This is the sweetest thing I’ve read. I feel like crying (happy tears). The good and positive vibes this substack brought me omg. I can’t describe that. Also, “other mom” 😭 so cute. The way you talk to Georgia is like you’re talking to your 8-year old human person. Literally adorable. No, honestly, I wish my mom talked to me like that. I’ll have so much less mommy issues (tmi? maybe).
Aww I just love Georgia SO MUCH. I have two dogs named Bella and Macy, one being 13 years old and the other just three years. We adopted our youngest dog not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. She is so small yet she is so brave and vocal. This past year she has changed so much and is so territorial when it comes to showing any affection towards our oldest dog. I sometimes wish we had gotten a bigger dog, but I also wouldn’t trade these two pups for anything.
I loved reading your messages to Georgia, I wonder what she would say in response to your messages if she could talk?
In the t shirt subscription zoom I asked about how Georgia is with the cats and you were saying that she is okay with them. Has that changed at all? Has Georgia warmed up to other cats or does she not have any interest in other animals? I assume Holiday and Mickey don’t want anything to do with her lol.
Georgia gets along with most dog, and seems interested in cats, but hasn't had much contact with Mickey and Holiday. Her trainer who takes care of her sometimes has cats and Georgia knows to leave them alone, but definitely has her eyes trained on them. In the wild, on walks, Georgia is obsessed with anything alive that moves. If she is off leash she'll run if we don't tell her to "leave it" when she sees a bird. She is good 98% of the time, but sometimes she sees a bird or a deer before we do, but if we say no she'll stop and come back to us. So. The other day I pulled out our fake owl to see if it would keep the geese off our deck and Georgia saw it in the living room and lost her f'ing mind. It was very funny. She just stood and barked like an intruder was in the house. I had seen a great TIKTOK about how this one woman taught her puppy not to be scared of random objects so I did that that and she calmed right down. Basically this woman would put out a random garbage bag or suitcase and her dog would lose it. The dog would stay at a distance, but would bark and looked nervous. So the woman would go to the item, kneel down, and say "good dog, good dog" to the item, and then her puppy would immediately stop barking, approach the item, and sniff, and then move on. So I did that with the owl and it worked! I don't know why I typed all that. LOL! I'm sorry you're dealing with some territorial stuff at home between your dogs. I know people suffering through that with their dogs too. I don't think we'll ever get a second dog. And if Georgia COULD talk, according to Sofia, she'd probably just ask us to feed her more and let her run after the birds. Otherwise she seems pretty happy.
Georgia taking after her mom’s example of always evolving. “Last month I hated bikes & beds. Now I hate suitcases. I might lose fans but it is a risk I am willing to take to express myself.” - Georgia maybe.
Well, in this case, she used to hate the sight of them even outdoors. She doesn't seem to mind ours. But, she went through a phase where anything that rolled she'd bark at. Skateboards, bikes, rolling suitcases, rolling garbage bins. Spent A LOT of time standing in the street, letting rolling things pass, feeding her (our trainer told us to do that) to get her used to them. but it took months. God. Having a puppy is so hard!
I’ve lived with dogs my whole life and I STILL ask these questions. Even when things are going okay with him (my dog) I’m always second guessing.
Sounds like you and Sofia are doing really well with her.
Also, you are two people in an apartment with a dog that has two smart breeds in her! Border Collies are the smartest dog and GS aren’t far behind. It’s exhausting keeping dogs mentally stimulated let alone the uber smart ones 😜
Yes, she needs a lot of stimulation. Running and exercise is only half of it. We have SO MANY games and techniques to tire her out. It's actually fun. I miss her when I'm away, and miss the games and the way she breaks up my day! We got her crate from https://www.impactdogcrates.com/ I should have tagged them, maybe they'd give me a discount at some point. LOL The crates are VERY expensive, but we figured it was worth it to invest in something that we actually liked the look of (i hate the way the other crates we had look) as we live in an open apartment, so you can see her crate at all times. It's the first thing you see when you open our front door. It's also really safe for the car. So. don't judge me when you see how much we spent. eeeeeeeksss.
This is so precious 🥺 brings me back to the days of when my dog was a puppy. Sometimes I miss it but also so glad she’s out of her wild and rambunctious phase 😆
That’s funny all the existencial questions people have as soon they have a dog. While dogs are probably just living their best life 😂
If you put your face in your hands/arms does she try to remove them? My dog never told me why he was doing this, so if you can have the answer... thanks
ohhhhhhh. interesting. i have never tired the face in hands bit! Will try it! I will say this. if Sofia and I hug, or one time I fell down some stairs and Sofia gave me a hug, and Georgia 100% of the time will come between us, weave around our legs and whine. She will often stand and put her paws on whoever is NOT upset, almost like she's pushing that one of us away from the other. So protecting. We have read this is bad. Like she's possessive of us. So we try and do more of that lately. To break her of it. hahahah. I do think animals know when you are upset.
