Puppy Diaries: Adopted!

Jack-Jack has been adopted, and is moving to his new home in a few weeks. The only thing I can say is "HALLELUJAH. Having the two of them together gets harder everyday, as they are extremely smart, and plot on a daily basis how best to get into as much as possible.

One on one they are great. Together? Not so much.

They can spend very little time on their own, even blocked into a "puppy proof" room.  As they can make a mess out of almost nothing. It's mind boggling! I warn anyone thinking of getting two puppies, that are the same age. JUST DON'T.

When I get my next guide dog puppy, I'm positive it will feel like a breeze. One puppy, that can stay behind baby gate and doesn't have mad climbing skills? NO PROBLEM.

He'll hopefully be moving on in a few weeks and then we can focus on working on Mulan's (aka Moo-Moo) behavioral issues that have started to arise.

Here's to hoping I don't kill them in the next week or so! (Just kidding!) 

Also (RIP a few month old Converse Sneakers. You were the most expensive pair of shoes I bought. I'll miss you.) 

~Erin

Puppy Diaries: New Food

Day 35
May 26, 2013

New Foodies 

Mulan models the new bags of food

My dogs typically eat a smorgashboard of kibbles. I'm not one to commit to one particular brand when it comes to my dachshunds. Variety is the spice of life IMO; and it keeps them from getting picky. I tend to keep my food standard at brands that can't be purchased at Walmart, and have had them on Natural Balance, Purina Pro Plan, Wellness, Back to the Basic's etc. However I have noticed Bubbles' digestive system was having a rough time on Natural Balance, and the puppies who were on Science Diet have been itching and scratching non-stop lately. So I've decided to go back to Wellness for the next few months and see if we can all get back on track.

I'm a fan of Wellness as its what I first changed my dogs to back when I realized what a big role food played in my dogs behavior. Bubbles lost weight and had a lot more energy, Texas stayed at a good weight and I think the puppies will benefit from not having so much grains in their diet.

Wellness we're back! :)

$$$$$$$$

Maybe I'm Just Crazy.

Puppy Diaries Week 3 

You know what's wearing on a body? Having two puppies. The same age mind you.
You know what's tiring? Having three puppies, two the same age, one much older.
You know what's exhausting? Having two other dogs, working full time, and have a full social life.

I would like to take a moment to go ahead and apologize to any and everyone who may encounter me over the next few weeks. My brain is fried people.

I know what you're thinking, so lets go ahead and get this question answered for you guys.

Reasons Why I have Two Puppies: 

BECAUSE I AM CERTIFIABLY INSANE.

The End.

The other reason is to find them homes.
Who are they you ask?
Well the whole story started about a month and a half ago, when my neighbor showed up with two fuzzy puppies in her yard. I'll admit (and have told her) I was a little surprised, as she didn't seem to be the type to willingly take on two puppies on top of her other responsibilities.

It was a cold rainy night the first time they escaped their little enclosure and trotted down to see me. Once I realized no-one was home, I scooped them up, popped them into a crate, and took them home. I texted my neighbor and let her know I had them. A couple of days later they went home.

As the weeks went by, we quickly realized these guys were not only super smart, they were going to be very difficult to make into outdoor dogs.

They regularly appeared when ever my dogs were out, and despite taking them back they kept  coming back. Though I really wasn't happy about the situation, they weren't mine, I let it go.

However, after I nearly killed the female because she'd hidden under my car, I knew we had to do something ... I started the "let me re-home these guys" for you campaign.

I know as they got older, they'd have to be chained up, and that's not a life for a dog, not to mention they seemed to be at my house more regularly than anywhere else, so why not?

WHY NOT?

Because ERIN, two puppies FULL TIME is a LOT of WORK.
TWO puppies, when you WORK FULL TIME is a LOT of WORK.
BECAUSE ERIN YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME FOR THIS!

That's why not.

So, now that we've got that clear, we're now officially looking for a home for the male. I'm calling him Jack-Jack (from the Incredibles). I'm not a huge fan of male puppies, Is why.

The female (who has yet to get a name) is more than likely staying with me, provided she keep her dachshund like physique. I'm not one who goes out looking for my animals, I figure between GDF & these dogs my neighbors keep finding, my next animal will find me.

And I think I've found her.

