Saturday morning naughty puppy

 

Don't know if it's visible to anyone else, but this is my outdoor unit of the central air... can you see where the puppy tore at the rubber and tape?  Copper conduit pipe is showing.  So I had to reach back in there, grab her by the scruff of the neck and pull her away.  I wonder if anyone could install perhaps a chain link barrier for all the places that enter the house?  Around the AC unit?  Or will she learn before she gets fried or disables something vital to my home?

So, after that episode, and making her spit out the rubber stuff, she is in her den until Mommy recovers.  Will I survive to her adulthood, I wonder?

Meanwhile, basking in his status as the best-behaved animal in the house (including Mommy), is The Prisoner.  

Pretty weather this Saturday morning.  Ember is supposed to go meet cousin Carl in his yard for playtime at noon.  I am picking times to avoid traffic around Memorial Stadium which is on my route from my house to my son's place.  The Spring Red/White football game kicks off at 11 a.m., and another round of severe weather is due through here about 3 p.m.

Addendum, post visit to Carl's yard

I loaded Ember into her "den" in the back of the car, and messaged my son we were ready to start.  He messaged back about the Spring Game, and I told him I already thought about that.  But then I was delayed for a while because Ember while going through the garage had used her sharp puppy teeth on the HUGE bag of her puppy food, tearing a hole in it.  I had to schlep that big bag into the house, pour about half of it into the puppy food safe, and tape up the hole for later use.  Then I messaged the son that we were only just leaving the garage now (20 minutes later) and coming the long way around because of the football game.

We arrived a little after noon, and Carl was most generous about sharing his yard for playtime.  He was fine with Ember sharing his water dish, too.  He didn't even bat an eye when the puppy stole some of his most recent meal, remaining in his dish.  He did, however, insist that HE was still his daddy's puppy!  

Despite the obvious size difference, they raced and tumbled around the yard, shared attention between the two humans.  Ember got a little anxious when I left the yard to go organize the car, but she was soon distracted by play.  When I came back into the yard, she ran to greet me, glad I hadn't abandoned her for keeps!

After not quite an hour of this, Carl was showing signs of being tired, as was Ember, and we called it a day.

One big revelation was that Ember gets car sick on trips longer than the few blocks to Puppy Class or to the vet.  She tossed her tummy contents both ways.  I thought of LeanJean6 and her Big Beau, who was car-sick so much when he was young.

When we got home, I wrapped my poor baby in a towel on the deck while I cleaned out the crate, then used some waterless dog shampoo to clean her up and cuddled her while apologizing for her having an upset tummy.  She fell asleep in my arms, and I tucked her back into the cleaned-up den.

And only then did I claim a shower for myself, just as the next line of thunder boomers arrived.  I understand that Carl crashed on the floor after we left as well.  And this is why we do play dates... tired puppy (or dog) is a happy one.

Life is good.  Keep on Sparking!

Wet Friday

The overnight was "interesting" balancing cat, dog, and weather.  It looks to be a very drippy Friday, and more showers are predicted over the weekend.  Clearly the cat doesn't feel safe in the sight / hearing of the puppy, but they aren't at constant war, either.  We have carved out a safe space for kitty in the laundry room and attached crawl space.

The Prisoner's bed space is under my hang to dry rack where I air-dry my delicate things.  It is lined with "his" comforter and blankie.

The Prisoner's feeding space.  You'll have to imagine the breakfast (wet food) bowl because he already licked the platter clean, and I took it upstairs to wash.  I have to remember to watch my step when doing laundry now.

You know what a standard litter box looks like; it's off the same room.  I would say that The Prisoner now has a luxury "safe space", just as Ember has her own "den".

Anyway, I've been picking times when it isn't actively raining to get Ember out for some exercise.  I took advantage of one of her puppy naps (I stretched it to two hours) to go get groceries.  I have started letting her take one of her stuffed but OK to chew toys into her den with her. It seems to be a comfort to her to have Snaky or Monkey with her in that safe space, and she hasn't destroyed them.  I am keeping a close eye... the den is for quiet times, not fierce exercise times.

Got her up from her nap and we went on a "big girl leash" walk, all the way around the block.  We returned to the house and did a perimeter check of the backyard and a little game of chase the ball before coming back in for another nap in her den.  About 2 p.m. we were out on the deck and the big outdoor tornado sirens blared... I closed the door and pondered over whether the schools were running a drill... but no, it's for real, a warning lasting until 3 that covers the Western half of our metro area.  Carl, who is freaked out by t storms is in the warned area... hoping he's OK.