So much thought and love in this post. Our four legged friends aren't just animals are they. They are family and we love them so much. Do you think Georgia's behavior with the ducks and chasing other things is because she is a hoarding dog? Has it changed as she gets older?
Love the sunbather bit lol. Suitcases definitely are a sign mom is going away for a while. We used to have take the suitcases out to the garage after the dogs were in bed and pack them out there cuz as soon as they saw a suitcase they would start having accidents in the house or doing things to tick my mom off on purpose. If they didn't see the suitcase they were fine with going to wherever they would be staying. They are smart cookies. They know. The white crate is beautiful, does she go in it on the airplane when you fly?
Thanks for sharing. Not sure Sara could get me laughing as hard but she can try. 😆
The sunbather incident was last summer. Curious to see how Georgia handles nudity this year. LOL! Georgia has never been on a plane. And we will probably avoid that if possible. We spent the winter in California, but we just drove her down there. And when I say we, I mean, Sofia. I flew. :)
What a cute pup! I'm kind of a surrogate dad to my friends dog. Damn I love him to bits, he's a white husky/german shepard mix. Full of love, fluff and cheekyness. Dogs are the shit
“I wanted one cuddle. She didn’t seem that into it.” Lolsob. If only Georgia could answer! And as the owner of a little dog, they do start shit and Georgia really should just ignore them.
Ima be honest some days I wish I was Georgia. So I can cuddle all with you! Seems she has a tea time enjoying life! Love this! How bout the nails?!? Like you straighten the bed out and they scratch into it like it’s dirt outside. Then they plump themselves right in it?!? Thanks for sharing. Betcha she has tons of secrets! And very good at not spilling. 🤣🤣🤣♥️♥️♥️♥️😍😍😍😍🤗🤗🤗Georgia.
I love this pet post. I would love it if my cats could talk to me (and my turtle because I can’t leave him out). Maybe Georgia is scared of suitcases because a suitcase signifies you leaving? I don’t know, animals are strange…but I think us humans are stranger. I hope things get better with the things Georgia needs to work on and I hope you and Sofia can figure out ways to help her.
I wrote this months ago, and I tried to write ALL the questions I had the last year and a half. So yes, a lot has changed. She is no longer afraid/barking at anything that rolls. She sleeps in her crate with a bed, sleeps on the couch with us (on a blanket) some days too. She is WAY better at reacting to things. Her recall is ...85-90% most days. She does react to people who try and pet her when she's on leash. She doesn't love it when someone reaches out at her, or makes eye contact before she's had a chance to sniff your leg. We stop everyone from reaching out to her/petting her. We stand in front of her in the elevator. We give her tons of space. We use a "say hi" command now when she's calm and has been around someone for a few minutes, and that cues her to go smell, check things out, and we tell people to ignore her when she does that. Typically AFTER that she's good. But. She's def a covid dog. Nervous at first with new people and likes her space. Some people have told us it's just her nature, some say it's her breed. But she's ours and we love her! HA Most of the issues have subsided or gotten easier and we've gotten stronger at dealing with it. I had NO IDEA what to expect getting a dog. And we did so much reading. But, they are like people, totally individual. So, Georgia is just her...and we just have to protect her and take good care of her, which we do. And as she gets older, I imagine some of her nervousness will go away. I hope. Ha. Ps. glad you enjoyed the post! Maybe I should do more pet posts!
I’m glad a lot of those issues have been resolved, I’m a nervous person as it is so I get where she is coming from..I wouldn’t want people reaching out and touching me without permission either, I also don’t like eye contact. It sounds like she knows you and Sofia are going to protect her and it isn’t the other way around. Hopefully her nervousness will completely subside. Yes, more pet posts please!
There should be a “what to expect when you’re expecting a pet” for new dog (or cat) owners. I feel like nobody prepares you for the amount of love you end up feeling for your buddy. The struggle is real <3
This is the sweetest thing I’ve read. I feel like crying (happy tears). The good and positive vibes this substack brought me omg. I can’t describe that. Also, “other mom” 😭 so cute. The way you talk to Georgia is like you’re talking to your 8-year old human person. Literally adorable. No, honestly, I wish my mom talked to me like that. I’ll have so much less mommy issues (tmi? maybe).
She has truly become our child. Though sometimes i feel like she is a friend too.
Omg new favourite post!!! I'm both laughing and crying listening to this, Georgia is lucky to have you both 🖤
Aww I just love Georgia SO MUCH. I have two dogs named Bella and Macy, one being 13 years old and the other just three years. We adopted our youngest dog not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. She is so small yet she is so brave and vocal. This past year she has changed so much and is so territorial when it comes to showing any affection towards our oldest dog. I sometimes wish we had gotten a bigger dog, but I also wouldn’t trade these two pups for anything.
