(Whisp and Cally playing. Photo taken 6Sept2006)
("Psst Rainy can I tell you something?" Whisp and Rain 17Sept2006)
Milestones and Learning Process
Whisp's first milestone was coming home to my pack at the age of 11 weeks and 2 days of age on 14 August 2006: Rain 90# 2.5 year old female Doberman mobility Service Dog; SmokeyHaze 7 year old 13# male mini schnauzer; and Cally 6# soon to be 9 year old female in house Service Dog Chihuahua.
(Whisp using her front paws like hands. Photo taken 17Sept2006)
I have noticed something unusual. Something that I have not seen in any of the dogs that have share their lives with me. Whisp, being very strong and lithe is able to stand on her hind legs and pull her front legs up and back and spreads the toes of her paws much like a cat. She uses the toes of her front paws much like human fingers, flexing them to hold onto objects as well as using her dew claws to assist her, and spreading them wide like a human hand. Her dew claws assist her in maintaining her hold as she climbs, as well because they also flex as her toes flex.
31 August 2006, today I watched Whisp on the cypress mulched switch back, a winding path way down a steep hill in the back yard, check out the small river rock terracing below. She wouldn't jump down to any of the rocks but rather would reach a front paw down to see if she could touch the rock she was interested in. If she couldn't touch it she didn't attempt to climb down on to it. If she could touch it she would immediately climb down onto it.
2 September 2006, today Whisp was jumping down on river rocks in the terracing that only two days earlier she wouldn't attempt. She is gaining confidence daily.
4 September 2006, Whisp went up the wooden open back deck steps to the wheelchair landing for the very first time.
6 September 2006, Today Whisp scared the beejeebers out of me. She had climbed up on the couch and suddenly leaped off onto the hard wood floor
14 September 2006, Our first emergency veterinary appointment for Whisp. She was outside with Cally and SmokeyHaze and was probably playing 'mountain goat' and fell, hitting her head (see "Adventures and Mishaps). She didn't receive any permanent injury but has a new healthy respect for the edge of the couch or other high places and is no longer leaping off high things like the couch, choosing instead to use the footstool as the other Chihuahuas do.
( Lily, 6# cream colored spayed female, 11+ years old, Chihuahua rescue)17September2006, a "used", nearly 12 year old cream colored 6# female Chihuahua was added to Whisp's pack...her name was Lily but I've added a front name to it making it SurpriseLily as she was a surprise. In case you hadn't noticed all my critters have two names - Rain's name is RainbowMist. Lily's owners are now both dead and she was left in that empty house now up for sale and was bound for the dog pound if no one took her. Whisp is getting to know Lily and ignores Lily's snarking at her and all the other dogs.
This brings up a very important thing for folks with pets to think about...if something were to happen to you how is your beloved pet going to be cared for?
In Lily's case a friend of the remaining dying owner, promised to give Lily a home. Upon the death of Lily's owner that friend took Lily but her daughter's dog didn't tolerate Lily so the friend dropped Lily off at her original home, now up for sale and being shown. Lily had lived in that house for several weeks, basically alone, before I found out and brought Lily home...to her forever home here with me and my pack. Lily was due to go to the dog pound where she would have been euthanized, when the executor of the estate returned in October if no one had taken her. Lily had had a lot of loss in her life and then virtually abandoned. This should have NEVER happened!!
So I urge you all to think about what will happen to your pets if something happens to you and you can no longer care for them...we all need to make plans for our pets, now while we can.
...okay so now I'll climb off my soap box and get back to talking about Whisp's milestones :)
15 September 2006, When it was afternoon nap time for the dogs they lay in a heap on the couch. For the first time little Whisp joined the heap. She climbed up on Cally using her and SmokeyHaze as a mattress and Rain's rump as a back rest. They all slept snuggled like that for about 2 hours.
26 September 2006, Whisp, using the telephone directory below the chair along side my bed, climbed up onto the bed all by herself, using her front paws like hands she flexed her "fingers" including her dew claws and pulled herself right on up.
27 September 2006, For the first time Whisp jumped up into her crate on her own. The door to her crate was nearly closed and it sits on top of Lily's 14" tall crate, set so the backs of the crates are even leaving a lip or landing place for Whisp at her crate door. She is very cat like and light on her feet. One moment she was on the floor and poof! she was suddenly going into her own little crate.
28 September 2006, Whisp again jumped into her crate for rest and a chew on a chewie toy after running around like a crazy dog for nearly 2 hours. She slept a bit then came out and took up playing where she had left off. This is a first for little Whisp.
