I’ve taken a pause in the Gracie updates while we’ve moved Mom into her new room at the Oaks. Gracie posed an added challenge in the whole process, as she got her nose into EVERYTHING. All-in-all, I suppose besides the multiple chewed-up pens, bites left in a floor mat, a chewed cord on my BiPAP, and stolen napkins / garbage can contents / toilet paper, the damage wasn’t TOO severe.
Along with Mom, Gracie and I will miss Mom’s old apartment. But we look forward to spending more time in Mom’s new abode as well as Tom’s and Jan’s lovely home and extensive yard. And Gracie is already endearing herself to residents in Mom’s new environment.
Today I finally had the time to return the mutilated book, Project Hail Mary, to the Exton library along with a brand-new copy for them, I explained to the librarian my dog chewed up the original one. She said to me, “We usually prefer that you don’t buy us a new book. But it’s OK, we’ll take it.” So, I replied, “OK, So I guess this isn’t the first time this has happened?” She smiled and said, “You’d be surprised how often it happens!” She said she’s gotten copies of dog training books that have been destroyed by dogs.
“HA! HA,” I laughed -“That’s REALLY FUNNY!” I was too embarrassed to tell her I had ANOTHER chewed up book by Gracie from a different library that I still need to return. The title of that one? London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency
I’m afraid I’m going to have to refrain from visiting libraries for a while.
Gracie has been enjoying some cool dips in local streams during the hot days this past week.
In the picture below from yesterday, she’s retrieving a stick in Valley Creek. She will do this non-stop until I get too tired! While we were there, she met a one-year-old Australian Shepard named Frankie. Gracie and Frankie (like the name of the TV show) became instant friends – chasing each other creek side through mud puddles and splashing in the stream! I didn’t get a picture of it, but Gracie came home covered in mud. A bath ensued for Gracie, followed by a serious bathroom cleanup, then a much-needed shower for me.
Gracie loves to lie down in the water chest deep. It seems to be a Golden trait. Today, she basked with multiple golden retrievers in Little Darby Creek at Willow Park Preserve in Radnor.
Unfortunately, my greasy noodle has acquired an ear infection, so she is prohibited from going swimming over the next week or so until the infection is gone. By the way, THANK YOU Beth Bower for giving me a heads-up that floppy-eared dogs are prone to this! Thanks to your warning, I knew the signs. My vet confirmed the diagnosis today and said Gracie probably got it from all of her swimming lately.
For months, I’ve been scoping out great places where Gracie can swim. Now I’m onto a new mission to find the best off-leash dog friendly areas where we can AVOID streams.
On the bright side, as Tina has pointed out, this probably means a lot fewer baths for Gracie coming up – and a much cleaner bathroom.
I forgot to mention last Friday was National Dog Day! In celebration, I gave Gracie extra hugs that day and took her for a long hike in the woods of Valley Forge Park.
Gracie’s ear infection is getting better. While she heals, I’ve been avoiding streams where she can swim. (Made easier by this year’s drought.) However, if there is any water in the area where she is unleashed, even if I’m unaware of it, Gracie will manage to find it. This has happened on a few occasions this past week and Gracie was in the water before I knew it. Fortunately, each time, the water was shallow enough, her ears didn’t get wet.
In the pictures below, Gracie’s enjoying a good time frolicking with a Corgi in the baseball field at Teegarden Park. It’s surprising how fast those Corgis can run on their short legs!!
Gracie has been putting up with my lousy mood this week as I’ve been dealing with a water leak issue from my condo to the unit downstairs. I was told about the problem by the owner last week. At the same time, he informed me he was leaving the next day to go to India for 2 months, and then he gave me access to his unit. Plumbers discovered a hairline fracture in the toilet in my main bath that appears to be the cause of the water leak into the unit below me. The ceiling in the downstairs unit caved in sometime between Monday and Tuesday. It’s all gotten so complicated – involving plumbers, water damage contractors, condo management, insurance companies, and a unit owner in India expecting me to coordinate everything ASAP because he said he has a tenant moving in next week. My week has been consumed trying to navigate all of it.
This has all come on the heels of having my water heater fail (so I had it replaced last week). In addition, on the hottest day of the year so far (earlier this week), my HVAC stopped working. (It’s fixed now.)
Honestly, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!! When it rains, it pours. Literally, in this case, with the water leak!
Thankfully, Gracie and I had a brief, but especially nice reprieve last evening. We enjoyed a free concert in nearby Wilson Farm Park with my friend Jane. Gracie soaked up TONS of attention from lots of kids and adults. She savored countless belly-rubs throughout the evening.
Here’s a picture of Gracie with her new chili pepper toy – a present today from Jane…
It appeared to me like all of the dog owners in the area were at Lloyd Park with their dogs yesterday! It was a dog fest! I suspect the reasons were because 1) it was a holiday and people were off from work AND 2) it was a hot, but beautiful day, AND ALSO 3) because I heard more than one dog owner say they wanted to be sure to get their pooch thoroughly worn out before the canine-frightening fireworks started.
At Lloyd Park, everybody seemed to relish the spectacle of oodles of water-loving hounds frolicking in the cool creek. Some people even plunked down lawn chairs by the side of the stream to watch. Gracie eagerly joined in the fun. She had a blast.
We heard fireworks at nearby Wilson Farm Park last evening. Other than a bit of initial barking, Gracie seemed relatively calm throughout. I don’t know if it was because she was exhausted from swimming or because of her relatively calm demeanor, or a combination of the two – but I am grateful it didn’t turn into an ordeal of an evening.
In this picture from Lloyd Park, Gracie is in front with the yellow collar….
It’s a big milestone day for Gracie: she’s getting spayed today. I’m feeling sad about it, but I cannot fathom the prospect of having a litter of puppies around here. Gracie will be at the vet at least overnight. I miss her being around. To take my mind from it, I’ve been catching up on things today that are easier to accomplish when Gracie’s not here to interrupt me. So far today I’ve vacuumed the carpet, repotted some plants, cleaned the deck & guest room & bathroom, took a nap, got my hair cut, repaired the hole in the couch, shopped for groceries, did some laundry, washed a few windows, and finished reading a book. I exaggerate. I did lay down to take a nap, but I didn’t sleep.
It’s about 4:30pm and I just got a call from the vet. Gracie’s surgery went fine. She’s now waking up from the anesthesia. Looks like I can pick her up tomorrow. Yeah!!
Gracie is back from the vet, and she seems to be doing OK, though somewhat wiped out. I have strict orders from the vet to keep her on-leash when she is outside (do-able, I think), not allow her to be around other dogs (semi-do-able) and avoid any jumping (difficult) for 10 days. So, unfortunately, no doggie parks for us in the next two weeks.
I appreciate all your good wishes for her speedy recovery!
Gracie is doing well, her incision is healing nicely, and she has been getting more vigorous each day. Having renewed energy, it’s becoming more of a challenge to keep her activity limited. I’m counting down to the days when I can get her back to the dog park!
Happy dog (who needs a haircut) with tail in motion…
Gracie is definitely doing better. And she’s up to some new tricks such as serious counter-surfing when I’m not looking. In the past few days, I’ve found her with a piece of cantaloupe, tissues, multiple napkins, three washcloths, and a hard-boiled egg.
Now considering using the kitchen gate to lock her OUT of the kitchen!
My greasy noodle got a great report from Dr. Walker today. She now has the “all-clear” to be off leash, be around other dogs, jump around, go swimming, and get groomed. YIPPEE!!! While we were at the vet office, Dr. Walker knelt on the floor, hugged Gracie, and called her a “gem.” Gracie wagged her tail, licked his face, rolled over for belly rubs, and cried when he left the room. What a lovefest.
Gracie was thrilled to see her Aunt Tina today, too. And Tina spoiled her with lots of attention. We all took a fun trip to Teegarden Park where Gracie expended some of that pent-up energy from the last two weeks!
(Below) Gracie enjoying the dog park this afternoon. (Thank you for the photo, Tina!!)
Gracie and I had an especially good time last week with Mom in central PA. As usual, Gracie was REALLY spoiled by all the attention. Some highlights of the week included:
Enjoying a great 94th birthday celebration for Mom at Tom’s and Jan’s house. (Gracie had a good time digging a hole in the backyard.)
Hiking around Colyer Lake with Debra and swimming
Romping Tudek Park with her doggie friend, Jonas
Taking a dip in the stream at Mill Creek
Chasing tennis balls, sticks, and a frisbee on the Oaks grounds
Visiting with all of her favorite resident friends at the Oaks – especially Linda
But Gracie was pretty naughty, too. True to form, she chewed pretty much anything on her level that caught her fancy including a floor mat, the fringe on the living room chair, napkins, and the instructions for the air purifier. AND she stole a strawberry from my plate (which I realized AFTER I had eaten the rest of them on the same plate). AND after we found her in the hallway several times, we realized she learned how to open the apartment door by tugging on the flag hanging from the doorknob. AND even though she’s not supposed to be on the furniture, she would JUMP ONTO THE LIVING ROOM COUCH when I wasn’t looking and make herself comfortable. AND she would JUMP ONTO MY BED (the other couch) when I wasn’t looking and make herself comfortable there, too.
One day outside, I had Gracie off her leash briefly as we took a stroll around the Oaks grounds. As we approached the pond, Gracie did NOT want to be re-leashed and, despite my calling her, she ran directly into the stream feeding the pond. And she laid down. INTO THE MUD. Up to her chest. I finally caught her and re-leashed her when she came out. At that point, on spotting a nearby hose, we walked over, I turned it on and started spraying her. Gracie considered all this a big game and began jumping around. As I tried to hold her, her collar slipped off. At that point Gracie ran back to the stream and I had to catch her all over again, but collarless, which made it doubly difficult.
