Konrad turned five months old on Thursday. He celebrated late into the night, releasing himself from his crate and eating one of HB's pom-poms as well as six pages of spreadsheets that I brought home. I had to send an email on Friday that my dog ate my homework! He did not, however, eat any power cords or chew (at all) on my leather Hartman briefcase. Phew!
So, five thoughts for Konrad's five-month birthday:
1) He can now go out into public with us - that should be interesting!
2) We've been asked not to let him chew on hard plastic nylabone chews (several CCI dogs have broken teeth chewing on them), so we got him a Goughnut. He loves it, and I love that when he's chewed through it (used it up, basically), it will turn red and at that point you can return it for a new one!
3) His crate is now full-size. I took the divider panel out and I think he's enjoying his spacious digs.
4) He's only had one accident in the past month, at least - good job Konrad!
5) We took him to Louisville with us this weekend, though he stayed with the kids and my brother while we went to the Kentucky Derby. He had to ride in his crate in the "way back" of the CRV on the rainy drive home, and he didn't get car sick at all. That's a first for him!
I'll post pictures of the party later. :)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Konrad graduates - from puppy kindergarten!
Sorry it's been so long! I have no good excuses. :)
Konrad is now just over four months old, so here are the four for four:
1) He's developed some teenage tendencies. A not-so-subtle habit of ignoring me if he doesn't care to lie down at that particular moment, for example.
2) He's lost all of his front baby teeth. Now we're just waiting for the canines and his molars to go and hopefully his urge to chew will settle down.
3) The crate Konrad stays in has a movable barrier in the middle, which I am moving back every several days. It's funny, because he seems to expand into his available space every time I give him more room! But so far no accidents in his expanded space, which is great.
4) He graduated from puppy class last night! We didn't work with him as much as we should have, but he did quite well in the class.
Here are some pictures from last night's graduation ceremony!
Konrad is now just over four months old, so here are the four for four:
1) He's developed some teenage tendencies. A not-so-subtle habit of ignoring me if he doesn't care to lie down at that particular moment, for example.
2) He's lost all of his front baby teeth. Now we're just waiting for the canines and his molars to go and hopefully his urge to chew will settle down.
3) The crate Konrad stays in has a movable barrier in the middle, which I am moving back every several days. It's funny, because he seems to expand into his available space every time I give him more room! But so far no accidents in his expanded space, which is great.
4) He graduated from puppy class last night! We didn't work with him as much as we should have, but he did quite well in the class.
Here are some pictures from last night's graduation ceremony!
His diploma.
With cap - he was remarkably calm with the hat on!
Good "down"!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
So much time has passed!
Few quick updates, then the pictues you've all been waiting for:
1) Konrad is now three months old! As is a tradition among other CCI puppy raisers, here are three interesting things about Konrad at three months: 1) he's growing like bamboo, 2) he's a a very calm puppy (for which we are thankful, and 3) people fall in love with him wherever we go!
2) Konrad went to his first vet appointment a few weeks ago. He already weighed 21.5 pounds, up from the 16 he weighed when he arrived. His cape, which used to be so big on him that he would get it wet everytime he "hurried", now looks more like a shoulder cover than a full-body cape - he's getting so big! He was great for the shots, and the vet was impressed with how well he handled having his feet and mouth touched.
3) We've started puppy obedience classes at a local PetSmart. Konrad's done well, and the trainer is being really understanding about what we can and can't do with Mr. K. So that's going well, and we are educating our fellow classmates about CCI as well!
Overall, Konrad is doing well, much better than we were expecting. He is calm, a fairly quick learner, and a really sweet pup! Just a few days ago he ate about half of one of his chew bones, so he now has one that was labeled for power chewers. :)
Now for the pictures I promised!
Konrad in a relaxed moment.
Cape Boy!
Wonder how long until he's too big for the bed?
Chewing on his "Viking bone" - we're Brett Favre fans, and it just so happens that this bone is Minnesota Viking colors!
1) Konrad is now three months old! As is a tradition among other CCI puppy raisers, here are three interesting things about Konrad at three months: 1) he's growing like bamboo, 2) he's a a very calm puppy (for which we are thankful, and 3) people fall in love with him wherever we go!
