I was "smoking the good crack" in July, apparently. I belong to an email list, and a family advertised that they had 2 puppies to give to good homes, and I suggested that we go look at them when Robert got back from scout camp. We came home with a puppy. And I said we'd NEVER have a puppy again--never say never!
This is Chewbaca the first day, we think he was about 3 lbs.
Meet Chewbaca, the newest member of our family. He's a chorkie pug--chihuahua, yorkie, and pug. I decided that he should be called "Chewbaca" because of the noise he made when we were fetching him from under the sofa where he was hiding. He made a noise that sounded like Chewbaca from Star Wars.
Chewbaca is getting bigger!! Just a month later, and he's about doubled in size.
This is Chewbaca's FAVORITE toy, Blue Dog.
Yes, I bought him a shirt.
No, he doesn't like the shirt--he's trying to take it off!
Life with a puppy is HARD WORK--I'd forgotten just how hard. The timing was good though, because the kids were out of school and could help. They are totally in charge of all of the yucky jobs associated with having a pet. We had the summer to adjust to the change and learn how to care for a puppy again. Toph took to it like a duck to water, but Hannah is a little bit afraid of the puppy. After all, he has teeth. And they're SHARP. And there's a reason we call him "Chewy."
Not such a big fan of the bath.
Still NOT a big fan of the bath.
We've had our first accident too. Last week, we learned that puppy vs. elliptical doesn't end well. Hannah was playing on the elliptical, and Chewbaca ran in front of it and got tangled up in the arm bars. I've never heard such a horrible sound! Of course, this happened after hours at the vet's. I called the vet ER, and was instructed to watch him for half an hour, see if I feel any broken bones, and see if he'll eat or drink. Well, he wouldn't eat or drink, he kind of limped, even though I didn't feel any broken bones, and when I picked him up, he screamed again. NOT GOOD! We made a visit to the doggy ER, and after x-rays we discovered that our little dog had 3 broken ribs!
The broken ribs are the last 3 on the right side.
Luckily puppies heal quickly--half the time of an adult dog. We have LOTS of medicine for Chewbaca too. He's got an anti-inflammatory, a stomach pill, and a narcotic pain reliever. The blue medicine (narcotic) helps keep him calm and sedate, and it helped with the initial pain. We can always tell when it's wearing off, because he starts running and jumping like a normal puppy. Although he seemed to hurt for a few days, he's not acting any different now!
It's still a lot of work to have a puppy. Because we haven't been here long enough to know what happened on the property the past 7 years, we haven't let the dog outside yet. We lost a dog to Parvo a long time ago and have no desire to do that again, so until he's fully vaccinated, he'll be a completely inside dog. Due to that, he's been paper trained. He manages to do his potty business on the potty pads, but the poo gets deposited NEXT TO the potty pads almost always (or behind my chair in the living room). Luckily, I'm not in charge of that clean up (unless the kids are in school). I will say that my Hoover FloorMate and I have developed quite a relationship. I'm SOOOOOOO glad we bought it! My floors have never been so clean and dirty all in the same day. I probably use it every other day--which is a change from 3-5 times/day in the beginning.
We love Chewbaca though--even though he's a lot of work. He's a very smart and good boy. He LOVES everybody--and is anxious to "prove" his love to all who visit our home. I will be very happy when we get him fixed, and I'm REALLY hoping that solves his desire to "special hug" everyone who comes over.
Chewbaca is also known as Houdini. His "room" is the laundry room, and that's where he stays at night and when we're gone. We have a baby gate to keep him in there, but Houdini can now jump on the gate. I fixed it by wiring flexible cutting mats to the top, but that has not deterred him. Currently we have a metal sheet clamped to the gate to keep him within the laundry room. We do have a crate for Chewbaca, and we've used it often, but if we're going to be gone for several hours, I like him to have access to his food, water, and potty pads. I'm looking forward to the time when Houdini will know the "rules" well enough to be left run of the house. It's around the corner, but we're not there just yet.
So, although I was "smoking the good crack" when we got Chewbaca, I don't really regret it. He's a great addition to our family, and the kids want to know when we're getting him a brother or sister. I DO firmly agree that if you're going to have one dog, two is better (built-in friend). I'm not quite ready for that yet. We'll wait until Chewbaca's ribs are healed and he's been fixed, and then we'll start looking for a companion. Maybe after Christmas. But I'd REALLY like an older, house trained dog this time! :-)
Chewbaca likes to play fetch.
Here is "Pig," the first toy we bought for Chewbaca. He sleeps with Pig.
Yes, the frisbee is almost bigger than Chewbaca, but he doesn't let that stop him!
ONE HAPPY PUPPY!!!
