Saturday, February 6, 2010


March, 2009

We won a puppy from Scotts Puppy Palace and they flew him to us on United Airlines. They paid for everything. We picked him up from the airport about 10am on March 21st of 2009. We waited and waited patiently as everyone from the plane started arriving and anticipating a special door to open so that we could greet our new addition to our home. As the airline personnel opened the door, my son and I shrieked with excitement as she brought out a kennel. Oh I bet that’s him. Nope it was someone else’s puppy coming home. Then she came out stating that she was looking for the owner of our dog. Here he comes my son said and we both got down on our knees and peeked into the kennel and there in the very back of the kennel, hidden amongst all of the shredded newspaper was our new puppy Nicholas He looked just as curious as we did, but he looked as though he was afraid so we just picked up the kennel and started to our car. When we arrived home we opened his kennel door to let him wander out on his own. He was so matted and looked like he needed some love. He was about 3 months old now.

April, 2009

Within a month Nicholas had settled down some and so we decided to take him to the groomers to see if they could clean up his coat a little. When we arrived they told us that he was so matted that it would be easier to clip him short and then start over by brushing him regularly. So, we left him there for the day and when we arrived back to pick him up, we could hardly recognize him. He had practically no hair left but he was clean and he smelled absolutely adorable.

July 2009

Nicholas had his first try at swimming in our pool. I sat him down on the stairs but he was horrified. My son decided to stand at one end of the pool and let the current take a tennis ball down to the other end. Nicholas was all for that and would stand at the end where the ball would end up and try and retrieve it from the water by standing on the deck area where he could reach it. After many attempts through the summer I finally got him in the water to cool off but unless I held him, he wasn’t too pleased to be there. He is pretty much okay with just standing on the top stair.

August 2009
Well, August is a hot month for us here in Iowa so it was time to have Nicholas groomed again and have his hair cut. I noticed this time that they nicked his belly with the clippers and I should have said something but he was really happy to see me so I didn’t fuss but decided that I would try grooming him at home instead. I am learning but it has been a nightmare for me and the dog. I bought those guillotine type nail cutters and they seem to fray the ends of his nails and I hate that. I didn’t take them back because I used them but I really should have. They could be dangerous. Either I really don’t know how to use them or they are just junk. So, I bought the doggie style salon type rotating emery board tool thingy so that I could give him a manicure. He is leery of it still but we are starting to get the hang of it. Well, I am anyway. As for his hair cuts, I have been using scissors and just trimming him up when I can. I use the clippers around the base of his feet so that the hair doesn’t grow long and get between his pads on his paw. He gets his teeth brushed every night with doggie toothpaste from the vet, I also clean out his ears and his little face along with his bottom area to make sure he is nice and clean at bed time. I was told that if I used a finger brush on his teeth it would make it a lot easier to brush his teeth. I bought a pair of them and they are so big they just turn on my finger and Nicholas just licks the paste and teeth don’t get brushed. So now we have a child’s soft toothbrush to brush with. He loves it. Not really, he just likes the taste of the clear paste that we bought from the vet. But his teeth are clean.

October 2009.
Poor Nicholas. I was so tired of seeing him on a 15 foot tether in our yard just so that he will not take off when he wants to go out and he is not being walked. I decided that we were going to look into the invisible fence system. My neighbor stated that the Invisible Fence people came and installed invisible fencing in their yard but my husband said he wasn’t paying that price to install something like that so I read about the product and we decided to try the wireless fence but after installing it, the system was so unstable I took it back and ordered the in ground fence by PetSafe. I must say, I am very pleased and have a happier puppy because of it. He loves to run and play. We have 2/3 acre and now he can play in all but the area around the perimeter of the yard. I decided that I should tell everyone about it that would love to give it a try. There were a few reviews out there. Some were not so happy but I followed the directions to the tee and I couldn’t be more tickled.
Here is the review I wrote and the link to it is beneath it.

