1. They're puppies, sisters, and they love to tussle and chase each other -- particularly outside. Which is good. They burn off lots of energy, and have healthy exercise.
Notice condition of garden pp (as in "post-puppy")The solution? Set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes, and make sure they come in every 15 minutes. First, they head to the basement -- the coolest part of the house. Then, they each have a big drink.
After that, flop down on the basement floor (cement covered with vinyl).
But that bring us to the second problem.
2. While the pups like to lie on the cold basement floor and snooze, they do so right in the main passage through the basement. Which substantially increases their chances of being stepped on or tripped over. And if that happens, they tend to complain fairly loudly. Even though they are, in part, "the authors of their own misfortune" (or something like that -- the lawyers among us will have the correct expression). But try explaining that concept to three-month-old puppies.
3. Then there's the garden (as seen above). We did our fall cleanup early this year. Truth be told, there wasn't much to clean up, as the puppies had flattened almost everything. Fortunately, most of it should come back this year.
That however could be a problem. Momma bear was checking on some things, and found that many of the plants we love are poisonous to our puppies! So, what to do? Should we go to container gardening (as friend "Pondside" has shown in her blog http://pondside1741.blogspot.com/2009/09/contained.html )? Should we put everything into grass? At least we have the winter to think about it.
In the meantime, I'm sure we'll find other ways in which we have to protect the puppies from themselves.
13 comments:
They are so gorgeous, even if they are rascals. :D
® Natalie: They keep us amused, and busy!
I wish that everyone who has dogs - or any pets really - were either like your household our ours. Especially some of our local people here in France. I won't tell you the horror stories from round here - one of our dogs could tell about it if she could speak.
I love hearing about your girls - carry on posting :)
As for your weather. We're quite smug here that it is a warm late summer/ early autumn with 62 degrees.
Hello Nuala and Sadie.
We hope you are training the boss and his wife in how to run things to your best advantage. We're glad to see that it is going according to plan so far - you just need to work out how to get lots of extra treats. You need to get a hungry look on your face when the humans are eating - especially when it is either bananas, apples or cheese.
Love from the French Fancy bichons
I really do sympathise with you. We had our last two little darlings while we were fitting a new kitchen and being very little they loved to hide under the units before the kick boards were put on. It's a wonder we didnt build them in! Think you just have to be sensible about it all and remover the obvious dangerous bits and, like children, they just have to learn about the rest :-) A x
Those darling Pups are lucky to have the caring Bear to look out for them, they are growing bigger by the minute, soon they will not be Pups at all.!
Can understand your concern about the hot weather Rob-bear for Sadie and Nuala, this is one of my concerns with Daisy when I take her on a walk in the summer months, I always take a back-pack with me of little dish and bottle of cold water. If it is hot we don't walk far, just enough to get to the nearby church from our cottage. Then Daisy and I sit on the bench for a drink and make our way home again.
I hear dreadful stories of dogs being locked in cars, without their owners having any thought that their pets will get dehydrated and possibly die.
Soon pups will get out of the habit of eating the plants in your garden, even so can understand your concern with some of the plants may be poisonous. Good idea about the pots of plants instead, but just in case the pups jump up and eat these too, perhaps good idea to turn back to grass.
Nuala and Sadie are gorgeous.
Today is our first anniversary of Remus coming to live with us (Remus is a cavoodle - miniature poodle and cavalier spaniel mix).
When he had been here a few weeks he ate daffodil bulbs - we ended up at the emergency vets at 2am.
Poisonous plants ARE scary.
We haven't had any problems since though (and his favourite 'chew' is Wisteria.) My son's golden retriever (same age) and which we 'puppy-sit' once or twice a week also loves to eat Wisteria. Must taste good.
My, you are having fun with your pups. Rufus was 4months old we we got him so he was over the worst - I think. He is housetrained now - most of the time. But he has wrecked some of the garden and chewed things he shouldn't.
But, over the years I have had 6 dogs and I have never had any trouble with them eating plants in the garden. What kind of things do you have growing that might cause trouble?
® FF: If we're going to have animals, we need to care for them responsibly. Anything less would be unethical.
® Poppy and Misty: Puppies get to sleep on the floor when humans are eating. No, they don't get treats off the table: that just encourages what we call "bad behaviour." But they get lots of treats, including dog biscuits and doggie meat treats, and carrots (especially when I'm working in the kitchen). And sticking their pills in cheese works well. I'll remember apples and celery -- we eat lots of those, and are happy to share.
® Wipso: Thanks for the encouragement. Grandchildren and puppies are starting to get accustomed, thought usually only one puppy at a time.
® Camilla: Glad you take such good care of Daisy. I used to carry a folding cup in my pocket when we had Sarah (our last SP). There was a fountain part way on our regular walk; we would stop for Saraha to have a drink. Still thinking about plants.
® Sumarell: Thanks for the note about daffodils. Fortunately we don't have any, but we do have iris,lilies, and lupins. Pups also like to eat our evergreen trees (with no ill effect, at least to the pups).
® Rose: We're still checking on problems. We have some Lilly of the Valley, which I know is quite dangerous; I also think lupins are a problem (and I really love them). Puppies have been eating our rose bushes, with no problems for them.
It sounds like your adorable puppies are giving you a lot of extra work. At least poodles don't shed, but then they're expensive to groom, unless you do it yourselves. Do they try to eat poisonous plants? I thought dogs knew instinctively.
® Sonia: These are puppies, they'll try anything. Including tar paper that came off the roof during repairs after last year's fire at our home. Something made them really sick in the fist week they were with us, so we're really careful.
Containers for flowers...grass for the rest...Pups must come first...especially when they are such lovely ones...they have stolen my heart...I love your post...and yes, they are the "authors of their own misfortune"...very clever, Rob!!! Hugs, Janine
® Janine: Sorry to be slow in replying. Momma bear and I have been doing a lot of thinking about a "container garden" in the back for flowers. We're thinking of digging up part of the front yard for a vegetable garden. To be continued . . .
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