2) Konrad went to his first vet appointment a few weeks ago. He already weighed 21.5 pounds, up from the 16 he weighed when he arrived. His cape, which used to be so big on him that he would get it wet everytime he "hurried", now looks more like a shoulder cover than a full-body cape - he's getting so big! He was great for the shots, and the vet was impressed with how well he handled having his feet and mouth touched.
3) We've started puppy obedience classes at a local PetSmart. Konrad's done well, and the trainer is being really understanding about what we can and can't do with Mr. K. So that's going well, and we are educating our fellow classmates about CCI as well!
Overall, Konrad is doing well, much better than we were expecting. He is calm, a fairly quick learner, and a really sweet pup! Just a few days ago he ate about half of one of his chew bones, so he now has one that was labeled for power chewers. :)
Now for the pictures I promised!
Konrad in a relaxed moment.
Cape Boy!
Wonder how long until he's too big for the bed?
Chewing on his "Viking bone" - we're Brett Favre fans, and it just so happens that this bone is Minnesota Viking colors!Sunday, February 14, 2010
He's growing up!
This week brought some big steps for Konrad (our daughter either calls him "Mr. Konrad" or "Kon" - still working on getting his name right; I often call him JJ!).
Those big steps included our stairs. Konrad is pushing 20 pounds and my back does not appreciate carrying him down the stairs anytime he needs to go out, so we're teaching him to go down them. He does much better when lured with some kibble, but yesterday morning he was in a playful mood and tried to pounce while going down the steps. Not a good idea - but at least he made it down in one piece!
Konrad has also started wearing his practice puppy cape when he goes outside. He doesn't bother it at all, which is great. I'll try to get some pictures of it, maybe tonight.
We have a big week ahead. Tomorrow is Konrad's first visit with our vet (the wonderful Dr. Steve Hendrix of Hillsboro Animal Hospital) and next Saturday is our first puppy obedience class. Should be interesting. The whole family is going - as if it isn't enough to corrall the puppy; we'll have the kids to keep in line as well!
Those big steps included our stairs. Konrad is pushing 20 pounds and my back does not appreciate carrying him down the stairs anytime he needs to go out, so we're teaching him to go down them. He does much better when lured with some kibble, but yesterday morning he was in a playful mood and tried to pounce while going down the steps. Not a good idea - but at least he made it down in one piece!
Konrad has also started wearing his practice puppy cape when he goes outside. He doesn't bother it at all, which is great. I'll try to get some pictures of it, maybe tonight.
We have a big week ahead. Tomorrow is Konrad's first visit with our vet (the wonderful Dr. Steve Hendrix of Hillsboro Animal Hospital) and next Saturday is our first puppy obedience class. Should be interesting. The whole family is going - as if it isn't enough to corrall the puppy; we'll have the kids to keep in line as well!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Note to self
One day without accidents does not a housebroken puppy make. We had some rough housebreaking days last week, then a banner day on Friday - no accidents! Konrad made up for it this weekend. So many accidents on Sunday that he had to have two baths! He's having a better week though - just one accident in his crate yesterday and today.
The training is coming along. He's doing quite well with his Gentle Leader, and walks nicely on the leash. (I'm in the office right now, and he's clearly asleep in his crate - he's snoring.) He seems to have learned to "wait" when coming in and going out, which I think is helping him learn the "release" command as well, since he can't cross the threshold until we say it. He also doesn't get his dinner until we say it - and he likes his dinner!
I'll try to post some pictures this weekend, but in the meantime, his first visit with our vet is on Monday so that should be interesting.
The training is coming along. He's doing quite well with his Gentle Leader, and walks nicely on the leash. (I'm in the office right now, and he's clearly asleep in his crate - he's snoring.) He seems to have learned to "wait" when coming in and going out, which I think is helping him learn the "release" command as well, since he can't cross the threshold until we say it. He also doesn't get his dinner until we say it - and he likes his dinner!
I'll try to post some pictures this weekend, but in the meantime, his first visit with our vet is on Monday so that should be interesting.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Still figuring out his place
While Konrad is definitely getting more comfortable with us, he's still trying to figure out who the alpha dog is. He's shown some dominant behavior (moutning my leg), but B and I think that he's just trying to figure out where he is in our family hierarchy. He won't wonder for long!
