House trained???

How do you know when your puppy is house trained? Chief hasn't had an accident in the house for days, maybe even a week. But can I trust that? (now that I've said it out loud, I know tomorrow will be all about cleaning up messes...)

The last puppy we had, Floyd, just died in the fall at 14 years old. He was easy to train because we had another dog who showed him the ropes. I don't remember that he had accidents. But maybe that's selective memory on my part. I do, clearly recall that when he was about 6 years old, he lifted his leg on the coffee table one morning. I prefer to think that it was because that coffee table had seen better days and really needed to be removed from our house. Did my dog have the fashion sense that I lack?

I now leave the dogs alone in the house, with access to the backyard when I'm gone for an hour or two. And I don't crate either of them. So far so good - no accidents, nothing chewed to bits. But I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Chief is only 14 or 15 weeks old.

I took them both to the dog park today. We've been avoiding it lately because Charlie got scared by some dog. So whenever we'd go, Charlie would trot out of the dog park area and into the kids' playground. That wasn't too popular. But today, we went later, when there were only 2 or 3 dogs there. Charlie did fine, chasing his ball, lounging in the grass, rolling in the deer scents. Chief played with a Lab/Ridgeback mix. The best thing was that a Bloodhound reminded Chief how to respect his elders. Chief initially ran up to him, jumped on him, but backed down when he heard the warning growl. After that, Chief approached with a submissive posture and didn't get in her face. That's what he needs. Chief is dominant and Charlie lets him get his way. My challenge continues to be trying to find a balance between nature (one dog is dominant) and my idea of fairness (shouldn't the older dog set the rules?).

The greatest help I have is training classes. Unleashed! is awesome. Chief and I have been going to puppy play classes (with some training thrown in...) and Charlie and I have been going to Levels classes. I know, it's sort of dog-training-intensive, but maybe I'll get it right this time.

My next goal: post some photos of my dogs when they're not sleeping! It must seem like they're always at rest. Truly, this is the exception - but it's the only time I can capture them.

Chief and I are back!

I can't believe it's been a month since all of this puppy stuff ended. The laundry room and garage that they took over, will forever be the puppy area. And I can't do a load of wash or get into my car without thinking about every one of them. I am truly the luckiest person on earth (or at least in Petaluma) to have enjoyed their early days.

So what's been happening with them? Chief has settled in very well with our family. He loves loves loves Charlie and Charlie has decided that he didn't really like being an only dog. They don't sleep together, but they play hard and rough, stealing each others toys and then go out to lie in the sun on the deck.

Chief also likes the cat, Hunter. And Hunter doesn't seem to mind that Chief will drag him around by the scruff. But that behavior makes me crazy, so Chief has spent his share of time on the tie down...

I've been taking Chief to puppy play class. One evening, Emma, Bailey and Coco showed up! It was so incredible to see these 4 together again. I think they recognized each in other in the way that you do when you haven't seen your siblings in a while - Hey, dude, what's new? Really? Remember that time you escaped from the pen? Let's wrestle like we used to when we were little. Not that hard! You're hurting me, stop. What, there's a new toy, here, you take it first - a sight to see!

Emma seemed to recognize me and wanted to crawl into my lap. I couldn't believe it. I know they'd been used to my voice and my mannerisms and my pant legs. But it had been weeks. She's a sweet girl and I will pay her way through college for that!

I've heard from friends of other puppy sightings. Someone's been bringing their puppy to Arams. Another was spotted by the movie theater. I hope no one minds the attention these puppies will get forever from people who may seem like strangers to their current owners. You know if I see one of these little guys, I will shower them with love and kisses just like I did when they were here.

Emma and Bailey!

Here's an update from one of the families who adopted 2 of the puppies!




Bailey and Emma are thriving and happy as can be. We took them into the vet the Tuesday after we brought them home because their incisions were opening up a bit. They got some shiny new staples and antibiotics and were given a clean bill of health. In fact you should feel very good about the job you did fostering all these little pups. Our vet, Dr Johnson at Washington Square Vet Clinic said these two were the healthiest pound pups she’d ever seen. She went so far as to say that they were healthier than a lot of pure breed pups she sees. You probably know how hard it can be to give dogs pills, and one of our last dogs could tell if there was a pill hidden in a treat and would find it and spit it out, but these two are funny. They will find the pill and spit it out but then pick it right up and eat it just as if it was part of the treat. Deanna has taught both of them to sit and they are getting pretty good at it. They have a house full of toys and they love them, but somehow that table leg tastes a bit better. They are both crate training really well. The second weekend we had them we took them all the way to Middletown for a quick visit at my Mom’s and they slept in their crate in the back seat the whole way up and back. Last night Bailey was sleepy but restless and off she went to lie down in their crate. They were doing pretty good with house training but back slid yesterday with all the rain. They aren’t too keen on rainy days yet. The joy they bring us outweighs any grief they cause and it’s been (almost) nothing but smiles the whole time.

