Lola - Christmas 2005- 3 Months Old
Lola- April 2010- 4.5 years old
Happy Birthday Beaner! We'll have snuggles and some peanut butter toast tonight to celebrate! (ya.... my dogs are easy to please)
Showing posts with label The Girls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Girls. Show all posts
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Happy Birthday to my Furry Soulmate!
My little Lola Bean turns FIVE today! I seriously can't believe it. Feels like just yesterday that I feel instantly in love with the 3lb ball of cuteness.
Happy Birthday Beaner! We'll have snuggles and some peanut butter toast tonight to celebrate! (ya.... my dogs are easy to please)
Happy Birthday Beaner! We'll have snuggles and some peanut butter toast tonight to celebrate! (ya.... my dogs are easy to please)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hiking and Camping and Reading.... Oh My.
This past weekend turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I was so bummed when Monday rolled around, but I'm excited for the opportunity to head back to the park soon.
We spent Friday night getting packed up for camping (which was interesting since Bub can't lift anything over 20lbs right now) and then on the couch catching up on some of our PVR'd shows.
Saturday we were up and out of the house by 8am. After a quick stop for gas and Timmy's we were on the road. We made really good time and were in the park by 10am. The weather was gorgeous (it was sunny and 19 degrees) and the girls were anxious to get out of the car....
...so while I went in to the information center for a park map, Bub took them on a little walk. Then we headed to Tea Lake to set up camp.
I'm not a fan of Tea Lake because it's really meant for transient campers who need a place to stay before heading into the interior via canoe or one of the backpacking trails, and therefore affords little privacy and very small sites. However, for us for one night this weekend it was fine. We didn't have much choice because only 3 campgrounds were open, the others remaining closed until the middle of May. Luckily it wasn't busy so even though that site was pretty open, we weren't on top of our neighbours. We were however right on the water, which I was of course very happy about.
We got camp set up in no time so we headed back out to start hiking. On the way, we drove right past a "lady moose" eating right at the side of the road. By the time I realized she was there, it was too late to stop anywhere safely to get some pictures, but she was definitely there and very content to watch the traffic go by.
Our first stop was Mew Lake to buy some firewood and so that I could show Bubba the waterfall and rapids my family used to visit and play in when I was a kid camping in the park. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to find them since they're not marked, but with luck I picked the right trail head and only a few minutes deep into the bush I could hear the water, so we basically walked right to it.
We had planned to eat our lunch at this spot, but there was a group of backpackers already set up there (it's at the start of a 3 day backpacking trail) and I didn't feel like sharing the space with them, so we took a few pictures, enjoyed the scenery and then headed back out to the car to hit up a few different trails.
Clearly we weren't the only ones having lunch of the bluff that day. Oh the circle of life... how cruel mother nature can be.
We also very obviously were following closely behind a herd of deer as well since every 50 or so feet, we had to step around giant piles fresh of you know what. Lovely.
Then we headed to Big Pines Trail, which is a 3km loop that takes you through an amazing old growth pine forest. The trees were seriously HUGE:
It was a really gorgeous trail.
Our last hiking stop of the day was Peck Lake Trail which is another 2km loop that takes you around the shores of- you gueses it- Peck Lake. This was probably my favorite of the day. Any trail that leads you to, or around water is always a win for me. We were lucky enough to see this guy hanging out in the lake for most of our hike:
You can't tell from the pictures, but we were actually able to get pretty close to him in a cove until he dove and came back up in the middle of the lake. It's times like these that I wish I had a decent camera rather than my simple point and shoot.
We, unfortunately, ran into another dog who was quite vocal about wanting to meet our girls (who had no interest in stopping for him) and I'm quite certain it was his loud barking that effectively ruined our chances of seeing any more wildlife on this particular trail. Regardless of that, it was a very nice walk.
We had to keep to the easy trails because Bub's back and shoulder are still bugging him and after 7kms of hiking and probably another 1 or 2kms in walks at Mew Lake and at the gate when we arrived, it was time to call it a day before he started getting sore. Jenny and Lola were done too- I can always tell because instead of sniffing and exploring, they stick right to my heels and continually look up at me as if to say "okay Mum, it was fun while it lasted, but we're done now".
We headed back to the campsite for the evening after stopping the (closed) Portage Store. I laid down a few towels and gave the girls a busy bone each, but Lola didn't even touch hers before she was fast asleep. Jenny made it about 1/2 way through her bone and then zonked our herself. There's something very satisfying about seeing a dog who is so tired from a day you know they enjoyed so much.
So, while they slept, Bub and I set up fordinner and the fire and then played a few games of cards. The day was still abosultely gorgeous and we were both comfortable in our shorts and tee-shirts.
