the backstory is that jean has gotten really head shy over the years, to the point where she would run away anytime i got her collar out. lo and behold, turning this into a “trick” worked like a charm. now she’s happy and excited every time she sees her collar, and it has become one of our best recall tools.

you’ll notice i also often treat her when i take the collar off, so she wants to stick around after i remove her collar rather than bolting away from me. this is especially important since she’s a sporting dog (agility and fast CAT).

at the end are some tricks she already knows, just for fun. :)

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    8 months ago

    I’ve got a Jack Russell + chi mix, and she’s just the best. She, too, is very cat like - she uses her ears, eyes, and body language to express her happiness and her tail only wags when she’s hunting (birds, squirrels, chipmunks, laser pointer, lol).

    Curious: Does your Jean’s tail straighten out when she’s relaxed? I’ve noticed mine’s does when she jumps up on my lap or curls up by me on the couch. Have never had a chi before, so mostly just curious.

    • autumn (she/they)@beehaw.orgOP
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      8 months ago

      Does your Jean’s tail straighten out when she’s relaxed?

      it does! i often call it her “pig tail,” haha. jean also has some russel terrier in her according to her DNA results… but she’s a pretty diverse mishmash of breeds.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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        8 months ago

        I’m just now realizing chi is short for chihuahua 🤦‍♂️. AFAIK, mine’s mostly russell terrier with something that gives her the curly tail.

        She’s a rescue, so I really should do a DNA test to both settle my curiosity and be aware of any breed-specific health issues she might face down the line.

        Dog tax:

        Big dog, Daisy Johnson, is 9, little dog, Pepper Potts, is 1.

          • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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            8 months ago

            Thanks! Hard to get a non-blurry picture of them together unless they’re curled up napping. They’re total sisters and are either beating the crap out of each other or curled up together taking a nap between rounds 😄