Words of Affirmation

The twins are 2 and a half years old, which is absolutely crazy to think about. I remember when they were 2 and a half months old and it’s amazing to see their transition from puppies to teenagers to young adult dogs. What used to be full days of chaos has turned into certain moments of chaos. Every morning, Sasha comes running out of her cage on 100. She’s full of energy, ready to eat, and soooo playful. Nala is usually on the same wave in the mornings just to a lesser extent. She usually likes army crawling across the floor and chasing her sister right after breakfast.

They also ramp up in the evenings around the time Krissy and I are working out. They love playing with the softball, tennis ball, baseball glove, our weights, pretty much anything that’s not their own balls. We like messing with both of them while doing our workout moves just so they get triggered and start playing with us. It’s very entertaining for me and definitely makes my days that much more full and happy. 

Now, outside time is where their differences come into major play. Sasha is responsible enough to go outside without a collar or leash on at all times of the day, rain or shine. She has full domain to walk from one end of the yard all the way to the other end and back. She can go outside unsupervised and will come back to the door when called. She doesn’t dig in the dirt, unless she’s trying to get to a rock which is her favorite “toy” to play with outside. Sasha loves rocks so much that we can stand outside for hours just throwing them back and forth. She tries to chew on them, but thankfully she doesn’t just throw down and ruin her teeth. 

Nala on the other hand, acts a complete fool outside with no collar or leash on to the point that everytime she needs to go out, she has to be supervised. We’ve learned this from trial and error which involved a dirty Sasha, about ten minutes of chasing, and much frustration. Nala has a one track mind outside and she tunes me out if I call her to come inside. The only silver lining that I’ve found recently is letting her go outside unleashed late at night when she’s tired. That’s the only time she will go out, do what she needs to do, and actually come back to the door without walking off. But, there’s a catch.

I’ve found that once she’s looking back toward the door, if I get really excited and praise her, she will run back into the house. I couple that with offering her a cut piece of celery as a reward and that’s been working pretty well for us. Krissy made a joke that she’s a words of affirmation dog, but I think there’s some truth in that statement. Unlike her sister, Nala doesn’t put too much stock in food as treats (unless it’s rice krispies or something she really likes). Same for toys as rewards. She really enjoys when you talk nicely to her, rub her, and even sing to her. She will sit on your feet and just look up with you with the biggest, brownest eyes ever. 

Nala is big on words apparently. She’s big on you getting excited and telling her what a good girl she is. She’s big on being a baby lol. Looking back, she was like that as a puppy too. Sasha is by far easier to train because she’s so gullible for food. She picks up on commands as long as you offer her something to eat. Nala is a bit more stubborn than her sister. She’s a true intellect that doesn’t just jump for meat. I struggled for a little bit when she was a baby getting her to listen to me and actually follow my commands because I hadn’t cracked the code on what Nala actually likes and wants the most. I’d say it’s less physical items and more verbal praise. 

If I do an exercise on the floor, Nala is the one who will walk over to me and try to lick my face (which we don’t allow because that’s disgusting). She’s the one who wants to always be near you. She’s the one who hates getting in trouble or fussed at for doing wrong (except for when she breaks a window blind). Although Sasha is by far easier to trick with food, she’s always more demanding. She wants to get in your face. She doesn’t want to let you eat in peace. She wants whatever you have and she’s not going to let you forget it. After a while, Nala will give up begging for scraps and just lay down, content to be with her “hoomans.” 

Signed, 

Jessica Marie