Konrad has to wear a regular flat color for his ID tags, but his training and working collar is called a Gentle Leader, like this one (no, this isn't Konrad):
We've been putting it on him whenever he's on the leash, and he's doing well with it. Another training technique that we're using is to introduce a lot of the daily commands now so that he never knows a time when he didn't have to wait at the door, for example. It's as much training for us (well, me - I keep forgetting what B has been working on!). So Konrad is now officially working on these commands: Name (his name, obviously; he just has to look up when you say it), Hurry (to go potty), Let's Go (walk nicely on the leash), Dress (put his nose in the Gentle Leader; we just say this now when we put it on him), Kennel (go into your kennel), Wait (wait at the door coming in and out, wait for your food to be put down for you), and Release (go do whatever you want to do, basically!).
So that's the quick update for today. He's still having accidents in his crate, but we re-focused our efforts yesterday, taking him out every two hours or so during the day so maybe today will be a good day. He went out last night at 8:45, then slept through until around 2am, then slept again until I woke him to go out just after 6am. Progress from the first night, for sure!
Konrad has to wear a regular flat color for his ID tags, but his training and working collar is called a Gentle Leader, like this one (no, this isn't Konrad):
We've been putting it on him whenever he's on the leash, and he's doing well with it. Another training technique that we're using is to introduce a lot of the daily commands now so that he never knows a time when he didn't have to wait at the door, for example. It's as much training for us (well, me - I keep forgetting what B has been working on!). So Konrad is now officially working on these commands: Name (his name, obviously; he just has to look up when you say it), Hurry (to go potty), Let's Go (walk nicely on the leash), Dress (put his nose in the Gentle Leader; we just say this now when we put it on him), Kennel (go into your kennel), Wait (wait at the door coming in and out, wait for your food to be put down for you), and Release (go do whatever you want to do, basically!).
So that's the quick update for today. He's still having accidents in his crate, but we re-focused our efforts yesterday, taking him out every two hours or so during the day so maybe today will be a good day. He went out last night at 8:45, then slept through until around 2am, then slept again until I woke him to go out just after 6am. Progress from the first night, for sure!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Training officially started today
With one kid at daycare and me at work, Konrad officially started his training today in a mostly distraction-free house. He also had no accidents today and was up only twice last night. He's really settled in so nicely - he plays but calms down quickly, and he's doing very well going outside. And after a few days of getting used to being in our house, he's now eating almost every bit of food at every meal!
Today I sent of our first monthly progress report to CCI. It probably wasn't that useful since he's only been with us five days and he's still quite young. As a result, I had to mark down that he was chewing inappropriate items (like our drawer pulls in the kitchen), not housebroken, chewing on people and their clothes, and not using his Gentle Leader (the special kind of collar he will be wearing) or going to puppy classes!
I can't figure out how to get pictures to upload easily to a slideshow, so I'll just post some here because I know that's what people want!
Today I sent of our first monthly progress report to CCI. It probably wasn't that useful since he's only been with us five days and he's still quite young. As a result, I had to mark down that he was chewing inappropriate items (like our drawer pulls in the kitchen), not housebroken, chewing on people and their clothes, and not using his Gentle Leader (the special kind of collar he will be wearing) or going to puppy classes!
I can't figure out how to get pictures to upload easily to a slideshow, so I'll just post some here because I know that's what people want!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Getting settled in
Konrad gets more settled by the hour, it seems. He is much more calm in his crate, and he only woke up two or three times last night (that reminds me of having a newborn - was he up at 1:30 or was it 2:30?). We got a big snow today (big for our area), so Konrad had fun snuffling around in it. He has had only a minor accident today, and does really well with his potty breaks.
For those unfamiliar with CCI, one of the things that we have to teach Konrad is to relieve himself on command. That command is "Hurry". Not sure when he'll get that part of it, but he wouldn't let B bring him back inside this afternoon and a few minutes later, took care of the rest of his business.
He's spent a good three hours out with us in the kitchen this afternoon. He likes to try to chew on the drawer pulls, but beyond that, he was fantastic. Now he's so tuckered out that he fell asleep in B's arms so we moved him into his crate.
We've been amazed at how calm he is. He gets excited about things - snow, biting the leash when he's outside, and especially the kids, but he settles right back down again. Not sure if that's the careful breeding or just his personality, but we're thankful for it!
