8 weeks

Freddie turned 8 weeks yesterday and he is definitely a part of the family, he has been accepted by all for at least a week now (he has been with us for a week and a half). Freddie and Charlie seem to have become the best of friends BUT Charlie is still very clingy to me from time to time.
During my lunch break I head home (luckily it is only about 10 minutes away) to let them out, some days they play with each other non-stop, others they play alone. Yes, I admit I would rather be getting a training session in during my lunch break but on the same token it is kind of nice getting home and having my 100 pound baby jump on my bed to give me a sitting hug (is he gives me a standing hug he usually knocks me over) then I move on to the little guy and he gives me the sleepy smile of ‘hi mommy’. I have to carry the little guy to the backyard otherwise he has an accident in the house and the whole way he plants kisses on me.
Like I said some days they play all by themselves, yesterday was one. Charlie thought it was necessary to protect everyone from the light reflecting off the door – don’t ask! Freddie on the other hand seemed to be still napping. He would chase after me and lay down and try to go back to sleep, I would move he would do it again. The last few minutes he decided that it was time to play! Charlie kept attacking the light I went over to talk to him and he jetted (he knows his lunch breaks aren’t all that long and doesn’t want me to catch him to bring him in) finally I got him to come to me and he put his head down and got as much loving as he could possibly get, at which point Freddie came over too.
This morning was the first morning that Freddie actually woke me up to go out. It was 3:10 am and I was not happy BUT I figured out how to get out of bed and how to get down the stairs and how to open the back door. I set him down and he sat next to me. Excuse you? I did not get up for you to sit next to me. Finally he scurried off and did what he had to do. We went back inside (I did not let Charlie out because I wasn’t going to take 30 minutes to try to get him inside) Charlie and Freddie both ended up on my bed and started playing. Oh, HELL NO! I grabbed Freddie and treated him like a teddy bear, he got lose, I caught him again and he stayed there long enough for me to fall back asleep and off he went again, I was woken up but the two of them jumping on my bed! After I have no idea how long, Freddie curled up behind me, Charlie in front of me (you have twin, full, queen [which is what I have], king and they really need to make a canine!!!!!!!) and went to sleep. Before I knew it my alarm was going off and it was time to get up. I asked my boys to start on the morning things and I will be down in 10, I needed to get a little bit more sleep. Thank God I have awesome boys! Once I got up, I started making kiddo breakfast (aren’t I a nice mommy?) and Freddie kept coming in and sitting right outside the kitchen, as if he was standing in line for food. Even after he got breakfast, Freddie kept following me around. I know I say that Charlie ended up my puppy and Freddie was the boys, it looks like both of them are my puppies and there really isn’t anything that can be done about it. I am not saying that the puppies aren’t rest of the family, but it seems I am the alpha!

Teeth!

Yesterday afternoon was Freddie’s first vet visit as my fur baby. We got the customary “Oh! How cute!” He was too little to get on the big dog scale, well, he could have gotten onto it, but it wouldn’t have done any good! When we got back to our room he was put on a baby scale and weighed in at a whopping 6.3 pounds! I know, he is absolutely humongous. I dropped him off at home and went grocery shopping.
When we got back, I put Kiddo #1 on doggy duty and he stayed out back with the boys. Freddie kept trying to sneak in the house; I was making dinner and didn’t want to trip over him, so I kept telling him to go back out. Amazingly enough he came in for dinner and was quiet in his kennel for a while, I vote he was napping. My boys went to sleep and Freddie was ready to go out for his night time business, so out we went.
That little sucker has officially started his teething… OUCH! Up until last night he wasn’t really biting, he was somewhere between nibbling and chewing. After we finished outside and I conned Charlie to come in the three of us were playing with some toys on my bed. We bought a chewy ball for Freddie, but Charlie claimed it. We also purchased a few chewing things, Charlie also tried to claim those, but has relented to sharing. I am trying to encourage Freddie to chew on those and not on us. I noticed Freddie headed towards Charlie’s tail and didn’t think much of it until I saw Charlie up, teeth bared and growling. Freddie gave him the look of ‘what?’ Charlie looked at me with the “I sorry mommy, but it hurt’ look. It took about an hour to reassure Charlie that he did nothing wrong (after telling Freddie that was not nice).
This morning they were fine, playing with each other as if nothing at all happened last night! Freddie needs to learn that Charlie, though very understanding, has his limits. Kiddo #1 was on puppy duty again this morning and successfully tuckered him out!

What a weekend!

