Meeting the Extended Family Pack

17 Weeks

Yesterday, my left ear inexplicably began to flop.

We are not sure what to make of this.

Normally, dogs with folded ears are born that way, and if the ears are going to become the erect, "prick" ears, they stand up over time. Some breeds with upright ears have them splinted and taped until the musculature is strong enough (or "grows" in that direction) to hold them up. Sometimes, massaging the upright-growing ears in that direction is enough. Ears folding in dog that has, for the past several months, had prick ears, is odd and new for us. We are not sure if it's an injury, something I'm doing to mimic my big sister's ears (we know people with 3-legged dogs whose 4-legged dogs began holding up one leg all of the time. The 4-legged dog was not injured, simply copying his buddy), or what.

We're kind of disappointed, too.

Growin'

Boy, howdy! At 16 weeks I suddenly hit that growth spurt that makes all puppies look kinda "ugly" for a bit! I went from being short, compact and sometimes chunky to sprouting long legs, knobby knees, bigger feet (and they were already big!), a long body and a longer neck! I sure look funny! But I still look cute!

My First Road Trip

I was really good! I was so good!

Well, it really wasn't my "first" road trip. My first one was the drive from the shelter in Austin where my two brothers and I were, to our foster home with Texas Cattle Dog Rescue in Magnolia. So, this road trip had me "going home" headed back that same direction. I settled right down in my crate, only sitting up and looking around a few times, taking a cue from my new big brother and big sister and just lying quietly.

About an hour into the drive I got carsick and threw up-
then I ate it, because Mom and Dad couldn't find a place to pull over in time to clean it up and stop me.

Then I threw it up again.

That time they DID pull into a parking lot, took me out of my crate, Dad held my leash (and I peed and PEED!) while Mom used a spare plastic grocery bag to scoop up my puke, then shook out my bedding, wiped up the errant splatters... Dad got another bag out of his emergency kit in the back and we put my soggy blanket in it, Mom shook off my stuffed mousie and my stuffed reindeer, and then tucked us all back inside and we were off again!

I slept the rest of the way. Boy, throwing up twice really takes it outta ya! But I was still so hungry. Mom and Dad hadn't even fed me my usual lunchtime rations, knowing that I would be in the car. They are still puzzling how I threw up breakfast- four hours after the fact- and it wasn't even digested! Mom is contemplating a different feeding schedule and portion sizes based on this information...

We got to my new Grammy and Pampy's house, and Mom took me out to potty, hoping I wouldn't submissively pee on anybody. I still sprinkled Grammy's shoe a bit, and peed really good for Pampy. Everybody likes me. I went into a yard with two other big dogs. Mollie didn't pay me much attention. Jax made me feel a bit uncertain- I'm not usually a "'fraidy cat", but my tail was low. Mom says it's the first time she's ever seen it not held up high. Not even when I met my new family for the first time. Mom also says I'm now at the beginning of some critical "fear period" and it's crucial that I keep meeting people, having good experiences, not making a big deal out of things that might be scary, etc... Anyway, Jax is cool, and I look forward to wrestling with him and wearing him out in the future. He might be a bit unsure of me, himself. He's usually pretty bossy and demanding when it comes to attention, pushing the other dogs out of his way so he can hog all the petting. Well, when I come up to get petted, he backs off real quick! Ha! I decided I could go around with my tail up after that. I didn't really get to play in the yard much with the big dogs, because there were a few spots in the fence that I might have been able to fit through, and also because the weather got really cold and rainy. Plus, I'm still little and nobody will let me play outside unsupervised.

As a result, I spent a lot of time in my crate- but I was good! I got to sit in the kitchen and watch everybody. There were two little kids that loved me and kept poking their fingers through the bars of my crate to pet me. I liked licking them and hearing them laugh. I got to wander around the house as long as I was on my leash, and I minded well when anybody told me "sit" or "off!", just like I have been taught! I went potty when and where I was supposed to, and I even slept through the night I was SO TIRED! I didn't get up to go out- not even once! Mom was worried I was dead!

The drive back was really bad. It rained a lot and Dad had trouble seeing the road. The wind was bad, too. But I just lay in my crate and slept, and I didn't throw up on myself! (Mom thinks this is a funny thing to say, because we stopped so she could pee and she heard a kid in the next bathroom stall saying "And I didn't pee on myself!" when it's mommy told it it had done good and thanks for waiting).

Mom is very pleased that keeping me on a schedule contributed to my behaving so well in a new place- I didn't fuss, I didn't bark, I didn't tear up things or make messes. I just sat quietly and took it all in and was good! I was so good!

First Vet Visit

Well, technically it's my third, but first for me and my new family. I had my first two rounds of boosters, exams and other vaccinations when I was with Texas Cattle Dog Rescue. I was also spayed at that time. Today was just a well puppy check-up, and because I needed my last distemper booster. I also got put on flea/tick/heartworm preventatives, and they tried to check me for worms, just in case, but couldn't get a stool sample. That part was so traumatic! My little rectum is so irritated and sore because I keep insisting on ingesting (and pooping out) all of the sticks, leaves, nuts and other vegetation my mom calls "crap" out in the backyard. I'm in a chewing phase, and Mom keeps taking stuff out of my mouth and trying to get me to chew on toys she calls "appropriate" and "things you can't swallow". She says she doesn't want me getting "internal blockages" and that my poop is bloody from the crap I'm passing. It's mostly full of nuts that go in whole and come out the same way, some grass, the long, fibrous parts of the leaves from the banana tree in the neighbor's yard that fall into ours...

Anyway, they didn't get a stool sample because I didn't have any poop in me! Mom says my schedule is that I start pooping at 5:30pm, and do that pretty much hourly (or at least every time I'm taken out), until 8am the next morning. I usually go out twice at night, and poop both times. Then I poop at least 3 times when I get up in the morning- two of those are during our morning walk. So I am empty and I don't poop during the day, even though I'm getting fed 1 and 1/3 cups, over 3 feedings: 8am, 11am, and 2pm. 

I am a poopin' machine!

Well, unless you're a vet.

So, they expressed my anal glands and that wasn't fun, then they scared me so bad I peed all over the vet tech that was holding me, and sprinkled the floor. I should have cooperated when Mom & Dad kept encouraging me to "go potty" before we went inside.

I weigh 14.9lbs (have gained 2lbs since I arrived at my new home), and I made 5 new friends.I was a little uncertain at first. Mom says that I'm entering that critical "fear period", but once I checked the place out I decided it was ok. I liked all of the ladies at the front desk that I got to meet, and the technicians that held me, and also Dr. Cheryl. I had a good time! The cat that lives at the vet clinic, Squash, was really fun. She wanted to play with me, and kept sneaking up on me to get a closer look. I liked her a lot. She was way more fun than the 4 kitties I live with here. They don't like to play with me.

For now, I get to go back monthly for my flea/tick/heartworm stuff, until I settle into a weight category that I can stick with for a while.

A Dog Bed of My Very Own

15 Weeks

2010 Christmas Card Photo Shoot

Two Peas