Our newest addition.

If you've been following our blog, then you know that our family seems to be ever expanding as of late.  We started with 2 dogs, 1 tortoise, and 1 axolotl.  We soon expanded to include 8 ducks, 9 chickens, and 1 more tortoise. Well, we've expanded once again…

Welcome, Baxter!  

We weren't even thinking of getting another dog, but Baxter just seemed to seamlessly fall into our family.  A coworker of Anna's from the clinic in Kittery sent Anna a picture of this guy with the caption, "Look who we have as a stray, available for adoption TODAY!"  Anna said when she saw the picture of him, her immediate thought was, "This could work and could be really good for our family." This is not the gut reaction one would expect her to have as we already have two dogs including one who doesn't get along very well with other dogs.  That being said, when she sent me the picture, I responded with, "OMG! It's our new family member!"  In all fairness, I was half joking, but I had a sneaking suspicion she wasn't.

I happened to be passing through Kittery the very next day (See?  Seamless.), so I stopped in to check him out.  It was my job to report back if he was family material or not.  Well, he won me over instantly.  He is a pretty typical 1-ish yr old Australian Cattle Dog -- in other words, he's kind of a crazy man.  In his defense, however, he had been in a kennel for the past 10 days.  Even Oliver would be wound after that much time in a kennel! Baxter had obviously been worked with before because he knows some basic commands.  His biggest challenge is keeping himself under control.  He has a LOT of energy and very little body awareness (read: bull in a china shop).

At any rate, he's been home with us since Thursday evening, and he has made some SERIOUS strides since his arrival.  Simply taking him for long walks (a couple hours in the morning and about an hour in the evening) is enough to keep his energy at a reasonable level. One of the main reasons we decided to adopt him was that we know we have the time and space, right now, to really give him what he needs.  Cattle dogs (and most herding breeds) need a TON of exercise and they need structure and someone to really commit to working with them.  Our guess is that his previous owners thought he was a cute puppy but didn't know what they were getting into with an adult cattle dog.  Breed research is SO important, but it is a step people often skip.  We know what we're getting into, we are ready for it, and working with him is so rewarding.

And now -- a photo montage of our walk today.

Oliver -- a.k.a., Farm Manager, Yard Boss, Teddy.  I'm pretty sure that he's enjoying the new addition as much as anyone because he gets a LOT more treats with all this training going on.  Baxter really wants to play with Teddy, and they have played some fetch together, but Teddy's not really down for the wrestling that Baxter's interested in doing.

Olive -- a.k.a. Weetus, Farm Manager. We are really hoping that Baxter and Olive can become good friends and that Baxter will become a good playmate for her.  Olive doesn't like change in her routine, so the addition of a high energy young dog is going to take some time.  So far, their interactions have been really positive.  Olive has been off leash on walks while Baxter is on leash because we want it to be her choice when they interact.  So far, so good, and there have been some good butt sniffs in both directions. We've been keeping them separate in the house, but this morning Olive voluntarily came downstairs to hang out for a while.  Baxter was on leash, but the entire interaction was good, and we made sure to end it on a positive note. 

On day 1, walking on a leash was REALLY hard! Three days later, he's walking right next to us, loose leash, and focused.  He still has a lot to learn, but the progress we've made in the past three days is pretty amazing.  Even though he would be totally worn out by a lot of running, trying to walk like a gentleman is really mentally exhausting. We're alternating between heeling and free time, and he really seems to be getting it. :)

We're also working on focusing on us and looking to us for instruction.  Olive and Oliver already have this down, but it is good practice for everyone and provides positive close encounters for all dogs. 

Staying with me can be REALLY hard when your siblings are running around like crazy people!  Positive interactions all around!

When he's not walking with us, he has 'free time' on the leash.  He's allowed to roam and sniff all he wants.  What usually ends up happening at some point is free time turns into snuggle time.  This guy is a serious love bug, and all he wants to do is snuggle.  We do need to work on petting him and giving him affection without it turning into crazy dog time.  And now, a snuggle-fest montage in which Teddy is totally positive that Baxter missed a treat somewhere…..

YAY! You're petting me!

This is my best day EVER! 

I can get closer to you, I know I can!

YAY! I love this SO much!

I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna kiss ya!

Look out!

And if a two hour walk through the forest wasn't enough, our morning walks end with some long line fetch and working on recall. :)

He's fast!  And, again, Teddy is looking for dropped treats.

We're working on getting the ball back.  We've made some progress, but there's always more to do. 

So, there you have it.  We couldn't be happier with his progress, and we're positive he'll fit in perfectly to our family.  It is possible that the cumulative days of exercise are starting to catch up with him.  After our morning walk, he is lying quietly in his crate (which he has taken to like a CHAMP!) and struggling to keep his eyes open.