Life is becoming more hectic by the day, so just get used to only seeing a blog post every few days. :)
Sunday, Tucker seemed to be in an odd mood. He did fairly well in Sunday School ( he got to see a live worship band up close) but when we got to the service, he just wouldn't settle down. We ended up leaving before it even began. He had already had a long nap that morning, so I just assumed he had too much energy and that we should go back to school and go for a walk. Well, before I even got my dress shoes off, he was asleep on his bed. Why he couldn't sleep on the sanctuary floor, I don't know.
Monday he did fairly well, although he was definitely more awake in my classes than normal. We had a good laugh listening to the squishing noises in Southern Lit while he was chewing on his Kong bone. :)
Yesterday was a big day - Fall Convocation. For those readers unfamiliar with GWU, each fall during the Dimensions hour on Tuesday mornings, there is an awards ceremony. I was getting an award for my 4.0, but I was also supposed to hand out programs because I serve as Presidential Associate. So, it was extremely important that Tucker be on his very best behavior. Was he? Of course not - 'kids' never are when it counts, right. ;)
Well, he did okay while I handed out programs, but then when we got to our seats, he had trouble settling down. After we went to the front to get my award - yes, he went to the front with me (there was a collective "awe!" from the entire LYCC audience) - he really had a hard time settling down. I knew he was in an odd mood that morning, so I brought a toy with food stuck in it as my secret weapon - even that didn't really help and actually ended up prompting him to wiggle even more. Eventually, I put my foot down - literally. I stood on the leash as close to his collar as possible and made it impossible for him to stand back up. A few minutes of struggling, and he was asleep.
Here's the thing - all of the important people who made puppy raising at GWU possible were there - I would have died if he'd barked in the middle of the ceremony. Thankfully, we survived and several administrators and professors came up to me afterwards to tell me how glad they were that I took him to the front with me. He even sat (without being asked) when I got my award! I think he thought Dr. Price was going to give him something, too. :)
He continued to be a "challenge" for the rest of the day and some of the evening, but he's been better today. He even let me sleep until 7 this morning! ;)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Tucker Palooza
Well, Tucker spent most of today catching up on his beauty rest. I'm not kidding- the kid slept practically all day.
I felt bad because I thought he was just being nice and letting me do my homework, so about 3:30 I decided we were going to take a walk. We made it to the lake and back, but he wanted no part of it. As soon as we got back, he went to sleep again.
After dinner, we hung out on the quad so he could meet people and tear into a few sticks. From there we went to Bost Gym for the beginning of the year "palooza". As usual, Tucker couldn't care less that the DJ was blasting music and that there were a bunch of people with cotton candy and popcorn walking around. They had snow cones, and I just couldn't help but let Tucker have one (a plain one, of course).
He did a great sit-stay for it!
After that, we went in the gym and had our picture taken in a big blow-up chair. If Tucker's future handler ever runs into a giant, red, inflatable chair, we now know it won't phase him. ;)
(Hannah Riener and Hillary Leonard accompanied us in the chair.) :)
After all this excitement, Tucker was tired, so he slept on the gym floor while I visited with some of my friends who were waiting in line for caricatures. When we got back to the dorm, Tucker fell asleep on the floor of the kitchen while my friend Suz made chocolate chip cookies, and then he slept in my lap while I ate mine. :)
Now, he's passed out on his bed on my floor. Looking cute, eating shaved ice, and getting your picture taken can just suck the life right out of you. ;)
I felt bad because I thought he was just being nice and letting me do my homework, so about 3:30 I decided we were going to take a walk. We made it to the lake and back, but he wanted no part of it. As soon as we got back, he went to sleep again.
After dinner, we hung out on the quad so he could meet people and tear into a few sticks. From there we went to Bost Gym for the beginning of the year "palooza". As usual, Tucker couldn't care less that the DJ was blasting music and that there were a bunch of people with cotton candy and popcorn walking around. They had snow cones, and I just couldn't help but let Tucker have one (a plain one, of course).
He did a great sit-stay for it!
After that, we went in the gym and had our picture taken in a big blow-up chair. If Tucker's future handler ever runs into a giant, red, inflatable chair, we now know it won't phase him. ;)
After all this excitement, Tucker was tired, so he slept on the gym floor while I visited with some of my friends who were waiting in line for caricatures. When we got back to the dorm, Tucker fell asleep on the floor of the kitchen while my friend Suz made chocolate chip cookies, and then he slept in my lap while I ate mine. :)
Now, he's passed out on his bed on my floor. Looking cute, eating shaved ice, and getting your picture taken can just suck the life right out of you. ;)
Friday, August 26, 2011
TGIF!
