Free Bird

For the past few days I have been introducing a collar to Sona.  It is loose, loose enough, that she can slip out of it if she starts to panic with it on.  She really isn't to overly fond of the raspberry colored collar that I picked out for her.  Instead about every ten minutes that it is on, she spends with her tiny rear end on the ground and scratching her neck.  Cute, funny, and yet understandably sad all at the same time.  The collar marks the end of her baby period and marks the beginning of her kindergarten period.

Sonata in Collar, 9 wks, and Quick

Today I decided to introduce the  leash as well to our little preschooler.  I let her chew on the leash, and tug it.  I let her taste it and play with it.  I then took it off, and gave her treats.  Then after a short walk around to the backyard I once more put the leash on her.  I gave her a treat again, only this time, instead of sitting there letting her try to chew on the leash I took five steps with it.  Puppy melt down!  Puppy Panic! Sona ended up slipping the collar after about three minutes on the leash.  I let her.  I don't want her to be scared of the lead, I want her to feel that she has some power over it.  For now I just want it to be fun.  There is no point in trying to teach her something that she doesn't need to start learning until next week.  Right now, just introducing all the new hardware should be fun and games.

We have also been working on the "Go Kennel," command, along with "Sit."  Neither of these two commands is really making to much sense to her right now, but she is starting to follow through on the sit command.  Of course it could just be the Bil-Jac treats as well!

**Had to go back and re-age some of the pictures on Sona, she and her litter mates were whelped on June 2, 2010.  This last Wednesday would have marked her ninth week.
***About the photos:  These are all taken on my HTC Hero Mobil Phone.  It has a 6 Pixel camrea on it, and a shutter speed that is slow as all get out!  I do apologize in advance if some of the pictures are blurry, or slightly fuzzy.

Did I Get a Puppy or a Mule?

I fear that Sonata has discovered that acting deaf will let her get to do what she wants that much longer, whether it is bouncing off the hostas, chasing the cats, or even running around the house out of my line of vision (because after all, we walk it every few hours, and now I KNOW this Mom), and that a sudden noise is just that, a curious, sudden, noise. Stubborn.  This girl is going to be stubborn once she learns to fully dig in her heels.

Sonata, 9 wks, Running up Steps

Serenade has her moments, where she has even learned to slip her lead and taken off running, or even just to literally dig in her heels, but this pup is telling me that she is not only uber smart, she is STUBBORN.  Example:  Earlier today as we were walking around the perimiter of the house (so she knows where home is), I got into the middle of the backyard and I sat down in the long grass, because Sona seems fascinated by it.  She usually leaps and jumps and spins, while trying to chew individual blades.  Instead, this time, when I sat down she took one look at me, huffed once, and turned and took off like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels.  She reached the side of the house, stopped, looked at me, then ignoring my calls took off around the corner of the house.  I waited for oh, about thirty seconds to see if she would come zipping back.  Nothing.  Calling her name, I went jogging around the house looking for her.  There on the front porch sat a very pleased pup, waiting at the front door.  It was what we did every time I took for a walk around the house, we would end up going in the front.  Apparently she had decided it was to hot out to stay out and play.  The dog isn't an idiot, she knows that it is cooler inside.  However she has also learned that she can be independent of me, and ignore me when I call.  Stubborn.

I am still waiting for a call back on the puppy classes (they need four puppies to sign up before they will start a class), so that I can start getting her socialized once she hits ten weeks of age.  I want to make sure that she doesn't turn out to be a shy dog like Sere.  We took Sere out and about and socialized her, but once she got sick she didn't want anything to do with strangers. 

In the mean time our little hellion is sleeping beside me, on my left hand side.  Her first nap in the house OUTSIDE of her kennel.  Her paws are twitching as she chases after...well probably Grey.  She is a chaser, already showing avid interest in cars.  I managed to break Sere of that habit, looks like I will have to do the same with this one.

Puppy Piddle

Well, today Sonata has tried to flood the house.  Four times she has piddled on the carpet, even though I have taken her out at least once every hour, if not twice.  I hope she is getting used to the sound of the carpet cleaner.  Even Sere dosen't react to it when I pull it out.  Well, in react, I mean run for the nearest piece of furniture that will get her off the ground.

I think I am going to have to review some of the housebreaking rules for puppies.  I keep telling her, 'Outside' when I take her out, and make sure that the bell rings.  When she squats I say,  "Go Potty!! Good Girl Sonata!  Go Potty," and then give her a good body rub when she is done and comes bounding to me.

I Didn't do it! (Well, Actually...Now That I Think About it...)

Bounding.  The dog has springs in her heels, and wants to see and taste everything all at once.  She gets so excited sometimes she leaps in the air and does a full circle, then upon landing looks around with a huge puppy grin, and takes off.  She is full of energy!