For those unfamiliar with CCI, one of the things that we have to teach Konrad is to relieve himself on command. That command is "Hurry". Not sure when he'll get that part of it, but he wouldn't let B bring him back inside this afternoon and a few minutes later, took care of the rest of his business.
He's spent a good three hours out with us in the kitchen this afternoon. He likes to try to chew on the drawer pulls, but beyond that, he was fantastic. Now he's so tuckered out that he fell asleep in B's arms so we moved him into his crate.
We've been amazed at how calm he is. He gets excited about things - snow, biting the leash when he's outside, and especially the kids, but he settles right back down again. Not sure if that's the careful breeding or just his personality, but we're thankful for it!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Are puppies like newborns? (Lessons from Konrad's first night.)
Sort of. On one hand, they get up frequently (he was up at 10, 11, 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6:30) and make a lot of noise when they get up. On the other hand, you don't have to take a newborn outside in January in the middle of night, and you can share the midnight duties with your husband. Fortunately, HB slept through all the noise when JJ was born, and they both slept through Konrad's crying last night. He's had a good breakfast, complained bitterly when I put him in his crate this morning, and is now crashed out. :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Our next journey begins...
Konrad arrived today - all 16 pounds of him! At eight weeks, he's already shoulders and tails taller and heavier than our beloved Jack Russell - not to mention the energy level!
We've had a good day, only two accidents in the house, and he has protested less each time we've put him in his crate. He loves HB, which means we'll need to be extra careful to watch him with both kids. He didn't get to meet JJ today - the timing just didn't work out with dinner and crate time.
He seems to be in great shape - no ill effects from his travels, his vaccinations, or his dewormer yesterday, so that's good!
Okay, Konrad is asleep and tomorrow is HB's 6th birthday, so I have to go blow up balloons and get ready to decorate her room once she falls asleep!
We've had a good day, only two accidents in the house, and he has protested less each time we've put him in his crate. He loves HB, which means we'll need to be extra careful to watch him with both kids. He didn't get to meet JJ today - the timing just didn't work out with dinner and crate time.
Okay, Konrad is asleep and tomorrow is HB's 6th birthday, so I have to go blow up balloons and get ready to decorate her room once she falls asleep!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Our puppy has a name!
We found out this week that our first CCI puppy will be named Konrad. You can read more about him to the right.
He arrives next Wednesday, Jan. 27th (the day before HB's 6th birthday, so it will be an exciting week). This weekend, HB and I are going pet supply shopping, which should be great fun. Her input is needed specifically for a collar, ID tag and TOYS!
We should get Konrad's starter kit package either today or tomorrow, so I'm interested to see what's in there. I know it will have his puppy cape (to help him become comfortable wearing one), his Gentle Leader and his CCI ID tag and I'm hoping it will have his vaccination information and more importantly, his travel plans!
As soon as we have pictures, I'll figure out how to post them. Over time, I promise that this blog will become more visually interesting - I'm new to this!
He arrives next Wednesday, Jan. 27th (the day before HB's 6th birthday, so it will be an exciting week). This weekend, HB and I are going pet supply shopping, which should be great fun. Her input is needed specifically for a collar, ID tag and TOYS!
We should get Konrad's starter kit package either today or tomorrow, so I'm interested to see what's in there. I know it will have his puppy cape (to help him become comfortable wearing one), his Gentle Leader and his CCI ID tag and I'm hoping it will have his vaccination information and more importantly, his travel plans!
As soon as we have pictures, I'll figure out how to post them. Over time, I promise that this blog will become more visually interesting - I'm new to this!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
One journey ends...
Way back in 1995, as I was preparing to graduate from college, I was looking forward to getting my first dog. I had wanted a dog for a long time, but couldn't convince my parents! My boyfriend at the time got me a Jack Russell Terrier as a graduation gift, though I didn't actually get him until October (it took a while to find just the right one). I named him Foster, after the Australian beer, since I love all things Australia.
Foster lived up to his breed's motto of "big dog in a little body". And he was smart! Some of my fondest memories of his first year were of him chewing through the plastic mesh on the baby gate that we had used to confine him and meeting me at the front door! He also used to climb up the TV table, through the open bookshelves and onto the desk to chew the erasers off of pencils. And his first experience in the snow was hilarious. He couldn't see over the snow banks, so he spent his time hopping up and down to see where he was going, and to find a place to relieve himself. During that winter, Foster went to work with me at a local animal hospital almost every day.