Tucker has been absolutely awesome this week - you'd think he'd been a college dog his whole life. :)
So far, since the last post, he has:
-Met a myriad of people
-Made several trips into the Cafeteria
-Begun learning about Southern Literature, Chemistry, Poetry, Film Criticism, and Deaf Community
-Watched people throw a Frisbee on the quad
-Gone to the Broyhill Adventure Course
-Been to a cookout
-Eaten in Chick-fil-a
-Been to WalMart twice and the AT&T store
-Watched the construction work behind Withrow
-Played in the Broad River
-Been to a Sidewalk Prophets concert on the quad
-Met the president of the University
I'm sure there are more things, but for now that's all I can think of.
Today in Chemistry, Tucker had a dream. During his dream he began to yelp and whine fairly loudly. While it normally only takes one little pat to end the yelping/whining, today I had no such luck. I tried petting him, playing with his feet, shaking him - nothing worked. Thankfully, my professor, Dr. Eddins, thought it was absolutely hilarious. He finally woke up and quieted down, but not before thoroughly entertaining the class. :)
Also, he's snoring right now while I'm writing this.
He had a few wild child moments today, but thankfully they were all during our free time, so it wasn't as if he was disrupting class. Oh, and he's lost several teeth since Monday. Now if he would just lose those canines... ;)
Last night, he fell asleep in my friend Katey's lap:
His tongue just couldn't stay in his mouth :)
He also did a really great job today meeting one of the staff member's kids - just sat and looked at her while she pet him, which for Mr. I'm-teething-put-something-in-my-mouth-now, that's a big step!
So far, since the last post, he has:
-Met a myriad of people
-Made several trips into the Cafeteria
-Begun learning about Southern Literature, Chemistry, Poetry, Film Criticism, and Deaf Community
-Watched people throw a Frisbee on the quad
-Gone to the Broyhill Adventure Course
-Been to a cookout
-Eaten in Chick-fil-a
-Been to WalMart twice and the AT&T store
-Watched the construction work behind Withrow
-Played in the Broad River
-Been to a Sidewalk Prophets concert on the quad
-Met the president of the University
I'm sure there are more things, but for now that's all I can think of.
Today in Chemistry, Tucker had a dream. During his dream he began to yelp and whine fairly loudly. While it normally only takes one little pat to end the yelping/whining, today I had no such luck. I tried petting him, playing with his feet, shaking him - nothing worked. Thankfully, my professor, Dr. Eddins, thought it was absolutely hilarious. He finally woke up and quieted down, but not before thoroughly entertaining the class. :)
Also, he's snoring right now while I'm writing this.
He had a few wild child moments today, but thankfully they were all during our free time, so it wasn't as if he was disrupting class. Oh, and he's lost several teeth since Monday. Now if he would just lose those canines... ;)
Last night, he fell asleep in my friend Katey's lap:
He also did a really great job today meeting one of the staff member's kids - just sat and looked at her while she pet him, which for Mr. I'm-teething-put-something-in-my-mouth-now, that's a big step!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Beyond "Tuckered Out"
Tucker thinks college is the best thing since puppy chow but for two things: it's hot and we walk everywhere.
Sunday, I tried to keep him out of the dorm as much as possible so we wouldn't be in the way of the people moving in. That meant a lot of time outside in the heat, walking around visiting friends and seeing their dorm rooms. He wore out very quickly, and although he took several naps throughout the day, he still fell asleep early that night.
Ordinarily, Tucker is begging to be let out and fed around 6:15 - yesterday he didn't even begin to stir until 6:50, and once he'd been let out and fed, he wanted to go straight back to sleep! He's been worn out almost all day long, which was great since I was in training for "this, that, and the other" all day. Tucker even managed to sleep through a very loud and rowdy game show in Dover Theatre tonight. I'm telling you, once this puppy is asleep, there isn't much that will wake him up.
After the game show, he livened up a bit and I took him over to my friend Meredith's apartment where he proceeded to run around like a lunatic. He's almost lost another tooth (he lost the first on Saturday morning), so he's bleeding on things and begging for ice cubes. I've never really used the ice trays that came with my refrigerator until now. ;)
As soon as I got him back to the dorm, he went into his crate, where he's been snoring ever since. :) He has truly learned the meaning of "Tuckered Out"!
Sunday, I tried to keep him out of the dorm as much as possible so we wouldn't be in the way of the people moving in. That meant a lot of time outside in the heat, walking around visiting friends and seeing their dorm rooms. He wore out very quickly, and although he took several naps throughout the day, he still fell asleep early that night.
Ordinarily, Tucker is begging to be let out and fed around 6:15 - yesterday he didn't even begin to stir until 6:50, and once he'd been let out and fed, he wanted to go straight back to sleep! He's been worn out almost all day long, which was great since I was in training for "this, that, and the other" all day. Tucker even managed to sleep through a very loud and rowdy game show in Dover Theatre tonight. I'm telling you, once this puppy is asleep, there isn't much that will wake him up.
After the game show, he livened up a bit and I took him over to my friend Meredith's apartment where he proceeded to run around like a lunatic. He's almost lost another tooth (he lost the first on Saturday morning), so he's bleeding on things and begging for ice cubes. I've never really used the ice trays that came with my refrigerator until now. ;)
As soon as I got him back to the dorm, he went into his crate, where he's been snoring ever since. :) He has truly learned the meaning of "Tuckered Out"!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
College Dog
Well, it's official - Tucker has moved into the dorm. :)
(Still unpacking - excuse the mess)We moved in yesterday, and he pretty well took everything in stride. After a walk around campus, he was so tired that he tried to fall asleep in two of my professors' offices. Last night we had one heck of a rain storm, but Tucker and I still joined my friends Courtney, Tara, and Ashley at Newt's in downtown Shelby for dinner. It took him a little while to settle down, but once he did, he slept through the rest of the meal. Afterwards we went back to Court and Tara's house and watched the Dolphins kill the Panthers, much to Court's delight. ;)
He slept through the night as usual, and I was really pleased with him for making it all the way down two flights of stairs without an accident when he woke up. I was worried he might give up, think we were never going to get outside, and pee on the floor. He's been really good about letting me know when he needs to go out in general, too.
We went to WalMart this morning, and while I struggled somewhat with walking a puppy and guiding a cart, Tucker took to walking with the cart like he'd been doing it all along. When we got back, Tucker took a power nap in the room while I helped my RA and one of Tucker's new best friends, Chelsea Hearne, put up some door decorations. For lunch we went to Kerry's with "Uncle Derek" and then sat outside the dorm with him and James.
Cuddling on my floor while I was on the phone. :)
This afternoon we went to Chelsea's room to watch Harry Potter and she and Tucker snuggled on the floor. It was absolutely precious. We even decided to brave the Cafeteria for dinner. I was afraid it would really upset the Caf staff, but no one really seemed to care. He watched everyone pretty closely for a while, but he eventually settled down.
"Watching" Harry Potter in Chelsea's room.
After dinner we took a walk through the quad where I was viciously attacked by mosquitoes and then we went to the outdoor volleyball court to watch some of my friends play and to teach Tucker not to chase volleyballs. It didn't take too long for him to just settle down and watch or play with leaves.
Tomorrow, the rest of the students move in. It's going to be crazy! I think Tucker and I will stay out of the dorm as much as humanly possible.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Long Time, No Post
It's been a crazy few days around here.
Thursday was uneventful, as Tucker and I spent the majority of it at work. I had a hard time getting Tucker to do his midday BM at the vet clinic, so when we were walking around the Carpet Store on my lunch break and he started to walk funny, I just told him to park where he stood. (We were in the back warehouse away from customers and on concrete.) The look on his face was priceless. I'm sure he was thinking, "What? Right here? Are you nuts?" The way I saw it, not only did I really need him to go ahead and get it out, but he needs to learn to park anywhere he's told to, whether he likes it or not. ;)
Friday was somewhat different. I had errands to run and Mom had a doctor's appointment, so we opted to car pool into town. After I dropped her off, Tucker and I went to the bank, a used bookstore, and then to the Carpet Store. Dad asked if Mom, Mattie, and I wanted to go to lunch, so after I picked Mom up from the doctor's office, we went home to pick up Mattie.
Best of all, when I drove from the Carpet Store to the vet clinic to pay Tucker's last bill (it's five minutes down the road) I decided to just tether him to the front seat instead of putting him in the crate. He did a great job. :) I don't think we'll be needing a crate in the car much longer.
