Hello Snoopy

[10/27]

I took Kimo out and pick up Hershey and decided to go to the end of the street. I figured WTH I'll go to the park via Yokomoto's garage. With a bit of encouragement, Kimo jumped down from the wall.

I walked around a bit and was headed for the tennis court, but then an elderly man started walking around the tennis court and basketball court area. So I sat with Kimo and Hershey at the picnic table near the restrooms. As I sat there, a guy came walking to the tennis court and started doing exercises. I guess they were some kind of Chi Kung exercises but nothing I really saw before including a movement I call the look-both-ways-before-crossing techniques.

After what seemed quite a while, they finally left. I made it toward the tennis court. But then a truck came, took down the chain, drove between the playground set and tennis court, causing Kimo to act up for a bit before settling down.

I took them to the tennis court. They were sniffing around. So I decided to start running to the end of the court and Hershey and Kimo started running too. Kimo chased Hershey for a while before Hershey turned the tables and started chasing him. End of chase.

I was about to take them out, but then Snoopy (I think it was Snoopy - a smallish brown dog with a curly tail) came over and to sniff. I left Hershey and Kimo in the court, took Kimo leash and went to see if I could retrieve Snoopy.

I finally enticed him to come over and leashed him and walked him to the tennis court. After a short while, Hershey postured and they started chasing and playing. At one point, they both were in a play bow. And Hershey would jump with his front legs on top of Snoopy in a kind of a play fight (I guess).

Kimo remains shy and watched them play, but didn't participate. Later he sniffed Snoopy, but walked away when Snoopy tried to sniff his butt. [So Kimo still has a ways to go, but at least he's not violent toward every dog.]

Time to go. Snoopy went his own way and I returned the normal way. Koa was waiting to be greeted. Hershey still seems scared of him. And finally everybody went home.

Dog Prodigy

I noticed Cesar Millan's new book at Costco today. The first reviewer of the book on Amazon is Kevin Salem who is called The Dog Prodigy and has a webpage and book of his own coming out.

The video on the webpage opens with before and after sequences of a dog pulling and not pulling on the leash. That's what I want to do with Koa. A number of the chapters of his upcoming book are available on his website.

So far all three of the reviews on Cesar's book (which came out on October 7) are positive. So far. I am not so naive to think that everyone will be so positive (unfortunately).

worms again

[Wed 10/1]

I took out Kimo, Hershey, and Koa. Then saw RMS and did an about-face.

I wound up at the Tsutsui's and Koa pooped in the bushes. And I saw the tapeworms again.

What to do?

up the sidewalk

[Tue 9/30/08]

I'm trying to expand Kimo's conditioning. He's getting pretty decent walking up and down the street on Iha's side of the road, not reacting so much to Keith's barking. (And Keith might be getting better at not barking, so I guess I'm conditioning him too.)

But Kimo still has trouble walking on Pat's side of the road. Since Pat was out walking Keith in the afternoon, I decided to take Kimo up the sidewalk on Pat's side. He still reacts, looking up at the window for Keith, even though he saw Keith being walked up the road. Funny that he can't put 2+2 together.

Anyway, he still requires correction, especially if he's to the left of me. He's better if I'm between him and the window so I can block his movement with my leg.

While up the road, I got introduced to Malia's friend whose name is Norman. And I also found out that the black and white cat's name is Musubi (because he's black and white).

It's just popped up in my head that I keep forgetting the name of Joyce and Bry's cat. Well, I'll put it in here when I remember. It's some kind of food I think. Ah, it's Won Tun.

Looking for Mr. Hershey

[Monday, 9/29]

I took out Kimo and Hershey and Koa was waiting for me. I took them in the back but the visitor was there taking out a bicycle.

So I took them to my backyard instead. Koa and Hershey were sniffing around the grass, but Kimo stayed on the concrete.

Suddenly Koa and Hershey went wild. They saw the neighbor's cat in front. Kimo went wild too and pinned Hershey to the ground. I decided to risk a bite and grabbed Kimo and pinned him to the ground and grabbed Koa too. Then I looked up and saw Hershey on the other side of the fence chasing the cat.

I took Koa home, then went around looking for Hershey. Behind Chung, behind Yokomoto, to the park, Miyamoto driveway, behind Tsutsui, down Aulii, to the school.

As I walked down the school's driveway, some people came out of the office. One of them happened to be Maile and it turned out they had caught Hershey on a rope.

Whew.

Malia's friendly cat / Hershey & the mailman

[Wed 9/24]

The JWs were in the neighborhood from them. This time as they came down the street, they were followed by Malia's cat. As I was talking to the guy (or him talking to me), the cat came up to me and got petted.

