Howdy all,
Another newb. Have two dogs, a Bichon Frise named Jasmine, and a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix named Damiana.
Jas is about 10, we got her from a shelter a couple of years ago. Our (girlfriend and my) first dog as adults. She wasn't perfect, but about perfect for both of us. Doesn't require much attention, doesn't require much walking, had been fully trained, we just needed to learn her language, and she would rather sleep on the back of the couch than be pet. Grooming's the tough part, though. She won't let us brush her, but loves the groomer. So, our groomer shaves her down about every 8 weeks, and then she gets knots as her hair grows back. Jas had a lot of anxiety and socialization issues. We worked on both of them, and she can now safely stay at home a full day without destroying anything or making a mess out of fear. She never learned to play, but she does have a few dogs that she allows to sniff her. Other dogs get near, and she just hides behind us. We don't protect her actively, we just make sure any new dogs don't eat her. She weighs about 8 pounds, so she's small for a Bichon.
Damiana is about 3. After having another dog visit for a few days, we noticed that Jasmine was more active and social. Kind of hit us at the same time that maybe it was time for a new dog. One more active and playful. I did not like that Jasmine had no interest in playing or being affectionate. How comforting is a dog when it doesn't like to be pet? So, we started looking at rescue groups, found a group with a few dogs that had potential and took Jasmine to a meet & greet. The two dogs got on well, no growling, no fear, and lots of butt sniffing. We filled out the paperwork, and then a week later Dami was dropped off. We had a few issues with territory, but nothing major, and Jasmine had let Dami know her place. I know have a dog that plays fetch, tug, likes to go with for runs or walks, and I can work on advanced training. My goal is CGC and therapy dog status. No idea if I have the discipline for both of these, but the dog certainly has the ability. We just started working with a trainer, and everyone is gaining the benefit of the work.
Pics or they don't exist, right?
Jasmine in a bike basket
Damiana on day 1
Another newb. Have two dogs, a Bichon Frise named Jasmine, and a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix named Damiana.
Jas is about 10, we got her from a shelter a couple of years ago. Our (girlfriend and my) first dog as adults. She wasn't perfect, but about perfect for both of us. Doesn't require much attention, doesn't require much walking, had been fully trained, we just needed to learn her language, and she would rather sleep on the back of the couch than be pet. Grooming's the tough part, though. She won't let us brush her, but loves the groomer. So, our groomer shaves her down about every 8 weeks, and then she gets knots as her hair grows back. Jas had a lot of anxiety and socialization issues. We worked on both of them, and she can now safely stay at home a full day without destroying anything or making a mess out of fear. She never learned to play, but she does have a few dogs that she allows to sniff her. Other dogs get near, and she just hides behind us. We don't protect her actively, we just make sure any new dogs don't eat her. She weighs about 8 pounds, so she's small for a Bichon.
Damiana is about 3. After having another dog visit for a few days, we noticed that Jasmine was more active and social. Kind of hit us at the same time that maybe it was time for a new dog. One more active and playful. I did not like that Jasmine had no interest in playing or being affectionate. How comforting is a dog when it doesn't like to be pet? So, we started looking at rescue groups, found a group with a few dogs that had potential and took Jasmine to a meet & greet. The two dogs got on well, no growling, no fear, and lots of butt sniffing. We filled out the paperwork, and then a week later Dami was dropped off. We had a few issues with territory, but nothing major, and Jasmine had let Dami know her place. I know have a dog that plays fetch, tug, likes to go with for runs or walks, and I can work on advanced training. My goal is CGC and therapy dog status. No idea if I have the discipline for both of these, but the dog certainly has the ability. We just started working with a trainer, and everyone is gaining the benefit of the work.
Pics or they don't exist, right?
Jasmine in a bike basket
Damiana on day 1
:thumbsupsmileyanim: