Monday, April 5, 2010
It’s been a busy couple of days, and I have quite a few good things to report about our sweet Bailey. She is continuing to be a wonderful dog, full of energy and curiosity. She has had a few accidents in the house but, interestingly, they have all been right at the front door. I think she’s figuring out where she is supposed to go potty (outside the front door!) but she hasn’t quite figured out how to let us know she needs to go. If you watch her you can kind of read her behavior to figure out she needs to go potty because she gets kind of nervous and restless. The good news is that she is learning, and that’s all I care about.
We have also realized that Bailey is a bit of a Houdini when it comes to being locked in the back yard. We are not used to having a smaller dog around, so it didn’t even occur to me that she may be able to get out of the back yard. Our lovely dogs have dug into the dirt right in front of the gate to the fenced area of the back yard and Bailey has figured out that she can squeeze UNDER the gate to freedom! On Saturday, I put all three dogs in the back yard to run off some energy and enjoy the beautiful weather. I went inside to put the baby down for a nap and when I came back outside there were only two dogs in the back yard… Bailey was MIA. So, naturally, I start freaking out…’I’ve lost the dog! The dog is gone! She’s gonna run out (through the woods and around a lake) to 129 and get run over!” I start calling for her: “Bailey! Come here Bailey! Where’d you go little one? Come here!” I walk to the front of the house, look out towards my neighbor’s pasture to see if maybe she was frolicking with the horses or something… and I see nothing. My heart starts racing… I turn to head to the house to get my keys, because my next plan is to hop in the car and ride down the street to look for her (my father in law was at the house working on our deck, so no, I wouldn’t have left the baby at the house by herself) and there’s Bailey, sitting on the front porch, waiting to be let inside. :) Ahhhhhh… relief. She was tired of being in the back yard, and wanted to cool off for a bit, I guess. Now here’s the really good news, I left the door open almost all morning and not once did she run off. She would step outside, do her business, chase a bug or two and then come right back inside. See what I mean? She’s such a great dog!
So, yesterday, we went back to Atlanta to spend Easter with my family since my husband had to work, and naturally I brought Bailey with us. She rode down there in her crate in the back seat, which she wasn’t a huge fan of, but it’s so much safer for her. Caroline was SO not in the mood to be in her car seat so she was whining and when Caroline would whine, so would Bailey. Both of them whined almost all the way to Atlanta. I swear, it’s like they were feeding off each other… I just about lost my mind! But we made it to Decatur in one piece, thankfully. Bailey got to play with Molly and Lola again, and this time she got to play chase with Lola.. or rather, be chased by Lola. They ran in circles in the back yard until I thought they would fall over, and Bailey looked so happy! Then, a little bit later, we leashed up all three of the dogs and went for a walk. My sister, Emily, walked Bailey and all together I think Bailey got a good 30-45 minute walk in. Emily said she was great on the leash and basically did whatever Emily wanted her to do while they were walking. Em said she thinks Bailey would be a great running partner. :)
The ride home was peaceful, as both of the babies were tired. Bailey snoozed in her crate and Caroline watched Elmo on the DVD player, and all was right with the world. When we got home, I let Bailey off her leash and she went potty in the grass and then followed me around while I checked out the progress on our new deck :) She didn’t follow me all the way around to the back where the loud power tools were that kind of scare her a little, but she waited patiently for me by the side of the house until it was time to go inside. She hung out inside and didn’t chew on any toys or socks at all.. I think she was too tired to be a typical puppy. I think that’s the key to her happiness. A good walk and some good friends to play with, and is that really too much to ask for?
I have some pretty cute pictures of her from the past few days that I’ll put up later tonight.