We couldn't just leave Mattie's new puppy, Zaida, free to roam the house while we were gone, and she'd chewed through her soft-sided crate, so we decided to use the airline crate I borrowed from the vet clinic for Tucker. We put it on the vinyl in the kitchen, gave her toys to chew and treats to eat, and left. When we got home, we found quite a mess. Not only had she peed in the crate and shredded the towel, she'd managed to pee outside the door onto the floor as well. We gave her a bath and then I took the crate outside to hose it down. As I was getting all the towel shreds out, I found a tooth. At first, I assumed she's lost another baby tooth, but the more I looked at it, the less it looked like a puppy tooth. I took it inside and compared it to Zaida's remaining canine teeth - sure enough, it appeared she had knocked out her bottom right adult canine tooth. Knowing from work that the root still left in her jaw could cause an abscess, I took her to the clinic. They took a look, decided it was indeed an adult tooth, and gave her some antibiotics.
Well, that night, she struck again. She cried almost all night, shredded the towel, peed in the crate, and didn't let anyone (besides Tucker and I who are in the basement) get any sleep. Mattie had to make the hard, but mature decision to release her back to the pound. Anytime anyone left the room, even if she wasn't left alone, she freaked out. Our active family is not the right home for a dog with extreme separation anxiety. We hope she's adopted by someone who is willing and able to let her stay by his/her side all the time.
We had a cookout planned for last night, which was a good distraction from the morning's events. Our friends the Gospodinoffs brought their lab Rocky and the Carpenters brought their little Corgi mix Roxy. Tucker thought he was in heaven - two dogs to play with! He played so hard that by about 8:30, he was sacked out in my lap. It was so much fun - a great way to end the summer! GWU in 5 days!
Thursday was uneventful, as Tucker and I spent the majority of it at work. I had a hard time getting Tucker to do his midday BM at the vet clinic, so when we were walking around the Carpet Store on my lunch break and he started to walk funny, I just told him to park where he stood. (We were in the back warehouse away from customers and on concrete.) The look on his face was priceless. I'm sure he was thinking, "What? Right here? Are you nuts?" The way I saw it, not only did I really need him to go ahead and get it out, but he needs to learn to park anywhere he's told to, whether he likes it or not. ;)
Friday was somewhat different. I had errands to run and Mom had a doctor's appointment, so we opted to car pool into town. After I dropped her off, Tucker and I went to the bank, a used bookstore, and then to the Carpet Store. Dad asked if Mom, Mattie, and I wanted to go to lunch, so after I picked Mom up from the doctor's office, we went home to pick up Mattie.
Best of all, when I drove from the Carpet Store to the vet clinic to pay Tucker's last bill (it's five minutes down the road) I decided to just tether him to the front seat instead of putting him in the crate. He did a great job. :) I don't think we'll be needing a crate in the car much longer.
We couldn't just leave Mattie's new puppy, Zaida, free to roam the house while we were gone, and she'd chewed through her soft-sided crate, so we decided to use the airline crate I borrowed from the vet clinic for Tucker. We put it on the vinyl in the kitchen, gave her toys to chew and treats to eat, and left. When we got home, we found quite a mess. Not only had she peed in the crate and shredded the towel, she'd managed to pee outside the door onto the floor as well. We gave her a bath and then I took the crate outside to hose it down. As I was getting all the towel shreds out, I found a tooth. At first, I assumed she's lost another baby tooth, but the more I looked at it, the less it looked like a puppy tooth. I took it inside and compared it to Zaida's remaining canine teeth - sure enough, it appeared she had knocked out her bottom right adult canine tooth. Knowing from work that the root still left in her jaw could cause an abscess, I took her to the clinic. They took a look, decided it was indeed an adult tooth, and gave her some antibiotics.
Well, that night, she struck again. She cried almost all night, shredded the towel, peed in the crate, and didn't let anyone (besides Tucker and I who are in the basement) get any sleep. Mattie had to make the hard, but mature decision to release her back to the pound. Anytime anyone left the room, even if she wasn't left alone, she freaked out. Our active family is not the right home for a dog with extreme separation anxiety. We hope she's adopted by someone who is willing and able to let her stay by his/her side all the time.