The Prisoner asked to come in after I got Ember back settled, so he was down in his kitty luxury suite... safest area of the house.  I woke Ember long enough to shuffle her den to the family room (next lower level) with me.  And we watched the storm coverage on the local TV.  It was scary, as there actually were some funnels touch down in nearby areas.  Still not known how much damage, and there was hail on my son's side of town, but the important bit is that all the people and animals are OK.

One of my nieces lost the screen door to her porch.  My son will probably have his roof checked for possible hail damage... but at my house?  Wind and a very little bit of rain... no hail, no funnels, as the line of storms passed to the west and north of me.

After supper I took Ember out in the back yard for some ball chasing, since her afternoon play time was interfered with by the severe weather stuff.  Now she's in her safe place again, and I'm getting ready for bed.

Life is good.  Keep Sparking!

Ember growth compared to Auntie Alicia

First photo with Auntie Alicia, April 3rd, 2024.  Ember looks so tiny!

Three weeks later, sprawling under Auntie Alicia's feet in the back yard.  April 24, 2024.

But when Auntie Alicia stands up, Ember still looks pretty small, just not AS small as three weeks ago.  Gaining weight as she grows, the vet's scale said 23.4 pounds.

We continue to work on puppy lessons (no surprise there), but we have only one more appointment for puppy shots.  Various theories of when to spay versus lifetime risks for disease were discussed with the vet.

Thursday it was chilly and rainy outside, and I forget just what Ember did to need a quiet time at 7 a.m., but it was something.  I think it was her usual morning puppy Zoomies plus teeth, so I put her in for a puppy nap, while I took a Mommy minute.  About that time, my trainer messaged me that another client had cancelled, so could I start my warmup at 9 a.m.

Consequently, between taking the time to get ready and go, the workout, and come home, Ember was in for longer than some days.  But she does get used to it.  

Meanwhile, the woodpecker...

Here he is, poking his head and beak out of the hole he has expanded!  Yikes!

I had the call in to Ace Handyman Services.  Turns out they are an extension of Ace Hardware, use all employees, no sub-contractors.  They called me back while I was mid-workout, but my little Google Pixel Watch connects to my phone, and I was like Dick Tracy of old with the wrist radios, talking to their admin while I was doing my lunges.  

Anyway, she checked with their craftsman and the craftsman said yes, he could do this (I estimated about 10 spots that need reinforcing).  She gave me both a time and dollar estimate: 3 - 4 hours, and at the outside $500.  Worth it to save my wiring and maybe restore some of the insulation this dude dropped onto my patio!  He is coming Monday around mid-day.

It got all wet and yucky in the rain, and I picked up some of it, and left other parts of it, cautioning Ember to "leave the yuckies".  She did pretty well about that... it must not taste good, that insulation, and even seems to be learning "spit it out" as a phrase, related to things that are not food.

I have five more days to live with pounding on the walls to try to deter the woodpecker, but I'm pretty sure he's not bothered by a few loud noises.

The day went on.  I got Ember out for some great games of "chase the ball" alternating 3 balls that aren't the kind that get soggy.  I waited it out during a break in the showers until she did her business.

We came in for an early supper, and once well fed, Ember started to tire out, and laid at my feet in the kitchen while I put a yam in to bake.  I gave her a couple bits of my afternoon snack apple, and she seemed to like that.

About 3:45, she voluntarily went into her den, without my even suggesting it, coming out for a quick cuddle so I could release her from the house line.  When the tired puppy sleeps gently in your arms... well, whatever they did in the day is forgiven!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Prisoner never was a fan of the cat-tree anyway

 But Ember has decided it is an excellent place to stash her toy treasure trove.  She hides them in the lower level!

I had moved the cat-tree to the garage but when it wasn't there, she got in worse trouble with other distractions.  Since Prisoner has never been a fan of the cat-tree, I made the executive decision to sacrifice it to Ember's growing pains.

The joys and challenges of puppy training!  

Wednesday's start

We made it through another night, and it's Ember's second visit to her local veterinarian.  She got her next round of shots, and an appointment for three weeks down the road for the final shots in this series.  She was a very good girl at the vet's office, not nearly as shy as she was the first time there.  They probably spoiled her with the wet dog food they tempted/treated her with.  Once again had confirmation of what I'm doing in training... tempt her away from the no-nos with more attractive "yes" things.  OK, so keep calm and carry on.  

She was drowsy after the vet, so I left her napping and stocked up on things that I hope will help in the weeks ahead... the non-skid water bowls recommended by Susan, the puppy food large bag, some supposedly enzyme cleanup stuff, and some spray-on sealant to see if I can make that PVC repair less Ember-enticing.  

