(I got the sense these blogs would be more interesting in Maddie's voice.)
So, my mom has been having a lot of fun playing with me. I'm still a little scared because I'm worried my mom and dad are going to take me back to the shelter. It's only been a couple weeks, and last time I got a home, I got taken back afterward. Whenever mom or dad leaves me in my crate, sometimes I bark or cry, but I'm getting better about that because I'm starting to trust that this is my forever home. I've also noticed that mom and dad have been acting a lot more casual about leaving me in my crate whenever they go out to lunch rather than making a big deal out of leaving. Whenever they seemed like they felt bad for leaving me, it made me worry that they were going to leave me for a long time. Now that they act like it's not big deal though, I'm a lot less anxious. Mom's also been putting this stuffing inside my Kong and leaving that in my crate. I always thought my Kong was kind of fun to chew on, but now that it has treats inside, I love it! It keeps me distracted while I'm in my crate.
I don't know why they keep taking everything away from me. Naturally, I assume everything in my sight is edible and or a toy. For some reason, my mom keeps putting her fingers in my
mouth and getting stuff out when I try to eat it! I worked really hard to get the cap off of the doorstop, and then right away my mom freaked out and got it out of my mouth! Sometimes she is a little overprotective.
I learned today that I really like V8 Splash. Mom left a glass of it on the side table at lunch while she went to microwave her soup, so I leaned over and tasted it. She caught me before I could get very much, but I did really enjoy the few licks I got!
I'm sitting with her right now and trying to type on the keyboard. I don't understand why she won't let me lick the screen. I just wanted to check out what it tasted like.
I've been going on a lot of walks, which I really like. I've been getting better about barking at things. I'm still pretty scared of dogs, which my mom doesn't understand since there were so many dogs at the shelter. It's just different now that I have a home. I would like to play with the other dogs... I always wag my tail when I see them. I just bark a lot because I'm scared. I don't bark at people anymore, though. I really love playing with children. I'm pretty good about walking beside mom as long as there aren't children around. When I get excited, I like to pull the leash really hard. Mom just walks too slow!
Mom said she and dad want to get me used to other dogs before October, because our humane society is having a special event then and some of my friends from the shelter would probably like to see me. I just hope she doesn't dress me up in some silly outfit. Our humane society is also having a contest for the cutest dog pictures. So, my mom keeps following me around with the camera, taking pictures of all the cute things I do. I think it's a game, so I either run away before she can get the picture, or I try to eat the camera. I really like licking.
I hope I get to play with my uncles Dexter and Murray again soon. They are very scared of me because they are only used to playing with each other, and I bite their ears and try to get them to play. I'll eventually win them over. Mom says they are really nice dogs and really fun to play with. She thinks Murray and I will be good friends because he likes to chase bugs as much as I do. Speaking of which, I don't know why she keeps acting surprised when I eat bugs I find. What's the point of finding bugs if I don't eat them?
Mom is trying to switch me to Blue Buffalo dog food. I think it tastes delicious. She says I can only have a little at a time until my stomach gets used to it, though.
My favorite thing is going into the laundry room or the closet, finding a sock, and running away with it before my mom can catch me. Mom and dad both chase me all around the living room, but I am too fast for them! Finally, I slow down when I can tell they really want the sock back.
Right now I'm going to go lay on the tile while Mom does some homework. I like laying there because it keeps me cool, especially after walks. I can't wait to see what adventures I find tomorrow!
-Maddie
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Three O'Clock Comes Early
So, we decided to leave the door to our bedroom open and put Maddie's crate right at the edge of the door last night. It worked great for both puppy and husband, as she was close enough to see us but far enough away to keep Matt's allergies from flaring up. We think the allergy problem was just because she was so dirty. He has been doing much better today.
So, one of us have been getting up to take her outside at 3:30 all three nights she's been with us so far. Since Matt took her the first two nights, I volunteered to take her last night. She was so adorable! She was so happy that I let her out of the crate in the middle of the night, but she seemed disoriented. She took care of business quickly when we got outside because she was obviously just as tired as I was. After letting her outside again when Matt went to work, I laid down for about an hour more and she let me with no problem. She's such a good puppy. The only time she cries is when she can't see one of us. As long as she knows we are nearby, she is fine. Our 7 o'clock trip to the yard was an interesting one because Maddie likes to chase bees and mommy likes to run away from them.
She seems to be getting increasingly more comfortable with her crate. I have been putting toys inside of it, but it's only been since late yesterday that she has wanted to play with them. Prior to that, she just wanted to find a way to break out of the crate.
