We have 2 dogs and 3 cats except 3 think they are dogs. DD is part rottwieller and sheppard mix we got her from the pound as a puppy, and is my big baby. Sassie was my daughter's dog part collie, sheppard and husky mix, that she got from the pound thru a friend of hers that worked there, the poor thing was so skinny her ribs and back bone were showing. Her friend just knew that Merri could fatten her up, well with living in an apartment and having 2 kids of her own, sassie was to much for her to handle, so she asked if we would take her or she would have to go back to the pound and be put to sleep, you see sassie wouldn't eat enough to gain weight, I said sure, DD could use the company and we do have a huge back yard. Well it was a wild ride at first, she almost didn't make thru the first day at our house, she got protective of the dog dish and snapped at anything and anyone that even looked at or got close to the dish. I didn't really care for the dog to begin with and being snapped at wasn't helping and then to poop and pee in THE HOUSE was almost more than I could stand, I told sassie that she was going to learn some manners or else she would go back to the pound. (and yes I talk to animals like people). Anyway I asked DD to help me teach sassie the finer art of what the outdoors was for-she looked at me as if to say what did I do!!!! I said come on now lets go potty (she goes potty on command) I figured like most dogs sassie would have to go once she saw her new sister going potty and that she did it on command that she would also- well to make a long story shorter it took almost an hour before she pottied. (I had DD on a schedule because she use to ride with me for protection when we had our delivery business and it meant that she go potty when I needed her to. I know that probably doesn't sound fair but I use to travel up and down the I-5 corrider between Portland and Seattle and that is 165 miles 5 days a week each direction and I couldn't stop all the time to let her go potty.) She was real easy to train. We ate at the same time and I let her stretch her legs and go potty before I did, she learned all this rather rapidly and was such a dear about it to and still is, anyway sassie was proving to be more than a handful, she finally got the idea that when we first went outside that it was indeed time to go the bathroom and not to play first, there was time for that afterwards. Well I am one that rewards for jobs well done and before long sassie caught onto the fact that if she went outside and squatted and I saw it she would get a treat. Before long I was out of treats, I had forgotten to get more at the store-well sassie had gone potty outside and came in to get her treat I told her I had to go to the store we were out of treats and she started to howl and piddled on the floor. Well that didn't make me happy at all and I said out, out, out!!!! Well not only did she go out but so did DD she also thought she was in the doghouse-poor thing. Well I cleaned up the mess and went to the store to get more biscuts. I took DD with me and told sassie her punishment was no ride for piddling in the house well she was pouting big time by the time DD and I got back home. I asked her if she learned anything and she hung her head in shame, so I said OK before we go in the house for the nite both of you go potty and not just pee either. Well sassie went straight to the middle of the yard and took one great big poop and came running to me and went running back to where she did her duty to make sure I saw it. I told her what a good baby she was and she started to howl til I gave her a biscut. We have now had her 7 years and yes still regresses sometimes, she is still somewhat protective of the dog dishes, but no more snapping - withheld treats as punishment. She is now over weight and DD has lost most of her fat, sassie still keeps her busy running circles around her.
Like I said in the first line we also have 3 cats one of which thinks she is a dog. We have (halfpint)was told she was 6 months old when we got her (hence her name), more like 6 weeks and that she had all of her shots. We got her from an aquaintance at a local bar near our house where we use to party at in our drinking days. Well this woman told me that she was moving out of state (she didn't) and that she couldn't take the cat, well I am sucker for strays and said I would take her. She was and still is a beautiful calico cat. When I took her to the vets for a checkup, I asked the vet how old do you think she is and he said about 6-9 weeks old I said are you sure the lady I got her from said she was 6 month. He showed me her teeth and said see she still has baby teeth. I said then we need all her shots cause now I don't believe she has had any- will it be bad for her to have more shots if she has already had them and he said no but you can wait for a couple more weeks if it make you feel better and I said I trust you. Well she is now 22 pounds and is no longer a halfpint but the name is cast in stone so to speak. Then we have Little Dog, got her as a kitten from our old neighbors when their mother cat up and quit nursing her, she also is a calico only long haired and is our 3rd dog/cat. She goes to the bathroom with the big dogs out in the middle of the yard on command also it is really funny to see and people tell me that no animal goes to the bathroom on command let alone a cat so I say ok I'll prove it and my babies don't let mom down even if they have just done their duty. Everyone that sees it marvels. Then we have Samantha or as the Captain calls her wilcox she is an orange morris type cat that our daughter gave us, she is the captain cat, she doesn't care for women unless they are letting her outside or feeding her. halfpint and sam aka wilcox are both box trained and outside unless it is raining and then they can be outside for hours and run in and go potty in the box. Little Dog is strickly an outdoor potty cat can't get her near let alone in a cat box. The other cats pick on her if they think mom is'nt looking. Kids got to keep an eye on them 24/7. They are jealous of each other. I asked the vet about this and he said calicos are notorious for being hi strung but that long haired calicos are more so. I will put pics on as soon as I figure out how to do it. The reason for this post is that sassie and Little Dog were outside with me as I was doing yard work and when I was preparing to come in the house they were pacing back and forth in front of me-like well are you done yet, I told them give me a minute will you. Well sassie sat down rather hard and Little Dog jumped on the railing with I kid you not looks of ya right a minute sure. I started laughing at them and they started pacing again so I guess you know the won and in the house we came. You all know about our babies now not that you wanted to but what can I say I love my four legged babies they are a lot of company and funny also.
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