Piston of Victory Shilohs

Get your motor runnin'

2009-07-26T18:53:00.000-04:00

Age: 12 Months

What more can I say? :)

First Birthday!!

2009-07-21T23:46:00.009-04:00

Age: 1 Year Old!
Weight: 105 pounds
Height: 29.5 inches

Wow! Can you believe it? Piston is 1 year old already! Time sure has gone by quickly. We've seen a real change in our boy in the last 6 months, he's starting to mature a little bit. Maybe the teenage "hearing loss" is almost over.

To celebrate his birthday, we took Piston over to his favourite park and gave him some off leash play time to do some of his favourite activies....sniffing, sniffing, some running, sniffing, sniffing, little more running, and last but not least, a nice dip in the creek to cool off and get a drink!

Enjoy the quick little photo gallery! (The last 2 photos in the gallery are actually movies. To see them, you'll need to click on the still picture to open up the web gallery.)

Meet Otto-bot!

2009-07-13T23:27:00.001-04:00

Age: 11 Months

We went to visit family at a rent cottage for the weekend and unfortunately they do not allow pets. So Piston got to go stay with a friend and her new 5 month old puppy Otto. Otto is a recent rescue and at best guess is a German Shepherd/Lab/Great Dane type mix.....FULL of energy and attitude! Piston was so patient with the pup, despite the non stop requests for play. They went full out, non stop for the entire 3 days they were together!

Channeling his Wild Side

2009-07-06T23:04:00.003-04:00

Age: 11 Months

While visiting family in PA for the Family Reunion, we decided to go for a hike through the State Game Lands behind Grampa's place. (These are the same woods from our Walkin in a Winter Wonderland blog post.)

With all the shade from the trees, I had a real tough time getting any decent photos they all turned out so dark. However here are a few that made the cut. But the green and brown of the forest was such a nice backdrop for his grey coat. Sure had our wolf-ish boy looking right at home :)

Oh, and of course a video. Doesn't he look wild coming through the woods? :)

Little Red Riding Hood

2009-07-05T23:21:00.002-04:00

Age: 11 Months

While visit family, 4 year old Emily took quite a shine to Piston and he to her. I wish I had gotten some better photos as our wolfy pup seemed like such a great match with her red dress :)

Here Emily was trying to give Piston the "wait' hand signal, but
he thought it was the universal sign for "sniff my hands" ;)

Meeting "cousin" Cloe

2009-07-04T22:39:00.001-04:00

Age: 11 Months

During the 4th of July family reunion, Piston got to meet another playmate! Cloe is a Golden Retriever/Yellow Lab Cross. She is about 6 months older than Piston and they had a great time playing chase. She is a great runner! Piston prefers to trot, but he did kick it into high gear at times to keep up with her.

Click on any of the above photos to see the complete web gallery.

A/C Vent Hog!

2009-06-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

Age: 10 Months

Piston is starting to get a sense that the weather is just going to continue to get warmer.....but fear not, he's found a solution!!

This is Piston crammed between the couch and the wall so that he can rest his head on the Air Conditioner vent!

Spring Ontario Chapter Meet 'n Greet

2009-06-07T22:27:00.002-04:00

Age: 10 Months

Today we drove out to Silver Maple Kennels in Chatham, ON for the Bi-Annual Shiloh Shepherd Get Together of the Ontario Chapter.

We were able to re-introduce ourselves to the folks who helped us decide that Shilohs were the breed for us last fall! We of course were proud to introduce our own boy, Piston! :) We also had a chance to meet a few new friends who we knew from the forums but hadn't had the pleasure to meet in person yet.

Click on any of the photos above to be taken to the web gallery.

Put 'em to work!

2009-05-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

Age: 10 Months

After lugging all of the extra brushes, sprays, towels and treats required for the dog shows, we decided it was high time Piston lend a hand! Shopping at our local pet store, we were happy to find this Shiloh sized doggie backpack. Below is a photo of Piston modelling his new pack :)

Down and Dirty

2009-05-25T22:14:00.001-04:00

Age: 10 Months

We installed a "Doggie Dooly" in the corner of the backyard and Piston was quite sure we needed a hand with the excavation :)

IABCA Show Weekend - Pittsburgh, PA

2009-05-18T17:41:00.017-04:00

lAge: Nearly 10 Months
Weight: About 95 pounds

Saturday May 16

Show 1

This was our first show EVER! The judge wasn't particularly impressed with us - in fact he did mention that this isn't something you just naturally do, most people train for it. So what can we say? We did win our Class - but that was easy being as we were the only male Shiloh in that age group. Next round he was up against the other male Shiloh puppies (under 12 months) and Scout took that honor. We knew it was going to be tough having never been to a show ourselves much less competed in one. The judge did provide some nice feed back on our written critique included below.