We had a cookout planned for last night, which was a good distraction from the morning's events. Our friends the Gospodinoffs brought their lab Rocky and the Carpenters brought their little Corgi mix Roxy. Tucker thought he was in heaven - two dogs to play with! He played so hard that by about 8:30, he was sacked out in my lap. It was so much fun - a great way to end the summer! GWU in 5 days!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Malls Must Go
The rest of our stay in Durham went well, though I was too tired and/or distracted to blog. :)
Monday night we took Tucker to Northgate Mall to see my Uncle, Aunt, and cousins. Tucker passed out under my chair almost as soon as we got there. After we ate, I took Tucker outside for a bathroom break and so my cousins could pet him while his bandana was off. Later on, Tucker, Mattie, Brittany, and I wandered the mall looking for shoe stores. Tucker was great the whole evening, and my cousin Cole didn't even realize Tucker was under my chair for almost an hour - he thought we were joking about bringing a puppy in the mall!
The next day, since the previous shoe shopping had been a bust, Mom, Tucker, and I went out to Southpoint Mall for a few hours. First - a big thank you to the Macy's staff for being so helpful and not flipping out when Tucker accidentally peed on your floor. (He had just been out, but he was drinking so much water because of the heat, we just couldn't keep his bladder empty for more than five minutes.)
Although we found a pair of shoes that might work almost immediately, I had just remembered I'll need some new professional clothes for the honors conference in October. We'd probably been in the mall just over two hours when we went into The Limited. Tucker, who by this time had discovered he really hates shopping (although he was still behaving well), tried to solicit help from a mannequin. While I was looking at a rack of shirts, he snuggled up to the mannequin's feet in an attempt to both get away from me and get a nap. The employees (who were very nice about Tucker as well as helpful to me) absolutely loved it.
When we got back to my grandparents' house, Tucker had a little time to play with Zaida before dinner time, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Soon, however, we were headed right back to the same mall to eat dinner with more family. When I opened the car door at the mall, Tucker initially stood up to get out, and then, sniffing the air and realizing where we were, immediately shot back down onto the floor of the van.
Once I got him out of the car, he was fairly agreeable about going into the mall, and he slept for the first hour or so of dinner. Tucker has been so good about sleeping under the table, that once I feel the leash stop moving, I often forget to check on him. Well, I was engrossed in the conversation at the other end of the table when my Mother started laughing her head off. When I turned around, she was pointing to the ground. I looked over and found Tucker completely upside down and sound asleep - and of course, his Leader Dog bandana had shifted so that it was proudly displayed for all the world to see. :) After I had laughed so hard I cried, I was going to correct him and make him lie in a more professional manner, but he had already shifted back into a normal position.
Both dogs did well on the ride home today, although poor Tucker just couldn't seem to get comfortable for a while. He and Zaida had a wonderful time running around in the backyard. Watching them is like watching a big truck trying to catch a little sports car - Zaida can run circles around him.
Monday night we took Tucker to Northgate Mall to see my Uncle, Aunt, and cousins. Tucker passed out under my chair almost as soon as we got there. After we ate, I took Tucker outside for a bathroom break and so my cousins could pet him while his bandana was off. Later on, Tucker, Mattie, Brittany, and I wandered the mall looking for shoe stores. Tucker was great the whole evening, and my cousin Cole didn't even realize Tucker was under my chair for almost an hour - he thought we were joking about bringing a puppy in the mall!
The next day, since the previous shoe shopping had been a bust, Mom, Tucker, and I went out to Southpoint Mall for a few hours. First - a big thank you to the Macy's staff for being so helpful and not flipping out when Tucker accidentally peed on your floor. (He had just been out, but he was drinking so much water because of the heat, we just couldn't keep his bladder empty for more than five minutes.)
Although we found a pair of shoes that might work almost immediately, I had just remembered I'll need some new professional clothes for the honors conference in October. We'd probably been in the mall just over two hours when we went into The Limited. Tucker, who by this time had discovered he really hates shopping (although he was still behaving well), tried to solicit help from a mannequin. While I was looking at a rack of shirts, he snuggled up to the mannequin's feet in an attempt to both get away from me and get a nap. The employees (who were very nice about Tucker as well as helpful to me) absolutely loved it.
When we got back to my grandparents' house, Tucker had a little time to play with Zaida before dinner time, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Soon, however, we were headed right back to the same mall to eat dinner with more family. When I opened the car door at the mall, Tucker initially stood up to get out, and then, sniffing the air and realizing where we were, immediately shot back down onto the floor of the van.