Dinner was bacon wrapped steak medallions with potato and ceasar salad! So yummy. I, as the dummy I am, forgot to bring soap, so we rinsed our hands and dishes in lake, making clean-up a breeze. We played a final game of cards and then took the dogs on another walk around the campsite. Although this may sound crazy, it was solely for the purpose of letting the dogs strectch their legs and do their business as they had to be kept on leashes since we were so close to the (campground) road at our site- we were basically ON the road actually.
Now, those that know me know that I am a complete tea addict. I was sure to get an extra-large a Timmy's Saturday morning to get me through the day (and so I could get the extra tea bag), but by 7pm I was really craving a tea.
Unfortunately we don't have a coleman stove because it's a piece of equipment we haven't needed at the cottage. We did have a mini bbq though so I though we'd try to boil a little water on that... unfortuantely, as ready as I was for tea we had no luck getting the pot to boil on the bbq or over the fire. It was so disappointing, especially since this was right about when it started to cool down outside.
We grabbed the girls and sat on a the rock at the water for a bit watching the sun go down and as it got dark, we started putting on more clothes a layer at a time and Bub got the fire going. We parked our butts in front of it and didn't move for the rest of the evening. We busted out the treats at this point (chocolate bars and chips) and by the time those were done, I didn't even want a marshmellow!
By this point it was pretty cold, so we had to make sure that the girls were comfortable. Lola was up on my lap under the blanket and we made Jenny a puppy burrito in her fleece blanket on the ground.
Even that wasn't enough for her eventually and she got up with Bub. Eventually I cold feel the cold setting in an knew that it was time to go to bed so that the cold didn't hit my bones and last all night. The girls came with me while Bub stayed out with the fire until it died.
We made it through the night pretty toasty with a sleeping bag, a duvet and a comforter and I slept fairly well actually. Early Sunday morning we were up and out for a drive to look for Moose. Unfortunately we didn't see any and I was pretty disappointed thinking that I didn't have the opportunity to take any pics of the one moose we did see. We did see 2 wild turkeys which freaked Bub right out given his fear of birds. They don't get much bigger or uglier than that. We went back to the campsite, had quick breakfast and then packed up. It was absolutely freezing and we were anxious to get going and out of the biting wind.
On the way out, this is what we saw!!!!
...a Mama and her yearling getting a salt fix at this bog off the highway. I was happy to finally see them and have the opportunity to get some photos. I hopped out and got a few shots, but Mama wasn't overly imppressed at my being there. She was definitely keeping an eye on me. We spent a couple of minutes with them but then a van and motorcycle pulled up and Mama sent the babe into the bush, so we left.
We made it home and after unloading the car and getting the back grass cut and the yard poop scooped, we made our favorite weekend lunch and watched Bull Run (GO HEMI-CUDA!!). I had a nice bath and read my book and then migrated to the bed where I napped and read for the rest of the afternoon. It was heaven. Bub had a work thing for dinner so I made a chicken breast and ceasar salad and watched Avatar and then went to bed early.
I don't know what to say about my dogs though because they're still exhausted. They slept all the way home from the park and ALL DAY yesterday. I even had hard time getting them out of bed this morning. They're totally beat from the all the fresh air and hiking... poor babies.
The whole weekend was fantastic. No exams looming over my head, great weather, the chance to read, the chance to be outside.... it was awesome.
We spent Friday night getting packed up for camping (which was interesting since Bub can't lift anything over 20lbs right now) and then on the couch catching up on some of our PVR'd shows.
Saturday we were up and out of the house by 8am. After a quick stop for gas and Timmy's we were on the road. We made really good time and were in the park by 10am. The weather was gorgeous (it was sunny and 19 degrees) and the girls were anxious to get out of the car....
...so while I went in to the information center for a park map, Bub took them on a little walk. Then we headed to Tea Lake to set up camp.
I'm not a fan of Tea Lake because it's really meant for transient campers who need a place to stay before heading into the interior via canoe or one of the backpacking trails, and therefore affords little privacy and very small sites. However, for us for one night this weekend it was fine. We didn't have much choice because only 3 campgrounds were open, the others remaining closed until the middle of May. Luckily it wasn't busy so even though that site was pretty open, we weren't on top of our neighbours. We were however right on the water, which I was of course very happy about.
We got camp set up in no time so we headed back out to start hiking. On the way, we drove right past a "lady moose" eating right at the side of the road. By the time I realized she was there, it was too late to stop anywhere safely to get some pictures, but she was definitely there and very content to watch the traffic go by.
Our first stop was Mew Lake to buy some firewood and so that I could show Bubba the waterfall and rapids my family used to visit and play in when I was a kid camping in the park. I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to find them since they're not marked, but with luck I picked the right trail head and only a few minutes deep into the bush I could hear the water, so we basically walked right to it.
We had planned to eat our lunch at this spot, but there was a group of backpackers already set up there (it's at the start of a 3 day backpacking trail) and I didn't feel like sharing the space with them, so we took a few pictures, enjoyed the scenery and then headed back out to the car to hit up a few different trails.
