Day 49, April 1, 2022
A few updates….
On one of our outside excursions yesterday in a nearby neighborhood, Gracie and I met a woman as she was walking her two Shetland sheep dogs. The dogs, Maddie (age 8), and Mollie (age 6) were charming. Gracie had much fun playing with them. The woman introduced herself to me, and I to her. I thought, “This is great – hearing the HUMAN’S name!” Hmmm, perhaps not ALL “dog people” are the same.
Nevertheless, I INSTANTLY forgot her (the human’s) name. No doubt we’ll soon see Maddie and Mollie and What’s-her-name again before long and maybe I can ask her name again and really hope that she forgot my name, too, so I’m not too embarrassed.
On housebreaking…
I’ve pretty much given up on the pee pads. Occasionally, when I need to leave the house for a few hours, before I leave, I’ll put down a pee pad knowing it’s merely a “suggestion” to Gracie in an elusive hope she might actually use it as intended. Inevitably though, I’ll return to find the pee pad in shreds. Still, the housebreaking process continues to creep along in a relatively positive direction. I am SO looking forward, however, to the time when we make it through an ENTIRE day with NO ACCIDENTS indoors. That will truly be a banner occasion and cause for real celebration! I might have to put up a billboard.
On a very positive note, I was pretty shocked to see Gracie allowing Chloe to casually walk by her AT LEAST a half dozen times, without a chase ensuing after Chloe. This is a small miracle! I managed to catch a shot of evidence…
I went to the Dollar Tree today and simply couldn’t resist buying yet another toy for Gracie. Gracie is preoccupied with it in the shot above and it probably helped deter her from engaging with Chloe. Here’s a shot of the two of us playing tug-of-war with the new toy….
Day 50, April 2, 2022
That banner day of Gracie having no indoor accidents came sooner than expected!! It was yesterday!!! Yippee!!! I’m giving Gracie a “Housebreaking Milestone Award” and extra treats.
Do you know those signs some companies display with stats on safety? Like this one?
I think I’ll start displaying a similar one for housebreaking like this…
Day 51, April 3, 2022
Another “No Accident” day yesterday!! YipPEE!!
Gracie had a 9am appointment at the vet today. Before that, around 8am, I left Gracie in the kitchen for a few minutes. Gracie started crying for attention, but I ignored her because I needed to clean up a small mess that Chloe had made. Just then, I heard a loud “WHOMP” and glass breaking in the kitchen. I ran there and found Gracie had pulled over a free-standing cabinet on which – OF COURSE – I had placed A ZILLION items including an antique coffee grinder, a pencil holder filled with pens and pencils, a ceramic dish (holding business cards, notes, Alan wrenches, a whistle, ear buds, and screws), a coffee mug filled with coffee and creamer, two spray bottles, a coaster, and a thermometer. I found an AWFUL mess. (I know, I know, Jules – you warned me.)
All items were scattered on the floor, with coffee spilled everywhere including on the carpet by the kitchen door. There were glass shards, notes, writing instruments, cards, and screws all over the place. My favorite Harley-Davidson mug was broken, and the free-standing cabinet was split on one entire side. I spent the next 30 minutes trying to restore order as I held Gracie back with one hand because she kept trying to lick up the coffee. At the same time, I kept stepping in the spilled coffee, and because it had sweetener in it, my sneakers kept sticking to the floor. I finally got the worst of that mess cleaned up then I finished cleaning the cat mess that had been interrupted just in time to take Gracie out for a bathroom break before leaving for the vet.
Vet report:
Gracie weighed in at 19.5 lbs. She will be 4 months old on Thursday. She received her last series of puppy vaccinations including canine distemper, rabies, Leptospirosis (prevents Leptospirosis – a serious bacterial disease), and Bordetella (prevents Bordetella – another bacterium associated with respiratory disease). She was also microchipped. And Dr. Walker gave me medicines to administer to Gracie later this week for heartworm, fleas, and ticks. Gracie has been given a clean bill of health and I am now able to take her to more places because she has the vaccine protection she needs.
Dr. Walker is wonderful with Gracie. During our visit, he taught Gracie the “down” command and gave her lots of treats. Gracie smothered him with kisses. Dr. Walker gushed at least three times, “Gracie, you are too cute for words.” I’m a very proud dog-parent of an awesome Golden noodle! I pretty much forgot about this morning’s mishap already.