I FINALLY lured her in, re-attached her collar, adjusted it, and trotted her back to the hose. I turned it on again, and AGAIN, as I started to hose off mud-soaked Gracie, she bounced everywhere, thinking it was great fun. At that point, I lost my grip on the hose and it SPRAYED ALL OVER ME – soaking my clothes and shoes. Dripping wet, I finally managed to hose the mud off Gracie. BOTH of us shook some water off and then headed back inside – still dripping as we went – before drying off in Mom’s apartment.
Now I have to go to my local library and explain that my dog chewed up the latest book I borrowed (“Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir). I’m guessing they frown on things like this.
On very hot days, we’ve spent some lazy evenings in front of the TV. For Gracie, the TV doesn’t even have to be on. Here she is barking at her own reflection in the empty screen….
As recommended by the funny lady, Diane, I met earlier this week, Gracie and I went to a new dog park yesterday about 20 minutes away from my house. It has multiple places where she can run and swim. She loves it, and I expect it will be a frequent hang-out this summer!
Tomorrow is Gracie’s graduation from Beginner Puppy School! And we’re meeting Marci and Karen! So, I took her to a self-serve dog wash today for a much-needed bath! She was slightly traumatized by the sprayer and the noisy, heavy-duty blow dryer, but she emerged considerably cleaner and she’s smelling FAR better. (I came out of the dog wash, however, sorely in need of a shower.) Just hope Gracie can last for 24 hours staying out of the dirt! My neighbor, Bob, gave me some dog clippers to try out on her, so Gracie might get a spot trim tonight, too!
Yippee! Gracie graduated from Beginner Puppy School! Here’s her graduation picture! (The cap is on her head, but it’s a little bit difficult to see in the photo.)
The certificate shown in the picture announces that Gracie has SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF PUPPY EDUCATION at PetSmart!! Though, I have to say, there really weren’t any requirements to begin with except to show up for class. Nevertheless, how proud I am of my little Golden Noodle! And even Auntie Marci and Auntie Karen attended the “ceremony” to observe the pomp and circumstance!!
Here are a few more pictures of the occasion showing purple and blue-haired Jen (with Gracie) and the rest of Gracie’s fellow doggie graduates, Chip (white; very well-behaved), Dalia (black and brown; performed everything perfectly), and Poppy (black and white; crooked hat). Poppy is adorable, but fairly out-of-control. I think she graduated by the skin of her canine teeth, with Jen STRONGLY HINTING to her owners on her need for A LOT more training. Poppy was Gracie’s favorite friend in class.
Had a wonderful weekend visiting briefly with Karen and more extended time with Marci! Gracie LOVED getting to know her newest New Mexico relatives! On Sunday Gracie had her first city excursion – to the city of Baltimore – where we visited with Molly. It was a great day – getting a tour from the car of the Johns Hopkins campus (personally guided by Molly), as well as enjoying seafood and gelato on the harbor. Gracie tagged along, seemingly blissfully, taking it all in stride!
During her visit, Marci and I enjoyed lots of good eats, relaxed, caught up, and spent oodles of hours with my noodle in nearby dog parks! Gracie cuddling with Marci…
Gracie and I had a fine visit with Mom over the past week. During our visit, Gracie’s behavior was – I’m trying to find the right word here – “taxing.” If I can manage to grow eyes in the back of my head, life will be easier.
Mom has a beautiful. large hand-woven rug in her living room that Gracie would not leave alone. Gracie wanted to pull on the fringe, tug at threads, and chew on the edges. I was constantly using the “leave it” command, pulling her away from it, and even locking her away in the bedroom. We even tried duct-taping the edges! Of course, that failed miserably. (How quickly I forgot how she peeled duct tape off of her pee pads.) Finally, one day, defeated, I rolled up the rug and put it away to make my life tolerable.
Mom and I were finally able to relax that evening, enjoying a glass of wine together. That is, until Gracie took a sip out of my wine glass while I had turned away for a mere split second.
Gracie also did a whole lot of “table surfing” at Mom’s. She stole countless napkins, drank water from plants, and sniffed for table crumbs. She chewed Mom’s wall, left stick debris all over the carpet, gnawed off the cover of a hardback book, and destroyed a bookmark (after she pulled it out of the place in the book I was reading). At least this time, when she dropped a dead bird (just the head), it was BEFORE we went inside.
I have to say, though, despite all this, believe it or not, Gracie’s overall conduct had IMPROVED since the last time at Mom’s!
Gracie has endeared herself to many of the residents at the Oaks. Here are pictures of Gracie with Mom and one of Gracie with Mom’s wonderful friend Linda. (Guess what OTHER animal Linda loves, besides the dog.)
Also, during our visit, I contacted Debra, who met Gracie and me several times first at Tudek Dog Park, then at Millbrook Park where Gracie could cool herself off in Spring Creek. When I left a voice mail for Debra, letting her know Gracie and I were in town, Debra’s voice-text translated my word “Gracie” to “greasy.” We had a good laugh about that – calling Gracie my “Greasy Noodle.” Here’s my greasy noodle playing with Rex (left) and Jonas (right) at Tudek.
I took my greasy noodle to the Teegarden Dog Park on Friday. (By the way, I just read about this park online and realized I’ve been totally misspelling the name of the park. It’s TEEgarden (like kids playing TEEBALL), not TEAgarden (NOT like having an English tea with your dog)!! Anyway, I was hoping we’d meet up with funny lady, Diane, who tells crazy stories, punctuated with sarcastic comments. Diane and Zeke WERE at the park, but we only saw them for a few minutes as she had to leave for an appointment. Her adult son was with her this time. As per Diane, “NOT the New York banker, son, but the political one.” She didn’t tell me his name. And the political son seems to be as quiet as Diane is loud.
When I recently asked Diane more about her dog Zeke’s breed mix, she rattled off about 10 different kinds and acerbically quipped, “ZEKE’S NOT ONE OF THOSE MAIN LINE FRU-FRU DOODLE DOGS.” I felt a bit insulted but realized maybe Diane didn’t know Gracie’s breed. I simply stated, “Gracie is a mini golden DOODLE.” Then, after a pause, giving her the benefit of the doubt, I explained I got a doodle because I needed a hypoallergenic dog. I watched Diane’s uncomfortable face sort of relax as she added, backtracking, “Well, of course, UNLESS it’s for health reasons.” HA! HA! Gotcha, Diane.
Diane has relayed stories to me about raising her sons, such as her hard-lined, no-nonsense interactions with her sons’ teachers (I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that!) and disciplining philosophies (i.e., “kids sometimes have to learn the hard way”). Diane has talked about a camp she ran in her backyard when her sons were growing up: Camp Di-Di. According to Diane, all the neighborhood kids LOVED it and begged their parents to allow them to go to CAMP DI-DI. Camp Di-Di??? Really?? If you heard that from your kid, would want to send them there??
Diane once told me she wouldn’t give me her address because I’d probably report her. I wonder what Diane’s reaction might be if I happen to mention to her that I’ve been writing about her.
Well, enough about Diane for now. This is about Gracie. Gracie is STILL in a major chewing stage. Despite my best efforts to control her, she’s pretty much destroying my carpet and takes ANY opportunity to grab a shoe from my closet and gnaw on it. It’s really annoying when I slip my foot into a wet, slobbery sandal.
Last evening Gracie dug in my large potted plant in the hallway. She had previously left it untouched, but for some reason decided now was the time to wreck it. She threw the wet dirt from the pot onto my carpet and then she traipsed through it, leaving her paw prints everywhere. I found the plant itself in another part of my condo.
After discovering the mess, I spent the next hour or so cleaning it up. Then I was grimy and REALLY ready for a shower. Only to discover I had no hot water. Looks like my water heater went kaput. I should have predicted this, SINCE I’M GETTING A GUEST TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. I took a very fast, lukewarm-at-best shower then spent all this morning on the phone with vendors getting estimates and lining up the WH replacement. FORTUNATELY, I’m getting a brand new WH first thing in the morning. And, fortunately, I had planned on replacing the WH later this year, anyway.
After all my calls to plumbers, I took Gracie to the dog park for her daily run. She jumped in the stream several times and then we ventured onto a baseball field where she gleefully rolled in the dirt WHILE SHE WAS STILL WET.
When we left the dog park, I took Gracie directly to Braxton’s to get a VERY MUCH NEEDED bath. The dirt poured off of her. (And, of course, some of it onto me.)
So, Gracie is clean; I am dirtier.
I hope the theme of my next update won’t be so filthy.
Over the past few days, Gracie was completely spoiled with attention by Jules, Tina, Michael, Philip, Nancy, and me while Jules was visiting. Some picts and videos…
Tina cuddling with Gracie:
A group photo (Clockwise from upper left: Michael, Tina, Jules, Me, Gracie, Philip, Nancy):
A shot of Jules and Gracie on our way to the dog park:
A link to some fun videos of Gracie at the dog park. (THANK YOU, Tina, for taking these!!):
With supervision, I’m now letting Gracie grace some of the rooms in the house beyond the kitchen. It does mean my considering many more potential items Gracie will find and pick up. A favorite go-to place of hers is my magazine rack in the living room. She will walk over, select a magazine from the rack, pull it out, and RIP IT TO SHREDS. Old National Geographics seem to have particular appeal. My living room floor is typically littered with paper shreds these days.
