Cactus Attacks Pug Dog

One day, not too long after we had moved in to the new house, Smokey and Jodi decided we would have a walk-about in the desert.  Now mind you, this is all natural desert, brown and dry.  You know that "dry heat" thing.  It wasn't hot yet, so off we went, Smokey, Jodi, Star, Cinders and me.

There are lots of creepy critters in the desert, but I found it all a big adventure.  At least I knew I would be safe with big Star to protect me, or so I thought.  At least we didn't encounter any slithering snakes!

We were following a natural path, but I decided to venture off a bit and check out something that looked interesting off the trail.  It was big, hairy, had lots of legs, and was moving.  Before I knew it, I was attacked by a big plant with sharp barbs all over it which were now all over my nose and face!  By the way, that hairy crawling thing was a tarantula spider.  Glad I didn't get too close to that thing!

I let out a big yelp and Smokey pulled me back towards him, not coming towards me.  I had been attacked by a Jumping Cholla Cactus!

We left immediately and were off to the vet's in two seconds flat!  Jodi was all upset, and Smokey tried to keep us both calm.  What we learned from our vet is that a jumping cholla cactus has a very shallow root system and it runs along just beneath the ground's surface.  So when I stepped on the root system, the plant threw barbs at me.  Kind of like the Venus Fly Trap idea, only in reverse.

I was in such pain and crying through the entire procedure as the vet gently removed each barb from my nose and face.  Those barbs, incidentally, have a little hook on the end, so it's not an easy thing to pull them out.  What did we know?  We were new to that area, but we learned a good lesson very fast.

Golfers have to beware of the jumping cholla on the golf courses of Arizona.  So, if you're ever out there, golfers - BEWARE!  That's not the only thing to be on the lookout for on Arizona golf courses, but that's another story.

Here are some other types of cactus that grow in the Southwest:

 

This giant is a Saguaro cactus and can grow

very large and tall as you can see.  Birds love to nest in them.

This one is a Prickly Pear Cactus just getting ready to flower. 

People take the meat of this cactus and make jams and jellies out of it.

The Agave Cactus is one that is used to make the ever popular Agave nectar which is a lot like bee honey.

Fred The Morning Dove Lands In Our Pool

We had a small in ground pool in our back yard garden.  The gardener came once a week and added chemicals to the pool, as well as trimmed the roses and took care of all of the other plants.  Since I was always happy to see anyone, I would bark at him from inside the sliding glass door just to say hello, but he kept his distance.  I think it might have had something to do with Star, my German Shepherd surrogate mother, who always stayed near me.  As I recall, she did let out a low growl now and then.  Kind of a warning to stay away.

After the pool was treated, it smelled really strong of chemicals, and we were all supposed to stay away.  Many folks think Pugs can't swim, but we can.  In fact, when Smokey was swimming in the pool, I would run around the edge barking like crazy and then launch myself through the air like a rocket smack dab right in the pool.  Smokey would grab me so my dense body wouldn't sink, and I figured out I could manage to get to the stairs and actually walk out.  My little legs had to move very fast, but I got there!

One afternoon, we went outside for a little potty break, and low and behold, there was a Morning Dove floating in the pool.  At first I thought he must have been sun bathing, but as Smokey got closer, he saw that the dove had a broken wing, and his feet were burned from the strong chemicals in the pool from the morning treatment.  Cinders the grouchy Schnauzer said the dove was probably dead.  She is such a pessimist!  Star said for me not to worry and that Smokey would take care of everything.

Smokey had a very special way with all animals - a very gentle touch.  He took the pool skimmer net and scooped out the dove.  The dove tried to fly, but couldn't get anywhere with his broken wing and he continued to struggle.  Smokey promptly named him Fred and put him in a deep box with soft material on the bottom.  Fred quieted down in the safety of the box.