Bubbles is getting up in age, and I just think this just maybe "meant" to be.
If not, someone with the perfect home will come and scoop her up.
And that someone not being the lady whom smacked her dog just before inquiring how she could apply to adopt her. Um that's a NO.

So! If you have friends or family in or around the Knoxville area or even in neighboring states, who need  a little mixed breed love in their lives, have them shoot me an email! First Vaccines done on Saturday, will get them wormed this week.

pups4guides(at)gmail(dot)come.

I really don't want him to end up in a shelter, but I really need to get them separate!
 

A Play

**WARNING RANDOM PHOTOS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH POST INCLUDED***

So since about August, I've had at least two service dogs in my home, the difficulty in that is making sure they get an equal amount of exposures during the week. And since I work another job, its makes that ideal just a little bit harder, but we do our best.

I posed a question to my Puppy Raising group, a little while back, to see if any of my other Multi-SD-Pup friends, had ever attempted to take both their dogs out at the same time. Not many were brave enough to do so; and I was more nervous about the reaction of the establishment, more so than if the dogs would behave with each other.

{Bubbles in her Coat}

There have been a couple of times, when I've asked me sister to handle one, while I had the other, but backed out at the last minute.

Well Sunday, I was presented with a Dilemma. We were going to see a Nativity play in Downtown K-vIlle, which pup to take? Bishop had already been crate during church and pooped while in there. (MY FAULT OF COURSE) and Victoria would be stuck at home for the next week, and I really wanted to get her out....hmmm....

I finally decided to see if my dear sister, would handle one of the pups while we were out. To which she said she would.

So after church, i ran home, hauled crate outside, cleaned pup, threw blankets in the wash, took Bubbles and Texas out to potty, and loaded the others into the vehicle.

Our first stop was Taco Bell. Vicki has this thing about not wanting to get out of the car, so I left her and took Bishop as we ran inside. The we hurried onto the Collisiem, where the show was too be held.

One thing they forgot to tell me...was we were arriving 30 minutes early.

My sister and I walked the dogs in and found a seat, fairly empty, with nobody in front or behind. I had Victoria, since she's been showing some nervousness about being out in public..and I start to get her settled about five seats down from Bishop.

Wellll he decided he didn't want to be away from me, and threw a little fit; so I moved him over too "sit" with me. I had them down, and began rewarding every three seconds with tiny pieces of treats.

Being a new place, he really didn't want to lay down at that moment, so he walked over to "visit" with Victoria. Of course at that moment, a group of people come in and decide to sit down in front of us.

Note: the seats were so close together, you tip your head back you were hitting someone's leg...thankfully my claustrophobia isn't too severe.

Which meant that the puppies walking around meant they were bumping into the people in front of them. That (in puppy language) translates to "Oh a person! I must say hi".  Our seat mates seem  quite nervous about having the dogs behind them, but they didn't move, and neither did I. Cause we were there first.

15 minutes later I decided to walk them around some, to get some of the "jitters" out of their system. Since the Collissuem was huge, we walked up and down several flights of stairs, up and down the halls, and to the bathroom to collect any clean up supplies.

I have to remember to get myself into baby puppy mode.

 {Bishop }
After that we decided to go back to our seat, as the play started in 5 minutes. But unfortunately I wasn't fast enough, because another group came and sat on our row, which mean there really wasn't any room for two puppies to lay down.

Thankfully seeing both dogs, encouraged them to move to another row. By this time, our trek around the building had worn Bishop out, and he collapsed under my friends feet, never to be heard from again...until after the play.

Victoria however, wasn't so easily deterred. You never know what monster might come out and get you if you let your guard down!  And sat against my OTHER sisters leg, and let her pet her.

After the lights went down, I pulled out their treat (rawhide candy canes) and convinced her to lay down. Where she stayed, before finally stretching out and going to sleep.

There were a couple of parts where she looked up to see what was going on, but for the most part she stayed where she was.

{Victoria checking out the screaming child behind us}
After it was over, we stood around our seat talking/letting the arena clear out some, before leaving. BIshop did not move a muscle..which was fine with me.

{Bishop sleeping under a seat}

I carried him outside, let him "go potty" (which he's a champ at btw) and we went on home.

 Tired, but happy at a successful trip.

-We're not doing that again anytime soon....:)