Our next stop was Two Rivers Trail- a 2km loop that takes you to the top of a gorgeous bluff overlooking an absolutely fantasic (and seeminly never-ending) landscape.
This is where we decided to stop for lunch (my favorite part of hiking- eating!) While we were eating I noticed this....
Clearly we weren't the only ones having lunch of the bluff that day. Oh the circle of life... how cruel mother nature can be.
We also very obviously were following closely behind a herd of deer as well since every 50 or so feet, we had to step around giant piles fresh of you know what. Lovely.
Then we headed to Big Pines Trail, which is a 3km loop that takes you through an amazing old growth pine forest. The trees were seriously HUGE:
It was a really gorgeous trail.
Our last hiking stop of the day was Peck Lake Trail which is another 2km loop that takes you around the shores of- you gueses it- Peck Lake. This was probably my favorite of the day. Any trail that leads you to, or around water is always a win for me. We were lucky enough to see this guy hanging out in the lake for most of our hike:
You can't tell from the pictures, but we were actually able to get pretty close to him in a cove until he dove and came back up in the middle of the lake. It's times like these that I wish I had a decent camera rather than my simple point and shoot.
We, unfortunately, ran into another dog who was quite vocal about wanting to meet our girls (who had no interest in stopping for him) and I'm quite certain it was his loud barking that effectively ruined our chances of seeing any more wildlife on this particular trail. Regardless of that, it was a very nice walk.
We had to keep to the easy trails because Bub's back and shoulder are still bugging him and after 7kms of hiking and probably another 1 or 2kms in walks at Mew Lake and at the gate when we arrived, it was time to call it a day before he started getting sore. Jenny and Lola were done too- I can always tell because instead of sniffing and exploring, they stick right to my heels and continually look up at me as if to say "okay Mum, it was fun while it lasted, but we're done now".
We headed back to the campsite for the evening after stopping the (closed) Portage Store. I laid down a few towels and gave the girls a busy bone each, but Lola didn't even touch hers before she was fast asleep. Jenny made it about 1/2 way through her bone and then zonked our herself. There's something very satisfying about seeing a dog who is so tired from a day you know they enjoyed so much.
So, while they slept, Bub and I set up fordinner and the fire and then played a few games of cards. The day was still abosultely gorgeous and we were both comfortable in our shorts and tee-shirts.
Dinner was bacon wrapped steak medallions with potato and ceasar salad! So yummy. I, as the dummy I am, forgot to bring soap, so we rinsed our hands and dishes in lake, making clean-up a breeze. We played a final game of cards and then took the dogs on another walk around the campsite. Although this may sound crazy, it was solely for the purpose of letting the dogs strectch their legs and do their business as they had to be kept on leashes since we were so close to the (campground) road at our site- we were basically ON the road actually.
Now, those that know me know that I am a complete tea addict. I was sure to get an extra-large a Timmy's Saturday morning to get me through the day (and so I could get the extra tea bag), but by 7pm I was really craving a tea.
We grabbed the girls and sat on a the rock at the water for a bit watching the sun go down and as it got dark, we started putting on more clothes a layer at a time and Bub got the fire going. We parked our butts in front of it and didn't move for the rest of the evening. We busted out the treats at this point (chocolate bars and chips) and by the time those were done, I didn't even want a marshmellow!
By this point it was pretty cold, so we had to make sure that the girls were comfortable. Lola was up on my lap under the blanket and we made Jenny a puppy burrito in her fleece blanket on the ground.
Even that wasn't enough for her eventually and she got up with Bub. Eventually I cold feel the cold setting in an knew that it was time to go to bed so that the cold didn't hit my bones and last all night. The girls came with me while Bub stayed out with the fire until it died.
We made it through the night pretty toasty with a sleeping bag, a duvet and a comforter and I slept fairly well actually. Early Sunday morning we were up and out for a drive to look for Moose. Unfortunately we didn't see any and I was pretty disappointed thinking that I didn't have the opportunity to take any pics of the one moose we did see. We did see 2 wild turkeys which freaked Bub right out given his fear of birds. They don't get much bigger or uglier than that. We went back to the campsite, had quick breakfast and then packed up. It was absolutely freezing and we were anxious to get going and out of the biting wind.
On the way out, this is what we saw!!!!
...a Mama and her yearling getting a salt fix at this bog off the highway. I was happy to finally see them and have the opportunity to get some photos. I hopped out and got a few shots, but Mama wasn't overly imppressed at my being there. She was definitely keeping an eye on me. We spent a couple of minutes with them but then a van and motorcycle pulled up and Mama sent the babe into the bush, so we left.
