Dog Diaries #4

After Two Long Months...

The first sentence says everything...two long months. September and October were two of the most stressful months of the whole year. My patience reached its tipping point several times. To keep my sanity, I'd go outside alone and just breathe. Rambler was just too much for us, and I was considering giving him up. But I didn't want to drop him off at the animal shelter. Even though the little bugger drove me crazy, I grew attached to him. I couldn't let him go. He was our dog. So, I decided I would win the puppy battle or die trying.

Turning the calendar page to November was like flipping a switch. Rambler turned four months old and became a completely different dog. He started listening and lost a lot of that crazy puppy syndrome.

Maybe it was my change in research. Instead of searching for puppy training tips, I looked into the breed more. I became more knowledgeable about the Cane Corso. A quick shout-out to Jason Corey on YouTube who has two Corso's. Watching his videos gave me hope. And maybe that's what changed in November...hope and plenty of determination.

During those two rocky months, we had to put everything away and out of reach. But last month, I was able to put the mats back in the kitchen and the dishtowels out. Rambler no longer smashes through the baby gates. He now sits patiently and waits to be allowed into a room. Maybe it was the baby teeth. He's doing a lot better since most of this baby teeth have fallen out.

He still bugs Keefer, but he's not as rough. This may be because Keefer now growls at Rambler when he has had enough of playing. It took Keefer a while to step up and let Rambler know that he couldn't push him around.

I think Rambler finally knows he's not the alpha dog in the house. He tried his best to gain that role, and there are times he still tries to be top dog, and I'm sure he'll keep trying.

I still have a lot of training to do with him, but he's at the point now where he's trainable. He's listening and learning. He's turning into a really good dog. But he's still a puppy and tries to get into mischief. He nips at my husband's slippers, jumps at the counter, jumps on us, steals Keefer's bed, or slips through a baby gate, but all of that is controllable. With patience and training, I'll rid him of those bad habits.

Rambler is extremely loveable and he loves to cuddle. His favourite spot is sitting on my feet, or on my lap if I'm sitting on the floor with him. I'm so happy I didn't give up on him...and me. He's bonded into our family. We love our little moose and he loves us.

But can a dog love you too much? Enter separation anxiety. The fun continues!