Friday evening, we wondered over to my parents’ house to pick up the mower, then went on to dinner. As we were leaving the restaurant I get a text message! Trying not to get overly excited (as far as my boys knew Freddie wasn’t coming until Saturday). We slowly drove to the meeting location and there they were! The boys still did not know what was going on. I got out, walked over and she put Freddie in my arms. He was so tiny! We got him home at around 8pm, brought him straight out to the back yard and then brought Charlie out. The introductions seemed to go pretty well, Charlie didn’t growl or bark, Freddie wasn’t too sure of what was going on. He kept walking back to me wanting up!
Friday night (1st night home) didn’t go as smooth. I let Kiddo #1 sleep down stairs in my sister’s area (he needed uninterrupted sleep) Kiddo #2 slept in front of Freddie kennel. By midnight, I had Freddie in my arms, wrapped up in a blanket hoping that would make him sleep. It worked until 1 am, I got him back to sleep… 3 am we were up again, and again at 4 and 5 and 7 and AHHHHHHHH! Kiddo #1 was nice and refreshed and come to think of it, Kiddo #2 was too! I knew right then I needed to figure out something!
Saturday afternoon I got the privileged of mowing the back yard, which meant both Freddie and Charlie were stuck inside. Once I was down mowing they were both permitted to come outside and the loved what I did. Freddie was bouncing after Charlie and Charlie was running away.
Saturday night (2nd night home) I set up a little den on the side of my bed and talked my boys into sleeping there! Charlie was able to sleep on my bed and Freddie didn’t make a peep all night, so all was happy!
Sunday I felt horrible (physically) so I ended up taking a nap and Freddie was content playing with my boys in the den! Sunday night went pretty much as well!
On the potty training front, he amazingly is doing really well. He has had a few accidents, but that is to be expected. He has only pooped inside once (on the first night) and he has peed a few times, but nothing major. He eats – he goes outside, he wakes from sleep – he goes outside. Every time he does his duties outside he gets cheered. I cheered Charlie at one point and got the look of “I have been doing this for a long time and I don’t need cheering’.
Here is to the misadventures of having a new puppy in the house! Tomorrow he turns 7 weeks!

Today is the day!

Today is the big day! Freddie is supposed to move in tonight. The breeder is about three hours away, she has to make a stop on the way here. Hopefully I will have Freddie home by 8:00 tonight!
Charlie spent yesterday at Doggy Daycare and seemed to love it! Before we left we took a lap around Petsmart to see if there was anything there he might like. I am guess nothing smelt right because he didn’t pick anything until we were on our way out the door. We were walked by an aisle and he HAD to go down it. I look to see what was going on and there was an English Bulldog, turns out Charlie just HAD to meet her. They were so funny together! She was on her belly inching around Charlie and Charlie was more than happy to say hi to her. Charlie also had no issue with my boys paying attention to this big pile of wrinkles. I still think getting another Boxer would be better for Charlie, but I don’t think he would have complained about a bulldog. Actually I don’t think he would have complained about anything as long as it was willing to play with him!Oh! My mom has already set up a visitation at her house! My dad does not know about Freddie so but my mom does, she has decided we need to come over on Sunday to do some stuff, I made sure she knew it would be a group! Sadly, Charlie won’t be coming, but I think I will get him a big raw hide to keep him distracted on Sunday.
Hopefully I will be posting a ton of pictures shortly!

And the puparations begin!

As of right now, today, I have two fur children (Carin [boxer] and Charlie [Dane/Lab]) and two human children, but that is a totally different subject! Sadly Carin (my best friend for the past six years) is in the final stages of renal failure. We tried the IV treatment, but all it did was make her miserable. My sister and I decided at this point the only thing we can/should do is make her happy. She is off her kidney diet (she wouldn’t eat), she has blankets folded everywhere for her so she isn’t laying on the ground, everyone is at her beck and call and we are making sure she knows how much we love her as often as possible.

Charlie is my child with ADHD! If he sees a shiny light you are not going to get his attention for anything. All he wants to do is play and he loves playing rough, when appropriate. I love watching him play with my boys because he is semi gentle with them. With me, we get in wrestling matches and he is able to throw more weight around. If we are outside he will come at me full speed and slams into me (he usually hits my hip, I see him coming and I get ready), this is NOT all the time. He understands play time, he also seems to know when I am hurting, at which time he is more gentle with me then he is with my boys. Before Carin started getting worse (she was diagnosis with renal failure over a year ago) they would go at it in the back yard. She would go after his ankles, he would go after his ears, she would get his drawls, they would body slam, they were in heaven! In the past few weeks, I have seen Carin go after Charlie (in their playful way) once.

When I got the updated word on Carin’s condition I knew I would have to start looking for another fur child. I wanted a bulldog, but after a lot of thought, a bulldog would not be a great fit for Charlie and any new fur kid brought into the house would have to fit into the entire family. Then I stumbled across an ad for boxer puppies (after almost getting scammed over bulldog puppies). I spoke to the woman about the puppies and explained the situation I was in. The puppies would be going to their new homes on 14 Aug 10 and she had boys available. Mind you, I have always preferred girls, no particular reason, I just have. Girl boxers are actually known to be very dominating (Carin is a prime example), so having a boy would be a change. Sitting on my bed that night, I was trying to figure out a name for the new puppy. Charlie was sitting right next to me just looking around. I kept naming off names, I really wanted something that went well with Charlie. I said a few names then I said Freddie, Charlie started licking me like mad! I said a few more, Freddie – same reaction. Ok, so Charlie wants to know this dog Freddie! So we will have Carin, Charlie and Freddie. Or when the boys are in trouble Charles and Alfred (Carin never gets in trouble)!

We now have begin the preparations! We will have a puppy coming into the house, who I am sure, will want to chew everything within his reach! So, that means books come up off the bottom shelves, under beds get inspected, shoes get put up high… There is also the shopping aspect! He needs a bed, bowls, leash, collar, harness, toys, food, blankets, tooth brush and so on! He already has his first vet appointment set up, and they are looking forward to meeting him. Carin met a puppy at the store the other day and was very calm with him, I am hoping she will be the same with Freddie. Charlie on the other hand, I have a feeling, will be scared of this little new comer. But time will tell!