Iceberg Ziggy is Melting

Yesterday morning Ziggy finally relented and suddenly he and Kaylee were rolling around on the floor like best pals. Must have lasted a good 5 minutes. It hasn't happened since but he lets her lay next to him and he licks her, lets her lick him. SHe likes to clean his ears the way Luna used to clean Rocket's. It's just great!

I managed to take some video of it.

Short House Update

It's not that Kaylee has caused work to stop on the house. For me there is nothing to do but mow the grass there. Hal has been on the roof of the bedroom wing joining the small gable to the main roof. Plus it's been raining a lot and it's hard to get anything done. He is hopefully getting some good work done today because the next 10 days show nothing but rain or thunderstorms every single day! It's usually dry in August but not this year and so far September is looking worse.

Here are closeups of the purlins and blocking he has been installing this past week.

blocking where the flashing will attach

the many short purlins attaching the gables to each other

Ziggy Plays Rough!!

He decided to chase Kaylee around today and this time she didn't run far away, but it was really one sided. Every time Ziggy caught up he flipped her. Must have happened 3 times or more before she had enough and hid between my legs. He's got close to a 50 pound weight advantage so it's going to be a couple months before she has the confidence and the weight to enjoy that game.

But she's really good at entertaining herself. I fill the little ball with puppy food and she rolls it around eating her way merrily around the room, or in this case the hallway. But when no more comes out, she lets me know it!

A little more Tolerant?

Just snapped these photos tonight. There was no growling though there has been a lot all day long, as usual.

A Pup Update

Took Kaylee for her second set of shots yesterday. She now weighs 18 pounds, almost 6 more than when I got her and she's getting taller. She still has a bit of coccidia and  now has a urinary tract infection, so she's being treated for both. Sometimes I get to sleep 4 whole hours before she want to go outside. Potty training is going well. She rings jingle bells hung on the front door knob when she wants to go out though for some strange reason she's decided to pee on the deck 3 times today rather than go down into the grass. I did find a small puddle by the front door tonight though, the main door was open so the bells were not obvious to her. I'll have to hang some from the storm door now.

Ziggy took a nip out of her this morning when she tried for the bone he was chewing on, though they've been trading it back and off for 3 days. I had to intervene, Ziggy knows he did wrong. (No, I don't beat his butt, but he knows I was unhappy with him. I took the bone away for most of the day.) Tonight though he was eating that bone and she sidled over to him and started cleaning his ear and he did not take offense. Photo isn't great as they were facing away from me, but hopefully the tide is turning.

didn't quite catch the actual cleaning, but they are close

More Kaylee Photos

Not much new to report. Kaylee has been going to the front door and whining or ringing the bells I have hanging there to go outside. But sometime tonight neither Hal nor I noticed he making the giant pee spot in the same place in the kitchen she used a few days ago. Apparently, the odor eliminator stuff I have is too old and is ineffective. I couldn't find anything at the local Meijer grocery store last week so I will have to check Wal-Mart next.

In the meantime, Ziggy is barking at her now more than growling at her. I hope that is a good sign. She is still trying to get him to play and wants to lay next to him, sometimes he allows it, within reason, whatever his reasons are. Here are some of the latest photos.

She digs holes under the deck like Ziggy does

Kaylee in her hole

Kaylee has been discovering water is her friend. Here she is in the front half of what I have named "Rocket's Pool". He used to lay in the back half and Luna in the front. (There is a small downed cedar tree spitting the pool in half.) After Rocket died she took over the back half and Ziggy the front though he never laid in it like my Rocket and Luna did. I wonder how long it will take Kaylee to decide to lay down in it, too. Probably as soon as she discovers she likes mud.

Kaylee has discovered the swamp

She throws herself against the door when she wants in

This last picture happened tonight. Kaylee was there first. I wasn't watching but when I looked again there was Ziggy, too. She was still there when he lay down so maybe there is hope they will be friends eventually.

Under the deck yet again

She'll Play with Anything

Tonight Kaylee was tearing up a pee pad, which is about the only use they've ever gotten by her. 