She met her Uncle Murray and Uncle Dexter today. She did so well with them! She barked a lot at first because she was uncomfortable, but she was wagging her tail the whole time. They were more scared of her than she was of them. My mom and I took her for a walk with Dexter and Murray (my parents' dogs, in case you didn't pick that up earlier), and I found out that she seems to already know how to walk properly. She pulls against the leash big time when she gets excited about seeing something, but other than that, she walks right beside you. She even walked to the far side of the road when she spotted a car coming. It's so fun to discover things she already knows.
This puppy absolutely loves car rides. She started off on my lap on the way home, tried to eat stuff in the cupholder, crawled over to the passenger seat, looked out the window there, leaned forward into the air conditioner, opened the cupholder with her paw, tried to eat stuff out of it again, and then finally snuggled in for the rest of the ride on my lap.
She is sitting nicely in her crate now chewing on a sock. I am so glad she is getting so much more comfortable with her crate and our house. She's running around now like she's been here for weeks.
I forgot to mention that she met the neighbor's Jack Russell yesterday. I call him Wishbone, but that isn't his real name. Anyway, he was so excited to meet her, but she was very scared of him. She just kept barking until finally I took her inside. I think if I would have given her a few more minutes, she would've warmed up to him and would've really liked him. He is such a friendly guy. People say Jack Russells can be snippy and aggressive, but this little guy just proves that dog stereotypes are totally inaccurate. He does have a very short attention span like most Jack Russells, but he is such a sweetheart. I hope he comes back to visit so he and Maddie can be friends.
I called the humane society today to confirm that we want to finalize our adoption of Maddie. They were so happy she has found a great home, and they told me to give her a hug for them.
I am awed by the dedication and service of the humane society workers, and thankful that they gave my Maddie a second chance. If it weren't for the humane society taking Maddie's mom, Madison, in when she was pregnant, Maddie would've probably never made it to this world, let alone to us. Thank you, animal rescue workers, for saving animals' lives.
So, one of us have been getting up to take her outside at 3:30 all three nights she's been with us so far. Since Matt took her the first two nights, I volunteered to take her last night. She was so adorable! She was so happy that I let her out of the crate in the middle of the night, but she seemed disoriented. She took care of business quickly when we got outside because she was obviously just as tired as I was. After letting her outside again when Matt went to work, I laid down for about an hour more and she let me with no problem. She's such a good puppy. The only time she cries is when she can't see one of us. As long as she knows we are nearby, she is fine. Our 7 o'clock trip to the yard was an interesting one because Maddie likes to chase bees and mommy likes to run away from them.
She seems to be getting increasingly more comfortable with her crate. I have been putting toys inside of it, but it's only been since late yesterday that she has wanted to play with them. Prior to that, she just wanted to find a way to break out of the crate.
She met her Uncle Murray and Uncle Dexter today. She did so well with them! She barked a lot at first because she was uncomfortable, but she was wagging her tail the whole time. They were more scared of her than she was of them. My mom and I took her for a walk with Dexter and Murray (my parents' dogs, in case you didn't pick that up earlier), and I found out that she seems to already know how to walk properly. She pulls against the leash big time when she gets excited about seeing something, but other than that, she walks right beside you. She even walked to the far side of the road when she spotted a car coming. It's so fun to discover things she already knows.
This puppy absolutely loves car rides. She started off on my lap on the way home, tried to eat stuff in the cupholder, crawled over to the passenger seat, looked out the window there, leaned forward into the air conditioner, opened the cupholder with her paw, tried to eat stuff out of it again, and then finally snuggled in for the rest of the ride on my lap.
She is sitting nicely in her crate now chewing on a sock. I am so glad she is getting so much more comfortable with her crate and our house. She's running around now like she's been here for weeks.
I forgot to mention that she met the neighbor's Jack Russell yesterday. I call him Wishbone, but that isn't his real name. Anyway, he was so excited to meet her, but she was very scared of him. She just kept barking until finally I took her inside. I think if I would have given her a few more minutes, she would've warmed up to him and would've really liked him. He is such a friendly guy. People say Jack Russells can be snippy and aggressive, but this little guy just proves that dog stereotypes are totally inaccurate. He does have a very short attention span like most Jack Russells, but he is such a sweetheart. I hope he comes back to visit so he and Maddie can be friends.
I called the humane society today to confirm that we want to finalize our adoption of Maddie. They were so happy she has found a great home, and they told me to give her a hug for them.