I am an owner of a morkie that loves to run and he wants to run with the rest of the dogs that seem to run the streets. I didn't want him to get hit by a car and keeping him on a 15 foot tether when we have almost an acre of ground was driving me and him crazy. My neighbors had the Invisible Fence company install an inground fence but after discussing the price with my husband, I asked for this kit. Being that we had 2/3 acre we also ordered an extra roll of wire. I wanted the wireless fence and tried it but its not stable. After our inground fence arrived I sat down and read the instructions and then laid out the wire creating one big loop around the perimeter. Once laid out, I hooked it all up in the basement since you shouldn't have it outside. I received the two red lights indicating that I had a continous loop. I did however have to splice about 2 hundred more feet after running out of the first spool. I connected the wire as they require, added the wired nut and then put the wire and wire nut in the gel filled capsule from the kit and buried it into the ground along with the rest of the wire that I buried after taking a spade and trenching the property along where I laid the wire out. After trenching about 20 feet I would push the wire in the ground about 2 inches with a paint stirrer or stick and then after finishing one side of the property I would go to the basement to make sure that I still had the 2 red lights on and the loop was still consistent. After trenching it all and installing all the wire I checked again. Yes a double red light proving I had a continuous loop. Once back around to where I started I had to twist the wire 8 times per foot back to the house to cancel the signal so our dog could cross the area. with the collar in hand, setting B on the module and if you have a property like ours, setting 5 on the dial will give you a constant 4 foot boundary between the first beep of the collar and the wire. setting 2 on the collar is probably sufficient and if you want to check just put your fingers on the probe :). If you take a tape measure out with you when you lay the wire, put a flag out every 10 -15 feet , 4 foot away from your wire and you will have killed 2 birds with one stone in preparing for the training. If you set everything like I have, you will have that 4 foot boundary. I tried turning it to 10 just to see what it would do and the poor dog would have never been able to roam inside the house let along outside. We watched the video and then trained like it said but I let the dog stray into the zone during training and he knew it too. It only took 4 days and now he just watches the people pass as they pass the house and he will not wander towards the wire. All in all this is a great product and I would do it again in a heartbeat."

http://www.petco.com/product/5884/PetSafe-In-Ground-Radio-System-Fence.aspx?CoreCat=certona-_-ProductList__1-_-PetSafe%20In-Ground%20Radio%20System%20Fence-5884

November 2009

Well, Nicholas seems to fit right in and we have purchased many toys for him to play with. He loves the kongs that we put his milk bones in, well maybe he doesn’t love the kong, he just wants the goodies that are in it. He plays with many of his toys. He loved the new paint roller but after observing him, it seems that he gets his teeth caught up in the plush so we don’t play with that anymore. He has a rubber ball and some rubber dumb bells that squeak so we play with them a lot. He has toys that make noise like a monkey that makes those kinds of noises and a plush rooster that crows. He loves the monkey best of the two. He loves to dig so I placed dirt and mulch in an area right off of the front porch so that he would have his own place to dig but I am sure he will probably dig wherever he pleases. We have a lot of squirrels in our yard and he loves to chase them to the tree and then circles it like he is playing cowboys and Indians. Nicholas also lets us know when someone is coming by barking otherwise he really doesn’t bark too much unless we are playing or we aren’t listening to him. Let’s talk a little bit about routine. I try to keep him on a feeding schedule because after all, they seem to go to the toilet outside better when they have a routine. Nicholas gets 1/3 cup dry food mixed with some meat, rice or vegetable that he can have and we do this 3 times a day. 7am 12 pm and 5pm. Give or take a few minutes. He gets as much water as he wants during the day and as long as he is supervised. I know that it doesn’t seem like much food but he’s only 9 pounds, and he is fit and strong with a healthy glow about him. Along with cheerios that we use as a rewarrd him for his good behaviors he usually gets a couple of milk bones for small dogs as treats once in a while. I took the time and tied a dinner bell to a chair in the foyer to teach him to ring it to go outside but that was short lived since my husband couldn’t hear it and said we needed something different. I then purchased the pet chime but I just can’t get him to use it so I just keep ringing it. I was recently told that maybe if I bought a bell hop bell that they use in hotels, it may be loud enough for my husband to hear from another room. We have yet to do that because I am determined to teach Nicholas how to use that pet chime. They said it would be easy. Yeah right.

December, 2009
We have snow and plenty of it. I had to laugh, I gave him a chunk of grilled chicken and he wanted to go outside. Soon after, he wanted back in. A couple of days later he wanted out and then back in but I noticed he has something in his mouth so I put my hand out and said release and he gave me his findings. It was that chunk of chicken, but now it was frozen. I gave it back. He must have a food bank going on in that snow drift along the house because he always comes back in with a milk bone or something. For Christmas he got lots of toys. Dog toys that we drove 20 miles to find. We, I mean I, bought him a dog toy that is actually a tire that is about 6 inches in diameter. Then there was an ear of corn which isn’t really food but a dog toy that looks like the middle was eaten out of it and the end kernels are still there. The maker states that it has two chewing surfaces. I think it was just a novelty toy. My husband thinks he has enough toys but hey, I found that if he loves to play with his stuff he won’t tear up ours. I have to say that he has never really even touched our stuff except for when he tries to run off with a shoe now and then but he has never torn anything up that wasn’t his. J I bought him a sweater so he would stay warm outside and he loves it, I think. I always laughed at people because they dress up their dogs but a coat for the cold doesn’t really count, does it? It’s not like I am putting a tie or a Halloween costume on him. I don’t want to humiliate the poor dog. I have seen dogs and cats in costume pictures and this is something I don’t think I will ever do. He has a huge rope my dad bought him for Christmas and I swear its about 2 inches in diameter. Nicholas grabs one end while my son grabs the other end in his teeth. They play tug of war.
Nicholas had his first birthday on December 30, 2009. Happy Birthday Nicholas!