When I came home, though, it was to find that a persistently pesky woodpecker has broken through the sealant that Antonio the handyman put on in 2020, and pulled out enough insulation that Ember of course started picking up to gnaw on.  For the first time, I was able to get her to "show me what's in your mouth" and hook it out with my finger... without getting bit by her sharp little teeth!  Progress!

I have a call in to a handyman service to see if/when they might be able to effect repairs and put preventative measures in place on that side of the house.  If this sounds repetitive (I wrote about the problem before), that round, the bird ended up dead, and not by my hand.  I found its body on the patio.  But this is a new bird!

Oh, well... pesky bird or no... life goes on, and Life is Good!  Keep on Sparking!

Chillin' in the backyard

Chillin' in the backyard on a very blustery Monday.  It wasn't cold, but it was certainly windy.  There were plenty of leaves flying with the wind, tempting Ember to chase them.  I'm sure there were plenty of layers to what she could smell on the breeze, too.  In the end, though, she just wanted to sit and watch the world and listen to the birds sing.  No ball chasing, no puppy zoomies... just chillin'

Monday overnight we got a very minor amount of sky water, and The Prisoner even came in and ate a bit in the shadow of Ember in her "safe space".  Ember passed a good overnight with a potty break at midnight, and a wake up potty outing at 4:45 a.m.  

Tuesday morning

The 5-6:15 time frame was a whirling dervish time that included feeding Ember and feeding the cat.  Looks like the cat is moving to a meal schedule that will match Ember's.  Breakfast was interrupted by play time and she got pretty rambunctious.  I moved her crate back from the kitchen/dining area to the living room/parlor, and she chilled there while I waited for enough daylight to go out for poo-patrol.  Found both from overnight, and she also did her bit while we were out on patrol.

It is trainer day today, so I tried to schedule enough exercise for her to be content in her safe space while I go do that thing.  

Ember had other plans.  She found the two big bags of potting soil that I had put in front of the gaps under the fence, and today, she was not willing to listen to my "leave it".  She started tearing the bags open and digging in the potting soil that spilled.

I had to scoop the puppy up not once, but twice (after playing inside for a while we tried to go out to play again).  After the second puppy retrieval, she pulled her water dish stunt (dump it and drag it into the living room, dripping all the way, then hang on to it like a chew toy).  That did it... Ember went into the crate about 8 a.m. so that Mommy could do clean-up of the minor flood in the dining area.

But as long as I have her started on her morning nap, I went out and did some upping of the blockade.  Hopefully this will hold for a while, and I'll ask Gary (trainer) to go a little easy on me today, as I shifted those cinder blocks a ways to put them there.  Oof!

Now I'm taking a "mommy break" and changing to workout gear.  Also building my shopping list:  

• Water bowl that she can't tip/flip over.
• Enzyme carpet cleaner.
• Next 20 pound bag of her puppy food

Oh, yes, my house may be no cleaner than it was, but it is getting cleaned in pieces more frequently!

I don't know if it's just the posture (not curled up) or if she's growing that fast, but remember I said she was not going to fit in that space for long?  

One more puppy training photo:  her collection of practice items for "let go" / "drop it" command (progress is very slow on this one!)

I did not choose these items, Ember did.  It's a cluttered photo, but it's the shoes that she drags out of the closet when I go to hang up or get out my jacket.  I'm sure she'd go for all the paper products on this shelf, too, if given the chance.

Busy morning!  And I'm off to finish getting ready for the trainer.

Life is good. Spark on!

 

The Cat as Tutor

High from a successful play date with Carl on Saturday, and a good puppy preschool class, Ember was ready to play some more.

Deterred from his normal escape spot by the neighbors running an edging machine on their lawn, The Prisoner was standing his ground on our own deck.

Ember took this as an invitation, and approached, nudging the kitty with her nose.

The cat put up with this for a brief time, but when Ember put herself in the "on top" dominant position for puppy wrestling, Prisoner had had enough.

This is how we played in class for playtime, isn't it, Mom?

At this point, the murder mittens unsheathed the claws, and The Prisoner hissed and swatted.  Puppy yelped, Prisoner jumped to the deck rail, and it was all over except for Mom telling the Prisoner he was a great teacher, and a good kitty.

And of course, comforting the puppy, telling her, "A cat is not the same as a puppy, Little One."

Anniversary Dinner

Puppy did a good job, after all that Sunday activity, holding her organs while Mom dressed, drove across town and enjoyed a lovely dinner with the companionship of the one-year-married now "kids", and my DIL's parents.  We had a nice table in a little nook, and enjoyed an excellent meal.  The plan is for this to be an annual tradition. Good friends, good food, good conversation, leaving the venue with good feelings, hopefully all around!