Later that day, Smokey came home with some pop sickle sticks and special salve from our local vet to put on Fred's legs.  He made a splint out the pop sickle sticks to set Fred's broken wing.  After searching around in the garage storage area, he found an old bird cage that he had, cleaned it up, and gave Fred a new home.  Then, he put the cage outside on the table just below the flowering pear tree, so Fred would have a mix of sun and shade.

At night, Smokey would take Fred out of his cage and hold him up close to his shoulders and neck.  Fred seemed to be very comforted by that and would close his eyes after Smokey spent a little time stroking him on the head and back.  Fred ate the bird seed that Smokey fed him right out of his hand and drank water from a dropper at first gradually migrating over to the little water cups attached to the bird cage.

Even Coco Cat seemed to know that Fred was a guest at our house who needed care.   And though she spent many hours lying next to the cage which was on the table outside in the garden, she didn't try to put her paw through the bars, or scare Fred in any way.

Every day, Fred's mate, Mrs. Fred, would fly into the tree branches which hung over the table where Fred's cage was.  Mrs. Fred would even land on the top of the cage if we were inside and we would hear her coo to Fred letting him know she was still there for him.  She would stay and visit with him for very long periods of time.

Fred developed a bond with Smokey and whenever Smokey would open the cage door, Fred would hop up on Smokey's finger and then cuddle up to his neck and coo.  I had to give up a little of my spotlight for Fred, but I didn't mind.  Pugs have a big heart and we have lots of love to go around.  Smokey used to tell me that if a robber were ever to get in our house, I would probably lick his face with a big kiss and welcome him there!  Of course, Star would never let anyone in our house that wasn't supposed to be there.  Her job was to watch over all of us.  And she was excellent at her job!

After some time had passed, Smokey took the splint off Fred's wing.  Fred would perch on Smokey's finger and Smokey would gently raise his hand up and down which would cause Fred to flap his wings, so he could practice and build his strength back.  After going through a few weeks of this type of practice, Smokey told Fred it was probably time for him to try to fly.  While Fred was perched on Smokey's finger, Smokey waved his hand high and low and launched Fred on the upswing.  Fred flapped his wings, flew up for a short bit and dive bombed back to the ground - a soft grassy spot.  None the worse for wear, Fred picked himself up and waddled over to Smokey and pecked on his foot.  He asked so nicely to be picked up that Smokey couldn't resist.  "O.K., Fred," said Smokey.  "You're not quite ready yet.  We'll have to practice a little bit more."

Another week went by, and one late afternoon, Smokey went out to the cage, opened the door, and out came Fred hopping up on Smokey's finger.  "Now, Fred," said Smokey.  "We're going to try flying again.  Mrs. Fred wants you to come home, and you have to get back to your life in the wild."

Smokey began waving Fred up and down easy at first, and then he flicked his hand and sent Fred up into the air.  Fred flapped his wings vigorously, flying up so much higher this time.  But then he began to swoop down in a dive towards the ground.  Then....just before he would have crash landed, he arched and flew up to the tree above the fish pond.  He did it!  He seemed so happy.  At last, Fred could fly.  We all cheered, barked, and Smokey and Jodi were thrilled.  Mrs. Fred was close by and flew over to welcome him back to the great outdoors.

After that, every time we were all outside enjoying the garden, Fred and Mrs. Fred would fly on to the branch that hung low, just above the table where Fred's cage had been.  He would coo and talk to Smokey.  Smokey would put food in his hand and Fred would fly to him and eat out of his hand.  Then he would fly off and enjoy his time with Mrs. Fred. 

We saw a lot of Fred and Mrs. Fred all through the summer.  We had made a new friend.  And life was at it should be.

Potty Training the New Puppy

Puppies should be fed 3 times a day until they are 6 months old, and then 2 times a day for the rest of their life. Vets generally agree that the old once a day feeding for adult dogs is much harder on their stomach, whereas as twice a day which consists of 2 smaller meals works better. 

Young puppies don't have a sense about "holding it".  When they have to go, they just stop right in the middle of what they are doing and let 'er rip!  Therefore, it's important to take them out often.

