Adopted February 2009

8/25/11:

Bandit is doing well. He and Willow are our "children" these days. Sometimes a mite naughty, but we love them and they love us.

Did you know that Bandit is prone to seizures? Not a lot, but occasionally. Haven't been able to get a line on what brings them on, but I personally, think they are stress related. He is fine for long periods of time and then out of the blue he has one and all I can do is hold him and comfort him until he is through it and then he goes off like nothing has happened. Ever hear of such a thing?

He's still a mite skinny for my taste, but I assure you it's not from lack of food and exercise. I'm thinking that he is just built that way. He's still the same height he was when we got him, but he's put on nearly 20 pounds. Even with that he's nowhere close to what Willow weighs and she is about the same size as him.

In the past year he's taken to not liking to travel unless it is a very short trip. Since we got him we've been all over the Midwest, and at least three trips down to Calif. He did really well at first, but on the last trip about midway through he started to bark at nothing and wanted out of the vehicle. He'll ride for a few miles, but then we have to stop and let him out and then he's OK for a few more miles. Not going to work out on a long trip again unfortunately. At the same time when we go camping, he prefers to "camp" in the back of the truck rather than sleeping out on the ground or in the trailer with us. I get confused sometimes as to what he wants or likes.

He's very attached to me especially and if I'm outside anywhere I most times can reach out and touch him. He's always right there by my side, either lying down near me or rubbing up against my leg. He gets very upset if he's left at home even if it's with Willow, he wants human companionship all the time. Sometimes it's a problem as I had a major back surgery in January and am looking at another very major neck surgery later this year. I'm not sure how he's going to deal with that. 

3/27/09: Bandit is doing well. Started to put on a little weight but still slim. He and Willow are doing better. They had one fight and he ran off but we found him and got him home OK. Since they were fussing over a ball I'd left in the back of the truck I took the fight as my mistake. Now I don't leave anything with them alone that they might fight over.

Both dogs now sleep together side by side and even eat side by side (as long as I'm there). They play now and then by themselves and love it when I'm with them and throwing the ball. Bandit steals the ball from Willow every chance he gets (hence the name Bandit) but he now gives it to me so I can throw it again.

My son also got a dog and we want to get the three together and see how they do.

Bandit still can't be turned loose outside the yard as he then takes off. I'm working to change that behavior so we can go to the dog park or beach and play.

Thanks for everything.

3/6/09: We had to change his name again.  My son calls his son "Buddy" and I find a lot of times when I'm talking to Brendan (my grandson) I too call him buddy.  We didn't want to get the dog confused so we renamed him. I was playing ball with him and Willow and he was stealing the ball from her every chance he got and I yelled at him "give that to her you bandit."  Johanna heard me and said that was a good name for him.  So, Bandit it is.  He still doesn't respond to the name, but he responds pretty well to me and my voice.

He and Willow are finally playing ball with me without a lot of growling and tussling over the ball.  Sometimes I have to exert my position as "top dog," but they both are now doing better.  Bandit is also trying to get her to play with him and she is responding now and then.  If he fusses at her too much about it she lifts a lip and he backs off and goes play with the ball by himself.  Just wish he didn't chew the tennis balls in half like he does.  Every ball in the yard is now broken as he will chew on them until he breaks them open. He is eating and eating well now.  I found your advise about putting something on the food to get him interested worked well.  I mix some of the food I got from you folks with some I normally feed my dogs and then mix in some watered down canned food, meat sauce, gravy, etc with his food and he eats like he's starved.  I've been feeding him twice daily (I normally feed Willow once a day) as I want to pack on a few more pounds.  He still seems rather thin for as big as he is. Bandit is a very sweet fellow and seems to have adopted me.  If I'm in the yard or working in the shop he has to be somewhere near me.  I do a lot of reloading at my workbench and tonight he was in there with me.  First he was on the dogs bed in that room, then over on the concrete floor closer to me and then finally right up against me with his head on my foot.  Every now and then I would reach down and give him a scratch and he'd look at me with those big brown eyes and I knew he was happy.  Mostly Willow looked on and every now and then she'd wander over to get petted, but mostly she wanted me to stop what I was doing and go outside and throw the ball for her.  Every time she'd get close to me, Bandit would give off with a little Grrrr and I'd tell him she had as much right to a pat as he did.  He as fine as long as I'd pat him while I was patting her.  Getting a little possessive do you think??

Here's a couple more pictures for you.

3/1/09: Just a really quick note to send you a couple pictures of Buddy. He's slowly settling in. He and Willow aren't fighting, but they still stalk about with hair up if I'm not there to see they behave. I think it is more her than him, but I have seen him "lift a lip" while trying to push past her out the door. You might note in the pictures that I have both dogs on a lead while on their beds so as not to give them an opportunity to "argue" during the night.

Still haven't been able to get him to eat a single thing. Tried hand feeding (like to do that with new animals to establish my position) and with a bowl. Even tried giving him a pig ear and dog biscuit and he let both on the floor. He'll eat eventually, but right now he has got to be stressed out. He is taking to me though. Even tried playing with me with his mouth and then rolled over to be scratched. I love him - he's going to be a great buddy.

Man, what a sweety!! I think he's going to fit right in and be a great addition to the family and I think he's going to like it here as well. I took him out on the leash and showed him all around the fenced in area and he's already "marked" his territory and all. So far I've not been able to get him to eat anything, but he's had plenty of water and now is dead asleep on his bed in the other room. I've got him and Willow both on a lead so they can't get into a disagreement during the night, but that fear will go quickly.