Once I got him out of the car, he was fairly agreeable about going into the mall, and he slept for the first hour or so of dinner. Tucker has been so good about sleeping under the table, that once I feel the leash stop moving, I often forget to check on him. Well, I was engrossed in the conversation at the other end of the table when my Mother started laughing her head off. When I turned around, she was pointing to the ground. I looked over and found Tucker completely upside down and sound asleep - and of course, his Leader Dog bandana had shifted so that it was proudly displayed for all the world to see. :) After I had laughed so hard I cried, I was going to correct him and make him lie in a more professional manner, but he had already shifted back into a normal position.
Both dogs did well on the ride home today, although poor Tucker just couldn't seem to get comfortable for a while. He and Zaida had a wonderful time running around in the backyard. Watching them is like watching a big truck trying to catch a little sports car - Zaida can run circles around him.
No, this isn't an action shot - he was actually trying to sleep like that.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Road Trip!
Although the first night with Zaida was challenging (and that's an understatement), we still decided to go visit our grandparents. We weren't really sure what she'd do for hours in the car, but she and Tucker were both angels.
When we stopped at a rest area, I saw a group of bikers pull in. Since Tucker had never seen a motorcycle, I decided to walk down past them to see what he'd do. As usual, Tucker didn't care one bit about the new vehicle, but he did enjoy meeting the bikers. :) As we walked up to them, I saw one of the ladies sign to another, so when they asked which school he was with, I said, and signed, Leader Dogs for the Blind. They were somewhat surprised that the random girl at the rest stop had started signing to them. :)
The pups have done well in my grandparents' house so far and chase each other around the backyard like crazy. My grandparents got Zaida the same toy they gave Tucker a few weeks ago, and so at one point, both dogs were laying near each other chewing the same toy. All of a sudden, Zaida leaned over and stole Tucker's toy. Tucker, somewhat startled, sat there a moment and then reached over and stole Zaida's! It was hilarious- they're just like stubborn toddlers.
We met our cousins at California Pizza last night and Tucker was absolutely perfect. They had moved the chair next to my seat, so I just put Tucker in a down-stay there. Well, almost immediately he crawled over and put himself under my chair as if to say, "don't you know how this works? I go under the chair." He was soooo good. After about 2 hours he woke up and needed to go out, and when I brought him back in, he went straight back under the chair for another hour.
Zaida did much better in her crate last night, but Tucker peed in his - which is a first at night. He drank so much water before bed, I'm not surprised. What's weird is that he didn't whine at all - I think he might have done it in his sleep.
When we stopped at a rest area, I saw a group of bikers pull in. Since Tucker had never seen a motorcycle, I decided to walk down past them to see what he'd do. As usual, Tucker didn't care one bit about the new vehicle, but he did enjoy meeting the bikers. :) As we walked up to them, I saw one of the ladies sign to another, so when they asked which school he was with, I said, and signed, Leader Dogs for the Blind. They were somewhat surprised that the random girl at the rest stop had started signing to them. :)
The pups have done well in my grandparents' house so far and chase each other around the backyard like crazy. My grandparents got Zaida the same toy they gave Tucker a few weeks ago, and so at one point, both dogs were laying near each other chewing the same toy. All of a sudden, Zaida leaned over and stole Tucker's toy. Tucker, somewhat startled, sat there a moment and then reached over and stole Zaida's! It was hilarious- they're just like stubborn toddlers.
We met our cousins at California Pizza last night and Tucker was absolutely perfect. They had moved the chair next to my seat, so I just put Tucker in a down-stay there. Well, almost immediately he crawled over and put himself under my chair as if to say, "don't you know how this works? I go under the chair." He was soooo good. After about 2 hours he woke up and needed to go out, and when I brought him back in, he went straight back under the chair for another hour.
Zaida did much better in her crate last night, but Tucker peed in his - which is a first at night. He drank so much water before bed, I'm not surprised. What's weird is that he didn't whine at all - I think he might have done it in his sleep.
Friday, August 5, 2011
It's a Girl!
The big news today is that Tucker now has a sister!
To make an extremely long story short, my sister decided she wanted a dog. Well, we went to the pound today to look and left with a 4 month old rat terrier/border collie mix (we assume). She's really sweet and she and Tucker played their little hearts out most of the afternoon. She's smaller than he is - a 16 pounds to his 22, but she holds her own in their wrestling matches. :) Her name is Zaida.
Picture time!
To make an extremely long story short, my sister decided she wanted a dog. Well, we went to the pound today to look and left with a 4 month old rat terrier/border collie mix (we assume). She's really sweet and she and Tucker played their little hearts out most of the afternoon. She's smaller than he is - a 16 pounds to his 22, but she holds her own in their wrestling matches. :) Her name is Zaida.
