Just a short one but as the local storms passed over we got a bit of a
mini-shock!

Sammy is terrified of storms! Now, this gentleman is 17 years old and maybe
I'm wrong thinking but dogs get over that pretty fast. So last 2 days we've
had rain and all sorts of mayhem plus jets flying overhead to the US Navy
ships (We love Jets, means $ to the local economy).

Comes about 2am. There's a wet nose in my face and shivvering. Groggily I
awake. 'Gotta go pee?' nope. Just cowering. Cash comes out, yawning and
looking sleepy. Floops down. Thunder cracks and Sammy almost jumps on the
table.

Humm. Lets see, don't want to reinforce this behavior. Since am already
calm (i just wanna go back to sleep and so does Cash), we contemplated.

Daisy solved it. She jumped down from where she was on the sofa with me and
scratced his butt. I swear she timed it just right as a thunderbolt hit.
He landed on the sofa with me and I told him 'bedtime, NOW' with a big
toothly yawn.

He did look a little sheepish in the morning.

Hehe reality, the fact that I was so unconcerned about it all, is what I
suspect settled him in?

"cshenk" said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Humm. Lets see, don't want to reinforce this behavior.

It worked out well. But at 17 years old, don't worry about
reinforcing any of Sammy's behaviours. Coddle the old guy.

--
--Matt.

On Fri, 1 Oct 2010 20:21:37 -0400, "cshenk" wrote:

Sammy is terrified of storms! Now, this gentleman is 17 years old and maybe
I'm wrong thinking but dogs get over that pretty fast. So last 2 days we've

How's his eyesight? As Kanyak approached that age, first his lateral
vision went and then the rest of his sight increasingly deteriorated.
This made him rely even more on scent and sound and I noticed that he
became much more sensitive to both, but especially to the latter.

--
Bob
http://www.kanyak.com

"Matt" wrote
"cshenk" said

Humm. Lets see, don't want to reinforce this behavior.

It worked out well. But at 17 years old, don't worry about
reinforcing any of Sammy's behaviours. Coddle the old guy.

Hehe I did. He slept the night on the sofa with me in Daisy's normal spot.
Kinda between by feet and knees. Daisy just sniffed and moved up to my
tummy and went back to sleep so I guess Sammy just slept with the cat for
the first time we'd caught here (grin, he slept with the cats at the fosters
too so this isn't suprising).

"Opinicus" wrote
"cshenk" wrote:

Sammy is terrified of storms! Now, this gentleman is 17 years old and
maybe
I'm wrong thinking but dogs get over that pretty fast. So last 2 days
we've

How's his eyesight? As Kanyak approached that age, first his lateral
vision went and then the rest of his sight increasingly deteriorated.
This made him rely even more on scent and sound and I noticed that he
became much more sensitive to both, but especially to the latter.

His eyesight is 'ok enough' with no problems noticable indoors. Best I can
tell, he seems to lack distance vision and maybe some aspects of side vision
when outdoors seem worse? I don't really know how to judge such things but
he seems mostly to follow a voice if you are at the distant end of the
backyard and doesn't react to a tossed toy unless you are within about 15
feet and he's looking right at you. Indoors, he seems to not have any
problems but then he's apt to be no more than 5 feet away at a 'side vision'
issue and not more than 10 at long ways for the most part.

His hearing appears perfect and if there is any loss of acuity in scenting,
I can't tell it.

He's been tested 6 months ago for glaucoma and diabetes with clean tests on
both but when we setup his vet care set with our vet, we asked for both
again then diabetes check each visit with annual eye pressure test. He also
gets bone density tests and other things suggested as good for a pooch of
his age.

He actually saw his new vet briefly as I took Cash in to borrow the weigh
machine and wanted to check Sammy as well. (Cash, 51.5 after just taking a
major 'dump' and Sammy 34.7). Vet came over to take a peek and a very
general look as he picked up the next 'patient' and said he looks happy,
healthy, and a good weight. He held out his hand and did the 'gimme a paw'
thing and Sammy it turns out knows that one. He did a brief toothcheck and
said he'd probably had a recent dental and cursory look didn't show a need
for another yet but he'd check more closely at appointment time.

On 2 Oct 2010 02:54:16 GMT, Matt wrote:

"cshenk" said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Humm. Lets see, don't want to reinforce this behavior.

It worked out well. But at 17 years old, don't worry about
reinforcing any of Sammy's behaviours. Coddle the old guy.

What he said.

And coddle the old guy when there's not a storm in sight too.

--
Dogman

"Dogman" wrote
Matt wrote:
"cshenk" said

Humm. Lets see, don't want to reinforce this behavior.

It worked out well. But at 17 years old, don't worry about
reinforcing any of Sammy's behaviours. Coddle the old guy.

What he said.
And coddle the old guy when there's not a storm in sight too.

Hehe you think I won't? I'm already peeking at winter 'coats'! The one I
have for Cash doubles as a harness but you just don't do up the buckles if
he's just using it to run out to the backyard and pee or something. Sammy
has thicker fur and the sort that looks like it would trap alot of cold
water if given a chance. Looking about at some.

http://www.petco.com/product/111492/...-for-Dogs.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Gear-.../dp/B000MAQ9XA

http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/Appa...-p7690481.html

http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/Appa...-p7690479.html

Hehehe. Probably get the first one. His current harness when needed for
longer walks, can adjust to fit right over it. Generally though in sleet or
rain, we skip the long walks and do indoor stuff. Sammy mostly just watches
in dignified amusement but now and again, he tucks a paw in and plays like a
puppy for a bit.

Although there is no active intent to train Sammy, there's a daily
'something' just to keep Cash happy and Sammy seems to enjoy watching and
sometimes partakes. This afternoon it was our version of a yard maze. The
new wood for winter just came in so we laid out a sort of pattern. This one
they can see all over the top of and doesn't have any 'climb under' parts.

Sammy stepped up on a log first thing and Cash just sorta soft wuffed as if
chuckling then started walking between them trying to figure the way thru.
Sammy watched him sniff his own back trail then try a new lead and stepped
off his log to follow Cash. He was obviously curious to see what was going
on. Grin, about 10 mins and Cash lead Sammy through to the treats we had as
we sat at the end waiting. Classic was Sammy looking back at the maze and
'soft whuff, shake of head' "what crazy but fun 2foots!".

He's currently napping with Cash and Daisy on the pet sofa. He just had his
first taste of coagulated pig blood with pig hearts and bits of other porky
goodness. He sat there amazed as Daisy first washed Cash's muzzle up then
his. He was more polite than Cash and didn't give her a whole head lick to
mess up her 'do'. (Delicate lick to the ear was what I saw but Don says he
licked her nose too). I must say he was neater at eating it than Cash by
far (snicker). When I call dinner now, a week after Sammy came to be with
us, he gets *very excited* (for him). I'm drifting his morning wet down
because it doesn't suit our timing but he's got the idea that night meal is
far more than a handful of kibble and some cold 'wet from a can out of the
fridge'.

Ok, I fess up. I don't think it's in me to NOT coddle a pet. Sue me! ;-)
I try to be careful when and how though to not reinforce any negative
things.