Day of rest

After the other day Sunshine regressed in a number of areas so we decided to keep everything routine today.
Mom, my lounge chair cushion got messed up by the wind.

Thanks for fixing it! Now I can really relax in comfort.

The bank and a chew

Today we went to the bank for the second time. Sunshine recognized the route and did not want to go. So we went a slightly different way. As we got closer there was a car at the drive through so we had to wait which was an advantage as Sunshine had a chance to pause before getting close to the dreaded bank with the vacuum tube. He was not a happy camper and kept sitting as he knows that will usually get me to leave with him but he eventually tolerated the whole thing well. We then hiked to a park where there is an agility trial this weekend to scout out the landscape. I will take the dogs but likely stay at the far fringes. Last time Sunshine saw an event at a park he panicked even though we didn't go to the event, just by it and then the next time we passed the park he was very preoccupied with worrying about it. We then hiked over to a nature area which he loved.

When we got home he refused to come in the house. I brought some water out to the yard for him since he would also not come up on the deck due to all the wind were having.

Eventually when he did come in after much bribery with several hand fulls of treats and a chew. Even then I had to escorting him in (he had been outside for 5 hours). He purposely avoided the vacuum closet. He and Blossom are now munching their chews.

The vacuum cleaner

Today is another house cleaning day. I changed the bag in the cleaner and then left the body poking out of the closet. The first time Sunshine saw it he bolted but then after a little bit he walked by to get to breakfast. I was in the kitchen so couldn't see his body language but I figure he couldn't have been too scared otherwise he wouldn't have gone that way. He could have come right by in the kitchen instead of going by the closet. Of course he can't see all of it but it is a start.

This is Blossom looking unhappy with the camera again.

Sunshine and Blossom on a hike

These pics are from an uncrowded regional park where both dogs had a good time. That was yesterday. Today they went to a crowded area with many people on bikes, jogging and with other dogs. Sunshine did great! We had to park on a side street as it panics Sunshine to park in the parking lot and cross a busy street.

1st vet visit

Little Mister Sunshine had his first vet visit today. He did really well! The vet was willing to wear DAP, feed treats and generally be very patient and kind with him. Sunshine loved getting all the treats! He even gave blood for his blood test along with the physical exam without much fear at all. The vet was a mobile vet so we were able to do it all up in the guest bedroom where Sunshine is most comfortable. We didn't do the microchip since we didn't have a scanner. That is scheduled for the next vet visit.

The vet thinks Sunshine is 1.5 to 2.5 years old. He says he isn't fat but could lose 5 lbs. I agree. Poor Mister Sunshine is so adorable that he gets too many treats and too much food. I think we have to lighten him up a bit so his joints don't have problems.

Yesterday he had a bath in preparation since he tends to get pretty dirty rolling around in the yard with Blossom and going on hikes through the brush. Unfortunately it appeared that all the soap did not get rinsed out so he got rinsed again today after the vet visit. Here he is snuggling in a blanket as it is quite chilly here today. We had very wet heavy snow.

Blossom was examined also and looks to be at a good weight and in good health.

Birds on the dog walk

Bird, birds every where. We walked along our local lake today. For some reason the birds were out in force. Sunshine was extremely interested in a small noisy bird that I will call a sand plover. It is tiny and was at the edge of the water just doing its own thing. Sunshine really wanted this bird!

About 200 yards later way up high in a tree was the biggest bird I've ever seen. Blossom was wildly interested in this bird. Sunshine took one look at it and decided that it might just out weigh him (it was that big) and showed no interest at all. In fact he was quite motivated to just keep moving. I'm not quite sure what it was but it could easily have taken Blossom out in a fight and Sunshine would have just been the appetizer.

Then another 10 yards away we saw a heron who glided off over the water. And way up high two really big white birds. Great day for a dog walk!

Spring is here!

Sunshine loves to watch people working. He loves to watch kitchen work for obvious reasons.

Both he and Blossom where intently watching my husband dig the kitchen garden. I ran into the house for the camera but as soon as they saw it they decided to sniff around on their own.


Here he is checking out the action while my husband is assembling the outdoor gazebo.

On the progress front, today Sunshine came into the master bath about 1/3rd of the way and sniffed around, all on his own initiative! He then looked at the closet before going out.

