Hi, my name is Jax

[AlphaParents415]

Thank you so much for your kind words oliver & henrys mom ! ! ! It makes us feel so much better that we are doing the right thing. I have been reading NON-STOP about puppies and dogs in general. So much so that my wife calls me a "nerd" hahaha. i think its because i never really read very much, unless its something that really intrigues me. i grew up w/ cocker spaniels, but my parents and I never really took training very seriously, but they all turned out to be great dogs anyways. With Jax, i want everything to be totally different. i want to do everything i can to be able to teach him the right things, the right way. i cant wait for the days w/ trips to the dog park, throwing the tennis ball all day, jumping in the lake, snuggling on the couch/bed....... it makes me excited just thinking about it. i put some new pictures of him in my album. took them today while we were in the yard playing.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Knowledge is power so reading a great deal is good. Don't forget sometimes to take the information you receive, from many sources, and then follow your heart. It has served you well so far, so trust your own instincts.

Your intentions are pure and based from a place of love. No one gets it right 100% of the time, but dogs are very forgiving, and you can't possibly go too far wrong when your intentions come from a kind place. Trust yourself as you are doing a great job.

You will have plenty of time to throw a ball in the park, and go swimming, and have loads of cuddle time. Right now, it's about teaching boundaries so those times ahead can be enjoyed.

[AlphaParents415]

thank you again for the kind words. i did notice a guy posted up a video of how his puppy acts when she is playing, with the barking, nipping, tugging on pants/shorts. that is the same problem my wife and i are having. more so her than i though. Jax really seems to go for her, for example, if she gets up before me in the morning she says she has a problem w/ him doing the same thing that dog does in the video. now if i get up w/ him in the morning, he doesnt really do that to me. maybe a little playing here and there but not to the extent on the video. i think Jax pays a little closer attention to me rather than my wife. maybe he sees me as the alpha male or that im the leader of the house. we are about 2 weeks away from puppy classes at a local training center called Heartland Dog Training (search and tell me your opinion) so were hoping that being around alot of people w/ their puppies will really bring him into a good frame of mind and maybe help w/ how he plays w/ these needle sharp teeth.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

The very first thing I mentioned about that video was that the man refused to stand up!

Remember to keep your expectations realistic. You have a very young puppy, and that dog was about 10 months old. That dog was playing, and seeking its boundaries. It was asking to be told what to do. The only answer the dog received was "Stop it, Cali, Stop it". All Cali understood about that was "Blah blah, Cali, Blah blah".

They are two very different scenarios, but I'm glad you mentioned the video as an example. Apply that behaviour to an 8 or 9 week old puppy, and that is typical puppy play. Your wife must use a strong, deep tone with the puppy when she means it. Your voice is naturally deep and louder. The puppy will learn that you two are on the same level in the "pack".

You both need to be consistent with the rules and routine, and try not to step in when the Jax won't listen to her. Let your wife sort it with Jax. She'll find her own way of letting Jax know that certain behaviours are unacceptable. I am surmising that you both have similar philosophies on "puppy rearing".

Jax will probably even be smart enough to learn how to coax treats from Mummy that Daddy may not necessarily give. Jax will have it all figured out in no time!

Once the teething stage is completed, it does become easier as it is far less painful, for both of you. All the time they are teething, their gums hurt and they need to chew on things. Providing soothing chew toys helps a great deal. A dampened, twisted face cloth, frozen, provides soothing coolness to the gums and is reuseable.

Expect Jax to be this sort of silly until she is 12 weeks old. I'm sure you will start to see the changes in her by then. After that, it is 16 weeks, and then 20 weeks, and you're on your way.

[kian]

Oh my a little heartbreaker there! Jax is adorable, welcome to DP. I finally got around to finding sometime to welcome you. The advice Deb has given you is so helpful, just be patient and have fun with Jax.


Deb, Sally is beautiful.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Thanks Kian.

[AlphaParents415]

thank you for stopping by Kian. its going to be great getting to know everyone here at DP. Jax has been doing just fine. i commented the other day about how my wife thought that Jax wasnt listening to her as much as me, well, he sure is listening when she has him "shake" after he "sits" for a post-potty treat. i thought it was amazing. he does it for me here and there, but with her its almost 100%. Jax also has his first vet appointment later this week. curious to see how that goes. i took a few more pictures of him today. Enjoi

[AlphaParents415]

Cuteness.......

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Those pictures of Jax are adorable! He is so funny watching the television. The only dog I've ever had that really watches TV is Oliver. Perhaps it's the new flat panel televisions we have now, and the big one we had that was lower down when Oliver was younger. I digress, as usual.

Sleeping puppy pictures are always sweet, and I did enjoy your caption with the last photo. I think you might find that Jax has "selective hearing" from time to time. Either that or he'll try to explain something away with a look that says "oh it was those shoes you didn't want me to destroy".

[AlphaParents415]

here are a few more pics I took today. these were after a long walk we took, so he was pretty tuckered out. my fav. is the one thats pretty close to his nose. its our desktop background actually. Jax has his first vet appointment tomorrow morning. like i said in an earlier post, were interested to see how that goes haha. He also has a play date set up w/ a 4mo. old german sheppard. A couple of our friends came by the other night with their 2 boxers, Swede & Mason. I call them "tank dogs" because they are MASSIVE. Swede is probably around 100-110lbs. and Mason is probably 100lbs at least. Bigger than any pit bull or rotti or anything ive ever seen. I wish i had pictures but they came over kind of late so it was too dark. anyways....... enough rambling, on with the pictures...............

[remsleep]

Oh my Jax is so adorable!
I'm a sucker for pictures that highlight a dogs nose so I LOVE the close up of the nose!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

I also love the "up close and personal" picture of Jax's nose. What a darling.

It's nice to hear that you are enjoying your puppy so much. I'm sure he'll do just fine at the Vet tomorrow. When I first brought Sally home, I immediately took her to the Vet for an overall assessment. They told me that she was going to be a handful. We had to return 2 months later for more vaccinations, so I put a bit of cheese in my pocket. Just before we went through the door, I showed it to her. She was SO good, that Tom (one of my Vets) looked at me and wondered how I effected such a change in her. I then produced the cheese. It worked like a charm.

Let us know how Jax makes out. I have a feeling he'll be very cooperative.

[AlphaParents415]

that is so funny that you coaxed Sally w/ that piece of cheese...... brilliant Jax did just fine at his appointment this morning. The vet said he is 100% healthy ! ! ! He's all good on his first round of boosters, 1st month of heartworm preventative and started on his monthly frontline. The only thing he didn't care for was getting his nails trimmed. It took my wife, myself and the vet tech to hold him down lol. It's his first time, so its to be expected. All the ladies at the office fell in love with him, but who couldn't? We also took him to his first puppy date which didn't go to well. The other pup is a 4mo. old german sheppard and was quite a bit bigger than Jax. I guess Jax was the first dog she had been around, so she was extremely hyper and slightly aggressive. She tackled him and kind of bit him once and then Jax didn't want anything to do w/ her. Long story short, Jax probably wont be playing with Shelby again I think the only good thing that happened to him today, other than all the love he received lol, was the kiddie pool we got him. He loves it. It will be a good thing to have on the hot days. Well, I just wanted to let everyone that's been following our thread know that Jax vet appointment went great and he's 100% healthy. Have a great night everyone ! ! !

[RubyJeansMom]

Oh my, the close up nose picture is absolutely adorable!
I'm so happy to hear Jax got a clean bill of health today.

[prajakta]

Jax all pics are very cute and adorable.. simply awesome!