We made it home and after unloading the car and getting the back grass cut and the yard poop scooped, we made our favorite weekend lunch and watched Bull Run (GO HEMI-CUDA!!). I had a nice bath and read my book and then migrated to the bed where I napped and read for the rest of the afternoon. It was heaven. Bub had a work thing for dinner so I made a chicken breast and ceasar salad and watched Avatar and then went to bed early.
I don't know what to say about my dogs though because they're still exhausted. They slept all the way home from the park and ALL DAY yesterday. I even had hard time getting them out of bed this morning. They're totally beat from the all the fresh air and hiking... poor babies.
The whole weekend was fantastic. No exams looming over my head, great weather, the chance to read, the chance to be outside.... it was awesome.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Baby Jenny Turns 1
Today, baby Jenny, our youngest pup, turns 1. Happy Birthday Jenny-Bear!
The day we brought her home- May 23 2009- 10 weeks old
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Awww...my baby
When we brought Baby Lola home when she was just 10 weeks old, I went camera crazy. Seriously. I had so many pics of that dog it was kinda sickening. But she was just the cutest puppy ever!!!!! Until, one day, I turned my camera on to find that the memory card had errored ("memory card requires formatting") and I had lost all of my pictures. I was heartbroken because I had yet to do a backup of any of the pics onto my PC.... which meant they were gone. All the baby pictures of my sweet, sweet Lola were lost forever.
That was in late 2005 and early 2006. Today, a friend of my Mum's contacted her to ask who I had used for my wedding invitiations. I couldn't remember the vendor name so I logged in to my (very) old email address to look through my saved files for a confirmation email from the company to pass along.
While searching through my saved messages, I found an email from December of 2005 from my Uncle titled "Baby Lola, Jake & Sydney" and another entitled "Baby Lola and the Doug-mister". Jake and Sydney are my Uncle's dogs and Dougie is my Mum's dog... so I opened it up and LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!!
My sweet girl giving sweet kisses
Baby pictures of my little Lola Bean!!!! She looks so different now, but my GOD she really was the cutest puppy in the entire world. You have no idea how happy these pictures make me. I was so sad that I didn't have any pics from that time. It's not many, but it's something.
I so love that little girl. She's my furry soul-mate.
That was in late 2005 and early 2006. Today, a friend of my Mum's contacted her to ask who I had used for my wedding invitiations. I couldn't remember the vendor name so I logged in to my (very) old email address to look through my saved files for a confirmation email from the company to pass along.
While searching through my saved messages, I found an email from December of 2005 from my Uncle titled "Baby Lola, Jake & Sydney" and another entitled "Baby Lola and the Doug-mister". Jake and Sydney are my Uncle's dogs and Dougie is my Mum's dog... so I opened it up and LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!!
Lola and her "Ma" (my Mum) on Christmas morning
Lola and Dougie on the stairs at my Mum's
Baby pictures of my little Lola Bean!!!! She looks so different now, but my GOD she really was the cutest puppy in the entire world. You have no idea how happy these pictures make me. I was so sad that I didn't have any pics from that time. It's not many, but it's something.
I so love that little girl. She's my furry soul-mate.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
I think they might like each other?
And to think we were worried that they wouldn't get along.
When Jenny and Lola got sick of competing for space on my lap, they decided to share. How freakin' cute are my girls? They are my two favorite things in the whole world.
When Jenny and Lola got sick of competing for space on my lap, they decided to share. How freakin' cute are my girls? They are my two favorite things in the whole world.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
My girls are always good for 2 things: a laugh and a mess.
I'm in the process of transitioning our dogs to a new, MUCH better food. I didn't realize that the food I was giving them was one of the lowest rated kibbles available (Pedigree Healthy Vitality). To add to that, Jenny has no interest in puppy food and only wants to eat her sisters food so I wanted to find something good for all ages. So, after a lot of research, on the way home from work last night I stopped at the pet food store and bought a little bag of the new food that I had decided on (Canidae All Life Stages- Chicken, Turkey Lamb & Fish Meal). It's all natural, meat rich and rated 5 stars (Pedigree was 1). It's a little expensive, but it's totally worth it. I don't feed myself junk, so I don't want to feed my dogs junk. Plus, apparently with high quality foods they eat less (because there's less fillers and crap so they don't need as much) and poop less (because they're using more of what they're eating) so it's really a win-win.
But, I digress.... I will not get preachy in this post. So I get home, I mix some of the new food with some of the old food to help their little belly's with the transition and put their bowls down on the kitchen floor. Now, I'm a "free-feeder" which means there is always food available to them and they just sort of "graze" (for lack of a better word) when they are hungry. So I knew the must like the new food when the both came right over and immediately started eating. I turned around and started making my own dinner. When I realized I couldn't hear Lola eating I turned around to praise her for eating a whole bowl at once (she usually just picks through the day).... and what did I find??
