Well, I Guess That Answers That Question

One of my colleagues has a CKC spaniel that is a couple of months older than Hadley and he is still timid of stairs.  So I assumed Brian and I would have to spend some time teaching Hadley to climb when we're at his house over Labor Day weekend.  But today we visited a store that was one flight up and were about to encourage Hadley to climb.  Or, at least, we would have encouraged her if she was still sitting there next to us.  She ran up the stairs :)  OK...but down is probably harder than up so let's see if she'll do that.  Um, where is she?  Oh, she's already run down the stairs back to us.

Never mind :) 

Getting Ready for Labor Day Weekend!

After a whole summer in the city with my puppy, I can't wait for the Labor Day weekend.  I'll have off work from Friday to Tuesday for a relaxing getaway to Brian's house on the east end of Long Island.   But this will be the first time I'm going anywhere with Hadley so I'm trying to prepare.  The house has two floors so we will have to teach her to climb stairs.  I ordered a second potty box so that one can be upstairs and one downstairs for easy access.  (We'll see how compliant she'll be in a new environment.)  I've also ordered a long outdoor tie-out so that she can roam around the grass a little and still be safely tethered to the porch.  And, I've bought a doggie seat belt harness. 

It's a long drive and Brian wanted to crate her for the trip, but I disagree.  My Hadley is not meek and I think she'll do better if she can see what's going on.  Plus, we're always in and out of the car whenever we're out east and I want her to learn to enjoy it.  I promised him I'd seat her on a thick towel in case of a potty accident.

I've made a packing list of all the doggie supplies I'll need to bring and researched pet-friendly places on Long Island.  Unfortunately, there aren't many.  I would so love to take her to the beach but it's not allowed in season.  Oh well, she'll still get to experience the grass and fresh air and smell of water.  I love it out there and I hope she will, too.  It's ironic...she was born on a farm upstate but never really left the puppy room until we came to get her.  So, for all intents and purposes, she's a big city dog.

A Particularly Bad Day

Hadley's been so good for the past week.  She's been using her potty box with few, if any, mistakes.  She doesn't need to be dragged when we go for a walk, she's learned the daily routine of the house, doesn't bark at night, waits patiently by the entrance to her pen for me to let her out, still doesn't like me leaving for work, of course, but doesn't bark or cry when I go.  She knows I'll be coming back.  It was a happy week and I was loving my beautiful puppy.

But yesterday was so bad.  I came home and saw that she had pooped and peed on the floor in her pen instead of using her box.  During the evening when she was running around playing, she peed in her pen outside her box and pooped on the living floor.  During the night she peed in her box correctly but pooped on the floor and this morning, she peed on the floor.  I don't get it.  It's like she's completely forgotten everything she's learned.  She was also extra high energy, jumping on everything, very mouthy and nippy.  She and I have been practicing learning to STAY but she was so frenetic that she couldn't concentrate at all.  I was almost in tears this morning from the frustration.

The weather's been miserable but today is nice so, when I get home, I'm going to try to take her on an extra long walk and see if I can drain some of that energy.

My Beautiful Hadley

She was adorably cute when she was tiny but then went through an awkward phase.  Still cute but not quite one thing or the other.  I wasn't worried.  I'd always thought this breed was prettiest when fully grown.  But now, at 17 weeks, Hadley is beginning to come into her looks...and I think she's just beautiful.

It Worked. Easy.

I picked up some wet dog food...Little Cesar's Grilled Chicken flavor.  Hadley loves grilled chicken.  I actually think my Hadley can smell grilled chicken while the bird is still alive! :)  I cut up the heartworm chew into little pieces and mixed it in with the food.  She ate every bit and practically licked the pattern off the dish.  Yummy in her tummy...and now properly medicated.  Easy.

Hmm...

As part of her last round of vaccinations, the vet put Hadley on monthly heartworm preventative medicine.  I bought it right from the doctor's office which is probably not the cheapest place but it was easier.  They're chewables...OK...I wonder...

The doctor always gives her a treat to ease the annoyance of the poking and prodding, etc. but Hadley never eats it.  I noticed that the vet uses pill pockets as the "house" treat and I understand they're supposed to be really yummy.  But...what other dogs think is really yummy doesn't seem to appeal to my girl and I wondered if Hadley would take the heartworm chew.

She wasn't feeling that well after her vaccinations so I waited a couple of days to let her recover and then gave it to her.  Nope.  She sniffed, licked and turned away.  I tried again...nope...I cut it into smaller pieces...nope...I put it in her food bowl...nope.

Tomorrow I will pick up some wet dog food (always well received) in her favorite, most beloved chicken flavor.  I'll cut the heartworm chew into small little pieces and blend it in.  It worked with the de-worming medicine so we'll see how discerning she is.  Of course, now I'm worried about how she'll take her pain medication after she's spayed...

17 Weeks Old

Hadley is a Lady

We brought Hadley to the vet for her final round of vaccinations and a little girl that was there commented that she looked like Lady from Lady and the Tramp.

I'd only vaguely remembered the movie so I looked it up when we got home. According to the movie's producers, Lady was drawn to resemble a Cocker Spaniel. Hadley is a Cavalier Spaniel but I definitely see the resemblance.

Stubborn Puppy

"I'm not going to go potty just because you tell me to go potty even though it's been many hours and I clearly do need to go potty and as soon as you let me out of my play pen I will definitely go potty on the carpet but just because you want me to I will not go potty and I will lie here in my bed sulking and refusing to go potty until I explode.  So there!'

It Was My Own Fault

It's been almost a month since I introduced the larger potty box and we're now getting close to the stage we were on newspaper alone.  If I had bought the larger box right away we'd probably be done by now so it was my fault.  I thought it would be easy to transition from paper to box but it set me back to zero.  Oh well, I'll know for the next puppy.  HA!

Breeder vs. Shelter

Is it realistic to think that pet stores could go out of business.  I doubt it because I don't think there are enough breeders to accommodate the demand.

We didn't pay to have Hadley specially bred.  At the time I first found the breeder, she was already alive.  Someone has to take care of her.  If everyone agreed to boycott all breeders then what would happen to all the puppies?  It's a circular argument and I'm not sure what the right answer is.  I believe adopting a shelter dog is a wonderful thing if it's right for you.  It wasn't right for me.

The Puppy Diaries

I've been following a weekly series in The New York Times called The Puppy Diaries.  It was actually one of the trainers I spoke to who e-mailed me the link...probably because the writer speaks favorably about professional puppy training.  But, in any event, the articles are about her experiences in adopting a purebred Golden Retriever and my focus is so puppy-centric these days that I'm interested in all that kind of stuff.

Out of curiosity, I scrolled down to read the reader comments...and smoke started coming out of my ears!  Hundreds and hundreds of comments, not about her emotions or heart-felt description of experiences but about the fact that she "bought" a dog.  I've never seen so much animosity about something that's none of anyone's business.  I'll have more to say about this once I collect myself but it just makes me furious.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/garden/pupblog.html?scp=1&sq=the%20puppy%20diaries&st=cse

A Little Yellow Ball

She has these little fuzzy yellow tennis balls that are a good size for her and she loves to chase them.  We throw them and she takes off at 90 miles an hour.  CRASH...she trips on her paws...gets right back up...CRASH...she runs smack into the wall...gets right back up...scoops up the ball in her mouth and takes off at 90 miles an hour in the other direction...CRASH...she trips on her paws...CRASH...she runs smack into the other wall.  Silly puppy.

16 Weeks Old

Another Moment of Puppy Brilliance

After being corrected many times for going potty on the carpet, floor, etc. she got it right for the second time.  On Sunday afternoon she was happily sitting on Brian's lap when she suddenly jumped off, ran to her potty box...and used it!

But, the light that had dawned apparently faded somewhere in the night and I woke to find both pee and poop on the floor of her pen.  Sigh.

Wet Puppy :)

Despite the trauma of her first bath, Hadley gets one every week and she's come a long way in accepting it as a fact of life.  She no longer cries or shivers and has learned that the bath time treat is cheese...yummy, delicious cheese!  She doesn't mind the water at all and even tolerates the shampoo.  But she really doesn't like to get her face wet and that's when she'll start to fuss.  Fussing, in her case, means trying to jump out of the kitchen sink!

Despite the improvement, bathing her is still a two person job and Brian and I both get as wet as she is!  But we have fun and she looks and smells so nice when she's clean.

Potty Puppy

I'm almost tempted to change the name of this blog since I've become completely obsessed with the business of her...um...business.  Last night she peed in the potty box and pooped on the floor.  When I let her out the pee looked fresh and she wasn't leaking so I figured she was good for 45 minutes.  Wrong!  Caught her in the act, whisked her off to the box...is she ever going to learn?

Potty Progress

She was watching me ride my stationary bike and suddenly took off for a few minutes.  That's not a good sign.  I finished my 10 miles and went out to the living room to locate the damage.  OMG, she actually pooped in her potty box!  Good girl, Hadley, good girl.  An hour later she peed on the floor.  NO!  BAD DOG!

My Yelp Needs Work

The nipping is getting worse and the yelping less effective.  She stops biting when I yelp but goes right back to it the next day.  She's not learning not to do it so I'm going to experiment with something else.

My Shadow Has Floppy Ears and a Tail

Where I go, the puppy goes.  I have to shoo her out of the bathroom.  I have to watch carefully where I walk.  Step on the puppy or break an ankle...a choice that's frequently before me.  I've already accidentally "winged" her twice but she yelped and got out of the way.  You'd think that would teach her but...nnooo...

15 Weeks Old

Silly Puppy

She sleeps in a 4' x 4' exercise pen that's open when I'm home to watch her.  She sees me filling her bowl with dinner and placing it in it's normal spot in the pen.  She's on the outside of the pen with her nose pressed against it and whining for the food.  Um...the pen's open.  Silly puppy.

Happy Birthday to Me :)

This is my birthday weekend and although Brian came over with flowers and choc- olates, I have to remember that my real (and quite expensive) birthday present is right now napping in her crate. I have to admit that the little monster is adorably cute.

Brian and I have been tag-teaming, following her around fanatically, correcting every potty mistake. It seems like it's helping.

Puppy Whisperer Needed

I'm so frustrated that I decided to see if a puppy trainer or class would be right for us.  There's a place right up the block that has a puppy kindergarten ($350!) and there are a bunch of trainers in the area that will come to my house and charge me even more.

They all offer help in teaching basic commands but, I've already taught her those.  They all stress the importance of socializing a puppy but, she's plenty social.  She loves everyone and everything!  I mentioned that to one trainer on the phone and she did acknowledge that city dogs are more readily exposed to crowds, noises, people and other dogs.  At this point, I've taken Hadley out lots of times and she is never hesitant or fearful.

I'm sure the kindergarten would be fun for her but that's a bit more money than I wanted to spend right now if it's not absolutely necessary.  And the personal trainer kind of annoyed me a little.  She talked about food aggression and when I told her that Hadley doesn't mind if I touch her food she warned that that could change.  Um, scare tactics just tick me off, really.  She also made it seem like the excited peeing was a serious problem that must be immediately corrected but even the vet said she can't help it.  So..if she can't help it...how are you going to correct it?  Frustrating.

Puppy for Sale

FOR SALE:  Puppy with long floppy ears.  Adorably cute, very friendly, unfortunate tendency to pee on the carpet.  Make me an offer. 

I Don't Like Her Anymore

I'm not sure I like her anymore.  All she does is pee on my floor and nip my fingers.  Why did I want a dog?

Grow Up Already!

I really want her to grow up soon and stop pooping on my floor and yipping in the middle of the night and biting my fingers and toes and refusing to walk on a leash and scratching at her collar and trying to bite her dog tags and jumping up on people and getting so excited that she leaks pee on the floor.  Just grow up. 

14 Weeks Old

A Monster in a Cute Suit

She's so cute that almost no one can resist her.  Walking her goes like this...walk 10 steps, stop to let an admirer pet her...walk 10 steps, stop to answer questions about her...walk 10 steps, etc., etc.

All of that should be fun but I'm so frustrated by her that I'm not enjoying it.  When people tell me how much they wish she was theirs I'm tempted to say 'take her.'  When they comment how much fun I must be having with her I want to ask which part is fun - the pee on the carpet or the poop on the floor.

I search on the internet in the hopes that other people will describe these same problems but all I seem to find are people bragging that their dogs were housebroken or trained in a weekend.  Yeah...I want to meet these dogs.  Thank goodness for my best friend who has raised many puppies and who keeps shouting at me, "SHE'S ONLY A BABY!"

Right, calm down, she's only a baby.  She's a good dog, she's friendly and sweet-natured, her tail is always wagging.  Give her time.

My Severely Limited Vocabulary

NO!  Don't chew on the printer.  NO!  Don't chew on the blow-dryer cord.  NO!  Don't scratch the paint off the baseboard.  NO!  Don't nip my fingers.  NO!  OUCH!  NO!  BAD DOG!

Return of the Potty Monster

By the time I put the new, larger potty box in Hadley's pen the other day, she was already mostly paper trained.  It was so nice to not have to watch her every single second and actually be able to go to the bathroom or wash dishes.  The biggest problem was that her little tush would sometimes hang over the paper and the pee would leak onto the wood floor.  I had figured a box would eliminate the wood damage and I'd kind of assumed that she would go on the newspaper, whether it was on the floor or in a box.

WRONG!  It's like I've turned the clock back to day one.  She's been peeing and pooping on the floor, on the carpet in the bedroom, in every possible location except the box.  OMG, what have I done???  It's back to square one...watch her like a hawk, catch her in the act, whisk her off to the box and give her the command.  Over and over and over...

Brian said to put the newspaper back on the floor and give her both options...just to save the carpet and hardwood floor.  I didn't like the idea but got so desperate that I tried it.  Nope.  The deal is done.  The change is made.  I have to re-teach her one or the other so I'll teach her the box.  Shit.