Ember did well overnight, and when I went down in the midnight hour, she just came out and climbed sleepily in my lap, not wanting to go out at all, so I cuddled and tucked her back in, and she lasted until 3:45 a.m., at which point I got up, and we began the day.  And mommy is tired.

But Life is still good!  Spark on!

Cousin Carl visits Saturday, Puppy Class Sunday

 

After all the drama in the blog from Saturday early morning, several cycles of puppy activity and napping led to a backyard visit from her big cousin Carl.  They wrestled and played in good doggy style.  Turns out Carl is a fine mentor to Ember, on "how to dog".

As usual, Carl's carers gave me the heads up that they would be heading in my direction and the option for whether to have a joint play session.  Of course I said yes!  As they did last Sunday, they wore one another out.

Carl was very patient, but also acted like a parental kind of dog, stopping Ember from doing what he deemed was "not OK" by blocking her way, in some cases.

Both got good and dusty, so it looks like Carl went home to a bath, and then crashed.  Ember did not get a bath, I pretty much just sponge her off if needed, or brush off the dirt.  But similarly, she napped for two hours after the visit.

Sunday morning was her Puppy Preschool.  This weekend they put the two litter mates a couple of stools apart in the class lineup, and that worked better for both of them in terms of focus on the lessons.

I took NO photos during today's class, so that my own focus would be good, too.

I was glad to have confirmation on how I'm trying to train "drop it".  This one's going to take some work, witnessed by the shoe obsession... it's nearly impossible to get her to drop shoes she pulls from the hall closet.

They also had the "conditioning to the vacuum cleaner" as a station, the ball pit, and hurdles and a hoop from agility as the other two stations.  Of course we showed off sit, down, and stand, and puppy push-ups.  I told the trainer that at home we are working on "off", "leave it", as well as "drop it".

On to HUMAN stuff:

This is my son and daughter in law's first wedding anniversary.  Her parents have arranged for an anniversary dinner at the same place we held the wedding dinner.  I am grateful that we don't have to re-live the bone-chilling ceremony part before dinner tonight.  I only have to make sure Ember's in a fit state to stay quietly in her safe space for the two to three hours of dinner.  She's had practice, so I'm pretty confident if she's on a good bathroom schedule through the afternoon we'll be fine.

Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Up in the 3 a.m. hour

Puppy emergency... sigh.  There have been two nights in a row now, where the puppy did not manage to get mommy up in time to be let outside, and since her crate is a little bigger than it needs to be, it led her to foul her own den.  This upsets the entire schedule, of course, as mommy has to put puppy on the deck so she can do the necessary cleanup.  

The Prisoner was a player both nights.  He had been inside each night.  I have to wonder if the puppy was reluctant to raise a ruckus with this presence in the house.  She and he are continuing to work on their pecking order.  This morning after the great cleanup, they had an encounter in the upstairs hallway that involved claws and hissing. Ember had to back away.  I have given Prisoner permission to keep Ember in line (not that a cat waits for permission).

Once Prisoner got safely outside with his breakfast dish, we had to have enough puppy play time, training time, and feeding so that she would go back into the now "cleaned" (although I'm sure her little nose can still smell what happened) den.  

We do some puppy calming, comforting and cuddles before she goes back to bed after such an episode, too.  No shaming here, it really isn't her fault.  It's Mom's job to give her opportunities before an emergency happens, at her tender age.

Ember safely tucked back in, I could then take meds, shower, etc.  

We've had a second session of puppy outside and puppy indoor play, to tire out the puppy for another nap while mommy cooks and eats her own breakfast. The second play time was held in the family room, a new venue for Ember.

We had some tail-chasing (which Mommy tried to catch on video, but failed), and we brought out toys that Carl likes.  The "big" chuck it ball was one of the stars of play time.  It looks huge in Ember's mouth, but Carl does a good job getting his jaws around it.

Not content with just doggie toys, Ember decided to co-opt the cat tree.  She will not fit in this space for long, folks, so I kind of let her use it as her soccer goal.  Whenever she dropped the chuck-it ball, I would soccer pass it across the room, and she would chase it and bring it back to the kitty condo for another round.

Squeaky toy play was the intermission between some of the rounds.  

Cousin Carl's "big stick" was a distraction from the game, at times.  Pre-chewed by her bigger cousin, it was quite attractive as a teething helper.

Finally tuckered out, the Little One is back napping, and mom is enjoying breakfast and a blog!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Friday!

 

Friday's experiment:  don't wear these shoes any more.  Ember has decided they are her toys.

I changed to another pair of old athletic shoes, instead, one with different laces that can be more easily double-knotted.  Turns out this helped only a little.

