Summer

Who ordered this hot weather?

I have been going to extreme measures to keep cool.This is not snow.

Working for a Living

Hey Puppies! Hey! Codey here again. Today I will lead you down the path toward maintaining a good relationship with your humans. Dawkin said the post would be no fun without pictures, so I have allowed him to be my assistant and include pictures of us hiking.

Since I moved into my foster home, I have been learning about Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF,) which is not a training method, but a way for humans and dogs to live together with clearly defined leadership roles. In my previous home, none of the humans took the alpha role, so I thought it was up to me. I didn't really want to be the leader, but someone had to do it, even though I felt very anxious about all the responsibility. Now my foster humans are letting me know that they are the leaders, so I can relax and enjoy being a puppy again.

The idea behind NILIF is that the humans make it clear that they control the resources, so we puppies have to show them the respect we would give to any alpha. That means that we have to work for them to get all the things we want, like food, treats, attention, and toys.

Here is how it works: first I have to know at least one command, like sit or down, and a release command, like okay, which means I am free to do as I please. I learned a few commands from my former mom, so my foster parents didn't have to go through that step.
Then all I have to do is follow whatever directions my foster parents give anytime I want something. Before they put down my food dish, they ask me to sit. When I do, they give me the dish, say okay, and I get to eat. If I don't, they put my food dish out of reach for ten minutes, then come back and try again. They haven't had to do that yet, though, because I'm always happy to show off how quickly I can sit. Sometimes I sit before they ask, but then they make me lay down to make sure I'm paying attention to them instead of just acting automatically.


If I carry a toy over to them or nudge their hands for petting, they ask me to sit, down, or heel before playing with me or petting me. That does not mean I get any less play, treats, or pets. It just means I have to work to earn those things just like my humans have to work to earn the things they like.NILIF is a nonconfrontational way to show dominant dogs they're no longer in charge, and it helps anxious dogs build confidence as they come to understand what their people want. In multiple dog households, all the dogs follow the people's lead, so they are less likely to fight amongst themselves. It's also a good way to incorporate training practice into every day activities.

When I first arrived here, I wasn't thrilled about all the work suddenly expected of me, but now that I have gotten used to it, I am glad that I have people who I can trust to be in charge and take care of me.

Tagged Again

Hey Puppies! Hey! Codey here again. So Magnum tummy tagged Echo and then Echo tummy tagged me. You know how Magnum said he doen't like to show his tummy? Well that goes double for me. I do not like to show my tummy at all. In the spirit of the game, though, I did allow Foster Mom to take a picture of my tummy while I was on my side.

Then Dawkin came along and stepped on me. Do you see why we protect our tummies around here?

That brings me to the news Magnum told me to share. Dawkin, who you met briefly in a previous post, has come to live with us.

Dawkin is awaiting his lens replacement surgery and will stay here until he recovers. Right now he is mostly blind, which is part of the reason he steps on us. He also does it because he's a 1-year-old puppy who wants to play all the time. Here he is in a brief moment of repose using Magnum as a pillow.I prefer a Bailey pillow, but as a 2-year-old, I am naturally much more mature than Dawkin. Don't get me wrong, though, I like him a lot. While I was a little nervous about the big dogs living here, Dawkin busted in here and started playing with everyone, so then I saw that they were gentle pups living here and I started playing too. My foster humans say I'm still not good at sharing toys (Why would I share? They're all mine!) so the toys are out of reach for now. That's okay, we can find plenty of things to do, like wrestle, run, and dig.Dawkin wanted to play the tummy game too, and since he's the only one who actually shows his tummy, I guess it's okay.

Tummy Tagged

I have been tummy tagged by the Army of Four! Once tagged I am supposed to post photos of my tummy and tag three other bloggers. I do not really like to show my tummy because you never know when someone will step on you, but here are a couple poses of me requesting belly rubs.

I tag Indy, Echo, and Tasha&Eva. Woo!

Magaversary

Today is a happy day, Puppies. Today is the anniversary of my adoption day! In celebration of joining my family, I will share with you all the story of Magnum.

Long, long ago (three years ago) in a far off land (a two minute drive from here) I completed my Roads Scholarship and joined my foster family at MaPaw. Siberians are an adaptable breed and we do not have long memories, so I cannot tell you how I ended up on the road, but I can tell you it is not easy to find a comfy couch out there. I stayed with my foster mama and papa for two years waiting for someone to want me, but nobody did. I guess I was too big or too slow moving or too easy going. It is true I am not a typical Siberian. At MaPaw events, the junior volunteers helped me demonstrate how cuddly I am, but it was to no avail.Meanwhile, Mama and Papa wanted to foster homeless dogs and they heard about MaPaw from a neighbor who volunteers. Papa and Bailey had lived with a roommate who had a Siberian. Mama had lived with two Cairn Terriers, a Golden Retriever, a Rottweiler, and a Newfoundland, but never a Siberian. After Ananya turned one-year-old, Mama talked to the vet to get her thoughts about fostering. The vet advised Mama to get Bordatella vaccines for Bailey and Ananya and keep an eye out to make sure they did not get too stressed by all the foster dogs arriving and leaving.

After they began fostering, Mama and Papa kept hearing about a giant Husky. Other volunteers would learn that they live with two giant dogs and say, "Oh, you should meet our giant Husky, Magnum. He's been with MaPaw for two years." Of course they could not wait to meet me. They called my foster mama and papa and asked to meet the giant Husky. At first, they were not thinking about adopting me, they just wanted to take me for walks in the park with their foster dog, Chena, but then they got to know me for the fuzzy, cuddly boy that I am.

On May 12th, 2006, Mama and Papa walked to my foster home and took me for a walk that led to my new home. During my first week as a part of the family, we took a trip to the beach to celebrate. I bounced and played with my new big brother Bailey, who takes care of all the dogs here and my new baby sister Ananya, who is sweet and fluffy.


Mama and Papa saw my potential to be a wonderful representative of MaPaw success and took me to training class, where I learned Sit, Down, Stay, Come, and Heel. At the end of class I had an exam and earned a Canine Good Citizen title, making me Magnum, CGC.

After all that fun and hard work, I decided I wanted to help other dogs looking for homes and began volunteering for the rescue that once took care of me. Now I foster other homeless Huskies and help socialize them. Sometimes I go to events to educate people about my breed and about all the wonderful dogs of every breed who are looking for homes.I am glad I hung around waiting for the right family. My foster mama said she almost decided to keep me for herself, especially since no one else wanted me, but she is glad I have found a family with whom I can thrive and who lives close enough that she can visit often. Happy day for me!

Walk for Paws

Hey Puppies! Hey! Codey here guest blogging for the day. Magnum has been talking to me about listening to the people because they are the leaders of the pack. I'm not sold on that idea, but I'm willing to give it some thought. I have decided that the puppies who live here are fun and not nearly as scary as I originally thought. The water dish is still scary, but that's another issue.

I will say this for the people, they found some fun for us this weekend. Dawkin and I spent all day at the Walk for Paws hosted by the Chester County SPCA. We hung out with some other MaPaw foster dogs and a couple MaPaw success stories including Echo. Dawkin and I wore donation vests so people could make donations and pet us at the same time. Of course Dawkin had an advantage being mostly blind, but I got a good number of admirers as well. I jumped on people, barked a lot, and zoomed around like a psycho puppy to show everyone what it's like to live with a handsome Husky. Really, though, I was very sweet. Dawkin and I were both pretty tired when we got home.