Momma was Especially Happy today because I have learned to Sit Savannah Sit! when she tells me to do that. I have been given Extra Treats for Three Days but only when I Sit Savannah Sit! Momma didn't understand that when she wanted me to Sit! on the Cold Tile Floor she needed to give me time to walk to The Carpet so I could Sit Savannah Sit! on a Warm And Soft Floor. It took me almost a Whole Day to get Momma to understand that I really did want to Sit! and get that Treat but I didn't want to Sit! where it was Cold.
When Momma finally Learned That Trick she Laughed and told me that I was Just Like Gracie because That Dog never wanted to Sit! on the Cold Kitchen Floor either. Well Gracie must have been a Smart Dog just like Savannah. Momma points her Finger to the Floor when she wants me to Sit! and sometimes I Sit! as soon as she lifts up that Finger and she doesn't even get a chance to say Sit Savannah Sit! I think she likes it Better that way because I get Two Treats for that. Last night I did Sit Savannah Sit! as soon as Momma took the Lid off The Treat Jar and she said Oh My Savannah What A Smart Girl You Are! What Did I Do Without You! and she gave me Four Treats.
Last night in the TV Room I sat next to my Daddy Person and let him pet me for a long time and he told me that I was a Good Girl Savannah Good Girl. When Momma walked into the TV Room my Daddy Person pointed to me and whispered Look At This! to my Momma Person. They were both Happy and Smiling and my Daddy Person said that maybe I was going to be Just Like Gracie After All.
I learned that Peanuts can get you In Trouble when you try to Dig One Out from Between The Cushions of The Sofa. I kept trying and trying to get that Peanut and Momma was telling me No! No! Savannah No! and kept giving me Toys to play with instead. I took the Toys from her but just put them on The Floor and kept trying to Get That Peanut. Finally my Momma Person took The Cushions off The Sofa and saw that there really was A Peanut under there. She said it must have fallen there during the last Baseball Game when the Daddy Person was Eating Peanuts so The Astros could Win A Game For Goodness Sakes. Momma took the Peanut but she threw it out because it was No Good For Savannah and I got a Treat instead but first I had to Sit Savannah Sit! for it. If she had just let me eat that Peanut I probably wouldn't have had to Sit Savannah Sit!
Momma's Tea Ladies will be here This Afternoon and I have to Behave Myself and Be Very Good. I have to Remember the Rules from Last Week. No Throwing my Blue Monkey in the air because he may end up Floating In A Teacup. No Running on the Kitchen Floor because that Makes Me Slide from One End Of The Room To The Other And One Of These Days I'm Going To Break My Puppy Leg. I can go into the Dining Room to say Hello to The Tea Ladies but I am Not Allowed to go into the Living Room by myself.
This morning I Barked At The Daddy Person when he was leaving for Work. I don't know why I did that because I saw him Early This Morning when he Made Coffee and I know He Lives Here and He Was Here First. But Momma was in the Breakfast Room and all of a sudden I heard Noise Coming Down The Stairs and then I heard Noise In The Kitchen. So I barked Really Really Loud. The Daddy Person was Not Smiling even after I stopped Barking when I saw it was him and not a Stranger.
Momma told me that I Am Breaking my Daddy's Heart Into Pieces again especially after I Was So Nice To Him last night. But then Momma gave me a Hug for thinking I was Protecting Her and she said that we all have to Remember That I Am Still A Puppy and I Will Make Mistakes. Then Momma went out to the driveway with the Daddy Person and she was Helping Him Pick Up The Pieces before he got into The Car so he could go to Work and Earn Money to Buy Everything Else Under The Sun for a Puppy who didn't know who Not to Bark at.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Puppy At Play
As I type this, Savannah is running back and forth from the breakfast room to the TV room. She has taken all of her toys out of her new toy box (a gift from JAS's daughter) and she has put them up on the sofa in the exact spot where my husband usually sits. Unfortunately, he isn't home to see Savannah's gifts to him.
My husband and Savannah are still at arm's length. Or I guess I should say that Savannah is keeping him at paw's length. He, along with another male neighbor, has gotten the cold shoulder (cold paw?) from Savannah since her arrival here. Try as we might, and we do keep trying, Savannah rarely walks over to my husband on her own, and when he approaches her, she turns around and walks the other way and sits down, making him walk up to her for petting. I know how frustrating that must be, and I told my husband that the treatment he is now getting from Savannah is the same that I had received from our old dog Gracie so many years ago.
It was hard for me to accept Gracie's behavior when she was a puppy, especially when I was the one who was carrying home the dog food, feeding her, brushing her, walking her most of the time, and being the 'bad guy' and taking her to the vet's office for check-ups. So I can emphasize with my husband regarding Savannah's slow acceptance of him.
Right this very minute, Savannah is sitting on the couch. I didn't see her jump up there, but I did hear her tag jingling as she jumped... she landed right on top of one of her squeaky-toys, all of which she has piled up on my husband's side of that sofa. She is laying down amidst all of those toys, and I wish my husband were here to see her. What I don't know is this.... has Savannah given those gifts to my husband by placing them in his seat, or is she silently telling him that she has taken his favorite place on the sofa? Heaven only knows what this puppy is thinking.
Regarding the thought processes of puppies and dogs, I bought a book called "What Is My Dog Thinking?" by Gwen Bailey. The sub-title is "The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior." I've read other dog books over the years and I thought maybe this one would give us a clue as to Savannah's reluctance to bond with my husband. We've also searched the Internet for suggestions and my husband found an article that said he needs to sit down in her space rather than having me practically drag her over to him for petting.
When our friend Gloria (dog lover extraordinaire) came over here on the first day to meet Savannah, she sat right down on the floor and waited for Savannah to go near her, which didn't happen. So Gloria just sat there talking and talking and talking to both me and Savannah, thinking that the puppy would get to recognize her voice and learn that she was not a threat. Gloria repeated that process on three separate days, each time bringing a puppy toy and sitting down on the kitchen floor and just talking and talking to Savannah. That process worked for Gloria, and I'm hoping it also works for my husband. I love that Savannah has bonded with me so quickly but I don't want her to be a one-person dog even if that one person is me.
Because of Savannah's size, she is already nearly as tall and as long as our Gracie was as an adult dog. I keep reminding myself that Savannah is still a puppy, she's not even six months old yet. For such a young puppy, and having been here just a bit over two weeks, she is incredibly well-behaved and hasn't even had one 'accident' in the house. She goes into her crate when I tell her to, she is gentle with the cats, and she has learned to Sit! on command (at my command... I don't know if that will apply when my husband tells her to Sit! but I sincerely hope so).
When we adopted Gracie in 1996, she was an 8-week-old puppy who bonded immediately with my husband and tolerated me when he was not at home. Every ounce of adoration that Gracie carried in her body was saved for my husband, but she did follow me around the house when he was at work. Gracie didn't like to eat alone in the kitchen, so I would stand at the counter doing something, anything, so she would have company while she ate.
When we lived in Clear Lake, our kitchen was small and Gracie would lie down in the middle of that floor and I'd have to walk around her as I got dinner ready. After moving up here to the Hill Country, to a larger house with a much bigger kitchen, Gracie would still sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor and I'd have to walk around her to get a meal prepared. I distinctly remember one day during the year that would be Gracie's last with us, and she was in my way constantly in this kitchen. I looked at her and said "Gracie! For goodness sake! We have 23 acres here and you are still always right under my feet!" What I got in return was the saddest look I'd ever seen on that dog..... and I immediately regretted my words and I apologized to her. Sounds silly now, but that's what happened. And I don't regret the apology... sometimes apologizing to your pets is just something you have to do, as long as you're sincere about it. (Pets never lie about love, and they can spot a fake from a mile away.) After Gracie's passing, I often thought of that particular afternoon and knew that I would have given just about anything to have her laying down, right smack in my way, in the middle of that kitchen floor.
And now we have Savannah, who has started to follow me from the kitchen to the breakfast room, from the breakfast room to the TV room, and back again to the kitchen. She also seems to not want to eat alone if her food bowl is in the kitchen and I'm in another room. And, just like Gracie, when I'm doing something in the kitchen, Savannah is right there smack in the middle of that kitchen floor and I'm having to either step over or around her. And I'm doing just that, with a smile on my face and the memory of Gracie in my heart.
My husband and Savannah are still at arm's length. Or I guess I should say that Savannah is keeping him at paw's length. He, along with another male neighbor, has gotten the cold shoulder (cold paw?) from Savannah since her arrival here. Try as we might, and we do keep trying, Savannah rarely walks over to my husband on her own, and when he approaches her, she turns around and walks the other way and sits down, making him walk up to her for petting. I know how frustrating that must be, and I told my husband that the treatment he is now getting from Savannah is the same that I had received from our old dog Gracie so many years ago.
It was hard for me to accept Gracie's behavior when she was a puppy, especially when I was the one who was carrying home the dog food, feeding her, brushing her, walking her most of the time, and being the 'bad guy' and taking her to the vet's office for check-ups. So I can emphasize with my husband regarding Savannah's slow acceptance of him.
Right this very minute, Savannah is sitting on the couch. I didn't see her jump up there, but I did hear her tag jingling as she jumped... she landed right on top of one of her squeaky-toys, all of which she has piled up on my husband's side of that sofa. She is laying down amidst all of those toys, and I wish my husband were here to see her. What I don't know is this.... has Savannah given those gifts to my husband by placing them in his seat, or is she silently telling him that she has taken his favorite place on the sofa? Heaven only knows what this puppy is thinking.
Regarding the thought processes of puppies and dogs, I bought a book called "What Is My Dog Thinking?" by Gwen Bailey. The sub-title is "The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior." I've read other dog books over the years and I thought maybe this one would give us a clue as to Savannah's reluctance to bond with my husband. We've also searched the Internet for suggestions and my husband found an article that said he needs to sit down in her space rather than having me practically drag her over to him for petting.
When our friend Gloria (dog lover extraordinaire) came over here on the first day to meet Savannah, she sat right down on the floor and waited for Savannah to go near her, which didn't happen. So Gloria just sat there talking and talking and talking to both me and Savannah, thinking that the puppy would get to recognize her voice and learn that she was not a threat. Gloria repeated that process on three separate days, each time bringing a puppy toy and sitting down on the kitchen floor and just talking and talking to Savannah. That process worked for Gloria, and I'm hoping it also works for my husband. I love that Savannah has bonded with me so quickly but I don't want her to be a one-person dog even if that one person is me.
Because of Savannah's size, she is already nearly as tall and as long as our Gracie was as an adult dog. I keep reminding myself that Savannah is still a puppy, she's not even six months old yet. For such a young puppy, and having been here just a bit over two weeks, she is incredibly well-behaved and hasn't even had one 'accident' in the house. She goes into her crate when I tell her to, she is gentle with the cats, and she has learned to Sit! on command (at my command... I don't know if that will apply when my husband tells her to Sit! but I sincerely hope so).
When we adopted Gracie in 1996, she was an 8-week-old puppy who bonded immediately with my husband and tolerated me when he was not at home. Every ounce of adoration that Gracie carried in her body was saved for my husband, but she did follow me around the house when he was at work. Gracie didn't like to eat alone in the kitchen, so I would stand at the counter doing something, anything, so she would have company while she ate.
When we lived in Clear Lake, our kitchen was small and Gracie would lie down in the middle of that floor and I'd have to walk around her as I got dinner ready. After moving up here to the Hill Country, to a larger house with a much bigger kitchen, Gracie would still sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor and I'd have to walk around her to get a meal prepared. I distinctly remember one day during the year that would be Gracie's last with us, and she was in my way constantly in this kitchen. I looked at her and said "Gracie! For goodness sake! We have 23 acres here and you are still always right under my feet!" What I got in return was the saddest look I'd ever seen on that dog..... and I immediately regretted my words and I apologized to her. Sounds silly now, but that's what happened. And I don't regret the apology... sometimes apologizing to your pets is just something you have to do, as long as you're sincere about it. (Pets never lie about love, and they can spot a fake from a mile away.) After Gracie's passing, I often thought of that particular afternoon and knew that I would have given just about anything to have her laying down, right smack in my way, in the middle of that kitchen floor.
And now we have Savannah, who has started to follow me from the kitchen to the breakfast room, from the breakfast room to the TV room, and back again to the kitchen. She also seems to not want to eat alone if her food bowl is in the kitchen and I'm in another room. And, just like Gracie, when I'm doing something in the kitchen, Savannah is right there smack in the middle of that kitchen floor and I'm having to either step over or around her. And I'm doing just that, with a smile on my face and the memory of Gracie in my heart.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Momma's friends were here yesterday and gave me a Dog Bed and Toys In A Toy Box and two bags of Treats. Now I have Two Beds and I'm wondering if my New People have found my Brother. Momma says that I have to Remember That I Am Savannah and maybe that means that I get to pick my Favorite Bed and Toys and Treats and let my Brother have my Second Favorites. I don't know if I want my Brother here now because it's been Very Nice to be The Only Puppy for a change. I really hope my New People didn't find my Brother. I hope I get to keep All of my Toys and Beds and Treats all for myself because I think I've stopped looking for my Brother.
The Striped Cat Sweet Pea isn't afraid of me anymore and Momma says that's because he Trusts Me Not To Hurt Him. For two days now Sweet Pea has been walking around The Kitchen and The Breakfast Room as if he Owns them instead of staying in The TV Room like he did when I first got here. Momma said if I continue to Be Nice To That Cat then Sweet Pea will continue to Trust me.
Now that I'm Very Good with Sweet Pea Momma will leave The Door to the TV Room open all day and I can walk In And Out of that Room anytime I want. Sweet Pea has a Little Table near the Screen Door in there and he Sits and Sits and Looks Out of that Screen and can feel Fresh Air on his Whiskers. I put my head on the Little Table this morning and sat there looking Out with Sweet Pea and the Fresh Air felt Nice and Momma walked by and said we were both Too Cute For Words and she was Happy that We Were Playing Nice.
Momma also said that if I would just Learn To Trust My Daddy Person then I will Learn that he is Just As Nice To Me as Momma is. Momma said to the Daddy Person that This Puppy Probably Never Had A Man In Her Life Before so he has to Be Patient with me and Feed me Treats and Give Me Time To Adjust. I have no idea what that means because I never saw a Daddy Person before and I don't know how much Time a Puppy needs to Adjust. Momma said I am Breaking My Daddy Person's Heart because his Old Dog Gracie used to Love Him To Pieces and I am not giving him A Chance. I do take the Treats from this Daddy Person and I'm being Careful not to Step on the Pieces of His Broken Heart because I am not his Old Dog Gracie.
Momma has been reading a Book that says WHAT IS MY DOG THINKING? on the cover. Since I've been here I've learned that Momma's Books are Not To Be Touched And Don't Even Think About Touching Anything That Even Looks Like A Book. That's probably why I have so many Toys and Two Beds. Maybe Momma thinks that if I have a lot of Toys I won't play with her Books. Maybe Momma should go to The Store and get me a Book that says WHAT ARE MY PEOPLE THINKING?
The Striped Cat Sweet Pea isn't afraid of me anymore and Momma says that's because he Trusts Me Not To Hurt Him. For two days now Sweet Pea has been walking around The Kitchen and The Breakfast Room as if he Owns them instead of staying in The TV Room like he did when I first got here. Momma said if I continue to Be Nice To That Cat then Sweet Pea will continue to Trust me.
Now that I'm Very Good with Sweet Pea Momma will leave The Door to the TV Room open all day and I can walk In And Out of that Room anytime I want. Sweet Pea has a Little Table near the Screen Door in there and he Sits and Sits and Looks Out of that Screen and can feel Fresh Air on his Whiskers. I put my head on the Little Table this morning and sat there looking Out with Sweet Pea and the Fresh Air felt Nice and Momma walked by and said we were both Too Cute For Words and she was Happy that We Were Playing Nice.
Momma also said that if I would just Learn To Trust My Daddy Person then I will Learn that he is Just As Nice To Me as Momma is. Momma said to the Daddy Person that This Puppy Probably Never Had A Man In Her Life Before so he has to Be Patient with me and Feed me Treats and Give Me Time To Adjust. I have no idea what that means because I never saw a Daddy Person before and I don't know how much Time a Puppy needs to Adjust. Momma said I am Breaking My Daddy Person's Heart because his Old Dog Gracie used to Love Him To Pieces and I am not giving him A Chance. I do take the Treats from this Daddy Person and I'm being Careful not to Step on the Pieces of His Broken Heart because I am not his Old Dog Gracie.
Momma has been reading a Book that says WHAT IS MY DOG THINKING? on the cover. Since I've been here I've learned that Momma's Books are Not To Be Touched And Don't Even Think About Touching Anything That Even Looks Like A Book. That's probably why I have so many Toys and Two Beds. Maybe Momma thinks that if I have a lot of Toys I won't play with her Books. Maybe Momma should go to The Store and get me a Book that says WHAT ARE MY PEOPLE THINKING?
Day 16
Savannah had visitors yesterday afternoon... JAS (from up the road) and her daughter, along with their two dogs, Bella and Fritz. They were bearing gifts for Savannah... Fritz's pillow-bed and a basket of his old puppy toys, and packages of puppy treats.
Bella is a tiny Chihuahua and has been the Doggie Diva around here since JAS adopted her a couple of years ago. I think that little dog has a larger wardrobe than most country dogs, and she wears everything well and looks impossibly cute because of her petite size. Fritz is an American Eskimo breed, white and fluffy and regal.... and he will soon be moving to Germany with JAS's daughter and new husband. Being that J's daughter L can't possibly pack everything for the move across the Atlantic, she has been generously gifting out Fritz's overstock of doggie supplies.
I think Savannah was more pleased with the visit from Bella and Fritz than she was with the toy basket and the pillow-bed. Thankfully, all three of these dogs have gotten along quite well, except for the tiniest of a 'Woof!' from Bella, which lets everyone know that she was here first and is the Queen of the Doggie Divas. Little Bella is so much a Queen that she has come to our Waldorf Wednesday tea parties from time to time, always in a different outfit to fit the occasion or the weather. Bella also has her own Facebook page, to chronicle her fashion choices and her activities. I have not mentioned Facebook to Savannah... it's more than enough keeping up with her Blog.
Sweet Pea has relinquished his King Of The House title, in favor of sharing his home with Savannah. Thankfully, both 'old cat' and 'new puppy' have come to terms with one another. Savannah wants to play with the cat, but Sweet Pea has made it clear that he's not here to play, he's just here to be a cat and that's that.
Since the day we found Sweet Pea in our barn, he's been a sweet and loving cat, not just to us but to everyone he has come to know. Sweet Pea is like a Romeo-cat... he cuddles up in my arms and puts his head under my chin and he hugs my neck and shoulders with his front paws. He will sit on my husband's lap during baseball and football games, perfectly content to just sit there and be held like the King he is. In exchange for the lap-time, Sweet Pea gives out pleasant purrs filled with contentment. I am thrilled that the 'puppy invasion' hasn't changed Sweet Pea's personality.
Sweet Pea's kingdom is mainly the TV room and the attached bathroom. Our TV room was actually a second master bedroom in this house, so that room and bath are both quite big. I've used that room for the cats ever since we moved into this house... it has lots of windows for them to look out of and it's more than comfortable. It's really a cat-room that happens to have our TV in it, with comfy furniture for us, as well as cat-sized chairs and pillows for the cats. Plus, when we have company or I just need to keep the cat (or cats) contained, it's very easy to just close the door and know they're safe.
None of the cats have had free run of this entire house.... which keeps the living room and dining room cat-hair-free, as well as the upstairs rooms.... and it has been a time-saver for me because I never have to go up and down the stairs wondering where the cats are. Basically, the cats are allowed run of the TV room, the breakfast room, and the kitchen. They don't know the rest of the house exists. (Or maybe they do know but have stopped caring because they know they're not allowed to explore all of the other rooms.) Sweet Pea has been an inside cat since we found him, and he's the only inside cat that we have now, so it was very important for him to come to a peaceful co-existence with Savannah.
The two outside cats (Gatsby and Mickey) have already learned that Savannah is here to stay and they've stopped hissing at her and usually follow us half-way up the road when I take Savannah for a walk. Savannah, bless her puppy heart, seems to know now that these cats are part of her new family and she's friendly and gentle with them all.
When we first brought Savannah home, I put a wicker magazine table on the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. That allowed puppy and cat to see one another but not touch one another. Both were curious, the puppy more so than the cat... and if Savannah got too curious too soon, it was easy just to close the door so Sweet Pea felt safe in his room.
There's a double-door in the TV room that is screened, and on the nice days when it isn't blasting hot, I open that door and put a little table near the screen so Sweet Pea can sit there and watch the yard and the porch and feel the fresh air coming through the screen. That little table has always been one of Sweet Pea's favorite spots. This morning as Sweet Pea was sitting on his table and looking out at the birds, Savannah walked up there and felt the breeze coming through the screen, and then she just rested her puppy head on the edge of the table. And there they were, both Sweet Pea and Savannah, watching the world through the screen door and feeling the air. I wanted to go up to Savannah and tell her what a great great puppy she was, but I didn't want to disturb their moment.
Happy, happy puppy-and-cat day!
Bella is a tiny Chihuahua and has been the Doggie Diva around here since JAS adopted her a couple of years ago. I think that little dog has a larger wardrobe than most country dogs, and she wears everything well and looks impossibly cute because of her petite size. Fritz is an American Eskimo breed, white and fluffy and regal.... and he will soon be moving to Germany with JAS's daughter and new husband. Being that J's daughter L can't possibly pack everything for the move across the Atlantic, she has been generously gifting out Fritz's overstock of doggie supplies.
I think Savannah was more pleased with the visit from Bella and Fritz than she was with the toy basket and the pillow-bed. Thankfully, all three of these dogs have gotten along quite well, except for the tiniest of a 'Woof!' from Bella, which lets everyone know that she was here first and is the Queen of the Doggie Divas. Little Bella is so much a Queen that she has come to our Waldorf Wednesday tea parties from time to time, always in a different outfit to fit the occasion or the weather. Bella also has her own Facebook page, to chronicle her fashion choices and her activities. I have not mentioned Facebook to Savannah... it's more than enough keeping up with her Blog.
Sweet Pea has relinquished his King Of The House title, in favor of sharing his home with Savannah. Thankfully, both 'old cat' and 'new puppy' have come to terms with one another. Savannah wants to play with the cat, but Sweet Pea has made it clear that he's not here to play, he's just here to be a cat and that's that.
Since the day we found Sweet Pea in our barn, he's been a sweet and loving cat, not just to us but to everyone he has come to know. Sweet Pea is like a Romeo-cat... he cuddles up in my arms and puts his head under my chin and he hugs my neck and shoulders with his front paws. He will sit on my husband's lap during baseball and football games, perfectly content to just sit there and be held like the King he is. In exchange for the lap-time, Sweet Pea gives out pleasant purrs filled with contentment. I am thrilled that the 'puppy invasion' hasn't changed Sweet Pea's personality.
Sweet Pea's kingdom is mainly the TV room and the attached bathroom. Our TV room was actually a second master bedroom in this house, so that room and bath are both quite big. I've used that room for the cats ever since we moved into this house... it has lots of windows for them to look out of and it's more than comfortable. It's really a cat-room that happens to have our TV in it, with comfy furniture for us, as well as cat-sized chairs and pillows for the cats. Plus, when we have company or I just need to keep the cat (or cats) contained, it's very easy to just close the door and know they're safe.
None of the cats have had free run of this entire house.... which keeps the living room and dining room cat-hair-free, as well as the upstairs rooms.... and it has been a time-saver for me because I never have to go up and down the stairs wondering where the cats are. Basically, the cats are allowed run of the TV room, the breakfast room, and the kitchen. They don't know the rest of the house exists. (Or maybe they do know but have stopped caring because they know they're not allowed to explore all of the other rooms.) Sweet Pea has been an inside cat since we found him, and he's the only inside cat that we have now, so it was very important for him to come to a peaceful co-existence with Savannah.
The two outside cats (Gatsby and Mickey) have already learned that Savannah is here to stay and they've stopped hissing at her and usually follow us half-way up the road when I take Savannah for a walk. Savannah, bless her puppy heart, seems to know now that these cats are part of her new family and she's friendly and gentle with them all.
When we first brought Savannah home, I put a wicker magazine table on the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. That allowed puppy and cat to see one another but not touch one another. Both were curious, the puppy more so than the cat... and if Savannah got too curious too soon, it was easy just to close the door so Sweet Pea felt safe in his room.
There's a double-door in the TV room that is screened, and on the nice days when it isn't blasting hot, I open that door and put a little table near the screen so Sweet Pea can sit there and watch the yard and the porch and feel the fresh air coming through the screen. That little table has always been one of Sweet Pea's favorite spots. This morning as Sweet Pea was sitting on his table and looking out at the birds, Savannah walked up there and felt the breeze coming through the screen, and then she just rested her puppy head on the edge of the table. And there they were, both Sweet Pea and Savannah, watching the world through the screen door and feeling the air. I wanted to go up to Savannah and tell her what a great great puppy she was, but I didn't want to disturb their moment.
Happy, happy puppy-and-cat day!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
My Momma says there is Peace In This House because the Striped Cat Sweet Pea has finally learned that he is not the Only Pet in this house anymore. Momma said that Sweet Pea can Meow Meow Meow all he wants but Savannah is Here To Stay. Sweet Pea's answer to that was a really long MeowMeowMeowMeowMeow but I still don't speak Cat and I don't know if that means Welcome Puppy! or Go Back To Houston!
Momma also told Sweet Pea to Stop Teasing The Puppy because That Cat was walking by me very very slowly when I was playing with My Blue Monkey and That Cat either wanted the Monkey or wanted me to Chase him but I was not going to share my Toys because I did enough of that with my Brother before I was brought out here into This Country Bubble. And I was not tempted to Chase the Striped Cat because Momma would have said No!No!No!No!No! like she did the first time I tried that trick. So Momma just watched both of us at the same time and she said that Sweet Pea could not have walked any slower if he tried and the Daddy Person said that Sweet Pea looked like a slow-motion re-play in a Baseball Game. And I guess it all worked out because Momma said Good Girl Savannah! Good Girl! and the Daddy Person gave me a Treat.
I have learned that I can get a Treat when Momma says Sit! and when the Daddy Person says Come Here Savannah Look What I've Got! or when they tell me to Get Into Your Crate Savannah! And now I can get a Treat for not chasing Sweet Pea. If I don't Chase Sweet Pea All Day Long I wonder if that means I will get Treats All Day Long.
I make noise when I walk now because my collar has my First Piece of Puppy Bling on it. Momma said I needed a Tag with my Name on it just in case I Get Lost. That's when the Daddy Person said again that Puppies Are Free But You Have To Pay For Everything Else Under The Sun. Momma said The Tag is a Hot Pink Heart with my Name and her Number printed on it. It probably says Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah on it and then Mommy #1.
I have learned that Mommy #1 is In Charge here because she gets my Food And Water and Takes Me Outside and Cleans My Paws When They're Wet and Mops The Floor After I Drink and Brushes My Fur Every Night and says Excuse Yourself Savannah! when I Burp too loud after Breakfast. I used to have Puppy #1 who was In Charge. Now I have Mommy #1 who is In Charge. I still miss my Brother but I don't miss having him In Charge.
My Food Bowl has been changed three times so far. First I had a White Bowl With Two Sides in it, but Momma said the sides weren't wide enough and I was Making A Mess. Then she gave me a Bowl With Flowers And Fruits painted inside it but I kept trying to eat the Flowers And Fruits because they looked Real so Momma went back to the White Bowl With Two Sides. That bowl lasted until she went to The Store and found a Heavy White Bowl that is hard to tip over. My food was put into that one but it was Too Big so now the new Heavy White Bowl is my new Water Bowl and the Bowl With Fruits And Flowers is where my Puppy Food goes.
Momma says this is like the Story of Goldilocks where some things are Too Big and some things are Too Small and other things are Too Colorful and Nothing is Quite Right yet. Momma told me to Be Patient and she will find the Right Bowl so I can Eat Like A Lady and not Gobble Everything Up like a Slobbering Puppy. That's when Sweet Pea said MeowMeowMeowMeowMeow and I think that meant But She IS a Slobbering Puppy! I just sat there and didn't Chase That Cat but I didn't get a Treat.
Last night in the TV Room, Momma found two of my Puppy Teeth on the carpet near my Blue Monkey. She told the Daddy Person that I am still a Puppy and I am Teething. The Daddy Person laughed and said that she should put the teeth under my Puppy Pillow and the Tooth Fairy would leave Money. Momma should really do that to get Money from the Tooth Fairy and then she could go back to The Store and buy Everything Else Under The Sun.
Momma also told Sweet Pea to Stop Teasing The Puppy because That Cat was walking by me very very slowly when I was playing with My Blue Monkey and That Cat either wanted the Monkey or wanted me to Chase him but I was not going to share my Toys because I did enough of that with my Brother before I was brought out here into This Country Bubble. And I was not tempted to Chase the Striped Cat because Momma would have said No!No!No!No!No! like she did the first time I tried that trick. So Momma just watched both of us at the same time and she said that Sweet Pea could not have walked any slower if he tried and the Daddy Person said that Sweet Pea looked like a slow-motion re-play in a Baseball Game. And I guess it all worked out because Momma said Good Girl Savannah! Good Girl! and the Daddy Person gave me a Treat.
I have learned that I can get a Treat when Momma says Sit! and when the Daddy Person says Come Here Savannah Look What I've Got! or when they tell me to Get Into Your Crate Savannah! And now I can get a Treat for not chasing Sweet Pea. If I don't Chase Sweet Pea All Day Long I wonder if that means I will get Treats All Day Long.
I make noise when I walk now because my collar has my First Piece of Puppy Bling on it. Momma said I needed a Tag with my Name on it just in case I Get Lost. That's when the Daddy Person said again that Puppies Are Free But You Have To Pay For Everything Else Under The Sun. Momma said The Tag is a Hot Pink Heart with my Name and her Number printed on it. It probably says Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah on it and then Mommy #1.
I have learned that Mommy #1 is In Charge here because she gets my Food And Water and Takes Me Outside and Cleans My Paws When They're Wet and Mops The Floor After I Drink and Brushes My Fur Every Night and says Excuse Yourself Savannah! when I Burp too loud after Breakfast. I used to have Puppy #1 who was In Charge. Now I have Mommy #1 who is In Charge. I still miss my Brother but I don't miss having him In Charge.
My Food Bowl has been changed three times so far. First I had a White Bowl With Two Sides in it, but Momma said the sides weren't wide enough and I was Making A Mess. Then she gave me a Bowl With Flowers And Fruits painted inside it but I kept trying to eat the Flowers And Fruits because they looked Real so Momma went back to the White Bowl With Two Sides. That bowl lasted until she went to The Store and found a Heavy White Bowl that is hard to tip over. My food was put into that one but it was Too Big so now the new Heavy White Bowl is my new Water Bowl and the Bowl With Fruits And Flowers is where my Puppy Food goes.
Momma says this is like the Story of Goldilocks where some things are Too Big and some things are Too Small and other things are Too Colorful and Nothing is Quite Right yet. Momma told me to Be Patient and she will find the Right Bowl so I can Eat Like A Lady and not Gobble Everything Up like a Slobbering Puppy. That's when Sweet Pea said MeowMeowMeowMeowMeow and I think that meant But She IS a Slobbering Puppy! I just sat there and didn't Chase That Cat but I didn't get a Treat.
Last night in the TV Room, Momma found two of my Puppy Teeth on the carpet near my Blue Monkey. She told the Daddy Person that I am still a Puppy and I am Teething. The Daddy Person laughed and said that she should put the teeth under my Puppy Pillow and the Tooth Fairy would leave Money. Momma should really do that to get Money from the Tooth Fairy and then she could go back to The Store and buy Everything Else Under The Sun.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
New Puppy + Old Cat = New Rules & Lessons
My husband and I were having lunch this afternoon at the little table in the breakfast room and Savannah was napping near the table. I think she likes the area rug in that room because she gets quite comfy in there. Just before we sat down to lunch, I put a load of laundry into the dryer and we could hear the machine running because the laundry room is in a corner of the kitchen. Halfway through lunch, we heard a noise from the laundry room and a split-second later, Savannah jumped up from her sleep and roared at the laundry room door.
Both my husband and I got up from the table to see what had happened, and it wasn't much of anything except the movement of the dryer caused a cardboard box of plastic puppy-walking bags to fall to the floor in there. Happy day... Savannah's score for Protect This House And Everyone In It is 100% because she hasn't failed to bark (roaaaaarrrrr!) when she hears a noise that is out of the ordinary. We told her what a good girl she was and she went back to sleep... and neither my husband nor I failed to notice that while we were checking out the laundry room, Savannah was not attempting to steal our lunch. What a great dog!
Today's mail brought the ID tag that I had ordered for Savannah... bright pink metal in the shape of a heart, engraved with her name, our town, and my phone number. The heart is big enough to be noticed, bright enough to be pretty... Savannah's first piece of jewelry. Puppy bling?
For the past few days, I've noticed that Savannah isn't gobbling up her food the way she did during her first week with us. Being that the other puppy she was with seemed to have been the 'alpha dog' within their kennel, my guess is that she only got to eat whatever was left, which may not have been enough for her. I think she knows now that whatever food goes into her bowl is hers and hers alone, not to be shared, not even with the cats. Savannah will eat what she wants, leave the rest, and then goes back to it when she gets hungry.
My husband is still giving Savannah a lot of treats, trying to earn a sense of trust from her that doesn't disappear when he goes upstairs or drives to his office in the city. He has taken her stand-offish behavior personally because he is definitely not used to non-acceptance from dogs, whether they have belonged to us or neighbors and friends, or have just been strays that we've found on the property and took away to the shelter. I reminded my husband that I had to earn Savannah's trust also when we first brought her home... one day at a time until she finally came to believe that I was here to love her, not hurt her. Those first few days here, Savannah would walk around the kitchen island, not wanting to get too close to me at all. I know that she will eventually learn to trust him with all of her puppy heart, and I'm hoping she will eventually be the same way with our friends.
Our inside cat Sweet Pea has come to the conclusion that Savannah is here to stay, and unless he wants to spend the rest of his kitty-life in the TV room, then he has to make friends with the puppy. And that's about what happened today... Sweet Pea walked out of the TV room very slowly, looking as if he were part of a baseball game slow-motion re-play. That cat walked right past Savannah, with me watching and telling her "Good girl, Savannah, good girl." Savannah looked at Sweet Pea, then looked at me, repeated both processes a few times without moving more than her big puppy head, and then she let out a huge sigh and continued her pillow-napping with her chin resting on top of her little blue monkey toy.
Happy day.... Sweet Pea has come in and out of the TV room all day long, with Savannah doing nothing more than moving the blue monkey or the white bunny out of the way. Sweet Pea did sniff the puppy food in Savannah's bowl this morning, which Savannah did indeed notice, but by the third sniff, Sweet Pea was "burying" both the food and the bowl and I don't think that cat will be wanting to eat any of Savannah's puppy kibble.
Both my husband and I got up from the table to see what had happened, and it wasn't much of anything except the movement of the dryer caused a cardboard box of plastic puppy-walking bags to fall to the floor in there. Happy day... Savannah's score for Protect This House And Everyone In It is 100% because she hasn't failed to bark (roaaaaarrrrr!) when she hears a noise that is out of the ordinary. We told her what a good girl she was and she went back to sleep... and neither my husband nor I failed to notice that while we were checking out the laundry room, Savannah was not attempting to steal our lunch. What a great dog!
Today's mail brought the ID tag that I had ordered for Savannah... bright pink metal in the shape of a heart, engraved with her name, our town, and my phone number. The heart is big enough to be noticed, bright enough to be pretty... Savannah's first piece of jewelry. Puppy bling?
For the past few days, I've noticed that Savannah isn't gobbling up her food the way she did during her first week with us. Being that the other puppy she was with seemed to have been the 'alpha dog' within their kennel, my guess is that she only got to eat whatever was left, which may not have been enough for her. I think she knows now that whatever food goes into her bowl is hers and hers alone, not to be shared, not even with the cats. Savannah will eat what she wants, leave the rest, and then goes back to it when she gets hungry.
My husband is still giving Savannah a lot of treats, trying to earn a sense of trust from her that doesn't disappear when he goes upstairs or drives to his office in the city. He has taken her stand-offish behavior personally because he is definitely not used to non-acceptance from dogs, whether they have belonged to us or neighbors and friends, or have just been strays that we've found on the property and took away to the shelter. I reminded my husband that I had to earn Savannah's trust also when we first brought her home... one day at a time until she finally came to believe that I was here to love her, not hurt her. Those first few days here, Savannah would walk around the kitchen island, not wanting to get too close to me at all. I know that she will eventually learn to trust him with all of her puppy heart, and I'm hoping she will eventually be the same way with our friends.
Our inside cat Sweet Pea has come to the conclusion that Savannah is here to stay, and unless he wants to spend the rest of his kitty-life in the TV room, then he has to make friends with the puppy. And that's about what happened today... Sweet Pea walked out of the TV room very slowly, looking as if he were part of a baseball game slow-motion re-play. That cat walked right past Savannah, with me watching and telling her "Good girl, Savannah, good girl." Savannah looked at Sweet Pea, then looked at me, repeated both processes a few times without moving more than her big puppy head, and then she let out a huge sigh and continued her pillow-napping with her chin resting on top of her little blue monkey toy.
Happy day.... Sweet Pea has come in and out of the TV room all day long, with Savannah doing nothing more than moving the blue monkey or the white bunny out of the way. Sweet Pea did sniff the puppy food in Savannah's bowl this morning, which Savannah did indeed notice, but by the third sniff, Sweet Pea was "burying" both the food and the bowl and I don't think that cat will be wanting to eat any of Savannah's puppy kibble.
Savannah's Puppy Diary
The Striped Cat doesn't stay in the TV room all day long now. He comes out every morning and walks through the Breakfast Room and into The Kitchen to look out the window over the sink. Mommy Person says his name is Sweet Pea and she wants him to Keep On Being A Sweet Cat so I am not allowed to Chase him or Bark at him or Scare him. Mostly I look at Sweet Pea and Sweet Pea looks at me. He jumps up on The Counter and says Meow Meow Meow and then he turns his cat head upsidedown and says Meow one more time. I still haven't learned how to speak Cat but Mommy Person said Sweet Pea is saying Hello Puppy Welcome To The Family But Just Remember I Was Here First.
I tried to put my Blue Monkey up on the Counter with Sweet Pea but Mommy said the Blue Monkey smelled like Puppy Breath and was always Wet With Puppy Spit because I am always walking around with That Monkey In My Mouth. Mommy Person also said that Monkeys Do Not Belong In The Food Bowl and Especially Not In The Water Bowl. She had The Mop going on the kitchen floor for a long time after Monkey started Floating and I couldn't get him out because Water kept going up my nose but I am Too Cute For My Own Good and she Can't Get Mad At Me for Just Being A Puppy.
When we went for a Walk this morning I heard a Dog Barking and I stopped and listened because I thought maybe that was my Brother and he was looking for me. I stood there and listened but the Barks didn't sound like Puppy #1 and now I don't even know for sure if I would recognize my Brother's Bark anymore because it's been so long since we were together inside the Fence with the Little Blue Pool.
The Real Dog Lover Gloria told me that I should be thanking my Lucky Stars that I have a new Mommy Person and Daddy Person because they are going to Spoil Me Rotten And Love Me To Pieces because I am So Stinking Cute. Mommy Person told The Real Dog Lover Gloria that the name Mommy sounds Too Brooklyn and maybe it's better to be called Momma because that sounds More Texan. Then The Real Dog Lover Gloria said Momma Mia HaHaHa That Sounds So Eye-Talian.
When we go for a Walk in the morning I wear an old black leash because Momma said that my Pretty Blue Leash gets dragged through the Tall Wet Grass and the Blue Leash is too New And Pretty to start smelling like Weeds And Goats And Cows And Chickens And Heaven Only Knows What Else Is Out There. So now the black leash is my Country Bubble Leash and the new Blue Leash will be my City Leash or my Special Day Leash. I don't know what that means but I do know that every day here has been a Special Day and I wonder if my Brother has had any Special Days since I've been in this Country Bubble that Momma says is Too Far Away From SteinMart and a Really Great Bookstore.
I tried to put my Blue Monkey up on the Counter with Sweet Pea but Mommy said the Blue Monkey smelled like Puppy Breath and was always Wet With Puppy Spit because I am always walking around with That Monkey In My Mouth. Mommy Person also said that Monkeys Do Not Belong In The Food Bowl and Especially Not In The Water Bowl. She had The Mop going on the kitchen floor for a long time after Monkey started Floating and I couldn't get him out because Water kept going up my nose but I am Too Cute For My Own Good and she Can't Get Mad At Me for Just Being A Puppy.
When we went for a Walk this morning I heard a Dog Barking and I stopped and listened because I thought maybe that was my Brother and he was looking for me. I stood there and listened but the Barks didn't sound like Puppy #1 and now I don't even know for sure if I would recognize my Brother's Bark anymore because it's been so long since we were together inside the Fence with the Little Blue Pool.
The Real Dog Lover Gloria told me that I should be thanking my Lucky Stars that I have a new Mommy Person and Daddy Person because they are going to Spoil Me Rotten And Love Me To Pieces because I am So Stinking Cute. Mommy Person told The Real Dog Lover Gloria that the name Mommy sounds Too Brooklyn and maybe it's better to be called Momma because that sounds More Texan. Then The Real Dog Lover Gloria said Momma Mia HaHaHa That Sounds So Eye-Talian.
When we go for a Walk in the morning I wear an old black leash because Momma said that my Pretty Blue Leash gets dragged through the Tall Wet Grass and the Blue Leash is too New And Pretty to start smelling like Weeds And Goats And Cows And Chickens And Heaven Only Knows What Else Is Out There. So now the black leash is my Country Bubble Leash and the new Blue Leash will be my City Leash or my Special Day Leash. I don't know what that means but I do know that every day here has been a Special Day and I wonder if my Brother has had any Special Days since I've been in this Country Bubble that Momma says is Too Far Away From SteinMart and a Really Great Bookstore.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Lessons learned...
... and not by Savannah... these are lessons she is teaching me. Just as this puppy has to learn to trust both my husband and myself, we have to learn to trust that she is trying very hard to be good, and for the most part (like 99.9%) she has been extremely good.
I've come to the conclusion that Savannah likes to have a pillow under her chin when she sleeps. She quickly taught me that lesson because when I fixed the blankets in her crate for the first time, she promptly used her paws to scrape together a mound of the blanket to make a pillow-ish circle big enough to fit her head. So now when I arrange a fresh blanket in her crate, I double- or triple-up one end of it so she has a crate-wide pillow for herself. It seems to work because she doesn't attempt to re-do the folds. (However, she does manage to hide treats and Milk Bones between the layers without disrupting the pillow.)
When Savannah naps, which is quite often on a hot day, she will take one of her toys (usually the blue monkey or the white bunny, toss it in the air a few times, and then wherever it lands, that's where she will sleep, with her head on the stuffed animal. Voila! Instant pillow! This puppy is a southern belle at heart... she knows exactly what she wants and aims to get it in the most gentle of ways.
Savannah's food dishes are in a little corner by the kitchen fridge... out of the way, both water and food bowls sitting on pretty cloth place-mats that just happen to be the same green color as the kitchen tiles. (Presentation is everything.) On her first couple of days with us, Savannah was so hungry that she gobbled up all of her food from that spot in the kitchen. (Which led me to believe that the other puppy with her -- the male from that same litter -- was the more dominant of the two and was more in control of everything in their kennel.
When Savannah realized that she didn't have to share her food with anyone, or wait till another puppy was finished eating, she didn't run to the food bowl the minute I set it down on the kitchen floor. She would look at the bowl of food, then walk calmly into the breakfast room and sit down.... the same room where she had seen my husband and I eating our own meals. She doesn't bother us when we eat, but surely she can smell the food when I put it on the little table-for-two that's in the breakfast room. I had a feeling that Savannah didn't want to eat in the kitchen... maybe she thinks the kitchen is for preparing and the breakfast room is for eating. I would see her sitting quietly on the rug in the breakfast room while her food dish was waiting for her in the kitchen... and she was looking at me with those great big puppy eyes of hers. She definitely has her mother's Great Pyrenees eyes.
Non dog-lovers would say I am spoiling her, but what the heck.... that's one of the reasons people have pets. I picked up Savannah's food bowl and brought it into the breakfast room and set it down right in front of her. Without hesitation, Savannah ate her food that day, and she's been eating all of her meals in the breakfast room ever since. (I am such a sucker for puppy eyes.)
During one of our trips to the numerous pet shops when we were looking for Savannah's bed, I came across packages of "Pet Wipes" --- sort of a hand-wipe like those made for people, but the pet wipes are a bit larger, and the liquid in them isn't toxic to dogs and cats. I bought the wipes for Savannah, and I've been using them on her fur every day so she doesn't smell like a barnyard when she comes into the house after our walks. There are enough cows and goats and horses around here and their odors get in the air and on the grasses and when everyone has their hay cut, all of that blows around and every property gets to smelling like livestock is raised right outside every back door. The pet wipes help a lot to eliminate most, if not all, of that odor, and Savannah doesn't seem to mind them. She was enjoying her rub-down last night so much that she rolled over on the carpet and was laying there belly-side-up, which just about broke my heart because at that moment, I knew she trusted me implicitly. I could have just kissed her on her puppy nose at that point, but I wanted to finish up with the wipes so her fur would smell like lavender instead of goats.
The UPS truck came into our driveway earlier today, to deliver the order from Flint River Ranch, a pet food company in Georgia which specializes in foods baked with all natural ingredients. No fillers, and no kidding. I used to order the same dog food when we had Gracie years ago, and it helped to keep her insides healthy and her fur glowing for 15 years. What was good enough for Gracie is certainly good enough for Savannah. The UPS driver walked up on the porch with the box, set it down by the back door and proceeded to walk away. No sooner had he gotten to the top of the stairs, however, and Savannah let out an enormous roar, probably scaring the shorts off the UPS driver, poor guy. I was sitting in the breakfast room at the time, and heard the truck, knew what the delivery was, but I just sat there to see what Savannah would do. Needless to say, this puppy passed that test with flying colors. What a great dog. Just great.
As a reward for her diligence in keeping the UPS delivery guy on his best behavior, I let Savannah stay out of her crate when I had to drive into town for an hour this afternoon. I had taken her for a walk, she was pretty tired from both walking and seeing two of the neighbors along the way, so I figured she may as well just sleep outside the crate rather than inside the crate. Besides that, my husband was home, and I asked him to keep an ear tuned to the kitchen and breakfast room, just in case Savannah got curious about something up on a table or a counter-top. I left her a couple of dog biscuits, told her I was leaving, and off I went.
When I got back, she was still sleeping, but some of her toys had been taken out of her bed and her crate, and they must have been tossed up in the air because the blue monkey was on the kitchen floor, the brown monkey was on the wood floor of the breakfast room, and the white bunny was underneath Savannah's chin. (Presentation is everything.)
I keep having to remind myself that this five-and-a-half-month-old puppy, who is already Gracie-sized, is still a puppy and not a full-grown dog. She will get much bigger as she grows towards her adult weight-estimate of 80 pounds, and I would bet the ranch that she will be just as gentle and sweet when she's a dog as she has been for us as a puppy. (Except of course, towards UPS drivers and other strangers who go bump in the night --or day-- on the porch.)
I've come to the conclusion that Savannah likes to have a pillow under her chin when she sleeps. She quickly taught me that lesson because when I fixed the blankets in her crate for the first time, she promptly used her paws to scrape together a mound of the blanket to make a pillow-ish circle big enough to fit her head. So now when I arrange a fresh blanket in her crate, I double- or triple-up one end of it so she has a crate-wide pillow for herself. It seems to work because she doesn't attempt to re-do the folds. (However, she does manage to hide treats and Milk Bones between the layers without disrupting the pillow.)
When Savannah naps, which is quite often on a hot day, she will take one of her toys (usually the blue monkey or the white bunny, toss it in the air a few times, and then wherever it lands, that's where she will sleep, with her head on the stuffed animal. Voila! Instant pillow! This puppy is a southern belle at heart... she knows exactly what she wants and aims to get it in the most gentle of ways.
Savannah's food dishes are in a little corner by the kitchen fridge... out of the way, both water and food bowls sitting on pretty cloth place-mats that just happen to be the same green color as the kitchen tiles. (Presentation is everything.) On her first couple of days with us, Savannah was so hungry that she gobbled up all of her food from that spot in the kitchen. (Which led me to believe that the other puppy with her -- the male from that same litter -- was the more dominant of the two and was more in control of everything in their kennel.
When Savannah realized that she didn't have to share her food with anyone, or wait till another puppy was finished eating, she didn't run to the food bowl the minute I set it down on the kitchen floor. She would look at the bowl of food, then walk calmly into the breakfast room and sit down.... the same room where she had seen my husband and I eating our own meals. She doesn't bother us when we eat, but surely she can smell the food when I put it on the little table-for-two that's in the breakfast room. I had a feeling that Savannah didn't want to eat in the kitchen... maybe she thinks the kitchen is for preparing and the breakfast room is for eating. I would see her sitting quietly on the rug in the breakfast room while her food dish was waiting for her in the kitchen... and she was looking at me with those great big puppy eyes of hers. She definitely has her mother's Great Pyrenees eyes.
Non dog-lovers would say I am spoiling her, but what the heck.... that's one of the reasons people have pets. I picked up Savannah's food bowl and brought it into the breakfast room and set it down right in front of her. Without hesitation, Savannah ate her food that day, and she's been eating all of her meals in the breakfast room ever since. (I am such a sucker for puppy eyes.)
During one of our trips to the numerous pet shops when we were looking for Savannah's bed, I came across packages of "Pet Wipes" --- sort of a hand-wipe like those made for people, but the pet wipes are a bit larger, and the liquid in them isn't toxic to dogs and cats. I bought the wipes for Savannah, and I've been using them on her fur every day so she doesn't smell like a barnyard when she comes into the house after our walks. There are enough cows and goats and horses around here and their odors get in the air and on the grasses and when everyone has their hay cut, all of that blows around and every property gets to smelling like livestock is raised right outside every back door. The pet wipes help a lot to eliminate most, if not all, of that odor, and Savannah doesn't seem to mind them. She was enjoying her rub-down last night so much that she rolled over on the carpet and was laying there belly-side-up, which just about broke my heart because at that moment, I knew she trusted me implicitly. I could have just kissed her on her puppy nose at that point, but I wanted to finish up with the wipes so her fur would smell like lavender instead of goats.
The UPS truck came into our driveway earlier today, to deliver the order from Flint River Ranch, a pet food company in Georgia which specializes in foods baked with all natural ingredients. No fillers, and no kidding. I used to order the same dog food when we had Gracie years ago, and it helped to keep her insides healthy and her fur glowing for 15 years. What was good enough for Gracie is certainly good enough for Savannah. The UPS driver walked up on the porch with the box, set it down by the back door and proceeded to walk away. No sooner had he gotten to the top of the stairs, however, and Savannah let out an enormous roar, probably scaring the shorts off the UPS driver, poor guy. I was sitting in the breakfast room at the time, and heard the truck, knew what the delivery was, but I just sat there to see what Savannah would do. Needless to say, this puppy passed that test with flying colors. What a great dog. Just great.
As a reward for her diligence in keeping the UPS delivery guy on his best behavior, I let Savannah stay out of her crate when I had to drive into town for an hour this afternoon. I had taken her for a walk, she was pretty tired from both walking and seeing two of the neighbors along the way, so I figured she may as well just sleep outside the crate rather than inside the crate. Besides that, my husband was home, and I asked him to keep an ear tuned to the kitchen and breakfast room, just in case Savannah got curious about something up on a table or a counter-top. I left her a couple of dog biscuits, told her I was leaving, and off I went.
When I got back, she was still sleeping, but some of her toys had been taken out of her bed and her crate, and they must have been tossed up in the air because the blue monkey was on the kitchen floor, the brown monkey was on the wood floor of the breakfast room, and the white bunny was underneath Savannah's chin. (Presentation is everything.)