Day 52, April 4, 2022
Yesterday afternoon we had a “doodle fest” in the basketball court at Wilson Farm Park. There were five dogs there and all five were “doodles” including Boo, Rosie, and Holiday (all labradoodles), as well as Quinn (a goldendoodle) and Gracie (mini goldendoodle). They all happily played together and chased tennis balls for about an hour. Gracie had a blast. I came back with a completely slobber-soaked tennis ball. It wasn’t the same tennis ball I left with earlier, but Gracie seems to like this far dirtier, bacteria-laden one so much more than her other bright new one.
(Gracie with Rosie and Holiday)
Day 53 (4 months old) , April 5, 2022
Gracie received a wonderful present from Auntie Marci and Auntie Karen – a super-fluffy, plush, comfortable bed. Gracie LOVES it! She is VERY grateful to her two aunties for this marvelous gift (and I am too)! I knew it was already a real hit when Gracie immediately dragged two of her favorite toys into it – the broom and Mr. Hippo!!
I have one spoiled pooch!
(Above: More toys in the new bed. If you look closely, in addition to Mr. Hippo, you can maybe see the “bottle in the sock” toy and a yellow tennis ball buried in the fluff…)
Day 54 (No accidents day 6) , April 6, 2022
After several days of soaking rain, it was GREAT to get out in the sunshine today!!
Day 56, April 8, 2022
I am so very proud of my little noodle! A full week has passed with no inside accidents despite, even, a brief bout with diarrhea. Gracie, I dare to say, is on her way to becoming housebroken!!
And now that I’ve been “in the trenches” (so to speak) with housebreaking a puppy, I feel perhaps I can share a little bit of “digital age” insight with other struggling puppy owners. I’ve come to believe if there is a fundamental law governing the housebreaking process in today’s era – it is this:
Murphy’s Law of Puppies: Your puppy will pee on your floor at the precise moment you become totally engaged in something interesting on your computer.
Gracie greeting neighbor Sasha today….
Day 57, April 9, 2022
Unamused Oh well, at least the bottom number is better…
I blame myself for this housebreaking setback. I was feeling overly confident about Gracie’s progress, and I let her bounce around the non-puppy-proofed living room for a little while. Before I knew it, she was PEEING ON MY SHEEPSKIN RUG. (I know, I know, Debra, you warned me!! You think I would have learned the LAST TIME Gracie peed on my sheepskin rug and you astutely pointed out the sheepskin might feel a little like grass on Gracie’s paws. And of course, I’m sure you were right. And on Sunday I was living in some fantasy world where doggies magically distinguish between all peeing and non-peeing surfaces.)
Day 58, April 10, 2022
Today Gracie had her “Easter bath” at Lucie’s Barkingham Palace! Lucie’s is a grooming/boarding/day care establishment about 10 minutes from my house. It’s quite an operation. You can hear lots of barking as you approach the building. When you enter, the din rises quite a few decibels. Just inside, there is a very large window where you can observe 20 or so dogs running around and playing together in an adjacent warehouse sized room. Lucie’s menu of grooming services includes everything from basic baths (which Gracie got) to gland cleaning (I didn’t ask). For boarding, Lucie’s even has a separate “Betty White” section with suites for anxious and senior pets.
At the moment, Gracie looks and smells awesome. However, given her propensity for digging, playing in mud, and picking up all types of decaying debris, I expect her groomed appearance and sweet aroma will be a relatively temporary state and might not last until Easter.
I captured the photo below this afternoon right after we got home from Lucie’s.
Day 59, April 11, 2022
A special thanks to all of you so willing to inform me on the details of the “gland” service offered by my dog groomer. Consider me enlightened.
Gracie found a new friend, Brady. He is a seven-month-old cockapoo – a very cute dog, similar in color and size to Gracie. (Brady’s picture is below.) We’ve seen Brady and his owner, Liz, several times nearby in the past few days. Liz and Brady live in a neighborhood adjacent to mine. According to Liz, Gracie is one of the few dogs that Brady will play with. (And Liz is one of the few dog owner names I actually know.) While Brady and Gracie frolic together. Liz and I compare doggie notes. Here’s a snippet from today:
Liz: “Brady picks up EVERYTHING and puts it in his mouth. Does Gracie do this?”
Me: “OH, YES!! Today I looked down and Gracie was carrying a pack of matches.”
Liz: “Yikes! Have you encountered the deer poop yet??”
Me: “YESSSS!!!”
(Both of us laugh loudly – and knowingly.)
It was a special bonding experience over deer dung never more fully appreciated than by parents of new puppies.
