So here's the scoop. My dog walks 4 times a day. Lots and lots of exercise. One would think that after almost 4 months of daily walks, pup would be used to his leash by now....sadly, no!
Most of the time, he's pretty good. He knows the "sit", "stay", "down", and "heel" commands pretty well. Most of the time when I'm walking him, the leash is loose and he's walking right beside me. Sometimes he'll quicken his step, but all I have to do is say "heel", and he slows down until he's walking beside me. Most of the time, when he ventures onto strange lawns (to sniff around..not do crucial bodily functions), all I have to do is snap the leash, and he's once again by my side.
Most of the time....
Then there are the times that "crazy-eyes" kicks in. There are the times when pup becomes possessed by the idea that the leash must be eaten. He will not let go of the leash. He will bite it, growl at it, and pull at it. Puppy, now weighing in at almost 40 lbs, makes snapping the leash out of his mouth really difficult. Because I never stop walking..don't want to go back.. for the next 30 minutes, "crazy-eyes" is growling, walking in front of me and pulling, barking, baring his teeth...all the while holding the leash in his mouth. I desperately try to remember what the trainer had told me. She said to try to snap the leash out of his mouth..the logic being that if the dog finds it unpleasant, then he will stop doing it. Well, it's been 4 months of unpleasantness, but pup doesn't seem to mind. In fact it's become somewhat of a ritual. The trainer had told me to poke the pup..take my thumb and 2 first fingers..create a cone (if you will), and jab the dog on it's side. The idea is to "snap him out of it". Yeah well, either I'm doing it really softly, or the dog thinks I'm massaging him for his efforts, because it makes absolutely zero difference in his life...he hasn't even noticed.
Because pup wraps the leash around his snout and then puts it in his mouth, when I snap the leash the only result I get is either dragging pup closer to me, or making him jump high in the air. He loves this...the higher he jumps, the more excited he gets...the more excited he gets, the tighter the leash around his mouth......the tighter the leash around his mouth, the higher he jumps...it's a vicious circle.
Every now and then, a police car or a fire-truck will slow down to look at us. Sometimes, I will see the pity in their eyes...no one feels sorry for pup, oh no..he's in full control. They feel sorry for me! Every now and then, they'll turn their siren on..just long enough to distract pup..and, once distracted, we go on our regular walk as if the last 30 minutes never happened!!!
The ones I feel most sorry for are other people walking around us. While pup is growling, pulling and jumping up high, I'll see mothers gather their little children and cross the street. People waiting at bus stops will either enter the shelters, or go behind the shelters. Sometimes, people will give me a wide girth so I can get by with demon-dog (aka "crazy-eyes"). All the while, I look at them with a forced "nothing wrong here" smile. I tell them, "Oh don't worry, we're fine, it's all good!!!" They just nod at me with the same forced smile all the while crossing the street.
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Sunday, 18 September 2011
The Walk
Those of you who have been reading my posts for the last 9 weeks, know what a dedicated dog owner I am. I give pup only the best food there is, no snacks or people food, I make sure he gets plenty of love at home, I make sure he gets lots of socialization (with other people, other dogs, etc.)...and, I give him plenty of exercise.
Pup walks 4 times a day, roughly 8km per day. This pup will never be overweight (not if I can help it!). PWD's are notoriously energetic. Believe me, if you are the type of person that likes to relax at the end of a long stressful day, kick back, put your feet up and turn on the TV or read a book, then a Portuguese Water Dog is not for you. These dogs are extremely agile, hyper and full of life.
So, because I do like to kick back at the end of the day, what do I do?..I walk him, and I walk him a lot. I run him when I can, school-yards, dog parks, you name it. I walk him early in the morning (what else do I have to do at 5am anyway), I walk him at lunchtime (who needs to eat at wonderful restaurants with co-workers, when you can chew on a Power Bar in the car on the way back to work). He gets walked in the early afternoon (thank goodness that one's not mine), and I walk him after dinner. Do I look good in a skirt? You betcha!! However, do I wish I could wake up an hour later, eat lunch down-town and put my feet up after dinner, oh YEAH!!!
But I do this for the express purpose of tiring out a very high energy pup. Does this always work?.., no. Some evenings he puts his head down and doesn't wake up until it's time for bed!! However, when hubby (aka Pup's lord and master) is not home, it doesn't matter how long or how hard puppy has been walking. He has enough energy to tear through the house, tear up the cushions, chew up the shoes, and take a few chucks out of me.