We have also realized that Bailey is a bit of a Houdini when it comes to being locked in the back yard. We are not used to having a smaller dog around, so it didn’t even occur to me that she may be able to get out of the back yard. Our lovely dogs have dug into the dirt right in front of the gate to the fenced area of the back yard and Bailey has figured out that she can squeeze UNDER the gate to freedom! On Saturday, I put all three dogs in the back yard to run off some energy and enjoy the beautiful weather. I went inside to put the baby down for a nap and when I came back outside there were only two dogs in the back yard… Bailey was MIA. So, naturally, I start freaking out…’I’ve lost the dog! The dog is gone! She’s gonna run out (through the woods and around a lake) to 129 and get run over!” I start calling for her: “Bailey! Come here Bailey! Where’d you go little one? Come here!” I walk to the front of the house, look out towards my neighbor’s pasture to see if maybe she was frolicking with the horses or something… and I see nothing. My heart starts racing… I turn to head to the house to get my keys, because my next plan is to hop in the car and ride down the street to look for her (my father in law was at the house working on our deck, so no, I wouldn’t have left the baby at the house by herself) and there’s Bailey, sitting on the front porch, waiting to be let inside. :) Ahhhhhh… relief. She was tired of being in the back yard, and wanted to cool off for a bit, I guess. Now here’s the really good news, I left the door open almost all morning and not once did she run off. She would step outside, do her business, chase a bug or two and then come right back inside. See what I mean? She’s such a great dog!
So, yesterday, we went back to Atlanta to spend Easter with my family since my husband had to work, and naturally I brought Bailey with us. She rode down there in her crate in the back seat, which she wasn’t a huge fan of, but it’s so much safer for her. Caroline was SO not in the mood to be in her car seat so she was whining and when Caroline would whine, so would Bailey. Both of them whined almost all the way to Atlanta. I swear, it’s like they were feeding off each other… I just about lost my mind! But we made it to Decatur in one piece, thankfully. Bailey got to play with Molly and Lola again, and this time she got to play chase with Lola.. or rather, be chased by Lola. They ran in circles in the back yard until I thought they would fall over, and Bailey looked so happy! Then, a little bit later, we leashed up all three of the dogs and went for a walk. My sister, Emily, walked Bailey and all together I think Bailey got a good 30-45 minute walk in. Emily said she was great on the leash and basically did whatever Emily wanted her to do while they were walking. Em said she thinks Bailey would be a great running partner. :)
The ride home was peaceful, as both of the babies were tired. Bailey snoozed in her crate and Caroline watched Elmo on the DVD player, and all was right with the world. When we got home, I let Bailey off her leash and she went potty in the grass and then followed me around while I checked out the progress on our new deck :) She didn’t follow me all the way around to the back where the loud power tools were that kind of scare her a little, but she waited patiently for me by the side of the house until it was time to go inside. She hung out inside and didn’t chew on any toys or socks at all.. I think she was too tired to be a typical puppy. I think that’s the key to her happiness. A good walk and some good friends to play with, and is that really too much to ask for?
I have some pretty cute pictures of her from the past few days that I’ll put up later tonight.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Bailey = Possibly the Best Puppy EVER
So, I'm pretty sure we have been blessed with the best puppy... EVER. She really is amazing.
Yesterday, as I mentioned, I took her to Petsmart, on a one hour car ride to Atlanta, and to my parents house where there were new people and 2 new dogs to meet. While I will admit that she wasn't PERFECT in the car on the way to Atlanta (she was desperate to get in my lap!) she was perfect on the way home. She tried to get in my lap once and after telling her "No" and patting the passenger seat, she laid down and slept in her own seat for the rest of the trip home. At Petsmart she was very curious, but super polite to everyone who wanted to love on her. And, in Atlanta, she played very well with two dogs who, I believe its safe to say, are a bit high strung. They met, sniffed, and chilled with no real issues on Bailey's part. She may or may not have been the culprit behind the puddle of pee on the carpet at my parents house, but since she has yet to have an accident in our house, I think it may be more likely that Lola did it... but who knows, it could have been her.
She has slept great in her crate at night, although last night she yapped at me a couple of times at around 12:30am, she went back to sleep after i "shushed" her and reached into the cage to reassure her that I was still there.
And, lastly, she is QUICKLY learning her name and to come when I call her, and we're working on "sit" and "sit and wait" when its time to eat which she only does occasionally, but we're getting there.
Our only real problem (thats really more of an annoyance than a true problem) is that she's worse that Caroline when it comes to pulling things off tables and picking stuff up off the floor to chew on.. nothing is safe in this house anymore unless its 3 feet or more off the ground! I guess this can be our motivation to keep the house clean :)
Heres a few more pics of the cutie pie! Remember, she's only $65 to adopt and she's already been "fixed"!!
