better behaved. But this is difficult for me. You may have heard how some people are more immature then others. Well, I am an immature dog. I am very much like a little puppy. I still like to chase my tail, and I have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I guess I will be a "late bloomer." Someday I will grow up, but my foster mom says that I may take longer, and any family who adopts me will need to be very patient with me.



This family I am currently with loves to celebrate birthdays. Jazzy and I had to endure wearing these ridiculous little dresses (Please can someone just save me from this humiliation! Ugh!), and then we each got treats. I got a Busy Bone. Yeeeeah!!!!

It takes Jazzy days to get through a Busy Bone, but I can chew through one in an hour.

Growing up worries me. What if I don't ever mature? What if I'm always playful like a puppy and getting into "too many things," and having people always exasperated with me? Will I always have endless amounts of energy? Will I always be 99% potty trained but never 100%? Will I always have too much excitement and curiousity? Does this mean no one will ever want me or love me?

Chewies

I'm back to tell you more about me.

Everything always seems to be about me. I am very special. It is always "Clover Clover Clover Clover... don't eat that shoe Clover, stay away from the mud Clover, get your face out of that bag of chips Clover...Clover Clover Clover" I think I'm some type of celebrity.

I hear my name all the time!

Because I am special, people often give me chewies. Although I like my Kong, and those tasty shoe things people wear on their feet, my favoite chewies are bull sticks, and something my foster mom calls dental treats. That sounds like it would be icky, like when my foster mom brushes my teeth, but it's not. Here you can see me getting treats. Unfortunately Jazzy thinks she should have one too, but really they are both suppose to be for me.

Sleepy Sheltie

This is probably hard to believe, but I do sleep sometimes. When I sleep it's very deeply and the world is faraway. I don't hear anything. People can walk by me, or even over me, and I'll just be dreaming. My foster mom can call my name, and I won't hear it. Maybe I just don't want to wake up because I'm chasing sheep or outrunning every dog in the dog park...

I love....

I love long walks
I love being held and carried when I get too tired to move
I love food
I love watching and being near people all the time
I love running
I love eating ice cubes when they fall on the floor
I love toys
I love other dogs and playing with them
I love the park
I love laying out on cool floors with my legs spread out
I love leaves
I love to sniff and snort when I smell something that might taste good
I love crumbs on the floor
I love a hand reaching to pet me even if I'm too excited and can't hold still
I love everything....

Miss Popularity

People are always coming over to meet me. I'm like some doggie diplomat. Sometimes I'm really excited and run in circles, but I think that makes them dizzy, and then they leave. Sometimes I'm relaxed, and I walk over and examine them. The big question in my mind is... do they have food? If they do, I really like them. My foster mom shows them how I can do tricks. I sit, lay down, and stay. She is always amazed at how quickly I learn things.

You'd think with me being so shockingly smart, beautiful, fearless, loyal, funny, and even the FASTEST dog in the world (not fat but FAST) someone would want me. But, as my foster mother tells me... "Clover, you are a special dog and you will need a special home."

Sometimes people come over to meet me and they think I'm too energetic, or they don't want me because I won't stop to let them hug me, or they are worried that I might be something called "destructive." I'm not sure what that means, but I think it has to do with me being too helpful. My foster mom assures them that I am a puppy and I will very likely lose some of this high energy as I get older.

She once asked the vet about this and he told her that 90% of dogs like me outgrow this by age two.
"But," she asked, "What if Clover is in that 10%?"
The vet replied, "Well, then there's always valium."

I'm not sure what that is, but if it tastes good I want it. My foster mother doesn't think it would be healthy for me, and she only thinks I should have healthy things (like that gold rubber toy she left me the other night...it must be here somewhere...), so she won't get it. That's okay, I like my kibble, and anything else that drops to the floor.

Pssssst! I Have a Secret....

Shhhhhhh! Listen... I have a very important secret that I've been hiding for some time now. This is something no one knows. Even Jazzy hasn't discovered it, my friends at the dog park don't have a clue, and not even my foster mom (who likes to think she knows everything but really doesn't) is aware of it. So... I'm going to tell you. Here it is... ... Wait!.. Make sure you are sitting down. Make sure you are comfortable and not going to fall over or anything... Okay, I, Four-Leaf-Clover, am the FASTEST dog in the world!!!!

Yes, folks, it's true. 

I can run faster than any dog in the world. The reason I know this is true is because when I run through the house I move so quickly I slide into cupboards and knock over the big plastic tree near the couch. My foster mother says I'm spastic, but that's not true. The reason I have such uncontainable speed is because I'm the FASTEST dog in the world!!! And, when I'm in the back yard running around in circles, and then I gain such incredible momentum I end up falling into the pool, it's not because I'm clumsy... no... I'm the FASTEST dog in the world!!! Honestly.