I keep having to remind myself that this five-and-a-half-month-old puppy, who is already Gracie-sized, is still a puppy and not a full-grown dog. She will get much bigger as she grows towards her adult weight-estimate of 80 pounds, and I would bet the ranch that she will be just as gentle and sweet when she's a dog as she has been for us as a puppy. (Except of course, towards UPS drivers and other strangers who go bump in the night --or day-- on the porch.)
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Day 12
Our inside cat Sweet Pea ventured out into the kitchen and breakfast room today, having been absent from these rooms since we brought Savannah into the house that first day. (That absence was his own doing, not ours.) I think Sweet Pea was highly insulted to see a puppy walking in 'his' kitchen, but he quietly kept to himself, hiding behind the sofa and the chairs in the TV room when we let Savannah into "the cat's room" for a little while every night when we went in there to watch the news.
My husband and I were both worried about Sweet Pea's reaction to Savannah because this cat has been such a sweet and loving soul since the day he turned up in our barn nearly four years ago. We didn't want a sweet cat to turn into a holy terror (which has happened to us before), but being that Savannah has made friends with our two outside cats, I figured that it would be just a matter of time until Sweet Pea was ready to say hello. And possibly even "Welcome, Puppy!"
For practically all of this evening, Sweet Pea has been sitting up on a counter-top, meowing quietly at Savannah and watching her play with her toys. Savannah gets a puppy-burst of energy every night between 7:00 and 9:00... she takes her toys (either the blue monkey or the white bunny) and she tosses them up in the air and her mouth is open in that puppy smile of hers and you can see that she's just so pleased with her little puppy self. Sweet Pea has been watching all of this from his safe spot up high, his eyes never leaving the toys that go up into the air then hit the floor with a soft thud.
When I take Savannah out for a walk, Sweet Pea sits by the window and watches us until we're out of sight, and I know that Sweet Pea can see both Gatsby and Mickey walk up to Savannah and rub her nose with their own whiskered faces... surely our inside cat must take that as a sign of acceptance and trust from our two outside cats who spend their days on our porch and their nights in the garage.
Speaking of trust, Savannah is learning to trust everything a little bit more each day. She comes to me when I call her, except for the times when she knows I'm going to put her in the crate and then leave the house. I'm tempted to just let her have free run in the kitchen and breakfast room, but depending on how long I need to be gone, I just don't want to take chances with the furniture or decorative items in these rooms just yet. If something made of porcelain or glass falls to the floor when a blue monkey knocks it over, she could easily hurt her paws on the broken pieces. As it is now, if I have to go upstairs or outside for ten minutes or less, then I will not make her go into the crate. When I come back into the house, Savannah is usually right there by the kitchen door waiting for me.... and nothing but her own toys have been touched.
I can't very well make the entire house puppy-safe, and I never did that for our dog Gracie (or for any of our cats, for that matter). Our pets always just learned what they could and could not touch, and after a few months with us, they were just fine. Looking back over the years, I don't think any of our pets ever broke anything except unimportant items that were bought at yard sales or flea markets and kept on the back porch or in the yard for decoration. With our dog Gracie, we expected her to behave well wherever we took her, and she always did (especially after some serious training lessons) which brought comments from family and friends that our Gracie had better manners than most people's children. (High praise indeed, and both my husband and I just ate that up.)
Speaking of Gracie, I know that my husband expected Savannah to be another Gracie, and I understand why he's disappointed that this puppy didn't bond with him from Moment One on Day One. We had Gracie for fifteen years and she and my husband were inseparable for the most part, with Gracie moping around the house every day when he went to work, only consenting to walk with me because there was no one else but me to take her. From Day One with Gracie, she was my husband's dog, plain and simple. In Gracie's eyes, I was a poor substitute when her 'daddy' wasn't home. I knew that from the beginning, and I accepted the fact... and Gracie felt the same way about everyone else as well... no one could have ever taken my husband's place in her heart.
And now, with Savannah.... I think this puppy bonded with me during that car ride home on the day we adopted her.... she had first curled up on the far end of the back seat of my husband's car, but within the first ten minutes of the drive towards home, she crawled over closer to me, put her head on my arm and her two front paws on top of my hands and that was that... a big sigh came out of her and she felt safe enough to sleep during the ride home. I chose to sit back there with her that day because we didn't know how she would react in a car... she had never been in one before.
There are still moments now when a loud noise will startle her, and if I take out the vacuum or the ironing board, she will run as far away from me as she can get, watching me from a distance to see what I'm doing with those strange things. She even used to run away when I took out the mop for the kitchen floor... she makes quite a mess when she takes a drink of water. But I guess she's used to the mop now because she will sit there with that big puppy smile on her face and watch me clean the floor. I mop the wet tiles quickly, getting up all of that water, talking to her and telling her that my life was easier without all that mopping, but not nearly as much fun. And she smiles... just sits there and smiles.
It's only been 12 days but it feels like Savannah has been with us for so much longer. I realize that she has a lot to get used to, between noises from the ice-maker, the dishwasher, the vacuum, the lawn mower outside and the washing machine inside. And she has yet to really truly make peace with my husband and come to the realization that he is just as friendly as I am, and will love her just as much as I do if she would only give him half a chance.
Time. This process takes time. We just have to remember that we put ourselves into this puppy's life, took her away from everything and everyone she knew, named her Savannah, brought her out into this country bubble of ours, and we can't expect her to take up where our other dog Gracie left off. It is just not going to happen that way, no matter how much my husband wishes it would. And besides that, it wouldn't be fair to Savannah, and it wouldn't even be fair to the memory of Gracie.
My husband and I were both worried about Sweet Pea's reaction to Savannah because this cat has been such a sweet and loving soul since the day he turned up in our barn nearly four years ago. We didn't want a sweet cat to turn into a holy terror (which has happened to us before), but being that Savannah has made friends with our two outside cats, I figured that it would be just a matter of time until Sweet Pea was ready to say hello. And possibly even "Welcome, Puppy!"
For practically all of this evening, Sweet Pea has been sitting up on a counter-top, meowing quietly at Savannah and watching her play with her toys. Savannah gets a puppy-burst of energy every night between 7:00 and 9:00... she takes her toys (either the blue monkey or the white bunny) and she tosses them up in the air and her mouth is open in that puppy smile of hers and you can see that she's just so pleased with her little puppy self. Sweet Pea has been watching all of this from his safe spot up high, his eyes never leaving the toys that go up into the air then hit the floor with a soft thud.
When I take Savannah out for a walk, Sweet Pea sits by the window and watches us until we're out of sight, and I know that Sweet Pea can see both Gatsby and Mickey walk up to Savannah and rub her nose with their own whiskered faces... surely our inside cat must take that as a sign of acceptance and trust from our two outside cats who spend their days on our porch and their nights in the garage.
Speaking of trust, Savannah is learning to trust everything a little bit more each day. She comes to me when I call her, except for the times when she knows I'm going to put her in the crate and then leave the house. I'm tempted to just let her have free run in the kitchen and breakfast room, but depending on how long I need to be gone, I just don't want to take chances with the furniture or decorative items in these rooms just yet. If something made of porcelain or glass falls to the floor when a blue monkey knocks it over, she could easily hurt her paws on the broken pieces. As it is now, if I have to go upstairs or outside for ten minutes or less, then I will not make her go into the crate. When I come back into the house, Savannah is usually right there by the kitchen door waiting for me.... and nothing but her own toys have been touched.
I can't very well make the entire house puppy-safe, and I never did that for our dog Gracie (or for any of our cats, for that matter). Our pets always just learned what they could and could not touch, and after a few months with us, they were just fine. Looking back over the years, I don't think any of our pets ever broke anything except unimportant items that were bought at yard sales or flea markets and kept on the back porch or in the yard for decoration. With our dog Gracie, we expected her to behave well wherever we took her, and she always did (especially after some serious training lessons) which brought comments from family and friends that our Gracie had better manners than most people's children. (High praise indeed, and both my husband and I just ate that up.)
Speaking of Gracie, I know that my husband expected Savannah to be another Gracie, and I understand why he's disappointed that this puppy didn't bond with him from Moment One on Day One. We had Gracie for fifteen years and she and my husband were inseparable for the most part, with Gracie moping around the house every day when he went to work, only consenting to walk with me because there was no one else but me to take her. From Day One with Gracie, she was my husband's dog, plain and simple. In Gracie's eyes, I was a poor substitute when her 'daddy' wasn't home. I knew that from the beginning, and I accepted the fact... and Gracie felt the same way about everyone else as well... no one could have ever taken my husband's place in her heart.
And now, with Savannah.... I think this puppy bonded with me during that car ride home on the day we adopted her.... she had first curled up on the far end of the back seat of my husband's car, but within the first ten minutes of the drive towards home, she crawled over closer to me, put her head on my arm and her two front paws on top of my hands and that was that... a big sigh came out of her and she felt safe enough to sleep during the ride home. I chose to sit back there with her that day because we didn't know how she would react in a car... she had never been in one before.
There are still moments now when a loud noise will startle her, and if I take out the vacuum or the ironing board, she will run as far away from me as she can get, watching me from a distance to see what I'm doing with those strange things. She even used to run away when I took out the mop for the kitchen floor... she makes quite a mess when she takes a drink of water. But I guess she's used to the mop now because she will sit there with that big puppy smile on her face and watch me clean the floor. I mop the wet tiles quickly, getting up all of that water, talking to her and telling her that my life was easier without all that mopping, but not nearly as much fun. And she smiles... just sits there and smiles.
It's only been 12 days but it feels like Savannah has been with us for so much longer. I realize that she has a lot to get used to, between noises from the ice-maker, the dishwasher, the vacuum, the lawn mower outside and the washing machine inside. And she has yet to really truly make peace with my husband and come to the realization that he is just as friendly as I am, and will love her just as much as I do if she would only give him half a chance.
Time. This process takes time. We just have to remember that we put ourselves into this puppy's life, took her away from everything and everyone she knew, named her Savannah, brought her out into this country bubble of ours, and we can't expect her to take up where our other dog Gracie left off. It is just not going to happen that way, no matter how much my husband wishes it would. And besides that, it wouldn't be fair to Savannah, and it wouldn't even be fair to the memory of Gracie.
Savannah's Puppy Diary
Yesterday was another afternoon with the Tea Ladies. My Lady Person says that this will happen Every Wednesday Afternoon and I need to be Extra Special Good on Tea Day. That means No Running in the House because I will slide on the floor and No Throwing my Blue Monkey because it may end up floating in a Cup Of Tea. I didn't know how to explain that Sliding On The Floor is Fun but my Blue Monkey floating in a Cup of Tea didn't sound like Fun all so I just looked at My Lady with what she calls my Puppy Eyes.
I was Extra Special Good when the Tea Ladies started walking in the back door. My Lady Person didn't put me in The Crate because my Puppy Eyes convinced her that I would Behave. I watched all the Tea Ladies come into the Kitchen and they all said Well There She Is Hello Savannah! One of my Favorite People was here and she sat down with me on the rug in the Breakfast Room to say Hello Savannah You're Such A Beautiful Puppy! My Lady Person told me that her name is Gloria and I have to be Really Nice to her because She Is A Real Dog Lover. I don't know what that means but Gloria sat with me on the Rug and told me over and over You're Such A Beautiful Puppy And Your New Mommy And Daddy Are Taking Good Care of You And You're Going To Love It Here!
Gloria stayed with me until all the Tea Ladies were ready to go into The Dining Room and by that time, I had learned that my New Lady Person is really my Mommy now and my New Man Person is really my Daddy and I am Being Spoiled Rotten because I have so many Toys and I'm so Stinking Cute. Gloria The Real Dog Lover also told me that if I got tired of listening to All Those Ladies I could just go into my Puppy Crate and put my Sweet Little Puppy Head under my Pink Blanket. Gloria went into the Dining Room before I had a chance to tell her that I'd rather listen to the Tea Ladies all day long than go into my Puppy Crate even though the Pink Blanket is my Favorite. Every once in a while I got up and looked into the Dining Room to see if more Ladies had come in while I was sleeping. They were sure loud in there sometimes. I guess the Tea Ladies are not all Real Dog Lovers like Gloria because they didn't know enough to be more quiet because Growing Puppies need their Sleep.
My Mommy Person learned a new Trick and I didn't even have to give her a Treat for it. All I have to do is put my Puppy Head into my Water Bowl for a Drink and as soon as I walk away my Mommy Person takes out The Mop and cleans up the Water that Drips from my Big Puppy Head. As she goes back and forth with The Mop she says SavannahSavannahSavannah What Did I Do Before You Got Here To Make Such A Flood On My Clean Floor. Then she looks at me and Smiles and says I am Too Cute For My Own Good. Sometimes I drink more Water after she puts The Mop away just because I think she likes to play with The Mop and I am trying to keep her Happy so I don't ever have to Go Back to being Puppy #2 in my old yard.
I didn't look for my Brother this morning when we were out on The Road. I don't think he's around here because he would be chasing the Goats and the Cows the Horse across The Road like he used to chase me around the yard when I was Puppy #2 and he was Puppy #1. It's nice not to share my Toys with anyone not even The Cats who have their own Toys. Mommy Person says I am not allowed to touch The Toys That Belong To The Cats because those Toys are small and I might choke if I swallow them. I don't know what that means but my own Toys smell like me and the Cat Toys smell like Cat Breath so right away I know which Toys I want to play with.
I am also not allowed to touch or play with Dead Frogs And Lizards On The Road because that is Gross and Dirty and Disgusting and not something any Dog belonging to my Mommy Person would do. Every day when we walk up The Road there is a Dead Green Frog or a Dead Brown Lizard out there. The hot sun makes them crispy and flat just like the strips of Rawhide that Mommy Person buys me at the store. I know that she has to pay Money at the store for Treats and Toys and Beds and Everything Else Under The Sun For Pets because my Daddy Person said that You Can Get A Puppy For Free But Then You Have To Pay For Everything Else Under The Sun. If Mommy Person would just let me chew on the crispy Frogs and Lizards then she wouldn't have to pay Money at the store for Rawhide Strips. And if she would stop playing with The Mop so much all day long she would save More Money at the store because sooner or later she's going to wear that thing out.
I was Extra Special Good when the Tea Ladies started walking in the back door. My Lady Person didn't put me in The Crate because my Puppy Eyes convinced her that I would Behave. I watched all the Tea Ladies come into the Kitchen and they all said Well There She Is Hello Savannah! One of my Favorite People was here and she sat down with me on the rug in the Breakfast Room to say Hello Savannah You're Such A Beautiful Puppy! My Lady Person told me that her name is Gloria and I have to be Really Nice to her because She Is A Real Dog Lover. I don't know what that means but Gloria sat with me on the Rug and told me over and over You're Such A Beautiful Puppy And Your New Mommy And Daddy Are Taking Good Care of You And You're Going To Love It Here!
Gloria stayed with me until all the Tea Ladies were ready to go into The Dining Room and by that time, I had learned that my New Lady Person is really my Mommy now and my New Man Person is really my Daddy and I am Being Spoiled Rotten because I have so many Toys and I'm so Stinking Cute. Gloria The Real Dog Lover also told me that if I got tired of listening to All Those Ladies I could just go into my Puppy Crate and put my Sweet Little Puppy Head under my Pink Blanket. Gloria went into the Dining Room before I had a chance to tell her that I'd rather listen to the Tea Ladies all day long than go into my Puppy Crate even though the Pink Blanket is my Favorite. Every once in a while I got up and looked into the Dining Room to see if more Ladies had come in while I was sleeping. They were sure loud in there sometimes. I guess the Tea Ladies are not all Real Dog Lovers like Gloria because they didn't know enough to be more quiet because Growing Puppies need their Sleep.
My Mommy Person learned a new Trick and I didn't even have to give her a Treat for it. All I have to do is put my Puppy Head into my Water Bowl for a Drink and as soon as I walk away my Mommy Person takes out The Mop and cleans up the Water that Drips from my Big Puppy Head. As she goes back and forth with The Mop she says SavannahSavannahSavannah What Did I Do Before You Got Here To Make Such A Flood On My Clean Floor. Then she looks at me and Smiles and says I am Too Cute For My Own Good. Sometimes I drink more Water after she puts The Mop away just because I think she likes to play with The Mop and I am trying to keep her Happy so I don't ever have to Go Back to being Puppy #2 in my old yard.
I didn't look for my Brother this morning when we were out on The Road. I don't think he's around here because he would be chasing the Goats and the Cows the Horse across The Road like he used to chase me around the yard when I was Puppy #2 and he was Puppy #1. It's nice not to share my Toys with anyone not even The Cats who have their own Toys. Mommy Person says I am not allowed to touch The Toys That Belong To The Cats because those Toys are small and I might choke if I swallow them. I don't know what that means but my own Toys smell like me and the Cat Toys smell like Cat Breath so right away I know which Toys I want to play with.
I am also not allowed to touch or play with Dead Frogs And Lizards On The Road because that is Gross and Dirty and Disgusting and not something any Dog belonging to my Mommy Person would do. Every day when we walk up The Road there is a Dead Green Frog or a Dead Brown Lizard out there. The hot sun makes them crispy and flat just like the strips of Rawhide that Mommy Person buys me at the store. I know that she has to pay Money at the store for Treats and Toys and Beds and Everything Else Under The Sun For Pets because my Daddy Person said that You Can Get A Puppy For Free But Then You Have To Pay For Everything Else Under The Sun. If Mommy Person would just let me chew on the crispy Frogs and Lizards then she wouldn't have to pay Money at the store for Rawhide Strips. And if she would stop playing with The Mop so much all day long she would save More Money at the store because sooner or later she's going to wear that thing out.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Another day, another puppy-toy...
