Twelve week pupdate

Luka seems to be growing as we watch; he’s thin, but has long legs that will reach the top of the kitchen counter before very long. His appetite is ravenous and he’s learned the bad habit of barking non-stop while we prepare his meal. We’ll be curing him of that real soon! Tummy troubles and a trip to the vet have him spoiled with homecooked meals for the last week or so. Boiled chicken and white rice, accented with green vegetables, every six hours. Warmed in the microwave, if you please.

What brand do you all feed your dogs and do I need to obsess about it as much as I have been?

We’ve been crating him for half the day and he’s doing well with that. I was worried for the state of my kitchen baseboards and could only imagine the trouble he might cause when he’s really teething in a month or two. My husband is the soft touch who doesn’t like to use the crate, so I take the role as the bad guy who crates him before leaving for work; then my husband can be the good guy who lets him out at lunchtime. I bought a few of those Kong toys over the weekend for Luka to keep himself amused with while in the crate. I think he makes quick work of them, but at least he goes happily into the crate when I leave and doesn’t see the crate as any sort of punishment.

We’ve been going to puppy classes one night a week, but skipped last week while I got us into a different class with more puppies. The class we were in consisted of a 5 month old Lab who only came once in a while and a cranky little 2 year-old Bijon that was scared of my pup. Not much happening in the way of socialization there, so we got out. I’m curious to see what the new group will be like – hopefully it will be a better fit for us.

I’m taking him with me everywhere – much to his delight! Just tonight we strolled through downtown Red Bank and were stopped every 20 feet by some new admirer. He loves the attention. We’ve been to the beach and the woods, and he even got his first taste of swimming. We met a huge Newfoundland that day at the beach – that dog could really swim! Luka had the chance to say hello, but somehow got himself tangled up in his lead under that monstrous dog and had himself a good scare. His puppy bravado changed tune pretty quickly and I had to rescue him from the furry bear that towered over him. Silly pup!

Well, that can’t be good!

My desktop PC died on me tonight. At least, I think it’s dead.

I’ve been getting the *blue screen of death* every so often for the last few months, but tonight it made some odd beeping sounds and the CPU fan came on as loud as a jet engine. And then it stopped and the monitor is just black.

Hmmmm…. maybe I just need a new fan? I have my fingers crossed that that’s all it is. Every single one of my photos is stored on that PC and only on that PC.

;-(

I don’t even have a clue as to where to begin, aside from trying again in the morning and hoping that it’ll start up like normal.

Not likely, right?

Dreaming

Let’s see… I’m dreaming of crisp fall days and an excuse to wear my nice Irish fisherman’s sweater. We’ve had rainy days and nightime temps in the 50’s this past week, but today the heat and humidity returned in full force.

I’m dreaming of a peaceful night’s sleep, free of crying puppies and the anxiety of taking multiple tests to prove my mettle at this new job. The tests are done now; I had three in as many days, but we won’t be told how we did until late next week. I was giddy to be done with it yesterday and hate this in-between time, not knowing.

I’m dreaming of a weekend full of sunshine and fun. I’ve no specific plans, but there’s a horse show and a pup who might like a visit to Sandy Hook Bay. Or a walk in the woods close to home; maybe a dip in the creek. The vegetable garden needs attention, as does the pond. Funny how these chores so easily get away from us late in the summer.

The summer itself seems to have gotten away from me this year. Next weekend is Labor Day and then the start of school and before we know it, it’ll be Christmas again. Where does the time go?

Has anyone else dreamed up something good for this weekend?

Hazards

Puppyhood is fleeting and fraught with danger. Most days Luka is full of puppy bravado and bravely challenges vacuum hoses, ladders, and little old ladies with umbrellas. He sneaks up on napping bunnies like a stealthy cat and pounces at plastic grocery store bags. He talks back when disciplined, yet sits politely while waiting for his dinner.

Each day, with frequent walks to new places and the added help of a weekly puppy class, he’s learning some manners and being exposed to new things. I’m amazed with how forward and unafraid this pup is with strangers and unfamiliar things. For all of his life my Buddy would approach the downtown area of our little neighborhood with his tail between his legs – too many people and too much activity always made him apprehensive – yet this little guy trots forward with a happy tail, glad to meet anyone who will pause long enough to coo over him.

He’s been stepped on more than once by clumsy strangers and has learned not to put himself underfoot despite his eagerness. Just yesterday he learned how to go down stairs for the first time and was quite pleased with himself for no longer needing to be carried outside for potty breaks like a little baby. He’s tall enough now to surf the top of the coffee table; making yet another piece of furniture that I have to keep free of clutter. He spends workdays napping, waiting for us to come home to walk him and peeling paint from the kitchen baseboards.