Call the Plumber, We Have a Leak!

Hadley's an 'excited peer.'  In other words, she 'pees submissively.'  At least that's what I'm told is the official terminology/diagnosis for her behavior.  When she sees someone new or when Brian and I come home from work, she gets so excited that she leaks pee.

I don't mind so much at home because I'm kinda used to cleaning up pee.  But it's embarrassing when it happens outside.  I don't want to tell people not to pet my pretty puppy...but they sometimes end up with a little pee on their shoes.  Sometimes it's a little pee on their toes since it's Summer and, therefore, flip-flop season.

What I find interesting is that it happens even if she's just peed.  It's like she holds back a little reserve for excited peeing :)  I don't get upset at her, though, because I've read that this is common and she's too young to control it.

Potty Box Redux

I'd been searching for a larger potty box and finally found one with nice, low sides - Purina Second Nature Doggie Litter Box - and it arrived tonight.  I put it on the floor while I was throwing away the wrapping and Hadley jumped right into it to play...because the world is her plaything.  Then she started chewing the sides of it...because the world is her chew toy.

I put it in her pen next to the newspaper and taught her (with a food treat) that GO POTTY means step into the box.  She learned that just fine...but she peed on the newspaper in her pen.  So, I put the pee stained newspaper in the box and took away all the other newspaper in the pen.  Later, after she ate and drank, I put her in the box and gave her the command.  She hopped out, looked around for newspaper on the floor and went to her bed when she didn't find any.  She came back a few more times to look for other newspaper and finally broke down and used the box.  Excellent!

Dominance vs. Submission

I've definitely been reading too many "expert" opinions.  My puppy lies on my feet...that's dominant.  But she also licks my toes...that's submissive.  Is she bipolar?  Is she passive / aggressive?  Are the "experts" a little full of it?  Yeah...I'm thinking...that last one...

13 Weeks Old

Splat, Again

Hadley's been amusing the residents of my neighbor- hood for weeks now.  Some people smile and nod their heads knowingly...obviously puppy veterans but other's...

I'm constantly amazed by what people think is their business.  Comments made to us...telling us we should just pick her up...reminding us she's only a baby.

Hey folks, we're not taking her on a marathon here.  We're a block away from home.  Her legs are fine and she gallops across he living room floor at about 90 miles per hour.  She's been offered various yummy treats to walk nicely, she's wearing a harness so she's not being dragged by her neck...and she needs to stop being stubborn and learn to walk on a leash.

Second Vet Appointment

7 lbs., 4 oz. and the picture of health.  Just a little rest needed after the vaccination shot...

I Feel Like the Dog Whisperer

Every morning when I let Hadley out of her pen, she walks out into the living room, squats and pees.  And every morning I yell NO, grab her, put her on the newspaper in her pen and tell her GO POTTY.  She'll sometimes go there on her own in the afternoon or evening but never when she's sleepy after waking up.  But I always try, and this morning it worked!  She was headed to the living room, I told her GO POTTY and she turned around, went back to her pen, stepped on the newspaper and peed.  I couldn't believe it!  I felt so...so...powerful!

Getting Her Bark On

Yes, it's official...she knows how to bark.  I'd been hearing some "test" yips the last few days and one semi-bark that I don't think she realized she could do.  So, it was only a matter of time and now here it is.

NO!  NO BARK.  BAD DOG!

Ouch!

I knew that puppies nip and mouth and bite and chew and that puppy teeth are sharp as needles.   I read that you're supposed to yelp in pain when she bites and stop playing for a few seconds because that's what her litter-mates would do if play got a little rough.  So, Brian and I have both been yelping since we brought her home and I can't even imagine what the neighbors think is going on :)  It seems to work, though.  She stops biting and even tries to lick the area she bit.

Hadley, 'SHAKE'

At last!  I've been working on teaching her to shake hands for a couple of weeks now and I was starting to wonder if she'd ever learn this one.  I guess it was the hardest because it's an unnatural movement?  But...she knows it now! 

12 Weeks Old

The 4th of July - Puppy Style

Brian and I usually spend long Summer weekends at his house on Long Island but we both knew that Hadley wouldn't be ready yet for the trip and change of surroundings.  So, since Independence Day weekend brought lovely weather, we took advantage of the sun and relatively empty city to enjoy ourselves.

Now that Hadley's wearing a harness, we can drag her a bit if she's being stubborn so...a little shopping...a late lunch...a stroll by the river...and lots of lazy napping afterwards.  We all had a nice weekend :)

You're So Lucky!

This is the statement we hear most often when people stop to pet our puppy.  Um...thanks but...for the right price you could be lucky, too.  Are we missing something?