And today's toy for Savannah is a very soft and plush white bunny from one of the local thrift stores. I just had to buy that bunny... cost only a dollar, and I felt so badly when I walked out the back door this morning. Puppy-guilt at its finest: Savannah was whimpering in her crate as I walked out that door today, which is something she never does. She was having a good time with her toys, spreading them around the floor in the breakfast room this morning, and then I had to leave... had to go to the shop, and then had to get some errands done before this afternoon's tea party.
And there was Savannah, not wanting to be put into that crate when I was ready to leave. But she did, though... I pointed to the crate and told her "Go into your bed, Savannah!" and she walked right in and plopped her puppy-self down with such a big sigh that it was pitiful. I put a couple of her toys in the crate with her, along with a rawhide chew-bone, but still... she didn't want to be in there, and as I turned the key in the lock, I heard her whimper a few times, and when I got out to the garage, I heard one loud bark from her, then silence. I drove away hoping that she wouldn't spend the next few hours barking and crying.
Apparently, she had been sleeping while I was gone, because when I came in the back door she gave me a very big yawn and then walked out of the crate and stretched her legs like she does in the mornings. Her tail started wagging and she was happy to see me, then she was thrilled to see me when I took that fluffy bunny-toy out of my shop-basket and gave it to her. Into the air went the bunny after the first couple of sniffs, and she spent the next hour tossing that bunny around the breakfast room and the kitchen.
This afternoon was Savannah's second Waldorf Wednesday with the tea ladies here... and she was very well behaved. So much so that I was disappointed that she didn't come into the dining room to join us all. Savannah seemed content to stay in the breakfast room, surrounded by her toys and her bed--- which she didn't get into because I had to move the bed to a different spot in the breakfast room so it wouldn't be in front of the French doors going into the dining room. Apparently, "location, location, location" really makes a difference in the placement of dog-beds.
So Savannah spent the entire tea party time in the breakfast room, occasionally peeking into the dining room, but never crossing the threshold. When all of the ladies left, she got up and stretched, walked into the kitchen and sat by her food bowl.... ready for dinner. One thing about Savannah... she clearly tells you what she wants or needs... you just have to watch for her signals.
As I straightened up the dining room this evening, Savannah followed me all around the table, watching everything I did, looking at the Halloween decorations in the room, but never attempting to touch one blessed thing. I walked into the living room to see if she would follow me, and she did. Savannah walked around the room with me, looking at the furniture and more Halloween decorations, then she walked into the foyer and looked out the front door, then walked back into the living room, and back through the dining room. Never once did she touch a thing... she seemed content to just be there in the room with me.
One thing I've noticed with Savannah... she's very good at hiding her dog biscuits and her rawhide chew-bones. And all this hiding is done within her crate, which has an old bed-sheet folded and re-folded and re-folded on the flat metal floor of the crate, and then I have a soft and plush blanket on top of that. (Never let it be said that this puppy doesn't sleep in the softest of crates.) When I give Savannah either dog biscuits or the rawhide bones, she will most likely hide one of them underneath that soft blanket. She uses her nose to separate the layers of either the top blanket or the bottom sheet, and into that fold goes her prize. It stays there until she is ready for it, and she easily gets it out of the blanket or the sheet without messing up the layers. All of this hiding makes me wonder if she had to hide food and/or toys from the male puppy that shared the kennel in her previous home.
Honestly, it's very easy to forget that Savannah is just a five-month-old puppy... she behaves most of the time as if she's an adult dog that has gone through a few training classes. She will sit almost every time I tell her to, which is pretty good considering I've just started asking her to do that. The dog-sites I looked at said that the Great Pyrenees breed isn't the easiest to train because they have minds of their own and can be stubborn. Well, our Gracie was also stubborn years ago, but she learned to take commands extremely well, and I'm expecting Savannah to do the same. The Border Collie breed, which was in Gracie and is also in Savannah, is also known for having a stubborn streak.
I wish, however, that Savannah would get closer to my husband. He is trying his best with her, but it seems that every time she sees him, she looks at him as if it's the first time she's laid eyes on him. She has been hesitant with every man she has seen so far, and I really believe that she either had no contact with men in her previous home, or she had less than favorable contact with men in that other home. And I use that term (home) loosely, because she and her puppy-brother had been kept outside in a kennel, for most of their lives. Not a good thing. A kennel is not a home. Dogs are pack animals... and they want to be around their people. Well, at least her 'old people' did care for her.... we have a healthy puppy who seems to be very happy... and I'm hoping that she will become just as happy with my husband as she is with me.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
I have been here in my New Home for ten days now. Still no sign of my Brother but I keep looking for him when my New Lady takes me Out! Out! Out! for a Walk. There are lots of New Smells out on The Road because my Lady says that The People In This Country Bubble have Goats Horses Cows Chickens Peacocks and Heaven Only Knows What Else. With all of those other animals it may be hard to find my Brother. I wonder if he misses me too.
My Brother was Puppy #1 and I was Puppy #2 in our old home and now I am Savannah in my New Home and he is probably still Puppy #2 in our old home. My Brother may even have a New Home now also. If he does then they may have put him in a Car and taken him Far Away into a Country Bubble. I hope he has Air-Conditioning if he has a New Home instead of the blue Pool that was under the trees in our old yard. I miss that little Pool but Splashing The Water was only Fun because my Brother was there to Splash with me. My New Man asked my New Lady if he should buy me a Pool but she told him to wait and see how Big I get so he doesn't have to buy two of them.
I have learned now that my Name is Savannah because my Lady kept saying Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah all day long. And My Lady has learned that I really do know my Name now so she has stopped saying Savannah Savannah Savannah all day long. Now she says Sit! Sit! Sit! all day long and if I do Sit! she will give me a Treat and say Good Girl Savannah Good Girl!
The Striped Cat that is always Inside The House finally came out of the TV Room this morning. My Lady told me that his Name is Sweet Pea because he is the Sweetest Cat they've ever had. I have to Be Nice to Sweet Pea because He Was Here First and we have to Make Friends when he is Good And Ready. The Striped Cat meowed at me this morning and he sounded very Sweet and looked Cute the way Cats know how to look and my Lady petted him on his striped head and told him Don't Be Afraid of Savannah. Sweet Pea rubbed my Lady's chin and put his nose on her face and then he said Meow Meow Meow Meow to me. I don't know what that means because I don't speak Cat but I will remember to Be Nice because he is Very Sweet and Knows How To Look Cute and He Was Here First.
Yesterday my New Man carried a Big New Bed into The House. He told me that it was My Bed and I will Grow Into It and Still Fit In It when I am a Dog instead of a Puppy. The New Bed had Strange Smells and I had to Sniff it a lot and I wouldn't get into it so I could Grow in it and the New Man told my Lady not to cut the Tags off until she knew that I would Use That Bed. I watched that New Bed all afternoon and it seemed Safe but I still wasn't Sure but when my New Man and Lady went into the TV Room last night they carried the New Bed in there. Then my Lady put my Blue Monkey into my New Bed. I still waited a little bit but then I realized if the New Bed was Safe enough for my Blue Monkey then it was Safe enough for Me. When I jumped into the New Bed my Lady looked at my New Man and said See?! Savannah Loves Her Bed!
I thought they would give me an extra Treat because I jumped into the New Bed with my Blue Monkey but my Lady just sat there with Her Book and said Good Girl Savannah! Good Girl!
My Brother was Puppy #1 and I was Puppy #2 in our old home and now I am Savannah in my New Home and he is probably still Puppy #2 in our old home. My Brother may even have a New Home now also. If he does then they may have put him in a Car and taken him Far Away into a Country Bubble. I hope he has Air-Conditioning if he has a New Home instead of the blue Pool that was under the trees in our old yard. I miss that little Pool but Splashing The Water was only Fun because my Brother was there to Splash with me. My New Man asked my New Lady if he should buy me a Pool but she told him to wait and see how Big I get so he doesn't have to buy two of them.
I have learned now that my Name is Savannah because my Lady kept saying Savannah Savannah Savannah Savannah all day long. And My Lady has learned that I really do know my Name now so she has stopped saying Savannah Savannah Savannah all day long. Now she says Sit! Sit! Sit! all day long and if I do Sit! she will give me a Treat and say Good Girl Savannah Good Girl!
The Striped Cat that is always Inside The House finally came out of the TV Room this morning. My Lady told me that his Name is Sweet Pea because he is the Sweetest Cat they've ever had. I have to Be Nice to Sweet Pea because He Was Here First and we have to Make Friends when he is Good And Ready. The Striped Cat meowed at me this morning and he sounded very Sweet and looked Cute the way Cats know how to look and my Lady petted him on his striped head and told him Don't Be Afraid of Savannah. Sweet Pea rubbed my Lady's chin and put his nose on her face and then he said Meow Meow Meow Meow to me. I don't know what that means because I don't speak Cat but I will remember to Be Nice because he is Very Sweet and Knows How To Look Cute and He Was Here First.
Yesterday my New Man carried a Big New Bed into The House. He told me that it was My Bed and I will Grow Into It and Still Fit In It when I am a Dog instead of a Puppy. The New Bed had Strange Smells and I had to Sniff it a lot and I wouldn't get into it so I could Grow in it and the New Man told my Lady not to cut the Tags off until she knew that I would Use That Bed. I watched that New Bed all afternoon and it seemed Safe but I still wasn't Sure but when my New Man and Lady went into the TV Room last night they carried the New Bed in there. Then my Lady put my Blue Monkey into my New Bed. I still waited a little bit but then I realized if the New Bed was Safe enough for my Blue Monkey then it was Safe enough for Me. When I jumped into the New Bed my Lady looked at my New Man and said See?! Savannah Loves Her Bed!
I thought they would give me an extra Treat because I jumped into the New Bed with my Blue Monkey but my Lady just sat there with Her Book and said Good Girl Savannah! Good Girl!
Monday, September 21, 2015
Pet Shops Gone Wild
We drove into College Station today, to look at the big pet stores for accessories for Savannah. Namely, a bed that will fit her when she's full-grown, and a food and water dish that's sturdy enough not to be knocked over, and a leash that's longer than the five-foot one that I already have. We were going to take Savannah with us, but I don't think she's ready to be walking around a big store yet... she's still somewhat nervous of strangers and really cautious of everything she's never seen before. We'll wait for a while, till she gets more confident of unfamiliar situations and places, and then she can enjoy the PetCo and PetsMart experience with all the other dogs in there.
We didn't buy the leash.... didn't find one that was as nice as the original one I bought her. I know: picky, picky, picky. (Guilty as charged.) So I will just continue using the peacock blue one that I already have for her.
Didn't buy the bowls.... found one that my husband and I both liked, but then we decided the pattern was just 'too busy' and would poor Savannah be trying to capture the design at the bottom of the bowl? Couldn't they have put the colored design just on the outside where it wouldn't interfere or disrupt the dog's eating and drinking? (Picky, picky...)
My husband said he would look at the pet stores in the Houston and Clear Lake area the next time he goes to his office there. They may have more of a selection that would be more like Savannah's style. (Yes, my Savannah already has a style: definitely Southern-Belle-ish. After all, she is no longer the puppy who began her life in an outdoor kennel with a blue plastic kiddie-pool under a tree.)
The bed, to accommodate her 80-pound full-grown self when she gets there.... we did buy that, after going to two of the major pet stores. (I love how they call them 'pet stores' --- they sell more accessories than pets.) We found a bunch of dog-beds, of all shapes and sizes, in all manner of fabrics and thickness and design. It was like the story of 'Goldilocks' --- this one was too thin, that one was too thick, that other one was too firm. But then, of course, we found the Cadillac of Dog Beds..... nice calm design on the outside, plain color on the inside, and soft as a puppy's tush.... and of course it was $80.00..... and my husband bought it, without blinking, without question. (This from a man who doesn't buy himself a pair of shoes unless he can find a good price.)
One of the pet stores had a display of Halloween costumes for dogs of all sizes. Now... how could I resist that? I didn't buy her a costume, because I don't think Savannah would want to be seen on the road looking like Kermit The Frog or Captain Jack Sparrow or Superman.... but I did buy this stretchy collar that has orange and purple and black pom-poms on it... looks like a Halloween-ish court jester.... totally adorable.... and it looks comfy enough that she won't mind wearing it.
The puppy-jury is still out on that Cadillac of Doggie Beds.... Savannah has stepped into it, retrieved her toys from it (which I tossed in there) and she has smelled it at least half a dozen times. But when she took her nap this afternoon, she fell asleep on the wood floor next to the soft-as-a-puppy's-tush bed. I think she'll sleep in that bed once she gets used to the 'new-ness' of it, but I'm keeping the tags and receipt till that day comes.
We didn't buy the leash.... didn't find one that was as nice as the original one I bought her. I know: picky, picky, picky. (Guilty as charged.) So I will just continue using the peacock blue one that I already have for her.
Didn't buy the bowls.... found one that my husband and I both liked, but then we decided the pattern was just 'too busy' and would poor Savannah be trying to capture the design at the bottom of the bowl? Couldn't they have put the colored design just on the outside where it wouldn't interfere or disrupt the dog's eating and drinking? (Picky, picky...)
My husband said he would look at the pet stores in the Houston and Clear Lake area the next time he goes to his office there. They may have more of a selection that would be more like Savannah's style. (Yes, my Savannah already has a style: definitely Southern-Belle-ish. After all, she is no longer the puppy who began her life in an outdoor kennel with a blue plastic kiddie-pool under a tree.)
The bed, to accommodate her 80-pound full-grown self when she gets there.... we did buy that, after going to two of the major pet stores. (I love how they call them 'pet stores' --- they sell more accessories than pets.) We found a bunch of dog-beds, of all shapes and sizes, in all manner of fabrics and thickness and design. It was like the story of 'Goldilocks' --- this one was too thin, that one was too thick, that other one was too firm. But then, of course, we found the Cadillac of Dog Beds..... nice calm design on the outside, plain color on the inside, and soft as a puppy's tush.... and of course it was $80.00..... and my husband bought it, without blinking, without question. (This from a man who doesn't buy himself a pair of shoes unless he can find a good price.)
One of the pet stores had a display of Halloween costumes for dogs of all sizes. Now... how could I resist that? I didn't buy her a costume, because I don't think Savannah would want to be seen on the road looking like Kermit The Frog or Captain Jack Sparrow or Superman.... but I did buy this stretchy collar that has orange and purple and black pom-poms on it... looks like a Halloween-ish court jester.... totally adorable.... and it looks comfy enough that she won't mind wearing it.
The puppy-jury is still out on that Cadillac of Doggie Beds.... Savannah has stepped into it, retrieved her toys from it (which I tossed in there) and she has smelled it at least half a dozen times. But when she took her nap this afternoon, she fell asleep on the wood floor next to the soft-as-a-puppy's-tush bed. I think she'll sleep in that bed once she gets used to the 'new-ness' of it, but I'm keeping the tags and receipt till that day comes.
Puppy eMails
(eMail from Fritz the Eskie to Savannah, as dictated to and typed by JAS who lives up the road and is the mother of Fritz's mommy-person.)
Dear Savannah,
In preparation for my big move across the pond to our new home in Germany, I am looking for good homes
for some of my gently used goods. I have my comfy
pillow (4' x 2.5') and my toy box with washable liner (18" x 14"x 8"). They will
both be available September 25.
Please let me know if you would be interested in any of these. You have
found a wonderful home with a wonderful family.
Best wishes and kind regards,
Capt. Fritz von Trapp
----------------
(eMail from Savannah to Fritz, as dictated to and typed by her puppy-momma.)
Dear Capt. Fritz von Trapp... First of all how did you
learn so many Names? I’m having enough trouble learning just One Name even
though My People keep saying SavannahSavannahSavannah as if I have Three Names. I apologize for not seeing you this Weekend when I walked along The Road but my Mommy-Person is walking me Very Early because she says we're on Puppy Time in this house.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re going Across The Pond and
I hope that YOUR Pond has water in it and isn’t Dry like my People’s pond here because it hasn't Rained In Three Months.
My Mommy-Person showed me the Pictures you sent and I do like your Toy Box. It's much larger than the one I have now and my Toys are already Over-Flowing the Basket my Mommy-Person found for me at the Thrift Shop. I will be Happy to take your Toy Box. I hope it comes with
a Sign that says No Cats Allowed because I know that at least one of My Cats
here will be Jumping into it because They Were Here First and can Do Whatever They Want.
Your Blue And Green cow looks like a Donut so I would be Happy to give that a Chew. The other Red and Orange Toys look very Different than the Toys I already have so they will be an Adventure. I don’t know why but my Mommy-Person keeps buying me Soft Toys that look like Baby Animals. She has already forgotten that I am a PUPPY not a BABY. As for your Comfy Pillow - Be Still My Puppy Heart. The Blankets in my Crate are quite Soft and Cozy but once I am let out of that Enclosure my choices are a hard Green Floor or a hard Wood Floor or the Rug in the Breakfast Room. I will accept your Gracious Offer of the von Trapp Comfy Pillow on September 25.
Thank you Captain Fritz for your Generosity and I hope you saved some of your Treasures for cute Bella who belongs to the Mommy of your Mommy-Person. Please excuse my Loquaciousness at the Keyboard... I must take after my own Mommy-Person because she is Typing Typing Typing All The Time.
Pawfully yours
Savannah
Puppy Manners
After having a long talk with Savannah the other night, telling her that she absolutely had to make friends with my husband, she was much better with him yesterday. I doubt very much the 'talking' did a whole lot of good, but our friend Gloria stopped by yesterday with yet another toy for Savannah, and she stayed a while to visit with me and my husband, and I have to say that Savannah was on her best puppy behavior during the visit.