Picture time!
Despite what it looks like, I promise, Zaida's head is not coming out Tucker's rear end. ;) Their wrestling matches looked like a game of Twister at some points.
They had a wonderful time. :)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Conquering the Peanuts
I didn't bog yesterday because, for the most part, nothing really happened. Tucker and I stayed home and took it easy - playing and working on "down". He's getting very good at it - almost too good. :) I have to work to keep him from sliding down before I give the command.
If Tucker were to tell you about today, he'd begin with, "she dragged me to work again." At first, he wouldn't quiet down in the kennel (mostly because another dog was whining), but he eventually got the hang of it again. As usual, we were busy today and I didn't get to take Tucker out as often as I should and he had two accidents. What surprised me was that he never once barked or whined to be let out.
At lunchtime, my co-workers, Tucker, and I went to Binion's. For those of you who live elsewhere and are unfamiliar with Binion's, here it is in a nutshell: a steakhouse that lets you throw peanut shells on the ground.
The peanut shells didn't occur to me until we were on the way there, and I started to get nervous. He'd done well at restaurants, but what would he do in a place where people intentionally threw shells on the ground? As it turns out, he was so much better than I ever expected. I won't lie, getting from the entrance to the table involved quite a bit of tension on the leash, but once we'd made it to the table, he was almost perfect. In fact, he would have been perfect had there not been two babies sitting near us. He wanted to play with them, as he does all children, and whined a little when they started to fuss.
While I did push the few present peanut shells out of reach with my foot, I have no doubt that the entire floor beneath our table must have smelled like peanuts to Tucker. In fact, at one point the lady at the table next to us dumped a whole handful of shells about two feet from Tucker's nose. His head popped up and he watched her carefully, but he didn't attempt to go after the shells. I was so proud of him!
This afternoon Mom picked Tucker up early from work so he'd have time to play at home before we went out for dinner. According to her, he was a little hellion. (Although she did say he did a great job of telling her when he needed to go park.) She said the only time he stopped moving was when he went to the bathroom and that he wasn't satisfied with any of his toys; he only wanted to chew on her. By the time I got home, he'd almost worn himself out, so he did a great job at the restaurant for dinner.
He played some when we got home and then fell asleep by the couch while we watched a movie. He was so out of it when the movie ended that my little sister, Mattie, had to carry him downstairs (my back is still killing me) and outside to go to the bathroom. Oh, and when he was sleeping during the movie, he did something none of us had seen before - he barked with his mouth closed. We thought that was pretty funny, but he then proceeded to make even stranger noises, and it was all we could do not to laugh - we didn't want to wake him up. :)
If Tucker were to tell you about today, he'd begin with, "she dragged me to work again." At first, he wouldn't quiet down in the kennel (mostly because another dog was whining), but he eventually got the hang of it again. As usual, we were busy today and I didn't get to take Tucker out as often as I should and he had two accidents. What surprised me was that he never once barked or whined to be let out.
At lunchtime, my co-workers, Tucker, and I went to Binion's. For those of you who live elsewhere and are unfamiliar with Binion's, here it is in a nutshell: a steakhouse that lets you throw peanut shells on the ground.
The peanut shells didn't occur to me until we were on the way there, and I started to get nervous. He'd done well at restaurants, but what would he do in a place where people intentionally threw shells on the ground? As it turns out, he was so much better than I ever expected. I won't lie, getting from the entrance to the table involved quite a bit of tension on the leash, but once we'd made it to the table, he was almost perfect. In fact, he would have been perfect had there not been two babies sitting near us. He wanted to play with them, as he does all children, and whined a little when they started to fuss.
While I did push the few present peanut shells out of reach with my foot, I have no doubt that the entire floor beneath our table must have smelled like peanuts to Tucker. In fact, at one point the lady at the table next to us dumped a whole handful of shells about two feet from Tucker's nose. His head popped up and he watched her carefully, but he didn't attempt to go after the shells. I was so proud of him!
This afternoon Mom picked Tucker up early from work so he'd have time to play at home before we went out for dinner. According to her, he was a little hellion. (Although she did say he did a great job of telling her when he needed to go park.) She said the only time he stopped moving was when he went to the bathroom and that he wasn't satisfied with any of his toys; he only wanted to chew on her. By the time I got home, he'd almost worn himself out, so he did a great job at the restaurant for dinner.
