Introducing A New Puppy To The Pack

Whenever a new puppy is brought into the family, it's important to make sure you remember to give the other pets lots of attention and love also.  Dogs are very much into "Fair" and become jealous if too much attention is paid more to one than another.  A new puppy always creates excitement for existing family animals as well as the humans.  But, like having additional children, once you've trained a puppy, it's not as difficult to train another.  That being said, each dog is unique, comes from different backgrounds, and will most assuredly put forth a few new challenges to test your training techniques and patience.  It is helpful to take your new puppy to class to get him socialized early and used to getting along with other pets and strange places.  Training your pets properly will ensure that everyone will be much happier in your home environment.  Remember...you're the Alpha dog in the pack, so don't let your pets boss you around!
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Having lost old Cinders, our Mini Schnauzer, we were all very sad for quite what seemed like a long time.  Star carried around Cinders old shirt and I cuddled Star every chance I got.  She was really sad.

Jessie with Star

It was very odd having the big bed all to myself as Star wasn't allowed on the bed cause she was too big.  I was only allowed up there now and then, mostly when Jodi wasn't there.  I think Star sheds more than me, although I have overheard Jodi saying that she could build 3 dogs with those fur balls that tumble down through the hall even though it was frequently vacuumed!  Still, it was lonely being on that big old bed without Cinders.  (Note: Mini Schnauzers do not shed.)

Jessie

Then, Jodi got a phone call and had to leave us for a family emergency.  We were happy to be with Smokey, but now we missed Jodi too.  While Jodi was gone, Smokey had a surprise for all of us. One morning, he seemed very happy and was whistling a tune as he left in the car.  It had been nine months since we had seen Smokey so happy.  Star noticed immediately that something was different in Smokey's demeanor and her mood seemed to lift a bit also in anticipation.  I had no idea what was going on, but even Coco cat was sitting at the window watching for Smokey to return.  Something big was up, I was sure!

A little while later, we heard Smokey's car drive in the driveway.  The door to the garage slowly opened and in walked Smokey with a black and silver fluff ball with a face.  We were all excited to see exactly what that thing was.  A new toy, I wondered?  Smokey sat down on the sofa, and we all came over for a good sniff.  It was a puppy!  But even though he was young, he was still bigger than me.  I let out a very big snort and sneeze to make sure that thing new I was there and I wasn't going to take any nonsense from him.

Captain and Jessie

Star came over, gently sniffed him from head to tail and began licking him all over.  She had accepted him, and so I would too.  Actually, he was kind of fun.  A very curious guy who seemed unafraid and very bold.  He was a Standard Poodle, he was 12 weeks old, and Smokey named him Captain - Cappy for short.

Jodi had always crate trained all of us as puppies, and I was sure that Captain would be in Star's crate that evening.  At bed time, Smokey put Captain in Star's crate, gave him a soft toy, and went to bed.  The crate was always kept in the bedroom with Smokey and Jodi.  But Captain missed his Mom and his brothers and sisters, and began to whine a little.  At first, Smokey ignored it, but the whining got louder and seemed so sorrowful.  Then it became a howl!  Even I, who was laying at the coveted place right next to Smokey (while Jodi was gone), started to worry about the little guy.  I looked up at Smokey who was reading and wondered what he was going to do.  If he didn't do something pretty soon, none of us would get any sleep.

Smokey got up and picked up Captain, took him outside for a potty break one more time, then brought him back to the bedroom whereupon he nestled Captain right between the two of us.  Oh Lord!  If Jodi knew about that, she would be having a real fit for sure.  No dogs were supposed to sleep on the bed.  She had made it abundantly clear to Smokey on a few occasions.  Just then, the phone rang.  It was Jodi calling to check in with Smokey to see how we were all doing.  Just then, Captain started fussing a little bit again.  "Shhhh, I nudged Captain.  You'll get us all in trouble!"

Jodi asked, "Smokey, what is that noise I hear in the background?"  Captain was supposed to be a surprise and a gift for Jodi.  "Sounds just like a puppy!  You didn't get a puppy, did you?"

"Well, ahhhhh, kind of, " replied Smokey.  We were all so sad over the loss of Cinders, I thought it would be good for all of us if we got another puppy."

"Hmmm....What kind of puppy did you get?" asked Jodi

Relaxing a little bit now, Smoky answered, "He's a Standard Poodle.  You know, the ones that are the big dogs.  I got him from our friends Henry and Jean who run our boarding kennel .  Remember the ones we saw at their house?  They raise, train and show them."