I loved reading your messages to Georgia, I wonder what she would say in response to your messages if she could talk?
In the t shirt subscription zoom I asked about how Georgia is with the cats and you were saying that she is okay with them. Has that changed at all? Has Georgia warmed up to other cats or does she not have any interest in other animals? I assume Holiday and Mickey don’t want anything to do with her lol.
Georgia gets along with most dog, and seems interested in cats, but hasn't had much contact with Mickey and Holiday. Her trainer who takes care of her sometimes has cats and Georgia knows to leave them alone, but definitely has her eyes trained on them. In the wild, on walks, Georgia is obsessed with anything alive that moves. If she is off leash she'll run if we don't tell her to "leave it" when she sees a bird. She is good 98% of the time, but sometimes she sees a bird or a deer before we do, but if we say no she'll stop and come back to us. So. The other day I pulled out our fake owl to see if it would keep the geese off our deck and Georgia saw it in the living room and lost her f'ing mind. It was very funny. She just stood and barked like an intruder was in the house. I had seen a great TIKTOK about how this one woman taught her puppy not to be scared of random objects so I did that that and she calmed right down. Basically this woman would put out a random garbage bag or suitcase and her dog would lose it. The dog would stay at a distance, but would bark and looked nervous. So the woman would go to the item, kneel down, and say "good dog, good dog" to the item, and then her puppy would immediately stop barking, approach the item, and sniff, and then move on. So I did that with the owl and it worked! I don't know why I typed all that. LOL! I'm sorry you're dealing with some territorial stuff at home between your dogs. I know people suffering through that with their dogs too. I don't think we'll ever get a second dog. And if Georgia COULD talk, according to Sofia, she'd probably just ask us to feed her more and let her run after the birds. Otherwise she seems pretty happy.
Georgia taking after her mom’s example of always evolving. “Last month I hated bikes & beds. Now I hate suitcases. I might lose fans but it is a risk I am willing to take to express myself.” - Georgia maybe.
lol
17 – I’m so glad you like bikes now! But why do you hate suitcases!!!!???? ---They know you are leaving! thats why
Well, in this case, she used to hate the sight of them even outdoors. She doesn't seem to mind ours. But, she went through a phase where anything that rolled she'd bark at. Skateboards, bikes, rolling suitcases, rolling garbage bins. Spent A LOT of time standing in the street, letting rolling things pass, feeding her (our trainer told us to do that) to get her used to them. but it took months. God. Having a puppy is so hard!
I’ve lived with dogs my whole life and I STILL ask these questions. Even when things are going okay with him (my dog) I’m always second guessing.
Sounds like you and Sofia are doing really well with her.
Also, you are two people in an apartment with a dog that has two smart breeds in her! Border Collies are the smartest dog and GS aren’t far behind. It’s exhausting keeping dogs mentally stimulated let alone the uber smart ones 😜
Keep going! It’s ruff, but it’s worth it!
PS. Where did you get that last crate?
Yes, she needs a lot of stimulation. Running and exercise is only half of it. We have SO MANY games and techniques to tire her out. It's actually fun. I miss her when I'm away, and miss the games and the way she breaks up my day! We got her crate from https://www.impactdogcrates.com/ I should have tagged them, maybe they'd give me a discount at some point. LOL The crates are VERY expensive, but we figured it was worth it to invest in something that we actually liked the look of (i hate the way the other crates we had look) as we live in an open apartment, so you can see her crate at all times. It's the first thing you see when you open our front door. It's also really safe for the car. So. don't judge me when you see how much we spent. eeeeeeeksss.
Haha no judgement passed here.👋 Thanks for the link.
Yeah. Crates can be pretty ugly sometimes, it’s always nice to find one that’s functional AND cute!
This is so precious 🥺 brings me back to the days of when my dog was a puppy. Sometimes I miss it but also so glad she’s out of her wild and rambunctious phase 😆
I do NOT miss the puppy days. But they are so cute when they are puppies.
If it makes you feel any better, my husky is afraid of tooth brushes lol
COME ON! WHAT! LOL!
Tooth brushes...balloons...paper towel rolls... He's not exactly the best guard dog lol
That’s funny all the existencial questions people have as soon they have a dog. While dogs are probably just living their best life 😂
If you put your face in your hands/arms does she try to remove them? My dog never told me why he was doing this, so if you can have the answer... thanks
ohhhhhhh. interesting. i have never tired the face in hands bit! Will try it! I will say this. if Sofia and I hug, or one time I fell down some stairs and Sofia gave me a hug, and Georgia 100% of the time will come between us, weave around our legs and whine. She will often stand and put her paws on whoever is NOT upset, almost like she's pushing that one of us away from the other. So protecting. We have read this is bad. Like she's possessive of us. So we try and do more of that lately. To break her of it. hahahah. I do think animals know when you are upset.