I am awed by the dedication and service of the humane society workers, and thankful that they gave my Maddie a second chance. If it weren't for the humane society taking Maddie's mom, Madison, in when she was pregnant, Maddie would've probably never made it to this world, let alone to us. Thank you, animal rescue workers, for saving animals' lives.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What a Scare
So, today my husband woke up with swollen, red eyes. He walked up to me while I was drying my hair and, with a concerned look on his face, said, "I think we have a problem." My first thought was, "Do you have pink eye in both eyes?" until I realized it was an allergy. Within a few hours, it only got worse, and after coming home to visit Maddie during his lunch break, he started feeling like his chest was tight. Matt is allergic to cats, but never dogs. I was really sure it was just because Maddie hadn't had a bath yet. But then, when his allergy seemed to be getting worse while he was at work, he started worrying more, and so did I.
By the time I got home from work, I started crying. All day, I kept telling myself we would not have to give her back to the shelter. I kept telling myself not to overreact. But then, after hearing how bad Matt's allergy was getting, it hit me for the first time that I might really have to return my little girl to the shelter. And I started crying. Maddie licked me a whole bunch and even laid down beside me like she wanted me to feel better. Then, she started running around the room with her toys and that distracted me quite well. She does the cutest things. She discovered a cardboard crate that previously had water bottles in it, and she likes to drag it around. She gets scared if it flips over. She also thought it would be fun to put her toys inside it. It's so funny to me how she has decided that one spot by the front door is her own toy spot. She keeps taking her toys and clustering them over there.
We went to the vet for her check-up, and he said she is a very healthy puppy. Her stitches from her spay can come out next week, which I am very excited about! Maddie is doing a great job listening when I tell her to stop scratching, but I know the poor girl is itching like crazy. She was scared of the other dogs at the vet, but she loved all the people. She wanted to lick everyone. Our vet said that very rarely are people allergic to dogs and that Matt is probably allergic to her dander. I explained to him that I haven't bathed her because the lady at the humane society told me not to let her stitches get wet. He said that her stitches look good, though, and that he definitely thinks I should bathe her, get Matt some antihistemines, and all should be fine. I left there a very happy and thankful puppy mom.
She is so brilliant. Today she scratched the door to go outside, went to the bathroom out there, and then ran into her crate unprompted when she got back inside! She is getting the hang of crate training and is starting to like her crate more. I had to leave her for several hours longer than normal to go to work today, and she was so excited to see me when I got home.
She did not like her bath at all. She was very scared and tried to jump away from the water. She definitely liked being wet, though! She grabbed her squeaky toy that looks like a cat and kept running all around our house with it. She also snagged her mommy's camera by the handle, ran through the house with it, and slung it in the kitchen before mommy could catch her. My camera was fine, though, and she was just having fun. She calmed down alot after she dried off, and now she feels super soft. And clean. And daddy is feeling much better.
The realization that I could lose her today made me so much more thankful for her. I knew she was a great fit for us, but you always have doubts about whether or not you made the best possible decision, especially since we made the decision so quickly. Today I realized our Maddie could not be a more perfect pet for us. Thinking about having to give her up made me realize that even though it's only been two days, she has already become a part of my family. All I could think about were her unique characteristics and how no other dog could ever be her to us again. I remember looking at her toys and thinking that if we did have to give her back to the shelter, I would want to give them all her toys as well because she loves them all so much.
I want to play with her every day like I did when I thought I might have to say goodbye.
By the time I got home from work, I started crying. All day, I kept telling myself we would not have to give her back to the shelter. I kept telling myself not to overreact. But then, after hearing how bad Matt's allergy was getting, it hit me for the first time that I might really have to return my little girl to the shelter. And I started crying. Maddie licked me a whole bunch and even laid down beside me like she wanted me to feel better. Then, she started running around the room with her toys and that distracted me quite well. She does the cutest things. She discovered a cardboard crate that previously had water bottles in it, and she likes to drag it around. She gets scared if it flips over. She also thought it would be fun to put her toys inside it. It's so funny to me how she has decided that one spot by the front door is her own toy spot. She keeps taking her toys and clustering them over there.