OK, so sometimes (well, maybe frequently) Gracie will pick up something in the house to play with / chew on. And when I see it, sometimes (OK, well maybe frequently) my thoughts will go like this:
“She shouldn’t have that…but hmmmm, it’s just A MAGAZINE (insert here…a catalog, a store receipt, an old rug, a cat toy, the bathmat, or SOMETHING I FORGOT I HAD BUT DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT IT) and it’s OLD (insert here…easily replaceable, safe, readily digestible, something I was going to throw out anyway, or IT’S MUCH BETTER FOR HER THAN ANOTHER MORE VALUABLE THING ***).”
*** insert here…such as hearing aids or the last thing she had in her mouth
Then, I think:
“Well, I guess I’ll let her have it and I won’t yell at her (again)…”
Then, I turn away and go on about my business.
THAT IS, I literally IGNORE WHAT I JUST SAW AND PRETEND that I don’t see Gracie DESTROYING said item.
I have to admit this happens to me many times during the day. I truly wonder if a similar phenomenon happens to some parents when their kids get into things. I suppose some people would say this is a denial of misbehavior. I prefer to call it “picking my battles.”
Today’s entry is not about Gracie, but it’s about my dear cat, Chloe. I made the very heart-wrenching decision to have Chloe put down today. Chloe’s lived with terminal cancer for several years now and she’s defied expectations for how long she had left to live. I took her to the vet earlier this week, and Dr. Walker confirmed her time now was very limited. She had a massive tumor on her head and recently a patch of fur came off over the tumor and her skin was exposed. Dr, Walker said the exposed skin wasn’t a danger. But there was a chance the tumor could rupture and that would clearly signify the end.
I kept thinking as long as Chloe still showed some good signs of life (eating, etc.) we could continue to hang on. This morning she jumped up on my bed. And she purred when I petted her.
But the quality of her life had really deteriorated recently. She ate very little food. She consistently missed the litter box. She no longer groomed herself. And she spent 95% of the time sleeping in my closet, hiding – no longer enjoying spots of sun or curling with me on the couch.
Making this kind of decision is THE HARDEST THING ABOUT HAVING A PET. With pets, we have the liberty to make a choice about euthanasia. But how to make that decision? It is difficult to determine when it is actually “time.” Chloe couldn’t tell me in words. I needed to assess her behavior. I sure didn’t want her to be in pain. I could have waited until she died naturally. But what would her quality of life have been like then? She had a terminal illness with no hope for improvement. Her quality of life could only have been expected to decline. And I didn’t want to wait until the tumor ruptured to make the decision. It seemed more humane to not wait until things got far worse.
But I so loved this wonderful cat I had the joy of owning for over 19 years. I didn’t want to let her go. But I did.
Gracie and I are really enjoying a nice extended Mother’s Day visit with Mom!
Gracie never fails to surprise us with the things she drags in from outside. Last evening, she reluctantly dropped a dead bird in the stairway at the Oaks. IT WAS THE SAME DEAD BIRD SHE DROPPED ON MOM’S FLOOR DURING OUR LAST VISIT!
I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus from the updates this past week while Gracie and I enjoyed an extended visit with Mom. As always, Gracie received LOTS of attention from her many human friends and family at the Oaks and nearby (Mom, Tom, Jan, Fred, Pat, Bill, Linda, Debra, Larry, Sally, Charlie, Dick, Ann, Betty, Les, Norma, Jane, and others). Gracie made more canine friends, too, at the Tudek Dog Park and in the Steeplechase neighborhood. Thank you, Debra, for giving Gracie a much needed hosing off following our 2+ hour stint Wednesday at Tudek!
Gracie’s behavior during this trip was improved over our last trip. We had less chomping on “bad” chewable items; she was generally calmer and more attentive. But she’s certainly still a work in progress, requiring careful supervision as she continues to be inclined to chew walls, rugs, magazines, books, coasters, and other coveted household items. As Mom says, “Gracie probably thinks her middle name is ‘NO’.”
We now have four obedience classes under our belt! Things are going pretty well. We spent most of the third class learning the “leave-it” cue. (This is used, for example, to deter the dog from investigating / picking up something undesirable such as a “bad” chewable item.) Compared to the other dogs in class, Gracie was a little slow on the uptake with this one. Purple-haired Jen said doodles typically take longer with this command, though I think Jen was just trying to make me feel better when I had no success with Gracie after 15 attempts. It took Gracie A LOT MORE practice for her to get the idea. And it’s still hit or miss depending on how excited or distracted she is, or how enticing the object might be to her. If a favorite Bil Jac chicken-liver treat is the “leave-it” object, Gracie will move quicker than a speeding bullet to snatch it, ignoring my commands.
The good news is, however, with the many, many things Gracie gets into – and shouldn’t – we are fortunate to have INFINITE opportunities every day at home to practice the “leave-it” cue!
Lesson number four of doggie obedience training focused on walking the dog on leash, the “come” command, and more of “leave-it.” Each of the dog owners in class were handed forty-foot leashes (a GREAT training tool as per Jen) to practice the “come” command with the dog. We practiced “come” at progressively increasing distances. As we went through our paces in the aisles of PetSmart, I probably spent the largest portion of my time either untangling the leash, or, being preoccupied with preventing products from being knocked off shelves or making sure customers weren’t assaulted by my high-spirited dog. Nevertheless, Gracie performed quite well with this activity, earning a “Good job, today!” and a yummy Bil Jac chicken-liver treat from Jen.
Before we left, Jen was quick to remind us that PetSmart conveniently sells forty-foot leashes and Bil Jac chicken-liver treats!
It’s nearly record-breaking heat today in the Philadelphia area (92 degrees in suburbs where I live). Our obedience class was canceled (purple-haired Jen was out of town), so I took Gracie to the swimming hole this afternoon. Gracie tried desperately to engage an older male bulldog into play, but the slow old guy would have nothing of it. Nevertheless, Gracie enjoyed a good swim and happily retrieved sticks from the water. The photo below was taken at one point today as she rolled in sticks and mud after a swim. Another dip in the water was absolutely required to clean her off!
I thought we’d try something new. So, for the past two days, I’ve been taking Gracie to a different dog park, Harford Park in Radnor, PA, about 20 minutes away. It’s an off-leash dog park from sunset to sundown. Mid-afternoon, when we’ve gone, it becomes fairly populated with dogs (and their owners, of course). Gracie loves it. Yesterday and today, she played with dogs of all sizes and breeds – wrestling in the grass, running, fetching balls and sticks, digging holes, and frolicking in an adjacent stream. It’s been fun to watch. Today a HUGE black and white bernedoodle was Gracie’s choice friend for a while. Harford Park is peppered with signs giving friendly reminders to dog owners to clean up after their dogs (see photo below). Another example: “Don’t forget to SCOOP. even if it’s not YOUR poop!”
Gracie enjoyed the park today before the rain set in. She played with a Swiss Mountain dog (Crosby), a beagle-lab-miniature pincher mutt (Gigi), a 160-lb. Bernese Mountain dog (Milo), and a pit bull mutt (Nutella).
At Teagarden Park yesterday, while Gracie romped with three French bulldogs, I pulled out a Nerf frisbee and threw it. The four dogs went tearing after it. The Frenchies grabbed it first and all three of them tugged it in different directions at the same time while Gracie looked on. By the time I grabbed my camera, only two of the dogs still had the Frisbee. Very funny to watch!!
Gracie and I met this funny lady in the Teagarden Dog Park today. Her name is Diane, and she had her dog Zeke with her. Gracie and Zeke had a fun time playing together. Zeke looks kind of like a golden retriever without a tail, but he is, actually, a Heinz 57 variety dog (includes Australian Shepard – hence, sans tail). Anyway, Diane has a wacky sense of humor and entertained me with stories about Zeke (who loves to go on the amusement park rides at Koebel’s Park in Elysburg, PA where pets are allowed), her son (who is an investment banker in New York, is dating Paul Simon’s daughter, and – according to Diane – doesn’t appreciate his Mom enough because HE’S hob-knobbing around the big city with famous people while she’s going to cheap amusement parks with what was HIS former dog), and herself (who has no patience for people who don’t love their dogs unconditionally by spending most of their free time scoping out great dog places to go even if it’s a 3-hour drive one way and gas costs nearly $5 a gallon).
Diane told me about how New York City prohibits dogs on the subways unless THE DOG CAN FIT IN A BAG. (Actual ordnance: “No person may bring any animal on or into any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container.”) I guess the people who came up with this rule were envisioning a tiny teacup terrier nestled in a little pouch. Clearly, these neophyte lawmakers failed to recognize the resourcefulness of New York subway riders. As you can well imagine, passengers have taken full advantage of this ordinance, bending it to the nth degree.
Here’s one creative solution:
I’m saving my Ikea bag so I can take Gracie with me to New York and ride the subway!
More picts of New York subway dog-riders at this Website:
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….
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…
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.
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 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…)
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.
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.)
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.
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 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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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 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.
Unfortunately, today’s wake-up call came earlier at 5:45am. Arg!
I listened to the dog-alarm for about 10 minutes (there’s no snooze button), then wearily pulled myself out of bed and dragged myself to the kitchen. I noticed Gracie’s pee pads had been heavily used during the night. And she seemed so proud. And so happy to see me – wagging her tail a zillion times a minute and smiling. (Note, I really do think she’s smiling because if English speaking people can see a smile in punctuation – e.g. : ) – then I believe I can see a smile on an excited puppy’s face!)
