No Dog Parks Yet

Well unfortunately somehow we missed Bruiser’s 12 week shots. The vet says it is because Bruiser had some shots very early on in his life and so his shot schedule is a bit odd. She was going to give him his booster and rabies tonight but then said the rabies works better after a puppy is 16 weeks and better when given on it’s own. So no dog park for Bruiser this weekend.

She also clipped his nails, noticed that his two front canine teeth are chipped (the dog chews on anything and everything so I couldn’t name what chew did it) and got me to put him on Sentinel June 1st, which is flea control and heartworm meds in one.

Bruiser has doubled in weight (I need new photos and videos) and pooped in her office twice…uggh!

Bruiser will be 4 months (16 weeks) old this week, wow! We have a vet appointment tonight and I think he gets his rabies tonight and other shots that will allow him to go to dog parks :) And if that is the case, guess what we are doing this weekend?

Bruiser LOVES other dogs though plays shy at first. But then once he gets going he wants to play and play. On Friday night we had a fire alarm in our building and once we got outside we ran into Bam Bam, a pug which we ran into the first night that I took Bruiser out for a walk. We didn’t go back in immediately after we heard the fire alarm quit, we took Bruiser and Bam Bam off leash and let them play. Bruiser was in doggie heaven and so was Bam Bam. I SOOOO want a pug now too! LOL

I am trying something new with Bruiser today. I didn’t put him in his crate but left him in the bedroom to roam around. I put out water and a pee pad and a nice comfy blanket in his crate and closed the door. I, of course put things away or up that he could get into but I think this way I won’t have to clean him or his crate of poop, like I had to this morning when I got in from bootcamp. Considering he had already done his business prior to me leaving, I was not expecting to mess his crate for the 70min I was gone. Needless to say, he had to have a shower with me this morning and I had to clean up poop smooshed into his crate, toys and floor.

I will go home at lunch and see how the free roaming of the bedroom went. Wish me (and him) luck!

I have been super duper busy at work so that is the reason for the lack of updates. By the time I get home and take Bruiser out for our 60/60+ minute walk, I am exhausted and surfing the next/writing blog posts doesn’t happen. I just lay in bed watching the boobtube.

On Wednesday night, Jackie brought her 7 month, 45lb bulldog Gunther over to meet Bruiser. Gunther also brought gifts of a minty smelling chewy bone and a gourmet peanut butter filled bone thing that Bruiser LOVES. The following video is what ensued as soon as Bruiser and Gunther met.

We then herded the dogs outside for a walk but cut it a bit shorter than my usual as her bully was tired as well as it was getting late. That night, Bruiser basically hopped into bed with me and slept from all his activity. I cannot wait until he gets his last shots so we can visit the dog parks on the weekend. He loves being leash free and other animals. Now people on the the other hand…he could care less.

Last night, Bruiser and I headed to PetsMart so he could get his nails clipped. I tried doing it myself but the boy wiggles too much and I’m afraid I’m going to hurt him. For $15, they can deal with him :)

Potty training is getting better and although he still does not like his crate…his barking doesn’t last that long once in it.

I had my hand filled with kibble which is why it looks like I am calling Bruiser a ‘L’oser as I tell him to stay :) I had forgotten that I had taken this video. I do know that he was hopped up on scooby snacks though, not listening and jumping at the treat. Normally he waits for me to give it to him…except on the crawl trick…

So Tuesday was day one to work with Bruiser to start going pee on the pee pads. Obviously I would love to move off them but I’m going back to basics with him and will be working on the potty outside tomorrow. Man is he stubborn, lol. This morning we had a showdown, I knew he had to pee - he always does after a nap and man did he try to get around me and away from the pad.

He finally ended laying half on/half off of the pad and staring at me with his big puppy dog eyes as I constantly would say “go pee Bruiser”, “go pee good boy!”. He would just look at me and then, suddenly lifted his bottom and peed…on the floor. I couldn’t be upset as technically he was on the pee pad…

Bruiser has taken a step back and is now peeing where ever he feels like. This is not at all his fault but mine as our routine has gone to pot since Friday when I had eye surgery. I have to take a step back each time I catch him peeing where he shouldn’t or when I step in a spot he already went in and know that it is not him, but me.

I hope to be back to schedule on Wednesday and get his pee everywhere ways back in tight reign as I am seriously getting tired of stepping in warm, wet spots, especially on my living room carpet.

I had been surprised that Bruiser had yet to destroy any of his toys. From what I had read at the Puggle.org forums I should expect dead toys soon. The day a new post started on destroyed toys was last Saturday after I had bought Bruiser a Loofa Dog. He had opened this dog via c-section that same day. It lasted less than 4 hours after I saw him roaming around with a squeaker in his mouth.

Then two days later I found Mr. Mouse…he’d almost been decapitated. Mr. Mouse is from the original batch of toys he had upon arrival so it lasted him a little over two weeks.

Loofa dog I will resew back up and Mr. Mouse lost his head permanently…he is now just a body and four legs but still playable as per Bruiser. Bruiser has yet to totally kill his stuffies, unlike King Gunther, lol.

So of course I had to take a video of Bruiser’s latest trick. He really amazes me. We are still working on ‘down’ and have also started ’stay’ which I think he will get in another day or two. ‘Down’ is an issues as he just dives at the treat in my hand, lol.

As noted earlier this week, Bruiser and I are working on some new tricks together, one being “gimmee paw”, this morning…I got a paw! I tried a couple more times, just in case it was a fluke…nope, he knows!!

We’re still working on down. Currently he just dives at my hand wanting the treat, lol.

Oh! I almost forgot. Bruiser had a shower with me this morning. He was howling to get in and so I placed him in thinking he’d want right back out. Nope…he didn’t mind the ‘rain’ in the slightest, he was drinking water from the bottom of the tub and my legs, lol. I’m hoping this is not going to be a regular occurrence.

Today Bruiser had his first visitor. A coworker of mine who has a german shepherd named Max. When she saw photos of Bruiser she said she needed some squeezing time with him and today was that day. She fell in love with him and he didn’t seem to mind her either. She even helped me clean up his #2 mess when we were talking and weren’t paying attention to his “bum in the air-nose to the ground” frantic running around the apt.

He is getting pretty loud in his barking and I’m afraid that soon I will get a complaint. I am going to do some reading this weekend if the eyes allow (Lasik/PRK this weekend) about crate training and see what I can do to make his days more bearable for him and for me.

He is using his wee pads a lot more today and impressed the coworker when he was let out of his crate at lunch and immediately walked over to the wee pad and went pee. He’s about 70% trained, I think he could be 100% but he is lazy. Unless there is a wee pad in the room he is in when he has to go…you’re in trouble. But we are taking one day at a time…one must remember I’ve only had him for a week and a half.