Mmm Pork!

Nothing much is new today, my human had to clean the carpets so I spent all day bringing in sticks to rub all over the carpet. That yucky fabeeezee stuffs they wash the carpets with smells awful. Who in their right mind thinks that 'seabreeeeze' smells good. I'd rather smell grass, sticks, and dirt anyday! Silly humans. It's not like their noses are two inches from this god awful stench. Today we tried a change to my foods. I normally get chicken with my Honest Kitchen Preference, but today the humans took out pork for dinners so mommy made me some this morning to try with my THK, oh my gosh that stuff is amazing! She made it with a little bit of butter too! I gobbled it down, I ate almost a days portion (of what I normally eat) in one meal! It was that good my furiends, tell your humans to let you nibble some pork, I know not many kibbles are made with pork, or treats for that matter, but my human does home-cooked so I get lots of variety!

Mmmm pork with my Honest Kitchen Preference. I ate it without parmesan cheese even! That's unheard of.

Snuggling up in mommy's lap ready for a nap now that I've eaten way more than my usual lunch. Today has been pretty boring aside from the pork, I slept most of the day. I woke up and the small human gave me my bullystick, I don't know if that pork woke something up in me or what but these bullysticks suddenly became great tasting too, I think my taster buds are working in overdrive since tasting that pork today. I nommed on that bullystick till I fell asleep with it in my mouth, I even dreamed of chasing bullysticks! Anyways that's all for today, we're busy cleaning the house. The human said she might have a surprise so I have to clean the house, but she won't tell me what it is. She's awfully mean sometimes.

I fell asleep on top of my bullystick, mean mommy moved it.

So when I woke up the first thing I did was search for my bullystick. Oh, there it is. Why yes it does have grass on it, for added taste. Some humans add this thing called salt, I prefer grass, sometimes dirt works too.

Waggin Tails

Well the humans brought me to the dog park to meetup with other Bostons like me yesterday. It was a forever drive in that moving metal box they call a car. Seemed like it was never going to end, then finally it stopped, and they got food to tease me with. Onwards we went to the Dog Park they said. That's what they called it. Isn't the world a dog park? Shrug. I'll never get them. Eventually we arrived and I knew instantly why they called it a dog park, it was full of dog smells, more so than the rest of the dog park they call the world. There was puppies and dogs EVERYWHERE! I didn't know which one to greet first or what tree to sniff first I was so overwhelmed I ran in circles around my humans to make sure they were alright before I began exploring. There was a bunch of other dogs that look like me, mommy called them Bostons, I'm pretty sure in the dog world we just call them dogs. I must have met six or seven other dogs that looked a lot like me and many other small dogs my size that didn't look like me at all! I had so much fun, I got so many pets, and random people kept telling my humans how pretty I was and how small I was. They we're all really nice and mommy said I had good manners-really good so we can come back again soon. I'm so excited to come back and meet more puppies my size. After most of the doggies that looked like me left we did a lap around the small dog area, it's so big! The humans said the fence is really secure so they feel safe letting me explore. I followed my mommy at her heels the whole time! She said she was surprise with all the freedom that I still followed like a big girl, I know where my food comes from, I'm not getting lost in a strange dog park! That's for sure. Here are some pictures mommy snapped with her cell phone, she didn't want to bring the big camera till she knew what the weather conditions were going to be like.

First sniffs.

I protect the humans at all cost! I was circling everyone and making sure none of those strange dogs were going to hurt my humans before I explored.

This is Tilly, I think, she's only two weeks older than me! We really got a long well. We sniffed and barked, we even played like puppies together.

None of the Bostons wanted to drink from the water bowl, every other different looking dog did, then one came up and peed in it, mommy frowned and dumped it out before any Bostons even drank from it, we all wanted to drink from the cool cup thing that dripped from a bottle this man brought, it was so neat I told mommy we need one. All in all we had a great time, the humans said it's good for my socialization and that the vet said I need lots of it so I can work on my alpha issues, whatever that means! I can't wait to go back, thanks for reading! - Gia

So Much Action

Well yesterday the human guy R fixed most of the fence so I can't escape. I've never ventured close to the fence yet, but they said there was wild animals where we live and that they don't want me wondering. Pffftt I'm the only wild animal here! Hear me roar. Yesterday the humans stayed outside and played with me and they turned all red and stuffs, silly humans that's why I stayed in the shade, I'm a smart puppy! So now that the fence is fixed and I have my puppy shots we're heading out to the dog park, I'm so excited! The humans say there will be other Boston Terriers from our meetup group that the human joined plus lots of other dogs. The woman said we would have to stay in the small dog area since I'm not very good at recall or verbal commands, my tiny attention span just doesn't allow for that yet! I do come when called but the human said she can't trust me yet, I'll show her how good I am today when we go to the dog park. Anyways here are some pictures from yesterday and last night. I was so tired from all the playing in the backyard that the humans kept snapping pictures of me when I was sleeping, they said I was snoring with my eyes open, yeah right!

They say my nose has kissy spots, silly humans those are freckles!