Judgement
Overall Impression	correct size & good bone
Coat	good texture & length
Head	nice size & proportions
Bite, Mouth	level & complete
Eyes	nice almond shape & dark
Ears	nice length
Chest	full to elbows
Front angulation	fairly good
Back angulation	fairly good
Top line	straight & sloping
Tail	fairly well placed, good length
Movement	good overall

Show 2

We had been there for a few hours now so Piston was starting to get a little more into the swing of things and this judge was a bit more accepting on Piston's puppiness. We once again won our class and then went on to win best male Shiloh Puppy. Next round, he lost to Molly as overall Shiloh Puppy - but that did give him best of Opposite Sex Puppy as he came out top of the boys. Below you'll find this judges comments.

Judgement
Overall Impression	noble proud carriage
Coat	double
Head	broad
Bite, Mouth	scissors
Eyes	dark, almond
Ears	erect, equal width at base to height
Chest	appropriate for age
Front angulation	nice lay back
Back angulation	balanced to front
Top line	straight
Tail	correct sit
Movement	lovely side gait with good R&D

Sunday May 17

Show 3

Ma told us he needed the puppy fuzz around his ears and head groomed so... even tho we hated to see that last bit of puppy fluff go, Margaret gave him a trim in the motel doing a great job blending it with just some short little sewing shears. We also had a full nights sleep instead of 2 hours and a 6 hour drive prior to the show. LOL. Now this judge really liked our boy. He talked to us afterwards about all the things he likes in this breed and the things he sees missing in GSD that we have. Some of the things he mentioned to me were his Wide solid backend. Broad Typey head, solid structure and just overall balance. He mentioned he has a lot of size and tho that can limit the working ability it is per the breed standard and he does move very well. He commented that he showed some puppyness but that he thought he has alot going for him. then followed that up with "but the handler needs some work."

Awww... not that its any surprise there. I never would've thought i would even TRY showing and suddenly here we are. So at that point I'm feeling like I'm the only thing holding him back... so much for no pressure. LOL. Below you'll find this judges written comments.

Judgement	Very good example of young Shiloh - lots of breed type
Overall Impression	Top Quality dog
Coat	great condition
Head	type
Bite, Mouth	scissors, full dentition
Eyes	dark brown
Ears	up alert good feathering
Chest	good depth and forechest
Front angulation	good balanced
Back angulation	good balanced
Top line	level
Tail	well set
Movement	moves great although still puppyish

Show 4

Ok at this point I was feeling some confidence and we had already totally exceeded our best expectations. So although i felt our performance was all on me, I was a little looser since we had done it 3 times and tho i knew i wasnt going to be able to get Piston to stand like a perfect statue i felt that we were gettting the hang of it and we had a lot of improvement. I could see around the 2nd and 3rd shows that he understood what was expected of him... tho he wasnt at all into standing around. Some dogs you could see they loved being out there with everyone looking at them and they liked to show their stuff. Well thats not our boy. He wants action... and is always scanning for something more interesting going on over there. But i did feel like he was giving me more of an effort now.

Well when we got in the ring it actually didnt go all that well. He got distracted on our down and back and lagged behind. That got the leash on his ears and he started to grab at it. This was something he hasnt done since like the first week we had him on a leash!! Good timing. Sometimes you just have to laugh tho. and thats pretty funny. There will be more shows and we will do more preparation. This was pretty short notice and we had only worked on mostly the trotting in a circle a few times because I didnt know how he would do going in a left hand turn and he never had a problem. I must say tho, these rings were really cramped for us. He really didnt enjoy the trot in them much.

Below you'll find this judges written comments.

Judgement	Decent example
Overall Impression	good example of breed
Coat	good thick and texture
Head	good planes
Bite, Mouth	good full dent.
Eyes	good shape and color
Ears	good set on
Chest	a little narrow in fore
Front angulation	good - 2 dew claws
Back angulation	good
Top line	good
Tail	correct set on and carriage
Movement	good loping

Best in Show

For our best in show comps I could see he was really mentally fatigued from 2 days of being restrained and he was pretty much done standing around. He was always in the front of the line except for 2 times and that made it super hard for us too. He kept wanting to turn around and check out the other dogs, at one point he was even looking back while running. I just didnt get his best out of him and for that i was dissapointed. I really wanted to represent our breed better and take best in show for all the Shilohs. But in truth we are truly ecstatic with 2 Best in Group and it was an honor to be in Best in Show. Good Job Piston. I am so proud of you boy. :D

We wanted to be there to represent the real deal vs. the slivers and i really wish they had been there like we heard. I'm looking forward to seeing All of Us vs Them someday.

