Okay, I must be crazy but when my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday I told I wanted a lap dog to have with me whilst I wait to pick up and transport my kids from point A to B to C and so on. He promised not to laugh at me prior to my answer and he kept his word (but probably thinks I'm nuts). I am missing having little babies in my arms but don't want any more kiddos.
I adopted a Havanese Westie mix dog. It is only 9 weeks old. I just brought the puppy home a few hours ago and he is settled in his crate. He is very docile, friendly and curious and not to forget-very cute (what puppies aren't). I will take pictures and post them soon.
Linda
Okay, I'm not so lonely anymore, I just got a new puppy!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! How sweet! Pictures?
Pathetic aren't I? I hope the pup likes the pond . . .
We designed ours with a couple of shallow ledges for a 'haul out' for the pooches in case they jumped in unatended. Last winter the chihuahua actually did fall in accidentally. He never goes in the water. Last winter he walked across the ice to the hole around the deicer. The ice at the edges was soft and he fell in. He nearly drowned. This winter when the pond does ice we will have to stay outside with him when he does his business. I'm not looking forward to that.
Here's the pooch! He is still nameless!
And another . . .
OMGOSH is he cute....how big is he sapposed to get..
he looks like a little clown ;o)
What a most wonderful B-Day present!! This little darling will have you wrapped around his paws in no time. Thank you so much for sharing pics with us.
He is estimated to grow to between 10-15 pounds. Anything under 20 is where I want to be. I suspect he was a runt of the litter as compared to other dogs at the kennel that were the same age or even a week younger he was smaller (with similiar type dogs). He's a nice little guy and seems to understand a little more than I had originally anticipated. He climbed into the crate and took a HUGE nap all by himself (my kids aren't even that good . . .). He didn't get a lot of sleep today being that it was his first day in our home. He needed it bad and he took it all by himself. I was surprised that he chose to do this. Pleasantly surprised!
Precious - both.
AWWWWWW!!! Congratulations!!! Puppies are just so precious, I'm such a dog lover (except pit-type dogs, don't get me started on them).
I washed all three of our dogs (two corgis and a collie) this past weekend, super-groomed them (if you do not already own one, buy a brush called the Furminator - it is awesome, just bite the bullet and spend the $50, you will not regret it), trimmed nails, cleaned ears and in general got everyone looking good for Thanksgiving.
I'm going back and forth for next year's pond design between putting a 3' wrought iron fence around the pond area versus building a 2' slate rock wall. I'm leaning towards the wrought iron fence, as I'm learning the virtues of being able to easily access the pond area...but that is a separate topic on its own that I won't sully the cute puppy thread with!
Elizabeth
Remember MM Clifford was the runt of the litter too. LOL
Clifford? As in the big red dog????? LOL! Very funny! This little guy can almost fit into my pocket. Also, he learned to climb the stairs to the bedrooms (he wants to be with me or my eldest son who spent a lot of time with him as he was off sick from school with double ear infections and severe cough). He also did all his BUSINESS outside today. That amazes me.
Linda,
Love the picture of both your babies on the sofa!
Congratulations and Happy Thanksgiving.
Carolyn
Aww thanks Carolyn. That is my 9 year old son Rhys. He is the size of a 12 year old already. He asked me yesterday if he was as tiny and small and cute as the puppy when I brought him home from the hospital. I told yes to the cute but not the tiny and small part (he was 9 pounds and was two weeks early with a nearly adult size head . . .) LOL! 30 pounds at 6 months old. I didn't get to carry him around much as a baby and toddler-too heavy and not at all fat-just LONG! The kid drank 24 large size bottle a day at 6 months. He wore me out and broke the bank on the formula purchases . . . not to mention the diapers.
Have you named the puppy yet?" Bandit" would be a good name. It looks like he could just steel you heart away. BEV
"Benji" or "Bingo" I think would also be good names.
I vote for Panda because of the coloring, especially that cute little face.
Panda has been discussed as a few proper boy names but no decision yet.
Winston
My husband is a British citizen and I think he would think Winston was a strange name for a dog but I will run it past him-I like the name but my husband may have a different idea of what "Winston" might mean to him. Does that make sense?