Lola had picked out ALL of the old kibble and eaten only the new stuff! There was Pedigree all over my kitchen floor! She was sitting beside the empty bowl with her head cocked to the side staring at me as if to say "Um Mum.... screw the old food, the new food is awesome and I'm gonna have to get you to give me some more of that". Jenny on the other hand, was sitting quietly daintily eating one kibble at a time, not making any mess.
I burst into laughter before kneeling on the floor to clean it up. My girls are always good for a laugh and a mess, pretty much regardless what they do.
So... so much for slowly transitioning Lola to the new food. Apparently the taste of it has ruined her pallet for anything less. I'm happy that she likes it though and I would rather that then to have a problem switching.
But, I digress.... I will not get preachy in this post. So I get home, I mix some of the new food with some of the old food to help their little belly's with the transition and put their bowls down on the kitchen floor. Now, I'm a "free-feeder" which means there is always food available to them and they just sort of "graze" (for lack of a better word) when they are hungry. So I knew the must like the new food when the both came right over and immediately started eating. I turned around and started making my own dinner. When I realized I couldn't hear Lola eating I turned around to praise her for eating a whole bowl at once (she usually just picks through the day).... and what did I find??
Lola had picked out ALL of the old kibble and eaten only the new stuff! There was Pedigree all over my kitchen floor! She was sitting beside the empty bowl with her head cocked to the side staring at me as if to say "Um Mum.... screw the old food, the new food is awesome and I'm gonna have to get you to give me some more of that". Jenny on the other hand, was sitting quietly daintily eating one kibble at a time, not making any mess.
I burst into laughter before kneeling on the floor to clean it up. My girls are always good for a laugh and a mess, pretty much regardless what they do.
So... so much for slowly transitioning Lola to the new food. Apparently the taste of it has ruined her pallet for anything less. I'm happy that she likes it though and I would rather that then to have a problem switching.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
I spoke too soon....
after my post yesterday about how well everything was going with Jenny and how few accidents we have? Well she pee'd in the house twice last night and even once this morning. All three times were within 10 minutes at the most of coming inside. I think it's the rain.... she doesn't like to pee outside when it's raining.
We're working on it.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Me, Myself and I... oh, and Jenny too.
*Originally posted on Friday June 5 2009*
I have the house to myself this weekend and I’m pumped about it. Bub and I were supposed to go to the cottage together for the first time this season, but I decided that I would rather stay home for now. I want to get a couple more weeks of Jenny training in before we take her up, otherwise it will be no fun chasing her around the whole time. So H and Lola are going up with my IL’s and Jenny and I are staying home.
My plan is to try to get some good training time in with Jenny, without Lola distracting her. I want to get my back garden weeded (it’s totally overgrown from the last owners), get my house clean and then READ. I’ve been totally distracted from my books lately, especially since we got Jenny, and I need to make a dent in this ever growing TBR pile. I’ve heard raves about my current book but I have only read about 80 pages in a week so I can’t have an opinion yet. Hopefully I can finish it up tonight.
Okay… now for the part that was kinda weird. When I texted DH this morning and said “I’m not going to come up to the cottage, but go if you want and take Lola with you” he just said “cool”. He didn’t even ask me why I wasn’t going. Now… this was not one of those situations where I wanted him to convince me to come. He wouldn’t do that because he knows that when I have my mind set, there’s nothing he can do (and I don’t play games like that), but it was just strange that he accepted it immediately and didn’t even say “why” or “are you feeling ok” or whatever. He just said “cool”. It’s very strange of him not to be concerned or at least curious.
Oh well… I’m looking forward to my weekend alone. Hopefully Jenny goes easy on me and I’m not cleaning up lots of messes. I do know one thing though, I’m stopping for a bottle- oh- wine on my way home!
I have the house to myself this weekend and I’m pumped about it. Bub and I were supposed to go to the cottage together for the first time this season, but I decided that I would rather stay home for now. I want to get a couple more weeks of Jenny training in before we take her up, otherwise it will be no fun chasing her around the whole time. So H and Lola are going up with my IL’s and Jenny and I are staying home.
My plan is to try to get some good training time in with Jenny, without Lola distracting her. I want to get my back garden weeded (it’s totally overgrown from the last owners), get my house clean and then READ. I’ve been totally distracted from my books lately, especially since we got Jenny, and I need to make a dent in this ever growing TBR pile. I’ve heard raves about my current book but I have only read about 80 pages in a week so I can’t have an opinion yet. Hopefully I can finish it up tonight.
Okay… now for the part that was kinda weird. When I texted DH this morning and said “I’m not going to come up to the cottage, but go if you want and take Lola with you” he just said “cool”. He didn’t even ask me why I wasn’t going. Now… this was not one of those situations where I wanted him to convince me to come. He wouldn’t do that because he knows that when I have my mind set, there’s nothing he can do (and I don’t play games like that), but it was just strange that he accepted it immediately and didn’t even say “why” or “are you feeling ok” or whatever. He just said “cool”. It’s very strange of him not to be concerned or at least curious.
