Just say "AWWW"

Taking pictures of a wiggly puppy is HARD. I've probably taken a hundred in the past two days. Unfortunately 97 of them are horrible!! However, I was able to get this one earlier and just had to share. -- K

Puppy Shower

Last week I began my 3-week vacation. I told everybody I was taking "pupturnity leave" and promised to bring the puppy by work while I was off. My friends took it one step further and threw a "puppy shower" complete with a bone shaped cake and Star Wars decorations -- seriously! I am so touched and at a loss for words (that doesn't happen often). Jedi met another dozen people and came home with an obscene amount of toys. What a day! Thankfully Hubby took pictures because who would believe it otherwise? Thanks again to all my wonderful friends. -- K

The guest of honor -- what a good boy!!

Jedi's First 24 Hours



Jedi is getting use to his new home

We brought Jedi home last night. He missed his brothers and sister, so it was a fitful night for us all. He and I both slept in the living room -- him in his crate, me on the couch. Neither of us slept for more than a couple hours at a time. UGH.

I'm very pleased to report that Jedi's potty training is coming along nicely. We've only had one small accident so far, and honestly that was Hubby's fault for not watching him. My smart puppy is also quickly learning that sitting nicely (the doggie version of saying please) is the way to get things around here. It's really hard to ignore him when he jumps up or tries to climb in my lap. He's so damn cute! However, it's best that he learn polite behavior now, at 18 pounds, rather than later when he's bigger. I can't imagine how big he'll be 6 months from now. Probably bigger than Roxy!

Jedi woke up early this morning in a better mood and decided to check out every toy we had. I had intended to only give him one or two at a time, but he discovered that he could climb into the basket and pull them out all by himself. I was laughing so hard watching him that I didn't have the heart stop it. Hubby found the camcorder and got some video of Jedi "killing" his toys. I'll try to post it later. I hope you'll be able to hear the ferocity he was showing to that stuffed hamburger.

We went to the vet this morning. The receptionist was tickled that the puppy was named Jedi and wanted to post his picture on their Facebook page. I couldn't help but laugh when she pulled out her R2-D2 iPhone to snap the photo. BTW, the vet said that Jedi was perfectly healthy and absolutely beautiful. But I already knew that!

Jedi DID NOT like riding in the car  -- or sitting in the vet's office -- and had no problem letting everybody know how he felt. He whined and howled the entire time. I was sure the vet tech was going to ask us to go outside because he was annoying everybody. There's a reason God makes puppies so damn cute . . .

We're trying to introduce Jedi to 100 different people in the next 30 days. Dr. Ian Dunbar stresses the importance of a puppy's early socialization with people. It's crucial that he meet men, women and children of all races, sizes and ages so that strangers won't freak him out later in life. Jedi has met almost a dozen people so far. (Thank you friends and neighbors!) Is it weird that I was excited that Jeff was wearing a hat? Probably. But I let him play with the world's cutest puppy so he didn't care.

Gotta go, nap time is over. I'll post more later. -- K

Introducing . . .

Zente's Jedi Mind Trick

 

Born October 3, 2012

at 1 1/3 pounds

Joined our family November 28, 2012

at 18 pounds

Many thanks to his wonderful breeder for all the work -- and love -- she and her husband have put into this litter. Thanks to my loving husband for encouraging me to follow my life-long dream of dog showing (and not complaining too much about the $$). Thanks to my mother for always being there to hear my obsessing over minute details. And thank you to all my friends and family following this silly dog blog. Stay tuned, it's going to be fun! Love you all, -- K

It's a Boy!

I've spent two of the last three days at Breeder's house playing with puppies. (What a life, hunh?) Anyway, I have great news. Choices have been made and Mr. Blue will be joining our family on Wednesday after his 2nd set of shots. I couldn't be happier. He is the most beautiful puppy -- ever!!! Stay posted for a name and lots of pictures. Life is about to get really interesting around here. -- K

Feeling Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving and I have many things to be thankful for including a loving family, good friends, a strong faith, decent health, full-time employment, and the many freedoms guaranteed under our Constitution. I am also thankful for the wonderful dogs that have shared my life. On this day of reflection I ask myself, was I as good to them as they were to me? Probably not. I've tried -- and I truly believe that they've all had good doggie lives -- but if I can do better, I will. I received another shipment from Amazon.com yesterday (I know, I need help) and this was in one of the books. I found it very thought-provoking and had to share. I copied this verbatim from The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook by Kyra Sundance. It is so well said that it deserves repeating. 

 You Owe This to Your Dog 

Our dogs play a significant role in our lives, whether as working dogs or companions. We've taken them into our household and are responsible for fulfilling their basic and higher needs. For all the joy and companionship they give us, we owe our dogs the following:

• Adequate food and medical care
• A life that is beyond mere survival
• Grooming, ear and teeth cleaning, nail trimming, skin and coat conditioning
• Exercise -- not only the option for exercise, but also the encouragement
• Twenty minutes each day of your undivided attention
• Three enrichment activities per day (a walk, a game of fetch, a training session, a car ride)
• Exposure to the world beyond your backyard
• Socialization with people and dogs outside of your family
• The right to give and receive unconditional love
• Training, so your dog does not become a prisoner of his own misbehavior
• Fresh air and green grass
• Respect for your dog's needs and wants
• Responsible breeding, or none at all
• Time and space all his own
• The freedom to be foolish and silly, and to make you laugh
• The right to earn your trust and to be trusted in return
• Forgiveness
• The right to die with dignity
• The honor of being remembered well

So who wants to be a better dog owner now? Yeah, me too. I'd like to close with pictures of the dogs that I am so thankful for. -- K



Pepper

Logan

Roxy

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The OTHER Puppy Pictures

So I was asked  -- several times -- why I only took three pictures of the puppies on my last visit. Truth is, I took over 20, but I only posted three. Taking pictures of puppies is hard. Those little buggers are fast and won't stay still for more than a few seconds. I got a lot of butt shots as puppies would run out of the frame. I took a picture of the wall when one of the puppies grabbed the dangling lens cap and jerked the camera up just as I pushed the button. And one of the pups actually photo bombed his brother! Thankfully everything's digital and with a little creative cropping I was able to find a few decent shots. (How did people ever do this with film?!) Just for giggles, I'll share a few of the bad pictures below -- no cropping! Hopefully I'll get better at taking puppy pictures as time goes on. I wonder if there's a book on Amazon.com about this . . . -- K

 

 

Photo bombed!