Bling

She hates wearing a collar so much that I'd actually been giving her a break.  But then I read that the only way to get her used to it is to...well...get her used to it.  So, I put it back on her in preparation for a visit from a friend and I added a little bling.

She hates the bling.  She kept trying to bite the bling and she actually managed to pry it off its jump ring.  Other dogs wear collars with tags!

The Bathroom Inspector

She's fascinated by the bathroom.  She just can't imagine what goes on in there!  There's a wire basket on the floor that's filled with towels and lotions and such that she's been warned away from.  But one day I was sitting at my dressing table and looked over to see her happily dragging the little rug out of the room.  NO!  BAD DOG!  She also peed on it once, was scolded and hasn't done it since.

But the toilet itself is the most fascinating.  She sniffs it, licks it, rubs against it.  Dogs are weird.  I close the door when I go in there because otherwise I'd never get her off me.  But, when I'm done and open the door, she runs in as if there's been an emergency and sniffs and inspects the whole room.  

The Killer Shoes of Doom

What is it with dogs and shoes?  Sniffing, licking, chewing... yuck.  But, apart from potential expensive footwear damage, it became impossible to put on or take off our shoes.  She'd pounce and grab and chew.  All shoes had to be immediately stowed in the closet and socks stuffed in the hamper.

Brian came up with a way to tame the shoe fetish.  One time, while she was playing 'attack the shoe'...the shoe attacked her!  He didn't actually hit her, of course, but chased her and smacked the ground around her.  It worked like a charm.  She no longer attacks shoes.  Sometimes she runs away when I'm taking them off but then she'll come back and lie against them and even fall asleep on them.  But, most importantly, she doesn't chew them and we haven't lost a single shoe!

Hadley, 'GO TO BED'

This command is so useful both for bed time and for when I'm leaving for work in the morning.  I made sure, though, that I didn't close the pen the first few times she obeyed because I don't want her to think that going to bed automatically means she's getting locked in.  Up until now I'd been locking the pen and then picking her up and putting her in it but I really wanted her to walk in there by herself and be OK with it.  She seems to be.  Cool!

11 Weeks Old

Bouncing Off the Walls

She's been driving me crazy...so full of energy that she's bouncing off the walls.  She needs to go for a nice, energy-draining walk but she's technically not supposed to...not until she completes all her shots.  But, I don't think either one of us can survive that long.

So, Brian and I decided to take her out and keep her away from any other dogs (people aren't the danger).  We put on her pretty pink collar and grabbed the matching pink leash that we so lovingly bought and off we go.  C'mon, Hadley, let's go for a walk.  Hadley?  Hadley! 

Splat.

We gave the slightest tug on the leash and down she went.  All four paws splayed out on the ground.  Splat.  Look, Hadley - chicken!  Splat.  Look, Hadley - cheese!  Splat.  The only way to move her would be to drag her by her delicate little neck.  Damn.

Brian went out and bought her a body harness.  Pink, to match her leash :)

The Potty Box

Before bringing Hadley home, I'd decided that I was going to train her to use a litter box.  She's a small dog and I wanted to give her the option to go in the house whenever she needed to.  I spoke to lots of small dog owners who told me their dogs go both inside and outside.  I found articles about litter box training a dog and Petco sells the doggie litter boxes.

But now that she's home, I can see that the box I bought is too small.  It's the right size for her weight and dimensions and she can jump into it just fine but there's not enough room for her to do her weird potty circles.  I didn't know she'd need to do weird potty circles.  Hmm.

I did a quick search online and didn't find a larger box so I'm just not going to worry about it right now.  The box is in her pen next to the newspaper so I'm going to let her continue learning to go on the paper and not worry if she avoids the box.  I'll teach that to her later.

Got It!

OK...I've figured out her food likes and dislikes and...it's actually pretty cool.  She loves cheese, of course, and I'm being good about staying away from her yummy cheese cubes.  I don't know if she likes peanut butter but I may never find out because I LOVE peanut butter and I would never, ever stay away from it ;)  She also loves chicken which I guess all dogs do but the cool part is that she eats vegetables.

It would never have occured to me to try except that I read about CKC spaniels liking carrots and bell peppers so I tried and it's true.  Interestingly, she doesn't care for bananas but will accept apples, carrots, broccoli, romaine lettuce and bell peppers.  But her favorite is string beans...she adores them!  It's odd but great.  CKC spaniels have a tendency to become overweight and the breed also suffers from genetic heart defects which makes excess weight particularly dangerous.  I really wanted to keep her healthy and avoid high calorie snacks like cheese and biscuits so her love of produce is awesome!