Savannah clearly isn't used to being around 'strangers' yet, and she was trying to stay with the three of us but not get too close to Gloria. I was sitting near Gloria and my husband was across from the two of us, so Savannah's choice was to sit next to, and very close to, my husband... something she hadn't done before. (That proved to us that Savannah does know who "her people" are in this house.) It was Gloria's suggestion to my husband that he not smile at her, because that act of showing teeth to a puppy is a sign of aggression. It's a happy smile to us, but something altogether different in the dog world. Then Gloria told my husband that he needs to be petting her and giving her treats when she stays near him, and he did that as well. For the entire hour that Gloria was here, Savannah didn't leave my husband's side, and I was thrilled. In my mind, I kept saying "Stay there, Savannah, just stay there by him and don't move." And bless her puppy heart, she actually did.
Last night when my husband and I went into the TV room, Savannah followed us, bringing half of her toys with her, one at a time. She was sitting close to my husband, playing with her toys, walking back and forth in the room, and looking at the television screen when either the football game or the baseball game was on (she seems to like sports). When she got tired of playing, she laid down in the middle of the floor and watched my husband watching TV and watched me as I was reading. When Savannah forgets to be nervous and cautious about her new life here, her tail is up and wagging and she's smiling wide with that puppy-smile of hers, and she is the happiest of dogs. Clearly, she does like it here, and she is on a good schedule with eating and going out (she also knows what "Want To Go Out?!" means, and when she has to go, she will nudge my leg with her nose to get my attention).
We're going to PetCo today, to look for a big doggie-bed for Savannah. We were going to take her with us, but we don't think she's quite ready for that experience yet, being that everything new seems to make her cautious and apprehensive, and she has enough 'new' things in this house to get used to as it is. So we'll wait another month or so before bringing her into a store filled with other people and their pets, as well as all sorts of sights and smells that she will have to deal with.
As that old song goes, what a difference a day makes... I'm just thrilled that Savannah has finally come to peace with my husband and she knows that both of us are 'her people' and she can feel safe and protected with each of us. Happy, happy puppy, and happy, happy day.
Savannah clearly isn't used to being around 'strangers' yet, and she was trying to stay with the three of us but not get too close to Gloria. I was sitting near Gloria and my husband was across from the two of us, so Savannah's choice was to sit next to, and very close to, my husband... something she hadn't done before. (That proved to us that Savannah does know who "her people" are in this house.) It was Gloria's suggestion to my husband that he not smile at her, because that act of showing teeth to a puppy is a sign of aggression. It's a happy smile to us, but something altogether different in the dog world. Then Gloria told my husband that he needs to be petting her and giving her treats when she stays near him, and he did that as well. For the entire hour that Gloria was here, Savannah didn't leave my husband's side, and I was thrilled. In my mind, I kept saying "Stay there, Savannah, just stay there by him and don't move." And bless her puppy heart, she actually did.
Last night when my husband and I went into the TV room, Savannah followed us, bringing half of her toys with her, one at a time. She was sitting close to my husband, playing with her toys, walking back and forth in the room, and looking at the television screen when either the football game or the baseball game was on (she seems to like sports). When she got tired of playing, she laid down in the middle of the floor and watched my husband watching TV and watched me as I was reading. When Savannah forgets to be nervous and cautious about her new life here, her tail is up and wagging and she's smiling wide with that puppy-smile of hers, and she is the happiest of dogs. Clearly, she does like it here, and she is on a good schedule with eating and going out (she also knows what "Want To Go Out?!" means, and when she has to go, she will nudge my leg with her nose to get my attention).
We're going to PetCo today, to look for a big doggie-bed for Savannah. We were going to take her with us, but we don't think she's quite ready for that experience yet, being that everything new seems to make her cautious and apprehensive, and she has enough 'new' things in this house to get used to as it is. So we'll wait another month or so before bringing her into a store filled with other people and their pets, as well as all sorts of sights and smells that she will have to deal with.
As that old song goes, what a difference a day makes... I'm just thrilled that Savannah has finally come to peace with my husband and she knows that both of us are 'her people' and she can feel safe and protected with each of us. Happy, happy puppy, and happy, happy day.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Before the light of day...
As I type, it is four o'clock in the morning. Savannah woke me up about an hour ago... I heard her whimpering in her crate and the only reason she does that is if she has to go out into the grass. She has only gotten me out of bed twice in the nine nights that we've had her, and both times, I left her rawhide chew bone in the crate with her. I think she wakes up, gnaws on that bone for a while, then has to get out to sprinkle in the grass, and then get some water because all that chewing gets her thirsty. (Note to self: no rawhide bone in her crate when she goes to bed for the night.)
Speaking of 'going to bed,' Savannah has learned that phrase. If I point to her crate and tell her "Go to bed, Savannah, go to bed!" she will walk calmly into her crate and lay down. It would seem to me that learning "Sit, Savannah, sit!" would be easier, but we're still working on that one. It might be easier for her to learn to "Sit!" if I have tiny bits of a treat in my hand. I had to use treats with our dog Gracie when she was a puppy, and it worked very well.
And speaking of Gracie.... that's why I'm up in the middle of the night. I would have gone back to bed after taking Savannah out to the grass, but I wasn't really sleeping well tonight anyway so I thought I'd just stay up. You can only turn the pillow over so many times and then it's just time to get up. So I'm sitting here dressed for the day, make-up on, and hair somewhat fixed until I can use the blow-dryer later on at a more reasonable hour, being that my husband is sound asleep at the moment, along with mostly everyone else up here in the hills.
My husband and I were talking about Gracie just before I got into bed.... I know he's missing her, which he has since the day we had to put her 'to sleep' (a phrase that sounds soothing but is really heart-breaking). He told me tonight that he doesn't feel bonded or connected to Savannah, and he feels badly about that. With Gracie, there was an immediate connection which lasted from day one until her last breath, and even beyond. We adopted Gracie from an SPCA, and we took that little puppy out into the yard of the facility and she followed my husband around and around, barely taking her eyes off of him. "This is the one," my husband told me that morning... and Gracie was The One for nearly 15 years. My husband was Gracie's Number One Person... she absolutely adored him, and merely tolerated me when he was at work. Never mind that I was the one who fed her and gave her fresh water and walked her most of the time... Gracie's heart was in my husband's pocket, and I'm guessing now that it's still there.
When we went to see Savannah for the first time, we met the woman and her daughter in the parking lot of a McDonald's which was halfway between our town and theirs, to save us both a longer drive. The parking lot was busy with vehicles and kids and that box with voices coming out asking if the customers wanted shakes or fries with their Big Macs. With every unusual and strange sound, Savannah's attention was diverted and her tail was between her legs and she was just plain frightened. She had just completed a 45-minute ride from north of Houston in a crate that was in the back of a pick-up truck, with no protection from the sun and the noises and odors of the freeway.
While I spoke to the woman and her daughter, my husband put Gracie's old leash on the puppy and tried to get her to walk in the grass surrounding the McDonald's parking lot. Too many cars, too many people, too many crackling voices coming from the Place-Your-Order box. This puppy couldn't concentrate on any one particular thing, but still, my husband looked at me and smiled and nodded his head.... his signal that we would indeed take this puppy from these people. I paid the daughter, hugged both her and her mother good-bye, and we let them drive away before getting soon-to-be-named Savannah into the back seat of my husband's car. While my husband drove towards home, I was in the backseat with the puppy, who was clearly shaking and scared.
With any puppy's adoption, everything that puppy knows is taken away, and no matter how much you love her and care for her, that puppy-mind is still remembering the life she knew, the surroundings she was familiar with, and it takes some time for the puppy to get acclimated to her new home. We don't know how many other puppies were in the litter with Savannah, but that mother and daughter had adopted both Savannah and one of her brothers, and for three solid months, those two puppies spent every minute together. The daughter didn't name the puppies--- they were called Puppy #1 and Puppy #2. Not something I would ever do, but I guess it worked for them.
So then the mother and daughter decided that their lives were too busy for two puppies... they put an ad on the Craig's List site, and that's when we came into Savannah's life. On the drive home that very first day, my husband had to lift Savannah into the back seat of his car (she had only been in the back of that woman's truck, never inside the vehicle). I sat in the back seat with soon-to-be-named Savannah because my husband and I thought she would be less frightened that way. She did settle down after just a few minutes, curling up on the other side of the seat, but then she slowly moved her way closer to me and put her head on my arm and her paws on my legs. And that's how we drove home, with a sleeping puppy up close right next to me as my husband and I tossed out possibilities for her name.
For all of these days we've had Savannah, I've been walking and feeding her, talking to her, saying her name so many times that I know I must sound like a broken record to that puppy. Her crate is in a corner of the kitchen, and she has free run of the entire kitchen and the breakfast room. When we go into the TV room, she follows us in there, bringing along some of her toys. The TV room and adjoining bathroom has always been the kingdom our inside cat Sweet Pea.... who has not yet made friends with Savannah. Sweet Pea watches her play from a distance, Savannah watches him watching her, and I do think that they'll be fine once the cat gives the puppy a chance.
I also think that my husband and Savannah will be fine, but he has to give her more than nine days to form some sort of relationship with him. I've spent the last hour looking at dog-sites on the computer, reading questions and answers on non-bonding problems with dogs and their people. Nearly every site has said that most dogs will bond quickly with one person in their "pack" but they will (and should) accept everyone in their family. I know that Savannah realizes that my husband and I both live here, and we are both her new people, but she trusted me first, and she's taking her time with her trust for my husband. We don't know if she had any contact with men when she was with her previous owners. Personally, I don't think so, because my husband is not the only man that Savannah doesn't trust-- I introduced her to a friend's husband and Savannah backed away. She is also hesitant with our female neighbors, so I'm inclined to believe that in her previous home, her main company was her puppy-brother, and she probably saw the mother and daughter at feeding times and that was it. Dogs are pack animals and need people-contact.
Our dog Gracie died in July of 2010. We've been without a dog all this time. Now we have Savannah, who has proven to be an exceptional puppy.... no accidents in the house... no chewing of things other than her own toys. Savannah knows her name, she knows that her new family consists of me, my husband, one inside cat and two outside cats. Except for one split-second when Savannah tried to play with Sweet Pea, she hasn't made an aggressive move towards the cats. When our dining room had eight of my friends here for tea last Wednesday, Savannah calmly watched them coming into the back door and she gave everyone a puppy-smile but kept her distance. When we all went into the dining room for tea, Savannah followed us and just walked slowly around the table, watching everyone and not touching a blessed thing in that big room. I think she walked around the table three or four times before she started to go out of my sight and into the living room, so I put her into her crate with a toy and she stayed there quietly for the rest of the tea party.
Patience. This puppy needs patience. And love. I don't think she was really loved as if she were a member of the family. We don't know all of her history, and I know that fact is now bothering my husband. Savannah is not Gracie, and probably never will be anything close in my husband's eyes, because Gracie was his one-and-only perfect dog of a life-time. And while I understand that clearly, Savannah of course doesn't have a clue. After watching her every move for the past nine days, I truly believe that Savannah had zero contact with men before we adopted her. And she probably had very little contact with anyone other than the mother and daughter who owned her before. They were very nice people from what we could see, but I do believe that you just cannot keep a dog out in the yard like a cow.
I have been typing for over an hour. Needless to say, I am beyond wide awake. Savannah has been sleeping soundly in her crate... I don't hear a sound from upstairs so my husband is still sleeping also. Our inside cat Sweet Pea is sitting in my lap and hanging half of his body over my right arm.... he's watching the computer screen and purring... and my right arm feels like a dead-weight. Sweet Pea comes out into the breakfast room now only when Savannah is in her crate.
I'm hoping that this very sweet cat will learn to trust Savannah as much as he trusts me and my husband. I'm hoping that Savannah will learn to trust my husband as much as she now seems to trust me. And I am also hoping that my husband will trust his initial decision to adopt this puppy, and give her the patience and time she seems to need to get used to having a man in her life. We've only had Savannah for nine days... and she has gotten closer to me simply because I've spent more time with her, especially during the days when my husband is at work. His connection with her will just take a bit longer to solidify, and I hope he can remember that.
That's a lot of hope for 5:30 in the morning.
Speaking of 'going to bed,' Savannah has learned that phrase. If I point to her crate and tell her "Go to bed, Savannah, go to bed!" she will walk calmly into her crate and lay down. It would seem to me that learning "Sit, Savannah, sit!" would be easier, but we're still working on that one. It might be easier for her to learn to "Sit!" if I have tiny bits of a treat in my hand. I had to use treats with our dog Gracie when she was a puppy, and it worked very well.
And speaking of Gracie.... that's why I'm up in the middle of the night. I would have gone back to bed after taking Savannah out to the grass, but I wasn't really sleeping well tonight anyway so I thought I'd just stay up. You can only turn the pillow over so many times and then it's just time to get up. So I'm sitting here dressed for the day, make-up on, and hair somewhat fixed until I can use the blow-dryer later on at a more reasonable hour, being that my husband is sound asleep at the moment, along with mostly everyone else up here in the hills.
My husband and I were talking about Gracie just before I got into bed.... I know he's missing her, which he has since the day we had to put her 'to sleep' (a phrase that sounds soothing but is really heart-breaking). He told me tonight that he doesn't feel bonded or connected to Savannah, and he feels badly about that. With Gracie, there was an immediate connection which lasted from day one until her last breath, and even beyond. We adopted Gracie from an SPCA, and we took that little puppy out into the yard of the facility and she followed my husband around and around, barely taking her eyes off of him. "This is the one," my husband told me that morning... and Gracie was The One for nearly 15 years. My husband was Gracie's Number One Person... she absolutely adored him, and merely tolerated me when he was at work. Never mind that I was the one who fed her and gave her fresh water and walked her most of the time... Gracie's heart was in my husband's pocket, and I'm guessing now that it's still there.
When we went to see Savannah for the first time, we met the woman and her daughter in the parking lot of a McDonald's which was halfway between our town and theirs, to save us both a longer drive. The parking lot was busy with vehicles and kids and that box with voices coming out asking if the customers wanted shakes or fries with their Big Macs. With every unusual and strange sound, Savannah's attention was diverted and her tail was between her legs and she was just plain frightened. She had just completed a 45-minute ride from north of Houston in a crate that was in the back of a pick-up truck, with no protection from the sun and the noises and odors of the freeway.
While I spoke to the woman and her daughter, my husband put Gracie's old leash on the puppy and tried to get her to walk in the grass surrounding the McDonald's parking lot. Too many cars, too many people, too many crackling voices coming from the Place-Your-Order box. This puppy couldn't concentrate on any one particular thing, but still, my husband looked at me and smiled and nodded his head.... his signal that we would indeed take this puppy from these people. I paid the daughter, hugged both her and her mother good-bye, and we let them drive away before getting soon-to-be-named Savannah into the back seat of my husband's car. While my husband drove towards home, I was in the backseat with the puppy, who was clearly shaking and scared.
With any puppy's adoption, everything that puppy knows is taken away, and no matter how much you love her and care for her, that puppy-mind is still remembering the life she knew, the surroundings she was familiar with, and it takes some time for the puppy to get acclimated to her new home. We don't know how many other puppies were in the litter with Savannah, but that mother and daughter had adopted both Savannah and one of her brothers, and for three solid months, those two puppies spent every minute together. The daughter didn't name the puppies--- they were called Puppy #1 and Puppy #2. Not something I would ever do, but I guess it worked for them.
So then the mother and daughter decided that their lives were too busy for two puppies... they put an ad on the Craig's List site, and that's when we came into Savannah's life. On the drive home that very first day, my husband had to lift Savannah into the back seat of his car (she had only been in the back of that woman's truck, never inside the vehicle). I sat in the back seat with soon-to-be-named Savannah because my husband and I thought she would be less frightened that way. She did settle down after just a few minutes, curling up on the other side of the seat, but then she slowly moved her way closer to me and put her head on my arm and her paws on my legs. And that's how we drove home, with a sleeping puppy up close right next to me as my husband and I tossed out possibilities for her name.
For all of these days we've had Savannah, I've been walking and feeding her, talking to her, saying her name so many times that I know I must sound like a broken record to that puppy. Her crate is in a corner of the kitchen, and she has free run of the entire kitchen and the breakfast room. When we go into the TV room, she follows us in there, bringing along some of her toys. The TV room and adjoining bathroom has always been the kingdom our inside cat Sweet Pea.... who has not yet made friends with Savannah. Sweet Pea watches her play from a distance, Savannah watches him watching her, and I do think that they'll be fine once the cat gives the puppy a chance.
I also think that my husband and Savannah will be fine, but he has to give her more than nine days to form some sort of relationship with him. I've spent the last hour looking at dog-sites on the computer, reading questions and answers on non-bonding problems with dogs and their people. Nearly every site has said that most dogs will bond quickly with one person in their "pack" but they will (and should) accept everyone in their family. I know that Savannah realizes that my husband and I both live here, and we are both her new people, but she trusted me first, and she's taking her time with her trust for my husband. We don't know if she had any contact with men when she was with her previous owners. Personally, I don't think so, because my husband is not the only man that Savannah doesn't trust-- I introduced her to a friend's husband and Savannah backed away. She is also hesitant with our female neighbors, so I'm inclined to believe that in her previous home, her main company was her puppy-brother, and she probably saw the mother and daughter at feeding times and that was it. Dogs are pack animals and need people-contact.
