Bing Blog #3

"Pete Fills In" -- November 13, 2005

Ali’s out in Scottsdale AZ judging a rally-obedience trial and representing the APDT, so I, the dog trainer’s husband, get to write the Bing Blog this week.

Yes, Bing has issues. He’s mouthy, he usually screams bloody murder when he’s in the crate in the car with the three other dogs, he sometimes nips at strangers’ hands if they hold them out to him, he has gone after one of our other dogs when Ali’s giving too much attention to them and not enough to him, and he loves to rip stuff to shreds. That said, what a great dog he can be.
Bing on a late afternoon walk in Jordan Creek Parkway
Bing takes an interest in the frisbee golfers at Jordan Creek Parkway.
Not to jinx all the good stuff, but it’s so pleasant to go out hiking on a trail with him and Acacia, both off leash, and both very trustworthy. At least Bing. He’s always very interested in anything Acacia’s doing, but if she strays too far, he comes back to me. He’s always checking in. Of course he’s not fully grown and his hormones haven’t completely kicked in, but he’s not a puppy any more either. Look at these pictures and compare them to the earlier ones.
Bing and Acacia posing. Belgian fur turns blue in late afternoon light.
Plus the training and socialization Ali’s done with him have paid off. He’s learned to wait at an opened door for permission to go out, on leash of off. He’s been taught that when his supper is set down, he waits till given permission to eat it. He hasn’t had an accident in the house for months. He likes sleeping in his crate, door opened or closed. When you have something he wants his first reaction is to sit, then to lie down, then to lie down and put his head down. He generally plays well with others, even if he tries the humpy-humpy thing every once in a while. Did I mention his hormones haven’t kicked in yet?!
Bing with his favorite stick of the moment.
And what hasn’t yet been trained is being managed. He shreds carpets that have been put in his crate in the car, so carpets have been replaced with an inch thick rubber matt. He takes stuff off tables and out of closets for shredding, so we don’t leave papers where he can reach and we close closet doors. And he likes to take stuff out of waste paper baskets – yup, for shredding – so we don’t have waste baskets on the floor.

The result is that it’s fun to have a house with four dogs of all ages and attitudes: one being the exuberant Bing, two being old but pretty agile (Maddy 14 and Montana 15), and finally, the reactive Acacia – alias, Fuffy Cakes.
So for the last three days and the next two it’s just me and the dogs. With the exception of having to shove 5 pills down Montana’s throat every day, it’s enjoyable.

Pete


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Bing chases a stream of water.
Bing gets back his composure.
Chasing water the other way.
Bing loves chasing a stream of water from the hose. To avoid making him too crazed he is tasked with laying down every minute or so to make the game start again.
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