By the way, I wasn’t smiling.
I was so tired, instead of taking Gracie outside first thing in the morning, I cleaned up the pee pad mess first. As I was removing the soiled pads and disinfecting the floor, Gracie trotted to the other side of the room and peed directly on the tile floor.
I cleaned up the second mess, and thankfully Gracie quieted down enough to allow me to go back to bed for an hour, I was relieved to get some sleep, but unfortunately, I think it threw our schedule off for the entire morning. For example, Gracie didn’t get breakfast until 8:30am (she usually has it around 7am), Then I’d take her out for potty breaks, only to have them be “false alarms.” When she came back inside, she would immediately relieve herself. During playtime, she would sneak over, grab her pee pad, and race around the room with it. When I would yell “NO, NO, NO” and pull it from her, she’d tighten her grip on it. At one point, this mêlée made me so mad, that I removed her pee pads entirely from the floor – only to have her promptly wee-wee again directly on the tile.
Mom, please let Barb Sullivan know I appreciate her suggestion to perhaps remove some of Gracie’s toys so she can enjoy them later. I have done that (but not the pee pads). I enjoyed reading her note. And I’m SO, SO envious of Jim vacationing in Florida.
What sensible human would take an 11-week-old, not-yet-housebroken puppy on a 4-hour car ride to see their 93-year-old mother to stay in a tiny apartment for 3 days?
NO ONE, OF COURSE!
But Gracie and I are leaving tomorrow morning to see you, Mom. So, today I’m in the process of making the lists of things we need for this trip.
List for me:
Change of clothes
Underwear
PJs
Cell phone and charger
Hearing aids
CPAP
Medication
Toiletries
Sandwich
List for Gracie:
Collar
Leash
Crate
Blankets for crate bedding
Doggie gate
Puppy pee pads
Disinfecting wipes
Paper towels
Dog food
Dog food dish
Dog water dish
Dog treats
Favorite dog toys (dustpan and hand broom, empty plastic drinking bottles, horseshoe pad, empty Amazon boxes, KONG rubber toy, stuffed dog toys)
Heartbeat simulator and charger
Doggie calming vest
Chew sticks
Approx. 50 disposable plastic bags
Plastic garbage bags
Plastic spray bottle with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice mixture
Plastic spray bottle with water
Doggie car seat cover
Harness and seat belt straps
Cooler with ice packs
Goat milk
Portable puppy training pad with artificial grass
Fresh cut grass fragrance oil
Portable water containers
Jug of water
Old towels
Old sheets
Old pillowcase cover
Carpet cleaner
Sticks for car ride
At age 66, I’m getting a sense of how new parents may feel.
Gracie has learned how to hurl herself against the kitchen gate and knock it down. The gate is secured, once again, for now. But it has been a bit of a challenging morning preparing for our trip. Hopefully we’ll soon be on our way. Here’s a photo of Gracie while I’m racing around gathering the massive amount of stuff to take with us.
Mom, thank you so much for your most generous hospitality during our visit of the past few days. It sure was an adventure!! Despite the difficulties – lots and lots of whining and barking, being forced awake at the crack of dawn, losing sleep, completely messing up the powder room, taking over your kitchen with dog paraphernalia, and the dog peeing on your rug – we had a thoroughly nice time anyway.
I am so very grateful for your patience. And I know Gracie’s a grateful puppy, too.
As you know, Mom, Gracie LOVED having a steady stream of people come to pamper her all weekend – you, Larry, Beth, Judy, Aunt Pat, Uncle Bill, Tom, Jan, Linda, Neil, Debbie, Sally, Jackie, Shirley, Debra, Joan, Dick, Norma, and Barbara. Aunt Pat and Uncle Bill, Mr. Farting Hippo is a very favorite toy! And you two wore Gracie out so I could catch a much-needed nap. Tom and Jan, it was especially fun to see you enjoy Gracie’s crazy antics! Linda, Beth, Judy, Debra, and Barbara, I am so glad you could meet Gracie and we could spend some time together. Linda, I love the picture below of you and Gracie! Judy, thank you for the new toys! Gracie is one spoiled pup! Beth, it was very thoughtful of you to bring me the present of the Woolite Pet Urine Eliminator with Enzyme Action carpet cleaner – which, maybe not surprisingly, I’ve used ALREADY! Debra, Gracie and I totally enjoyed taking a walk with you in the unseasonably 70-degree weather on Sunday. And, as you know, Gracie had a ball digging lots of holes in the front gardens of the Oaks! Barbara, I am very appreciative of your taking time out from your hectic day to meet Gracie and offer me several highly useful puppy pointers!
Mom, by the way, I have no sore throat and I am feeling much better today.
And now I think maybe we’ve had a breakthrough!
It seemed a little questionable to me to follow the 3rd-hand dog-training advice of Aunt Pat’s hairdresser’s teenage daughters. For car trips, the girls said they put their puppy in the crate with a blanket over it and they had no problems with the dogs’ crying. So, for Gracie’s and my 4-hour trip back yesterday, while dubious, I decided to try it. Lo and behold, Gracie was COMPLETELY QUIET FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP!!! It’s a miracle!!! It seemed like I was travelling with a completely different dog, or maybe I accidentally left her at the last rest stop. But, no, Gracie was in her crate the whole time, quiet as a mouse (even a live one).
After such a success, it occurred to me this idea might work for crate training at night. So, I moved the crate back to my bedroom, set up her bedding with the Heartbeat Simulator, and threw a blanket over the crate. At 9pm, right before I went to bed, I placed Gracie in the crate and – with a lot of trepidation – I latched the door and pulled the blanket over it. NO SOUND AT ALL CAME FROM GRACIE!! I slept soundly until Gracie let out a whimper around midnight. I got up and took her outside where she peed. When we came back in, I put her back in the crate and, once again, NO SOUND AT ALL CAME FROM GRACIE!! In fact, there was no sound from Gracie throughout the rest of the night!!! And no wakeup call came this morning!!!! I woke up at 7:15am, feeling rested, thinking I was in another dimension where people get sleep.
Aunt Pat, thank you, thank you, thank you for passing along this possibly life-changing, sage advice from two Gen Z-ers!!!
The blanket over the crate technique worked again last night!!! Yippee!!!
Mom, please let Larry Butz know I appreciate his passing along the article “If You Have A Dog, Trainers Say These 30 Clever Things Will Genuinely Make Your Life Easier.” I was very anxious to see what secrets of ingenious canine expertise I might glean from this piece.
I now have $306.44 of new dog items in my Amazon cart.
I do think the article’s headline could be a little misleading and might better read “If You Have A Dog, Trainers Say These 30 Clever Things Will Genuinely Make Your Life Easier IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GET A PART-TIME JOB JUST TO AFFORD THEM.”
I heard not a single peep from Gracie last night as she rested in her blanket-covered crate for 9 continuous hours!
Today Gracie is 12 weeks old. She weighed in at 15.5 pounds at the vet on Tuesday. (She was 10.5 pounds four weeks ago.)
Gracie is constantly nipping and biting and continues to see her pee pads as serving a dual purpose. She’s been grabbing her pee pad, shredding it to bits, then often peeing on one of the tiny shreds (with lots of running overboard). This all happens within a nanosecond when I’m not looking.
She’s still the best mini golden noodle ever.
To clarify, from yesterday’s update, I didn’t actually purchase all those doggie items from Amazon. At this point I think, if anything, some dollars might be better invested in puppy training school. Looking into it.
I’m sad to report, the “wind” has gone out of Mr. Hippo sails from Gracie’s repeated biting, so I am no longer hearing the singing sounds of flatulence all day long. (At least from Mr. Hippo.)
Tina was coming over this afternoon to see Gracie (and me, too, I think). Because we were expecting company, this morning I got the broom out of the closet so I could sweep up all of the tiny pee pad shreds scattered over the kitchen floor. Gracie thought it was great fun to play with the broom while I was sweeping. However, it made the job far more difficult, and it took way longer than I expected. When I finally finished, Gracie still wouldn’t let go of the broom, so I decided to just leave it on the floor for her. Later, I noticed she had dragged both the big broom and the little broom to her doggie bed, and I snapped the picture below.
I sure wish I could funnel some of her fascination with brooms and endless doggie energy into Gracie using the brooms properly for cleaning up after herself. I wonder if they teach that in puppy training school.
Gracie gets beyond excited when Tina is here. They have a wonderful time together. Tina spoils the heck out of her, and I love it!
It’s snowing today, March 12! They’re calling it a “Bomb Cyclone” with heavy snow and wind. Sitting by my kitchen window, in the comfort and warmth, it’s been so picturesque to observe the large flakes swirl and fall, and to see the landscape become coated in a fresh blanket of white.
The serenity sure is fleeting, however, when housebreaking a puppy! Just preparing to take Gracie outside is a whole process in itself: I take off my shoes, put on my boots, put on my coat, put on my hat, check to make sure I have my keys and disposable plastic bags and phone in my pockets, put the leash on Gracie, lift her over the gate, put on my gloves, carefully watch Gracie while descending the stairs to make sure she doesn’t trip, and double-check to make sure there’s a towel at the door to use for drying Gracie when we come back inside. And we get to repeat going outside into the FREEZING COLD at least 10 times a day!! Frequently, I’ll forget something and most often it’s remembering to put at least one clean disposable plastic bag in my pocket (for the doggie doo-doo). If I do forget, we inevitably have to turn around midway in our walk in the FREEZING COLD to come back home and get one then go back outside again in the FREEZING COLD to find the dog poo (sometimes retracing our steps to the next block to find it), pick it up, and carry it home. (Not my favorite thing, either, to regularly carry a stinking bag of dog poo home. It reminds me of a Seinfeld joke when he asks, “If aliens come to Earth, and they see dogs with humans behind them carrying their poop, who are they going to think is REALLY in charge on our planet?”)