Oh well… I’m looking forward to my weekend alone. Hopefully Jenny goes easy on me and I’m not cleaning up lots of messes. I do know one thing though, I’m stopping for a bottle- oh- wine on my way home!
Monday, June 1, 2009
One new puppy + one very sick puppy = very tiring weekend
Well, my puppy post-partum has passed for the most part. I’m definitely bonding with Jenny, but I’m having waves of “why did we do this to ourselves”. The one thing I keep telling myself is that she won’t be this much work forever. Once we get over the hump of house-training, then we’ll be golden. This is a challenge and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. LOL. Jenny and Lola have been getting along SO great which is a big relief for me! They play all the time, and they play hard. Lola is gentle with the baby, but still knocks her around quite a bit. It’s hilarious to watch.
We took Jenny for a couple of walks with Lola and for the most part, she’s doing very well on her leash. It’s so funny to see this little peanut walking at the end of the great long leash. She was all tuckered out by the time we got home from the park on Friday.
Friday night I got up to take Jenny outside at about 4 am and when I came down through the living room, I realized that Lola was lying on the couch. This is not like her because she’s usually between us in the bed. I took Jenny out and when I came back in I saw not one, not two, but FIVE piles of doggy vomit on the floor in the living room. I took Jenny upstairs, woke Bub up and asked him to clean the poop out of her crate (which was the first time she’s had an accident in the crate- great, two dogs and two messes at the same time) and told him that I was cleaning up after Lola downstairs. I took Lola outside; made sure she got a drink of water and brought her back to bed with us. In the morning when I came down there was more vomit on the floor. This progressed with Lola all morning until she threw up a total of 11 times. She was throwing up all morning and then heaving when there was nothing left to come up. She was completely lethargic, not drinking or eating or even lifting her head when you came in the room. I put her up on our bed in the pillows (her favorite spot) and she didn’t move for hours. She wouldn’t even take wet food (which is like GOURMET to her and she normally goes nuts for it) or even the “people food” I was trying to give her out of desperation. I put a towel and some water on my bedside table to that she wouldn’t have to get down to drink and she didn’t touch it. I was stressed right out so I called the vet and made an appointment. My little girl is normally so loving and happy… and it was so sad to see her so sick, not even lifting her head to say hello when you walked in.
We went to the vet (I had to carry her in and hold her on my lap in the waiting room) and got her checked. She was so sick she didn’t even flinch the whole time the male vet examined her. This is big because she’s terrified of strange males. She had a high fever and elevated heart rate, but her color was good, nothing weird on her breath and no tenderness in her tummy so we just decided it was a strange stomach bug. He gave her a shot of antibiotics, gave her puppy pepto (he had to shoot it into her mouth with a syringe) with antibiotic to calm her tummy so she could eat and drink and gave me a prescription for her for the next 5 days. $120 we were on our way home (YIKES!). The vet gave me instructions to get something in her tummy, no matter what it was. “Whatever she’ll eat, baby food, wet food, bread with peanut butter… just get something in her stomach”. She still wouldn’t eat when we got home, and went right back to bed, but at about 8 o’clock she quietly appeared in the kitchen. I immediately gave her some wet food and she had a few bites. By the time she went to bed, she had eaten most of a package of wet food, had a couple of drinks and gone outside. Bubba slept on the couch when he got home so that Lola could sleep comfortably beside me in bed. Sunday was better, she’s not 100% but she’s up walking around and eating a little more. We have to trick her to take her pill, but she’s doing it, so hopefully she’s over the worst.
I was so worried about my little girl. It was difficult to care for the new puppy when all I wanted to do was cuddle with Lola, but we all made it through the weekend and hopefully it gets better from here.
We took Jenny for a couple of walks with Lola and for the most part, she’s doing very well on her leash. It’s so funny to see this little peanut walking at the end of the great long leash. She was all tuckered out by the time we got home from the park on Friday.
Friday night I got up to take Jenny outside at about 4 am and when I came down through the living room, I realized that Lola was lying on the couch. This is not like her because she’s usually between us in the bed. I took Jenny out and when I came back in I saw not one, not two, but FIVE piles of doggy vomit on the floor in the living room. I took Jenny upstairs, woke Bub up and asked him to clean the poop out of her crate (which was the first time she’s had an accident in the crate- great, two dogs and two messes at the same time) and told him that I was cleaning up after Lola downstairs. I took Lola outside; made sure she got a drink of water and brought her back to bed with us. In the morning when I came down there was more vomit on the floor. This progressed with Lola all morning until she threw up a total of 11 times. She was throwing up all morning and then heaving when there was nothing left to come up. She was completely lethargic, not drinking or eating or even lifting her head when you came in the room. I put her up on our bed in the pillows (her favorite spot) and she didn’t move for hours. She wouldn’t even take wet food (which is like GOURMET to her and she normally goes nuts for it) or even the “people food” I was trying to give her out of desperation. I put a towel and some water on my bedside table to that she wouldn’t have to get down to drink and she didn’t touch it. I was stressed right out so I called the vet and made an appointment. My little girl is normally so loving and happy… and it was so sad to see her so sick, not even lifting her head to say hello when you walked in.
