The last weekend of this month was Larry's Family Reunion. This was going to be his first trip away from home since Joy arrived. He left the morning of the 25th and all appeared to be well. Joy didn't seem to be overly concerned that Dad wasn't around, she went about her routine just like always. He called several times over the weekend and a couple of times, Joy could hear his voice coming through the phone. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked around for him but when she didn't see him, she just went on about her business.
Until he came home! Oh my! It was THE cutest thing ever! He went by Enterprise on his way back to drop off the car so he wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning and when they brough him home, Joy and I were out in the kennel. Billie was already barking about the strange car and then Joy started huffing and giving little barks (just to let Billie know she wasn't slacking off but she really had no clue what the barking was all about!).
It was really kinda strange, Joy wasn't acting like anything - not excited, not happy, just like Dad came home in a strange car every day. I think it disappointed Larry a bit 'cause he was missing his girl like crazy!
All that changed when we got into the bedroom and he started dropping his bags on the bed. That's when Joy actually *saw* her Dad! Before it was just a figure with a lot of things hanging off him and it didn't mean anything. But as soon as Larry let all the baggage go, Joy went nuts! She started squirming and worming and whining and hollering and wagging her whole body!! It brought tears to my eyes to see her being so thrilled to have her Dad home again! And I know it warmed Larry's heart to the max! :D
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
2010-0618 - Vet visit!
A visit to the vet can't begin until Joy gets her fair share of attention from the staff!
Well, today was the "BIG DAY"!
The day Joy got the last of her Puppy Vaccines and her first Rabies shot today and took it like the wee trooper she is. There was a quick whimper and then all was well in her world again. And because she's finally gotten her Rabies shot, we were able to get her signed up for puppy classes starting on 13 July. Yay!! Can't wait to get some serious training under way.
Larry had cajoled me into letting her wear her "big girl" collar a couple of days ago so she proudly showed that off to all the attentive ladies in the office!
Can you believe she's
pounds already! Whew! I can tell when I try to pick her up! And every time I do, I can hear the warnings from Cathy's hubbs - "If you don't want a 100 pound dog on your lap in a few months - don't put her on her lap now!" LOL And there she is ... on my lap! She's doing the same thing her dad, Ice, did ... gets up on the couch and then nuzzles her way behind my back just a gruntin' and groanin' the whole time! And there I am laughing like crazy.
Wrong? Oh yeah, way wrong, but man, she's soooo freakin' CUTE!
My wrists are looking like I went a couple of rounds with a piranha! Joy's teeth are sooo sharp and my wrists are small enough that her little mouth just goes around them so easily :( Larry's been telling me that I'm asking for trouble with the way I love on her, but you gotta realize - I'm first a cat lover! Never had a dog until Buffy & Billie came into my world, so all my "loving methods" are based on what I learned with cats and they like their heads and ears stroked and scratched. So I head for Joy's head and ears - just like I did with Buffy & Billie! Well, it seems Buffy & Billie never got the "play with my head and I get to bite you" routine like Joy has. And too, Joy's got a "round" head. Every dog I've ever gotten to love on has a knob on the top of their head - Joy doesn't - it's a smooth, round head - no bumps and it's soooo darn CUTE!!! I just love rubbing her head... not so crazy about the bites though! I've been paying close attention lately and only sneak in a head rub every once in a while and the wrist bites have been dramatically minimized.
She's got this howling kinda thinger going on that can really pop an ear drum! She doesn't do it very often and at first we thought it might be separation anxiety 'cause the first time she did it was when Larry was taking Billie up the hill, but today we had a new visitor and oh dear! She let out her howling/yelping sound thinger and it was not for being separated! This was a new person and she wanted to get next to Nicole in the worst way! The cuteness of that behavior wore off real fast and into the crate whe went!
She does real well with the crate and for that we are truly blessed! :) She goes in without any stalling or balking and the only time she whines to come out is in the morning - after spending the whole night (about 6 silent hours). We (and the vet) are pretty impressed with this little girl!
Well, today was the "BIG DAY"!