Gracie, of course LOVES the snow. I, on the other hand, CAN”T WAIT FOR WARMER WEATHER!!
As per your suggestion, I put a plastic bottle inside of an old sock and gave it to Gracie. Now it’s a brand-new form of entertainment for her!! She LOVES it! She’s enjoyed chewing it, dragging it, swinging it, tugging it, and flinging it across the room. One caveat, in case you try this at home, I quickly learned it’s a good idea to TIE the sock, too, so the bottle doesn’t go flying through the air and hit bystanders. Oh, yes, – and it’s also a good idea to use an EMPTY plastic water bottle, too.
Below is a shot I took of Gracie halfway in her doggie bed. I honestly don’t know how she can feel comfortable! Note there are a few pee pads shreds in her bed.
Gracie continues her terrible habit of chewing up her pee pads into shreds. She will usually grab the pee pad when I’m not looking then shred it to pieces. As a result, I frequently have to remove the pee pad from the floor. But subsequently (again when I’m not looking, of course), she pees directly on the floor.
So, today I consulted my trusty friend Google to research why this happens and what to do. I was happy to find an article, “Why does my dog eat pee pads?” by Dan, that might offer some insight. The column began, “Tearing up a pee pad certainly gets your attention, but it’s negative attention. To your dog, just like a child, no attention is often better than no attention at all.”
Huh? This statement seemed rather questionable. Probably wasn’t exactly what Dan intended to say. Realizing the double-negative was likely a typo (which as you know, typos occur so RARELY in website articles), I decided to read on.
Dan then suggested. “The simplest method is to use duct tape to attach the pee pad to the floor.” AH HA! NOW, maybe we’re on to something! Why didn’t I think of that? Duct tape is the universal solution to a multitude of fix-it problems! So, I’m going to close for now to go duct tape a doggie pee pad to my kitchen floor. I have high hopes Dan has given me the answer! I will fill you in on the outcome tomorrow!
Here are the results of the duct-tape-pee-pad experiment. I think the picture sequence below pretty much tells the story. As you can see, it failed miserably.
I appreciate the various suggestions on what I might try next to housebreak Gracie using pee pads, such as:
“Give Gracie a roll of duct tape to play with.” (I assume the idea is to redirect her attention away from the duct tape holding down the pee pad.)
“Just duct tape Gracie’s mouth closed.” (Has some obvious disadvantages.)
“Don’t use pee pads.” (Hmmm…)
However sound this (mis)guidance may be, I am 1) abandoning the duct tape and 2) simply not ready to give up using pee pads because I have made a LIFETIME INVESTMENT into having a massive stockpile of them. So, I am attempting a different approach for now.
Sometimes Gracie sort of gives me hints she has to “go” such as:
She walks around in circles sniffing the ground.
She squats into a urinating position. (This is a BIG hint.)
She gets a certain “look” on her face that says, “I’m about to urinate on your floor.” (I can’t explain it, but it is there sometimes. But I haven’t yet learned to distinguish it from the look that says “I’m really cute and I’m kidding you because I’m NOT about to urinate on your floor.”
So, when one or more these “hints” occurs, I quickly run across the kitchen, grab a pee pad and place it under her. If she has to “go”, she’ll use the pee pad. If she doesn’t have to “go” she’ll chew up the pee pad.
This approach still has a few kinks in it to work through (e.g., requiring my attention 12 hours a day, still losing 50% of pee pads to shredding, my understanding nuances of dog facial expressions, always having a pee pad within arm’s reach, moving at the speed of light).
Not sure why I didn’t find this advice on Google.
JUST as I finished writing that last sentence, I looked up and saw Gracie peeing on my kitchen floor.
I’ve had a very enjoyable weekend with friends. Tomorrow I’ll send highlights and more pictures.
Wilson Farm Park near me in Chesterbrook has a ballfield enclosed with fencing. As per Tina’s suggestion, Gracie and I went there today so I could take her off of her leash and have her expend some of that excess energy chasing sticks and exploring the field. It was fun for me, too, except for finding Gracie with an occasional mouthful of deer droppings. I suppose for Gracie, though, that made it pretty much perfect.
Jules came for a brief stay over this past weekend. It was a great visit!! Tina and Michael joined us on Friday and on Saturday. So, Gracie was SMOTHERED with attention, was TOTALLY spoiled and she, of course LOVED IT! Below are pictures and highlights…
Jules arrived at my place on Friday about mid-afternoon with Sam and Pat. Jules, Sam, Pat, as well as Tina and Michael were here for dinner. We had a DELIGHTFUL time! I didn’t realize what a dog lover Pat is! She got down on the kitchen floor and tumbled with Gracie, Sam and Pat also brought Gracie a giant rawhide chew stick which Gracie enjoys chewing for – literally – hours. It is now counted among her most favorite toys (along with the bottle in a sock, chew rings from Jules, Mr. Hippo, Mr. Moose, the broom and dustpan, empty toilet paper rolls, empty Amazon boxes, empty water bottles, sticks, and pee pads). The picture below shows Gracie in an Amazon box and she’s chewing the giant chew stick given to her by Sam and Pat. (The Amazon box didn’t make it through the weekend because Gracie completely destroyed it. The chew stick is still intact!)
The weather turned out to be beautiful – sunny and warm all weekend. The picture below (clockwise from left – me, Tina, Michael, Jules holding camera, Gracie in center) was taken in Wilson Farm Park. It is nearly impossible to get a good group shot because Gracie wiggles around so much and absolutely CANNOT hold still for even a nanosecond. This was probably somewhere around “take” 12?
The park includes a volleyball court with a sandy surface. Gracie LOVES to dig in the sand! In this photo, she’s sitting in a hole she dug and maybe you can see the sand on her face.
Over the weekend, Tina took (approximately) a quadrillion photos and videos and introduced me to video editing. This provided great fun for us! I haven’t mastered getting these videos to transfer properly between devices, so I can’t yet include them here. (I’ll send them after I figure it out.) When we “loop” the video from the photo below, Gracie is squirming around at lighting speed and appears almost as a blur like in the Tasmanian devil cartoon. All of us spent a good chunk of Saturday evening “looping” videos and laughing HYSTERICALLY at the ones with Gracie. Some of us were laughing so hard we cried. You’d never believe we are all adults.
A couple of other highlights….
Jules says I don’t say “no” forcefully enough to Gracie so I’m working on this.
I HAVE A NEW DULUXE GATE FOR GRACIE! More about that in another update.
While I had my guests over the weekend, Gracie got worms. (Uninvited guests. Not exactly a “highlight.”) More
Except for hanging pictures, plunging the toilet, and changing the filters in my hearing aids, I have virtually NO natural “handy” ability around the house. * So, I engaged my three friends, Jules, Tina, and Michael, to help me set up the so called EASY-TO-INSTALL baby gate in my kitchen doorway. Easy-to-install? Ha! (In my defense, it seems to me when a product claims to be “easy-to-install” the directions make AN EXORBITANT NUMBER of crucial assumptions such as: already having all the required tools needed for assembly, your measurements WERE ABSOLUTELY EXACT prior to purchasing the product, you actually MADE measurements prior to purchasing, you can read 2 point type, the author speaks some English, and you don’t have a puppy biting your hair when you are laying on the floor trying to tighten a screw.)
After several hours and a few setbacks, we had success! Of course, UNTIL Gracie managed to squeeze her head between the wall and the first spindle rod. Then we had to improvise to further prevent dog head injuries. (They neglected to include instructions in the directions for this safety hazard.) We ended up jury-rigging a solution by cable-tying to the gate an unused portion of the gate and a piece of a picture frame. (Finally, my picture hanging experience actually came in handy.) By the way, we had the duct tape within easy reach, too, just in case.
I so appreciate the aid of my friends to help me get this all erected!
* My lack of talent here is in VERY sharp contrast to the superb fix-it abilities of my two brothers. Regrettably, I missed that gene.
Potty training is getting better though still a work in progress. I have not used pee pads for Gracie for several days now, and we’ve had no accidents (crossing my fingers as I write this). I do try to take Gracie out at least 10 times a day. This is exhausting, but it seems to be effective. Assuming this routine continues, I still have the problem with my massive stockpile of pee pads. Looking at the bright side, it might not be a wasted investment – maybe I’ll be able to use them for myself one day.
I am trying to train Gracie in the “Hanging Bell Potty Training Method.” This is a method whereby, according to WikiHow, “You can save time, energy, and stress by teaching your dog to use a bell when it needs to go outside to use the bathroom.” Sounds great! And I understand many dog parents are having great success with it and going on to enjoy their happy lives in harmonious contentment with their canine.
So, I bought two sets of bells recently. I hung one set by the kitchen gate and the other set on the inside of the front door. Each time we’ve been getting ready to go outside for Gracie to “go,” I’ve been ringing the bells. In theory, this SHOULD teach your dog to associate the bells with going “potty.” Then, subsequently IN THEORY, the dog learns to ring the bells when it needs to “go.” I am finding, however, in Gracie-land, she rings the bells every time she wants to go out – WHETHER SHE HAS TO “GO” OR NOT. Gracie has learned to “fake it” just so she can get outside. THEREFORE, it is ME who is responding like Pavlov’s dogs to those @*)# bells and the dog IS TRAINING ME to jump to her every whim.
