Herding Geese

Kozmo was happy to go to his lake again over the weekend. It is so amazing to me that he was so unsure of swimming the first time I tried to get him in the water, and now a month later I can't keep him out of the water. Every time Kozmo goes to the lake he learns something new and is more and more comfortable in the water.

Sunday morning I wasn't quite ready to jump in but Kozmo was ready to swim. I let him get in and started throwing his tennis ball. Usually releasing the ball or toy isn't Kozmo's strong suit but he started dropping the ball close enough that with a stick I could get the ball back to throw it again without getting in the water. This is a real milestone for Kozmo. I was happy to be warm and dry, enjoying a cup of coffee while Kozmo was having fun in the water.

I wish I had captured another one of Kozmo's adventures with video. It is amazing to watch him figure things out. He kept dropping his ball along the shore and it would roll under a wood pallet on the shore line. Kozmo was smart enough to lay on his side, get his entire head covered in mud, and get his ball out from under the wood. He did this several times. The humans were laughing. He wanted a place to put his ball but couldn't quite understand that every time he dropped the ball it was going to roll back under this wood. After getting the ball back a few times it finally rolled in a different direction and was stuck, or so we thought. Kozmo tried scratching the wood, then digging, then sniffing. He doesn't have thumbs, he couldn't possibly lift this heavy water soaked wood, but he did figure out he could use his head and the fact it was in water to start nudging the big wooden pallet out of the way and release his beloved tennis ball. It was amazing to watch him figure something out and solve a problem on his own. We have our hands full with a very smart and active dog!

Later in the day Kozmo lost interest in his toys and retrieving. He kept swimming in circles and was very focused. It took me a while to figure out what he was doing. I hated to complain because he was staying out of the woods. My shoulders could take a break from constantly throwing the ball and Kozmo was happy. I finally figured out he could see fish in the water and it seems like he was trying to herd the fish!! Kozmo would swim in a big circle and every now and then he would nip at the water and change directions. This kept him busy for hours.

The next chain of events, you really had to see to believe. Below is a video and a few photos, but it really doesn't do justice to the whole experience. A little back story is needed......Since I got Kozmo I have been watching more shows on Animal Planet and learning about dogs and how to be a better human. I watched a show about Kooikerhondje's. They are water dogs used to hunt ducks in the Netherlands. They have a white bushy tail that attracts the ducks. The dogs are trained to lure the ducks into these sort of tunnels or chutes for the humans to capture the ducks. Not to long after watching this show I had Kozmo at a local park. As Kozmo and I walked around the pond and I noticed that all of the ducks and geese were following us. We think Kozmo's white tip tail was attracting the waterfowl. This same thing happens every time we go to the same park.

So Kozmo was just minding his own business, very busy and focused on herding fish. Out of no where I noticed a gaggle of 22 geese swimming right for us. Kozmo didn't even notice at first. I was stunned. It was a bit like the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds" seeing these geese headed right for us. I didn't know what to do. One option was to hurry up and get Kozmo out of the water, one option was to try to chase away the geese. I decided to grab the camera and see what happened next.

Geese approaching

Kozmo herding Geese

Kozmo finally noticed the geese and started swimming with them, as if he were trying to herd the geese. The geese were not afraid of him and didn't try to get away or attack. One silly goose was separate from the group and Kozmo was trying really hard to get that goose back into the group. You can see how close he was getting to other boats. I finally had to quit recording and watching with fascination and call Kozmo back to safety. There was no way I could swim far enough or fast enough to get him back. Kozmo swam back to us and the geese hung around for a while. I had never seen anything like that before. Every day is an adventure with Kozmo.

Kozmo loves to swim

I guess being a good citizen kind of ebbs and flows for Kozmo. He is having more good days than bad, but he proved he can still keep me humble.

Kozmo had a great weekend. We had a huge break through with swimming and couldn't keep him out of the water. Something just clicked and he didn't need to be coaxed. He was ready to swim and swim and swim. You can see in the photo below how fast he was swimming and didn't even have on his doggy life jacket. I tried to tell him this was a no wake area!

At one point Kozmo took one of his water toys onto shore and became distracted with a gross dead fish. Unlike his previous episodes of running away or not coming to me until he devoured something gross he was a pretty good boy. Of course he wouldn't "leave it" or "come" despite the stern tone of voice I was using. I went to get his leash. This made the other human crazy, he thought I should have tried to capture Kozmo while I was close. That dead fish was gross and I was not about to start a game of chase. So I get the leash and start walking away from Kozmo up the trail. Within seconds Kozmo came running up to me to see where I was going. I put his leash on and we went back to the water where he had two humans to play fetch and block him for going back to his stink fish for a solid hour. Once again, Kozmo proved that a tired dog is a good dog. He slept the whole way home and was pretty tired on Monday too.

