Tessa Possible TM?

[raechiemay]

Yes her too! I completely forgot! Wasn't Moo more of a blue-ish grey as a pup?

 

[ruthcatrin]

Moo's blue and tan yup, its less obvious in her adult coat in pictures but she's still blue.

 

[raechiemay]

I think it depends on the lighting in the pics bc sometimes I can clearly see it & sometimes she just looks like a faded black. Still gorgeous nonetheless!

 

[NeSaxena]

She's got the eyes and the side glance of a TM most definitely. I agree on the cross bit. She's gorgeous!

 

[thelady_v2010]

um--thelady_v2010---HOW did MY cat get on Your sofa LOL???? I know he gets around but sigh!

What color eyes does your have? male or female?

He has green eyes. He is a short hair, although he is by far the worst shedder in the house!

 

[Catia]

ruth-can you go into a little more detail about TM's getting comfortable in their new home?

I stress so much wondering what's me & what's just her personailty quirks.

She has such an odd personailty for a puppy.

In my other thread you mentioned I am lucky she is so comfortable in my home & I didn't understand what you meant.

And why is it so hard to find things they like to play with or what they enjoy doing?

And she DID know recall **really weLL** FROM 11-15 WEEKS...

 

[ruthcatrin]

That she'll sleep so well, and let you man handle her the way you described says she's comfortable with you. Sure some of its little puppy, but not all of it.

I,m gonna have to message Mooshi's Mummy and tell her to come over here and help me explain.....

They can be such serious little pups. We were lucky enough to still have snow on the ground when we brought him home, and he QUICKLY decided that snow was AWESOME. So that helped.

We spent our first several weeks sleeping on the couch with him (did I mention he's a spoiled puppy?) and I knew we were getting somewhere when instead of sitting and staring at me when he had to go potty he'd lick my face and laugh at me when he had to go.

And I'm sorry, but :lolbangtable: at her recall.....

 

[ruthcatrin]

The video I link to here: Random Apollo (and Arty) pictures thread - Page 2 was mostly of my New Guinea Singing Dog and the bubble machine, but right at the beginning is Apollo's reaction....

 

[Catia]

I ***DID*** find something Tessa LOVES & will actually get motivated & play with--Ice Cubes--so simple-she thinks they are the best thing ever00better than any of her toys.

Tessa will actually *GET UP* for an ice cube & when it flies across the floor--she will *get up* again--all by herself.

Tonight at the dog park, the recall whistle I do worked quite a few times--me calling her name did not work once.
Just the fact that she came once with 15 digs distracting her was great. So of course I had to try multiple times & test to see what works.

I might keep working with recall using my whistle instead of her name.
It's the same whistle i did with my last pooch--so the cats already know it & THEY come EVERY time-LOL-Tessa then takes note & follows suit.
I didn't purposefully teach my cats the recall whistle, they learned it from my last pooch & well, I think they are helping teaching Tessa.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Be carefull with the dog park, some TMs will decide its THEIRS and guard it against all comers.

I can believe ice cubes work, we've never tried them with Apollo, but I can believe it.

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Hey ladies...can I help in any way here? I can see we have a new (possible) TM owner aboard.

 

[Catia]

I found a dogpark close that *seems* to have a decent bunch of dogs & pups. Tessa has been well socialized from the beginning & she really loves the dog park.
Yes, I will be careful at the dog park. I have not seen any guarding behaviors at the dog park so far.

There was a whippet mix with a ferocious sounding grumble/growl that he uses to talk, he worried me at 1st.
The owner assured me he was just really vocal & was trying to engage in play & was non aggressive, just wanted Tessa to chase him.
Tessa gave him a wait & watch & I guess she understood his language--then jumped right to him & played chase with him a lot.

 

[chuckorlando]

That face sure looks TM to me. Of coarse I dont know one way or the other. But TM have kinda a softer face as pups. Like Moo's profile pic. Like everything is rounded, not boxed any where. Your pup has that look. At any rate it's a good looking pup.

Best advice I can give you, listen to these ladies. If they say it with any certainty, theres a good chance you need to pay attention

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Hi Catia....Tessa is a lovely looking girl and I can see a lot of TM in her, not sure about what the other part it and kind of have doubts about a Rottie but if the breeder says her mom is a Rott then I guess she would know what she is talking about but for sure the TM side of her is strong.