I was having a jolly old time playing with Star climbing all over her and biting her ears and tail.  I even stuck my little head in that big mouth and she didn't even bite me.  I have no idea why I did that except I wanted to see what it looked like up close and personal.  She was very patient and gentle with me.

Right in the middle of our playing, I had to pee, so I just stopped and went.  Star didn't like that at all and got up and walked over to a contraption called the doggie door.  She disappeared right through the door and I could see her outside.  So I thought, well if she can go through it, so could I and off I went.  Wow, was that fun! 

I could see Smokey Joe through the glass in the door and for some reason, he didn't look very happy.  He came out, picked me up and brought me back to the spot where I had left a puddle on the floor.  He started talking very loud and I just couldn't imagine what was wrong with him.  He just kept saying, "Bad dog!"  I didn't know what he was saying, but somehow I knew I was in trouble.  Just then, Jodi came into the room, and saw what the commotion was all about.  She picked me up and held me close.  Ahhhh, this was much better.  Then we all went outside where she put me down.  How did she know I wasn't done yet?  This time when I did number 2, everyone was happy and I got lots of love and nice sounding voices from Smokey and Jodi. 

Tip:  Right after you feed your puppy, take him outside to a designated spot and tell him to "Go pee", "Get busy", or whatever you want to call it.  Just be consistent.  Because he is young, and his bladder isn't fully developed yet, he will go right away.  When he does, praise him and tell him what a good dog he is.  When we are training, we usually take our puppies out every 2-3 hours.  They housetrain very quickly using this method.  If that's not possible, put him in his crate until you can take him out.  Most dogs don't like to soil the area where they sleep.  But, don't make him wait too long, he's still a baby.  Have a heart - he can only hold it so long.

I enjoyed being outside in the garden.  So many new scents and little places to explore.  After my next feeding at noon, Jodi took me back outside and put me down.  Of course, I followed Star around everywhere.  When Jodi said, "Get busy", Star immediately found her spot and went, so I did too.  I was so cool!  Jodi was smiling, and out came Smokey Joe.  I looked at him, and he picked me up and told me what a good boy I was too.  I am such a cool dog - I can tell!  Jodi calls me Smush face and I think I like that.

After my dinner, Star went out through the doggie door over to our spot, and I followed her.  Guess she was making sure I didn't screw up this time.  OK, so I get the idea.

Cinders came out after us, and went to a totally different place in the garden.  She can be so disagreeable - such a prissy girl.  And I would find out later that Coco cat had a littler box for her "business".  I made a mental note to find it one of these days when I am allowed to go into other parts of the house.  Right now, I am confined to the kitchen.  That's fine with me.  It's a big room from my point of view, and I have lots of toys to play with.

It's evening now.  Both Smokey Joe and Jodi hold me in their laps and talk to me a lot.  I don't know what they're talking about, but I know it's good stuff because I get lots of hugs and kisses.  And I hear my name, Jessie, mentioned a lot in nice, soft tones.

I think I'll go to sleep now right in Smokey's lap.  Life is good.

How Much Should I Feed My New Puppy

Generally speaking, most dog food comes with the age and weight of the dog separated from small to large.  But you do have to consider the type of dog you have also.  For example, a Pug will eat as many times as you offer food which will cause the dog to be obese and unhealthy.  If still in doubt, you can check with your vet.

FYI - Please take your new puppy to the veterinarian shortly after you bring it home.  To keep a healthy puppy, you want to be sure to have your vet check for any parasites, worms, etc. that the puppy may have.  It is not uncommon for a new puppy to have some type of parasite, so it is very important to take it to the vets as soon as possible.
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My first night in my new home was fine after Star stayed by my crate.  What a ginormous dog she was.  But, she seemed to care about me and we became fast friends.

What's the hub-bub going on in the kitchen?  Jodi is calling us asking us if we want to eat.  Sounds super to me - Breakfast!  And I'm really starved.  Why is everyone sitting there so patiently waiting?  Did Jodi say it was time to EAT?  Oh, I just love the sound of that word.