So far, the “Hanging Bell Potty Training Method.” appears to save time, energy, and stress FOR GRACIE and has had the opposite effect on me.
I forgot to mention yesterday, March 23, was National Puppy Day! It’s a day to bring awareness to puppies, celebrate them, and – clearly – for all pet retail stores across the country to cash in on huge sales of puppy paraphernalia. EVERY day since February 12 I have been acutely aware I now own a puppy, Though I didn’t shell over more money to Jeff Bezos (I’m sure I’ve already single-handedly increased Amazon’s stock price). I did take Gracie to the park and spent lots of time throwing tennis balls for her to chase. I gave her plenty of extra hugs, too.
Well, we had a housebreaking accident today. But I blame myself. While Gracie was gated in the kitchen this afternoon, I left for 3 hours to go to my painting class. I didn’t leave a pee pad on the floor – it would have been fruitless, anyway, since Gracie now considers pee pads to be toys for shredding. Sometime during the period of time I was away today, she peed on the floor. In her defense, she might’ve spent all 3 hours ringing the hanging bells, but of course that would have been futile, too.
This is a slight sidetrack, but I just have to vent some steam.
I had an appointment this afternoon with my foot doctor at the Foot and Ankle Institute, scheduled several weeks ago. Because the appointment was in the city, I planned my day around it, including Gracie’s activities. At noon, I took the train to Philadelphia for my 1:30 pm appointment. When I arrived, the receptionist told me my doctor WASN’T THERE TODAY. I said I hadn’t been notified (even though they had my cell number). The receptionist apologized and said I SHOULD have been contacted. (You think??) I asked her if I could see another doctor and she said my doctor, WHO WASN’T THERE, was the ONLY doctor who could treat my condition. My condition? A plantar wart! Now the Foot and Ankle Institute is, reportedly, a HIGHLY professional institution crawling with physicians and interns who SPECIALIZE SPECIFICALLY IN PODIATRY! That’s all-JUST foot stuff, right???? I guess I was in complete shock and probably as brainless as the receptionist was, since I simply settled for making another appointment in two weeks and walking away, rather than putting up a fuss.
I might chalk all of this up to a one-time coordination snafu, but it is the SECOND TIME THIS WEEK I went to a previously scheduled doctor appointment and the doctor WASN’T THERE and the appointment was cancelled. That time my appointment was with an oral surgeon to check a spot in my mouth. Again, I said I hadn’t been notified (even though they had my cell number). And, again, the receptionist apologized and said I SHOULD have been contacted. (You think??)
Honestly, I’m kind of miffed. Is this a new norm?? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! But I’ll stop this narrative before I stick my warted foot into my mouth with the spot. And this is all probably too much information anyway.
At least I came home after 3 and half hours to a wagging tail and NO ACCIDENTS! I think the day is still salvageable!
We’re having a low-key weekend. The weather is more winter-like, with cold temps. It hailed yesterday while Gracie and I were in the park. Today we’re seeing snow flurries. So, most activity today is inside – with Gracie chasing tennis balls up and down the stairs and, in the kitchen.
You never know where a tennis ball is going to land….
It’s been another bone-chillingly cold day here again with a weather report predicting “LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS AND SQUALLS THROUGH THIS EVENING…” Temperatures today never made it above freezing. Factoring in the wind chill, it feels like in the teens. I thought we are supposed to be in spring!!
So, Gracie and I are continuing with primarily indoor activities such as chasing tennis balls on the stairs. Gracie has learned to stand at the top of the steps and knock the ball down the steps, go down to get it, and bring it back up. It’s a nice little self-contained cycle that keeps her busy for at least a few minutes.
However, I did find this activity has to be carefully supervised. When I turned my head, Gracie slipped into my bedroom and peed on the carpet. THEN, she ran down the stairs and RANG THE BELLS. Bathroom – bell ring association made! Just the order of things was messed up.
Obviously, she doesn’t quite have the hang of the hanging bells yet.
Because I promised to enlighten you in a future update about Gracie getting worms, here it is. (If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip this entry.)
I’ll make it short. Gracie had worms. It was gross. I called the vet. To prescribe the right medication, they wanted careful detail on EXACTLY what the worms looked like. Suffice it to say, I probably won’t be eating angel hair pasta anytime soon.
Gracie and I had a very fun afternoon yesterday. Tina and Michael came over and we all celebrated Tina’s birthday. Of course, Gracie was beside herself with excitement to see Michael and Tina. She received lots and lots of attention.
A birthday shot of Tina…
Gracie smothering Tina with kisses…
Tina captured Gracie in a series of video clips. I’ve attempted to attach several of them (listed below). Hope you are able to view!
SLO-MO.MOV: Gracie was thrilled to demonstrate her ball chasing on the steps to Michael and Tina. In this clip, see Gracie’s performance in slow motion.
WONDER DOG.MOV: THE AMAZING GRAVITY-DEFYING GRACIE!!
Pawing Partners.mov: Michael mirroring Gracie’s frantic pawing at the gate.
Of course, these clips promoted we humans into endless moments of hysterical laughter!!
Yesterday I received a box from Jules with several gifts for Gracie (Nylabone Chew Sticks and Greenies Dental Treats) and a GREAT combination present for me: a small dispenser to clip to a leash for holding doggie bags, along with an accompanying backload supply of doggie doo-doo bags. And the dispenser is also A FLASHLIGHT for making it a breeze to locate piles of poop during nighttime potty excursions! This present will no doubt become an INDISPENSABLE item (or dispensable, depending on how you look at it) in my ever-growing collection of dog paraphernalia.
It occurs to me that the kind of gifts I now tend to get really excited about is a little pitiful.
This morning in Wilson Farm Park, Gracie and I met a couple who have two dogs. One of the dogs, Finn, is an 8-month-old springer spaniel – a beautiful dog. The other dog, Hudson, is a 2-year-old poodle mix (a fellow noodle!). The couple and I walked all the dogs to an enclosed basketball court. Once inside we took the dogs off their leashes. The dogs had a GRAND time! Gracie was thrilled and especially enjoyed racing with Finn all over the court. The couple and I enjoyed watching the dogs and, as they played, we conversed, sharing each of our dog’s behaviors, training, personality, and idiosyncrasies. We let the dogs run for a while until they all were tuckered out; then we went our separate ways. Once again, after spending nearly an hour with them, I realize I have no idea the name of either one of the couple or where they live, nor do I know ONE THING about either of them (except they have dogs). And they never asked anything about me. But I can pretty much tell you anything you want to know about Finn or Hudson! More and more, this really does seem to me to be normal behavior for “dog people.”
I was sitting in the kitchen with Gracie this morning when she nudged my hand and gave me that “I have to go” look. Since we had just been outside about 15 minutes earlier for a bathroom break, I was suspicious that she might be giving me a false alarm. But when I asked her, “Outside?” she jumped with (what looked to me like) a happy face. These indications sure seemed to me to be doggie potty signals so, despite my suspicions, I put on her leash and took her out the door. And there standing on the sidewalk in front of my house, were my neighbor, Vickie, and her shih tzu, Bowie! I think Gracie somehow “sensed” they were there, even though I was oblivious. Gracie clearly didn’t need a bathroom break at the time. Instead, she wanted to play with Bowie!
I talked about this phenomenon with Vickie, and she nodded her head in understanding. She said Bowie had suddenly stopped their walk this morning in front of my house and insisted on waiting there until we came out a few minutes later. Vickie also told me about some other instances when Bowie seemed to have that heightened awareness – presumably from a canine’s far greater powers of the senses, particularly hearing and smell.
Big day. Brought her home. I got back about 3pm and I think I had fairly good time considering Gracie and I made frequent stops. Gracie really cried for about the first half hour and we had a few “accidents” on the way, but for most of the trip Gracie sat quietly in her crate. The gate for the kitchen doorway arrived so I’m now converting the kitchen to the doggie area for the foreseeable future. Chloe will be staying in my bedroom for a while. Gracie already LOVES the big blanket Tom brought this morning,
On the paperwork that was given to me from the Amish man, Jonathan, who sold Gracie to me, I noticed he had recorded Gracie’s breed as a mini golden noodle.
I worried it would be a very long night with Gracie crying. Securing the gate, I confined Gracie to the kitchen area for the night. I was exhausted and went to bed about 10pm. and fell asleep soundly. I woke up several times during the night but didn’t hear Gracie at all! (I was especially concerned because the family of four below me also had 4 guests spending the night. Just what they needed – a howling dog in the condo above!) I got up at 7am, walked into the hallway, and immediately noticed the kitchen gate was askew. Gracie had managed to escape, and I found her in the living room happily chewing on a pillow. So much for the first night!!
Asked multiple family and friends who sent the beautiful blue dog sweater to me. It was an Amazon package and no note included. After everyone said they did not send it, I dug through the garbage – soiled pee pads included – searching for a mailing label I might have inadvertently thrown away. No luck. Finally – I’m SUCH an IDIOT – I realized: The mystery package was something I ordered. On the recommendations by several people, I bought a hot water bottle to keep in Gracie’s crate at night. The hot water bottle came wrapped in a beautiful blue sweater. 🤪🙄😆
Here’s a pict…
She got a bath today. She was a little fearful, so I made it quick. After that I needed a bath.