We went to the vet (I had to carry her in and hold her on my lap in the waiting room) and got her checked. She was so sick she didn’t even flinch the whole time the male vet examined her. This is big because she’s terrified of strange males. She had a high fever and elevated heart rate, but her color was good, nothing weird on her breath and no tenderness in her tummy so we just decided it was a strange stomach bug. He gave her a shot of antibiotics, gave her puppy pepto (he had to shoot it into her mouth with a syringe) with antibiotic to calm her tummy so she could eat and drink and gave me a prescription for her for the next 5 days. $120 we were on our way home (YIKES!). The vet gave me instructions to get something in her tummy, no matter what it was. “Whatever she’ll eat, baby food, wet food, bread with peanut butter… just get something in her stomach”. She still wouldn’t eat when we got home, and went right back to bed, but at about 8 o’clock she quietly appeared in the kitchen. I immediately gave her some wet food and she had a few bites. By the time she went to bed, she had eaten most of a package of wet food, had a couple of drinks and gone outside. Bubba slept on the couch when he got home so that Lola could sleep comfortably beside me in bed. Sunday was better, she’s not 100% but she’s up walking around and eating a little more. We have to trick her to take her pill, but she’s doing it, so hopefully she’s over the worst.
I was so worried about my little girl. It was difficult to care for the new puppy when all I wanted to do was cuddle with Lola, but we all made it through the weekend and hopefully it gets better from here.
Jenny- the day we brought her home (just shy of 10 weeks)
Lola- when she was about 2 years old.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Puppy Post-Partum
We got a new puppy this weekend. She’s a 10 week old Puggle (Beagle/Pug) American Bulldog cross. We’ve named her Jenny.
We’ve always said that as soon as we got a house, we’d get a second dog. So basically, we’ve been talking about it for almost 3 years and therefore this was by no means a spur of the moment decision. We moved into our home last September, but it took us this long to decide if we wanted another puppy or a rescue from the local shelter. We found a rescue last week, a 5 year old Husky-Sheppard X who was gorgeous and such a sweet lady. However, when I took H to see her on Saturday morning she was already adopted. Disappointed (because I was convinced we were going to get a dog that day) we went out to a place we’ve been watching for puppies, and sure enough, there’s Jenny. She is this teeny little black and white thing with the most adorable eyes and face and we decided that she was perfect. She will be about the same size as Lola (our current dog who is our BABY).
Things have been going just as expected. Sleepless nights, lots of crying, a couple of accidents in the house, lots of standing outside waiting for her to do her business. She’s getting along with Lola pretty well at this point which is good because I was really worried that Lola would feel put-out, which is the last thing I want because she is my heart-dog . Literally, this dog (Lola) is my soul-mate and best buddy. She’s with me or H whatever we do, wherever we go. She sleeps between us in the bed, sits between us on the couch, stands between us (as navigator) in the car, snuggles like you wouldn’t believe (it’s like she can’t get close enough) and is like our first child. Lola is fairly indifferent to Jenny, a couple of little moments of jealousy, mostly curious and doing ok. We’re going WAY overboard on the Lola attention to compensate so this probably helps. Jenny isn’t really interested in Lola yet.
However, and here’s where it gets weird, I’m having regrets about getting Jenny (and found out this morning that H is too). I can’t seem to bond with her. She’s absolutely adorable and very sweet, but it’s just not happening. This is very strange because I am a HUGE animal person, especially when it comes to dogs and I usually bond very quickly, but it’s just not happening. I’m taking care of her of course, and giving her attention and love, but I am so worried about Lola and her feelings that I can’t seem to see Jenny as our dog and a permanent fixture in the house. I keep telling Lola that she’s our baby and that Jenny is just our dog. It’s like having puppy post-partum. I ended up in tears in the living room yesterday thinking about how everything will change for Lola and for us and it made me so sad. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go back in time and NOT buy Jenny. I can’t understand it; I should have been prepared for this. I’ve had lots of puppies before, this one is no different, so what’s my/our problem? And the bigger question is, what do I do about it?
