As of right now, I would not recommend him going to a home with kids under six. Even though Jake is a lot like Dudley in some ways, I think Jake has some "stubborn streaks". This morning after we came back from the pet supply store, and then I put some Neosporin on him, he was sitting next to the window looking out. I went up to him and roughhoused with him to test him. He tolerated it. When he got up trying to get away, and I wouldn't let him, he didn't growl, but his lips were curled back. Maybe he will be less "stubborn" when there's less testosterone in him in a few months (we think Dudley was neutered when he was a puppy, because he squats down to urinate, but Jake always lifts his leg).
When Jake rides in the car with me, he doesn't try to get into the front seats, but stays in the back with no tethering. He doesn't even stick his nose between the front seats. If the window's open too wide, sometimes he does stick his head out very far. I have to remember keeping the windows up so he wouldn't be able to jump out. He definitely loves to get into the car though.
Last night I was at school for two hours using the computer, I left him in the crate by the window, and I had the audio recorder on. He didn't make a sound the entire two hours.
Last night I was getting ready to go to sleep but was watching TV with the light off. I had his bed next to my bed, and the crate on the other side of the room with the door open. He went into the crate a couple times, but decided to sleep on his bed right next to me. Before I turned off the TV, I put him back in the crate and closed the door, because I wanted to wait a few days to make sure he's fully housetrained.
Poor Jake only ate one can of wet food mixed with equal amount of rice yesterday morning, then spent the rest of the day having diarrhea every two hours. But I did find out that Jake loves to play fetch. He would bring the ball back and very gently place it on my hand and wait for the next throw (or roll on the floor, as I live on the second floor). And last night I decided Jake's housetrained, so I left the crate door open. I had to wake up in the middle of the night twice to let him poop, but otherwise he did fine.
Yesterday Jake spent more time on his bed than in the crate, but today he is staying in the crate mostly (maybe because he doesn't feel so well), but when Sam got on his bed, Jake would rush out and lie down on it. I need to go back to Sam's house to get his own bed. I know I have complained about Sam's pulling on the leash before, but it's nothing compare to Jake's, now I have them together. Also, when Sam first got here, he was sniffing at Jake's toys, which were near his bed. Jake half growled/grunted. I don't know if it's toward the toys or the bed. But I put the toys away immediately.
Obedience training wise, Jake is automatically sitting for me to put his leash on and open the front door, only about half of the time right now though. Also, I think he finally has connected the word "Down" with the action, but still only doing it half of the time right now. I think right now he thinks "Stay" means "Sit" also, but I'm sure he'll learn the true meaning of the word in no time.
Friday, July 1, 2005
Jake finally stopped pooping yesterday around noon. And after that, he started sleeping on his bed, outside of his crate, more again. But he still goes in the crate from time to time. But when Samson tries to get on Jake's bed, Jake would rush out and lie on it.
Also, when we were getting back in the apartment after a potty-break walk, Jake and Sam both went up to the water bowl in the living room. Jake got there first, and when Sam went up to the bowl as Jake was drinking, Jake gave him his half growl/grunt sound. Sam backed off. I think Jake's the dominant one of the two. So I petted Sam while Jake finished drinking. Then I took Sam up to the water bowl. But he wouldn't drink out of it. So I put out another water bowl for him in the kitchen. Now Jake drinks out of both bowls, but Sam only drinks out of the one in the kitchen.
Yesterday afternoon I microchipped Jake. Then Jake and Sam and I went to the local Humane Society to borrow their chip scanner to make sure I did it right. I left Sam in the car and only took Jake inside. He was very excited of course.
Jake does not guard his food or bowl or toy if it's just lying around, but he does seem to be a little protective of "his" stuff. If his adoptive parents already have another dog, they should know how to prevent this situation from happening, and know how to deal with it if it does.
While we were taking the 20-minute walk yesterday, and also this morning around the apartment, Jake would shake his head a lot when we get near freshly cut grass. So far he's not itching or licking anywhere else though.
He's licking his incision site more yesterday and today. I'm going to put some anti-itch spray on his shaved area like Janet suggested.
I also gave Jake and Sam each three pieces of treats from Natural Choice semi-moist food roll. Both of them liked that very much.
In the car driving back, Sam mounted Jake (Sam was neutered when he was one), but Jake just stood there and ignored him and let him do it.
Yesterday morning I decided to switch Jake to only Nutro Chicken, Rice, and Oatmeal for Sensitive Stomach for both dry and wet food. I want to keep him on one food with simple ingredients until he has firm stool, then figure out what caused his diarrhea. He's still allowed a couple doggie biscuits and dried beef tripe chew treats, and both Jake and Sam each ate two pieces of tripe and two biscuits last night. I left a bowl of Nutro Chicken next to the water bowl in the living room, and a bowl of Sam's Kibbles and Bits next to the water bowl in the kitchen. Neither dog ate any of the food. So last night I mixed Sam's food with some wet food and he ate that. Then I grabbed a few kibbles of Nutro Chicken and started hand-feeding it to Jake. As I was giving it to him, Sam came over to see what's going on, and both Jake's nose and Sam's nose were sniffing the kibbles on the palm of my hand, and Jake growled at Sam. This was definitely a growl, because Jake's lips curled up a little. So I used my fingers, and gave one kibble to Sam, and one kibble to Jake, and did that back and forth until all the kibbles in the bowl were gone. They were sitting bout two feet apart, on either side of me, when I hand-fed them back and forth, and Jake did not growl as I was doing this.