Don't forget to check out the web gallery for more photos - including the rest of the Shilohs that were at the show!

Tight Fit

2009-05-10T21:54:00.001-04:00

Age: 9.5 Months
Weight: Too heavy to fit on the scale with David!

It is so easy to forget just how big our boy is getting! But today....as he was trying to lay in his favourite spot in front of the door, it became glaringly obvious that he is not a small puppy :)

A more refined request to go out

2009-05-07T21:38:00.001-04:00

Age: 9.5 Months

Thought we'd show off the much more refined request to go outside.
Be sure to compare the video below to his earlier performance here: I Think He Wants to Go Outside...

Visiting the Lake House

2009-05-02T21:27:00.004-04:00

Age: Just over 9 Months
Weight: 95 pounds

While visiting family in SC we took a trip out to the lake house where Piston was able to frolic with new friend Maggie who is a hound dog mix and Dawson the Jack Russel. Okay, Dawson wasn't always the most friendly, but Piston and Maggie had lots of fun and she ran Piston until they were content to take a nap and do it again later!

Click on any of the photos above to go visit the gallery.

Way South of the Border

2009-04-26T20:48:00.003-04:00

Age: Just over 9 Months
Weight: 95 pounds

This spring we took a trip WAY South of the Border...south of the Canadian border that is! We all packed into the car and drove 14 hours down to South Carolina to visit with family! Alright, truth be told we didn't do the whole trip in one shot, we drove about 9 hours and then stopped for the night and finished the rest of the trek in the morning.

Initially we weren't so sure how Piston was going to handle such a long trip, but he traveled like a pro! :) He very quickly recognized the pattern and would curl up and go to sleep as soon as we hit highway speeds!

One challenge we found however was "potty time". Every pit stop we made...well, our explorer found all the new sights, sounds and smells to explore were just too much of a distraction! He'd get out there and completely forget to go. It wasn't until we'd get back into the car and back on the road would he let out a little whine as if to say "Nuts! I knew I forgot to do something", but then he'd go right back to sleep. The next pit stop would be no different either. It was nearly 36 hours after we left our home before our stubborn boy finally took the time to relieve himself! Proud to say that not once did he consider going indoors despite the activity level coming to a standstill.

As we traveled further south, it definitely got warm for our furry Canadian dog! The snow had practically just finished melting back home! ;) At one of the rest stops in North Carolina, there was a great shaded park that we spent some extra time relaxing in. We found some neat outdoor taps that Piston could drink from!

Then we played in the water a little bit to try to cool Piston off.

Once we finally arrived at our destination, Piston was happy to greet his extended family :)

Can I Come Out?

2009-04-21T21:12:00.000-04:00

Age: 39 weeks
Weight: 95 pounds

Before Piston is allowed outside, we ask him to sit and wait patiently until we give him the release word of "okay".

I thought he just looked too cute peeking around the door waiting to be released outside.

Oooooh Deer!

2009-03-19T00:30:00.003-04:00

Age: 34 weeks
Weight: 90 pounds

David and Piston went for a walk in the woods this afternoon over in the Doon Heritage Park. The Park is all fenced in and hasn't opened for the tourist season yet. It's like our own private leash free park! Piston had a great time romping around in the grass, big fields, and the woods part.

One time when he was sniffing around the edge of the woods, Piston came back carrying a prize he was VERY proud of!

Can't blame him really, it's quite the impressive antler! David said it looked pretty fresh and figured it probably had been shed within the past few days!
It's bound to be his new favourite toy!

Piston Power Forged in Zion

2009-03-14T23:19:00.005-04:00

Age: 33 weeks
Weight: 88 pounds

We received the form to get our Puppy Registration papers this week so it was time to finalize a registered name to go along with his call name. After much deliberation and lots of time with the thesaurus...we've decided on Piston Power Forged in Zion. I don't think we should have any problems with it not being unique enough! ;)

When we send in our Puppy Registration request we have to include a few photos...so here are some of the "glamour" shots we took over the weekend.

Ooops....blinked!

Awww...such good focus! Good "look" Piston!

