updates

I am SO impressed with how good everyone has been about checking in with reports on how the pups are doing. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with your pups. I'm sure everyone who has been following the blog is enjoying hearing how the pups are faring in their new homes.

Here are some more reports:

Mako - new registered name Lookout's F/V Maverick

2/18/08 report from Alice: Puppy class yesterday was fun. We had two 15 week old Westies, a 12 week old Dachshund, a 5 month old Schnauzer, a Pom-Poo(?) and a Doberman. Mako was shy at first then warmed up to playing with the other puppies and the toys. He was the only puppy there for the first time. The class is structured where puppies can start whenever and after 5 weeks they graduate. We probably will continue with the class that comes after puppy preschool, called Good Dog One, and then there is another class called Good Dog Two.

After class we took Mako over to visit Jim’s mom. His mom had called Jim’s sister Susan so Susan and her two young adult children were also there. They had bought toys for Mako and Susan’s daughter Jenny made a really nice book for pictures of Mako. Mako showed us how determined he can be when he wants something. He wanted badly to go down the hall and I wouldn’t let him. He kept trying and trying. I had his leash on him and I wouldn’t let him go but he would pull and pull, did not want to take “no” as the answer. Then he fell asleep under my chair but his head was pointing down the hall.

Today I am back at work and Jim is home. He took Mako grocery shopping and to a customer’s house to deliver a bid. He had Mako ride on the front seat of the truck and said Mako just sat real nice and then went to sleep. When he went into the grocery store he put Mako in his travel crate and Mako didn’t complain. So Jim is already getting Mako used to riding around town with him. Jim plans on starting the training today, learn sit and how to walk on the leash without biting it. The puppy preschool uses the clicker method to train, that is new to me since we last went to puppy class. Seems to work well.

Mako has settled in real well to our routine. We go to bed early, usually 9:00 or so and he is getting into his crate for the night without complaining. I usually hear him fussing a little around midnight or so and I get up to take him out, he pees and back to sleep we go. I am trying to get back into my running routine – didn’t run at all last week as I wanted to be with Mako all the time. This morning I got up at 5:00 and took him out to potty then back to his crate to sleep while I ran. Jim said Mako just went right back to sleep. He is a very sweet little guy. I just want to hold him all the time!

Tiger

2/17/08 report from Joan: After leaving your home, I ran past my girlfriend’s house where her 10 year old boy helped me put the crate together and ditch the recycling! I then made it home and unloaded the crate and the goodies on the front porch. Lastly, I loaded Tiger in the crate and the parked the car in the garage and ran inside. I found all of my boys (Joan has four boys) inside watching golf with their dad. As if on cue, Tiger started to whimper at the front door as I put my coat and keys away. Brian was the first to hear the cries and ran to the door saying, “I think I hear a puppy!” The older boys told him, “You are nuts! The puppy isn’t coming until summer!” Lo and behold when Brian opened the door and yelled, “The puppy is here!” Everyone went running to the door!

We brought her into the kitchen and the boys calmly sat down and she walked up to each of us and said her hellos! After playing in the kitchen for awhile the boys decided to take her out to the backyard to explore and play. They ran her all around and she looked so happy! As did the boys! They are thrilled she is here and did not seem to mind that she was a girl. She then came in and took a nap and Danny, my dog lover, nestled right down next to her and had his hand resting on her side as she slept and he watched some more golf.

We have only had her a few hours and everyone seems happy! Not a whimper from her and pure joy is what I see in the boys’ faces!

I’ll keep you posted on what name floats to the surface! It threw the boys for a loop that we ended up with a girl! But they aren’t minding one bit!

Cooper (was Hammerhead)

2/19/08 report from Julie: Well he’s doing really great. The girls took turns sleeping with him in the guest room this weekend so I could sleep through the night. I only got up around 3 to let him out. Last night I slept down there and he fussed for 10 minutes then fell asleep. I got him up around 3:30 to let him out, then he fussed for 20 seconds then fell asleep until 6:30. I feel somewhat normal today. We keep good tabs on him, but whenever I’m not sure where he is, I look under my chair and there he is. We are starting to work on the separation issue following the article you gave us. He does fuss now and then, when I leave the room, but the family has their instructions to ignore when he’s whining. We have instructed the kid’s friends too.

The gorgeous weather was great to acclimate a puppy. We live right next to a small tributary of the Rock Creek. It runs 3-4’ wide and up to 10”deep in the winter. So Saturday we all went down to the creek and walked around. Well Tsuzi ran like a goon and Cooper followed and whined. But then he got quiet and wet. Did it again yesterday. We hosed him off with warm water and he wasn’t too fussy. Today it’s a bath, and he’s had some "table" time for treats, brushing and cleaning his eye goobers.

Reef

2/19/08 report from Dick: Reef is settling in nicely. He fussed for about 30 minutes before settling down to sleep in his crate last night. He enjoys his stuffed Kong. Reef is coming back to visit again next weekend already. (Suzanne's note: I think it's mostly because Dick and Jan want another shot at each other playing raquetball!).

Ecko

2/19/08 report: Ecko was napping when brother Reef left yesterday and she looked for him and whined a bit when she woke up. She got over it pretty quickly and decided to make the best of things with me and the big dogs. I loaded the whole crew in the van to run errands and went to Costco and the grocery store. Ecko was quite vocal in her kennel and let me know that she did NOT appreciate being locked in there. The big dogs and I ignored her as best we could. This too shall pass!

After I finished grcery shopping, I took a few minutes to get Ecko out of her kennel and walk her around the grocery store for a bit. We went down along the side of the building where it was quiet and discovered a short flight of metal stairs with open treads in the back. I walked up to see what Ecko would think of that and she trucked right up the stairs after me without batting an eyelash. We walked up to the front of the building where it was busier and Ecko was momentarily frightened by the rattling of the shopping carts rolling by. We sat by the cart return for a few minutes and she quickly decided that the carts were okay, as they all had friendly humans attached to them.

Upon returning home, we encountered some of the neighbors while we were unloading the van and Ecko won them over immediately. The neighbor next door left to go ride his motorcycle and she took the loud revving of the Harley engine right in stride with barely a startle.

Today Ecko went to work with me and spent lots of time in her kennel. She did get to meet some new people when I went to buy my morning coffee and when some of my customers were dropping off their dogs and she went on a potty walk with a couple of new big dogs (a Standard Poodle and Brittany from our daycare program). She ate lunch in her kennel, which was also a first for her. She polished off a raw chicken wing for dinner and is enjoying time out of "jail" for the evening.