Monday morning I discovered the secret to being the human in charge of my household...a Wiggly Giggly ball. It's a ball, about the size of a soccer ball and when you move the ball it makes noises. Someone gave us this ball and I had it in the basement saving it for Kozmo. He still likes to destroy squeaky toys so I was saving this for when he was a little older. Despite being asked to wait at the top of the stairs Kozmo followed me to the basement and discovered the ball. I carry the ball upstairs, give it a toss across the kitchen floor and for a few seconds Kozmo was happily playing. If I hadn't seen the next chain of events with my own two eyes I would have never believed it. Kozmo is happily playing and out of no where Sparky runs up and starts attacking Kozmo. Sparky chases Kozmo into the dining room and Sparky is hissing and growling. I pick Sparky up and he seems to be fine. Kozmo was also fine, but he had earned a new healthy respect for Sparky. As I was telling the other human what happened he was petting Kozmo and discovered one of Sparky's claws in his fur, we then found another stuck in his cheek. Doggy and Kitty are both fine and the humans think this Wiggly Giggly ball is pretty cool. Monday evening the other human rolled the ball and Kozmo tried to hide. He associates his new toy with the cat attacking him. This time Sparky came and attacked the ball. I never saw him attack something so ferociously.  We left the ball on the floor and Sparky and Kozmo laid on the floor napping, the closest they have ever been before. The dog and cat would rather sleep together than cross the path of the Wiggle Giggle!! The Wiggle Giggle ball is at my feet as I type. It works better than a gate to keep Kozmo away from something. We feel bad Kozmo had the wrath of Sparky's claws but are really happy the two of them have turned a corner and respect and tolerate each other more.

So Kozmo turned the corner on two big issues, the cat and swimming. In my head we were having a great week. Tuesday night I was so proud taking my good citizen to school. His classmates couldn't wait to find out if he passed the good citizen test. I proudly told the class that Koz is an official good citizen. We started class with some polite walking on a leash. Suddenly Kozmo started making that sound where you know he is going to throw up. I tried to run as fast as I could to the door. Poor Kozmo was trying to keep up with me, but couldn't wait. So rather than his mess being contained to one pile...it was a pile that spanned about 10 feet. I cleaned up the mess and rejoined the class. Kozmo was wound up, he wanted to tug at his leash and wouldn't pay attention. Three jumps were set up and we were to send our dog over 3 jumps. Kozmo did this once perfectly. Everyone clapped. Then he wouldn't sit to do it a second time. He started biting my feet. The trainer offered to hold him while I walked away and gave the commands.......She let go, I said over, Kozmo jumped over one jump and ran to the corner and pooped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tried to catch him to get him outside as soon as possible and he ran to the other side of the room, pooped again, and then let me take him outside. Part of me felt bad. Kozmo was trying to tell me something. I didn't understand his bad behavior was his way of saying, "mom I gotta poop". We ended class and I know that we all have a lot of work and this good citizen thing certainly doesn't mean Kozmo will always be a good dog. He's still a puppy.

Update from an official Canine Good Citizen

Kozmo and his humans have been quite busy and unable to find the time to post a proper update. First, we have some very, very good news. Earlier this week Kozmo took and passed the Canine Good Citizen exam!!!

Sorry for the long post, but I am trying to get everyone caught up in one update.

Test day was a busy and stressful day for me. Kozmo had no idea he should be nervous and remained his sweet, loving, high energy self. I took him for a walk to try to work off some excess energy before class. I was very proud, he was doing very well at staying with me. I tried to keep him on side streets and back alleys hoping to avoid too many distractions. Clearly I picked the wrong alley when a large Shepard ran to the fence and started barking. This made Kozmo want to start pulling and alerted two smaller dogs down the street to start baking. I told Kozmo to "leave it" and stay with me. He wanted to pull on his leash to meet these dogs and play. Being the mean dog mom, I wouldn't allow it. I had to really pull his leash but we were doing ok and almost past the second yard with crazy barking dogs when the helpful owner of these dogs came to the end of the fence and told me I needed a prong collar for my dog!!!

I wanted to scream. Does that jerk have any idea how hard I have worked to not need a prong collar!?!?!?! I was so shocked. My dog was on a leash, walking and not barking. His dogs, although in his fenced in yard, were creating a disturbance. At the moment I was speechless and continued walking. After we were too far away I thought of several comments I wanted to make.

Kozmo and I went home and headed to class. Luckily other dogs in our class were taking the Good Citizen Exam so we spent class working on exercises that would be part of the exam later that evening. I was so proud of my dog, he did every thing I asked him to do in class. Although nervous, I started to gain some confidence that we had a good chance to pass the exam.

After class we had to wait for what seemed like a small eternity to take the exam. Only one dog at a time can take the test. We watched dogs and their humans coming out of the building. Most were smiling. The more time that went by the more nervous I became and the more energy Kozmo seemed to find. Finally it was our turn to walk into the testing room and my heart was racing, my hands were shaking, and Kozmo started his favorite game of "let's really piss mom off and play tug with our leash".

After a day to reflect and talking to Kozmo's trainer it seems that Kozmo was reading off of me and because I was nervous Kozmo was getting wound up. Our trainer insists I need to relax. After Kozmo focused and I took a deep breath we started the exam. There were numbered signs placed around the room, one for each of the 10 tests. Many of the tests are a blur because I was so nervous and just wanted the test to be over. I was worried about sit and down with a stay. Remember I couldn't use treats. Koz had to do this because I was telling him to do each command. I was allowed to give him verbal and physical praise.

