The boys love their Christmas present

Merry Christmas!

Couldn't decide which one was cuter.

Finally better

I haven't posted this last week+.
Bella has continued to be sick. First she had giardia and then she had reactions [side effects] to the medications she was taking for the cure.
Luckily, all of that is behind us now and she is finally on the mend.
Today I had her groomed and before the fluffiness goes away I took some pictures so that I would have her official Christmas portrait.
Here's one that didn't make the cut.
She still looks cute.

Giardia

Bella has been sick again but we think we have her illness solved.
After many tests it turns out she has Giardia.
How she got it we may never know but the medication is working and she is on the mend.
Poor little girl.

Seven months old today

Love is...

I spent the last few days visiting family in New York. Came home yesterday and was happy to sleep in my own bed surrounded by the kitties.
Woke up in the middle of the night to find all three orange cats sleeping next to me and touching me.
It's so good to feel loved by them.
Guess I was missed.

Thankful for being blessed with this little bundle of love

Puppy dreams

What do puppies dream about? What happens in their little lives that they relive at night?
Bella sleeps in a crate at night. It's in the bedroom on my side of the bed so I get a front row seat to watch her when she sleeps.
The other night I took her out in the yard for her last potty break before we settled in for the night. There is a dog living in the house catty-corner to my house. I have never seen him but he sounds big. And he doesn't like Bella. Every time they are both out in their yards, he barks at her. This particular night he was barking very aggressively and actually growling. Bella was upset. I could see it in her posture.
But then the incident was over. The dog was scolded and we went inside.
That night I watched as Bella dreamed. Her little paws twitched. Her mouth wiggled. And then she started barking.
I'm sure she was being brave and telling that dog off in her dream, something she didn't do when she was awake.
So I guess dreams do the same thing for dogs that they do for humans - they help us resolve issues and we become what we wish we were in our waking life - brave and strong and solving all problems.

No more playpen

I took the playpen down yesterday.
Bella loves the new freedom.
The cats - not so much.

Six months old

Where did my little puppy go?

Poor Bella

Bella has been sick the past couple of days.

It's so hard to see her looking so sad and not knowing how to help her.
Luckily she seems to have turned a corner and is better today.
She had baked chicken breast this morning and she decided she LOVES it.
Not so crazy about the canned pumpkin and it doesn't work well on a white dog. :)

Dona Nobis Pacem - Give Us Peace

Today is Blogging for Peace Day.
Peace.
Pass it on.

Halloween costume Take 2

It's supposed to be a Tigger costume with a Tigger head on top of hers like a hat.
But she wouldn't stay still and she kept chasing the Tigger tail.
So instead it looks like something out of Alien with a grotesque Tigger growing out of her neck.
I officially give up.

Tried dressing the puppy for halloween

This may take some work.

My big fluff ball

Bella was groomed yesterday. She looks so pretty and it made her look even bigger. Out of curiosity I weighed her last night.
No wonder - she weighs 38 pounds!!!
She's not my little puppy any more. :>(

Some night visitors

A herd of javelina came by the other night to eat the bird block I had left out on the front lawn for the quail and friends. What a lot of noise and carrying on!
Now I bring the block in every evening.
I took this through the front window. I wasn't about to get any closer!

Riley likes Bella's crate

I keep finding him in her crate.
Silly boy.

5 months old today!

Little girl is growing up

Bella is teething big time. Most of her teeth are new adult teeth in various stages of maturity.
She is now potty-trained and is able to tell me when she has to go outside. Today she went to the back kitchen door all on her own and got my attention either by barking or ringing the bells I hung there for her to use.
And today she graduated to her "big girl" bed - a new crate. Her old one was way too small. She couldn't even sit up all the way in it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Nothing like a lazy afternoon resting in a warm sun puddle.

Chaz

Bella's big outing

I took Bella to the office of a friend this week for a visit. I was a little nervous. It was her first big outing other than going to the groomer and puppy classes here in town [if you don't count her trip to the ER which I would rather forget].
She did very well and she was a hit.

Whose desk is it anyway?