My favourite shot ever! :)

Piston Tugs Daisy - Round 2

2009-03-13T22:53:00.000-04:00

Age: 33 weeks
Weight: 88 pounds

Okay so it was Dylan who started the Tug-o-War...but Daisy thought she better get in there and see if she can't teach Piston a lesson this time!

New Bed!

2009-03-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

Age: 32 weeks
Weight: 86 pounds

Looking quite regal on his new bed from Costco

I Think He Wants to Go Outside...

2009-03-01T00:54:00.005-05:00

Age: 31 weeks
Weight: 84 pounds
We're trying to use "Show me" to encourage Piston to give us an idea of what it is he wants. So tonight when he went and sat in front of the back door and started whining we asked if he wanted to go outside, and to "show me". Not what we were expecting...but I think he got his point across! :)

Dog, Cat and a Pigs Ear

2009-02-22T18:10:00.002-05:00

Age: 30 weeks
Weight: 83 pounds

I gave Piston a pigs ear tonight to chew on and Boosh decided that it was far too interesting to not stick her nose in there and check it out.

Minxi even steps in to give things a little sniff. Tho she quickly decided she had no interest in such things...well, at least not enough interest to want to stick around that close to the dog!

7 Months Old

2009-02-21T00:50:00.000-05:00

Boy time sure does fly!

Trunk Bed

2009-02-15T23:39:00.001-05:00

Age: 29 weeks
Weight: 81 pounds

Riding in the trunk on the way down to Port Allegany to visit with Gramp for David's birthday. He looked really comfortable....but then I got out the camera and he suddenly started looking quite pouty. I still thought it was cute enough to share...

The bed is from Costco (we "won" it from the SSDCA Ontario Chapter Meet) and it fits perfectly into the trunk space!

On the way home, with the back seat back up, he was more inclined to give smiles for the camera :)

Power Steering

2009-02-12T17:56:00.004-05:00

Age: 29 weeks
Weight: 81 pounds

We haven't really mentioned on here the difficulty we've had trying to get Piston to walk in a heel - but those on the Shiloh Forums or those who talk to us regularly have heard about it. He is independent and has a lot of drive to go explore. He wouldn't take treats or a toy either. No interest in them compared to all the fun he "could" be having.

It was difficult when we go out to keep his focus - he was too busy with his nose to the ground or watching everything else to get any guidance from us. He is never nervous about anything, he just thinks he is a kid in a candy store, or at Disney World!! We would try "loose leash walking", but he was always walking too far ahead and would take up all of the slack in the leash. He just was not getting where he was supposed to be.

Several other Shiloh owners on the forums told us to buy a prong collar. It was Sarah who said it was like power steering with her Nero. I had heard her talk about the wonders of the prong before...but to hear from other owners too was a great sign.

So we did it....we bought a prong collar....and you know what....THEY WERE RIGHT!!!

What a difference! He actually pays attention to the guides and corrections. He notices when he is getting near the end of the lead and he slows down a touch to prevent the collar from tightening! Its wonderful!! He has a really high pain tolerance so most corrections don't even phase him, but this seems to work on a different level. Its not pain, its more of a surprise because its different. The prong now gets his attention without having to yank him first! (The martingale collar we were using before just didn't phase him.)

We still aren't in a good heel position, but we are worlds better! This collar has really helped give us hope for gettin Piston to walk politely all the time!

Doggie Play at Bechtel

2009-02-06T22:58:00.005-05:00

Age: 28 weeks
Weight: 81 pounds

Rompin with some other dogs at the park...

Loaded up in the car to head home...good thing he tends to lay down in the car! Otherwise, we might outgrow the Magnum!

We got back to the house, he didn't even want go in...just wanted to flop in the snow out front. Our silly "little" snow puppy!

Teaching To Tug

2009-02-05T22:56:00.003-05:00

Age: 28 weeks
Weight: 81 pounds

After reading this great article on how to play tug with your dog, we thought we should really give it a try. We figured it would be a good way to tire him out on days when he's got that little bit of extra energy.

So here's our first attempt...

Seems it was more effort for him than we thought...didn't take long to tire him out at all!

We'll keep working on it!

It's The Little Things...

2009-02-04T16:46:00.002-05:00

Age: 28 weeks
Weight: 81 pounds

Piston's got all of his big dog teeth now so we figured he was bound to start destroying toys. So....we bought him this octopus made by Tuffy's. It's cute! Its durable! Its got a squeeker in each leg and it's head! Plus...it's purple! ;)

He seems pretty interested, and starts chewing on one of the legs....

But then! GASP! The real fun happens when he realizes there's a tiny little tab of nylon webbing between two of the legs!

