Woof. Woof.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Puck, SDMB. SDMB meet Puck.

So, I now have my first dog ever. Yesterday had been an eventful day. On a disgustingly cold, rainy, windy, miserable day we got lost on the way to the breeder’s house in not-my-favorite-part-of-Cincinnati. Once we found it, we had a choice between four 8-week-old male Bostons. One had a black patch around one eye while the rest of the face was completely white, all around one big blue eye. Puck was an easy choice though: gorgeous, alert, curious, and near-perfect coloring. We stopped by Petsmart on the way home for supplies with poor Puck wrapped in the very blankets we brought our daughter home from the hospital in. Puck was a little nervous inside until he had the opportunity to meet a couple other puppies who were taking a break from training class. He was very social.

His toenails were so long and sharp they were catching on everything, so nailclipping was the first order of business. Didn’t phase him a bit. Next he was fed and played with a bit. Mommy had to go work then :frowning: but Daddy is going to give him a bath. At first the water seemed like more playtime: stompin’ puddles, but wearing the water is a whole different story. Scared but stoic, at the end of it all, Puck smelled infinitely better.

After the bath, our six-year-old munchkin decided to feed Puck an entire 4 oz. box of liver treats. All at once. This was dessert to his carefully measured dinner. With his belly significantly stretched out but smelling yummy, he gets to visit Mommy at work. Mommy is NOT amused. :mad: Puck looks pregnant. Munchkin’s grounded. And she gets a stern lecture about dog care from Daddy. In the meantime, Puck’s extended Starbucks family coos over him. He gets LOTS of attention.

Finally off work much later that night, I come home and hubby is sleeping on the couch with Puck on his chest. He spends the rest of the evening alternately puking and farting on me. Puck does. Not the hubby. If it’s all the same, I’d rather be puked on than breathe in the aroma of his liver farts. Where’s the pukey smiley when you need it? I’ll be thrilled when he gets this out of his system.

Anyway, at some point last night he posed (well, not really) for pictures. Enjoy!

Oh yeah, and thanks, Bad News Baboon, and everyone else who responded to my original small dog thread.

2

Oh! So CUTE! Congrats on the new baby. I love the name!

3

He’s adorable. You know you’re in for trouble with that name, though.*

[size=1]It is an adorable name, though. I’d probably name a pet the same thing. Got to love having a pet troublemaker!

4

Dear God, that is one unbelievably cute pup. :slight_smile:

5

I used to have a male Boston. They are the sweetest dogs ever.

(when he gets too rambunctious, give him a tetherball set. Happy puppy)

6

What a cute little bugger! Wish I could give him a smooch.

7

He’s just as precious as can be! And I notice you have the same rug that we have - er, had - gave it to the kid when she moved out. I applaud your choice in floor coverings.

Enjoy your new lil buddy!

8

Umm… hate to tell you, but BTs (most pug-nosed dogs, actually) are notorious for their ability to clear a room pretty much constantly (I’ll leave it to the more medically-knowledgeable folks to explain, but it’s something to do with the snorting that comes from lacking a muzzle). Get used to the smell, because you’ll be around it frequently.

But he is a cutie. :slight_smile:

9

AWWWWWWWWW… what a lil’ cutie! Give him some extra ear skritches from his Uncle swampbear Cinnamon Girl.

10

Aw, he’s adorable!

I miss my doggy…

11

Sorry for the delay in my return. It’s been an eventful few days. Thanks for all the well wishes. Puck is doing great. He’s bonding nicely and is making himself at home. In between working, we’ve been trying to puppy-proof one area at a time (which is a lot of work considering we are having to undo our anti-domestic ways). Puck made it through his unscheduled feast okay. The puking and excessive flatulence worked its way out the next day.

Yesterday he had his first vet check with vaccination and worming. He took the shot like a man, but made an odd-looking expression for the roundworm test (positive). After a dose of medicine, roundworms made their appearance last night. Boy, are those fun. Spaghetti and ramen are now off the family menu for awhile. <insert pukey smiley here> Other than that, all is good. He’s still sleeping a lot, but is very social when awake. Puck has discovered his favorite toy.
**
Thank you, Athena** and monica. As to the name, it didn’t take us long. There was a short list consisting of Stain (obviously a humourous or ribald choice when paired with certain common commands) and Puck, which was chosen for Norwegian Blue’s love of Shakespeare; it’s monosyllabic (good quality for pet names); should we decide to get another dog, it’s a perfect companion to our first choice, Stain, as an homage to Ophelia (Puck 'n Stain); and it’s not Spot. It seems appropriate for a small, playful breed as the Boston.

FairyChatMom, the rug happens to be perfect for accident-prone puppies. When it gets too gross (we’ve had it for nearly ten years already, so it’s close), it will be easily and cheaply replaced. Besides how many inexpensive rugs can you find that aren’t floral? <pukey smiley #2>

bobkitty, I’m prepared for stinkbombs from him as I read about the tendency in brachycephalic (sic?) dogs. For instance, I’ve read that wheat products tend to exacerbate the problem. Apparently so does liver. But these were way out of the league of acceptable everyday aromatherapy. Thankfully, they have passed and we now know the folly of excessive amounts of liver treats. I’ll be looking into something less offensive in a treat. I welcome any suggestions. Great name, BTW!