I'm a bit of a health nut myself so fruits and veggies are high on my list plus I love to cook.  It didn't take Hadley long to figure out that keeping me company in the kitchen while I prepare meals can really pay off and, since the veggies are so low in calories, I don't mind giving them to her.

Elizabeth Taylor

I used to watch Sex and the City but somehow I must have missed the relevant details of Charlotte's prize-winning dog.  But...when I started telling people I was getting a CKC Spaniel, everyone said 'oh, Charlotte's dog, Elizabeth Taylor.'  For some reason I find that really aggravating.

Although...I did go back and look up pictures of the dog on the show and there's one showing her dressed in a Burberry sweater that would look great on my beautiful Hadley.  Oh...good grief...I'm becoming one of those people.  But, I don't care!

Hadley, 'DOWN'

I taught her another command.  I found little chicken flavored biscuits that she likes but they still take too long to chew for training purposes so it was back to the cheese.  I may have screwed up, though, because I didn't teach her LIE DOWN, just DOWN.  But...what do I say to get her to stop jumping?  I'll have to come up with another word since DOWN to her now means flat on the ground on her belly with her front paws out.  It's cool when she finally understands something, though :) 

Separation Anxiety

She's got separation anxiety and I've just got anxiety.  When she sees me leaving she cries and yips and I feel just awful.  I don't want her to be miserable...and I don't want her to make noise that my neighbors will complain about.

I bought her more squeaky toys and some busy bones but nothing interests her when she just wants me.  The busy bone is supposed to have a yummy center but she doesn't seem to get it.  Maybe she's too young.  I'll have to look for something else.  Back to the pet supply store...

Week by Week

I've decided to take her picture every week to keep a record of how much she's growing.  She was two days shy of 9 weeks when we brought her home.  Today she is exactly 10 weeks old.

Hadley, 'SIT'

I taught her to sit.  It was easy.  I told Brian and he doubted me but when he came over yesterday he saw that it was true.  I finally broke down and bought some cheddar cheese cubes to train her with.  I'd tried to avoid it because...well...Hadley's new mommy likes cheese, too ;)

I don't think that's the answer to training, though, because Hadley went nuts when she smelled it and it actually made it more difficult for her to concentrate.  Still...she learned to sit in about 5 or 6 repetitions.  That's nearly German Shepherd speed so maybe she's an extra smart spaniel.  I can't wait to teach her more stuff.

A Proactive Move

I live in an apartment building and I was really concerned about Hadley barking or crying loudly during the day and disturbing the neighbors.  But, there's really only one neighbor that would hear her well enough to mind and I'm reasonably friendly with the woman.  I ran into her yesterday and invited her in to meet my new puppy.  She thought Hadley was the cutest thing she'd ever seen and she assured me that she hadn't heard a sound out of her.  Phew.

Bath Time

I'd been nervous about giving her a bath and finally worked up the courage.  But, they say a dog can read your emotions and I was obviously not fooling her.  She began to cry and struggled to get away almost immediately and it was all I could do to restrain her.  Then she began to shiver so badly that I was actually afraid for her well-being.  I washed off as much of the soap as I could and rushed to dry her off.  Cradling her in a towel in my arms, I held her for a long time before she stopped shaking.

The next day Brian was over and I described the ordeal.  He has a firmer hand and calmer demeanor and he re-did the bath properly.  She still struggled and complained but must less severely.  Or maybe I was just calmer because my boyfriend was around.

I Thought Dogs Ate Pretty Much Anything

I thought it would be exciting to find out what she likes to eat but it's actually pretty frustrating.  I have the ASPCA's list of people foods that are bad for dogs on the refrigerator door but, other than that, it's fair game.  Hadley likes her dry puppy kibble enough to eat it but not enough to overeat it...which I guess is good.  But I bought her these beefy/bacon-ey training treats from the same company and she won't have them.  There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them, though, because I gave them to a friend and her puppy likes them fine.

So then I bought Hadley some peanut butter flavored biscuits from another well-known maker and she's not that interested in them either.  I'm all excited about teaching her to sit but I can't do that without a food treat.  Frustrating.  I gave her a little piece of chicken from my dinner and she seemed to think that was pretty yummy so I'll go to the store and see what chicken-ey flavored puppy treats they've got.

The Potty Puzzle

My new little bundle of cuteness managed to pee on the floor right away.  She went back to pee in the same spot a couple of times so I covered the area with a wee-wee pad.  But...she pushed it out of the way with her nose and peed on the floor.  Hmm...

The breeder used newspaper so my little girl doesn't recognize wee-wee pads.  Oh, what the hell...pads are expensive but yesterday's newspaper is free.  I lined half her pen with newspaper.