She has ropes and balls, and chew toys and a grunting hedgehog she seems to love as much as Luna loved hers. But one of her favorite things is plastic bottles. She particularly likes milk jugs. Here's a video.

I thought the Ziggy-Kaylee Relationship was Better

But last night while she was on her back, playing with her hanging rope toy, Ziggy went a bit ballistic at her, snarling, bearing teeth, not good. I put him outside. I didn't let him in until she took herself off to her crate for a nap. After he spent some time on my recliner with me. She spent the night napping in her crate so there were no more incidents

Otherwise Ziggy is very needy, staring at me, following me around, things he never really used to do. Yesterday I took both pups to the build site, tied her in the shaded garage and he just hung around with the shock collar on. It was about 83 degrees, sunny and he starts following me around the yard while I was mowing the fields. Crazy, his tongue hanging out, panting, a black dog walking behind my riding mower. I had to make him lay down. He chose to leap back into the car so I had to pull it all the way in to the garage to get him into the shade. Kaylee just laid around waiting for me to take them walking.

I'm really unsure how to proceed to fix this, assuming it can be fixed and it must be fixed because getting rid of either dog is not an option. I have decided that from now on when she naps in her crate and I am not walking Ziggy alone, etc he will also have to stay in the same room with her. Whether it helps remains to be seen. After 2 weeks I was hoping for more harmony. wish I could remember how long it took Rocket to like Luna. Luna seeme to adore Ziggy from the beginning. Maybe it's a guy thing to hate the new puppy?

Resource Guarding

I have a problem. Ziggy is becoming more aggressive toward Kaylee. He started collecting the 2 toys he used to play with but hasn't touched in months but that she has been playing with. He is growling and baring his teeth. He was doing it when she got near Hal. I looked it up, this can get nasty. So I'm trying to use the advice I'm reading about and feeding Ziggy really tasty treats when he gets near her. I had them sitting right next to each other and fed him hard salami. I probably need to find something with less salt, but it's what I had. They say this reconditioning can take weeks and ALL the sites I read said I should consult a behaviorist. That isn't going to happen around here.

I've also taken the little chicken and duck toy and put them up on a table. They are not getting them back until further notice.

This is turning into a nightmare.

Do I even want to get into the raccoon fights Ziggy had yesterday and today? His aggression is definitely getting worse. (and yes, he is up to date on his rabies shot which is good because the big one did bite hm on the lip yesterday. (yes, I also called and talked to the emergency vet).

I need a xanax.

The Garden Hose

Ziggy hates the garden hose. So did Luna. But in summer time when the dogs rolled in crap out it came along with doggie shampoo. Like today, Ziggy found something foul to roll in. Fortunately, Kaylee didn't have a chance to join him. He'd probably have chased her away anyway, he still is avoiding her and growling and snapping when she approaches.

So when we got home from our afternoon walk, Ziggy had a bath in the driveway and tried to escape several times. Kaylee, on the other hand, tried to get right into the mix and snap at the water. Rocket used to like the hose. It looks like Kaylee might, too. I will have to try a sprinkler tomorrow and see what happens!

It's Been Hectic

I thought I would post this yesterday but Kaylee is becoming a little maniac. She got diarrhea yesterday and I took her to the vet in Lincoln this morning. Coccidia. She's on a liquid to control the parasite and a pill to stiffen up the poo. She's feeling better, and is eating like a horse.The last 2 days she'd been eating a lot less. Today I can't seem to stop her eating.  Right now she is wrestling with a fake lambswool dog bed. Here are some photos from her arrival Tuesday and today, Thursday.

July 31

Coming home

Ziggy avoiding Kaylee

a few cheap dollar store toys

August 2

I'm a little worried that Ziggy still growls at her and doesn't really want anything to do with Kaylee. I hope he wasn't liking being an only dog and this is just temporary. But he is 7.5 years old. Luna was only 5 when I got him. Fingers crossed things will improve soon.

a little closer but not buddies yet

 She learned to climb stairs yesterday but is getting better today.

Up towards the deck

relaxing before more mayhem