Puck thanks you all for your flattery. He sends huge-tongue kisses to all (especially teela brown!). His breath is much better today. As for swampbear’s ear skritches, he replied, “Try my neck behind this damnable collar.” And there goes the hindleg again.

Questions: Is 8 weeks too young for a male dog to show any sexual behavior, such as humping his new toy (which must appear to be a female dalmation in heat to him)? Will this pass or continue until he is neutered? Is it even worth trying to discourage the behavior or would the effort be fruitless (no pun intended)?

Goodness. I wasn’t prepared to see that for some time. :o

12

No, humping isn’t just a sign of sexual interest, it’s also a domination behavior. My female pug humps my male pug, and my female chihuahua humps the daughter’s cat. Both are spayed. You can discourage the behavior gently. It may or may not disappear depending on Puck’s personality. He is, BTW, adorable. Oh, and I’ve never had a disproportionate problem with flatulence with my pugs. It all depends on what they’ve been eating.

13

Does he have that puppy breath? I love puppy breath!

sqeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

He is just tooooooo cute! Give him hugs and kisses from all of us.

14

Yes, he has puppy breath. I’ve been told to get some Greenies to keep his breath fresh. I’m not such a fan of puppy breath.

Tupug, thanks for the info. He started humping the toy dog at my in-laws’ house. Everyone else wanted to think it was something else. I wasn’t so sure. Ah well, it will probably only bother me when kids are present. Some parents don’t appreciate having their little snookums educated in the manner of animal sexuality and dominance.

15

A new baaaaaaaby!

He is adorable. That cuteness will make him a people magnet. Use this power for good.
Soon, he will be running your household and coming into his Doggie Mind Control powers fully.
I look forward to Puck Updates & pictures.

16

I think it might be against the law to post pictures containing that level of cuteness without some major warnings. Maybe TMC: Too Much Cuteness. :smiley:

17

If you have a dominant doggie on your hands, it’s a good time to start assserting yourself as the alpha. Pick him up and gently flip him onto his back. He’ll hate it - he’ll squirm and wriggle and try to nip your fingers. Gently but firmly hold him there, speaking softly. Then let him up. Let him bounce around a bit and then repeat. Soon, he’ll stop the wriggling, and accept that you’re the boss. It doesn’t have to be a “mean” thing, and it’s much easier to do it now than later. I do this routine at least once a day until he doesn’t wriggle at all.

Also, never get your mouth lower than his. Licking the alpha dog (you) under the chin is a sign of submission. If you nuzzle him under his mouth (like on his cute little neck), he’ll interpret that as you telling him he’s in charge.

Take his food away from him often, as well. That way, when the kid or a neighbor kid does it, he won’t bite. Simply move the bowl away and say “Mine!” Wait a few moments and give it back, with lots of praise and love.

This is how I’ve managed to turn all my dominant dogs (they’re just the cutest at the breeders!) into friendly, outgoing, yet submissive to me and small children dogs.

18

Thanks WhyNot for the great advice. This being My First Dog Ever™, I do appreciate it. I like to kiss my baby all the time. He’s the first dog I’ve let lick me with abandon. He does lick my face under my chin. And on my neck. And my mouth. And my ear. And my eye. He’s got a great big tongue too. He’s a licking machine I tell ya!

I’ve tried getting him on his back for belly skritches, but he’s not fond of it. So far I’m the only one that can accomplish this with a minimum of wriggle. I didn’t realize I was asserting my dominance. Or perhaps I did. He’s just so irresistable, he will be skritched when I want to skritch him. He’s like putty in my hands, really.

Then again, I’m pretty soft, too, at 3am when he wakes up in his crate and wants to play. It’s so very hard to steel oneself to the plaintive cries of the cutest damn pup this side of the Mississip. Even if I do need my sleep. I’m trying to get used to waking up at 7:30 in the morning to allow him his AM abdominal ablution. I never thought I’d be so jazzed while chanting, “Good boy! Puck pooped outside! Yay! Puck’s a good boy! Momma’s good boy! Yay for potty!” My neighbors must think I’ve jumped the tracks.

Thanks Shirley and Little Bird. I’ll be sure to give the proper TMC alert in the future. No doubt there’s more to come. I do hope I can find other Boston fans in my area, since he makes socializing so easy. I do have to admit that I’ve been using him to get attention. For the most part, he’s a kiddo magnet, but it is too bad I’m married; he even works on hot guys! He’s just so great! And I’m so in love. I just wanna share his extreme yumminess with the world. :slight_smile:

19

What a lovely little doggy. Does he really have blue eyes or is that just some sort of camera abberation (similar red eyes from a flash)?

20

I saw that commercial about the flea goop last night (Front Line?), and thought of you and your dog choices. It’s the one with the little Bosty and the pug - the puggy has fleas and is scratching, but the Bosty doesn’t and he’s Mr. Cool. Me being biased in favor of pugs, I like to yell at the screen, “the pug’s the only one smart enough to scratch on command! He knows how to dial a phone, too, and to wave at the camera!”