First Day Back to Work

I was so nervous about leaving her.  Does she have enough food and water...is the AC on low so the apartment won't get too hot...does she have her blanket in case it's too chilly with the AC on...what will she do while I'm gone all day...will she cry?

People told me she will most likely sleep a lot but I was a wreck.  What if she tries to jump the pen and hurts herself...what if she chokes on something and can't breeth.  The day dragged and I was a mess.

Yes...in a perfect world the puppy would be at my feet while I was home all day baking a cake but here in the real world...I have to work...I have to pay for rent and utilities and puppy food...

I left work a little early, jumped in a taxi and raced home...terrified to open the door...terrified of what I might find.  I found a sleeping puppy :)  She woke up when she heard me, though, and her tail started wagging...and she peed on the floor.  We're going to have to work on that...

Afraid of the Vet

I'm afraid of the vet, my puppy isn't.  I was scared she'd hate going to the vet and it would always be a big production.  But, no...she loved the vet.  She loved the vet tech, too.  She allowed herself to be poked and prodded and didn't even make a sound when she was vaccinated.  The, um, anal thermometer got quite a yelp, though :)

I was nervous about the vet's diagnosis.  This breed is prone to all kinds of problems.  Yeah, the breeder guaranteed but...what were we going to do...give her back?  I guess...if there was something really, really wrong but...I've kinda got my heart set on her.

Anyway, all those fears for nothing.  She's perfect...4 lbs., 11 oz...a healthy, well-fed puppy.  She was exhausted afterwards, though, and it made for a great picture!

The Morning After

I woke up the day after we brought her home to better weather and my migraine gone.  She slept in her crate near my bed and woke up a couple of times crying during the night.  I'd read you're supposed to put your hand on the crate so they can smell you but considering how new everything was for her I doubt it was any comfort.

She peed in her crate...they're not supposed to do that...but I'm too tired to worry about it.  She'd already peed on the floor a bunch of times last night so, what the hell, I just let her out and she found herself a comfortable spot on Brian's shoes to catch a few more winks.

We've named her...after much discussion :)  Her name is Hadley.  Good girl, Hadley, good girl.

She's Home! She's Home!

We picked her up today! After all that planning and waiting... the usually beautiful 2 hour drive upstate was a crawl through one accident and road block after another.  The weather was miserable.  I woke up with a migraine.  We stopped at a diner and I wolfed down a greasy burger and fries to try to calm my headache.

I had planned to take lots of pictures of the event but the breeder put the puppy in my arms and everything got all side-tracked.  She's a good breeder, took her time, put all her guarantees and vital information in writing...AKC papers...a cute pink teddy bear blanket as a gift.

Daddy's got some mighty big shoes!

We brought the crate with us but I decided to hold her in my arms in the car.  Mistake.  She was hyper and kept trying to crawl away.  Her nails are long and my sweater is ruined. None of it matters.  She's home.

Time is Dragging

Tick, tock, tick, tock...I feel like an expectant mother.  It'll be another week before we can pick up our puppy and I can hardly stand it.  I keep picturing terrible scenarios where something has gone wrong and she didn't survive.  I can't even imagine what a wreck I'd be if this was a human child.

We went shopping over Memorial Day weekend and her "room" is all ready.  People are making fun of me that it won't stay all neat and clean like that when the puppy actually comes but I don't care.  I've chosen a vet and made her first appointment to start vaccinations.  I've taken some time off work to get her acclimated.  I hope she likes the toys I've picked out for her and the food I've picked out for her.  Is the crate the right size?  Is the pen too close to the air-conditioner?  Will she cry?  Tick tock, tick tock...

Puppy Redux

We miss our puppy!  That's the problem with choosing such a young puppy...she was less than three weeks old.  You choose, you pay, you wait!  She can't come home until she's at least 8 weeks old and Brian says we won't even recognize her.  Let's go for a visit and let her sniff us some more.  I asked the breeder if it would be OK and she agreed so we took the beautiful drive upstate again, camera in hand.

When we got there and went into the puppy room, they were all sleeping on top of each other behind a puppy gate.  When the breeder opened the gate, they all looked up but only one puppy tried to make a run for it.  Keep in mind that 5 week old puppies can't run very fast so this was quite amusing.  But this pup ran past the breeder, past Brian and straight to me.  I scooped it up just at the time the breeder determined that the one we chose wasn't in the pile (double-dot).  She then walked over and looked at the pup who had run to me and pointed out the fact that she had two dots!.  My puppy! :)

She's beautiful!  She looked like a hamster when we first picked her out.  Now she's almost a dog :)

I Met My Puppy

Yesterday was such a great day!  It started out cloudy but soon became a beautiful crisp, clear day.  Brian and I headed out early on a beautiful two hour drive upstate.  All the spring flowers were in bloom and I had my camera.  Locating the breeder was an adventure through upstate farm country and we were both surprised at how gorgeous and well-kept the area was.  We'd been half expecting to find a trailer park but nothing could be further from the truth.