Everything must be explored with his mouth and teeth. Some flower or rock or patch of dirt has managed to upset his stomach – we’ve been dealing with that the last few days. Healthy portions of boiled rice and some canned pumpkin have gotten his poops back to normal, but not without accident and a sleepless night or two.

We’ve been playing fetch in the yard and he’s loving that. He’s still very clumsy and most often lands on his head before getting the ball in his mouth. Today we had a scare when he carried the ball under the Rose of Sharon hedge and disturbed a bunch of ground-nesting wasps. I thought his panic was because the ball rolled out of his reach or that his lead was tangled among the branches, but coming closer I saw that he was covered in wasps. Poor thing! I called Rich from across the yard and we brushed them all off, but Luka was stung and yelping and frightened. We called the vet just to be sure he’d be okay and he is, but it scared me how he became so suddenly quiet and subdued. I wonder if he’ll be put off playing fetch now or if he’ll pester bees in the garden the way Buddy always did.

The books all say that what pups learn now sticks with them for life, so we’re mindful that his expereinces are all as positive as can be. Most indignities have been easily remedied by the generous administration of cookies, but I’m not so sure that this one won’t sting for a good while in his memory.

Dog days

Everything seems to be taking twice as long to accomplish these days. Mostly because I’ve forgotten just how much work a puppy is and how much general chaos they can bring about in a normal day.

I haven’t properly responded to your comments here in months, it seems, and I feel badly about that. I barely find time to surf by your blogs before it’s time for another walkie or play session.

The pressure is on at work with just a few weeks left in my training period. I’ve three tests ahead of me in the next two weeks and then a final week of waiting to hear if they’ve decided to keep me on in this new job. The world won’t end if I have to go back to the old one – I’ve come to that conclusion here lately. There’s something to be said for the comfort of the familiar, be it the *old* job or the old dog content to sleep at your feet.

So, in an effort to get caught up with all of you and maintain my sanity (and friendships) I’ll be taking something of a summer vacation from blogging everyday. Please don’t think me disinterested for not having been in touch lately. When I’ve found a minute to appreciate the wonder of something, I’ll be sure to share it. Please be here with me when I do.

A good nap

I love a good nap. It’s a guilty pleasure I normally indulge only at the weekend. During the work week, I can’t let myself get too comfortable on the couch in the evening otherwise I’ll be out for a few hours, nothing gets done, and then I’m up half the night.

With a puppy in the house, there’s lots of opportunity, but we use Luka’s nap time to get essential things done. Much the way people do with a little baby in the house. He’s so adorable when he sleeps that I can’t resist cuddling him for a while – I admit it! His habit has been to nap from about 9pm until bedtime – a problem – because when we’re ready for bed he’s raring to go!

Today while we were at work, little darling Luka got into one of the soda cans that my DH keeps on the kitchen floor. Predictably, he managed to pierce the can with his baby shark teeth and had the kitchen floor and his bed covered in Diet Pepsi. What a little angel!

😉

Well, he’s an angel when he’s napping anyway.

Puppies sleep a lot (thank heavens!) but it’s productive time for them. They play hard and nap hard, but while they sleep they’re growing and maturing. There’s health benefits in napping for people, too. For me, it’s a great mood enhancer. I was very happy when I was in Spain with their society-sanctioned siesta time and wonder why this habit hasn’t ever caught on in our part of the world.

In praise and thanksgiving


“Awakening
in a moment of peace
I give thanks
to the source of all peace

as I set forth
into the day
the birds sing
with new voices
and I listen
with new ears
and give thanks

nearby
the flower called Angel’s Trumpet
blows
in the breeze
and I give thanks

my feet touch the grass
still wet with dew
and I give thanks
both to my mother earth
for sustaining my steps
and to the seas
cycling once again
to bring forth new life

the dewdrops
become jewelled
with the morning’s sun-fire
and I give thanks

you can see forever
when the vision is clear
in this moment
each moment
I give thanks”

-Harriet Kofalk

Today I give thanks. We very nearly almost had a house fire. Of the electrical sort. I’m thankful for the almost part and that I was home from work in time to discover the problem.

What are you thankful for?

Summer snowflakes

Common as it is, Queen Anne’s Lace is a beautiful wildflower, I think. I found a nice patch backlit by the sun a few weeks ago and lost myself for a while in the varying forms the flowers take. As pretty as the tops of the flowers are, I think they’re much more interesting from below.

It’s said to attract more than 60 insects, beneficial pollinators among them, and makes a wonderful pressed flower. It’s easily confused with other poisonous members of the carrot family, like water-hemlock or poison hemlock, so be very careful before ever sampling the root.

I was ready to say that this is probably my favorite of the late summer wildflowers, but then I thought of Joe Pye and New York Ironweed. Both are just coming into bloom in my garden now and attracting swallowtails and monarchs. It’s August suddenly and the summer is waning.