Pixel

I'm so happy to introduce Sheza Mega Pixel, or Pixel from Shade Tree Aussies out of Oklahoma.  I decided to do a sub-blog of Red Dogs Rule because Pixel will definitely be a journey, she deserves her own blog and Treo deserves his own blog and shouldn't have to share any more than he already has to with the addition of his new baby sister.

The Decision

To anyone, the decision to get a new puppy is difficult.  You have to weigh the impact on the rest of the dogs in the house (assuming there is multiple dogs), the weight of a new puppy on your partner and overall is the timing right for whatever happens to be going on in your life at the moment.  All the time, keeping in mind that there is no perfect anything.  I think if more people took these things into consideration, they'd have a better experience during the puppy and adolescent phases.

What many people don't know, is that I had opened the door a couple months before Asha passed with a little red puppy turned over in New York, who was tiny but bigtime naughty.  I wanted to figure out how to get that puppy to me, one way or another.  It didn't work out for me, but he did get a home good for him eventually.  Once I tried that possibility on, I started to look for dogs on Petfinder..."just looking" I would tell Ami.  Then...Asha passed and our world was tossed into a dark place.  But, lingering in my head was this spark of possibility born a couple months prior, whispering in my ear that someone was waiting for us.



I also started to entertain the idea of talking to breeders.  I lurked on some facebook groups, looking at pics and making a list.  I looked at some of the blue ribbon breeders on the breed clubs lists and started looking at pics of puppies.  That's dangerous.  What I wanted was another Neelah/Asha sized aussie.  So, I started looking at toy breeders, or mini/toy breeders.  I emailed a few breeders with litters on the ground and started to ask some questions.  I wanted to see about their drive, their play, and their interest in toys/tugging.  I couldn't really get straight answers, nor cooperation to show me videos either - with a couple exceptions, eventually.

"Greorgie 5ish weeks"

In a desperate attempt to get some questions answered, I posted on a Facebook page that I don't think toy/mini breeders know about toy play and tug drive and a breeder contacted me to call her, that she felt she had what I was looking for.  So, I called Karla (Shade Tree Aussies) and we had several really great conversations.  She was willing to give videoing a tugging session with her puppies a shot, and low and behold, I fell for a little girlie name "Georgie."

There were a couple things Karla said that really intrigued me which was the drive she gets in many of her dogs, and also the body structure - that it was similar to Treo's.  The video she sent me cemented the deal.  She was a craziest tugger in that session and she was happy and fun.  I had found our newest member of our family.

The Name

Oh my, we had so many names to choose from, but a very long time ago, Ami had a name picked out for a merle baby that we'd know we'd have one day, "Pixel."  Well, this baby is a diluted blue merle, meaning she's got the typical black spots, gray, white and copper.  But, she also has areas that are reddish in hue vs. black and that's what makes her a dilute.  She's many different colors smeared all over her body - so Pixel just fit her.  So, I stole it.  I think that makes Pixel truly 50% Ami's purely by the fact that she carries Ami's name.

Day 1 - A New Family, Friends and World

Treo's first day with me was a Tracy Sklenar Seminar - his training started immediately with baby restrained recalls and shadow handling.  I was crazed with the idea of training him right from the get go.  With Pixel, I'm soooo much more patient on that.  I'm patient and observant.  I'm watching what she's offering, how she takes in information, and reacts.  Its been interesting.  With Treo I had a full training plan put together by the time I got him.  With Pixel...she suddenly was here, and I have no plan, other than Susan Garrett's Puppy Peaks.  I have that.  HA!



In the car, on my way to my new future



Pixels first day was 4 hrs in the car with me.  She slept 95% of the time in a veri-crate in the seat next to me.  She occasionally would wake up, watch me with curiosity. 



9 weeks



Once we got home, she met my Mom who the dogs affectionately call "Grandma" and she also met the "other Momma".  Then, my two bestest friends came over, and our neighbors.  In true observance mode, I watched her and while she is shy with people at first, she's very quick to warm up.  If there's cheese involved she's VERY quick to warm up. 

I did get her to play a little, but she was on information overload for most of the day.  During the night, she slept like a champ.  I actually woke her up at 6 a.m. to go potty and eat breakfast.

Day 2 - Meet and Greets

Saturday was more meeting dog savvy friends and learning about the world.  She gets to be around the pack in her kennel, but we're keeping her from them for a while now.  She likes to watch them play, and they like the fact that we have several toys out for them to steal.  She got to to for her first walk, and she's actually pretty good following me and not balking at the leash and collar too badly - maybe twice.  She likes her kong and the new toys that the nice people brought over who came to meet her.  By the end of day 2 she'd met a grand total of 11 people and by the end of today, we'll make that a 13.  Not too shabby for a weekend.

Day 3 - Play, Play, Shape

Today I got inspired by watching some Susan Garrett Puppy Peaks.  We played some games, and she was very, very good at them.  Got lots of tugging, even growling sometimes and shaping.  We just shaped her going into a bed. 

She's FUNNY, and so smart.  She's not given me even a second of buyers remorse.  She's got a darling personality, a sweet disposition, she's perfect in her house training and kennel training.  Wow.  She's amazing.  And, pretty darn cute to look at ta boot.

Tomorrow she'll have an opportunity to bond with Ami (The "other" Momma).  After her well-puppy check up, I have to work and then come home, and immediately turn around and go teach 3 classes at the dog club.  :(  All I want to do is hang out with her, but at least Treo will get some time being "teacher dog" and he'll be so happy to get some time with the Momma.