A Magical Day in the Garden

My first day exposed to the patio garden was such a thrill!  There were so many new things to see, explore and smell.  It was truly magical!  It was completely closed in with a 6 foot wall with big pine trees and other flowering trees all around.  My very private garden.

Smokey Joe and Jodi were comfortably seated in their patio chairs keeping an eye out on me.  What could I possibly get into that would cause me harm?  So many things to see and explore.  Well, for one thing, they had a very lovely fish pond where about 30 Koi (big giant goldfish) lived and played which was complete with a high streaming waterfall.  That was the first place I went to explore because I could see those big fish swimming around in there.  Smokey had them trained to come up to the side and eat right out of his hand.  Quite amazing!  I wanted to jump in there and play with them too, but I was whisked away and given one of my play toys instead.  Puppies have a very short attention span.

There was just too much to see, and I got bored with my toy very quickly.  Next I ventured over to some beautiful flowers that grew up along side our privacy stone wall called roses.  Ouch!  They were prickly.  And what was that big black thing climbing up the wall behind the roses.  Jodi moved me away from there also explaining that roses could hurt my nose, and that big black thing was a Tarantula which were common in AZ.  She explained that they were actually good for the garden, but that we should not make them mad as they had a nasty bite.  Jodi was always talking to me.  I loved to hear her voice.

So, I was put back on the patio stone with my toys.  Smokey said I was very curious and it sounded like that was good. 

There was a tree called a Flowering Pear tree that was right there near the patio stone with its branches hanging right over us.  As I was looking up checking everything out, I saw a tiny little something hanging from one of the branches.  Smokey looked at me then also looked up to see what I was staring at.  He said it was a hummingbird's nest and the little 'hummers' as he called them would soon be having babies.  That gave us all something to check out every time we went outside to enjoy the garden.  The hummers were always zipping and zooming all around the flowers in the garden.

I was so busy exploring everything that soon I got tired and Smokey picked me up for a short nap in his lap.  I had just gone to sleep when I heard....Bark, bark, bark....What is that awful noise?  It was Cinders standing over near the top of the waterfall barking her fool head off.  One thing I learned is that Schnauzers are alarmists and very noisy.  What was she so excited about.  We all got up to walk over to the waterfall and see what all the commotion was about.  Smokey said it was a giant desert frog and it was watching the fish.  How did he ever get into our walled private garden is beyond me, but he was almost as big as me, so I wasn't going to get close to that thing.  I decided to stay close to Star, as I knew she wouldn't let that big brown thing eat me.

Also, right in the middle of the garden was a swimming pool.  Another place I had to be careful about.  I didn't know if I could swim, but Smokey said when it got a little warmer, he would take me for a swim.  OK.  That sounded good to me.  I just wanted to be with the family whatever they were doing.

It was time to go in, but I would have many enjoyable days in my magical garden.

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!