Jodi groaned a little and said, "Yes, they're nice, but they're too foo, foo, fa, fa with sauce.  If we were going to have another big dog, I favor German Shepherds like Star."

"But I got him for you," Smokey replied, "As a surprise."

"Well, he can be your dog.  What did you name him?" Jodi asked.

"His name is Captain, but you can change it if you want," he said.

"No, Captain is fine.  You don't have him on the bed with you, do you?" Jodi inquired.

"Well, sort of, kind of.... yes he is.  He was crying in the crate, and I felt so bad for him, so I brought him up with Jessie and me," Smokey replied.

"Jessie's up on the bed too?" she asked in a tone that told Smokey she wasn't too happy.

"Yes, just for tonight.  Everyone seemed to need a little extra love tonight, and even Star came over and rested her head on the bed.  But she's not up here too! Smokey quickly said.

"OK." said Jodi.  "I'll call you tomorrow night.  I will have to be gone for a week.  Can you manage with everything and a new puppy?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," Smokey replied.  "We'll all be just fine."

And we were.  The new addition to our family had immediately lifted all our spirits, and I could sense that there was a lot more to come ahead.

Star-Jessie-Captain

Watching Captain interact with Smokey and the other pets, I had a feeling he would win over Jodi's heart too.  How could you not like this guy?  He was such a ball of fire and now I would have someone to play with again.  I really looked forward to Jodi coming home....

How To Handle A Grieving Dog

Yes, dogs do go through a grieving process when one of their animal companions or human companions passes away.  It is important to allow your pet to grieve and not chastise him while he's going through it.  He may not want to eat, or he may take a piece of clothing and stash it away in his crate or favorite place.  Let him have it for now.  Comfort him and soothe him during this period of morning.  You're most likely going through your own difficult period and your pet also senses this.  It's a time to be together and comfort each other.  Though it may take many forms, grieving allows all of us a period of transition which can be very difficult.  So allow yourself and your pets to go through this difficult period of life.

One morning I woke up and there seemed to be trouble afoot, and it wasn't me who caused it.  What a relief!  But, it seemed that there was something wrong with Cinders.  You may recall, she is the grumpy mini Schnauzer who is always giving me a bad time.

Cinders had passed her 14th birthday, so she was getting very old in dog years - 98 years old in human years.  She always slept at the foot of the bed near Jodi, and this particular morning, she couldn't seem to get up.  And she wasn't able to hold herself until we all went outside.  This was a big warning signal, as Cinders was always very persnickety and perfect in her bathroom manners in the house.

Star, my 2nd mother, a German Shepherd, and protector also seemed to know that something was wrong.  She walked over to Cinders and began to lick her and try to clean her up.  I didn't know what to think about any of this.

Smokey and Jodi called the vet and she said to bring Cinders in right away, so off they went.  Even Coco cat knew something was wrong and kept going over to Star and winding herself around her legs.  Then she was up in the window watching and waiting for Smokey, Jodi, and Cinders to come home.  Coco cat could tell when Smokey and Jodi were coming back way before we dogs even heard them.

When they all returned home, Cinders had been given some medicine and was wearing a small T-shirt to help keep her extra warm.  It was very obvious to me that she wasn't feeling well at all, so I just gave her a little lick on the head and left her alone.  Sometimes, I can be overly playful and maybe a tad obnoxious.  I'm still a puppy and just love to play.

A day or so went by, and it seemed that Cinders wasn't getting any better and she was passing blood.  I knew that wasn't good, so I began to worry.  I could see that both Smokey and Jodi were very concerned in the way they talked and handled Cinders.  Dogs can sense fear and worry.

They called the vet again and went back to her office.  It seemed that Cinder's auto-immune system wasn't working properly and the only thing left they could do was to try a blood transfusion, but the vet said there was only a 50/50 chance that it would work.

So Jodi and Smokey came home without Cinders that afternoon as they decided to try the blood transfusion.  At first the vet thought it was working and called us to say Cinders was doing better that evening.  But at 4:00 am the next morning, Jodi got a call that it didn't take and that Cinders had passed peacefully away.  I'm sure that she went to dogie heaven because Jodi and Smokey really loved her.  And as I think about it, Cinders really was a very good and smart girl.

I thought about all of the stories that Jodi and Smokey were talking about Cinders when she used to go out in their fishing boat with them, and how excited she would get when they got a fish on the line.  Yes, it seemsed that Cinders had been a very special dog indeed!