The hardest parts of the test were at the end. He did a sit stay and recall from 20 feet. He came to me. Then other people came into the room and Kozmo had to demonstrate walking through a crowd. Next another person came into the room with their dog, a big Doberman, and we had to walk toward the pair, meet, Kozmo had to sit and stay while I shook the other person's hand and Kozmo couldn't react to the person or the dog. Finally, we were down to the last test. I had to hand Kozmo's leash to a stranger and leave the room for 3 minutes. I kept peeking around the corner to see what Kozmo was doing and he just decided to lay down and relax. It was over, we did it. Kozmo Kringle the shelter dog is an official AKC recognized Canine Good Citizen!! I felt like I had run a marathon but we did it!!

Our classes are far from over. Kozmo demonstrated he can be a good citizen in a controlled environment. We are going to continue practicing and applying good citizen behaviors in real life. He's still a puppy, but he is on his way to being a great dog.

We had one day to recover and agility classes resumed Thursday night. I was joking at work that my dog is so smart he has classes two days a week. Some of my co-workers were making analogies that I am like a doggy soccer mom. I defended myself by pointing out that Kozmo doesn't get a healthy snack before class because he focuses better when he is hungry and that he was at home in a crate. After that statement my colleague pointed out that I am more like a pageant mom!!

We were so happy to see that the same dogs and humans from our beginning class returned. The trainer had set up a full course with several jumps and obstacles. Since we are a small class with only 4 dogs each team goes individually. We took turns doing all of the obstacles, and as always, it was apparent that I need more training. I point my hand the wrong way, I look over my shoulder, I point my feet the wrong way, I'm sending poor Komzo so many mixed signals. Just to keep me humble, my good citizen started class by doing two jumps and running around the room until I could catch him.

It was getting late and I was hoping I could skip the weave poles. Our trainer wouldn't hear of it. She took Kozmo through several times and he did really well, I was ready to go back to our seat, but she made ME do the weave poles with Kozmo several times. I am not the most coordinated person. I hold my treats in the right hand when she says left, I start saying "weave" when I should say "here". We got through the weave poles and tunnel. Kozmo loves the tunnel.

The last obstacle of the night was the A frame followed by a tunnel. The A frame stresses me out. It's high. I worry Koz will fall down and get hurt. Koz loves it. He wanted to do it over and over. So we let him repeat the A frame several times and he is getting really good at stopping at the bottom. Our very last exercise was the A frame, right into a tunnel and returning to me. He did it perfectly. All the other humans in class applauded. Kozmo was a very tired dog. And I think we all know by now "a tired dog is a good dog" so the humans left agility class with smiles.

One of the best things about having an animal in your life is unconditional love and forgiveness. I am so glad both of my animals love me and forgive me for being human. We got home after agility and a trip to the grocery store and discovered Sparky was on the balcony. The other human left him out before class and we forgot. Sparky was on the back porch for several hours. I noticed him when bringing Kozmo into the house. If that wasn't bad enough, I forgot again. Once I was in the house I started putting away groceries. About an hour later I remembered Sparky was still waiting to come inside. Sparky was so happy to see me finally open the door and I am so glad he doesn't have the ability to stop loving me or be mad.

So what I lack in skill for being a good and responsible owner for my dog and cat I make up for with endless love and the commitment to try to do better the next day. After two weekends filled with travel, work, and family functions we are headed back to the lake. This weekend Kozmo is going to improve on his swimming and basic boat dog manners. I am certain all of us will make mistakes and I'm certain Kozmo will still be a happy dog.

Stay tuned to find out what breeds make Kozzy such a cute dog. As an early birthday gift my best friend bought us a doggy DNA test. It takes 4 weeks to get the results. We have many guesses....Dalmatian, Lab, Boxer, Pit Bull, Border Collie, Great Dane, Spaniel...who knows. All I know is there is only one Kozmo Kringle and we are his forever home.

Swimming

A brief video of Kozmo swimming. I wouldn't say that he loves swimming yet but he loves to play games and make his humans happy. He is going to be an awesome water dog....someday.

Lake Dog

Kozmo has been a busy dog. His humans have also been busy so he hasn't been able to share updates for a few weeks. Kozmo continues to go to school once a week and is trying to learn how to be a good boy. He gave his humans a few grey hairs last week by running away and crossing a busy street several times by himself. Luckily we got him back safe and sound and have stepped up our efforts to master recall.

We finally weighed him and our sweet little puppy is weighing in at 64 pounds at 10 months.

Kozmo is a lucky dog. His humans love the lake so he got to go to the greatest lake on earth for Memorial Day weekend. He met lots of new people and canine friends. Photos of his adventures are below.

 Kozmo proudly shows off his life jacket. He is much happier running along shore than swimming.

 With the help of floating dog toys Kozmo is starting to get the hang of swimming.

 Kozmo's new best friend, Belle shows him how to be a good water dog.

 After a long day of swimming and playing in the sun the dogs settled in for a nap.

A tired dog is a good dog!!