- Sunday March 2 — Toys Happen
- Monday March 3 — Emma and Alice
- Tuesday March 4— Trail Reader
- Wednesday March 5 — Maggie
- Thursday March 6 — 5 Year Anniversary
- Friday March 7 — 7 Steps to Success (Reblog)
News can make our heart happy……
…..sometimes news makes us sad.
The sad reality is some folks that attempt to do everything right fail. They are willing to spend any amount of money; they believe their choices are the best. One truth about us (Weim-loving humans) is hard to swallow, we all too often fail to see ourselves as the catalyst for the problem. It is easy to finger-point, over-think, and to deflect blame. Sometimes even when we are willing to accept the blame, we cannot see where we went wrong. We believe in positive thinking; however, when someone shows up with a Weim that is out of control that Cliff can reel them in within minutes, you have to wonder. Training suggested doesn’t work. Is this because the training is wrong, or the person was unable to implement it in the right manner? We think it is the latter. There are so many ways to set the Weim up for problems it is unbelievable. Saying these things scares some folks. Nonetheless, mentioning them is important. The vast majority of folks succeed beyond their wildest imagination. A few because they lack to gain their Weim’s respect, or because they unwittingly set them up for problems, experience a heartbreaking failure.
We realize our clients don’t all come to the situation with the same skill-set. Being too soft, or being rigidly hard-handed will not get the result you want. Regardless, once you get into the no-win situation; it may require personal changes that include digging deep. Honestly, we all want the easy-fix. Changing who we are, and how we handle the situation, is easier said than done. Everyone within the household needs to get on the same page Start by limiting freedom (or maybe exposure is a better term), and being sure each event is successful. Then, proceed as if you are working with a puppy, and build one success upon the next–one block at a time. You cannot fix everything that is happening in a week. It is going to take time, effort, and revamping to get the right outcome.
We mentioned the territorial behavior in a recent post. This can take all forms and shapes. All too often people fuel this behavior in ways that seem like it should not be a problem. Such a Weim would not get a bone to protect. If you gave them something, and they were growling protectively, then you get it and set it up. This is a showdown of what kind of behavior is tolerated; at the same time, you don’t want to set them up to get in trouble–snapping at someone over the treasure. Other people see this behavior erupt in the form of property line guarding. A boundary fence that warns them to stay back from the actual fence line in some instances would be required. A collar and such a fence can keep them from engaging in this behavior–which might mean they are attacking sidewalk users, and scaring you (as well as others). To achieve bullet-proof success, it would require a lot of patience, and some collar on and off work. It might require months to achieve the outcome you need. Ultimately, we hope every OwyheeStar client will avoid getting into these situations. Getting off to the right start, and building on each success is vitally important. The wonderful Weim experience can be achieved. Read on as Amber talks about her experience with Koa–a longhair Weimaraner that she has dreamed about for the last couple of years.
Cliff and I received news from Amber about her OwyheeStar Longhair–Koa (Mesquite X Stackhouse) puppy. Here is what she wrote us……
Wow! Cliff and Shela…I could have never dreamed how wonderful this puppy would be! Thank you a million times over!
I wanted to let you know he is growing so big every day. He has a vet visit again for shots on the 19th of March. At that time I will send you his weight and photos. From what we, the vets on his first visit, and his trainers on his first class think – he will grow to be a big guy. (Or a “big lug” as Cliff described him when he handed him over to me in Pendleton.)
As suspected, I cannot take him anywhere without him being admired and me being asked a million questions about what kind of dog he is, where I got him, how old he is…
Today I was introducing him to a friend at the Fred Meyer office and her colleague came out: she immediately knew he was a LH Wiem; asked if I got him local and when I said he came from Eastern Oregon she immediately asked: “OwhyeeStar”? She said she had a friend who got hers from you. This friend’s colleague had had had two Weims in the past and was thinking that her next would come from you. She told me she knew of you from Wiem rescue association. You guys have a great rep. And I am a proud mama and proud to tell people where my Koa baby came from!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I’ll be in touch soon with pics and weight of the cutest puppy in the world. (AKA “big lug”) ~Amber