We went to the vet for her check-up, and he said she is a very healthy puppy. Her stitches from her spay can come out next week, which I am very excited about! Maddie is doing a great job listening when I tell her to stop scratching, but I know the poor girl is itching like crazy. She was scared of the other dogs at the vet, but she loved all the people. She wanted to lick everyone. Our vet said that very rarely are people allergic to dogs and that Matt is probably allergic to her dander. I explained to him that I haven't bathed her because the lady at the humane society told me not to let her stitches get wet. He said that her stitches look good, though, and that he definitely thinks I should bathe her, get Matt some antihistemines, and all should be fine. I left there a very happy and thankful puppy mom.
She is so brilliant. Today she scratched the door to go outside, went to the bathroom out there, and then ran into her crate unprompted when she got back inside! She is getting the hang of crate training and is starting to like her crate more. I had to leave her for several hours longer than normal to go to work today, and she was so excited to see me when I got home.
She did not like her bath at all. She was very scared and tried to jump away from the water. She definitely liked being wet, though! She grabbed her squeaky toy that looks like a cat and kept running all around our house with it. She also snagged her mommy's camera by the handle, ran through the house with it, and slung it in the kitchen before mommy could catch her. My camera was fine, though, and she was just having fun. She calmed down alot after she dried off, and now she feels super soft. And clean. And daddy is feeling much better.
The realization that I could lose her today made me so much more thankful for her. I knew she was a great fit for us, but you always have doubts about whether or not you made the best possible decision, especially since we made the decision so quickly. Today I realized our Maddie could not be a more perfect pet for us. Thinking about having to give her up made me realize that even though it's only been two days, she has already become a part of my family. All I could think about were her unique characteristics and how no other dog could ever be her to us again. I remember looking at her toys and thinking that if we did have to give her back to the shelter, I would want to give them all her toys as well because she loves them all so much.
I want to play with her every day like I did when I thought I might have to say goodbye.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Day One
Sometimes in life, someone special comes along. For my husband Matt and I, that someone special was our new puppy, Maddie. Even on our honeymoon in Hawaii, I was missing my parents' dogs, who I still consider my own dogs. I have always been an animal person.
Matt and I dated three years before getting happily married March 28th. It's been almost five months now that we have been married, and we have had a blast, but we knew someone was missing. The house has just been a little too clean. We have both wanted a dog for a few months, and I have been searching Petfinder endlessly to find one. We even put in an application for a dog named Rusty who we loved, but that didn't work out. I had a seemingly endless list of terriers and spaniels, puppies and adult dogs, that we wanted to go visit in animal rescues. Throughout this process, Matt and I have become quite educated about shelters, and we are moved by the urgency of so many animals' needs. So, we decided getting a rescue dog would be the best decision for us.
Two nights ago- wow, it's hard to believe it was only two nights ago- I found a Cocker Spaniel listed at our local humane society. The listing said her name was Sadie and that she was four and a half months old. "A very sweet girl with lots of energy." It sounded too good to be true, so I called the humane society the next morning, had a great conversation with the lady there, and by the afternoon, Matt and I were meeting our new girl. Right from the start she gave us kisses and wanted to be petted. She excitedly ran up to everyone who walked by- both dogs and people. When I tried to get her to drink some of the water that was outside, she put both feet in it and splashed herself. Apparently she likes to play in water.
Her story goes that her mom (Madison) and dad were found walking beside a road. No one came to claim them. Her mom was pregnant at the time. The humane society took her in, and then a little while later our puppy (and 4 brothers) was born at the humane society. All the puppies were adopted, including Sadie. However, the elderly lady who adopted Sadie said Sadie tripped her too much and brought our girl back, even though she had already become best friends with the lady's cat. We aren't complaining, though, because we got our girl out of it.
We took the only girl puppy from the litter home yesterday afternoon. She is almost 5 months old and was born March 23rd, just five days before our wedding. Talk about new beginings.
She was so excited to smell our yard and explore her new house. We thought she would need intensive crate training because she was tinkling everywhere when we first brough her home. We now realize she was just tinkling because she had been spayed the day before we got her. Today, we were very happy to find that she is already (mostly) housebroken! What a difference a day makes. Last night she was very happy to meet both sets of her grandparents and her Aunt Aimee, and while she was playful, she was still a little hesitant. (She loves my dad who lays on the ground and lets her chew his nose.) However, tonight is a different story. Already, she has started running around our living room and kitchen, and her favorite thing to do is give kisses!
She keeps going to our bedroom door and scratching on it to let us know she needs out! It's the cutest thing. I guess she figures scratching just any closed door will do.