Rest in Peace

He had a good life, too short, but he was happy. Einstein was diagnosed with fluid on the brain. He started to exhibit behavior that indicated brain damage. Saturday afternoon, he was wrapped in a blanket, held close and had a gentle end.

In an effort to say good-bye to this little character who touched all of our hearts, here's a list of great things about Einstein. All of my helpers are sad and learning one of the hard lessons of life. They've each contributed a little something:

Einey was my favorite. He was the nicest of the lot and he didn't bite.
I loved the way he pranced when he played.
His unusual head gave him an almost human appearance (if he were a cartoon human).
He liked to cuddle.
He didn't let his disability get in the way of his puppyhood.
He was cute.
Einstein was always ready to curl up in your arms and be held.
At night, I'd shine a light on the pile of pups, just to make sure. Einie's head would always pop up and his bug eyes would always find mine.
He learned his name within the first week.
We made his life great - that's all Einny ever knew. It's impossible to guess outcomes, so it only makes sense we'll try to help someone who won't make it. I think that's what makes me like to foster - knowing I tried.
Einstein was special.
Einny is in a better place now and we can all move forward.

Give your puppies an extra hug tonight, for Einstein.

Adopt these 2 puppies!

I returned all of the shelter supplies today and discovered that there are 2 puppies still available for adoption! I can't believe it. But I know that you're all going to rush down to the Petaluma Animal Shelter tomorrow at noon when they open and have a bidding war over those little guys. They are awesome pups. Check out the photos. I was trying to get them to pose... but one stole Chief's leash and the other grabbed the camera. They need to get into their forever homes ASAP so that they can start learning some manners.

Seriously, adopting a dog, especially in the puppy stage is a big decision. We now have a 9 week old puppy and a 3 year old dog. They'll be with us long after my kids graduate from high school, maybe after they're out of college. That's a commitment. And a puppy has initial vet bills. The bills come back again as they get older and require more vet attention.

But if you're a dog person, you know that every penny spent on new slippers (because that great dog chewed yours up) is worth it. Already, Chief has completed our family in a way I hadn't expected. He and Charlie play and play. My sons are old enough to handle taking him outside for his business. They're contributing to his training and they'll be involved in his formal classes. My husband cradles him like a baby (and will continue that practice long after anyone else can hold him!). It's all working out.

So if you want a dose of puppy love in your life, grab one of these dogs!

Only 2 Dogs

Wow, it's been a restful few days. I've only had to deal with 2 dogs. Amazing! And just as time-consuming. Because now, I'm trying to acclimate Chief to our routine - house training, cat manners, playing with Charlie (our 3 year old dog), getting used to the crate. He's doing very well. Any transgression is really our fault for not watching his signals closely enough.

I've found a puppy play class for him that we'll start in a few weeks. Then we'll move on to training classes. I'm reading books and consulting websites about training. But mostly, we're just enjoying his exuberance. He brings out the playfulness in all of us.

I'm wondering how the other pups are doing. After spending all that time with them, I can't help but worry about their first nights away from their pack. As soon as we brought Chief up to the main part of our house, he ran back down to his laundry-room den to look for his siblings. He has Charlie to help him navigate life from puppyhood into dog-dom, but what about the others? Contact me and I'll post pictures and stories. Let's get these guys together sometime. Will they remember each other?

I know I'll never forget them.

The Big Day

Once upon a time, all 11 puppies could curl up in my lap. Last night, it was only one, Chief. He's ours. The family who'd wanted to adopt him decided that it just wasn't the right time for a puppy. I'm grateful that they could make that decision. Because now, we have a new dog! I'd been feeling pretty sad about saying good-bye to all the pups. But now that we get to keep one, it's so much easier. And the time is right for us to have another dog. Especially this one. He chose us from the start, I resisted because I had 11 other dogs to think about. But now I know this is right.

All the puppies were neutered or spayed yesterday. They did fine. They came home last night for some rest. But they didn't really want to rest. Every few hours I fed them a little, they played and then they finally crashed around 11. No one woke me up until 7:30. But then, they wolfed down a pile of food and I rewarded them with a romp in the backyard. They'd all been out there with me or with another pup, but never all of them at once. They swarmed through the ivy, they raced around the deck, they tried to intimidate the neighbor dogs. My dog would have no part of that many puppies. Now, they're asleep again, waiting for their big moment. I'll bring them to the shelter this morning so that they can go home with their families.

It's a big day for all of us.