My Baby girl, Jade is 1 year old!

Jade is shaping up to be a good dog. I have Ryan to thank for some of that I think. He's played a big role in raising her for the past 5 months...Then there is also the help from Timber. He disciplines her regularly...quite funny I must say.

Jade turned 1 year old May 14 and is now weighing in at 70 pounds (closing in on poor Timber who is 73 pounds).

Taking a break on our hike at Contra Loma

Happy Birthday to my baby girl, Jade

Baby Jade is 8 months old

Jade is 8 months old today. The time with her feels like it's going slower and she should be older. It has to be a combination of comparing her to Timber in size and temperment. Jade is so much different than Timber was when he was a puppy. She is still a handful and has done a number on the backyard.

She is also almost as big as Timber now. Timber is holding pretty steady at 70 pounds and Jade is about 65-70 pounds. Last time I weighed her she was 60 pounds and it's been several weeks. I will try to get her weighed sometime in the next few days, however, I picked her up then Timber and they felt about the same weight. Jade is also starting to lose her puppy fur, she is shedding a lot lately and the last grooming could have made a 5 lb dog!

Jade is still pretty hyper and impulsive, very much still a puppy. I have not been as dilgent with training like I was with Timber. The key is to separate them so I can work with her. However Timber is very much a people person, his people being Mommy! He really loves his Papa too. So, leaving him alone to work with her would lead to a lot of whining...what ever I do, I can't break him of that.

Baby Jade is 6 months

Jade is 6 months old today. She is approximately 55 pounds and nearly as tall as Timber! I can't believe how quickly she is growing. She is very feisty and full of energy at home. In public and at the dog park, she is very shy and a real push-over. She is just like her mom when Mama Jade was her age. If she continues to be like her mom, it'll be a long time before she calms down, but she 's a good girl.

Mama Jade had her first heat cycle at about 7 months and I have a feeling Jade is about to get her first...she is showing some of the physical signs. I'm at quite a crossroads with this issue. As much as I'd like Timber and Jade to breed one day, it's not easy to find quality homes, raising puppies is a lot of work and keeping the two apart during these times of heat for the next couple years will not be easy. I have a way to separate them physically with the outdoor kennel, but curbing the behavior that will result will not be easy. My quandary continues...

Hiking mixed with a little training

I took the dogs over to Morgan Territory again for a hike after I left the Osteen Pumpkin Farm today. I decided to work a little on the commands for sledding/carting with them. Right now I'm getting them used to the words, "Gee" for right and "Ha" for left and "Hike" for them to "mush" so to speak.

Timber did most of the work when I had them help pull me up the hills, a few times Jade looked back to check something out but was jerked back to attention since they are attached together at their harnesses. I use one leash and then a "V" shaped attachment at the end that hooks to their collar or harness. I finally bought a new harness so they both have one now.

I also allowed them to run free off leash quite a bit. I'm really proud of how obedient they are when let off leash. They run far ahead of me, but when they loose sight of me, they turn around and run back to me to check in. If I whistle to them to return, they will come right back. I feel really fortunate to have such good dogs, many people with Huskies or Malamutes have trouble with recall and keeping their dogs from running off.

Since the rain last week, there was actually water in the ponds and creeks. They got so muddy and got right into the ponds in the dirty water! My car is filthy, well the blanket on the back seat mostly. I've been looking into getting a beat up truck or SUV for cheap to use when I take them out so I can save my little Civic from getting too much more beat up. Not to mention they are getting a little cramped in that backseat.

Jade is growing quickly and is about 47 pounds. She is almost as tall and long as Timber now. Timber is holding pretty steady and is about 69 pounds and he is pretty strong, yet still so gentle. I love my dogs, they are so much work, but give me so much in return.

A couple of dirty, wiped out dogs

Babies and puppies....

Tonight was National Night Out. I decided to take the dogs down the street to the BBQ. This was Jade's first walk, and first time trying out a prong collar. She hasn't reacted positively to the leash during previous trials, so I figured I would try it out to get her started early on training. On the way down the street and around the corner, she hated it. She'd stop mid-walk and I would give her a tug and she would continue. However on the way back home, she trotted along behind Timber with a hop in her step.

The people at the party were loving Timber and Jade, they got a lot of attention! Not to mention there were many children of all ages and babies. It was good social exposure for Jade, she did well.

My neighbor, Marcie's youngest son, Benji has never met a dog before...Timber is a great dog for first timers, he's so gentle...and even Jade did well!

Baby Jade is 11 weeks old

I took Jade to her first vet visit for her second round of shots yesterday. Timber came along for an update too. When I first got Jade 3 weeks ago, she was 12.6 pounds and now she is weighing in at 19.6 pounds! Seven pounds in 3 weeks! She sure likes to eat! Jade and Timber prefer to eat from the same bowl...which makes it difficult to measure how much each of them are eating daily, but they don't go hungry and the food container is disappearing quickly!

Jade is a little ankle biter and very mouthy. She is so different from Timber when he was a puppy...although, Timber was a rarity, a blessing...very mellow, even still (despite the whining) and never jumped. Jade is improving with discipline from both myself and Timber! If I tell her "No"...Timber will step in and correct her as well with a bite to the neck! LOL So cute!

My new pup, Jade

I adopted a puppy from my former dog, Jade's litter. I wanted a girl in case I decided to have Timber and the new dog breed (something I'm not positive I will actually do). Jamie kept 3 of the 10 puppies; one girl and two boys. The owner of the sire, Sparta took home a female pup. This left me with 3 girls to choose from. Of the three females, my little girl was the smallest and had the shortest hair. Since I chose the name Jade for the mother when we got her three years ago, I wanted to keep that name; thus I named my pup after her momma, Jade Aurora Borealis.

She is adjusting well and Timber adjusted quickly. His play was a bit rough at first, but he is learning her limits and she is learning to push right back! Baby Jade is a little spitfire and very spunky. She is very different from the way Timber was as a smaller puppy. She is a jumper, a climber and a mess-maker with the water dishes. Jade scales the baby gates and digs in all the water dishes; inside and outside! Between playing in the water and Timber biting her neck and back, she is usually soaked!

My mom loves the new pup and is glad that she has a "granddaughter" finally, even if it's a four-legged one. She will have to wait a while for a human granddaughter or grandson from me. LOL

As for my dad, he's a trooper. He really didn't want another dog in the house or yard...But he's a softie and loves both the dogs. I planned on having Jade live at someone elses house until I moved out, but my dad didn't like that idea and said she could stay here. I am looking for a place to move out for rental until the divorce goes through the courts so I can buy a place, but everytime I mention it, my dad says I have a place to live...here. He's a great dad, very supportive and flexible...but I need to move out and give him some relief and get these dogs out of his house and yard. When I do move, I'm going to hire a landscaper and housekeeper to come in and fix up what my dogs and I destroyed. :-) LOL

So tired...lots of changes for this little girl...

Relaxing in the backyard...

Adjusting to the new home...

The car ride home from Chico...July 12, 2009