When Smokey left Cinders to get the blood transfusion, he came home with the T-shirt that Cinders had been wearing and put it in the laundry to be washed.  But faithful Star kept going into the laundry basket and taking it out.  She was carrying it around everywhere.  The entire household was very sad, and so was I.  I could feel the sadness all around me and Jodi kept crying all the time. 

Jodi let Star keep Cinder's T-shirt as the vet told us that Star was really morning the loss of her longtime companion.  You see, Star thought of Cinders as her mother since Cinders was the older dog and had raised Star - kind of the boss in charge of all of us except for Coco cat who bosses everyone!

It was definitely a sad time in my life, but both Jodi and Smokey constantly comforted us with lots of soft words and cuddles.  I didn't realize it at first, but I really missed Cinders.  I grew even closer to Smokey and Star.  Of course Jodi too, but Smokey was my very special human.  I had experienced the loss of a family companion and would remember this feeling forever.  I was sad, very, very sad.

 

Remembering Cinders with me and Star...

 

 

 

Animals don't always understand death, but they do grieve - so let them and be there for each other.

Snake Bites and Dogs

Dogs are naturally curious creatures, so poking around a venomous snake is definitely inviting trouble.  In some areas of the U.S., lessons on how to "Snake Train" your dog are being offered.  For a complete article on the Art of snake training, please visit HOW SNAKE TRAINING YOUR DOG WORKS .  Rattle snakes are by nature very shy, but will strike when threatened.  A sniffing dog, or one that pokes at a snake is surely going to be bitten by the snake.  That goes for people too.  Don't poke a stick at a snake, as it makes him angry and he will strike.


After the event of the Cholla cactus, I thought life would be much easier having learned about those nasty plants.  However, I would soon learn about minding my own business when it comes to other desert critters - like venomous snakes!  Yikes!

Smokey and Jodi wanted to add some flowering plants to the back yard which was completely brown stones and dirt.  One Saturday, as they were bringing in a handful of plants, Smokey stopped short in his tracks and Jodi almost ran into his back.  Because the back gate was open to allow them to come in and out easily with their plants, we dogs were inside watching through the big sliding glass doors.

"Smokey!  For Pete's sake!  I almost ran right into you," said Jodi.  Why are you stopping?"

In a softer, quieter tone, almost a whisper, Smokey said, "Look down just in front of me and don't move."

Jodi poked her head around Smokey's shoulder and almost let out a shriek, but held it back in fear of what was curled up right in front of them.  You guessed it.  A great big old rattle snake, and he was shaking his rattles in warning.  Smokey told Jodi to slowly back up and be quiet about it.  So both of them slowly moved out of the way of the reptile, and went back out through the gate with their plants in hand.

The first thing that came out of Jodi's mouth was, "Go back in there and kill that snake! He'll surely bite the dogs, and little Pug cold be killed!"  Of course, Smokey wasn't going to do any such thing.  He had had enough killing during his years in the Vietnam war, and usually tried to save all creatures.  Plus, he knew that rattle snakes were a protected species in Arizona.  There was a time when they were overly hunted for their meat and hides, thus the AZ law.

Knowing that he couldn't just leave the snake in the yard, he found a rake, went back out to where the snake was laying all curled up, and gently picked it up with the rake removing him outside of the walled fence in back yard.  The creature wasn't very happy about this and was writhing all over the rake.  We saw what was going on from inside and all three of us began to bark.

With the snake safely outside of the 6 foot walled fence, Jodi and Smokey continued bringing the new plants into the yard while we watched.  After they were done and the backyard gate was closed, Jodi opened the sliding glass door so we could go out and play while they planted their new plants.

The next morning while we were outside doing our "business", Jodi was skimming the pool for leaves and any other debris that might have fallen into the pool.  There, caught in the filter system, was our rattle snake. He had found his way back into the yard and had somehow ended up in the pool.  He was not alive to Jodi's relief.  Smokey came out, got him out of the filter and removed him to the outside of the wall.

We still didn't know what all the commotion was all about the day before, but it was then and there that Jodi and Smokey decided that all three of us dogs, Star, Cinders and me should go for snake training, especially if were were going to co-habitate with the desert wildlife.  That's where I would really learn what rattle snakes are all about! See SNAKE TRAINING .

If you live in an area where there is an abundance of venomous snakes, you may want to consider looking into the possibility of having your animals trained to stay away from them.

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.