Mom spent a bunch on me today at Petco

4 months old today

Bird watching

Years ago, John built an extension onto the windowsill in my office so the cats could relax and enjoy the view. There is a bird feeder outside the window and I also put out large blocks of seeds too. We get lots of birds visiting, mostly quail and doves but also woodpeckers, wrens and others. In any case, it's heaven if you are a cat. And I enjoy watching them myself. The bird chatter is very comforting. And quail noise is a hoot.
Anyway, Sean seems to enjoy watching the birds the most but the others join in from time to time.

Sean intently watching a woodpecker that came so close. I bet he thought he could taste it.

Birdwatching can be tiring.

Bella's vet visit yesterday

Bella had her last round of puppy shots yesterday and passed her exam with flying colors.

She just has to have her rabies shot now and that's due in November. She turns 4 months next week.

She now weighs 28 pounds and has two grown up teeth and has lost two other baby teeth that haven't come in yet.

How did she get so grown up?

 

First "big girl" grooming session

The groomer said Bella did very well today.
I couldn't believe my eyes. She looks so grown up.

Chaz was glad to see his friend back home.

Bella the neat freak

Bella gathered all of her toys in a neat pile in the middle of her play pen all by herself.

Growing up too fast

Bella today

15 weeks

Just a few weeks ago

7 weeks

She's not a baby any more.

First "big girl" bath

Bella is too big for the sink now so I bathed her out on the deck like John and I used to do with Toby & Jessie.
She did pretty well.

After being towel dried, she was already half-way dry. Her fur is amazing.

Bella's first day of school

Well, we finally attended our first day of puppy school yesterday.
Bella did well and she loved it.
But it was touch and go at first.  She did not want to leave the house so I had to carry her to my van. Then she didn't want to get into the carrier. That took some persuading. But she was very good on the ride over.
But then she didn't want to get out of the carrier. That was a small struggle. I had given up on the boots I had bought her before we left the house but I was able to find a spot right next to the sidewalk so she didn't have to walk on the hot macadam. I placed her on the sidewalk but she wouldn't walk. This was all new territory to her and she was having none of it. After some persuading, she took her first tentative steps toward the store and then as she gained confidence she walked right up to Petco.
Unfortunately, the automatic doors threw her for a loop.
I'm sure she wondered why on earth the walls moved!
But we managed to get through and then she felt better. She walked right up to the area that was sectioned off for our class and seemed to relax. As the other dogs arrived, she was quite friendly and warmed up to them.
In our first class we learned "Look at me", how to walk on a leash, and "Come". Bella did well and enjoyed the socialization time afterwards too.We have homework to do, lots of practice and we are looking forward to going back next week.
I didn't get any pictures during class but here is my little school girl all tired out at home after class.

Dog in Boots

I bought Bella boots to wear to go from the car to puppy school tomorrow and I thought we should practice today. Not sure this is going to work but we'll give it a try. She's more interested in taking them off.
And she weighed 20 pounds today. No wonder my back hurts.

Three months old

Bella is 3 months old today. She had a completely potty-trained day yesterday - first one with NO accidents. A milestone. She is on her way to outgrowing her second collar.
She gets her last round of puppy shots tomorrow and gets weighed again. Taking bets on her weight - I think she is up to 20 pounds, judging from my aching back.

Riley putting manners on Bella

Encounters of the sharp kind

Sean is still a little boy

And he loves to be cared for. He loves it when Riley grooms him and will actually go up to Riley, snuggle, and put his head right underneath Riley's nose, asking to be cared for.

Chaz hasn't quite mastered the art of hiding

Miss Piglet

Dr. Tom saw Bella yesterday for her next puppy visit. She got her next round of shots and was weighed. I thought she would be about 12 pounds because I knew she had grown. She was taller and heavier.
I was wrong.
She weighed 16 pounds!
Dr. Tom said she is right on schedule and doing great.

First bath

I just gave Bella her first full bath.

She did pretty well considering.

I'm a little wet but I'll dry.

Good thing I bathed her. I found a small lump on her head last night and thought it was a scab - maybe from a cat.

Turns out it was a bug!

Once she was all wet it was easier to see.

Might be a tick. I don't know what they look like so I saved it after I got it off her. Damn thing wouldn't let go of her and she wouldn't stay still either.

I'll show it to Dr Tom tomorrow.

I wonder if she'll have to be tested for Lyme Disease in a few weeks.

She is turning into a high maintenance girl.

Sorry about the light flash in the corner.

Don't know what did that.