6 October 2006, Whisp now easily climbs up onto my bed using the phonebook to chair route but still will not attempt to get down off the bed, tho she leaps up and down off the couch using the footstool or the towel covered box with great ease. Her fall during her 'mountain goat' adventure certainly has stuck in her memory.
8 October 2006, this morning Whisp, using the phone books along side my bed, jumped up on the chair as easily as could be....she is magical! She still is unwilling to get off my bed by herself, for which I am thankful.
9 October 2006, a valuable lesson was learned today. I was in the kitchen making spring rolls which caused me to be in the kitchen longer than usual and Whisp and Lily came in during that time. I accidentally stepped on Whisp's toes - she squeaked and left the kitchen immediately. Lily stayed under foot but Whisp didn't return. After checking Whisp's paws there was no obvious injury nor limping but she sure learned not to be in the kitchen under foot.
14 October 2006, well it's been exactly one month since Whisp's 'mountain goat' lesson and she has yet to jump off the couch...good girl! She also, like the others (except Lily) stay out of the kitchen when I am working in there...again, good girl!
18 October 2006, I knew it would be too good to last...Whisp has gotten brave enough to now get down off my bed by herself. Thankfully she has opted to use the phone books below the chair, along side the bed, to make her travel up and down safer. She doesn't need anymore headers to the floor.
25 October 2006, today Whisp was spayed and micro chipped. Whisp was purchased as a companion pet, not show potential, and part of the purchase agreement was that she would be spayed. This is a non issue with me as all my dogs are spayed and neutered for their health. Her little bed is all made up with clean soft toys to snuggle as she recooperated.
Last week, 16 October 2006, Whisp went in for her pre-op exam including blood work and weighed in at 2 lbs 9 ozs! She also got her vaccinations and developed a shot reaction at the injection site which was examined today by the vet. Today Whisp weighed in at ...drum roll please....3 lbs 1 oz !!
29 October 2006, This afternoon was Whisp's first real freedom from her crate since her surgery. Her incision is healing nicely and she isn't licking or bother the stitches at all. She is getting back to being regular, the first few times were ouchy for her as she cried. He appetite has also returned and she is fast and active as ever. I've removed the footstool and towel covered box to keep her off the couch unless I put her up there while I can supervise her. I also removed the phonebooks near the bed for the same reason.
4 November 2006, this morning I took out Whisp's spaying stitches...all three of them. She lay on her back and didn't even squeak when I pulled them free after snipping them. What a good puppy. I give tons of credit to her breeder, Kim Kincaid, for all the socialization and handling that Whisp got before she came to live with me. Kim had clipped her nails and bathed her twice and it shows. I have no problem at all clipping Whisp's nails. She sits nicely as I clip the front nails and lies on her back cradled along my ribs and left forearm while I clip her back nails. So snipping and pulling her stitches wasn't an issue for Whisp. Whisp also now has access again to the couch and bed....she is taking full advantage of both and enjoying herself.
17 December 2006, yesterday was a first for Whisp....I heard Whisp had something hard in her teeth and asked her what she had in her mouth. I had expected that she would drop what ever it was and run off or just run off with what ever it was still in her mouth. She did neither. Whisp came right to me and I put my hand down and she put the object in my hand. WOW! She has been paying attention to Rain and Cally getting things for me. I immediately gave Whisp a treat and lots of praise.
I have tried unsuccessfully to get Whisp retrieving by tossing a stuffed toy. She would run and take the toy to Rain's big dog bed and then dance off. With Whisp bringing me an object, then putting it in my hand she seems to have completely skipped the basic retrieving stuff that both Cally and Rain did before they got to this step.
Today Whisp again brought me an object, a piece of paper, and placed in my hand looking for the treat she knew would follow. Good little Whisp:)
13 January 2007. Learning Process: Whisp learns about barking.
Whisp does not bark in the house when someone comes to the door when the other dogs all bark nor does she bark outside. Whisp has learned that if she says "buff, buff" the others will come running to see what she is alerting to. She is a very observant little dog and quite aware of her surroundings, she just hasn't seen the need to bark.
Whisp loves to watch TV, especially the ones with animals, be they in ads or on PBS. Anyway, this afternoon Whisp was watching a PBS program about Cheetahs and saw a herd of spotted deer grazing. She watched very intently then began to bark very loudly. The grazing spotted deer stopped grazing, their heads and tails went up and they began to run away. Whisp leaped off the couch running toward the TV barking loudly as she "chased" those spotted deer right out of sight. It was just too funny!! When Whisp was sure the deer were indeed gone she came back up on the couch and settled in once again on my lap. Rain had awakened during this barking episode, looked at Whisp, looked at the TV (Rain loves to watch TV also but it was her nap time), groaned and went back to her nap. Whisp remained "glued" to the TV and continue to chase more animals away...keeping us all safe LOL!! None of the other dogs even looked to see what Whisp was barking at.