Moving Day With Your Dog

Pets like routine, and when everything in the house begins to become disorganized to them as in when boxes are everywhere, and strange people are in the house, they become nervous and worried.  It would be helpful to your pet if you are able to bring him to the new location and let him become a little familiar with his new surroundings before you move.  He will want to go outside and mark this territory, and don't be surprised if your house trained pet even decides to mark a spot on the new carpet.  They are laying claim to this space, and it's not unusual.

There are several suggestions regarding what you can do with your pet on the actual moving day:  You can  put him in his trusted crate where he feels safe;  close him in a room that is quiet at the time with his toys;  put him in Doggie Day Care for the day; or leave him with a known friend where he will feel safe and not anxious.

Smokey came home one day and told Jodi that the papers on the new house had passed and we were moving.  I had no idea what that meant.  All I knew was that Smokey and Jodi were taking us for a ride that day to see a new place and they seemed very excited.

I happily jumped into the car with Star and Cinders and we went for our ride.  I loved riding in the car, as it usually meant going to the park or some new place where I would be sure to have fun.  We stopped at a new house and all went in to this empty building.  We all ran curiously through the rooms checking out all the new smells.  Then Jodi opened the door to the fenced back yard and we all ran out there to explore this new space.  No grass, only dirt, but so many new smells!

As soon as we were outside, we all began to mark our territory.  I, being the only boy, had to be sure I left my scent all over the place, so I would recognize it if we ever came back there.  And.... I wanted to block out Star's scent and Cinder's scent, so I was sure to mark right on top of their scent also.  Even though my name is Jessie, Jodi laughed and called me, "Two Drop Tony," as I was running out of urine and only had a few drops left for the last few spots.

Wow!  This looked like it was going to be a fun place to come and play.  Lots of new nooks and crannies to explore, and a few new critters in the yard.  Very interesting.....

The next day, Smokey took us to our favorite Doggie Day Care center where we got to go for a visit every now and then.  We loved it there because there were so many new canine friends to play with. 
Little did we know that while we were playing at Doggie Day Care, our entire home and everything in it was being relocated to the northern part of the town called Pinnacle Peak which was up about 3,000 feet from sea level.

In this part of town, the homes didn't have grass for yards, but instead kept the terrain natural to conserve water.  Everything up there blended in with the landscape.  All of the homes also had 6 foot block walls with one side in the back made out of iron bars so you could see through half-way up from the block.  This type of fence served two purposes:  1) for privacy, and 2) to keep out the wild animals that lived up there such as coyotes and Javelina wild pigs.  It did not keep out the venomous snakes which I would soon learn.

At the end of the day, Jodi came to pick us up from Doggie Day Care and took us back to that new place we had visited the day before.  Only this time, I found my crate, toys and food dish were there also.  It was a little confusing at first, but after a while, we figured out that this was going to be our new home.  Both Star and Cinders had been through this before, but this was my first time.  I slept with Star that night, and she told me not to worry - that everything would be just fine.  I soon fell asleep dreaming of all of those new nooks and crannies that had to be searched really well.  Tomorrow.

Taking Your Dog in the Car

Tip:  Don't make trips to the veterinarian the only time you take your dog for a ride in the car.  If they don't enjoy going there, they will associate the car with the vet.  Begin with short trips and make them fun for your pet.  Don't leave him alone in the car on those early trips, or he will think that every time he goes in the car, you will abandon him.  Allow your pet to associate the rides in the car with good things. And NEVER leave your dog in the car on hot days.

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I just loved going for rides in the car with Smokey and Jodi.  Of course, the best times were when all three of us dogs went for a ride over to the dog park.  It was fenced in so we could run around all over the place and not get into any trouble.

I had a friend named Baily who would often be at the dog park.  He was also a Pug just like me, only I was a little bit bigger than he was.  We chased our balls, the birds and anything else we could find while Smokey and Jodi kept a watchful eye on all of us.

Star also stayed close to us, so no bullies would come over and pick on us.  She was the best German Shepherd in the world! 

One time we were chasing our balls at the park and mine landed in the little pond that was over where the ducks liked to play.  I was a little bit afraid to run in there and get it, since Smokey wasn't already swimming in there.  And those ducks might fly at me - I definitely did not like that!  Would you believe that grumpy, grouchy Cinders ran in there like a bullet, swam out to the ball and brought it back.  Of course, since she had done such a big favor for me, I had to let her run around with my ball for a little bit.  She is so possessive.  She always thinks everything is hers!  Of course, when Jodi pulled a new toy and tossed it, Cinders dropped the ball and went after that.  That Jodi is pretty smart!

I loved going for rides in the car.  You just never know what exciting place you would see next. 

Life is good......

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.