Gracie’s new friend Brady
Gracie with stick
Day 64, April 16, 2022
Gracie and I have a VERY nice long weekend in central PA!
Among the real highlights of our visit this weekend was our time with Debra in Tudek Park. What a great walk! And Gracie had a blast playing with LOTS of dogs in Tudek’s awesome dog park.
Gracie and I SO enjoyed other highlights including spending time with you, Mom, as well as having the chance to visit with Linda, Larry, Charlie, Sally, Tom, Jan, Fred, Phyllis, Jackie, Becca, Barb, and others. I’m especially grateful to Aunt Pat and Uncle Bill for a WONDERFUL and DELICIOUS Easter feast!! What a very special treat it was to have Marvin and Fred join us, too!
Mom, I am afraid your carpet took quite a beating from the dog, regardless our best prevention efforts. In a few short days, Gracie peed on it, knocked over berry-colored flavored water onto it, and dropped a host of other debris on it – most of it destroyed by her – including paper towel shreds, ripped up tissues, dental floss, streams of toilet paper, pieces of bark, sticks, some unidentifiable items from the bathroom garbage, a chewed-up cork coaster, cardboard shreds, petals from a dried flower arrangement, and a dead bird.
I spilled my wine on your carpet, too, Mom. But I blame that on Gracie also because it happened when I was so startled as she peed on the carpet right in front of me. Gracie did, however, help me clean up the wine.
THANKFULLY, the fringe on your beautiful hand-made expensive rug is still intact despite Gracie’s persistence to grab it.
Finally, I do hope your neighbors won’t notice where Gracie ripped off a piece of the American flag displayed in their front yard.
Mom, I think Gracie and I received far more than our fair share of mileage out of your forgiving “Oh, she’s just a puppy” responses to her disruptive antics! I am enormously grateful to you for your hospitality and your profound patience during a rather unruly weekend.
P.S. Sorry Gracie stole your stuffed animal and tore the nose off of it.
Day 66, April 18, 2022
I took Gracie to Teagarden, a nearby dog park, this afternoon for the first time. Teagarden is a very large grassy area with several baseball fields. It is an off-leash dog park for most of the day on weekdays until 4pm and a sports area the rest of the time. Gracie LOVED it! She ran and ran and ran and ran with other dogs. She chased balls and sticks, met lots of humans, and investigated lots of flora. Then she found a GIGANTIC mud puddle and decided it was a great place to get cooled off. She jumped in the puddle and sank chest-deep into it before I could stop her. Last week’s Easter bath was TOTALLY undone in a few short seconds.
We came home and I took her directly to the bathtub where she immediately shook. Mud flew everywhere. I gave her a bath, then cleaned the mud off of the bathtub, floor, toilet, and bathroom walls. I just finished cleaning the mud off of me.
Late afternoon post bath
Day 68, April 20, 2022
I’ve been pretty much of a neat freak for most of my life, but it’s amazing how my standards have relaxed since I got Gracie. I’ve learned to live for days overlooking carpets littered with magazine shreds, sticks, and pieces of bark. I dodge toys on the floor every time I enter the kitchen. And my entryway now has numerous recyclables-turned doggie toys which need to be kicked aside anytime I enter or exit my house. There seems to be no sense in keeping ahead of the mess since when I do make an attempt to tidy up, it only stays organized for about 30 seconds.
Tom and Jan, please let your friends know I appreciate their giving me that bottle of “OUT! BITTER CHERRY CHEW DETERRENT.” I was eager to try using it on my kitchen wall where Gracie has been chewing off the paint and plaster, as well as on the wooden cart in the kitchen. I’ve been applying according to directions, but unfortunately so far Gracie just licks it up – apparently finding it tasty – an appetizer, before she resumes her chewing destruction. (A few picts of Gracie’s handiwork below.)
Day 70, April 22, 2022
Yesterday Gracie had her first day of puppy obedience school. We’re taking the class at a local PetSmart with 4 other very cute puppies and their owners. Jen is our purple-haired instructor. Everyone in class was STRONGLY ADVISED to use a special safety harness on their dogs. None of the doggie owners had this special harness. But GUESS WHAT! PetSmart had a large supply of them for just $25 each so everyone could buy one for yesterday’s class! So convenient! Jen put the new harness on Gracie, showing me how to do it. The new harness still had a large tag dangling from the front, but we left it on because there were no scissors around to cut it off. All of the other puppies had the same large tag dangling from their new harnesses as everyone sat in a circle around the training area. It looked pretty ridiculous. We were a collective advertisement for the PETSAFE EASY WALK NO PULL HARNESS sold at your favorite PetSmart store!