It’s the little things that are bugging me. Like, Lola was my dog before H and I got married. She lived with me at home and therefore is partially my Mum’s dog (at heart) as well. So it works out perfect because if we ever have to go anywhere over night or if we’re having a lot of people over to the house, Lola goes for a visit with her “Ma” and loves it (so does my Mum who LOVES Lola). I don’t have to think about it, she just goes. This won’t happen with both of them because my Mum has her own dog and runs a business out of her home so 3 dogs would be too much. Or when we go to the cottage on weekends in the summer; my IL’s don’t like dogs, but have learned to tolerate and then eventually love Lola, but now I don’t think they’ll be cool with both dogs coming up. So that means what? We don’t go to the cottage?
The strange thing is, I thought about all of this before… but it didn’t bother me until now. It just seems like a huge chunk of our freedom (and Lola’s) has been taken away. I was aware that it would happen, puppies are a huge commitment/ responsibility, but now that’s its happening, I’m regretting it. I feel horrible… like I’ve made a stupid decision and it’s not Jenny’s fault, and I don’t know what to do.
I feel awful about the whole thing. Awful for Lola, for us and for Jenny. I guess we’ll wait it out and see what happens. Maybe we just need to give it some time?
I'd post a pic, but it doesn't seem appropriate to have that cute little face with this kind of post... so I'll post one if/when the post is happier.
We’ve always said that as soon as we got a house, we’d get a second dog. So basically, we’ve been talking about it for almost 3 years and therefore this was by no means a spur of the moment decision. We moved into our home last September, but it took us this long to decide if we wanted another puppy or a rescue from the local shelter. We found a rescue last week, a 5 year old Husky-Sheppard X who was gorgeous and such a sweet lady. However, when I took H to see her on Saturday morning she was already adopted. Disappointed (because I was convinced we were going to get a dog that day) we went out to a place we’ve been watching for puppies, and sure enough, there’s Jenny. She is this teeny little black and white thing with the most adorable eyes and face and we decided that she was perfect. She will be about the same size as Lola (our current dog who is our BABY).
Things have been going just as expected. Sleepless nights, lots of crying, a couple of accidents in the house, lots of standing outside waiting for her to do her business. She’s getting along with Lola pretty well at this point which is good because I was really worried that Lola would feel put-out, which is the last thing I want because she is my heart-dog . Literally, this dog (Lola) is my soul-mate and best buddy. She’s with me or H whatever we do, wherever we go. She sleeps between us in the bed, sits between us on the couch, stands between us (as navigator) in the car, snuggles like you wouldn’t believe (it’s like she can’t get close enough) and is like our first child. Lola is fairly indifferent to Jenny, a couple of little moments of jealousy, mostly curious and doing ok. We’re going WAY overboard on the Lola attention to compensate so this probably helps. Jenny isn’t really interested in Lola yet.
However, and here’s where it gets weird, I’m having regrets about getting Jenny (and found out this morning that H is too). I can’t seem to bond with her. She’s absolutely adorable and very sweet, but it’s just not happening. This is very strange because I am a HUGE animal person, especially when it comes to dogs and I usually bond very quickly, but it’s just not happening. I’m taking care of her of course, and giving her attention and love, but I am so worried about Lola and her feelings that I can’t seem to see Jenny as our dog and a permanent fixture in the house. I keep telling Lola that she’s our baby and that Jenny is just our dog. It’s like having puppy post-partum. I ended up in tears in the living room yesterday thinking about how everything will change for Lola and for us and it made me so sad. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go back in time and NOT buy Jenny. I can’t understand it; I should have been prepared for this. I’ve had lots of puppies before, this one is no different, so what’s my/our problem? And the bigger question is, what do I do about it?
It’s the little things that are bugging me. Like, Lola was my dog before H and I got married. She lived with me at home and therefore is partially my Mum’s dog (at heart) as well. So it works out perfect because if we ever have to go anywhere over night or if we’re having a lot of people over to the house, Lola goes for a visit with her “Ma” and loves it (so does my Mum who LOVES Lola). I don’t have to think about it, she just goes. This won’t happen with both of them because my Mum has her own dog and runs a business out of her home so 3 dogs would be too much. Or when we go to the cottage on weekends in the summer; my IL’s don’t like dogs, but have learned to tolerate and then eventually love Lola, but now I don’t think they’ll be cool with both dogs coming up. So that means what? We don’t go to the cottage?
The strange thing is, I thought about all of this before… but it didn’t bother me until now. It just seems like a huge chunk of our freedom (and Lola’s) has been taken away. I was aware that it would happen, puppies are a huge commitment/ responsibility, but now that’s its happening, I’m regretting it. I feel horrible… like I’ve made a stupid decision and it’s not Jenny’s fault, and I don’t know what to do.
I feel awful about the whole thing. Awful for Lola, for us and for Jenny. I guess we’ll wait it out and see what happens. Maybe we just need to give it some time?
I'd post a pic, but it doesn't seem appropriate to have that cute little face with this kind of post... so I'll post one if/when the post is happier.
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