And me....I just kick back, put my feet up, read a book, and put myself in my "happy place"
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Pup walks 4 times a day, roughly 8km per day. This pup will never be overweight (not if I can help it!). PWD's are notoriously energetic. Believe me, if you are the type of person that likes to relax at the end of a long stressful day, kick back, put your feet up and turn on the TV or read a book, then a Portuguese Water Dog is not for you. These dogs are extremely agile, hyper and full of life.
So, because I do like to kick back at the end of the day, what do I do?..I walk him, and I walk him a lot. I run him when I can, school-yards, dog parks, you name it. I walk him early in the morning (what else do I have to do at 5am anyway), I walk him at lunchtime (who needs to eat at wonderful restaurants with co-workers, when you can chew on a Power Bar in the car on the way back to work). He gets walked in the early afternoon (thank goodness that one's not mine), and I walk him after dinner. Do I look good in a skirt? You betcha!! However, do I wish I could wake up an hour later, eat lunch down-town and put my feet up after dinner, oh YEAH!!!
But I do this for the express purpose of tiring out a very high energy pup. Does this always work?.., no. Some evenings he puts his head down and doesn't wake up until it's time for bed!! However, when hubby (aka Pup's lord and master) is not home, it doesn't matter how long or how hard puppy has been walking. He has enough energy to tear through the house, tear up the cushions, chew up the shoes, and take a few chucks out of me.
And me....I just kick back, put my feet up, read a book, and put myself in my "happy place"
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 11 September 2011
His Bite is Worse than his Bark
So here I am, week 13 of being a full fledged puppy owner.
We've been through 2 crates (he's grown so quickly, he was out of the 1st crate in 5 weeks!!)
We are currently on leash number 6 (chewed through the 1st 5)
His new toys barely last him one hour (he completely demolishes them)
He's gone through 6 weeks of puppy training school. Passed with flying colours.
But here's the thing...although I am the only one who feeds him, and I am the only one who walks him on 3 out of his 4 walks (yes 4!! Darned pup walks 8 km/day), the one who picks up his poop, takes him to the vet, and pets him, this lovely sweet gentle puppy BITES me. Yes BITES. I'm not talking gentle playful nips. Full fledged bites. There have been times when I'll be standing with my back to him. He'll come up behind me and take a chunk out of my leg (usually my thigh). It HURTS.
Usually, the biting pattern begins like this...I'll calmly be reading on the couch. The 2 other males in my home will not be in the same room as me. (Pup would never dare try this behaviour with so much testosterone in the room) So there I am, calmly reading on the couch, not even aware that pup is around. Pup puts his paws on the couch (he knows he's not allowed on the furniture...so he does this on purpose). I remove his paws from the couch..he puts them back on. He thinks this is a game. I stand up to show him my authority (hah!). PWD's are notoriously agile. Pup stands on his hind legs for about 10 seconds..all the while pawing at me. I push him down. He crouches, starts barking, and begins to bite my ankles. I try to use canine body language, try to ignore him (hah!) He sneaks up behind me and tries to take chunks out of my arms and legs. I give him a chew toy to distract him, he spits it out and lunges. I try to go back to the couch, but he's way ahead of me..he's jumped on it and proceeds to annihilate the cushions.
I don't want to put him in his crate, but the temptation is too strong. I feel it is the only way he will calm down. In the 13 weeks that I've had him, I've been bitten more often than a lifetime of mosquito bites! Because I don't want him to see the create as a punishment, I start tossing all his favourite toys in there all the while faking a smile and moving closer to the door. I want him to see it as a happy place (hah!). Once he gets close, I nudge him in and lock the door behind him. He's got all his toys in there and is super happy. He immediately lies down and goes to sleep!! Yeah, after a good meal I like to sleep too!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
We've been through 2 crates (he's grown so quickly, he was out of the 1st crate in 5 weeks!!)
We are currently on leash number 6 (chewed through the 1st 5)
His new toys barely last him one hour (he completely demolishes them)
He's gone through 6 weeks of puppy training school. Passed with flying colours.
But here's the thing...although I am the only one who feeds him, and I am the only one who walks him on 3 out of his 4 walks (yes 4!! Darned pup walks 8 km/day), the one who picks up his poop, takes him to the vet, and pets him, this lovely sweet gentle puppy BITES me. Yes BITES. I'm not talking gentle playful nips. Full fledged bites. There have been times when I'll be standing with my back to him. He'll come up behind me and take a chunk out of my leg (usually my thigh). It HURTS.