For those of you who despaired of my ever getting rid of my Imelda Marcos level collection of old running shoes? Ember is your advocate for down-sizing.

Ember and I went on a practice leash walk on Thursday afternoon.  She seems to be doing very well, not pulling, sniffing everything because everything is so new to her.  I realize this is likely to change as her confidence builds.  But for now, it's another way to get her some physical and mental exercise!

Let's just call this photo "indecision".  Thursday was such a nice day in the afternoon that I slid that door open so that we could come or go.  Ember chose "neither"... let's just lay across the threshold!

She was a little rock star for the A/C annual checkup.  She rolled onto her back and begged for attention from the tech, a young man named Tyson.  I think she would have happily headed home with him, but as is, she's stuck with me.

Bit by bit, the house is becoming increasingly puppy/dog proofed.  Today the shredding machine was moved up to the office, removing another tempting electrical cord.  The boom box got moved to a kitchen counter (higher than its space on a coffee/end table.  The recycle stack is now in the garage.  The DVR got moved to the electronics graveyard in the basement level, and the old paint and flooring materials shifted to the garage.  I think I can now safely invite her into the family room for couch cuddles before bedtime.

Meanwhile, the lower levels of the bookcase in the living room have been cleared, leading to this sequence of photos:

Where's the shelf for "P"

P is for "Puppy", I must belong here!

P is also for "Prisoner", but don't ask me to share a shelf with the puppy!

After the man left, Ember went out for a practice leash walk with mom.  And poo'd and pee'd in her own front yard.  Mom was glad it was in our own yard, as the poo was a bit on the "SoftServe" side.

Life continues to be Good!  Spark on!

Eyes on Mommy

 

"Eyes on Mommy."  That's my sub-command, when I say her name:  "Ember.  Eyes on Mommy."  I copied that from the puppy pre-school class, because that's what the puppy is supposed to do in response to her name:  focus on her human!  Only when I see her eyes lock on mine does she get her name treat!

Her Auntie Alicia snapped this photo while Ember was being hand-fed her supper during our Wednesday sister time.  We make her work for her meals, going through the sit, down, stand, and come (recall) command.

Before her supper, we went on a walk, practicing some leash manners.  We went about a block, down to the entrance to the park, and over the bridge.  She did get to exchange sniffs with another dog, and of course she was ecstatic to have not one, but TWO humans paying her attention and praise.

Ember stopped being interested in her food and decided a nap was in order, where she could feel comforted while the sisters yakked.  So clearly comfortable under grandma's Duncan Fyfe table.

The bunny came with Ember when she came to me.  Being fabric, I don't want her learning to destroy cloth, so she only gets to play with the bunny under the watchful eyes of her people.

We must have worked her puppy brain really hard on Wednesday, because overnight she showed no interest in going outside at all.  She came out of the crate to lick my hand, then retreated back into the safety of her cave.  I left her be, as she wasn't whining or showing signs of pain, but I was dog-mommy concerned.

When at 4 a.m. she came out extra hungry (remember the skipped dinner?), I felt we were a-OK.  She lunged for the cat's food dish on the deck and I had to whisk it away.  Prisoner showed up looking for his breakfast.  After some drama, Prisoner got his breakfast in the laundry room because it started to rain, and he wanted some shelter.  Hunger satisfied, he came upstairs once Ember was settled in her crate again, to hop up on the counter and get some pets and give some purrs in return.  Yes, mornings are exciting around here!

Puppy proofing the house has been an incremental process, as she reaches each new level of boldness.  There is no longer a TV in the front room, it's been moved to the family room, because that electrical cord is just too tempting to the pup.  The recycle bins are about to be moved from the kitchen/dining area to the garage, for similar reasons.  It's so hard to keep track of all the no-no's in a human dwelling, thinks Ember.  Everything should be a toy!

Anyway, that's all I can write this morning... the saga continues.

And life is good!  Spark on.

New Toys

Emmy got some socializing with humans Tuesday.  A walker asked could she meet my puppy, when we were practicing with the leash.  Then when we were out playing fetch, the neighbor lady who is Frank the Springer Spaniel's hu-mom asked if this was a good time to meet the puppy.

She brought presents, little squeaky toys that are good for those pups with a soft mouth.  Susan (I think that's her name) has had labs in the past, and knows they have a soft mouth.  She swears that this toy is Frank's favorite, and he can use them for months and months, has never torn one!  I told her I'll let her know how it goes.  Ember has those sharp puppy teeth still.  

Miss Emmy fell in love with the googly eyed round things right away.  They squeak if she steps on them, they roll away and invite chasing, and they squeak when the puppy bites them, too.

