Fake Schnauzer?

When Danny's trainer first saw him, he asked if I was sure if he was a schnauzer. He said he looked more like a terrier mix because his snout is a bit too short. That got me wondering. I started observing other schanuzers and realised that their snouts are longer than Dan's.

Take this photo, for example,...

...And compare it with Danny. Doesn't it look like there's about 1/2 inch missing?

Well, there were a couple of times Danny fell bang on his face but I doubt that would stunt its growth. Another theory is that Danny's still a puppy and there'll be some snout growth hormone that'll kick in later. But I kinda prefer him like this. I've always liked terriers and wanted a silky but mom threw a tantrum at the pet store and demanded we bring Danny home.

He didn't come with papers, and we didn't think of asking. We just took the shop owner's word that he was in every possible dimension a schnauzer. Then again, we also took his word that he would be a nice quiet dog, (RAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one!) which demonstrates what suckers we are.

Anyhow, I really don't mind. Danny the fake Schnauzer - full of character, and gives me more than enough stories to keep blogging.

Back in training

Phew! With my brother's wedding coming up in just two weeks and my annual report kicking into production, all I want to do when I hit home is lounge. Still, despite the chaos, we decided that Danny needed personalised attention and so we called in Chassard's old trainer.

I'll be frank. The puppy class Danny went for previously was a complete disaster. The class used the soft approach which may work for more timid dogs, but for rambunctious, hyperactive, no-holds-barred Danny, it was a waste of $200. All we got from it was toilet training and how to get him to sit. Danny's baaaaad habits were still completely intact. Every morning and evening, the neighbourhood has been treated to a variety of ear-splitting shrieks we came to call Danny's Symphony in E minor.

He has also been chewing everything in sight, including...

Yes, even his leashes aren't spared (sorry Gerry, this is the one you gave Chassard). In the short four months since he arrived, he managed to completely chew through two leashes, leaving one in four pieces and the other....well, the other we just managed to find the handle. I eventually bought him a metal leash. I'd love to see him get through that one!

Anyway, after a month's wait, the trainer came last week. Lance trains both dogs and horses, and takes a completely no nonsense approach with them. Any toe out of line is quickly whipped back - unfortunately, same goes for the owner. He lost no time in telling us that all his bad behaviour is our fault cos we haven't been correcting him or have been inconsistent.

Mom and Rhoda have both been condoning Danny's nipping habit. Mom would call them "Danny's love bites" and tell me to stop scolding him. Now, every "love bite" gets a smack on the snout.

Straining and pulling on the leash gets corrected with a quick tug on the choke chain...yes you heard right - a choke chain. I hesitated in getting Lance for the longest time because he uses the choke chain for some behaviour correction. I didn't (and still don't) like the sound of it and even the guy at the pet shop gave me a look when I bought it. (Hey, he sells it , right???) Plus, I read somewhere that Schnauzers take better to "soft" training. (Haha. I know better now.)

The truth is, it's only been one lesson, and Danny's improved by 10 fold - no kidding. He now sits quietly waiting for us to finish dinner before getting his, even without any toys. On walks, he follows our pace and walks right by us. It's some kind of a miracle.

We can't wait for the next lesson.

Fetch

One piece of advice a veteran schnauzer owner had was "Always keep one step ahead of your schnauzer. They are very smart dogs, so if you're not careful, they will out-wit you."

With Danny, I think we've long lost that battle. During dinner, he is leashed to his corner which overlooks the stairs heading to the basement. We leave him with some toys so he doesn't get bored.

However, our friend has turned it into a far bigger entertainment than we anticipated. It began with him nicely chewing his toy and then with a flick of his head, he would toss it just out of his reach. He would then put up a huge show of trying to get it back, before launching into a series of desperate yelps. This would result in one of us stopping dinner and getting his toy for him.

In another 5 minutes of so, he would do it again.

Annoying as that was, he soon devised an advanced level to his game. This time, he would toss the toy on the stairs, and watch it crash and bang its way down. Then, his tail stump still twitching, he would turn to us, "Did ya see that?! I need it back now, please." If we ignored him, the whining and yelping would start.

One evening, while I was on my third trip downstairs, my brother commented that he was teaching me to fetch. I froze, turned around and headed back up the stairs without his ball. I ignored Danny's excited "Did ya get it?" face and went back to my dinner.

He's so not training me!