Wordless Wednesday

Playing with Stewie

Stewie and I were playing!  Mom tried to take pictures of us with that black box that sometimes flashes bright in my eyes, but we were flying in that big room.  Sometimes I would chase him and then he would chase me.

Then we would stop and dare each other to run some more.  Stewie is quick!  Mom was laughing at us and having fun too.

I'm daring Stewie here....come on, I bet you can't catch me!  We didn't run under the tree so we didn't get in trouble.  

I think Stewie is liking me!

Mom took this picture of me to show you my long whiskers and eyebrow hairs.  They kind of curl in a funny way they say.  How would I know?  Don't all whiskers look like this?

Tucker under the Christmas Tree

So that's what they've been doing in the room I've never been in.  I can run fast in here and there's lots more places to go under and around!

Mornings with a bone

Mom likes to sit at her computer to read and write in the morning.  She brings me over to sit at her feet and gives me this chewy big bone and she has a Latte that she makes.  The bone is suppose to keep me occupied and quiet.  She keeps the leash on me so I can't go anywhere else.  It's okay because I like to be near her only the blue pad is getting too small for me now.  It is Stewie's pad and even though there is another pad I could lay on I like his.

Stewie gets a bone too but he doesn't have to sit down on this pad like I do.  He gets to run to Mom and Dad's room and chew.  I don't really think that's fair and I want to go too.  But I haven't gotten the whole "housetraining" deal down yet.  I'm learning and doing really well but they don't think I am ready. 

I really, really want to go running all over the house.  Sometimes during the day Mom and Dad let me go out of the kitchen and I get to go running all over the place.  Going under the bed is cool!  I can see everything but no one can see me.  Dad and I like to play the games that I make up too.  I can see the kitties who hang out in Mom and Dad's room and sometimes Luna kitty will let me get up close to her cute face.  Sometimes she makes weird sounds that get me excited because I think she might play with me.  Then she tries to hit me with her kitty claws.  I don't like that.  Sometimes I try to get Stewie to run around with me and he sometimes will but most times he tries to play with just Mom.  I keep trying because I want him to be my furever friend.  

Mom....do you think Stewie wants to be my furever friend?  Mom....can we go outside?  Can we go for a walk?  Mom....can Stewie come too?  What?  I'm bored chewing on the bone.  All this thinking makes me want to do something fun!

Wordless Wednesday

December 2010 ~ Annie, Tim and Stewie

Pupparoos and the hens

We've been taking Tucker to the chicken coop so that gets to know our hens and they to get to know him.  He watches them closely, waiting, observing.  You can see the instinctive herding thoughts filling his mind.  They stare at him just as closely.  Stewie ignores them.  He learned along time ago to keep his distance as they weren't going to play.  But that chicken poop is sure tasty (icky, icky icky!!!!!)!

Oh and I snapped this photo really quick because the two of them were being all sweet and cozy with each other........

Tucker's manners

Oh me, oh my....Tucker must be in the terrible puppy stage.  

He is getting stronger and of course doesn't realize it.  Let me just say that it still is cute all the puppy antics and exuberance, just that there is a good time and then there is the not so good time.

I'm taking the food manners head on.  Feeding time is not cute anymore.  Now Tucker is getting really good at sitting and the "don't touch" of having to wait till I say "take it" that he and Stewie can eat.  No the big problem is getting the food out of the bins in my pantry.

Tucker goes ballistic with the vertical jumping in place.  Like he is a puppy pogo stick.  Then as I am trying to open the bin top he starts trying to stick his nose in to grab food.  Not cute.  When he was little he couldn't see that high, but now he is all paws and pushy.  Oh, and the barking at the same time with all of this.

At first I would hold him off with my one hand while I scooped out his and Stewie's food but now the claws and noise is unacceptable.  Mr. Stewie sits so calmly, watching what is going on.  He looks confused and annoyed with Tuckeroo.  Me too.

Lesson one:  Stay calm (me).   

Lesson two:  Food is earned by good behavior.  This is going to be a huge challenge for Tucker.  My goal is for him to sit, just like Stewie, while waiting for a meal.  


For a few times I put him in his puppy pen to fend him off but that didn't stop the annoying barking and jumping around.  Now I have been holding him by the collar and asking him to "sit, stay".  So it is one thing to ask him to sit which he does quite well but to stay in a sit is a lesson in progress.  This is my goal though.  Now I sometimes confuse the command with a "sit, don't touch".  This is a quandary for me, because I don't want him to touch it either till he is released to do so by my "take it" command.

Yes, it feels like Tucker is challenging us to see what he can get away with and if we will allow it.  I realize I need to step up with tethering him with me.  When I am busy around the house it can be easy to put him in the puppy pen and not have to think about watching him.  Problem is that he doesn't have the chance to learn from being tethered to me, of what he can do or not do.  He may think he can chew that chair leg (not), or bark (not).  With him near me I can set up a positive of what he can do.  Provide him that pad to lay on and give him something he can chew.  If I am going room to room he comes with me and learns about the house as well as he has to do what I am expecting him to do which is to follow around me, not the other way around.  I am the "Alpha"

I know I have written about this previously but if you have any advice you can share of this stage of raising a puppy to be a welcome family member I would really like to hear about it.  Wish us luck and smooth training!