It's the little things that keep Piston happy

Just Chillin'

2009-01-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

Age: 27 weeks
Weight: 77 pounds

Just hanging out in the snow chewin a stick. This dog loves being outside in the snow! He'd do it all day long if we'd let him!

I can't help but include the goofy shot ;) Wouldn't be a Shiloh if his tongue wasn't sticking out for at least one photo!

Trotting at the Park

2009-01-26T21:00:00.001-05:00

Age: 27 weeks
Weight: 77 pounds

We were at the park by ourselves, so David thought he'd show off Piston's little trot. He can go at that pace forever! Now if only we could too! The second half of the video is just them goofin' off.

Ohhhh Sooo Tired!

2009-01-25T22:52:00.006-05:00

Age: 26 weeks
Weight: 75 pounds

After a good romp this afternoon - Piston was just pooped! He's lookin a little cramped in his favourite spot in front of the door these days. I couldn't help but laugh at the forehead against the cabinet tho! He was so tired, he didn't even notice me standing there over him!

Then, later that night at my parents place, as I'm coming down stairs....this is the funny sight I see. So tired he got confused on which end goes where! LOL! Or is that a butt pillow, not a bed? In his defense...it was well past his bedtime!

6 Months Old

2009-01-21T19:39:00.001-05:00

Boy he's getting big!!

Not A Little Dog Anymore!

2009-01-19T22:46:00.003-05:00

Age: 26 weeks
Weight: 74 pounds

This is what our puppy looked like in the trunk of our magnum when we first brought him home....

This is what he looks like now if he tries to stand up in the trunk of the magnum.....

Where did our little puppy go?? and why did he leave so soon??

Yoda Impressions

2009-01-16T22:42:00.004-05:00

Age: 25 weeks
Weight: 72 pounds

Whenever Piston is concentrating really hard on something he drops his ears really low and wide. In this photo he's even got the wise "use the force" look on this face.... Or at least I think that's the look he was going for. Really tho, he could have just been thinking about the frozen piece of fruit he had in his mouth!

In this photo he was using his Jedi mind trick to try to convince David to give him another piece of fruit.

When that didn't work....he tried this face instead...

Welcome to the Dark Side?

2009-01-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

Age: 25 weeks
Weight: 71 pounds

Sheesh, we don't have a camera for a week and a half and Piston chooses then to go through huge changes in his colour! Look at that coat!!

Piston Tugs Daisy

2008-12-27T21:59:00.001-05:00

Age: 22 weeks
Weight: 63 pounds

During this visit with the cousins, Piston was feeling a little more sure of himself and decided to take on Daisy playing tug. She hangs on and shakes with the usual JRT gusto! You can actually hear Piston kind of play growl back at her - that's a first for him! I was really impressed with how he'd just pull a little bit. He obviously had the size advantage but matched his play with her very well.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T21:44:00.004-05:00

Age: 22 weeks
Weight: 63 pounds

Okay, so we have no cute Christmas pictures with Piston in front of the tree, or with decorations or anything.....but, we thought we should share with you what Piston found for Christmas. It wasn't wrapped or anything, but he was sure it had his name on it!

Yes that's right....another dead pigeon part! See our November "Foul!" post to see his previous treasure!

Turkey Call??

2008-12-22T21:30:00.003-05:00

Age: 22 weeks
Weight: 63 pounds

After our walk through PA State Game Lands we think Piston might have really liked the smell of those turkeys! So after getting the squeaker out of one of his toys, he thought he better practice that turkey call!

Fetch in the Snow....Storm?

2008-12-21T21:07:00.002-05:00

Age: 21 weeks
Weight: 62 pounds

Piston LOVES the snow....so of course, we had to go out in the SNOW STORM to play fetch! Oh well, at least it was a warm snow and we should hopefully have a white Christmas! :)

I'd like to add that *I* was the one out in the snow while David took photos and video from the comfort of the house!

Click on any of the photos in the slide show above to be taken to the full web gallery.

PS...Today is Piston's 5 Month Birthday! :)

Catch!

2008-12-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Age: 21 weeks
Weight: 62 pounds

Didn't take Piston very long to decide that catch was his new favourite game! Started out with just snowballs - but now he'll jump to try catch anything you throw!

Click on any of the photos in the slide show above to be taken to the full web gallery.

Do Not Disturb!

2008-12-18T20:09:00.000-05:00

Age: 21 weeks
Weight: 62 pounds

On top of this just being a silly place to sleep....wanted to show you his colour! Look at his side!! Is that dark grey I see growing through the puppy fuzz??