Later, I went to the back and the cat went to the fence and stayed there. Kimo got wild at first. But after a while, he got used to the cat at the fence and settled down.

[Days later, I saw Malia and the cat and asked her what the cat's name was. It's Musubi -- since the cat is black and white.]

Later that day, Hershey started howling at the mailman. I went over and Helen let him out and I decided to walk him behind the mailtruck as it went up the street. This was the sub mailman and he gave Hershey several treats.

come sit

[Sun 9/21]

This morning Rudy and Blue were walking. And I got Kimo to come and sit between the chair and his house and petted/calmed him.

So maybe I'm making progress (getting him in the habit of coming back from the fence).

Koa's back yard

[Fri 9/19 a.m.]

take Kimo out (barking at something), pick up Hershey
Koa waiting, see Charlotte walking Jason
take them in backyard, Hershey shy at first
mostly behaves but barks at dog barking, try to claim back makai corner
Kimo jumps on bed, shoo him off w/o trouble
feed Kimo/Koa some kibble, make them sit
Hershey starts running, Kimo then Koa chases & growls a bit
I was a little surprised Hershey was able to keep out of range of Koa
And I was worried a little that his leash might snag so I took it off

So I guess that's sort of encouraging that they would run around like that. Though maybe not, with the growling. But I hope that's part of the play.

Koa gets loose

[9/18 - the adventures continue]

take out Kimo as Rudy & Blue walk
Kimo goes wild, hold leash until calm (fairly quickly)
pick up Koa on way back
see Kamakani w/ Nalu & Kaleo
bring Kimo & Koa up driveway
bring back to street, Mochi comes over to sniff, Koa allows then snarls
Koa gets loose, take Kimo to Koa's house to tie him up
retrieve Koa
take them to back of Koa's house
Kimo goes on bed, gets a little possessive, make him lie down
goes up steps where big Koa is, make them both lie down as Koa is barking
feed them some leftover kibble
Hershey is over, lies down when Kimo comes over
take to backyard, Hershey reluctant, wait a while then take out
bring to Keith, sit in front

That afternoon I brought Koa with me when I went to water the plants and he went to the other side of the fence (probably under) but at least he didn't run away.

Koa climbs the wall

Wed 9/17

I decided to bring Koa home since nobody was at his house. To be safe, I put Kimo in the front and Koa in the back.

Koa seemed to get used to things as I put a pillow by the back door and he lay down on it. And I lay down on the other side of the doror

But then he got up and went to the back wall and climbed up the wall. And I had to climb up and retrieve home.

Time for Koa to go home..

Later that afternoon after waking and feed Koa, Pat was out with Keith. I decided to walk with them. Kimo was still in the back and came out to the fence. I shushed him and he turned away from the fence. Not bad..

Dog Whisperer on South Park

[9/15] I see that my favorite South Park episode (actually every episode) is available online. Who needs to buy the DVD?

dogs and babies

Owners of properly trained dogs should not have any problems between their dogs and their babies, said Dave Pang, owner of The Pet Spot at Ward Warehouse and the father of a 13-month-old boy, Kailoa.

"Proper training makes the difference between having a good dog and a bad dog," Pang said. "In 20 years, I can count on one hand the number of dogs that were nontrainable, and they were trained by being abused.

"That's the only way they know how to respond, by attacking. And if the baby does something they don't like, they respond the way they were trained, by attacking."

All dog owners need to exercise their pets daily and stimulate their minds by teaching them tricks and playing with them, Pang said.

Dog owners who are also new parents need to blend all of their dog's old routines with their new children, Pang said.

"If you suddenly put the dog outside, it's punitive, and you haven't done your job as a pet owner," Pang said. "The No. 1 thing that comes to mind (of new parents) is the fear factor: This dog is going to bite my baby.

"It doesn't have to be that way. If you walk your dog twice a day, you still need to walk your dog twice a day, but bring your baby along. That way, you include him in your new family."

a good start anyway

Fri 9/12

I took Kimo and Hershey to the park and to the fenced tennis court. I got tired of waiting for Hershey to initiate playing, so I started running myself and that got them started.

All seems OK as they were panting coming back, but then as I came to the beginning of the street, RMS were coming down. I took them up Max's driveway but as they came closer Kimo went wild and bit my arm and I grabbed him and put him down.

Took him a while to calm down as he continued to breathe heavy walking back

Later Rudy and Blue came by and Kimo barked and Hershey howled.

Don't give up.