Cesar Millan, the famous “Dog Whisperer,” has advice on using indoor pee pads while housetraining a puppy. He recommends rubbing grass over the pee pad so from the scent, the puppy associates the pad with “going” outdoors. Seems like a great idea. In the front of my condo, I pulled up a bunch of grass and put it into a plastic bag, while hoping nobody in the neighborhood saw me ripping apart the landscape.
So, I’ve been wiping grass on all fresh pee pads, and it seems to work pretty well. I think Cesar is brilliant!
Before bed I made sure, once again, that the gate was completely secure, Went to bed about 10pm, exhausted. During the night I heard a few cries from Gracie but then it was quiet. I’m thinking how lucky I am that I may not have a huge problem with Gracie crying at night. I got up at 7am, walked into the hallway, saw the gate as I left it, but no Gracie in the kitchen! I glanced around and spotted a trail of poop leading into the living room. And there was Gracie, sitting by the couch, with her tail wagging a million times a minute. Gracie somehow managed to crawl UNDER the gate and escape the kitchen! I noticed then she had not peed on her pee pad, and, in fact, she had not peed in the kitchen at all. However, I found she HAD peed – ON THE SHEEPSKIN RUG IN THE LIVING ROOM! I suppose, to her, the sheepskin rug looked like a giant pee pad,
During the night Gracie found the plastic bag containing the grass to be used for fresh pads (which I deliberately kept on a chair OUTSIDE of the kitchen) on the floor, I now have grass spread all over my living room floor. I don’t remember Cesar covering this situation in his book.
Everything is cleaned up now. It is 8am and I think I am ready for bed!
Success! I bought a new gate- more heavy duty – and put it up to keep her in the kitchen. I transferred all the bedding to Gracie’s crate and left the crate door open, so she was free to wander the kitchen. Left two pee pads on the floor. Thankfully, this time the new gate held well all night. And no dog crying! When I got up today, Gracie was quietly laying in her crate. During the night she had used both pee pads. No other messes. I’m so proud of her! I love my little mini golden noodle!
I’m so excited, so I’ve been giving family and friends daily updates on how the housebreaking is going. No doubt they are thrilled to hear about every dog excrement.
She’s a chewing machine!! Somehow, I need to figure out how to help her distinguish between “good” chewable items (e.g.: toys, doggie chew bones, boxes, and sticks) and “bad” chewable items (e.g.: my arm, my hands, my hair, my shoes, my sweatpants, my slippers, shoelaces, zippers, mail, Marsha’s sweater, pee pads, drawer knobs, wooden cabinets, and the kitchen table).
Another successful night! The new gate held well all night again. I did hear occasional crying, but it only lasted for a minute or two. During the night Gracie had used both pee pads. No other messes. I’m so proud of her again! We’ve had a few misses along the way, but I’m happy about the housetraining progress. I think doggie pee pads have to be the best thing invented since sliced bread! Thank you, Aunt Pat!!
I’ve been getting up relatively early (for me) – usually around 6:45-7am. Until I get Gracie outside for a bit, get everything cleaned up inside (for both pets), get both pets fed, and spend serious play time with Gracie, it is a real flurry of activity around here. After all that activity, this morning Gracie fell asleep in my lap at 8:30am. While I held her, I watched her with envy! I’m ready for a nap myself!
Early this morning, around 5:30am, I heard Gracie crying. I ignored the whimpering for the next 15 minutes or so when a loud “clang” came from the kitchen. I jumped out of bed and found Gracie by the kitchen gate with my cell phone charger in her mouth. My cell phone stand (the “clang”) and cell phone had fallen off the table. I panicked a bit until I realized my cell phone screen was intact – saved by its sturdy, durable case, surviving the crash from the tabletop to the tile floor. Add to the list of “bad” chewable items: cell phone charger.
I took her outside this morning and Bob came out with his two dogs, Keenan (13 years) and Bell (15 years). Keenan and Gracie had a ball together! And that’s the most I’ve talked to my neighbor Bob in years!
Today Gracie had her first trip to see the vet. What a great visit! EVERYONE in the office dotes on her and she eats it up! I gave them Gracie’s paperwork and when Dr. Walker entered the exam room he said, “So you decided to get a mini golden noodle!!” We both had a good laugh. Dr. Walker, as he always has with my pets, spent a lot of time with Gracie and me while he examined her, answered my questions, provided a lot of useful advice, and gave me literature to read on housebreaking and basic training. Dr. Walker seemed thrilled that I have a puppy and he said he thinks she will be great for me. Gracie immediately endeared herself to him. I think Dr, Walker said “she’s adorable” at least 6 times while we were there. He gave her a treat, too, and she licked his face, and I couldn’t be happier.
My kitchen floor had become covered with more grass, leaves, chunks from a large stick, chewed up pieces from pee pads, and shreds from an Amazon box (Gracie was walking around yesterday with a few pieces of the mailing label stuck to her butt). I couldn’t stand walking through the debris anymore, so I decided to run the sweeper in the kitchen. I assumed the loud noise would probably scare Gracie so I figured I would do the job as fast as I could. Gracie seemed a little bit scared, but she was a lot more interested in biting the sweeper cord. It probably would have been pretty funny for someone observing me racing around the kitchen with the sweeper hose in one hand while juggling to keep Gracie away from the cord with the other hand and, at the same time, try not to suck up any pee pads.
Gracie’s weight today: 10.6 lbs. She’s gained 1.2 lbs. since last Thursday. Dr. Walker said typically, to estimate the full size of the adult dog, you can take the weight at 4 months and double it.
Yesterday I asked Dr. Walker if he had any suggestions for how to handle the chewing issue with a puppy. His advice” “Remove everything in the room that you don’t want the puppy to chew on.” So glad I can draw on secrets from his years of professional experience.
Yesterday, Michael and Tina came to visit and have dinner with me. So, Gracie had 3 adults doting on her all evening and she loved it! Since my kitchen has been converted to a doggie den for a while, we ordered pizza for takeout. Michael, Tina, and I formed a human chain to transfer dinner dishes to the dining room as Gracie tried to get in on the action. During the evening, Tina played fetch and tug-of-war with Gracie, Michael held her for a long time, and I just sat back and enjoyed watching Gracie being totally spoiled by my friends.
A new bag of chew sticks arrived from Amazon yesterday. They are a hit! Gracie literally spends hours chewing on a stick. I count it as a small gain in the continuing effort to handle the chewing concern.
But sometimes it’s one step forward, two steps back! I woke up around 5am this morning to the sound of Gracie whimpering. I tried to ignore it until, like a few days ago, I jumped out of bed when I heard a crash from the kitchen. I ran out and this time I saw Gracie had pulled my computer plug from the wall and my laptop had fallen onto the tile floor. THANKFULLY, my computer survived the crash! But it’s very clear to me who was the idiot here. “Bad human! When will you learn??”
This is Day 10 with Gracie. Wow. It feels like weeks since I got her!
This morning Gracie started whining at 5am again and wouldn’t let up. Then she started barking. I thought “This is not good.” I thought some other things, too, but probably shouldn’t share them here. I got up, cleaned up (she had sort of used the pee pads overnight but missed the edges), took her out, fed her, then sat in the kitchen wondering how to stop Gracie from waking me up so early m the morning. Sigh.
The weather is a bit warmer today, and sunny, so I’m taking Gracie out for slightly longer walks. During one of our walks this morning Gracie and I met Vickie and her dog, Bowie. Bowie is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu, and Gracie really enjoyed playing with him. I found out Vickie lives just around the corner from me. I asked her how long she’s lived here, and she said, “18 years.” Go figure! I’ve been here for 24 years, and this is the first time I met her!!
My days have become full just with the daily maintenance of Gracie. I entertained fantasies of having a very well-behaved, house-trained, quiet, obedient dog by now. I think, perhaps, I need to lower my expectations a bit.
But I sure am glad I have her. My little golden noodle.
Gracie slept through the night, and I heard no whining/barking in the early morning hours. Subsequently, I had a good night! I count it as a small victory! I attribute this to Gracie and me taking more frequent and longer walks yesterday. I think the dog experts aren’t kidding when they advise lots of exercise as a key component toward raising a well-behaved dog.
Another thing I’m learning is that it is nearly impossible for me to anticipate the activity cycles of a puppy’s digestive system! I find myself carefully timing the intake and expected output of this organic assembly. (Gee, can I make it to Trader Joe’s and back before she has to pee again? Hmm, if I take my shower right after she has breakfast, will I beat the next #2 rotation? I rarely get it right. I even tried recording everything in a spreadsheet to make better predictions. The precise timing, however, defies simple logic. I think it’s going to take a whole lot more than applying basic artificial intelligence to crack this one!
Tom, I really like your suggestion to set a fire hydrant in my kitchen at the same times every day. Maybe I can find one at Rural King. Pre-scented.
Yesterday was 2-22-22! In honor of the 2’s day, I had heard a store near my house, “Nothing But Bundt Cakes” (guess their product), was selling miniature cakes for just $2.22 (normally about $4) just for the day. Since my friend, Jane Mihelic, was coming to visit and meet Gracie in the afternoon I decided to make a purchase for our dessert. “Nothing But Bundt Cakes” (really, I never thought I’d set foot in there) had a special limited time flavor called “Snickerdoodle.” I thought – how very appropriate for Jane’s meeting my doodle! I bought one in that flavor. A little later, Jane arrived at my house, and she handed me a plate of cookies. I thanked her, and she said, “Hope you like them. They’re called ‘Snickerdoodles’.” How about that??