So much thought and love in this post. Our four legged friends aren't just animals are they. They are family and we love them so much. Do you think Georgia's behavior with the ducks and chasing other things is because she is a hoarding dog? Has it changed as she gets older?
Love the sunbather bit lol. Suitcases definitely are a sign mom is going away for a while. We used to have take the suitcases out to the garage after the dogs were in bed and pack them out there cuz as soon as they saw a suitcase they would start having accidents in the house or doing things to tick my mom off on purpose. If they didn't see the suitcase they were fine with going to wherever they would be staying. They are smart cookies. They know. The white crate is beautiful, does she go in it on the airplane when you fly?
Thanks for sharing. Not sure Sara could get me laughing as hard but she can try. 😆
The sunbather incident was last summer. Curious to see how Georgia handles nudity this year. LOL! Georgia has never been on a plane. And we will probably avoid that if possible. We spent the winter in California, but we just drove her down there. And when I say we, I mean, Sofia. I flew. :)
I ask this to everyone who has a dog.
If Georgia could talk what would you think she'd sound like? 🤣
LOL! Oh we have a voice for her. I will NEVER DO IT PUBLICLY! but I know EXACTLY what she sounds like. HAHAHAAH
Since you won't do it publicly. You should force Sara to do it for you. She'd Scrooge mcduck the fuck out of that. 🤣🤣🤣
That is probably something that all pet owners have asked themselves.
What a cute pup! I'm kind of a surrogate dad to my friends dog. Damn I love him to bits, he's a white husky/german shepard mix. Full of love, fluff and cheekyness. Dogs are the shit
Shalom
they are the shit!
“I wanted one cuddle. She didn’t seem that into it.” Lolsob. If only Georgia could answer! And as the owner of a little dog, they do start shit and Georgia really should just ignore them.
LOL! They do start shit!
Ima be honest some days I wish I was Georgia. So I can cuddle all with you! Seems she has a tea time enjoying life! Love this! How bout the nails?!? Like you straighten the bed out and they scratch into it like it’s dirt outside. Then they plump themselves right in it?!? Thanks for sharing. Betcha she has tons of secrets! And very good at not spilling. 🤣🤣🤣♥️♥️♥️♥️😍😍😍😍🤗🤗🤗Georgia.
LOLLLLL
Give Georgia a hug from me. Can’t believe she isn’t little. Like when you first got her. So precious and how the time flys as they get older!
I love this pet post. I would love it if my cats could talk to me (and my turtle because I can’t leave him out). Maybe Georgia is scared of suitcases because a suitcase signifies you leaving? I don’t know, animals are strange…but I think us humans are stranger. I hope things get better with the things Georgia needs to work on and I hope you and Sofia can figure out ways to help her.
I wrote this months ago, and I tried to write ALL the questions I had the last year and a half. So yes, a lot has changed. She is no longer afraid/barking at anything that rolls. She sleeps in her crate with a bed, sleeps on the couch with us (on a blanket) some days too. She is WAY better at reacting to things. Her recall is ...85-90% most days. She does react to people who try and pet her when she's on leash. She doesn't love it when someone reaches out at her, or makes eye contact before she's had a chance to sniff your leg. We stop everyone from reaching out to her/petting her. We stand in front of her in the elevator. We give her tons of space. We use a "say hi" command now when she's calm and has been around someone for a few minutes, and that cues her to go smell, check things out, and we tell people to ignore her when she does that. Typically AFTER that she's good. But. She's def a covid dog. Nervous at first with new people and likes her space. Some people have told us it's just her nature, some say it's her breed. But she's ours and we love her! HA Most of the issues have subsided or gotten easier and we've gotten stronger at dealing with it. I had NO IDEA what to expect getting a dog. And we did so much reading. But, they are like people, totally individual. So, Georgia is just her...and we just have to protect her and take good care of her, which we do. And as she gets older, I imagine some of her nervousness will go away. I hope. Ha. Ps. glad you enjoyed the post! Maybe I should do more pet posts!
I’m glad a lot of those issues have been resolved, I’m a nervous person as it is so I get where she is coming from..I wouldn’t want people reaching out and touching me without permission either, I also don’t like eye contact. It sounds like she knows you and Sofia are going to protect her and it isn’t the other way around. Hopefully her nervousness will completely subside. Yes, more pet posts please!
There should be a “what to expect when you’re expecting a pet” for new dog (or cat) owners. I feel like nobody prepares you for the amount of love you end up feeling for your buddy. The struggle is real <3
thanks for my next book idea!