16 January 2007. Learning Process: Whisp begs for the first time.
Since Whisp's agility class on the 14th I have stayed home. The weather has not been good. We got a snow storm on Monday the 15th and the temps fell and we had dangerous wind chills, 25-35 degrees below zero, in the morning of the 16th. I had an errand that I had to run and due to the dangerous wind chills decided that it wasn't safe for me to even take Rain, my Service Dog with me in case of an accident or sliding off the roadway due to black ice. I would have enough keeping me safe and surviving such an event and did not want to worry about the survival of my Service Dog too. Rain knew she wasn't going with me because I did not take off the mini horse coat she wears in the house in preparation of getting her "dressed" in her soft harness for work - a sure sign to her that she is staying home.
As I was getting ready, donning my layered winter clothing, Whisp came running over and jumping up and down began to cry and whimper. She wanted so much to come with me. This is the first time that Whisp had begged about anything, including food. Needless to say her begging didn't do a thing for her, though it did pull my heart strings. Whisp, like Rain, stayed home for their own safety.
24 January 2007. Learning Process: Whisp learns about haircuts.
SmokeyHaze', mini schnauzer, coat had "gotten out of control". I had not stayed up on his grooming and took him to the groomers. I have been grooming Smokey all of his life except for two visits to the groomer when his coat had gotten matted. He is such a sweet boy and waggled his tail at all he saw in Petsmart. I had swallowed my pride and the trip to the groomer would let me start with a clean slate, so to speak.
Rain and I went to get Smokey a couple hours later and his face still looked like a schnauzer but the rest of his was shaved. He looked so cute. Rain has watched me wash and dry Smokey, she has watched me groom Smokey at home...but not all in one day. Rain waggled all over when she saw her boy and smelled him all over. Smokey was still waggling as we left the store.
When we got home, after Smokey and Rain and a little time outside to take care of business, I let Smokey in . Suddenly Whisp was giving a rapid alert bark...a first! She didn't know who that strange dog was that came into her house and she was letting everyone know, LOL!!
I called Smokey up on the couch. Cally and Rain joined us as did Whisp, but Whisp barked every time Smokey looked at her. He didn't smell like Smokey, he certainly didn't look like her boy Smokey and Whisp was letting all of us know that there was a strange dog sitting on the couch. It didn't take long before Whisp climbed down from the back of the couch to get a real close look and a good sniff before she acknowledged that that was in fact SmokeyHaze, her boy, and she kissed his face and checked his eyes for eye goobers.
9 February 2007 Learning Process: Whisp shows creative thinking
Tonight after finishing my dinner, a single serving food item in a plastic tray cooked in the micro wave, I let Cally begin the cleaning of the dish. Cally is very good at this task. As there was cooked on cheese Cally brought the dish back to me when she was finished cleaning it as well as she could. I noted that there was still some stuck on cheese that Cally wasn't able to get. Whisp asked if she could take a try at it and I held the dish for her. As Cally does, Whisp immediately put her foot in the foot dish to help hold it still while she tried to scrape off the stuck on cheese with her little teeth. When Whisp couldn't get the food off the dish she did something I have never seen or have a dog do....I've had lots of dogs, very smart dogs....but none have ever done what Whisp did. I'll get to it in a second.
Cally does tricks to get treats, one of the tricks is "diggy diggy" which she does on command. SmokeyHaze has picked up the trick and will also do it on command. When those two are doing "diggy diggy" Whisp will sometimes join in as they all dig really fast on the blanket. Up until now it has only been a trick, a command with a trick.
Now back to Whisp and the food dish. Try as she might she couldn't get the stuck on cheese off with her teeth so she suddenly began to do "diggy diggy" on the stuck on food. She scraped some off, cleaned her toes, licked the dish of the particles she got loose and then did "diggy diggy" again until she had completely cleaned the dish of all stuck on food, licking her toes clean when finished.
This absolutely amazed me. I have never ever seen a dog uses its claws to scrape stuck on food from anything, then clean its claws, then clean the dish of the particles that were scraped loose continuing until the dish was completely clean. Whisp was actually using her claws as a tool! ....what in the world will this little dog do next?!!
Whisp is MAGICAL!!!
