Tessie's Turn

Tessie is the Daily Puppy today!

http://www.dailypuppy.com/puppies/Tessie-the-Labrador-Mix_2008-05-31

Changes

This video is of Skippy's newest hobby.  He is turning into quite a copycat, or copydog as it may be.  He has taken up a lot of Tessie's habits after watching her - digging, eating things he finds outside, etc.  Last week at puppy class the trainer's dog was there and she was spinning in circles.  10 minutes later Skippy was doing it too.  Now he does it at least a couple times a day.  The trainer's dog was doing more like excited circles but Skippy's has turned into chasing his tail.  It's actually quite amusing to watch.  

I haven't written in a while because we've been getting settled into the new house.  I can't believe how well the puppies are doing already and how they seem to like it here so much more.  They love running up and down the stairs and I have to pull them off sometimes because I'm afraid someone will break a leg.  Tessie has no fear and if I am climbing the stairs behind her she has, at times, turned around and tried to jump up into my arms.  I think she finds it amusing that I'm at a lower level than usual.  We set up a kiddie pool in the backyard and surprisingly neither wanted anything to do with it.  I thought Tessie would be all about it, given her love of hoses and sprinklers.  I think reminds her too much of a bath.  We're going to work on it though.  They've enjoyed getting acquainted with the birds and squirrels in the front yard and they love being around the corner from the pond!  

We return to the vet next Thursday.  I can't wait to see the new weigh-in totals.  I'm predicting Skippy has surpassed the 20 pound mark.  Not sure about Tessie since she's very lanky.  I have been looking through their week-by-week pictures and even though I don't notice changes in them on a daily basis, it is fun to look at the pictures week by week.  Here are the links to their albums - 

Tessie's pictures

Skippy's pictures

Also- you may want to check out the Daily Puppy on Saturday, just a hint ;)

Month Two

On Sunday it will be exactly two months since we got our puppies.  I did a post like this a month ago after our first month together - kind of like a reflection.  Both puppies are continuing to do very well.  Together they are very entertaining.  Even though it may not always seem this way, they love each other very much.  When they are apart and are reunited they always get excited and begin kissing each other.  I love to watch them play with one another, especially as they are getting older.  They are more into their toys now and are very aware of what the other is doing.  Many times they want to play with the same toy at the same time but occasionally they will each be entertaining themselves without antagonizing one another.  They are both Puppy Kindergarten graduates and start the next phase of obedience school (what I like to call Puppy First Grade) next weekend.  They both know "sit," "paw," "down," "wait," "drop it," "take it" and "leave it."

At times it is hard to believe that Tessie is the same puppy we brought home in March...other times it is very easy.  The most common 

comment I get from others about her is something about her being shy.  Typically it is people who I don't classify as "dog people" who make comments like, "why doesn't she like people?"  I feel bad when people make comments like that because I feel like they miss out on seeing what an awesome dog she is.  She is the sweetest dog I have ever met and may come off as skittish but she would never hurt a fly.  At five months old she has made great strides with us.  When she wants to give us kisses she doesn't just give us kisses, she comes full on and attacks us with kisses and hugs - yes, she hugs.  You could be sitting on the couch and then all of a sudden have a lap full of lab.  When we come home not only her tail wags, her whole body does.  It's the Tessie wiggle.  She's a riot.  She loves to be outside and she runs and runs and runs.  She falls right into Skippy's trap when he starts to antagonize her.

..even though she almost always ends up on top.  In my opinion she knows he's smaller and there are times when I think she will intentionally let him get the upper hand.  She loves to dig holes in the dirt and she loves to be dried off with a towel.  She loves meeting other dogs, something we probably couldn't say for sure two months ago.  