Not so long ago....he used to be able to fit his whole body back there....but now, only his head!

Skunk Outcross?

2008-12-14T19:54:00.003-05:00

Age: 20 weeks
Weight: 59 pounds

Talk about drastic change! Where did all this dark fur come from! Its long and wavy too!!

Piston thought he would blend right in with the carpet....but I think he forgot about his newly aquired stripe!

Run Piston Run!

2008-11-29T11:24:00.002-05:00

Age: 19 weeks
Weight: 52 pounds

Piston showing off his cute little run. Love the way he throws his feet!

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

2008-11-28T23:00:00.004-05:00

Age: 18 weeks
Weight: 50 pounds

This was Piston's first real off leash experience! and what a treat it was! Behind Grampa's place is thousands of State Game Land acres! With a foot of fresh snow on the ground we grabbed the camera and off we went! He really was in his element - full of confidence and ready to explore! His nose was loving all the different animal tracks - deer, turkey, squirrel..maybe even some rabbit! We're really pleased with how well he did staying close by and looking when called! It was the first time we were walking where there was no obvious trail for him to figure out where we were going so he'd have to look to us to see which path we'd take through the woods. If he would get too far ahead, we'd just change directions...next thing you knew he was running up behind us. It was a really good experience! Exercise for him and fantastic photos for the wall! :)

Click on any of the photos in the slide show above to be taken to the full web gallery.

Meeting the Cousins!

2008-11-27T22:47:00.003-05:00

Age: 18 weeks
Weight: 50 pounds

We took Piston back to the States for the first time since we brought him home. Thought it only fair that he got to celebrate the American Thanksgiving with his new relatives.

Piston got to meet Daisy the Jack Russell Terror..ahem, Terrier. ;) She belongs do David's brother Rick and his family. She is a lean hunting, fetching machine. Piston thought he wanted to play, but all she could focus on was retrieving that toy in classic JRT style! Poor Piston didn't even come close to having a chance what with those big slippers for feet!

Piston also got to meet Jake the Golden Retreiver. He belongs to David's Aunt Cherie and Uncle Tom. He's wasn't so sure he wanted to spend any time with a goofy puppy. He was sure to let Piston know when he was getting a little too close. Once they were outside, Jake was much more tolerant of his want to be shadow. By the end of the weekend, Jake started to relax more and they were able to lay near each other on the floor. Maybe Piston should have offered him his bed! ;)

All in all - it was a good weekend. Even though there were very different sizes and very different energy levels they all got along pretty well. Overall it was a really good experience!

Click on any of the photos in the slide show above to be taken to the full web gallery.

Caught Sleeping Again

2008-11-23T18:37:00.000-05:00

Age: Almost 18 weeks
Weight: 47.5 pounds

Another silly sleeping position caught on "film".

Foul!

2008-11-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

Age: 4 months (17 weeks)
Weight: 43 pounds

So yesterday we're in visiting my parents like most weekends. We put Piston out in the backyard to let him run around for awhile. We peek outside to see what he's up to and he's running around carrying something looking proud as can be. Looks to me just like a stick with some snow and ice stuck to it so we think nothing about it and go back to our dinner. Throughout the evening he goes in an out a few times, always grabbing something off the porch or he'd spend lots of time nosing around in the middle of the yard. It was really dark out and my parents don't really have any lights in the back of their house. We just figure he found some sort of raccoon sent that my mom's dog used to LOVE.

Anyhow, end of the night before we head home, we put him back out into the yard to go pottie before we start the drive. He runs around for awhile and then goes back to that same spot. We call him in so we can get ready to go.....in he trots with this in his mouth!!!

Just in case you can't tell what it is....it's a pigeon foot!! Its then that my Mom remembers that earlier in the week she looked out into her backyard to see a peregrine falcon "eviscerating" a pigeon. Then they had a little snow the day after and so she had forgotten that the remains were still out there! We then realized that the "stick with the snow" he had been trotting around with was most likely a wing!

Well.....at least he had fun!

What's That On Your Back?

2008-11-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

Age: 17 weeks
Weight: 43 pounds

Piston has got the start of the tell-tale sable Shiloh stripe!

4 Months Old

2008-11-21T14:33:00.001-05:00

Our Piston is 4 Months old today!

Big Foot Sighting?

2008-11-20T22:23:00.003-05:00

Age: 17 weeks
Weight: 43 pounds

David's hand next to Piston's paw print in the snow. After looking at the photo again, we think it might actually be his back foot which seems to be a fair bit smaller than his front foot...either way, still is a big paw for a 4 month old puppy!

