Question:
How long does it take to break the barker of a new lab puppy?
The answer: 4.5 days.
Embry is a screamer. I mean this pup can peel the paint from the walls with her screaming. Chris and I both compare her to a howler monkey. You put her in her crate, she goes insane. We have her on one side of the baby gate while we are trying to feed the other dogs, she goes insane. She MUST be with us or the screaming starts.
This has led to several sleepless nights for everyone in the house.
Today was the first day that neither of us were home with her all day. Chris went to work on time. I went in at 9:30. I was back home by 1:30. She screamed while I was getting ready for work and she was still screaming when I left the house. When I got home for lunch, she was quiet. I was so pleased... Then I looked at her, standing in her crate, on a wet towel, her one paw standing in poop, her toys ignored.... and she was still screaming, there jsut wasn't much noise coming out.
She now sounds like a baby teradactyl. It's pathetic.
I know she'll get better and I know there's not much we can do about this. But it's heartbreaking to hear her scream in her crate. But we can't hold her every minute and she has to learn we will come back. Until then, we have a teradactyl with the lovely needle teeth of a lab puppy.
sigh.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Puppy
The Arrival
Apple Blossom Orchard Valley Ember, aka Embry arrived in our house on Friday, January 30th around 9:00 pm. Life has changed dramatically!
Friday night was fun. Embry was sweet, had this funny puppy skunky breath, gave lots of kisses, was snuggly and absolutely adorable. We got home, fed the herd and then fed her. It's rather amazing to see 1/3 a cup of puppy food soaked in water. It expands into giant bites... and she gobbled up all of it.
Then around 11:00 she fell asleep. We put her in her crate along with all her new toys, a towel, the clock from my nightstand and we went to bed. The screaming started around 1:00. She alternated with barking, whinning, howling, and screaming. She didn't stop. Around 2 ish I came downstairs and brought a blanket and pillow. Like an idiot, I took one of the dog beds, put it next to her crate, and slept IN the dog bed next to her. She quieted down as long as I had a finger in the crate. The minute I'd remove my hand, the crying started. This continued off and on until about 3:30. I opened her crate and she snuggled up next to me and slept until Chris came down around 7.
Day 1.
We fed her and I took Embry upstairs with me and got into bed. She and I slept in bed until around 10:30. She was very snuggly in bed. I woke up and felt fairly human. Chris was still up.
Our dogs are not amused by her. The only dog that likes her is Traz. Darcy can't be bothered, Tank is slightly afraid of her and Sophie is being a hateful brat. Traz on the other hand is gentle, curious and sweet. What a nice surprise he has turned out to be.
Night 2 was much like the first with the exception of me not even attempting to go to bed. Chris took the other dogs upstairs and I put the blanket on the couch and put her next to me. (I am not sleeping on the floor in a dog bed ever again). She slept quietly from 11 till 2. Then it was time for her to bite me... until I let her out and she peed. We were up until 3 and then back to sleep until about 7 again.
Day 2.
Repeat of Saturday. We fed her and I took her back up to bed with me around 8. I woke up at 9:20 because she was biting my hair. Then she was trying to pull the covers across the bed. This caused her to fall off the bed. In reality, she hung from the quilt until she fell. No more sleep for us.
I'm very tired. VERY VERY tired.
Chris started a blog for the baby - it's here: http://embrysboard.blogspot.com/ It's got a ton more info about her. He's so much more clever than I am.
And here is her web page on our site. We've got lots of pictures. http://www.zoontown.com/embry/
Anyway, she's a joy. She bites. She pees. She bounces. She poops. Lastly, she screams. This pup has a serious set of lungs on her. We are already in love.
Hopefully, I'll get a little more sleep tonight. Chris is off tomorrow so it's my turn to sleep upstairs.
Apple Blossom Orchard Valley Ember, aka Embry arrived in our house on Friday, January 30th around 9:00 pm. Life has changed dramatically!
Friday night was fun. Embry was sweet, had this funny puppy skunky breath, gave lots of kisses, was snuggly and absolutely adorable. We got home, fed the herd and then fed her. It's rather amazing to see 1/3 a cup of puppy food soaked in water. It expands into giant bites... and she gobbled up all of it.