Usually, the biting pattern begins like this...I'll calmly be reading on the couch. The 2 other males in my home will not be in the same room as me. (Pup would never dare try this behaviour with so much testosterone in the room) So there I am, calmly reading on the couch, not even aware that pup is around. Pup puts his paws on the couch (he knows he's not allowed on the furniture...so he does this on purpose). I remove his paws from the couch..he puts them back on. He thinks this is a game. I stand up to show him my authority (hah!). PWD's are notoriously agile. Pup stands on his hind legs for about 10 seconds..all the while pawing at me. I push him down. He crouches, starts barking, and begins to bite my ankles. I try to use canine body language, try to ignore him (hah!) He sneaks up behind me and tries to take chunks out of my arms and legs. I give him a chew toy to distract him, he spits it out and lunges. I try to go back to the couch, but he's way ahead of me..he's jumped on it and proceeds to annihilate the cushions.
I don't want to put him in his crate, but the temptation is too strong. I feel it is the only way he will calm down. In the 13 weeks that I've had him, I've been bitten more often than a lifetime of mosquito bites! Because I don't want him to see the create as a punishment, I start tossing all his favourite toys in there all the while faking a smile and moving closer to the door. I want him to see it as a happy place (hah!). Once he gets close, I nudge him in and lock the door behind him. He's got all his toys in there and is super happy. He immediately lies down and goes to sleep!! Yeah, after a good meal I like to sleep too!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Mua ha ha....we're alone!
Pup turned 5 months old this week. That means, I've had him for exactly 3 months now. Long enough, one would think, to have bonded with him. Long enough for him to see me as alpha, long enough for him to listen to me. Oh, how wrong I've been...
Every morning we have the same routine. Pup goes out for a very long walk with hubby and me. He walks like a dream. He gets pooped! Once inside the house, pup finds a comfortable corner where he curls up and "pretends" to take a nap. Hubby then has his coffee, a quick kiss goodbye and he's off to work. I'm alone with pup. Then the fun starts. Pup runs into the kitchen, takes a quick look around, notices no hubby, and he smiles (I swear it...I see the glint in his eye). Pup quickly runs upstairs, takes a look around. Sees 14-year old son still sleeping..and he smiles again. He runs back to the kitchen and the dance begins..every morning exactly the same. He grabs the dish towel that's hanging from the stove. He takes it to the living room and precedes to annihilate it. I grab the towel from him. Pup then starts running run through the house in circles. The open concept suits him well. He runs from kitchen to dining room to living room in one complete motion. He moves so fast it is a blur. This goes on with me chasing him for about 10 minutes.
Once he's sufficiently tired, he goes under the coffee table in the living room. The ONLY place he's not allowed to go to in the house is on the living room carpet. He never goes near it when hubby and 14-year old son are around. With me, mua ha ha..we're alone!!! He looks at me from under the table knowing I can't get at him.
I then go to the laundry room to get his leash. He follows me. As a much younger puppy, he always chewed on our shoes. 2 months ago, we started putting our shoes on our dryer to get them out of the way. Well, now at 5 months old, puppy is long enough so that when he stands on his hind legs, he has no problem at all getting to the shoes. This is our routine..every darned day. He grabs the shoes while I'm getting his leash and runs with a Croc back up to the living room carpet. I walk over to him, put the leash on him, and take him outside. I tie him to a railing with a long enough leash that he can play, pee, or sleep without ever becoming uncomfortable. Once inside, alone, and before son wakes up, I too, get to finish my coffee. The one I started with hubby 1 hour prior to my daily ordeal...
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Every morning we have the same routine. Pup goes out for a very long walk with hubby and me. He walks like a dream. He gets pooped! Once inside the house, pup finds a comfortable corner where he curls up and "pretends" to take a nap. Hubby then has his coffee, a quick kiss goodbye and he's off to work. I'm alone with pup. Then the fun starts. Pup runs into the kitchen, takes a quick look around, notices no hubby, and he smiles (I swear it...I see the glint in his eye). Pup quickly runs upstairs, takes a look around. Sees 14-year old son still sleeping..and he smiles again. He runs back to the kitchen and the dance begins..every morning exactly the same. He grabs the dish towel that's hanging from the stove. He takes it to the living room and precedes to annihilate it. I grab the towel from him. Pup then starts running run through the house in circles. The open concept suits him well. He runs from kitchen to dining room to living room in one complete motion. He moves so fast it is a blur. This goes on with me chasing him for about 10 minutes.