One more cute story: she was playing "ball" with Caroline this evening. Caroline would throw the ball and it would roll on the floor and Bailey would pounce on it and take it over to the dog bed. Caroline would then take the ball from Bailey and the game would start again, much to the delight of BOTH of them. And when the ball would roll under the coffee table, both Caroline and Bailey would get down on their bellies on the ground and peek under the table at the ball until I would rescue it for them. It was precious!
Yesterday, as I mentioned, I took her to Petsmart, on a one hour car ride to Atlanta, and to my parents house where there were new people and 2 new dogs to meet. While I will admit that she wasn't PERFECT in the car on the way to Atlanta (she was desperate to get in my lap!) she was perfect on the way home. She tried to get in my lap once and after telling her "No" and patting the passenger seat, she laid down and slept in her own seat for the rest of the trip home. At Petsmart she was very curious, but super polite to everyone who wanted to love on her. And, in Atlanta, she played very well with two dogs who, I believe its safe to say, are a bit high strung. They met, sniffed, and chilled with no real issues on Bailey's part. She may or may not have been the culprit behind the puddle of pee on the carpet at my parents house, but since she has yet to have an accident in our house, I think it may be more likely that Lola did it... but who knows, it could have been her.
She has slept great in her crate at night, although last night she yapped at me a couple of times at around 12:30am, she went back to sleep after i "shushed" her and reached into the cage to reassure her that I was still there.
And, lastly, she is QUICKLY learning her name and to come when I call her, and we're working on "sit" and "sit and wait" when its time to eat which she only does occasionally, but we're getting there.
Our only real problem (thats really more of an annoyance than a true problem) is that she's worse that Caroline when it comes to pulling things off tables and picking stuff up off the floor to chew on.. nothing is safe in this house anymore unless its 3 feet or more off the ground! I guess this can be our motivation to keep the house clean :)
Heres a few more pics of the cutie pie! Remember, she's only $65 to adopt and she's already been "fixed"!!
One more cute story: she was playing "ball" with Caroline this evening. Caroline would throw the ball and it would roll on the floor and Bailey would pounce on it and take it over to the dog bed. Caroline would then take the ball from Bailey and the game would start again, much to the delight of BOTH of them. And when the ball would roll under the coffee table, both Caroline and Bailey would get down on their bellies on the ground and peek under the table at the ball until I would rescue it for them. It was precious!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
And her name is Bailey!
On our drive to Atlanta today I finally came up with a proper name for the puppy (thanks for your help, Danis). So Bailey it is... it suits her, I think.
No accidents yet today.. a good sign. Meeting some new friends, Molly and Lola, and doing great adjusting to new situations like car rides, Petsmart and a different house to explore. More to come.
No accidents yet today.. a good sign. Meeting some new friends, Molly and Lola, and doing great adjusting to new situations like car rides, Petsmart and a different house to explore. More to come.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Foster Puppy Adventures: Day One
***NOTE*** The purpose of this blog is to showcase this sweet little puppy in the hopes of finding her a forever home. I will be telling ALL, the good and the bad.
While Jeremy was in Egypt, I received an email about the Hall county Animal Shelter needing temporary foster homes for some dogs that they are taking to an adoption expo out of state at the end of April. I, being the complete sucker that I am, thought "wow! we could totally do that!" So I mentioned it to Jeremy during one of our conversations and he said he thought it would be okay. (I later found out that we had this conversation when it was 12am in Egypt and he had just woken up long enough to call me and say goodnight before he went back to sleep... hehe, oops :)
So, last week I went up to the shelter (conveniently located RIGHT next door to where I work)and agreed to foster one of the dogs.. I even got to pick out which one I wanted.. and let me tell you, she is ADORABLE. She is about 5 months old, black and brown brindle with a white chest, possible boxer mix?, big brown eyes, big floppy ears, and the tiniest little under bite.. so cute!