I also have been trying to crate train her so she has a "safe place" when she gets scared or I have to leave for a few hours. I am trying to make the crate a happy place by putting toys and treats inside. She is already on to my tactics, though, and has started planting both feet outside the crate and reaching in to snab the treats and then quickly make a break for it. She is so brilliant. And stubborn. She reminds me of my childhood dog, Angel. She even looks a lot like him. Stubborn but unimaginably loyal.
She is already so attached to us. If she's in her crate, she cries when either of us leave the room, but if she's out of her crate, she follows us around to make sure she knows where everyone is at all times.
Last night, Matt told her to sit and she actually did. Apparently her other owner not only housebroke her, but also taught her to sit and shake. We wonder what else she knows!
She loves her toys. I love buying them, so it all works out. Seeing her do a happy dance around the living room is just the cutest thing.
Matt and I are so excited about our new puppy. It feels like she's been here weeks rather than hours. She just fits. We are thankful to have this blessing as a new part of our family.
We are going to rename her Maddie in honor of her mom.
Let the adventures begin.
-Ashley and Matt
Matt and I dated three years before getting happily married March 28th. It's been almost five months now that we have been married, and we have had a blast, but we knew someone was missing. The house has just been a little too clean. We have both wanted a dog for a few months, and I have been searching Petfinder endlessly to find one. We even put in an application for a dog named Rusty who we loved, but that didn't work out. I had a seemingly endless list of terriers and spaniels, puppies and adult dogs, that we wanted to go visit in animal rescues. Throughout this process, Matt and I have become quite educated about shelters, and we are moved by the urgency of so many animals' needs. So, we decided getting a rescue dog would be the best decision for us.
Two nights ago- wow, it's hard to believe it was only two nights ago- I found a Cocker Spaniel listed at our local humane society. The listing said her name was Sadie and that she was four and a half months old. "A very sweet girl with lots of energy." It sounded too good to be true, so I called the humane society the next morning, had a great conversation with the lady there, and by the afternoon, Matt and I were meeting our new girl. Right from the start she gave us kisses and wanted to be petted. She excitedly ran up to everyone who walked by- both dogs and people. When I tried to get her to drink some of the water that was outside, she put both feet in it and splashed herself. Apparently she likes to play in water.
Her story goes that her mom (Madison) and dad were found walking beside a road. No one came to claim them. Her mom was pregnant at the time. The humane society took her in, and then a little while later our puppy (and 4 brothers) was born at the humane society. All the puppies were adopted, including Sadie. However, the elderly lady who adopted Sadie said Sadie tripped her too much and brought our girl back, even though she had already become best friends with the lady's cat. We aren't complaining, though, because we got our girl out of it.
We took the only girl puppy from the litter home yesterday afternoon. She is almost 5 months old and was born March 23rd, just five days before our wedding. Talk about new beginings.
She was so excited to smell our yard and explore her new house. We thought she would need intensive crate training because she was tinkling everywhere when we first brough her home. We now realize she was just tinkling because she had been spayed the day before we got her. Today, we were very happy to find that she is already (mostly) housebroken! What a difference a day makes. Last night she was very happy to meet both sets of her grandparents and her Aunt Aimee, and while she was playful, she was still a little hesitant. (She loves my dad who lays on the ground and lets her chew his nose.) However, tonight is a different story. Already, she has started running around our living room and kitchen, and her favorite thing to do is give kisses!
She keeps going to our bedroom door and scratching on it to let us know she needs out! It's the cutest thing. I guess she figures scratching just any closed door will do.
I also have been trying to crate train her so she has a "safe place" when she gets scared or I have to leave for a few hours. I am trying to make the crate a happy place by putting toys and treats inside. She is already on to my tactics, though, and has started planting both feet outside the crate and reaching in to snab the treats and then quickly make a break for it. She is so brilliant. And stubborn. She reminds me of my childhood dog, Angel. She even looks a lot like him. Stubborn but unimaginably loyal.
She is already so attached to us. If she's in her crate, she cries when either of us leave the room, but if she's out of her crate, she follows us around to make sure she knows where everyone is at all times.
Last night, Matt told her to sit and she actually did. Apparently her other owner not only housebroke her, but also taught her to sit and shake. We wonder what else she knows!
She loves her toys. I love buying them, so it all works out. Seeing her do a happy dance around the living room is just the cutest thing.
Matt and I are so excited about our new puppy. It feels like she's been here weeks rather than hours. She just fits. We are thankful to have this blessing as a new part of our family.
We are going to rename her Maddie in honor of her mom.
Let the adventures begin.
-Ashley and Matt
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