Once he's sufficiently tired, he goes under the coffee table in the living room. The ONLY place he's not allowed to go to in the house is on the living room carpet. He never goes near it when hubby and 14-year old son are around. With me, mua ha ha..we're alone!!! He looks at me from under the table knowing I can't get at him.
I then go to the laundry room to get his leash. He follows me. As a much younger puppy, he always chewed on our shoes. 2 months ago, we started putting our shoes on our dryer to get them out of the way. Well, now at 5 months old, puppy is long enough so that when he stands on his hind legs, he has no problem at all getting to the shoes. This is our routine..every darned day. He grabs the shoes while I'm getting his leash and runs with a Croc back up to the living room carpet. I walk over to him, put the leash on him, and take him outside. I tie him to a railing with a long enough leash that he can play, pee, or sleep without ever becoming uncomfortable. Once inside, alone, and before son wakes up, I too, get to finish my coffee. The one I started with hubby 1 hour prior to my daily ordeal...
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 28 August 2011
The Dog Park
So here we were, last class of puppy school. We would be mastering the Dog Park. I was completely looking forward to this as I wanted to see my tough guy owning the park...showing the other pooches who's boss.
We got to the Dog Park. Puppy's buddies/classmates for the last 6 weeks were with us. Non of these guys had ever been off-leash. What an experience this would be.
Not the experience I had expected at all!! First of all, there were 2 other dogs in the park. A scruffy little 11 year old mutt...cute as a button, and a 2 year old Rottweiler. This was a very calm Rottweiler. Owned by an 87 year old lady that had been raising Rottweilers for 55 years. Very well behaved, well trained, and BIG. I was terrified. I refused to go into the park.
I know, I know, all my dog loving friends will lose respect in me. They will tell me that if a dog is properly trained, there is never any danger...that all dogs are good dogs (it's the owners that create bad dogs). Ya, OK, I know, I get it. However, I was not prepared for my reaction. I did not (could not) enter the park. I knew there was no danger as I was perfectly comfortable letting my 14-year old in there NO PROBLEM. It's not that I was even afraid of big dogs. While on the outside of the fence, I met a woman with an 11-month old Great Dane. Not properly trained yet and still tugging on the leash, but I was perfectly OK. This dog stood at almost my height (5' 4"). Yet I was fine.
Anyway, on the outside looking in, I saw something that I could not believe. All the dogs, minus mine, were all off leash, smelling each other, running around, interacting. My little guy had gone to a corner of the park and stayed near the fence. He stood by the woman who runs the park. He had absolutely no interest in interacting with the other dogs. I was quite disturbed by this until our class trainer told me that, as this was his first experience off-leash around other dogs, he simply did not know how to react. Almost as though he felt his safety net was gone. In the meantime, the 6 pound schnauzer was chasing the 150 pound Rottweiler all over the park. My little guy just sat there. At one point, the Rottweiler got wind of my puppy. He went up to him and preceded to nudge him and chase him. My little guy was crying and whimpering, but the trainer told us not to intervene. The Rottweiler was not aggressive at all, just a 2 year old wanting to play with a new friend. By using his nose and body, Mr Big Guy was TEACHING my little guy HOW to play.
I have to admit, I was very scared for the little guy. The trainer then came up to me and told me that my pup was feeding off my negative energy. He sensed that I did not like Mr. Big and therefore saw him as a pup to steer clear of.
That's when it all clicked. Training isn't just about commands. It's not only about teaching a dog not to chew on the carpet. It's not just about what you say to him. That's only 50%. The other 50% is training via your body language. Training yourself to remain calm. Training yourself to remain assertive. Had I been calm and entered the park, my pup would have had the time of his life...but, because I stayed out, I gave him the feeling that there might be danger around.
At this point, I made a vow to myself that I would pay more attention to the silent cues. Whenever possible, I will steer clear of negative energy. I will not allow my fears and phobias to taint a wonderful puppy experience. I want puppy to play with all dogs, big and small...and hopefully, I'll be on the inside of the fence with him.
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
We got to the Dog Park. Puppy's buddies/classmates for the last 6 weeks were with us. Non of these guys had ever been off-leash. What an experience this would be.