January, 2010
My husband introduces my to the show called “It’s Me or the Dog” on Animal Planet. I have to say, our dog is not unruly but we have learned a few commands, okay, okay, we are a work in progress, but I love watching the show. Victoria Stillwell from the series is a firm believer that dogs should not wear shock collars but I believe Nicholas is keen to the beeps and stays away from the static correction. It’s hard to believe that before Nicholas came into our lives, I could care less if we ever had a pet or not. Now if I see those commercials where animals are mistreated, I get all choked up and teary eyed.
I have received coupons for dog food like Hills Science Diet dry but if I don’t give Nicholas a little “meaty texture” he won’t touch it. I guess he would eat if he was hungry enough but my mother would be livid if he went hungry. My family says I spoil him. They do too. Don’t let them fool you. My mom gives him chicken, turkey, you name it. If he can have it he gets it. She sneaks baby ice milk cones to him in the summer. She already told on herself there. She said you should see his sweet little face just lick that cone. She also calls him her puppy love. She tells everyone that I feed him tilapia. Soooooo, he likes it. Sometimes for breakfast we have poached eggs on toast together too. J My husband states that he eats better than the rest of us but he knows better. We don’t eat dog food. I have tried some of his kibble and it’s a good thing that I add little human goodies to it because it’s a good way to get the taste of dog food out of your mouth. Have you ever chewed dried dog food? Let me tell you that his Hills Science Diet dog food tastes like dead fish. Maybe that’s the omegas they need from fish oil. My mom says, “You better continue to give him his dry food because he needs his vitamins.” That’s fine too; it takes everyone you know to raise a dog. If you don’t believe me, just talk about it to someone that doesn’t even own one and you will learn how to raise yours. Aye, yi, yi.
I work late hours and my husband says he is relieved when I get home because the dog just paces in our bed because he knows I will be home shortly and then when I come through the door, I watch for him to come around the corner of the hallway and then bend down to greet him. He runs and he is so excited. I recently watched “Its Me or the Dog” and now if he tries to jump on me I turn away and then reward him when he is on all fours. We love our family. There’s no place like home. Ask anyone in our immediately family. They will say the same thing.
Anyway, being a new pet owner I have lots of questions and sign up for every email that I can possibly get my hands on and Now, I get an email about sharing my blog and receiving gifts if chosen just by registering Blog in a first-of-its-kind contest - the TrainPetDog.com 2010 Dog Blog Award. They also want my readers to know about it so they can vote for us by using a 5-digit code. You Bet! We’re game. He deserves to be pampered pup. He will also share his wealth with his friends and look for new ones to share with too. He is such a loving dog. I have never seen a dog love anyone like this dog loves us. And we love him too!

February 6, 2010
My husband recently sent me an email at work and in the subject line he put: YOUR DOG.
Inside the email it had a picture of all of his toys and it said in the caption below it.
HAS TOO MANY TOYS. You know, all I can say is that he’s loved.
I have entered Nicholas in a contest to try and win goodies for him and his friends. Please vote for him at www.TrainPetDog.com and enter the code 9J1Xb and click on the submit button. Thanks again. Please only vote once.
I want to share some information on what I feed Nicholas too. I hear a lot about commercial dog food and I really need to do some research but for now I feed him twice a day. Around 8am and then we feed him again around 4pm. He gets between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup each feeding time. He gets about 1/3 cup dry dog food and then I mix in some heated lamb, chicken or liver that I have already prepared and some cooked carrots and green vegetables such as broccolli. If you squish it all together, he will eat every bite. So long for now.
February 7, 2010
Well, today I am going to look on line for a new dog bed for Nicholas. His current bed has seen its better days and it looks like the stuffing in it has shifted to one side and he doesn't seem to want to lay in it anymore. I see that they have a hammock type up off of the floor bed that I want to look into. Anyway, talk to you later.

No comments:

Post a Comment