We picked her up this afternoon and brought her home and I was, truthfully, really nervous about how she'd do with Caroline (who is 11 months old and walking EVERYWHERE!)but I was especially nervous about introducing her to my two dogs, Abby and Ella. Abby is a 70lb white boxer and Ella is a 55lb brindle pit/chow mix. I was afraid they would be aggressive towards her and hurt her, and then I'd have to call the shelter and tell them my dogs killed their sweet little puppy. But in the end, i was worried over nothing. She is GREAT with Caroline. No jumping, no biting, only DESPERATE attempts to get the child to play with her. Caroline was walking around playing with various things and poor little puppy was trying SO hard to get her attention, doing that little play bow where they stick their butts in the air, tail wagging, front paws and head on the floor, just BEGGING to be played with. She even went so far as to let our a couple of "yap yaps" at Caroline, who was not impressed and just patted the puppy on the head and kept walking. Poor little puppy just sat there, hoping she'd come back! One thing to mention would be that, in true puppy form, she picks EVERYTHING up off the floor and tries to chew on it... gotta start working on teaching her which toys are for her and which toys are for the baby!
So then it was time to introduce our dogs to the puppy, so we took everyone to the back yard to be in more neutral territory. Puppy was, needless to say, excited about making some new friends. And my dogs? Abby spent most of the time knocking the puppy over, showing her who is boss, and Ella only growled at the puppy when she was trying to lick Ella's...eh hem, "undercarriage". And Puppy kept coming back for more, following my dogs around, chasing after them, jumping on them and trying to be their new BFF. AND, while she was out side she pooped and peed (to big praises from us) and has not had an accident in the house...yet.
All in all, a successful introduction and first day.
And, a few pics of the new girl, who needs a name other than "puppy".. any suggestions???
While Jeremy was in Egypt, I received an email about the Hall county Animal Shelter needing temporary foster homes for some dogs that they are taking to an adoption expo out of state at the end of April. I, being the complete sucker that I am, thought "wow! we could totally do that!" So I mentioned it to Jeremy during one of our conversations and he said he thought it would be okay. (I later found out that we had this conversation when it was 12am in Egypt and he had just woken up long enough to call me and say goodnight before he went back to sleep... hehe, oops :)
So, last week I went up to the shelter (conveniently located RIGHT next door to where I work)and agreed to foster one of the dogs.. I even got to pick out which one I wanted.. and let me tell you, she is ADORABLE. She is about 5 months old, black and brown brindle with a white chest, possible boxer mix?, big brown eyes, big floppy ears, and the tiniest little under bite.. so cute!
We picked her up this afternoon and brought her home and I was, truthfully, really nervous about how she'd do with Caroline (who is 11 months old and walking EVERYWHERE!)but I was especially nervous about introducing her to my two dogs, Abby and Ella. Abby is a 70lb white boxer and Ella is a 55lb brindle pit/chow mix. I was afraid they would be aggressive towards her and hurt her, and then I'd have to call the shelter and tell them my dogs killed their sweet little puppy. But in the end, i was worried over nothing. She is GREAT with Caroline. No jumping, no biting, only DESPERATE attempts to get the child to play with her. Caroline was walking around playing with various things and poor little puppy was trying SO hard to get her attention, doing that little play bow where they stick their butts in the air, tail wagging, front paws and head on the floor, just BEGGING to be played with. She even went so far as to let our a couple of "yap yaps" at Caroline, who was not impressed and just patted the puppy on the head and kept walking. Poor little puppy just sat there, hoping she'd come back! One thing to mention would be that, in true puppy form, she picks EVERYTHING up off the floor and tries to chew on it... gotta start working on teaching her which toys are for her and which toys are for the baby!
So then it was time to introduce our dogs to the puppy, so we took everyone to the back yard to be in more neutral territory. Puppy was, needless to say, excited about making some new friends. And my dogs? Abby spent most of the time knocking the puppy over, showing her who is boss, and Ella only growled at the puppy when she was trying to lick Ella's...eh hem, "undercarriage". And Puppy kept coming back for more, following my dogs around, chasing after them, jumping on them and trying to be their new BFF. AND, while she was out side she pooped and peed (to big praises from us) and has not had an accident in the house...yet.
All in all, a successful introduction and first day.
And, a few pics of the new girl, who needs a name other than "puppy".. any suggestions???
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