Budde the Puppy is 13 Weeks Old

Proof, He Sits!

Three months and one week.

This makes Budde our new live in buddy for six weeks now and times been flying past. Budde is officially, if he wasn't already, part of the family. My dad is in love with him. It was a slower start then some people with puppies, because my dad missed his beloved late dog Poncho. Budde had some big paws to fill. My dad is seeing now that he is smart and very trainable. I think he's finally realizing on his own, since he wouldn't listen to me, that a dog is how you raise them. Sure sometimes there are other factors, I can train Blind Louie all I want but I cannot train him to see. I can however, train Louie how to be a very high functioning blind dog, as I have and then we really don't even notice anymore that he is different from the rest of us.







Everyday it's a little easier to pet Budde with out getting your hand chewed on. I ask him to sit for petting. If he gets up before I start to touch him we start over. As soon as his mouth touches my hand I yelp and move away. We start over again. Someday he'll get a really good massage without biting and having to stop and he'll realize what he's been missing all along. He's getting there.

Budde is getting big. He's eating more and having less in door accidents. The moments of quiet cuddle time with Louie are getting more frequent. Budde knows very well that he's not allowed to eat out of the dishes of the big dogs while they are eating. He happily bounds over but puts on the breaks a foot or so behind them and sits. He watches them eat. He waits. When they are done devouring their meal he scours their bowls for them, making sure they are nice and clean for their next meal. What a good boy he is doing the dishes.

Budde truly is a bundle of energy, but also a bundle of joy. So much love and devotion in a small package. He is clearly still learning. He's still learning where we draw the line, how to hold himself, how to ask for help and how to play nice with others. It takes constant attention and gentle correction for him to understand. We cannot give up, we cannot leave him home and head out. Budde needs us around all the time, just like a baby. If we don't teach him now, he will not know how to act. Then soon enough he will be a big dog with bad manners and that is much harder to accept or ignore than it is in a puppy. So all day everyday, someone is with him. We take turns. He comes over and plays with us in the evening when my husband and I are home from work. My dad as him all day when we are gone. Dad also looks after Snorp and Louie so Budde has the big dogs for baby sitter's too.

Budde is lucky, we are lucky that we are in a position to give him so much attention. We know that is what it takes to make a great dog, and then he will pay us back in love and obedience ten fold. We thought ahead, what would it be like to get a puppy? We planned. We decided we had time, money, resources enough to take care of one and we had more than enough love. Then we adopted. I hope everyone who is thinking about getting a puppy takes this first part seriously. There are plenty of older, calmer, partially trained dogs that are up for adoption. They need loving homes too. So if the full time job of puppy rearing isn't for you, consider a more mature mate and adopt and adult dog. There is no shame in that at all, knowing your limits. We all know you can fall in love just the same.

Budde is taking his cues from the big dogs. When I ask Louie to sit, Budde looks over to Louie, watches him and copies him. He stays seated looking at Louie to wait for what's next. Louie doesn't know he's being watched, he doesn't know he's setting a good example. He can't see! He's just a darn good dog. Budde has some great teachers.

Snorp is the more patient and tolerant teacher. He will let Budde wrestle with him where Louie will not. Snorp doesn't mind letting Budde think he's winning for a while before he decides to quickly pin him to the ground. Good boy Snorp.

The three amigos! Snorp, Budde and Blind Louie

There's a New Pup on the Block

The ride home in his new Papa's lap

1/12/13
Blind Louie is a Big Brother!
We are super excited to welcome a new addition to our gang... and I wish I could tell you his name! So far it's Buddy or Puppy, but something else might come up and stick. I've tried to talk my dad out of calling him 'Poncho' after his last dog. While I know how much my dad loved Poncho, this dog needs his own name for a fresh start. Poncho had some pretty big paws for this little pup to fill.

We drove early this morning to pick up the puppy.
Just my dad and I went. It was about a 45 minute drive to the home of my co-worker. We were greeted first by a gorgeous black lab with big saggy boobies. This must be mom! My co-worker's wife, Michelle led us out to the wood shed where the puppies were staying. Inside we found about 6 or 7 pups. One dark brown, one golden and the rest were black. My dad already was set on a male, and was hoping for black puppy. He scooped one up and held it close to him and said "Okay, let's go." I took the pup from him and looked at it. Checked in his mouth, his ears and held him on his back to see his reaction. He squirmed around a bit but quickly gave in and relaxed. I agreed this was a fine specimen.

Running full speed ahead!

Momma doggy didn't seem to care that we were poking around at her puppies. She seemed more than happy to get rid of one, she couldn't keep them off of her! She didn't seem to want them to nurse at all anymore.

Along with all the pups, there were two cats in the wood shed as well. The cats seem to like the puppies and had been staying in there with them. This is a great sign. The pups are already well socialized. Great! This is going to work out wonderfully.

After selecting his puppy my dad quickly got in the passenger seat of the car "You drive, I'll hold him." The ride home was quiet. Other than a couple of squeaks and whimpers, the new pup pup sat happily in my dads lap. My dad was in love! Huge red heart shapes jetted out of his eye balls and throbbed as his tongue hung out the side of his mouth, jaw dropped. His new pup and he melted in to the seat and became one.

Louie 'looks' at the new puppy sitting in my mom's lap.

When we arrived home, Snorp was outside to greet us.
He sniffed at me frantically inspecting my sweatshirt before heading around to the other side of the car, finding my dad with the source of the smell. I had expected barking and over-excitement, but Snorp was calm and curious.

We went into my parents house and Louie was asleep on Poncho's old dog bed. That dog bed has not moved since Poncho passed away a few weeks short of a year ago. Louie got up sleepily to come and greet us and it wasn't long before his nostrils were flapping like butterfly wings! Louie also, was calm. He did not bark, jump or run. Snorp, Louie and the new addition sniffed and mingled like three gentlemen. I was very proud.

The only thing a bit off was Louie and his uncontrollable drooling. I think he was just hungry for puppy! Pure, unfiltered, unprocessed, fresh organic puppy meat. mmm. The puppy was awash in Louie spit and he didn't seem to mind. Instead of puppy smell he stinks like bad Louie breath.

So they named him Budde.

Inspector Snorp Meets the Pup

It's official. My mom went to the store and bought him a collar with a name tag and everything. That's what we kept calling him anyway. "Hey buddy, come here buddy. Good boy." It's stuck. He's officially Budde P. Swift. The 'P' stand for Poncho, that's nice. In memory of. We loved that dog. So watch out world, here is Budde!

Budde follows the other dogs so well. He comes to you when you call him. All good signs. He is even starting to get out of the way when Louie is coming for him. It only took Louie tripping over him twice before he started to get it. I can't wait to get to know him better and write about his interaction with Blind Louie. Yet another chapter begins.