Nippy

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on a terrific Tuesday. We had a rainy day yesterday, but luckily it didn’t start until AFTER we had our morning walks. Thank goodness.

Not much new around here – although I did have a rally class the other night. I did OK, although lately I have become aware of the world around me more, so ummmmm…..my attention sometimes goes somewhere else. Like on the floor where another dog was sitting, or in the air when I smell the treats that someone else has. I think it’s because I’m a teenager -16 months to be exact. I like to do training, but I also like to do my own thing too. Kind of freestyle obedience.

In addition to my momentary brain farts, if I get bored, I kinda act out. Like I pull on the leash. Or I take a little nibble of My Enforcer. In class the other day, I started pulling on her shorts. She quickly attempted to extinguish that behavior, because I came close to pulling her shorts down. I thought that would have been funny. Somehow she didn’t.

At home I’m still the nippy guy in the gang. Her Highness is forever yelling “Where’s Tuggie?!” to redirect my attention to chewing on the toy, and not her. In the course of a day, she must say “don’t bite me,” a dozen times. Oh that’s not right. It’s probably more like 50 times. Just joking. Sort of.

We herding breeds can sometimes be a bit nippy. Here’s an article that has some interesting points on the subject.

https://outdoordogfun.com/how-to-stop-a-herding-dog-from-nipping/

I like the part about our “desire to please” which is at odds with our “distinct independent streak.” Hello? That’s ME! Plus the part about going rogue- yup – that’s me and the bunnies.

Apparently the Boss has never been particularly nippy, but he does have an independent streak for sure. And the word “independent?” Look it up in the dictionary and you’ll see the Coyote’s picture. Mind you, he’s not nippy either.

For now, Tuggie is a brilliant answer to the nipping dilemma. Tuggie’s real name is Tugga Wubba and “he’s” made by Kong.

Problem is, Tuggie doesn’t go everywhere. He’s too big. We need the mini Tuggie. A pocket sized Tuggie. My Enforcer thought she found another option in the pet store last week. BUT it wasn’t the REAL Tuggie – it was a substitute that had plastic on it. It was a Wubba Comet. Not a Tugga Wubba. Which I promptly destroyed because of the plastic. You can’t get a Tuggie substitute. She just needs to go back and get a mini Tuggie (Tugga Wubba). Is anybody confused yet?

Well time for my walk, and some practice in self control. You know, I CAN be good. But we do need a mini Tuggie….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.