For example, a particularly normal name like "Joesph" might me highly acceptable for naming a child BUT one spouse might have had bad or disturbing memories about some kid from their childhood who beat them up or ate their boogers or whatever . . . I remember naming my sons and this was difficult to do with someone who speaks the same language as Americans but names can have very, VERY different connotations and I think Winston might be one of them for my husband. I kinda remember that in the back of my head . . .
Sorry about the long winded discussion/answer.
Oh no problem! I did once name a dog after an old boyfriend ( Fred). The dog behaved better. I completely forgot the English connection. I was thinking - little dog but a big, big presence. It was meant as a compliment. It would also knock out of the running Harry, Phillip, William and Charles. ;>) Just kidding here. They were never a consideration until you reminded me of the British.
This is corny, but how about "Chicago"? : ) The doggy version of "Paris" - also probably a lot better behaved!
I just spoke to my husband and Winston has good attributes (not like a nerdy name) but he told me something funny that I thought I would share. He said that a lot of people named Winston in the UK are afro-carribean or dark skinned. Not that that matters here but I laughed about that as all cultures have different things. Like here in the States, Norman and Sheldon would not be very popular. In England, (at least where my hubby is from) Kevin, Randy, Fortiscue (I'm not sure I am spelling that right), Roger, are not names my husband would ever consider naming a son. I remember Randy implied sexiness as in "feeling Randy", Fortiscue means your are a stuck up, rich, spoilt brat with a pole up your bum. Anyway, thought I would share my "bits O'Britain" stuff.
The puppy seems to be called "pup-pup" a lot by my husband and the kids. I am not fond of that at all. He won't be a puppy forever and that is a bit corney.
I like the names Charlie, Pepito, or Pupito and Norbert and occasionally I call him "mouse". No one else in our home likes those names. Pup-pito might win with nicknames like Pup-pup. My childhood dog was called Nina and she also had about 20 other names as well and she came to all the names we nicknamed her. I figure this little guy might like a challenge like that as well . . .
Over the years I've learned that pets usually name themselves. They do something or exhibit a personality trait and there you have it. We once had a cat who's correct name was Itsy ( as in itsy-bitsy) however she had a disconcerting habit of carrying out fecal matter on her feet from the little pan. I private we always called her Sh#t Foot.
How about Pepper? I had a great dog named Pepper, a Keeshond who lived to be 17, she was my "childhood dog" and a fantastic pet. Pepper is kind of close to Pup-pup. We called her Peppita sometimes, although that is a girl's name. You could broaden Pepper to Peppito for a boy's name : )
OMG, what a beautiful puppy! He is precious, and I think it's a perfect birthday gift. But what do I know, we have 4 dogs and 2 cats...
You know a lot if you have that many animals. I wish my sons were as easy to "train" as this puppy. My sons have ADHD as do my husband and I (we suspect). Not only are they always in perpetual motion but their brains work way too fast and tend to have an answer (and a right one from an adult point of view-too bad their kids. . . ) for everything. When I was younger I think I could have kept up better but at 46 and they are at 6 and 9 I feel ill equipped.
The puppy is passive and listens to us. How refreshing for our family! :)
Ic: My best friend had a keeshond and I remember Her name was Dutchess and I remember helping to brush her out each day (what a chore. . . ). She was stolen from their yard when she was about 3 years old. They never got a dog after that-they were so heart broken.
We've got three dogs and two cats. (Down from four dogs, as we lost one last August). This is the lowest number we've ever had. Strays tend to follow us home from time to time. I did spring for a purebred chihuhua and get a kitten from the local shelter. I've had animals in the plural my entire life, including a rooster named George, 8 geese that I hatched in a table top incubator, a couple of snakes (as pets) and fostered baby raccoons for a wildlife relocator, as well as an orphaned baby Canadian Goose. The neighbor's called our house the "Ark". As I get older though I'm less inclined to take in the rescue. I confine my animal welfare work these days to writing checks. The yorkie/poodle rescue (Jack), the chihuahua (Bentley) the poodle/cocker rescue (Molly) and the two red tabby cats, (Sir Eric The Red Who Can Do No Wrong and Madame) are most likely the last animals we'll have. Just once I would like to have light carpeting.
Snapple, there is no benefit to light carpeting, trust me!! LOL! We put carpet in here a few years ago that might be my one of my best choices ever.. its a brown flecked with green and darker brown... it's actually made from recycled plastic (you would NEVER know and I was shocked to learn, it feels just like any good carpet), cleans up beautifully and never shows dirt. What more could you ask for? I just left behind light carpeting, very light, and I say good riddance!!! Even without pets, you can't keep it clean. And, Snapple, I'm just guessing you are not done with pets even when those you now have are gone... once touched by the love they share, pretty impossible to live without... but you know that already!