Then around 11:00 she fell asleep. We put her in her crate along with all her new toys, a towel, the clock from my nightstand and we went to bed. The screaming started around 1:00. She alternated with barking, whinning, howling, and screaming. She didn't stop. Around 2 ish I came downstairs and brought a blanket and pillow. Like an idiot, I took one of the dog beds, put it next to her crate, and slept IN the dog bed next to her. She quieted down as long as I had a finger in the crate. The minute I'd remove my hand, the crying started. This continued off and on until about 3:30. I opened her crate and she snuggled up next to me and slept until Chris came down around 7.
Day 1.
We fed her and I took Embry upstairs with me and got into bed. She and I slept in bed until around 10:30. She was very snuggly in bed. I woke up and felt fairly human. Chris was still up.
Our dogs are not amused by her. The only dog that likes her is Traz. Darcy can't be bothered, Tank is slightly afraid of her and Sophie is being a hateful brat. Traz on the other hand is gentle, curious and sweet. What a nice surprise he has turned out to be.
Night 2 was much like the first with the exception of me not even attempting to go to bed. Chris took the other dogs upstairs and I put the blanket on the couch and put her next to me. (I am not sleeping on the floor in a dog bed ever again). She slept quietly from 11 till 2. Then it was time for her to bite me... until I let her out and she peed. We were up until 3 and then back to sleep until about 7 again.
Day 2.
Repeat of Saturday. We fed her and I took her back up to bed with me around 8. I woke up at 9:20 because she was biting my hair. Then she was trying to pull the covers across the bed. This caused her to fall off the bed. In reality, she hung from the quilt until she fell. No more sleep for us.
I'm very tired. VERY VERY tired.
Chris started a blog for the baby - it's here: http://embrysboard.blogspot.com/ It's got a ton more info about her. He's so much more clever than I am.
And here is her web page on our site. We've got lots of pictures. http://www.zoontown.com/embry/
Anyway, she's a joy. She bites. She pees. She bounces. She poops. Lastly, she screams. This pup has a serious set of lungs on her. We are already in love.
Hopefully, I'll get a little more sleep tonight. Chris is off tomorrow so it's my turn to sleep upstairs.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Times the are a changing
Well tonight, Z and I go to pick up our newest addition to our family. Our little munchkin is a 7.5 week old female chocolate lab pup. Our new baby is coming from the same breeder where we got our beloved Kesley. The Dam, Breezie is Kelsey's sister - yes, same parents, just a few years younger.
Z and I talked long and hard about getting another pup. We aren't exactly puppy people. Dog people, yes, puppy people, no. But this opportunity was something that we had to act on immediately or it would be gone. Breezie isn't going to be bred again and Connie, the breeder is cutting way back and is going to retire in future.
To have this pup that has just a tiny bit of our girl in her is going to be both exciting and heart breaking. Kelsey has been gone for over 3 months. We lost her on November the 8th 2008. Not a day goes by where I don't get teary eyed thinking about her. I miss her (and yes, Marci Moose too) so much it physically hurts.
So last night was our last full night of sleep for awhile, probably several months. We are embarking on the biting, the peeing, the crying, the constant vigilance, the training, the laughter and the vet visits that a new pup entails.
We think we have a name for her, but you know, she may tell us herself what we should call her.
I'm excited. Scared too, but really excited. Between the pup and our foster boy Traz, it's time to bring some new life and laughter in our home. I'll still miss our girls everyday, but maybe now I can start thanking both of them for making room for Traz and the new baby.
Z and I talked long and hard about getting another pup. We aren't exactly puppy people. Dog people, yes, puppy people, no. But this opportunity was something that we had to act on immediately or it would be gone. Breezie isn't going to be bred again and Connie, the breeder is cutting way back and is going to retire in future.
To have this pup that has just a tiny bit of our girl in her is going to be both exciting and heart breaking. Kelsey has been gone for over 3 months. We lost her on November the 8th 2008. Not a day goes by where I don't get teary eyed thinking about her. I miss her (and yes, Marci Moose too) so much it physically hurts.