They are also a great help to me, because I can monitor that she's playing with an approved toy by the sound alone!

A puddle on the sidewalk was an item of interest, too.  Everything is interesting when you're new on the planet!

A long puppy nap Tuesday afternoon ended with an early supper.  Her meals today came in the 5 a.m. hour, the 11 a.m. hour, and the 4 p.m. hour.  I am starting to be sensitive to signals that she's hungry and making adjustments for it.

Sometimes she loses interest before the whole meal has been consumed, so I put it up for a "play break", then when she appears ready to resume, we take it up again.  Since I'm feeding her by hand, her meals are also training time.  Puppy attention span is a thing.

Wednesday morning I had a dental appointment, so I had to juggle puppy schedule a bit to allow me prep and drive time for that.  To think, once upon a time, I had a complete family, job, etc., and this sort of thing was going on daily.  It makes me very aware of how much my spouse contributed to pet care!

After I got home from the dental cleaning, Ember of course had some outdoor playtime, and she was a bit "teethy" so I calculated how long it had been for her since breakfast, and decided on an early lunch, too.  We had several shortish outdoor play times, a bit of chill time in the "safe space" while mom cooked her own VERY late breakfast (I only had a banana and coffee before the dentist).

Ember has apparently made an executive decision that water bowls on the deck can be upended to cause a flood under the deck.  She then dragged the water bowl inside, draining all the way, and got in trouble, stealing the paper towel mom was trying to "mop up" with.  And I just vacuumed that carpet she's dumped water and mud on... 

But the big trouble she got in today was going after the electrical cord to the TV.  She's been scolded about this before, but Mom really does not want a fried puppy!  So Ember got herself into a time-out situation while mommy finished the mopping up of the water spill.  Don't worry, she'll be let out in time for maybe some leash practice with Auntie Alicia.

Sigh. What is it someone said, "Good thing they're cute!"  She is that, and her mommy loves her oh, so much... one falls in love with a young thing so easily, and one forgives them their learning curves.

Life is good!  Life with puppies is better.  Life full of Spark and purpose is the very best!

Spark on!

So many distractions!

 

The wind was blowing the flowering tree petals into the backyard, which was quite the distraction for a puppy who was supposed to be out there to "take care of business".  Monday was a hot day again, which makes the dark-coated puppy a bit on the lethargic side.  That lead to extra energy Tuesday morning.  

Add a thunderstorm to this, and the resultant wet stuff falling from the sky.  This started around 4 a.m. on Tuesday.  I came downstairs about 5.

Ember does not seem to be bothered by thunder and lightning.  Motorcycles, yes.  Thunder and lightning, no.

Mud was an interesting discovery, under the downspout.  Speaking of the downspout that is also a distraction for her.  I've been concerned she could cut herself on it, so I removed the extension, but now of course, it is just eroding a mud puddle at its foot.  One more thing to add to the landscaping project, to put a concrete spillway under there.

Fresh water, from the sky!  So many, many things for a puppy to be interested in.

Including a wet cat who wanted to come in for breakfast.  I popped the puppy into her "safe space" long enough to feed the cat his breakfast.  Prisoner then retreated to the basement to hide from the noisy yipper.

Then there was a period of fascination with the TV's power cord, the Scrabble box, and a diaper dustrag.  Sigh.  Can't take your eyes off them for a second.

Tuesday was to be a workout day with the trainer, so I was trying to balance "chill" time for the puppy with prep time for me.  When it got light enough, and the rain had let up, I snagged the Holey Roller and a Chuck-It hard rubber ball and we went out.  Ember did what she was supposed to before we came back inside to deal with whirling dervish puppy a bit more.  I am practicing a scoop and hold move I picked up from a puppy training video for calming her down.

While we were out playing alternate fetch with the two toys, the trainer texted that he woke up not well, and needed to cancel.  Can we spell "sigh of relief" because of hyper puppy?  Anyway, by 8 a.m. I decided it was time to start her "chill time" in the crate, whether I was heading to the trainer or not.  She has been fed, exercised and loved on... time for a puppy nap, and give mom a chance to do some human things for a bit.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Carl and Ember - backyard play

 

This was their second meeting, and it was at my house, in the fenced back yard.  Carl showed no signs of jealousy... he has a yard of his own, his puppy memories (if any) are a dog's lifetime ago.

Meanwhile, little Ember continues her hero worship of the bigger dog.  You'd think she grew up around a Daddy dog, eh?

Both of them adore my son.  It was a hot day here, sunny and 87℉.  Neither dog was interested in being terribly active, so even though Carl had not had exercise before coming over, they played well together.