The class covered a lot of basics including appropriate use of fundamental cues such as the puppy’s name, “Good”, and “No”. Because Gracie and I were sitting the closest to Jen, Jen used Gracie for several demos – with treats – and Gracie was only too thrilled to comply. (Gracie can spot a treat heading her way faster than a speeding bullet.) I was proud of my Gracie as she did quite well during the demos for “Good” and “No.” Jen made it look like a breeze. Gracie also took the opportunity at this particular moment, while having the center of attention, to lick her butt.
I kind of wish I had taken notes because Jen is quite a talker (Jen has ADHD, as she proudly pointed out) and she manages to string a whole bunch of ideas together in a single breath. Jen was talking a blue streak – something about letting a dog be a dog. I couldn’t keep up. Gracie started to chew on her tag dangling from her harness. Concerned Gracie could swallow the cardboard, I discouraged her. Precisely at that moment, Jen loudly announced to me that MY behavior was inappropriate. She said Gracie was just being a dog and chewing on the tag wouldn’t hurt Gracie and I should just let it go. And bla, bla, bla….”I just got done telling you about letting a dog be a dog.” Good grief!! I was very confused. I left class with my tail between my legs, feeling a little intimidated about puppy school.
Apparently, I have so much to learn. Now I’m afraid I might fail puppy school and I’ll have to repeat it. However, Gracie, so far, seems to be passing with flying colors.
Day 72, April 24, 2022
Today Gracie discovered the stream in one corner of Teagarden dog park. She LOVED it! She romped in the water and got entirely wet, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t in mud this time! She had so much fun today running in the stream (Pict 1) and playing with other dogs (Pict 2), she didn’t want to go home (Pict 3).
Pict 1: Gracie in stream.
Pict 2: Playing with other dogs.
Pict 3: Resisting going home. When she doesn’t want to leave, she plops herself on the ground and refuses to move- even when I pull her.
I had to pick her up and carry her to the car.
Day 74, April 26, 2022
Tina, Gracie, and I went to the Teagarden dog park yesterday and we had a fun time! In the video link attached, Gracie is running with Penny. Doggie Luke is in the background, Mike (also in video) is the owner of Penny and Luke. That’s Penny sniffing at Tina’s camera at the beginning of the clip.
Gracie in Dog Park with Penny ( https://www.icloud.com/photos/#07cxgr3kwztwabdkQ1glTVQQg )
(If you can’t access the video, please let me know.)
Day 75, April 27, 2022
Progress!
Day 77, April 29, 2022
Gracie and I had our second obedience class with purple haired Jen. This time, it went far better. Jen talked a lot about loose leash walking the dogs. Then she gave a thorough demo with Gracie, and Jen’s strings of words began to make sense to me. I mimicked what Jen did, leading Gracie up and down the aisles of PetSmart, urging her with a “Let’s go” command and LOTS of treats. We also practiced “SIT,”, “DOWN,” “STAND,” and “OFF.” Gracie performed fabulously (though “OFF” definitely needs more practice). My behavior wasn’t disapproved by Jen at all, unlike last week. Yeah!! GOOD HUMAN, GOOD DOG! (Do I get a treat?) After yesterday’s class, both Gracie and I left with our tails wagging!
Later we explored a new dog park, Mill Park, near home. We followed another dog owner, along with her dog Luna, to a large stream and swimming hole, hidden by trees, on the back side of the park. Gracie jumped in the water after Luna and for the first time in her life, I watched Gracie SWIM!! She is real a natural, instinctively doggie-paddling and clearly embracing the experience!! A water-hound myself, it made my heart sing!! Gracie found a fellow water dog playmate in Luna and they had a blast. The video links below show Gracie in the swimming hole retrieving a stick (Video 1) and romping by the stream with Luna (Video 2).
By the way, I ran into the lovely Shetland Sheep dogs, Mollie and Maddie and their owner today. Of course, I couldn’t remember their owner’s name and IMMEDIATELY felt better when she admitted she NEVER remembers the name of dog owners. I was so relieved! Then I forgot to ask her name and she never asked for mine. HA, HA! We’re dog people.
Video 1:
https://share.icloud.com/photos/048zpRyFvHhafzP0qvTIN1bXA
Video 2:
Raising Gracie 