My what a big snout you have!

2008-11-13T22:05:00.002-05:00

Age: 16 weeks
Weight: 40 pounds

He's starting to loose that little puppy snout...

But he's still got that puppy look to his face :)

By this time...he was starting to lose interest in my photo taking! LOL!

Look Ma, they stay up on their own!

2008-11-10T18:15:00.003-05:00

Age: 16 weeks today!
Weight: 39.5 pounds

Piston woke up this morning and decided he didn't want to be a conehead anymore! Must have been all those pig ears he's been eating!

Be sure to check out the Picasa Web Album for more cute photos: Conehead No More!

Cat Chases Dog

2008-11-06T18:51:00.002-05:00

Age: 15 weeks
Weight: 36 pounds

We brought Piston into the house wearing his short lead and left him to wander around. Next thing we knew...Boosh was chasing him around. We figure if his tail was any longer, she'd be after that too!

Digging to China?

2008-11-05T21:25:00.006-05:00

Age: 15 weeks
Weight: 35 pounds

Some one got into a little bit of trouble in the back yard....

I think you can see the evidence all over his face...well, nose anyway!

Cruising in Comfort

2008-11-02T12:47:00.008-05:00

Age: Almost 15 weeks
Weight: 34 pounds

Driving in to see my parents on the weekend has gotten a lot easier for Piston. We just plop his great big bed into the back seat and he's quite comfortable just laying around. He'll will sometimes still get up and move from window to window checking out the world, but for the most part he just ends up going to sleep.

Caught Sleeping

2008-10-30T18:40:00.001-04:00

Age: 14 weeks
Weight: 33 pounds

Another strange sleeping choice after a busy afternoon.

First Dusting of Snow

2008-10-29T16:55:00.005-04:00

Age: 14 weeks
Weight: 32.5 pounds
We got our first little bit of snow last night! There really wasn't much to phase him and I don't imagine it will stick around very long. He just trotted around the yard checking out all of his usual spots.

I think the snow brings out his coat colour very nicely!

Music Critic? Music Fan?

2008-10-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

Age: Almost 14 weeks
Weight: 30.5 pounds

Going through some old MP3 albums and thought I'd play some Aerosmith.... I'm not sure Piston was too keen on the idea...either that or he was just doing his own version of air guitar.

3 Months Old!

2008-10-21T11:22:00.002-04:00

Our little puppy is 3 months old today!

New Toy!

2008-10-19T15:44:00.005-04:00

Age: Almost 13 weeks
Weight: 26 pounds

As part of my birthday gift, my friend included a new toy for Piston from her dog. (Although, I'm not sure her dog really wanted to see the toy go!)

At first he thought it was just a little too big - but once he realized there were all kinds of little bits to chew on (like the ears, the hat, the broom) he was far more interested! If that weren't enough....he then figured out there was a squeeker in it! Oh boy!

There is also a bunch of photos in the web gallery: New Toy

Playin with the Kitty

2008-10-15T15:04:00.003-04:00

Age: 12 weeks
Weight: 25 pounds

So today Boosh (AKA Tank) decided to come out for a visit and check out the new addition to our home. Didn't go quite as well as Piston might have hoped...

Not willing to admit to fear, Boosh decides to try it again. This time taking a slightly more defensive position and determined to stand her ground. Again...Piston is left disappointed once Boosh decides that she's made her point!

Not one to dwell on the negative, Piston takes the opportunity to grab one of the kitties toy mice and happily enjoys chewing it in his cool spot in front of the back door.

I always get a charge out of his bark at the end of the video. He'll always bark at any toy/treat if they happen to make their way out of his reach before he was finished chewing!

To see more of Boosh (Tank) take a peek at her Picasa Web Album: Boosh

Hiccups

2008-10-14T16:38:00.003-04:00

Age: 12 weeks
Weight: 24 pounds

Poor Piston just trying to munch on what's left of his pig ear...

Escape Artist and Funny Sleeping Spot!

2008-10-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

Age: 12 weeks
Weight: 24 pounds

So this morning, David wakes up and rolls over to look in Piston's crate to greet him....then asks me where he is! I sit up real quick and look in his crate, sure enough....no puppy!! Then we see a little puppy back end hiding behind the crate sound asleep!

We had been hauling the crate downstairs for daytime so he could eat his food in the crate, and then back upstairs at night to sleep in. I guess while carrying the thing upstairs last night the side door must have come unlatched. So sometime in the middle of the night the little puppy realized the door could be pushed open and out he snuck and then stretched out on the carpet.