Our dog Gracie died in July of 2010. We've been without a dog all this time. Now we have Savannah, who has proven to be an exceptional puppy.... no accidents in the house... no chewing of things other than her own toys. Savannah knows her name, she knows that her new family consists of me, my husband, one inside cat and two outside cats. Except for one split-second when Savannah tried to play with Sweet Pea, she hasn't made an aggressive move towards the cats. When our dining room had eight of my friends here for tea last Wednesday, Savannah calmly watched them coming into the back door and she gave everyone a puppy-smile but kept her distance. When we all went into the dining room for tea, Savannah followed us and just walked slowly around the table, watching everyone and not touching a blessed thing in that big room. I think she walked around the table three or four times before she started to go out of my sight and into the living room, so I put her into her crate with a toy and she stayed there quietly for the rest of the tea party.
Patience. This puppy needs patience. And love. I don't think she was really loved as if she were a member of the family. We don't know all of her history, and I know that fact is now bothering my husband. Savannah is not Gracie, and probably never will be anything close in my husband's eyes, because Gracie was his one-and-only perfect dog of a life-time. And while I understand that clearly, Savannah of course doesn't have a clue. After watching her every move for the past nine days, I truly believe that Savannah had zero contact with men before we adopted her. And she probably had very little contact with anyone other than the mother and daughter who owned her before. They were very nice people from what we could see, but I do believe that you just cannot keep a dog out in the yard like a cow.
I have been typing for over an hour. Needless to say, I am beyond wide awake. Savannah has been sleeping soundly in her crate... I don't hear a sound from upstairs so my husband is still sleeping also. Our inside cat Sweet Pea is sitting in my lap and hanging half of his body over my right arm.... he's watching the computer screen and purring... and my right arm feels like a dead-weight. Sweet Pea comes out into the breakfast room now only when Savannah is in her crate.
I'm hoping that this very sweet cat will learn to trust Savannah as much as he trusts me and my husband. I'm hoping that Savannah will learn to trust my husband as much as she now seems to trust me. And I am also hoping that my husband will trust his initial decision to adopt this puppy, and give her the patience and time she seems to need to get used to having a man in her life. We've only had Savannah for nine days... and she has gotten closer to me simply because I've spent more time with her, especially during the days when my husband is at work. His connection with her will just take a bit longer to solidify, and I hope he can remember that.
That's a lot of hope for 5:30 in the morning.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Savannah's Puppy Diary
I've been with my New People for seven days. The back seat of their car was much nicer than the back of the truck I was delivered in and the inside of this house is a lot cooler than the backyard I was kept in at my other home. I'm still looking for my Brother though. My New People have given me Toys and Food and a New Leash and Collar so maybe they'll be giving me back my Brother. My old home had a little Pool filled with water for me and my Brother to play in so I guess now my Brother has that little blue Pool all to himself.
I have these things now called Toys. My New Man gave me a blue Monkey and a pink Pig the first day I was taken to my New Home. Then my New Lady went to the store and bought me a blue Fish and a pink Bunny and a brown Monkey. My New People already know that the blue Monkey is my Favorite Toy because they hold that up in front of me to get me to do something that I don't want to do, like get into the car for a trip to The Vet for a check-up and puppy-shots. The Vet said I was very healthy and he said I was smart and would get very big so I would have to be trained while I was still Young Enough To Learn Something HaHaHaHaHa.
My New People have The Cats. There are three of The Cats in this Family. A Black Cat and a Gray Cat are outside all the time but a Striped Cat is inside the house. On my first day here my New People told me that I have to Be Nice to The Cats because They Were Here First. I think I've been Nice. The Black Cat hissed at me once but must have realized that I am much bigger so he doesn't hiss anymore when I go outside. The Gray Cat meows at me and comes close to my nose and we just sniff each other. I remember to Be Nice because They Were Here First.
The Striped Cat stays in the TV room and won't come out. My New Lady picked up that Striped Cat and brought him into the kitchen to say hello to me but that was a Big Mistake. It took about two seconds for that Striped Cat to climb out of the Lady's arms and over her shoulder and down her back and run into the TV room. So for now my Lady is leaving the Striped Cat in the TV room and telling me that he will Make Friends with me when he's Good And Ready. But I still have to Be Nice to him because He Was Here First.
My New Lady feeds me and takes me Outside and keeps saying Savannah Savannah Savannah every time she looks at me. She told me that I have to learn the word Savannah Savannah Savannah because that is My Name. I didn't have a Name in my old home. My old people called me Puppy Number 2 and my Brother was Puppy Number 1. Me and my Brother were Outside Dogs on the grass inside a fence with the little blue Pool. Now I'm an Inside Dog. No fence. No pool. And no Brother. My New Lady said that Everything I have is Just For Me. Just for Savannah Savannah Savannah. I don't have to share anything with my Brother. I don't have to share anything with The Cats, even though They Were Here First.
I'm getting used to my New Lady. She makes my Food and she tells me Out! Out! Out! when she picks up my new Blue Leash and takes me for a Walk Outside. All the way up the road she says Savannah Savannah Savannah. I have learned that if I look at her when she's saying Savannah Savannah Savannah she'll stop saying that word and tell me What A Good Girl! You Know Your Name! But then she goes back to saying Savannah Savannah Savannah.
It is taking me longer to get comfortable with my New Man. He isn't with me as much as my New Lady is. He goes To Work my New Lady says. My New Man tried to take me for a Walk this morning and I didn't want to go. I kept looking back at my Lady and wondering if I would see her again if the man brought me Out! Out! Out! When the Man was walking me he didn't say Savannah Savannah Savannah all the way up the road but he did bring me back to my Lady and my New Bed and my New Toys. I am sure I will get used to my New Man. He's taller than my New Lady but he doesn't feed me except for Treats and I don't have to share my Toys with him not even the blue Monkey that he bought for me on my First Day. I will try to remember to Be Nice to my New Man because He Was Here First.
I have these things now called Toys. My New Man gave me a blue Monkey and a pink Pig the first day I was taken to my New Home. Then my New Lady went to the store and bought me a blue Fish and a pink Bunny and a brown Monkey. My New People already know that the blue Monkey is my Favorite Toy because they hold that up in front of me to get me to do something that I don't want to do, like get into the car for a trip to The Vet for a check-up and puppy-shots. The Vet said I was very healthy and he said I was smart and would get very big so I would have to be trained while I was still Young Enough To Learn Something HaHaHaHaHa.
My New People have The Cats. There are three of The Cats in this Family. A Black Cat and a Gray Cat are outside all the time but a Striped Cat is inside the house. On my first day here my New People told me that I have to Be Nice to The Cats because They Were Here First. I think I've been Nice. The Black Cat hissed at me once but must have realized that I am much bigger so he doesn't hiss anymore when I go outside. The Gray Cat meows at me and comes close to my nose and we just sniff each other. I remember to Be Nice because They Were Here First.
The Striped Cat stays in the TV room and won't come out. My New Lady picked up that Striped Cat and brought him into the kitchen to say hello to me but that was a Big Mistake. It took about two seconds for that Striped Cat to climb out of the Lady's arms and over her shoulder and down her back and run into the TV room. So for now my Lady is leaving the Striped Cat in the TV room and telling me that he will Make Friends with me when he's Good And Ready. But I still have to Be Nice to him because He Was Here First.
My New Lady feeds me and takes me Outside and keeps saying Savannah Savannah Savannah every time she looks at me. She told me that I have to learn the word Savannah Savannah Savannah because that is My Name. I didn't have a Name in my old home. My old people called me Puppy Number 2 and my Brother was Puppy Number 1. Me and my Brother were Outside Dogs on the grass inside a fence with the little blue Pool. Now I'm an Inside Dog. No fence. No pool. And no Brother. My New Lady said that Everything I have is Just For Me. Just for Savannah Savannah Savannah. I don't have to share anything with my Brother. I don't have to share anything with The Cats, even though They Were Here First.
I'm getting used to my New Lady. She makes my Food and she tells me Out! Out! Out! when she picks up my new Blue Leash and takes me for a Walk Outside. All the way up the road she says Savannah Savannah Savannah. I have learned that if I look at her when she's saying Savannah Savannah Savannah she'll stop saying that word and tell me What A Good Girl! You Know Your Name! But then she goes back to saying Savannah Savannah Savannah.
It is taking me longer to get comfortable with my New Man. He isn't with me as much as my New Lady is. He goes To Work my New Lady says. My New Man tried to take me for a Walk this morning and I didn't want to go. I kept looking back at my Lady and wondering if I would see her again if the man brought me Out! Out! Out! When the Man was walking me he didn't say Savannah Savannah Savannah all the way up the road but he did bring me back to my Lady and my New Bed and my New Toys. I am sure I will get used to my New Man. He's taller than my New Lady but he doesn't feed me except for Treats and I don't have to share my Toys with him not even the blue Monkey that he bought for me on my First Day. I will try to remember to Be Nice to my New Man because He Was Here First.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Puppy Ice...
As I type, it must be nearly 100 degrees outside.... I have just taken Savannah for a walk up the road. Clearly, she does not like the heat (that's the Pyrenees part of her) and she tends to finish up quickly outside when the sun is at its hottest. The Great Pyrenees dogs do like cold weather, so heaven help me if we get a good cold-snap this winter... she'll have me out there shivering for an hour while she basks in the Eskimo-ish temperatures.
When we got back into the house just now, Savannah stretched out on the tile floor and I put some ice cubes into her water dish. She didn't notice me doing that, but she did hear the crick-crick as the frozen cubes started to melt in the room-temperature water that was already in her bowl. At the first sound coming from her water bowl, she jumped up and walked cautiously towards the corner where her food and water dishes are kept. As she got closer, the crick-crick sound continued and Savannah stuck her nose into the bowl and discovered the floating cubes. Without hesitation, she put her mouth down into the water, scooped up an ice cube and dropped it on the kitchen floor. Crick-crick-crick. Her mouth opened up in that puppy-smile, and she gave the cube a nudge with her nose, moving it a few inches on the floor, and of course leaving a small trail of melting ice in its wake.
It took about three seconds for Savannah to realize she had a new toy. She took her paw and swiped at the ice cube, sending it flying halfway across the kitchen, with her at close pursuit. When she got up to it, another swipe in the opposite direction, another trail of water, and by that time the ice cube was very tiny. Back to the water bowl... another ice cube... repeat the above. In less than three minutes, half of the kitchen floor had a cold drizzle of water from one end to the other, and Savannah was so proud of herself that she sat down in the midst of it and gave me her best puppy smile.
Don't you just love puppies? The littlest things become treasures and the tiniest bit of fun becomes the highlight of the hour. I took a just-washed cleaning towel and rubbed her dry... then I got out the mop and cleaned up the floor..... followed by the emptying of her water dish and re-filling it with plain old tap water, hold the ice cubes. Savannah is exhausted now... and sleeping in the corner of the breakfast room... in the same spot where she always naps when she's not in her crate, so I'm guessing that her king-sized puppy bed will go into that same corner when we buy it. (Location, location, location.)
My husband gave Savannah a blue rubber ball today.... he rolled it on the floor towards her and she let it keep rolling till it stopped against the wall, then she pushed it back towards him with her nose. I guess that will be Savannah's favorite way of getting things to move just like the ice cubes.... shove them a bit with her Great Pyrenees nose.
Neighbor G stopped by this morning with a new-puppy gift for Savannah...... a big puppy teething-ring covered in heavy and colorful cords. Savannah has carried it around, managed to get her paw through it and then back out, and then she put the pink Peep bunny on top of the ring: Just. So. I will eventually need a larger basket for her toys.
When we got back into the house just now, Savannah stretched out on the tile floor and I put some ice cubes into her water dish. She didn't notice me doing that, but she did hear the crick-crick as the frozen cubes started to melt in the room-temperature water that was already in her bowl. At the first sound coming from her water bowl, she jumped up and walked cautiously towards the corner where her food and water dishes are kept. As she got closer, the crick-crick sound continued and Savannah stuck her nose into the bowl and discovered the floating cubes. Without hesitation, she put her mouth down into the water, scooped up an ice cube and dropped it on the kitchen floor. Crick-crick-crick. Her mouth opened up in that puppy-smile, and she gave the cube a nudge with her nose, moving it a few inches on the floor, and of course leaving a small trail of melting ice in its wake.
It took about three seconds for Savannah to realize she had a new toy. She took her paw and swiped at the ice cube, sending it flying halfway across the kitchen, with her at close pursuit. When she got up to it, another swipe in the opposite direction, another trail of water, and by that time the ice cube was very tiny. Back to the water bowl... another ice cube... repeat the above. In less than three minutes, half of the kitchen floor had a cold drizzle of water from one end to the other, and Savannah was so proud of herself that she sat down in the midst of it and gave me her best puppy smile.
Don't you just love puppies? The littlest things become treasures and the tiniest bit of fun becomes the highlight of the hour. I took a just-washed cleaning towel and rubbed her dry... then I got out the mop and cleaned up the floor..... followed by the emptying of her water dish and re-filling it with plain old tap water, hold the ice cubes. Savannah is exhausted now... and sleeping in the corner of the breakfast room... in the same spot where she always naps when she's not in her crate, so I'm guessing that her king-sized puppy bed will go into that same corner when we buy it. (Location, location, location.)
My husband gave Savannah a blue rubber ball today.... he rolled it on the floor towards her and she let it keep rolling till it stopped against the wall, then she pushed it back towards him with her nose. I guess that will be Savannah's favorite way of getting things to move just like the ice cubes.... shove them a bit with her Great Pyrenees nose.
Neighbor G stopped by this morning with a new-puppy gift for Savannah...... a big puppy teething-ring covered in heavy and colorful cords. Savannah has carried it around, managed to get her paw through it and then back out, and then she put the pink Peep bunny on top of the ring: Just. So. I will eventually need a larger basket for her toys.
Puppy Dollars and Sense...
Well, I guess I'm spoiling Savannah just as much as my husband has been. Considering the fact that my husband does not like to shop, he has bought Savannah the following toys: a blue monkey, a pink pig, a green chicken, and an orange fish, plus grooming supplies, food bowls, and enough puppy chow to keep her tummy filled for the next seventeen months.
And then there's me.... I went to Walmart yesterday and found a plethora of collars and leashes in every pattern and color of the puppy rainbow. I immediately reached for a magenta collar and leash, which was the same color of the Magenta Crayola crayon in the box of 64, and also happened to be the color of my Aunt Jaye's signature Revlon lipstick. But then I got to thinking... would my husband want to be out there on our country road walking a dog with a lipstick-colored leash and collar?
I thought it best to consider other colors... the reds looked too Christmas-y, the greens would have been fine for Kermit the Frog, the polka-dotted collars were too 1950s (nothing wrong with that, but just wrong for this particular dog), and the orange ones looked like those vests worn by road workers. (Not for my dog, thank you.) The leashes with the patterns looked too baby-ish, and Savannah already weighs 36 pounds. But... there was a peacock-blue leash, with a matching collar and halter. Well now.... that would work. My husband should like that color because he's always taking photos of Mr. Carson, the neighbor's peacock, who visits our porch from time to time. (Actually, Mr. Carson may not like our porch anymore, unless of course he will tolerate a very big puppy who will grow into a very big dog.)
The peacock blue leash it was, along with the matching collar and halter. If Savannah grows to the vet's estimate of 80 pounds, the collar and leash should be fine, but I may need a larger halter at some point. I've already put this halter on Savannah... and she stepped into it as daintily as a woman trying on a pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos. (Or should that be Puppy Choo?)
I ordered an engraved dog tag on eBay last night... a heart-shape with her name and my phone number on it. This particular site gave me a choice of size for the ID tag, and I picked a large one that Savannah will grow into and will be very visible on her collar. Being that I picked the blue for her collar and leash, I thought it only right to get the bright pink for the ID tag... after all, she is a girl.
Yesterday, I also stopped at one of the local thrift stores. They always have a huge basket filled with stuffed animals of all sizes. Since Savannah seems to prefer the soft blue monkey toy instead of the other rubber toys my husband bought her, I picked out some more animals to add to her menagerie: a blue fish, a brown monkey, and a pink 'Peep'-shaped bunny. Savannah loves the pink Peep and the brown monkey. So I guess her preferences have nothing to do with color... it could be the shape and softness of the toys.
I had eMail from the girl who was with her mother when my husband and I went to meet our puppy... she told me that she will call her mom and ask her if the male puppy is still for sale. She will let me know, and I'll pass along the info to C... and then I know that C will have a lot of questions for them, concerning the male puppy's temperament and personality. I'm hoping that lightning strikes twice, and the male puppy is just as wonderful as his sister.
Today was the first dose of the monthly medication for Savannah... to eliminate heartworm disease, intestinal worms, and it also kills fleas and ticks. For the cost of this one pill, I very well could have bought Savannah a pair of Puppy Choo stilettos. Even though she is an inside dog now, being out here in the country makes her a target for all sorts of germs and parasites carried on the wind from field to field by the livestock and wildlife around the hills here, so I'd rather be on the safe side with Savannah. May as well spend that money on preventive meds, being that Savannah would soon learn that stilettos are not puppy-friendly or country-road appropriate.
As I sit here typing, Savannah is sleeping on the floor of the breakfast room, with her chin resting on the blue monkey, and her paw on top of the pink Peep. She has taken nearly every toy out of the basket and the floor of my kitchen looks like a small explosion at Toys R Us. I can see little puddles of water on the tiles around her water bowl and I know for a fact that from now on, my kitchen floor will only be pristine for thirteen seconds after it has been mopped.
