Mighty Micah – a full size Australian Shepherd came to me in April, 2016.  As mentioned before… he was four months old and so very tiny.  He was raised on a farm in Mississippi… and I am not sure how much socialization he had before he came to live with me because he was so very shy and very quiet.  He was a true cutey though…

The only thing I remember his breeder saying to me was that he was a slow eater…  It was clear that she loved the pup – as I had a sense she was interviewing me as we were talking.

On the way home… he had his first bout of diarrhea.  I thought it was just due to the ride and him potentially being nervous.  It was not… it was only a foreshadowing of my months  to come.  Like many puppies, he still had worms (round and hook worms) as well as Giardia.  Future test would also find coccidia.  He was wormed somewhere around four different times.  Couldn’t get rid of everything… and during this all – he was experience chronic diarrhea.  He was again – very shy and very quiet – mostly I think because he wasn’t feeling very well.

When he met my dogs – Jake and Lukas – his reaction was to lash out at them and nose punch them.  I can remember saying… “Oh this won’t do… you are going to be an agility dog and you have to play well with others!!”  Fortunately – Jake and Lukas looked at him like “What are you doing?!?!”  They did not react…  in fact, Jake took it for about two weeks (the times I didn’t see it happen; he (Micah) obviously got corrected when I did) – and only then did he react.  Micah had no reaction to Misty…  the dog matriarch of the house.

Micah and Lukas bonded quickly.  Micah didn’t like Jake much.  They co-existed… but you could see at times Micah’s lip ever so slightly go up and then the nose punch would happen.  Jake finally reacted to him… snapped back; put his paw on him and put him down.  The trouble came… when Lukas got involved to protect Micah.  Lukas and Jake – then had “words.”  Micah ran and I was left breaking the two apart.  I took Lukas into another room and spoke with him…  I told him he needed to stay out of it as Micah was being “rude” to Jake and had to learn not to do it.  I know you think – “Yea right” but Lukas did understand.  He did stay out of any future altercations.  In fact, when I went to the animal communicator and asked her to emphasize that again to Lukas…  she laughed and said “He already knows to stay out of their fights…  he was already told by you!”  (Yes… I also believe in animal communicators!).

In addition, Jake told her that he was getting tired of Micah being rude to him.  I can’t blame him…  he has been rude to Jake!  Now…  almost a year later (hard to believe), Micah mostly only reacts to Jake on the bed when all the dogs come up at night to say “Good night!”  There hasn’t been any “fight” with this because I am very vigilant with this tradition… any time he starts to “amp” up, I get his collar and move him strategically somewhere else.  It is getting better…  but I can not relax.  A handler/owner – when they have a dog like Micah – must always be on alert.  I am so proud of “Baby Jake” as he could have truly hurt Micah… and didn’t!

Micah use to lunge at people too…  this overall is almost gone as now he sees them as someone who always gives treats.  Kids move too fast for him…  in all cases, I am very watchful when people come up to him.  Most of the agility folks are very good with him…  trying to get him use to people.

Haven’t been 100% successful yet with other dogs though…  he still gets frightened – I assume – by them – and will nose bump/lunge at them.  I am always watchful… and always working on him – giving him new opportunities.

For a dog who has never trailed yet… he has been at probably 20 trails in his lifetime… if not more.  He has been to Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Washingtonville, Medina, Columbus, and Dayton.  He travels very well now.  He is not a lover of his crate… tore the one that he was in with Lukas and so now has a metal crate… but can see Lukas at all times (not sure if it makes a difference…).  Lukas is good for him.

Lukas is good for him!  Lukas taught him to use the doggie dog.  Lukas shared his crate with him.  Lukas played gently with him teaching him to tug.  Lukas also showed him some his bad habits… like how to eat poop!  Micah doesn’t do that much…  but he does occassionally.  Micah seldom gets mad at Lukas… Lukas has never gotten mad at Micah.  He’s such a good “big brother!”