Her farm (mostly horses) is lovely and well kept.  She herself was friendly and showed us around.  All of her adult CKC Spaniels run around freely, greeting visitors.  Brian and I jokingly called them the welcoming committee.  We'd wondered if we'd be allowed to see the conditions in the puppy area of if she would just bring them out to us.  No worries...she brought us right in...showed us everything.  So many puppies!

We liked the litter of a female named Winter's Treasure.  She was a sweet, good natured dog who didn't object to her pups being handled.  There were three little girls in the litter.  One was a bit more brown than we liked but the other two were nicely colored and looked very like each other.  Brian and I passed them back and forth, trying to decide which was the prettier one...as if there was truly a difference :)

One of them had two little brown spots on the back of her head and the breeder called her double-dot.  When I first held her, I noticed right away that she was much feistier than her sister.  I must have been chatting with Brian and the breeder for nearly 20 minutes and the feisty pup in my arms was silent so I assumed she'd fallen asleep.  But when I looked down at her, she had her chin resting on my chest, wide awake and looking at me.  My heart decided...this was my puppy.

I Dare to Hope...

I'm sure I've spoken to every CKC Spaniel breeder in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania with little to no success so this just seems too good to be true.  I've been trading e-mails with a breeder who says three of her females gave birth at nearly the same time and she has 16 little 3-week-old puppies available.  She assures me most are Blenheims and at least half are female.  Her price is reasonable.

She's located in a town called Stanfordville which is about two hours north of Manhattan but only 20 minutes from The Culinary Institute in New Hyde Park.  Brian and I made a reservation months ago to have lunch there this coming Saturday.  I told the breeder that we would be in the area and asked if we could possibly come before our lunch and see the puppies.  She said to come ahead.  How convenient...and maybe too good to be true?  I'm so excited...and I'll be so disappointed if this doesn't work out.

The Great Puppy Search

I am a tenacious researcher and am methodically organized.  From the piles of papers on my desk a few days ago rose an Excel chart complete with breeder information, pricing, availability, distance from the city and every other pertinent fact possible.  Color coded!  Brian laughs but I really want a dog...

"No, we have no puppies right now."

"Yes, we have puppies but they're already pre-sold."

"Yes, we have puppies but not what you want."  (I want a Blenheim female.)

"Yes, we have puppies and they cost (fill in an exorbitant amount that's more than double what we're willing to pay.)"

"Try us again next winter."

"We can put you on our waiting list."

I Always Wanted a Puppy

I've always wanted a puppy but I never could make up my mind to get one.  Too many variables and considerations, I guess.  I do remember that I always said if I did adopt a dog, it would be a mutt from a shelter.  Still, the years passed and no puppy.

But for the past few months I've been having serious puppy lust.  Spring arrived and my boyfriend, Brian, and I started spending time in the park, a haven for Manhattan's doggies and doggy owners.  So many cute dogs.  How lovely it would be to have one!

Over the winter a colleague had gotten a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy and I found myself repeatedly going back to look at her pictures.  I'd never seen one before and I thought she must be the cutest dog in the world.  I did some research on the breed and found that they're known to be friendly and sweet-natured, considered excellent for the novice dog owner.  With every picture I saw, I fell more in love.  I really wanted this dog.

Yes, I know...I said I'd adopt from a shelter.  But too many episodes of The Dog Whisperer had scared me about behavior problems.  I'd never had a dog and I knew I wasn't going to be a confident first-time owner.  I wanted to start with a sweet, gentle puppy.  And besides, I was so hopelessly in love with the CKC Spaniels by this point that no other dog would satisfy.  It was time to talk to Brian about this.

I showed him pictures and he acknowledged that this was a very good looking dog.  I knew he loved dogs and animals in general.  He'd had a sweet little kitty when we first met.  She had died of feline leukemia and he was heartbroken.  We discussed how pet stores get their animals from puppy mills and agreed that a breeder was a better option.  But finding the right one would be expensive and time-consuming.  My birthday was a couple of months away and he said that if I found a pup I wanted, he would buy it for me as a birthday gift.

We neither of us like the idea of shipping a pup so I've been looking for CKC breeders within a 3-4 drive.  My desk is piled high with information and I can see that this is going to be a big adventure.  I've decided to document the whole experience.

Note added September 2009:  We didn't know it then, of course, but almost on the exact day that my boyfriend and I decided we would get a dog, a beautiful CKC spaniel puppy was born on a farm upstate.  She was destined to be my precious Hadley.