Skippy continues to make us laugh.  His latest exploits include getting an ice cube stuck to his tongue.  At some point during every Puppy Kindergarten class Skippy would go out as far as he could on his leash, sit down, and stare at the trainer as if he was listening.  This fits him to a tee.  He has so much personality.  His favorite thing to do at night is crawl into bed (we let them on the bed now) and curl up next to Paul on his back.  He will fall asleep with his legs straight out in the air.  I love it.  His ears still stick out, although it seems to change everyday.  One day the left will stick up and the right will stick out, the next day the left will be down and the right will be up in the air.  He's gaining weight quickly and he's a little tough guy.  At Puppy Kindergarten he felt that he needed to protect Tessie from the other dogs, since she was hesitant when playtime came around.  He loves his stuffed dog Squeaky and has learned to play fetch indoors - yes, only indoors.  When he's outside he runs away with the ball.  

Overall we have two very well behaved puppies and I couldn't imagine having a four-month old puppy and a five-month old puppy being any easier.  We got very lucky.

Party Animals

The picture on the right is Tessie.  The picture on the left is a dog I found when I did a Google image search of "lab border collie mix."  I showed the picture on the left to Paul this morning without saying anything and he said, "that's a good picture of her."  I said, "it's not her."  It looks strikingly like Tessie, even more so when the pictures aren't right next to each other.  I think we might have figured out her mix.  I had looked up a few different possibilities.  The shelter had thought lab/spaniel but many lab/spaniel mixes have curly hair on their ears or bellies.  My aunt used to have one that had the coolest fringe on his ears.  Tessie's hair is very straight though, no curls or fringe.  We thought maybe lab/dalmation because of the spots on her belly but her hair is too long for that mix.  Lab/collie is close but her hair isn't long enough and I don't see it growing.  Lab/border collie seems to be the closest we've come...and I think it's pretty close!  Many of the other pictures resembled her but this dog looked so much like her!  Now for figuring out Skippy, ha!

Skippy & Tessie had a big weekend.  After graduating from puppy kindergarten on Saturday, they attended their first party.  We wanted to bring them to try to help them with socialization.  They both do really well when they meet new dogs now but people are a different story, especially for Tess.  They were both a little nervous but Skippy did great coming out from under the table and meeting new people.  Tessie wasn't so outgoing but we think just exposing her to people was good.  On Sunday we all went up to Paul's mom's house for Paul's birthday.  The puppies got to hang around with some kids which they don't get a chance to do that often.  Skippy also played his first real game of fetch.  Both puppies have chased the ball but bringing it back and actually playing a game of fetch hasn't happened - until Sunday.  We have a blue ball that both puppies love and Skippy was chasing it, bringing it back, chasing it, bringing it back, etc.  His dad was very excited :)

Growing Puppies

 This video is of Tessie's ever-growing hole in my mother's backyard.  It's in a spot where there used to be a garden and my mother doesn't mind her digging.  Tessie has been working on this hole since her first visit to my mom's house, almost two months ago now.  Over the past week or so Skippy has become interested in digging to.  In the past he would watch her like she was crazy and not join in.  When we went to the Cape Tessie was digging like crazy, Skippy was happy trying to eat washed up crab legs.  Now he helps her but he hasn't quite figured out how to push his way in and dig so he ends up underneath her like he did in this video, or behind her with her pushing all her dirt into his face.  Another time she was scooping dirt behind her and then he was scooping the same dirt out of the hole.  

Wednesday night was our last puppy vet visit (hopefully).  Both puppies got their nails trimmed and Skippy got his last puppy shot (Tessie was already done with them).  We had gone to the vet just two weeks before and last night we found out that Skippy gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks!  They've grown a lot in the seven weeks we have had them....

Visit One: Tessie-15 lbs, Skippy-7 lbs

Visit Two: Tessie- 18 lbs, Skippy- 10 lbs

Visit Three: Tessie-23 lbs, Skippy- 15 lbs

Visit Four: Tessie- 25 lbs, Skippy, 18 lbs

That's where we stand right now.  Skippy's body is definitely growing quickly but his legs and his head seem to be staying the same size, ha.  Tessie has very long legs and she uses them when she tries to get up on things.  She climbs like a monkey.  Also, when we pick her up she holds on like a monkey would.  It's kind of funny.

Skippy had his first meeting with a kitty last night at the vet.  An older couple had a cat in a carrying case and put in down on the floor so Skippy could see.  He was very interested even though the cat was not pleased about being face to face with him and kept hissing and showing her fangs.  He didn't seem to mind.