Not the experience I had expected at all!! First of all, there were 2 other dogs in the park. A scruffy little 11 year old mutt...cute as a button, and a 2 year old Rottweiler. This was a very calm Rottweiler. Owned by an 87 year old lady that had been raising Rottweilers for 55 years. Very well behaved, well trained, and BIG. I was terrified. I refused to go into the park.
I know, I know, all my dog loving friends will lose respect in me. They will tell me that if a dog is properly trained, there is never any danger...that all dogs are good dogs (it's the owners that create bad dogs). Ya, OK, I know, I get it. However, I was not prepared for my reaction. I did not (could not) enter the park. I knew there was no danger as I was perfectly comfortable letting my 14-year old in there NO PROBLEM. It's not that I was even afraid of big dogs. While on the outside of the fence, I met a woman with an 11-month old Great Dane. Not properly trained yet and still tugging on the leash, but I was perfectly OK. This dog stood at almost my height (5' 4"). Yet I was fine.
Anyway, on the outside looking in, I saw something that I could not believe. All the dogs, minus mine, were all off leash, smelling each other, running around, interacting. My little guy had gone to a corner of the park and stayed near the fence. He stood by the woman who runs the park. He had absolutely no interest in interacting with the other dogs. I was quite disturbed by this until our class trainer told me that, as this was his first experience off-leash around other dogs, he simply did not know how to react. Almost as though he felt his safety net was gone. In the meantime, the 6 pound schnauzer was chasing the 150 pound Rottweiler all over the park. My little guy just sat there. At one point, the Rottweiler got wind of my puppy. He went up to him and preceded to nudge him and chase him. My little guy was crying and whimpering, but the trainer told us not to intervene. The Rottweiler was not aggressive at all, just a 2 year old wanting to play with a new friend. By using his nose and body, Mr Big Guy was TEACHING my little guy HOW to play.
I have to admit, I was very scared for the little guy. The trainer then came up to me and told me that my pup was feeding off my negative energy. He sensed that I did not like Mr. Big and therefore saw him as a pup to steer clear of.
That's when it all clicked. Training isn't just about commands. It's not only about teaching a dog not to chew on the carpet. It's not just about what you say to him. That's only 50%. The other 50% is training via your body language. Training yourself to remain calm. Training yourself to remain assertive. Had I been calm and entered the park, my pup would have had the time of his life...but, because I stayed out, I gave him the feeling that there might be danger around.
At this point, I made a vow to myself that I would pay more attention to the silent cues. Whenever possible, I will steer clear of negative energy. I will not allow my fears and phobias to taint a wonderful puppy experience. I want puppy to play with all dogs, big and small...and hopefully, I'll be on the inside of the fence with him.
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Forever a Part of Me!
It has been said that in order to grow your vocabulary, you have to use a new word in 5 different sentences. That way, it becomes deeply embedded in your psyche, and you leave and breathe your new word.
Well, I've noticed that this works with phrases as well. Case in point, words like "sit", "stay", "heel", "down", "good boy", are said so many times during the day, that my day is not complete without them. However, I've also noticed it's the phrases that I mutter over and over again, that have made me wonder about the meaning of life
Ever since becoming a new puppy owner, there are phrases that I use dozens of times during the day. These phrases will forever be a part of me. Phrases I never thought I would ever mutter:
1-Where's the other half of that slipper? (Toe is missing)
2-Stop biting me!
3-I need to know the size of the poop.
4-Get your head out of the garbage.
5-Where did that kleenex come from?
6-What's in your mouth? (As I'm trying to pry open his jaws on our leisurely walk)
7-Anybody see where the dish towel went?
8-No...not the Persian rug :(
9-I'd like to buy some biodegradable poop bags please.
10-Ouch!!!!!
Thanks to my puppy, these phrases have now become a huge part of me. Excuse me now. I have to sit, stay and watch my little puppy grow up!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Well, I've noticed that this works with phrases as well. Case in point, words like "sit", "stay", "heel", "down", "good boy", are said so many times during the day, that my day is not complete without them. However, I've also noticed it's the phrases that I mutter over and over again, that have made me wonder about the meaning of life
Ever since becoming a new puppy owner, there are phrases that I use dozens of times during the day. These phrases will forever be a part of me. Phrases I never thought I would ever mutter:
1-Where's the other half of that slipper? (Toe is missing)
2-Stop biting me!