Mothermole, have you decided on a name yet? More pics please!
Brenda
Oh please tell me where might I find this miracle carpeting?
Better yet...get rid of carpeting altogether! Our first house had light (new) carpeting on the entire first floor and I hated it. Our current house has hardwood floors throughout the whole house - the only carpeted part is the stairs (both hubby and one of the dogs had a hard time with hardwood floor on the stairs, slipping, etc.).
Since Andy had his hernia surgery at the beginning of November we've kept the three dogs downstairs (so they did not bother him while he was recovering) and have never enjoyed them more! We decided to just keep them on the first level permanently, no more access to the second floor for them. Both corgis are arthritic and this seems to have been a smart move as far as they seem much more comfortable. The collie still tries to sneak upstairs (he is obsessive and likes to follow me everywhere) but he is adjusting.
I love hardwood flooring. We don't have any right now, but it is my favorite flooring. Snapple, I'll have to see if I can find the original invoice from when we had it installed 3 years ago to find the brand name.
Brenda
We have some white carpeting. We also own a carpet cleaner . . .
No names yet. He acts like a squirrel sometimes having to climb up our bodies onto the neck area to perch. It's quite strange. He is getting fiesty with his comfort zone here. He isn't as passive but still a good boy. He torments the cats and one loves it and the other just hasn't realized how much he loves it . . .
We are due for new carpeting in the spring. I'll absolutely be making a change. What happens to hardwoods when you have 3 dogs and two cats, 5 total sets of claws, chase each other? They get along better than you would imagine. This morning the two cats and the chihuahua chased each other 'round and 'round the living room couch and managed to change leaders while they were behind the couch! The chase ended on the dining room table with one cat diving under the table cloth, the fat one winded and the chihuahua frustrated at being floor bound. I could NEVER be totally without some house pets. The entertainment value is priceless.
LOL! That sounds very entertaining, and a lot like our house!
Snapple, our wood floors are old - probably the original flooring from when the house was built in 1920. It appears the floors were covered with carpet for 20-30 years but in constant use the past 10 years or so. They are not flawless and it appears that someone at some point had either one very hyperactive large dog or several - there are marks on the first floor at the base of the stairs from regular use by a prior owner. They are the kind of floors that Martha Stewart might purchase new, beat with a bicycle chain, then call the finish "distressed."
I don't think small dogs or cats would have much impact at all, on occassion our female corgi gets really worked up and runs to the window to bark at squirrels - she really digs in when she gets up but doesn't leave marks. The collie, as I mentioned, is obsessive - he stretches probably 30 times a day - big cat-like stretch when he really digs his nails in. He generally never leaves a mark in the flooring, but he is 90 pounds and probably much heavier than any of your pets. I am adament about regular nail trims for all three dogs, so their nails never get long.
The attached picture shows our bedroom flooring, it pretty much looks like that throughout the house.
Edited to add: What looks like a long scratch is not - that was just from me dragging around the vacuum!
This message was edited Dec 1, 2008 3:05 PM
Sweet pic! The Corgi's I've known were very nice tempered and quite smart. You have me tempted to look at that new simulated hardwood like Pergo. I have it down in the kitchen in a fake stone pattern and it's holding up nicely. Plus, we did it ourselves so it's a money saver too. I assume that all the pooches are well housebroken? We're good here, but an ailing animal can pose a serious problem. The last 8 months we had Duke he became increasingly incontinent. In his last days he would trail urine as he walked. There was no way we would confine him. It would have broken his heart. So, I mopped and cried and mopped and cried some more. It's just what you do when they are true family. It's also the reason I want new flooring. He took quite a toll on the carpet, even with professional cleaning.
Everyone is housebroken...but have accidents a few times a year. The floors are not hard to clean when that happens, I just clean what I can with paper towels and then mop if there is stuff that gets into the cracks (you would not have that problem with newer floors because the seals would be much better). The day after Thanksgiving was ugly...all dogs had upset stomachs from eating too much turkey and stuffing.
Been there! But it was St' Patrick's day and corned beef and cabbage. I never knew a dog could pass that much gas either. Whoa!