I make sure that after I have fed her that she is kept in the kennel for a full hour so that she can digest her meal.  Berners are susceptible to bloat, which means if the stomach is full and they do something energetic, the stomach can flip and twist on itself, which causes the blood supply to get cut off (among other nasty things), which in turn ends up being a medical emergency if you don't get the dog into the vet in  time.  Actually it will kill them if you don't get them into the vet in time.   Therefore, she is kept in the kennel for an hour, then taken out to go potty.  She usually eats then collapses anyhow, so it all works out.

We Have a Puppy!!

Success!! Sonata has passed all her health checks, including a fecal to check for heart worms, she is now going to be part of the family for as long as she lives!  This was my main worry, that she would end up being sick.  Instead her bright eyes are going to be sticking around.  Dr. B said if I hadn't told him her parents history that he would have thought she came from a good breeder.

Puppy Spill Out!  Sonata 8wks

I was stumped at how to get her to the vet, so I dug out the large cat carrier.  She fit in it, barely.  Her head kept banging the top of it.  She did NOT like being in there.  Not that I can blame her.  I think this is the last week that she will be able to fit in there.  I don't have another way to carry her after this.  Dunno what I am going to do two weeks from now when I have to take her back to get her dew claws removed.  Poor thing.  She is going to have all four of them removed.  I could have just had the back done, but if I am going to have her doing Rally I would like for her to have them all gone, and the whole operation over with before she gets to large.

I told Dr. B that I would get her spayed if she turns out to be a dumb dog, but so far she is only showing smarts.  She has already figured out that she does not get out of the kennel unless her butt AND paws are on the ground and she waits.  None of this barking and yelping crap, that will get a gate thrown open into my face.

**Forgot to add that at her weigh in Sona weighed 12.5lbs

Howling Berner

Well.   No rest for either of us.  If the puppy does not need out, then Sere does.  It is enough to make the head hurt. 

Last night wasn't all that bad.  Sonata slept through most of it.  She may have had one accident, since the rug was wet when I went to go take her out in the morning, but then again, she is just like Sere in the regards that the nose leaks.  Not really sure if it was one end or the other that made the wet spot.

She still is not to overly fond of the kennel, instead she prefers to hide under the futon when it is time for naps.  That isn't to bad, but when I am playing World of Warcraft, I can't keep a constant eye on her.  I find myself getting panicky if I can't see her.  I suppose Sere instilled that trait into both of us, because I have noticed Thomas constantly looking for her as well.

I am going to have to look up how often I need to feed Sona, so far I have fed her once at 6am, and again at noon.  Of course, when I feed her, I have to feed Sere, and that is going to be a problem, considering that Sere tends to, er, pork up if she is given a chance to.  I will have to give her small amounts of food through out the day I suppose.

Sonata, 8 weeks

Sonata has such a bright personality, and constant puppy grin.  I hope she holds onto that attitude when she hits adolescence.  However there is one trait that is making the both of us laugh.  Whenever she wants want out of the kennel, you learn that her step brothers and sisters were hounds.  Basset hounds to be exact.  She will throw her head back and HOWL.  Really it is hilarious to watch, and to listen to.  She is a sweetie!

This Just In...

Quick, Currently, The Unhappy Cat

Sere is still trying to figure out what this bundle of fur and whines is exactly.  Earlier when I went to go take the puppy out of the kennel I knelt in front of the door waiting for her to calm down and go quiet for a moment so that I could open it, and teach her that begging for it to be opened didn't work.  Sere came up beside me and looked at the pup jumping and barking in the kennel and let out a growl that literally sounded like a, "SILENCE," and got immediate compliance!

Ah, maybe things will work well after all.  We really would like Sere to teach her the beginnings of manners.

The cats are all acting in their own way.  Ivan, our old seven year old male, simply meets her nose, and walks past her (or waits for her to walk past).  Grey, the cat I thought we would have the most problem with simply stares at her and keeps just out of reach of her.  She has hissed at her twice, but more just a, "Don't tangle with me, and we will get along," type of message.  The one who is having the hardest time is our tabby, Quick.  Quick is usually more of an indoor cat then outdoor.  If there is a mouse in the house she will find it, and bring it around to show it off.  Since the Sona has come into the house, Quick has gone well...catty.  She creeps in and out the door, demands to be let out (which we don't let the cats out once dusk hits, so she is NOT a happy camper there), and generally has been walking around for the past few hours with a fluffed tail.  She also has been growling and hissing the whole time.  It appears she is the one we are going to have to watch, to ensure that the puppy has a nice safe nose (until she decides to do the brat nose that gets her the deserved swipe).