3-I need to know the size of the poop.
4-Get your head out of the garbage.
5-Where did that kleenex come from?
6-What's in your mouth? (As I'm trying to pry open his jaws on our leisurely walk)
7-Anybody see where the dish towel went?
8-No...not the Persian rug :(
9-I'd like to buy some biodegradable poop bags please.
10-Ouch!!!!!
Thanks to my puppy, these phrases have now become a huge part of me. Excuse me now. I have to sit, stay and watch my little puppy grow up!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 14 August 2011
My puppy...Lucky to be Alive!!!
I always had the misguided notion that nature took care of itself. That animals had a survival instinct. They are born knowing how to communicate, how to walk, and swim...in short, animals know how to stay alive.
However, I've come to realize in the last week alone, that puppies were last in line when that big light in the sky was handing out the survival instinct. Maybe they were too busy running around, or yapping too loudly, but puppies don't realize how lucky they are every day, breathing, running, living.
Case in point:
Monday: Puppy ate rocks, sticks, and tufts of grass....he's lucky to be alive
Tuesday: Puppy discovered the garbage bin in the laundry room. He ate lint, kleenex, paper hand towels, and gum wrappers...he's lucky to be alive
Wednesday: Puppy gets a fresh bowl of water 5 times a day. However, he's discovered puddles of water left by rain, car washes, sprinklers...loves to lap it all up (soap and all!!)...he's lucky to be alive
Thursday: Puppy discovers a water bottle while I'm running him in a schoolyard. Only, it's not an entire bottle..just a broken shell of itself..he's lucky to be alive
Friday: Puppy runs over to the only piece of trash in the whole yard. A Styrofoam cup must have blown over. Puppy loves the millions of pieces it becomes in his mouth...he's lucky to be alive
Saturday: Puppy is playing with his bone. He loves his bone. He's going at it with an enthusiasm I haven't seen since he was 8 weeks old. He's at the bottom of the stairs. I'm at the top. I praise him for being such a good puppy. I tell him he's a good boy. I come down the stairs to watch an episode of Entourage I had PVR'd. I'm looking for the remote..but all I find is the puppy's bone. Yep, you guessed it, I praised him for 10 minutes for chewing on the remote. When hubby came home, hubby reminded me that puppy was lucky to still be alive.
Sunday: I'm sitting in the home office writing this blog. I hear a noise behind me. I turn around. There's puppy, chewing on my Anne Klein red wedge (left foot).....oh yeah, puppy is sooo lucky to be alive!!!!
For more blogs, please visit http://cluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/ and http://thecluelesspuppyowner.blogspot.com/
However, I've come to realize in the last week alone, that puppies were last in line when that big light in the sky was handing out the survival instinct. Maybe they were too busy running around, or yapping too loudly, but puppies don't realize how lucky they are every day, breathing, running, living.
Case in point:
Monday: Puppy ate rocks, sticks, and tufts of grass....he's lucky to be alive
Tuesday: Puppy discovered the garbage bin in the laundry room. He ate lint, kleenex, paper hand towels, and gum wrappers...he's lucky to be alive
Wednesday: Puppy gets a fresh bowl of water 5 times a day. However, he's discovered puddles of water left by rain, car washes, sprinklers...loves to lap it all up (soap and all!!)...he's lucky to be alive
Thursday: Puppy discovers a water bottle while I'm running him in a schoolyard. Only, it's not an entire bottle..just a broken shell of itself..he's lucky to be alive
Friday: Puppy runs over to the only piece of trash in the whole yard. A Styrofoam cup must have blown over. Puppy loves the millions of pieces it becomes in his mouth...he's lucky to be alive
Saturday: Puppy is playing with his bone. He loves his bone. He's going at it with an enthusiasm I haven't seen since he was 8 weeks old. He's at the bottom of the stairs. I'm at the top. I praise him for being such a good puppy. I tell him he's a good boy. I come down the stairs to watch an episode of Entourage I had PVR'd. I'm looking for the remote..but all I find is the puppy's bone. Yep, you guessed it, I praised him for 10 minutes for chewing on the remote. When hubby came home, hubby reminded me that puppy was lucky to still be alive.
Sunday: I'm sitting in the home office writing this blog. I hear a noise behind me. I turn around. There's puppy, chewing on my Anne Klein red wedge (left foot).....oh yeah, puppy is sooo lucky to be alive!!!!
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