Since the other dogs are both bigger than me, I figured I should start jumping up and down next to Jodi and bark so she would be sure to see me.  Well, just look at that!  Cinders got her bowl first!  So I thought I would go over and share with her.  After all, that's what my siblings and I did - we all ate out of one big bowl.

Bad idea....Cinders not only growled at me, she snapped at me and scared the daylights right out of me.  Such a bossy girl.  I learned that she got her food first since she was the oldest dog.  When Star got her food next, I thought about going over there and sharing hers, but then I looked at that big mouth again, and didn't think it would be a good idea.  So I continued to jump and bark at Jodi-Mom.  She took me over to another place away from the other two dogs, and made me sit quietly for just a short moment.  Ugh!  All this waiting when I was starving to death!  I received my breakfast as soon as I quieted down.  Hope I don't have to do this every time for Pete's sake.  I could have finished my breakfast already.  As it turned out, I was still done before the other two.  Jodi said that I inhaled my food.  Wonder what she meant by that?

After I was finished with my breakfast, Jodi took all of us outside for a potty break and to play.

Note - Pugs eat very fast and sound like little pigs in the process.  Do not overfeed your puppy.  By the same token, if your puppy doesn't finish his food in 15 minutes, pick up what is left.  If you allow your puppy to free feed (eat all day long at his leisure), it will be very difficult to house train him.

Bringing Home The New Puppy

Here I was out in the back yard enjoying playtime with my three siblings and Beatrice, the family Briard (a very old breed of French working dog) when I heard the front doorbell ring.  Beatrice took off through the doggie door with me right behind her just in time to grab onto her tail.  As we rounded the corner with me hanging on for dear life, there stood two strangers - humans - a man and a woman.  I stopped dead in my tracks, letting go of Beatrice's tail and stared at the two strangers.  The man scootched down and put his hand out.  Suddenly, I had an uncontrolable urge to run up to him.  It was love at first site, and before I knew it,  I was off to my new home in Scottsdale, AZ.  I was a 10 week old male Pug.  You know, the dogs with the smooshed in face - kind of like a Pekinese, but with short hair, and much more handsome.

The man's name was Joe, but I learned later that most people called him Smokey, and his wife was named Jodi.  When we arrived at my new home, I discovered that there were other animals that lived there.  Well, I thought, this must be a great place to live with these other animals, and I'll make some new friends.  There was Coco, the family's black cat who loved to make mischief; Cinders, a Mini-Schnauzer with an attitude, and Star, a very large German Shepherd who had enormous ears and a very large mouth.  "Wow,"  I thought.  "I could fit my whole head and then some into that big mouth.  A little scarey at first.

Jodi took me into her arms, sat down on the ottoman, and put me in her lap.  All the other animals came over for a look, except for Cinders, who kept her distance for the moment.  When Star came to check me out, Jodi said, "Now, Star, this is little Jessie James, and he's not your lunch!"  Well that was good to know!  And I guess my new name was going to be Jessie.  Not bad, I could deal with that.

Cinders finally came over to check me out after the others were done sniffing and licking me .  When I poked my head towards her expecting a nice hello lick, she growled.  Hmmm, not a very friendly attitude indeed.  OK, so I was learning the pecking order in this new family.  Even though Star was larger, I would soon learn that it was Cinders who was the boss in this group, and very demanding.

I overheard later that it was Smokey Joe's 50 birthday, and that I was his special gift from Jodi.  I must admit, I did feel particularly special.  And boy, was I excited to be in my new home, running all over the place.

Smokey and Jodi crate trained their dogs when they were puppies to aid in house-training, so I was introduced to my very own crate complete with a nice soft bed and a few new toys.  I was fine when they first put me to bed, but then I started missing my Mom and siblings and started to whimper.  Star came over and layed down right at the front of the crate where I could see and smell her.  She would be the one to comfort me this night and all through my life.  She would also become my protector.  With a full stomach and Star right there, I feel asleep.  Life was good!