He played some when we got home and then fell asleep by the couch while we watched a movie. He was so out of it when the movie ended that my little sister, Mattie, had to carry him downstairs (my back is still killing me) and outside to go to the bathroom. Oh, and when he was sleeping during the movie, he did something none of us had seen before - he barked with his mouth closed. We thought that was pretty funny, but he then proceeded to make even stranger noises, and it was all we could do not to laugh - we didn't want to wake him up. :)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Not a Kibble in Sight
Sorry there wasn't a blog yesterday. I didn't remember it until late last night.
Tucker had a pretty good day on Monday, although it began with quite a few accidents. He has a habit of trying to ingest his entire water consumption for the day about an hour after breakfast. Most of the time, he still does a good job of letting me know when he needs to go out, but yesterday morning, he seemed to be very distracted. For example, he was playing by the front door (wood floor no less) and all of a sudden, he just stopped, looked at me funny and squatted. I took him outside to finish, which he did, and then brought him back in. Playing resumed, but then about five minutes later, he had another accident. It was just strange.
That afternoon we went back out to my Aunt Joyce's house. Again, Tucker did an excellent job. He even let seven month old baby Carter play with his toes! (I had a hand on his collar, just in case ;) ) The kitten was still very tempting, but he calmed down pretty quickly.
Today, however, was not a happy day for Tucker: he didn't get lunch. After several days of cutting his lunch in half in preparation, I finally decided to cut lunch out altogether. He was not happy. I was concerned that he would be grumpy and behave badly out of frustration, but it was actually quite the opposite. He decided that if he was really, really sweet, I might feed him. :)
We decided to go out to the pet store this afternoon and it ended up being quite an outing. He did well in the pet store until some of the other dogs started barking their heads' off and then he tried to join in. Thankfully it didn't take too long to get him settled down.
Following the pet store, we went to Target. Although I had tried several times at this shopping center to get Tucker to park, it had been unsuccessful. Mom and I split up, so she didn't get to see what happened next. Tucker parked a #2 in the store. You'll be happy to know I fought the urge to perform another "crapus interuptus" (mostly because my back is killing me) and just cleaned it up. If anyone saw, they were gracious enough not to say anything. What was even better was that I wasn't anywhere near a trashcan, so I had no choice but to carry the little blue, poop-filled bag with me.
When we got home, I broke down and fed him at 5:20. His normal dinner time is 6, but without lunch, I just couldn't make him wait any longer. Amazingly, he still did a very nice "sit stay" for his food. He's been a much happier camper since then. :)
Tucker had a pretty good day on Monday, although it began with quite a few accidents. He has a habit of trying to ingest his entire water consumption for the day about an hour after breakfast. Most of the time, he still does a good job of letting me know when he needs to go out, but yesterday morning, he seemed to be very distracted. For example, he was playing by the front door (wood floor no less) and all of a sudden, he just stopped, looked at me funny and squatted. I took him outside to finish, which he did, and then brought him back in. Playing resumed, but then about five minutes later, he had another accident. It was just strange.
That afternoon we went back out to my Aunt Joyce's house. Again, Tucker did an excellent job. He even let seven month old baby Carter play with his toes! (I had a hand on his collar, just in case ;) ) The kitten was still very tempting, but he calmed down pretty quickly.
Today, however, was not a happy day for Tucker: he didn't get lunch. After several days of cutting his lunch in half in preparation, I finally decided to cut lunch out altogether. He was not happy. I was concerned that he would be grumpy and behave badly out of frustration, but it was actually quite the opposite. He decided that if he was really, really sweet, I might feed him. :)
We decided to go out to the pet store this afternoon and it ended up being quite an outing. He did well in the pet store until some of the other dogs started barking their heads' off and then he tried to join in. Thankfully it didn't take too long to get him settled down.
Following the pet store, we went to Target. Although I had tried several times at this shopping center to get Tucker to park, it had been unsuccessful. Mom and I split up, so she didn't get to see what happened next. Tucker parked a #2 in the store. You'll be happy to know I fought the urge to perform another "crapus interuptus" (mostly because my back is killing me) and just cleaned it up. If anyone saw, they were gracious enough not to say anything. What was even better was that I wasn't anywhere near a trashcan, so I had no choice but to carry the little blue, poop-filled bag with me.
When we got home, I broke down and fed him at 5:20. His normal dinner time is 6, but without lunch, I just couldn't make him wait any longer. Amazingly, he still did a very nice "sit stay" for his food. He's been a much happier camper since then. :)
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