This visit happened after Ember recovered from her Puppy Class nap... we get out of class about 10 a.m., home easily before 10:30, even with visiting after class and all that.  She did her business then collapsed in a lovely sleep clear 'til 12:30!

So it was later than that when my son messaged the question whether it was a good day for a backyard romp.  I was proud of them both, sharing both toys and their favorite humans.

This speaks well for future dog-sitting, in either direction.

Happy Marathon Monday

Kid sis reminded me early that it's Marathon Monday in Boston... not that I didn't already know.  This photo popped up in my memories, from 2016.

I was in training for the Lincoln Half marathon, which follows Boston by about 3 weeks.  That beautiful morning I was in town for my brother's race, and I finished off my "long run" in the shadow of Beacon Hill (Massachusetts State Capitol is the gold dome in the background).  Fit just feels good, doesn't it?

And for me, it's laundry day, so off to do that while the puppy naps!

Have a great day.  Life is Good.  Spark on!

Digging for treasure

Ember: This is where I left it, Mom!  I swear!

Too bad, little one... you can't count on treasure to remain buried! 

Accomplishments of Saturday:

• Buried mom's gardening glove, could not find it again.  (Because Mom had already retrieved it!)
• Took the black tennis ball under the deck where Mom can't get to it, and refused to go get it for her.  (Mom retaliated by finding an orange tennis ball).
• Walked on leash across the street to "sort-of play" with the two little boys she met the other evening.  The bigger boy got a basketball out to try to play with her, but that was scary, and she fled from it.  He went and got a tennis ball and that went over much better.
• Got spooked by motorcycles... twice.
• Slept soundly in the living room outside the crate, while mom drowsily watched a recorded episode of Grey's Anatomy.
• Made it evident that she does not like the hot weather.  Had an accident upon returning inside after being out lounging in the heat.  Had to go into her "safe space" while Mom cleaned up.  But not before mom tried to get her to "finish the job" outside.  Ember declined to do so.  Mom is thinking that this is the second or third time "caught in the act" and not producing when moved outside.  Perhaps she's only releasing enough to be able to continue to "hold it", without getting that it's OK to go ahead and empty the tank out in the yard even if you've been told "uh-oh!" inside.

I'm so glad to have something as mundane as puppy house training to focus on, considering the news cycle we're in!

Sunday morning puppy pre-school - week #2

The Sunday class is smaller, only 4 puppies in class today.  I was glad because it did mean a little bit of extra trainer attention to each pup.  As we feared might happen, Ember and Paisley were the first two to arrive and were immediately fascinated with one another.  Paisley seems to have a more assertive personality than does Ember.

Ember does not appear to be bothered by this... look at that happy little face while her sister growls and "dominates".  Ember waited it out and then retaliated... but as they say "nobody was hurt".

It wore her out as much as last week's session with seven puppies total.  Ember was introduced to the wobbly board, and did well with it, causing the trainer to suggest she be asked to "sit" on the obstacle.  She did great.

She wasn't quite as intuitive about the tunnel, but she did go through it.

Oh, and I learned the term "puppy pushups"... that's a sit, down, sit, in that order, with the treat only at the end of the third command.

I caught that the bigger fluffy puppy is named Benji, but I didn't catch the name of the "chow" looking one.  But here's the whole group together, playing pretty nicely in the second bit of "puppy play time".

That's Benji's daddy on the stool, Paisley is followed by Ember, and the Chow is on the outside (such a cute curved tail and fluffy bum)!

While we were at Puppy Class, The Prisoner had the house to himself.  When we got home, Ember did her business outside before completely zonking under the couch.  I'm just letting her sleep!

And we are signed up for next Sunday to do it all over again.

Life is good.

Spark on!

When you let Facebook memes set your menu

A friend on Facebook posted Friday morning that it was National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  Heaven knows if it's true, but it sounded good, and thus the luncheon menu was changed to accommodate a grilled cheese sandwich.

Lots of childhood memories associated with grilled cheese sandwiches, always paired with tomato soup!

Friday morning/noonish the lawn guys came and put down pre-emergent crab grass killer, and broadleaf weed spray, and fertilizer.  I went out while Ember was napping to ask how long I had to keep her away from the grass.  They said an hour, until it's dry.  The written thing they left said two hours.  But the nice young man, upon hearing that Emmy likes dandelions said I should not let her eat them as that's what the broadleaf spray is out to kill.  Can't be good for a puppy's tummy!

Your days of dandelion salad are over, Ember!

Saturday morning adventures / misadventures

How can one little puppy get in so much trouble before 8 a.m.?  Because we haven't learned all the rules yet, and we might actually be rebelling against a few of them.