Gracie and Jane became instant friends.
Before Jane departed, we left the kitchen so Jane could visit for a few minutes with Chloe. Stupidly, I didn’t properly secure the kitchen gate. Gracie immediately made the discovery, pushed over the gate, and made a beeline for Chloe’s cat food, instantly wolfing it down.
Yesterday it rained all day long, so Gracie and I didn’t go out for as much exercise. Fortunately, she didn’t start whining until 6am this morning. Though I wanted to sleep longer, it was OK since I had gone to bed at 9:30pm. Today is warm and not raining so we’ll try and take multiple walks. I want to wear her out!
While Gracie and I were out this morning, we saw a young woman walking her small, white Bichon Frise. They approached us and the woman was immediately taken with Gracie. She asked Gracie’s name, and I told her, then I asked for her dog’s name, and she said, “Mia.” Mia and Gracie sniffed each other for a few minutes. The woman and I exchanged some information. I learned that Mia is 8 years old, was once very rambunctious, but is less so now. Then we all went our separate ways. Walking away, I realized I never asked for the woman’s name, and she never asked for my name. Just the dog names. And I know absolutely nothing at all about the young woman – but a surprising amount about her dog. I guess this is what dog people do.
I had a really nice conversation with Beth Bower yesterday. Beth gave me various tips she and Chuck used to manage early puppy problem areas with their Shih Tzu, Jackson. Notably, they practiced a daily fundamental housebreaking routine with Jackson by keeping him confined to his crate all night, getting him outside first thing in the morning, and then taking him out once every hour during the day. Wow. Can I do this with Gracie?
Along with other helpful advice and lots of humor, Beth told me about their determination to have at least 1 minute of puppy training a day with Jackson. Just 1 minute a day! Yes! I think that’s doable! It makes complete sense to me for a puppy who seems to have the attention span of a fruit fly! Above all, Beth emphasized, BE PATIENT, BECAUSE IT IS ALL WORTH IT!
I sure was glad I had this conversation with Beth to reflect on when after I was awakened at 5am this morning by Gracie’s cries and barks.
Ugh. I’m tired! But I suppose I need more training as well as Gracie. Or at least I need to better follow the proven paths of those who have successfully managed to make it through this period with their puppy. I’ve been avoiding putting Gracie in the crate all night because I’m afraid of her crying and barking during the night and disturbing my neighbors, especially the young family who lives downstairs. But I think tonight I’m going to have to “bite the bullet” and attempt to keep Gracie confined to her crate all night. (I get anxious just thinking about it.)
To aid in this effort, I ordered* a nifty item from Amazon called “Pet Fit For Life Rechargeable Heartbeat Simulator with USB Pet Anxiety Relief and Calming Aid for Your Puppy.” I noticed this device is getting great reviews on Amazon. By wrapping it in a blanket and placing it in their crate at night, according to the description, the “Pet Fit For Life Rechargeable Heartbeat Simulator with USB Pet Anxiety Relief and Calming Aid for Your Puppy” will “Keep your pets calm with the soothing feel and sound of a simulated maternal heartbeat” AND, “Separation anxiety will be a thing of the past!” This amazing item is supposed to arrive at my doorstep today or tomorrow. I sure hope it works and will keep you posted!!
Mom, I still haven’t finished my taxes.
(*Note, this is about the thousandth order I’ve made from Amazon for Gracie in the past two weeks.)
As I mentioned, I decided to “bite the bullet” and attempt to keep Gracie confined to her crate all night. I was determined! I also wanted Gracie to be closer to me during the night, so I prepared by rearranging my bedroom a bit for the cat stuff (cat food/water dishes, cat bed, easy access to the litter box) to be adjacent to one side of the bed, and the dog stuff (crate with comfortable bedding and toys) to be adjacent to the other side of the bed, I was so happy, too, when I took Gracie outside the last time in the evening, to see that the “Pet Fit For Life Rechargeable Heartbeat Simulator with USB Pet Anxiety Relief and Calming Aid for Your Puppy” miracle device had arrived at my doorstep! (For brevity’s sake, I’ll heretofore refer to this device as the “Heartbeat Simulator.”) Woo-hoo! I now felt satisfactorily armed with the tools I needed to see this operation through!
Turns out, the Heartbeat Simulator is a tiny 3″ square plastic unit with an on/off button (it has no batteries and recharges via a USB). When pressed on, it quietly and soothingly sounds and pulses like a regular heartbeat. And it continues pulsing until turned off. I eagerly turned on the Heartbeat Simulator and buried it under Gracie’s bedding inside her crate.
Just before I hit the bed, I picked up Gracie from the kitchen and very calmly, very gently placed her in her crate near the Heartbeat Simulator while I uttered gentle, restful words. I praised her repeatedly and gave her a favorite toy. I was looking forward to a happy, peaceful night with my new best friend. Then slowly, quietly, and trying not to distract her, I closed the crate door. At the precise moment when I locked the crate door, this soothing scenario took a complete nose-dive. Gracie immediately realized the crate door was closed and she couldn’t get out and she began crying and barking and jumping around inside the crate. I took several deep, deep breaths and thought to myself, “Maybe this is just a temporary, initial reaction soon to subside.” Listening to the din, I laid down in my bed.
No doubt you probably know how this story evolves from here. Yes, Gracie continued to jump around, cry, bark, and even tried to repeatedly bite her way out of the crate – oblivious to the soothing sounds of the pulsing “miracle” Heartbeat Simulator. Finally, after 15 minutes, as she continued to cry (and by then probably everyone in the neighborhood hearing her), I pulled Gracie out of her crate and took her to the kitchen where she laid down on her blanket and soon calmed down. Shortly after that I was able to sneak out of the kitchen to my bedroom and go to sleep with the empty crate beside my bed.
It turned out to be a quiet, peaceful night until about 5:15am when I was awakened once again by her whining and barking. Then I dragged another blanket onto the hard tile kitchen floor and laid down beside Gracie for an hour. She was a complete angel.
If you are reading this, you can NO DOUBT readily point out my multitude of mistakes in this sequence of events. But I’m slowly coming to realize that maybe I have to measure my successes a little differently. For instance, last night Gracie used her pee pads. Again. Yippee! And she was quiet until 5:15am today – 15 minutes longer than yesterday morning. It’s progress.
After the first attempt at crate training was a complete disaster, yesterday I moved the crate from my bedroom back into the kitchen. Then right after Gracie’s last evening outing, I gave her some goat’s milk (thank you Marci and Karen) and played with her a bit, throwing treats into the crate for her to retrieve so she could start to make a happy association with the crate again. As per your suggestion Mom, I turned on the Heartbeat Simulator and buried it in the crate bedding and left the crate door open. With Gracie in the kitchen, I went to bed.
The doggie wake-up call didn’t happen until 6:30am this morning!! YIPPEE!! It’s a miracle!! (I never thought I’d be so thrilled to be able to sleep in until 6:30am!)
When I got up, Gracie was eagerly waiting for me inside the kitchen. And the Heartbeat Simulator was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, pulsing away. Gracie had been busy! But I was glad to see she used her pee pads, too!
I reveled all morning by these developments – and my extra hour of morning sleep. We were all delighting in our blissful, harmonious home! Until I stepped on a cat turd.
Download and play the attached song that my talented friend, Tina, composed for Gracie…
Last evening, I used the same bedtime routine with Gracie except this time I put the Heartbeat Simulator in an old pillowcase and tied the pillowcase to the side of her crate. It worked!! The doggie wake-up call was delayed until 6:30am again this morning!! Although I’m still sleep deprived and kind of cranky, I’m hoping we’re making puppy-steps toward progress!
Bliss!! Dog wake-up call wasn’t until 6:45am today!! Woo-hoo!!
I’m discovering Gracie plays hard and sleeps hard. As you know, we’ve been working a lot on a sleeping schedule. We’ve also been working on building serious playtime into our routine.
Gracie has no shortage of toys. Here is a list of items that have been purchased for Gracie to play with (indoors):
Stuffed toy dog (green)
Stuffed toy dog (blue)
Durable rubber KONG classic dog toy
Tennis ball
Knotted rope toy
Rubber chew bone
Tennis ball/rope combination
Rawhide chew sticks
Rubber chew sticks
Nylabone flavored chew sticks
Now, here is a list of items Gracie actually spends the most time playing with (indoors):
All sizes of sticks found outside
Pinecones found outside
Grass
Empty paper towel roll
Empty plastic water bottle
Trader Joe’s paper grocery bags
Empty Amazon boxes
Junk mail flyers
Plastic hand broom and dustpan
Old moving blanket / ripped towels
Pee pads
Yesterday an empty plastic water bottle kept Gracie preoccupied for at least forty-five minutes. At one point she rolled it over onto her pee pad to play with while AT THE SAME TIME she peed on her pee pad! My smart little golden noodle. Already learning to multi-task.
On February 12, 2022, I picked up my new 8-week-old puppy, Gracie. Gracie is a mini goldendoodle. I’ve waited a long time to get a dog, but now I am retired, so I decided I finally have some time to devote to adding a canine companion to my household.
This blog started as a series of emails to my mother. Because she lives a distance from me, Mom couldn’t directly observe my day-to-day activities with Gracie. So, instead, I emailed updates to Mom to keep her appraised of Gracie’s and my daily life together.
Raising Gracie 