So last night was our last full night of sleep for awhile, probably several months. We are embarking on the biting, the peeing, the crying, the constant vigilance, the training, the laughter and the vet visits that a new pup entails.
We think we have a name for her, but you know, she may tell us herself what we should call her.
I'm excited. Scared too, but really excited. Between the pup and our foster boy Traz, it's time to bring some new life and laughter in our home. I'll still miss our girls everyday, but maybe now I can start thanking both of them for making room for Traz and the new baby.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
End of the year stuff
Well it's the day before the night of drunks (aka new years eve) and I decided I needed to add something to my blog before all my followers stopped following.
For someone who is a writer, doing any blogging or journaling like this has come fairly hard for me. My significant other - Zoon - is brilliant at it. He's creative, relavent, funny and entertaining. Everything I wish I could be when I write. Maybe I need to look at our lives and see something other than what I tend to focus on.
I'll try and do a better job in the new year. I won't call it a resolution. Those suck.
Happy 2009 my dears.
For someone who is a writer, doing any blogging or journaling like this has come fairly hard for me. My significant other - Zoon - is brilliant at it. He's creative, relavent, funny and entertaining. Everything I wish I could be when I write. Maybe I need to look at our lives and see something other than what I tend to focus on.
I'll try and do a better job in the new year. I won't call it a resolution. Those suck.
Happy 2009 my dears.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Guess what?
You can't title a blog submission with the same name! How annoying. I wanted to write another post titled Currently Reading. I wrote the entire thing, added my links and went to publish it... NO WORKIE! Even worse, I lost the entire submission.
You'd think even if the titles are the same, it wouldn't matter. There's a different time stamp.
I'm disgusted. I wrote a half way decent literary review only to have this tool croak. Even worse, I have to figure out a unique title for every book I post? BLECH.
You'd think even if the titles are the same, it wouldn't matter. There's a different time stamp.
I'm disgusted. I wrote a half way decent literary review only to have this tool croak. Even worse, I have to figure out a unique title for every book I post? BLECH.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Why Tails of Death?
The name of this blog came from my love of Labradors and their tails. It's also a pun for those who didn't quite catch it at first.
We (Zoon) and I have 4 dogs - it still feels weird writting that but that's another story...
Darcy - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/darcy/img_3556.jpg
She's a 14.5 year old cocker basset mixture and the boss of our house.
Marci - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/marci/img_3611.jpg a 10.5 year old Black Labrador.
Sophie - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/sophie/return_to_sender.jpg a 5 year old Yellow Labrador - who is also my avatar...
And Tankman - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/tank/5057.jpg a 3 year old black lab mix.
This blog will probably contain many stories about them. These our our "kids" so to speak and there's always something going on with them.
We (Zoon) and I have 4 dogs - it still feels weird writting that but that's another story...
Darcy - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/darcy/img_3556.jpg
She's a 14.5 year old cocker basset mixture and the boss of our house.
Marci - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/marci/img_3611.jpg a 10.5 year old Black Labrador.
Sophie - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/sophie/return_to_sender.jpg a 5 year old Yellow Labrador - who is also my avatar...
And Tankman - http://www.zoontown.com/CameraPics/tank/5057.jpg a 3 year old black lab mix.
This blog will probably contain many stories about them. These our our "kids" so to speak and there's always something going on with them.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Currently Reading...
I read all the time. I read more than I do just about anything else other than sleep.
Currently I'm reading Heat Lightning by John Sand ford - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9780399155277&ourl=Heat%2DLightning%2FJohn%2DSandford
It's a Virgil Flowers book as opposed to a Lucas Davenport story. Lucas is in there, as he always is, but in a minor role as Virgil's "boss". I really Sandford and his characters. The dialog is great and usually more "real" than many things I read.
Currently I'm reading Heat Lightning by John Sand ford - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9780399155277&ourl=Heat%2DLightning%2FJohn%2DSandford
It's a Virgil Flowers book as opposed to a Lucas Davenport story. Lucas is in there, as he always is, but in a minor role as Virgil's "boss". I really Sandford and his characters. The dialog is great and usually more "real" than many things I read.
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