Sunshine being introduced to the tunnel

Sunshine has seen the tunnel in the yard from day 1 (Dec. 10th 2009). He gave it a wide berth at first. Gradually he has gotten closer to it but it has taken some time. Today I decided to try and see if he would go into it. I shortened it to its smallest length. Then sent Blossom through a few times as a demo and to make sure it was stable in that position.

My tactic was to squeak toys and then throw them inside. Sunshine loves squeaky toys.


Sunshine's favorite toy, a squeaky aardvark is in the tunnel.


They weren't quite tempting enough to get him to go inside. Meanwhile I was throwing the ball for Blossom with the ball thrower to distract her from the toys in the tunnel. When she brought the ball back she ran through it to help demo it for Sunshine.


Eventually she was tired enough that she just laid down on the squeaky toys with her ball.


Sunshine knows Blossom is very protective of the toys so he stayed away.


Blossom says "They are all mine!!!)


Tired out after the tunnel training everyone retired to the shade.


Resting and smiling was the order of the day.



So what's next mom?


Belly rub?

Muttz visit

Today Sunshine went on his third visit to Muttz pet store. It is a small quiet shop where the owner knows shy dogs and doesn't try to interact with him or talk to him. Today he took a treat from her! Big progress.

Blossom blew through the aluminum bar

Ok, so Blossom had no problem with the aluminum bar I installed. I think she bent it in less than 5 seconds. So the dogs got relocked in the house and back to the hardware store I went to get a big thick security bar. Thank heavens she doesn't know she can hop over the fence and only tries to go under it....

Learning to escape

Yesterday I saw both dogs dart across the yard and I had a funny feeling. So I went out and Blossom had busted off a PVC bar that we had at the bottom of our gate and pushed the chain link and bar out of the way. She was out! Luckily when I called her back she came right to the gate so I let her back in.

We had a bit of fence repair to do so I set about taking measurements. While doing so, Sunshine was methodically testing the strength of the fence in that area and trying to dig under. Oh dear, what had he learned???

We have cement in the ground under the gate so he made no progress and I had bungee corded the bar and fence back in place until I could get a metal bar to bolt to the bottom of the gate but that didn't stop him from poking at them to see if he could push them out of the way just like Blossom was able to.

I locked the dogs in the house while I went to the hardware store, got the metal bar and bolts which are now installed and hopefully Blossom proof. But with a Husky you never know...

DAP or dinner?

Last night Sunshine snuggled against my husband's legs all night long. This is the first time he has done this. My husband cooked his dinner so it may have been due to that. Or it may have been the DAP. Either way it is great progress.

Treat ball success!

We have 2 treat balls. One really easy one (red and yellow) where the treats practically leap out on their own and one challenging one shaped like an egg (purple) where the dog has to get the ball up on the egg's end to get a treat to fall out. It also has little internal spikes to keep too many from coming out at one time.

The pictures are of the balls after they have been depleted of treats. Sunshine is giving them a wide berth because if he touches them they make noise but he knows they recently contained treats so he is interested in them.


Prior to today Sunshine was scared to death of them. However, today he managed to work the really easy one. I put him in the living room on the carpet with the yellow and red one and Blossom in the kitchen on tile with the purple one. All he has to do is give the yellow and red one a nudge and a treat falls out. He was fairly hesitant but I put a starter treat under it to get him interested. Eventually he became bold enough and then got it nudged against the dog bed where he could work it with it creating a minimum of noise.

Blossom was in charge of getting the treats out of the purple one and she has no problem working it.

Dog Appeasing Pheromone

Were trying DAP. Not for any special reason other than my husband complained that the dogs only like him when he has food so now he doesn't want to offer treats. When I was at the pet store I saw a bottle of the diffuser refill so picked it up. Way too expensive at the store but the prices are better on-line so if your tempted do your shopping on-line.

We had good results with it. The dogs were interested in the smell. Then they both immediately rolled on their backs for some tummy rubs and just lay down to go to sleep.

Today Sunshine is moving around the house like a more normal dog. Honestly if I just had today as a snapshot I would say he's pretty normal. Not as much fearful behavior. It is snowing out today so were all huddled inside.

Since I don't own a DAP diffuser I just have been opening the bottle and I rubbed a little on their collars, my husband's wrists, my hands etc. I don't know if this is an approved method of use.

Mom announced snacks on the deck

I'm adopted!

The adoption coordinator just left. I'm adopted! I was kinda shy while she was here but just after she left I came in and mom snapped this picture. Unfortunately she had the flash on and I don't like that. I'll give a better picture later after my dog walk.