So glad to see you are socializing your girl, but have to butt in and say dont be suprised if one day she doesnt take so well to the dog park any more. You very well may come across a dog or two she takes issue with, for no apparent reason in our eyes, but for very good reason in hers and TM's are near enough impossible to read body language with. The best thing to watch out for is a high head, stiff and serious walk and a medium set out tail, neither up nor down but straight out. When they are in the stance I would say watch it. Also the turning of the head and ignoring of outside affections, this is a universal signal with most dogs but one to pay heed to with a TM.

I am sure you have realized how stubborn and frustrating they can be as well! LOL. This breed is a challenge and a half to train, esp with off lead recall. I am pretty lucky with my girl as she is about 95% which took a hell of a lot of hard word, and I mean HARD WORK, but still its 95% at best. If she gets it in to her head that there is a threat she will not come back for love nor money nor ice cubes.

I have been MIA from this forum for a while lately due to having family visiting but just shout if you have any questions that Ruth hasnt already answered....she is better than I am. LOL.

I will leave you with this little.....this weekend my hubby and I took my family to a lovely place here in the UK called Lincoln, we also took our dogs, one of which is Mooshi our TM. Whilst we were sitting waiting for our family to join us from their tour of a local cathedral a strange man started to walk towards us. He was an older chap, probably in his early 60's, very unassuming, nothing obviously threating to my eyes, however Mooshi took a serious disliking to him for some reason and she let rip. She started to bark, and I mean her serous bark, and she would not let up, no matter how many times I said quiet or its ok she wanted at this guy and she was serious about her business. The foolish man continued to approach me, and asked if she was 'ok'. I mean seriously!! I advised him that it was not a good idea to approach her and to please move away, he didnt listen so he just moved to one side and spoke with my hubby instead. All the while Mooshi is going friggen insane so I had to get up and walk her away. Let me tell you that was not a treat because all the while I am pulling her she wants to go backwards and make hamburger out of this guy. I felt like letting her because he was an idiot but I kept my cool. So I guess what I am trying to say is 'beware'. Our beloved TM's can be really good most of the time, but if they decide not to be there aint a whole heck of a lot you can do other than hang on till the threat passes.

 

[chuckorlando]

Thats my kinda dog. ahahahaha

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Oh man Chuck you should have seen here, she was seriously wanting to rip this guy a new bum hole! LOL. It doesnt happen often in public, a half dozen times or so since we have had her but freaken Nora she was not going to let up until this guy made himself gone! I couldnt believe he just stood there and let her froth at the mouth trying to get at him. Idiot! She was so bad another couple sitting on a bench about 6ft away got up and moved even further. hahaha!

 

[Atlas_Mama]

TM's are sooooooooooooooooooo rare!!!! i would think there would be a minute' chance to stumble upon a cross. They are one of those breeds that if someone owns a TM they are usually going to be extremely responsible in who/if/when and where they are mated- and where the pups go.That is one of the reasons I shy from thinking this pup is a cross- but it's possible due to appearance- but it is also possible and more likely to be a golden/rottie mix. She is absolutely beautiful whatever she is- your lil muppet

 

[ruthcatrin]

Atlas mama, theres actually a fair number of TMs in VA, which is where the pup is from originally. And unfortunetly the number TMs in less than steller homes has been skyrocketing. The number the national TM rescue alone is dealing with has jumped signifigantly in the last year, and thats not counting the dogs the individual breeders are handling, and trust me, many of them are!

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Chuck I was thinking the same, from the avatar I thought TM as well. But the experts are here

Ruth I live in VA and have yet to see any, even when I lived near Chesapeake. The first time I ever saw a TM was in that movie "Man's Best Friend"

 

[ruthcatrin]

I'm not saying they're see'em on the street every day common lol, but I personally know of two breeders in VA, and that Apollo's breeder has sold pups "locally" within the state. For that matter I know Apollo's breeder had a bitch get loose last year (not during breeding season thankfully) so even with the good owners it happens. For a not very common breed thats a fair number of dogs in one state, and thats just the ones I know about! Add in the pup's personality.....yah, I can believe TM cross.....