We had no accidents in the room and he didn't once come over to wake us up. Impressive!

On a side note... here's one of his latest strange napping places:

Water Play

2008-10-13T13:12:00.006-04:00

Age: 12 weeks
Weight: 23.8 pounds

Seems our little puppy has a thing for water!

Once the weather gets warm again, and he's had all of his shots I look forward to taking him down to the Grand River! I bet he'd get a real kick out that!

You can tell from the photo above that we had just gotten back from one of our woods walks because of all the little "stick tights" stuck in his fur!

Walking in the woods!

2008-10-12T12:17:00.001-04:00

Age: Almost 12 weeks
Weight: 24 pounds

For our daily walks we've been taking Piston to the woods behind our house. There are some wonderful trails through there! You could zig-zag all over the place or find yourself a nice big loop to take. The woods are used for walkers and mountain bikers, so you can find some pretty good single track as well as good double track and then the wide walking trails.

Piston walks pretty good on the leash. We'd walk on the quicker side and that would put him into that lovely trot these dogs are known so well for - this speed would also keep him in a really good heel position.

He was never particularly keen on stopping tho. After about 15 mins of walking we'd stop for a few minutes to let Piston have a "sniff" break the way Cesar suggests. It never seemed to come across as a good thing for Piston. He'd start to whine and fuss and then keep trying to pull on the leash in all different directions like he was saying "lets get moving. enough standing around". Trying to send soothing relaxing vibes wasn't really working. So we'd make him sit (which would often take quite some time before he'd pay enough attention for that) and then once he was in a comfortable sit we'd start again. (Didn't want to give him the message that his whining and pulling was what made the decision to start walking again).
After the walk....he sure was all tuckered out!

As usual, we have a bunch more photos in the Picasa Web Album: Woods Walk

We've got a Conehead!!

2008-10-11T15:25:00.001-04:00

Age: Still 11 weeks (But almost to 12 weeks)
Weight: 22.6 pounds

He just couldn't wait any longer! He needed to get those ears up so he could REALLY hear what we were up to!

Don't forget to checkout the Picasa Web Album for all the extra cute photos: Conehead!

Ears are coming up!

2008-10-09T23:44:00.004-04:00

Age: 11 weeks
Weight: 22 pounds

He's been home just a few days and those fuzzy little ears are starting to come up! Ma(Shiloh) said they were nice small ears and so they'd be up in no time! Boy, she wasn't kidding!

Okay, Okay....we're just foolin! His ears aren't that far up yet, they just come all the way up when he leans his head back to look up at us. The flop back down soon after.

That being said, he is carrying them higher than just a few days ago. So we could still be getting close!

First few nights and days at home!

2008-10-07T22:15:00.002-04:00

Age: 11 Weeks
Weight: 22 Pounds

First night went surprizingly well!! He slept quite comfortably in his crate. He really only whined for a moment or two off and on throughout the night. Nothing serious though. He'd usually complain a litlte bit, shift his position and then head back to sleep or chew on the pigs ear we gave him. Because of the renovations we are doing around the house, we are actually just sleeping on a mattress on the floor - so that put us really close to the crate and maybe that's what helped make it easier.

The next night was even better! He slept soundly all night through! Never made a peep! Wow!! Maybe this is one of the advantages of taking home an older puppy! Either that or we've found a dog that can sleep as hard and as soundly as I can!!

Daytime has been fun! We've done a fair bit of romping around outdoors. He's certainly not a real high energy, go getter puppy - but we like him that way. He's quite content to munch on a toy or stick for quite some time before deciding there might be something more interesting on the other side of the yard.

MaShiloh was right...he is a talker!

Also take a peek at our Picasa Web Album for more photos: Playin Outside

Piston's First Bath

2008-10-04T23:49:00.004-04:00

Just after dinner at my parents place we thought it would be a good idea to give Piston his first bath! I can remember reading/hearing somewhere that it's always a good idea to give a puppy a bath as soon as you can after taking them from their litter mates. That way you are sure that you get rid of their scent and he wont be as inclined to miss them. Out of scent, out of mind I guess?

Anyhow, Mom's got a bathtub with the hand held shower in the basement. It rarely gets used so no need to worry about getting it messy! I was surprised at the amount of dirt that came out of what looked to be a pretty clean puppy!

All in all, the bath went quite smoothly - just some whimpering and whining but not too much fight After the bath he adjusted quite well and didn't hold a grudge - must have been the treats!

We've posted the photos to our Picasa Web Album: Piston's First Bath