The day Joy got the last of her Puppy Vaccines and her first Rabies shot today and took it like the wee trooper she is. There was a quick whimper and then all was well in her world again. And because she's finally gotten her Rabies shot, we were able to get her signed up for puppy classes starting on 13 July. Yay!! Can't wait to get some serious training under way.Larry had cajoled me into letting her wear her "big girl" collar a couple of days ago so she proudly showed that off to all the attentive ladies in the office!
Can you believe she's
pounds already! Whew! I can tell when I try to pick her up! And every time I do, I can hear the warnings from Cathy's hubbs - "If you don't want a 100 pound dog on your lap in a few months - don't put her on her lap now!" LOL And there she is ... on my lap! She's doing the same thing her dad, Ice, did ... gets up on the couch and then nuzzles her way behind my back just a gruntin' and groanin' the whole time! And there I am laughing like crazy.Wrong? Oh yeah, way wrong, but man, she's soooo freakin' CUTE!
My wrists are looking like I went a couple of rounds with a piranha! Joy's teeth are sooo sharp and my wrists are small enough that her little mouth just goes around them so easily :( Larry's been telling me that I'm asking for trouble with the way I love on her, but you gotta realize - I'm first a cat lover! Never had a dog until Buffy & Billie came into my world, so all my "loving methods" are based on what I learned with cats and they like their heads and ears stroked and scratched. So I head for Joy's head and ears - just like I did with Buffy & Billie! Well, it seems Buffy & Billie never got the "play with my head and I get to bite you" routine like Joy has. And too, Joy's got a "round" head. Every dog I've ever gotten to love on has a knob on the top of their head - Joy doesn't - it's a smooth, round head - no bumps and it's soooo darn CUTE!!! I just love rubbing her head... not so crazy about the bites though! I've been paying close attention lately and only sneak in a head rub every once in a while and the wrist bites have been dramatically minimized.
She's got this howling kinda thinger going on that can really pop an ear drum! She doesn't do it very often and at first we thought it might be separation anxiety 'cause the first time she did it was when Larry was taking Billie up the hill, but today we had a new visitor and oh dear! She let out her howling/yelping sound thinger and it was not for being separated! This was a new person and she wanted to get next to Nicole in the worst way! The cuteness of that behavior wore off real fast and into the crate whe went!
She does real well with the crate and for that we are truly blessed! :) She goes in without any stalling or balking and the only time she whines to come out is in the morning - after spending the whole night (about 6 silent hours). We (and the vet) are pretty impressed with this little girl!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
2010-0613 - Summer has arrived! :(
Oh my! Summer has decided to make her appearance and is doing so with just about everything she's got! Three days running of 90 degree F plus temps and today looks like it's going to be the worst of the three. It was 80 degrees F at 9:30 this morning - blech! Joy absolutely dislikes the heat! She's on the AC vents every chance she gets and when she's not actually covering them, she's close to them!
Over the past two weeks the statement heard from our own lips and everyone who's been by has been: "My God! She's growing soooo fast!"
We did one of those "hold the pup, weigh us both, then weight me" thingers and came up with 19 pounds. Then did some height measurements and came up with 14" at her shoulders with another 5.75" of neck and head. Not real scientific, but we're dealing with a squirmy pupper her! LOL
Friday afternoon she was trying to get up on the sofa and in one of those "not thinking this through" moments, I had the brilliant idea of coaxing her to victory by offering a treat if she managed the climb. This is something not too unlike rooting your baby on to make his first steps ... then wondering "What was I thinking?!" LOL Now Joy climbs up (and tries to climb up) on every chair/seat she can find!
Then there's the "attitude"... oh yeah, the little girl definitely has an attitude and when she doesn't want to do something she sits down and does this "thing" with her right leg that isn't far from tapping her toe! (giggle) She twitches her "wrist" joint and glares (yes! glares!) at you. She will finally give in but not before you are fully aware that she's giving in under protest! LOL
We got the two additional panels and that made the kennel 10' x 20' which was a great improvement. Now we can sit out there with her (and Billie when she chooses to join us!) and it's not feeling like we're in a small space. Even though it's a chain link fence, it's still close in with only 10' on all sides! Then we got the cover for it and wow! What a difference that has made!
Spending time out there now is a pleasure - at least until the temperature gets ridiculous! We're thinking it won't be too long before we get a kiddie pool out there for Joy to splash around in! ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)