Early Morning Baking

It's not so bright here dis morning! My momo said we was going to practice walking on da leash in the backyard but it's looking like the sky might cry. Momo said we'll have to practice inside if it does. I got a new bed, momo put a blanket under the chair I likes so much. She said she loves me so much I can have her old pillow and comforter for my very own bed till we find a bed I like. I don't like the beds momo bought for me, they just don't suit my fancy, I much prefer the lumpy comforter and pillow she gave me. I can smell good stuffs in the kitchen, I think she's making me hot dogs she said, I don't want to eat a sister or a brother! Oh dear that's mean, I swear this woman is crazy! I confess they do smell good, I keep going over to the stove and putting my sniffer up wondering why she wants to fry doggies up! This lady is crazy if she thinks she can fool me, those ain't no doggies! She said they are for training, I'm good at all sorts of thing, like sleeping, and well, sleeping, oh and kisses, I do those really good! Maybe I can gets some of those smellies in the over if I give her lots of kisses and sleeps lots in the sun?! Guess we'll see! Yesterday we went for a walk, whatever that is. I honestly had no clue what momo was asking of me. I just sat down and stared at her like she was nuts. We went to a Birfday party, lots of people said I was a pretty girl, some of the guys even got all mushy and wanted to keeps me, I told them no and went back to my momo the minute they put me down! There was so many little people like the one we have at home, momo calls her my sister Demi, I had lots of fun they all petted me even the wittle wittle one. She was nice and wasn't rough with me, I liked following her around, she must of got new feet cause she was clumsy and fell lots. That's all for nows, I smell good stuffs in the oven I gotta go police and taste test ;) Gi Gi Gia.

I Got A Pocket Full Of Sunshine

It's a wonderful morning in my house! De sun is shining and everyone is happy. Momo said she has to go to a Birthday Party today and that I have to stay home alone in my kennel, what she talkin about?! Mean momo you can't leave me here alone! That's animal abuse don't cha know? I fell asleeps in de bed last night with momo, I'm not suppose to be der, Daddy caught us when he came home from work, I gotta be a good girl and sleep in my kennel he says, but momo said I can snuggle her anytime as long as I sleeps in de kennel at nights. My new foods is delecious, I never knew dis new stuff dey call stinky cheese can be so goods! You should ask your momo or daddy for somes too, you'll love it! Momo said it's really called parmezan cheeze and dat it's human stuffs. If momo can eat it, so I can I right? I seen her sneaking a bite of my foods. She said de websites say she should try everything I eat so she ates my foods yesterday-just a bite, I guess I can share a wittle bit. Here diz some pictures of me over de last few days. Momo loves taking my picture she says I pose pretty for herz.

Week One & A Half

April 17th marked the addition to our family.  A small four pound, eight week old, Boston Terrier puppy had traveled from Tulsa to Denver to become part of our family.  We picked up our cuddly little girl that afternoon and have been so grateful for the amazing joy she has brought to our life.  We quickly settled on a name, Gia, and she would be quite the Diva like the supermodel she was named after.

Gia has been with us a whole week and a half nearly ten days to be exact.  In that time we have learned so much from the abundance of information the internet and the people online that we decided to compile everything going on in one place.

Gia developed some behavior issues on day three of being with us, she started to growl.  I felt like it wasn't an aggressive growl and started to search for information on young puppies growling when being in a person's lap and being adjusted with movement.  The information I found online has been plenty but nothing seemed consistent.  We we're in information overload and we we're starting to feel helpless.  So many people recommended a behaviorist but we simply couldn't afford the travel fees included on top of the price we we're given, living over an hour from any major big city with those services was such a great disadvantage for us.  We searched high and low for one in our area and decided if we wanted to get this resolved now, we would have to do it on our own.  So my research began at the vet.  Our vet ruled out medical issues and suggested that it was an alpha puppy behavior and not aggression.  We were given tips on how to curb her growling (but not prevent it!) and it's been working miracles for us.  Gia officially is minimally growling when being handled in only a few short days since trying these new methods given to us by our vet.

Over the last ten days Gia has been here we have weaned off the kibble she came on and onto a higher quality kibble and eventually onto The Honest Kitchen (THK) Preference diet.  THK is a dehydrated 100% human grade dog diet that you add water to.  THK Preference is a base diet that requires you to add your own meat as well as hydrate with water.  Gia wasn't enthusiastic about this food at all.  I was set on trying everything under the sun, more water, less water, more dry mix, less mix, soak longer, sprinkle with chicken on the top, I was exhausted at trying to get her to eat and quite frankly, I was worried.  She barely touched the stuff unless I sprinkled chicken on the top and even so, she wasn't eating enough for me to feel comfortable.  We went back to the high quality kibble and I e-mailed the company in hopes of finding something that worked for my little picky diva, Gia.  The representative, also a Boston Terrier mommy, suggested Parmesan cheese (I always called it stinky cheese!) or adding broth instead of water.  After I felt Gia had ate enough kibble (over the course of a few days) for me to be ready for her rejection of the THK again, I was ready to be as stubborn as her if she choose to reject it again.  Our first meal with Parmesan cheese was a total success!  I wasn't ready for her to eat so enthusiastically, I was quite shocked at the change in her behavior when eating the same stuff (minus the Parmesan cheese) as before, that she rejected time and time again.

This blog will be a compilation of our clicker training, positive re-enforcement training, holistic ways, and adventures.