Our cat Sweet Pea is peeking out of the TV room door, sniffing the air and knowing that Savannah (that dog who isn't a cat!) is sleeping on the floor and not in her crate. Sweet Pea will not walk further than the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. I have a wicker magazine rack on the threshold between the two rooms. Sweet Pea can get through the wicker, but he doesn't, and Savannah could move the wicker, but she leaves it where it is. I'm hoping that Sweet Pea will soon make friends with Savannah... but I guess that will come when he believes that she is very gentle, and has already sat down and smiled at our two outside cats as they walked within two inches of this 36-pound puppy.
And then there's me.... I went to Walmart yesterday and found a plethora of collars and leashes in every pattern and color of the puppy rainbow. I immediately reached for a magenta collar and leash, which was the same color of the Magenta Crayola crayon in the box of 64, and also happened to be the color of my Aunt Jaye's signature Revlon lipstick. But then I got to thinking... would my husband want to be out there on our country road walking a dog with a lipstick-colored leash and collar?
I thought it best to consider other colors... the reds looked too Christmas-y, the greens would have been fine for Kermit the Frog, the polka-dotted collars were too 1950s (nothing wrong with that, but just wrong for this particular dog), and the orange ones looked like those vests worn by road workers. (Not for my dog, thank you.) The leashes with the patterns looked too baby-ish, and Savannah already weighs 36 pounds. But... there was a peacock-blue leash, with a matching collar and halter. Well now.... that would work. My husband should like that color because he's always taking photos of Mr. Carson, the neighbor's peacock, who visits our porch from time to time. (Actually, Mr. Carson may not like our porch anymore, unless of course he will tolerate a very big puppy who will grow into a very big dog.)
The peacock blue leash it was, along with the matching collar and halter. If Savannah grows to the vet's estimate of 80 pounds, the collar and leash should be fine, but I may need a larger halter at some point. I've already put this halter on Savannah... and she stepped into it as daintily as a woman trying on a pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos. (Or should that be Puppy Choo?)
I ordered an engraved dog tag on eBay last night... a heart-shape with her name and my phone number on it. This particular site gave me a choice of size for the ID tag, and I picked a large one that Savannah will grow into and will be very visible on her collar. Being that I picked the blue for her collar and leash, I thought it only right to get the bright pink for the ID tag... after all, she is a girl.
Yesterday, I also stopped at one of the local thrift stores. They always have a huge basket filled with stuffed animals of all sizes. Since Savannah seems to prefer the soft blue monkey toy instead of the other rubber toys my husband bought her, I picked out some more animals to add to her menagerie: a blue fish, a brown monkey, and a pink 'Peep'-shaped bunny. Savannah loves the pink Peep and the brown monkey. So I guess her preferences have nothing to do with color... it could be the shape and softness of the toys.
I had eMail from the girl who was with her mother when my husband and I went to meet our puppy... she told me that she will call her mom and ask her if the male puppy is still for sale. She will let me know, and I'll pass along the info to C... and then I know that C will have a lot of questions for them, concerning the male puppy's temperament and personality. I'm hoping that lightning strikes twice, and the male puppy is just as wonderful as his sister.
Today was the first dose of the monthly medication for Savannah... to eliminate heartworm disease, intestinal worms, and it also kills fleas and ticks. For the cost of this one pill, I very well could have bought Savannah a pair of Puppy Choo stilettos. Even though she is an inside dog now, being out here in the country makes her a target for all sorts of germs and parasites carried on the wind from field to field by the livestock and wildlife around the hills here, so I'd rather be on the safe side with Savannah. May as well spend that money on preventive meds, being that Savannah would soon learn that stilettos are not puppy-friendly or country-road appropriate.
As I sit here typing, Savannah is sleeping on the floor of the breakfast room, with her chin resting on the blue monkey, and her paw on top of the pink Peep. She has taken nearly every toy out of the basket and the floor of my kitchen looks like a small explosion at Toys R Us. I can see little puddles of water on the tiles around her water bowl and I know for a fact that from now on, my kitchen floor will only be pristine for thirteen seconds after it has been mopped.
Our cat Sweet Pea is peeking out of the TV room door, sniffing the air and knowing that Savannah (that dog who isn't a cat!) is sleeping on the floor and not in her crate. Sweet Pea will not walk further than the threshold between the TV room and the breakfast room. I have a wicker magazine rack on the threshold between the two rooms. Sweet Pea can get through the wicker, but he doesn't, and Savannah could move the wicker, but she leaves it where it is. I'm hoping that Sweet Pea will soon make friends with Savannah... but I guess that will come when he believes that she is very gentle, and has already sat down and smiled at our two outside cats as they walked within two inches of this 36-pound puppy.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Vet day for Savannah...
As I type, Savannah is sound asleep in a corner of the breakfast room... totally exhausted, poor puppy. I called the vet this afternoon to make an appointment for a thorough check-up and the second booster-shots that puppies get before they're a year old. I also wanted to ask about having her spayed in 4 or 5 weeks when she is six months old. The vet's office wasn't too busy today, so they told me I could just bring her in today.
Savannah behaved very well the day we took her home in my husband's car.... we put a blanket on the back seat for her, and I sat there with her during the ride home. My car, however, is a sports car with two seats.... would Savannah even fit in the passenger seat?
Before I brought her outside, I got two of her blankets and put one on the seat and one on the floor of the passenger side. I clipped on her leash, told her we were going "Out!" (a word she already knows) and after a short visit to the grass, off to my car we went. As soon as Savannah got within two feet of my car, she stopped in her tracks, sat down, and turned to stone. She weighs 36 pounds.... there was no way for me to pick her up and get her into that car against her will.
So out came the secret weapon from my purse... Savannah's favorite toy--- the little blue monkey that my husband bought for her. I put that monkey up to her nose, gave it a squeak, and then tossed it on the seat of my car. It was a Kodak moment... into the car she jumped... and I made sure her tail was tucked away from the door before I closed it... and off we went.
Savannah stayed on the seat for the 20-minute ride to the vet.... she looked out the window, watching the cows, the cars, the blinking lights at the intersections along the highway. When we got to the parking lot by the vet's office, she was more than happy to just jump out of the car without being coaxed. However..... Savannah turned to stone again as soon as I opened the door of the vet's office.... something about the medicinal smells that are in and around every vet's office... seems that all dogs behave that same way (except for the very small ones who can be just carried in).
I got her into the office, though, simply by not taking her "NO!" as the final word. (Plus, I had left the blue monkey in the car.) She was very good with both the doctor and his assistant... they checked her ears and teeth, gave her the booster shot, clipped her nails, checked her heartbeat and her bones, and pronounced her as one fine puppy who will be "pert near 80 pounds" when full grown.
We left the office with heart-worm medication, flea and tick meds, and an appointment for next month's spaying. (I didn't tell Savannah about that part yet.)
Happy, happy day... what a good dog we have.
Savannah behaved very well the day we took her home in my husband's car.... we put a blanket on the back seat for her, and I sat there with her during the ride home. My car, however, is a sports car with two seats.... would Savannah even fit in the passenger seat?
Before I brought her outside, I got two of her blankets and put one on the seat and one on the floor of the passenger side. I clipped on her leash, told her we were going "Out!" (a word she already knows) and after a short visit to the grass, off to my car we went. As soon as Savannah got within two feet of my car, she stopped in her tracks, sat down, and turned to stone. She weighs 36 pounds.... there was no way for me to pick her up and get her into that car against her will.
So out came the secret weapon from my purse... Savannah's favorite toy--- the little blue monkey that my husband bought for her. I put that monkey up to her nose, gave it a squeak, and then tossed it on the seat of my car. It was a Kodak moment... into the car she jumped... and I made sure her tail was tucked away from the door before I closed it... and off we went.
Savannah stayed on the seat for the 20-minute ride to the vet.... she looked out the window, watching the cows, the cars, the blinking lights at the intersections along the highway. When we got to the parking lot by the vet's office, she was more than happy to just jump out of the car without being coaxed. However..... Savannah turned to stone again as soon as I opened the door of the vet's office.... something about the medicinal smells that are in and around every vet's office... seems that all dogs behave that same way (except for the very small ones who can be just carried in).
I got her into the office, though, simply by not taking her "NO!" as the final word. (Plus, I had left the blue monkey in the car.) She was very good with both the doctor and his assistant... they checked her ears and teeth, gave her the booster shot, clipped her nails, checked her heartbeat and her bones, and pronounced her as one fine puppy who will be "pert near 80 pounds" when full grown.
We left the office with heart-worm medication, flea and tick meds, and an appointment for next month's spaying. (I didn't tell Savannah about that part yet.)
Happy, happy day... what a good dog we have.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Savannah's First 'Waldorf Wednesday'
Every Wednesday afternoon is tea party time with the ladies in our little bubble of the hills here.... we all bring a plate of something sweet or savory to add to the dining room table....... and we sit and talk and just catch up with each other. Before I started the tea party days, most of us saw one another only occasionally.
Savannah was on her best behavior today (but that's been the case every day, actually)... she was hesitant and cautious, however, but that seems to be her way with strangers. I have a feeling that once she gets to know all of our friends, she's going to be the most social of dogs.
I have called and eMailed the mother and daughter who previously owned Savannah, but haven't heard anything back from them yet. Both in my phone message and in my eMail to them, I told them that I'd named the puppy Savannah and she was just the very best dog.... but I did want to ask them a question or two about her history. Mainly--- did she have contact with men? Or just women? (She seems extra hesitant with men, and just a tiny bit more trusting of women.) I'm just trying to figure out why she's so shy with everyone she meets.... but then, she was shy with me at first, but she isn't that way any longer. I think her trust level with me has gone up every day since she's been here...... she knows my voice and responds to it, and that's an accomplishment for a puppy who was kept in an outdoor kennel for all of her five months.
I've read in pet books that we expect too much of our pets... without taking into account their past history and relationships with their litter mates and previous owners. As in Savannah's case, she was born into a litter of puppies in a small Hill Country town and stayed there for her first two months, then taken with one of her brothers to a slightly larger town outside of Houston... then along came my husband and I, who adopted her and brought her to our home, without her brother. Is she missing her brother? Does she miss being outside all day in that kennel with the blue plastic kiddie-pool filled with cool water? We have no idea.... but my husband is sure that she prefers an air-conditioned home to a fenced-in outdoor kennel.
Savannah has been adjusting just fine here... her basket of toys is nearly overflowing, with today's additions of a pink bunny ('Peep'-shaped), a blue fish, and a brown monkey. She seems to prefer blue toys, and the monkeys and the bunny are her current favorites. In less than a week, Savannah has become a very spoiled little (big, actually) puppy. And, in less than a week, it seems as if we've always had this very special little dog. Sometimes, things are just meant to be, and Savannah was just meant to be here.
I think the spirit of our dog Gracie would approve....
Savannah was on her best behavior today (but that's been the case every day, actually)... she was hesitant and cautious, however, but that seems to be her way with strangers. I have a feeling that once she gets to know all of our friends, she's going to be the most social of dogs.
I have called and eMailed the mother and daughter who previously owned Savannah, but haven't heard anything back from them yet. Both in my phone message and in my eMail to them, I told them that I'd named the puppy Savannah and she was just the very best dog.... but I did want to ask them a question or two about her history. Mainly--- did she have contact with men? Or just women? (She seems extra hesitant with men, and just a tiny bit more trusting of women.) I'm just trying to figure out why she's so shy with everyone she meets.... but then, she was shy with me at first, but she isn't that way any longer. I think her trust level with me has gone up every day since she's been here...... she knows my voice and responds to it, and that's an accomplishment for a puppy who was kept in an outdoor kennel for all of her five months.
I've read in pet books that we expect too much of our pets... without taking into account their past history and relationships with their litter mates and previous owners. As in Savannah's case, she was born into a litter of puppies in a small Hill Country town and stayed there for her first two months, then taken with one of her brothers to a slightly larger town outside of Houston... then along came my husband and I, who adopted her and brought her to our home, without her brother. Is she missing her brother? Does she miss being outside all day in that kennel with the blue plastic kiddie-pool filled with cool water? We have no idea.... but my husband is sure that she prefers an air-conditioned home to a fenced-in outdoor kennel.
Savannah has been adjusting just fine here... her basket of toys is nearly overflowing, with today's additions of a pink bunny ('Peep'-shaped), a blue fish, and a brown monkey. She seems to prefer blue toys, and the monkeys and the bunny are her current favorites. In less than a week, Savannah has become a very spoiled little (big, actually) puppy. And, in less than a week, it seems as if we've always had this very special little dog. Sometimes, things are just meant to be, and Savannah was just meant to be here.
I think the spirit of our dog Gracie would approve....
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Happy puppy day...
Woke up this morning to a puppy who slept quietly in her crate all night long... and she was sitting up waiting for me when I walked into the kitchen this morning. I let her sit there while I quickly fed the cats, then out we went for the morning walk. Savannah is getting much better now that she's been up and down the road so many times. With all the smells out there, from both livestock and wildlife, I think it was puppy-nose overload for her.
Now it seems that she knows why we're out there walking... not to search for goats and fox and armadillos, but to find a nice place in the grass to do whatever it is she needs to do at the moment. When I know she's able to tolerate more, I'll start taking her on longer walks, rather than just up and down our road here, which actually is more than enough walking for a five-month-old puppy.
Considering that Savannah had never been on a leash, she adapted very well (and quickly) to that concept. With what I've read about the Pyrenees being masters of escape (it's a game to them) this puppy will not be walking off-leash like we used to do years ago with Gracie. According to the books on the Great Pyrenees, whatever land they see is theirs to explore, and out here in the country, Savannah can literally see for miles and miles... and I don't want her to be playing Marco Polo.
Sweet Pea is still keeping his distance, but he keeps watching Savannah to see what she's up to... and Savannah keeps watching him as well. We now have a mild acceptance of one another here with Sweet Pea and Savannah... but they're both very gentle and laid-back, so I'm hoping for the best once they get used to sharing the house with one another. Cats and dogs can (and do) love and accept each another... it just takes patience and time. We learned that lesson with Gracie... and we had three and sometimes four cats during most of Gracie's years with us.
Savannah still seems to be more hesitant with men than with women... she's taking her time in learning to trust my husband, and now she's doing the same thing with JD's husband. I took her up the road to meet J & J this evening, and J (husband) had a piece of chicken for Savannah... it took this puppy the longest time to accept the treat from him, but when she did, she took it gently... very lady-like, for a puppy of her young age. I don't know what Savannah's experience was with men... we met the mother and the daughter of that family when we got Savannah, and for all I know, maybe there wasn't a man in that household at all.
When my husband went into town today for errands, he came home with two new toys for Savannah.... a blue sock-monkey and a green chicken. This adds to her toy-box... she also has a pink pig and an orange fish. Clearly, Savannah likes the blue monkey the best... I don't know if it's because the monkey is soft and plush (all the others are rubber) or possibly it's because she prefers the color blue. I do believe that animals can recognize colors... our cat (now deceased) AngelBoy loved the color blue and wouldn't bother with anything that wasn't his favorite sky-blue color. (And believe me, I tested him many times with colors, with everything from toys to blankets to litter boxes.) Possibly, Savannah will have the same color preference.
All I know for sure is this... we've had Savannah in our home now for just a few days, and it seems like she's been here forever. She has quickly made herself at home, she's very well-behaved and gentle, and curious enough without being reckless. Happy puppy... happy me.
Now it seems that she knows why we're out there walking... not to search for goats and fox and armadillos, but to find a nice place in the grass to do whatever it is she needs to do at the moment. When I know she's able to tolerate more, I'll start taking her on longer walks, rather than just up and down our road here, which actually is more than enough walking for a five-month-old puppy.
Considering that Savannah had never been on a leash, she adapted very well (and quickly) to that concept. With what I've read about the Pyrenees being masters of escape (it's a game to them) this puppy will not be walking off-leash like we used to do years ago with Gracie. According to the books on the Great Pyrenees, whatever land they see is theirs to explore, and out here in the country, Savannah can literally see for miles and miles... and I don't want her to be playing Marco Polo.
Sweet Pea is still keeping his distance, but he keeps watching Savannah to see what she's up to... and Savannah keeps watching him as well. We now have a mild acceptance of one another here with Sweet Pea and Savannah... but they're both very gentle and laid-back, so I'm hoping for the best once they get used to sharing the house with one another. Cats and dogs can (and do) love and accept each another... it just takes patience and time. We learned that lesson with Gracie... and we had three and sometimes four cats during most of Gracie's years with us.
Savannah still seems to be more hesitant with men than with women... she's taking her time in learning to trust my husband, and now she's doing the same thing with JD's husband. I took her up the road to meet J & J this evening, and J (husband) had a piece of chicken for Savannah... it took this puppy the longest time to accept the treat from him, but when she did, she took it gently... very lady-like, for a puppy of her young age. I don't know what Savannah's experience was with men... we met the mother and the daughter of that family when we got Savannah, and for all I know, maybe there wasn't a man in that household at all.
When my husband went into town today for errands, he came home with two new toys for Savannah.... a blue sock-monkey and a green chicken. This adds to her toy-box... she also has a pink pig and an orange fish. Clearly, Savannah likes the blue monkey the best... I don't know if it's because the monkey is soft and plush (all the others are rubber) or possibly it's because she prefers the color blue. I do believe that animals can recognize colors... our cat (now deceased) AngelBoy loved the color blue and wouldn't bother with anything that wasn't his favorite sky-blue color. (And believe me, I tested him many times with colors, with everything from toys to blankets to litter boxes.) Possibly, Savannah will have the same color preference.
All I know for sure is this... we've had Savannah in our home now for just a few days, and it seems like she's been here forever. She has quickly made herself at home, she's very well-behaved and gentle, and curious enough without being reckless. Happy puppy... happy me.
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