She was mostly good.  Had a great night, letting her mommy sleep in two 3 to 4 hour snatches.  Trips outside at 10:50 p.m. and 4:15 a.m., right down to business, and back inside.  I put her in her safe space long enough to dress myself, came back down, fed the cat, then did Ember's morning breakfast training session.  She did pretty well, even with "leave it" during that session, and we introduced "Off".  I am using "off" as her command to put her paws back on the ground when she puts them up on furniture or people. 

When it got light, we went out on poo patrol, where mommy bags up the night's leavings (memory test... where did she leave it?)  She went after the poo bag once, but obeyed the "leave it" (eventually).  Pooh bags (or just about anything that lime green color) seem to say "toy" to little Emmy.

We played fetch... or some version thereof... with the tennis ball and the holey roller.  Get her a little bit tired out.  But then she decided she wanted my garden gloves (which are that same light green color and look like a fine thing).  Emmy decided that "leave it" did not apply when the prize was so tempting, and managed to strip one of my gloves off.  I could not persuade her to drop it or let it go, and eventually I decided "Mommy doesn't want to play this game" and went about my yard business, leaving her to her own puppy-brained thing.  My thought was, she will drop it, I will praise and treat her, and that will be its own little lesson.  Sounds rational, doesn't it?

But the puppy brain on this one wasn't going along with the plan.  Here's where I found her not too much later.

That is my sandbox.  It is unfilled at the moment, the sand will be filled as part of the landscaping project to come. Our digger was poking the glove into that corner.  I don't think you can even see the little corner of green in the photo, but she was burying my glove!

I have never had a dog that buried things.  Lily (first dog, as a newlywed) did not dig or bury things.  Diamond (the GSP dog of my heart) did not dig.  The dog that didn't last long, Sammy, did not dig, or rather, we didn't have her long enough to find out if she did (escape artist, struck by a car, did not make it).  And Carl is not a digger.

But Ember is a digger, and apparently a hoarder.  I took a video while she was filling in the hole, but not sharing that here.  Let me tell you, it took some foot digging on my part to uncover that glove!  If I weren't so darned amused, I might be angry with her.  And certain scenes in the old movie "Bringing up Baby" make a whole lot of sense now.

I did give her a treat for coming to me, interrupting her task.  We practiced "leave it" some more on the way back to the house door, on pant legs and shoes, and now we are doing "leave it" for weeds because of the spraying the lawn guys did on Friday.

Anyway, she's having some chill time at the moment, and I'm taking this break to write about it.  I need a different color of gloves next time I purchase a pair.  I have yellow and red and blue and orange gloves for yard work, and those are all colors like her toys!

Life is good.  Mind is challenged.  Spark on!

Letting sleeping puppies sleep

 

Like most young things, Ember likes to hang out with her hu-mom for protection while she sleeps.  Today since I don't have someplace I have to be, I sat with her while she fell asleep between session of learning.  The current focus continues to be the "leave it" command, and of course the little one gives me lots of opportunities to practice consistency with it.  I've added the "drop it" for the shoes she has fished out of the closet.

Once she's been soundly sleeping, being nudged by conscience to "do something around the house while you CAN"... I carry her to the safe space, and my heart warms that she does not resist, but goes right in to where she knows nothing can get to her.

When she's awake, of course she wants to come out and play some more, and that is as it should be.  But when there are human things that must be done... she's better off in her safe space even during waking times.  

That is where "chew toy training" comes in.  YouTube creator Ian of Simpawtico dog training has a series on the proper use of a Kong, and other dog toys, which he categories into groups:  chew toys, interactive toys, and plush toys.  

Chew toys should be always available to the doggie.  Interactive toys should be ONLY available when the human is interacting, and plush toys are only to be used for training gentleness (i.e. the human teaches how to properly TREAT the plush toy).  Here's a link to the "Take it" / "Leave it" commands.

The concept that he uses is that "a thing is not what it is, it is what you train it to be."  What a thought!  This is where the chew toy training comes in.  Dogs need to learn what a great thing a chew toy is, because it is just plain not inherently as much fun as interactive play!  However it is a calming thing for the pup to be chewing.

Based on his idea of how to make a chew toy more attractive, I smeared a little peanut butter in the indentations of her small bone, to see if it would indeed make that a more favored toy.  Because even once the peanut butter has been licked off, the scent and small bits remain in whatever tooth indentations might be on said bone.

Emmy definitely approves!

He separates out Kong training from the major topic of chew toy training for special focus, including what not to waste your money on (spray on cans of filling) and how to train on a budget.

And Barb keeps on learning about how to help her puppy learn to be a good dog, because clearly that's what she aspires to grow up to be.

A dog's life is also a Life that is Good!  Spark on!