When Foster and I moved back to Tennessee, we entered a new phase in our relationship. We had done some initial obedience training in Connecticut, but he was stubborn enough that he just wouldn't listen when off his leash. So we found a new trainer, a great trainer, and finally got Foster to the point where he would come to me if off-leash. I also discovered his love for retrieving things out of water; ponds, streams, pools, whatever.
Fast forward 13 years, and this past summer Foster was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer: extra skeletal osteosarcoma. He was given two weeks to three months to live. At first, he showed no signs of illness, except for the large tumor on his left hip. He ate and played like normal. Every few weeks his health would decline a bit then level off for a few more weeks.
A few weeks ago, I read an article in the New York Times about euthanizing a pet. which helped me realize that I needed to let Foster go when he was still enjoying life rather than when he was miserable. And so I had planned for his last day to be this week, so that he could spend Christmas with our family and my in-laws. I was still coming to terms with that when I realized last Tuesday night that he was very uncomfortable. He looked to be in a great deal of pain on Wednesday morning and I could not justify making him wait five more days to have some relief just so that we could have him for one last Christmas.
So on Wednesday morning, two days before Christmas, I put my beloved friend to sleep. It was as calm and as peaceful as I could ever have hoped for and I know that the time was right. What I hope for Foster is:
~ A big patch of sunshine that never shrinks, for sleeping in
~ A pond or lake or something else to swim in, preferably with sticks or leaves to retrieve
~ Legs to cuddle up against and
~ A floor covered with soft fluffy bedding to lie on
I learned so much from Foster (aka: Frosty, Floster, Frosty Pasta Dog, Pasta, and Little White Dog) that I will take with me as I raise future dogs, and for that I am thankful. Rest in peace, Foster. You are much loved and missed.
Foster lived up to his breed's motto of "big dog in a little body". And he was smart! Some of my fondest memories of his first year were of him chewing through the plastic mesh on the baby gate that we had used to confine him and meeting me at the front door! He also used to climb up the TV table, through the open bookshelves and onto the desk to chew the erasers off of pencils. And his first experience in the snow was hilarious. He couldn't see over the snow banks, so he spent his time hopping up and down to see where he was going, and to find a place to relieve himself. During that winter, Foster went to work with me at a local animal hospital almost every day.
When Foster and I moved back to Tennessee, we entered a new phase in our relationship. We had done some initial obedience training in Connecticut, but he was stubborn enough that he just wouldn't listen when off his leash. So we found a new trainer, a great trainer, and finally got Foster to the point where he would come to me if off-leash. I also discovered his love for retrieving things out of water; ponds, streams, pools, whatever.
Fast forward 13 years, and this past summer Foster was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer: extra skeletal osteosarcoma. He was given two weeks to three months to live. At first, he showed no signs of illness, except for the large tumor on his left hip. He ate and played like normal. Every few weeks his health would decline a bit then level off for a few more weeks.
A few weeks ago, I read an article in the New York Times about euthanizing a pet. which helped me realize that I needed to let Foster go when he was still enjoying life rather than when he was miserable. And so I had planned for his last day to be this week, so that he could spend Christmas with our family and my in-laws. I was still coming to terms with that when I realized last Tuesday night that he was very uncomfortable. He looked to be in a great deal of pain on Wednesday morning and I could not justify making him wait five more days to have some relief just so that we could have him for one last Christmas.
So on Wednesday morning, two days before Christmas, I put my beloved friend to sleep. It was as calm and as peaceful as I could ever have hoped for and I know that the time was right. What I hope for Foster is:
~ A big patch of sunshine that never shrinks, for sleeping in
~ A pond or lake or something else to swim in, preferably with sticks or leaves to retrieve
~ Legs to cuddle up against and
~ A floor covered with soft fluffy bedding to lie on
I learned so much from Foster (aka: Frosty, Floster, Frosty Pasta Dog, Pasta, and Little White Dog) that I will take with me as I raise future dogs, and for that I am thankful. Rest in peace, Foster. You are much loved and missed.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Quick introduction
Since I put this blog in my Christmas cards, I thought I would add a quick post so that you know you're in the right place!
I created this blog to chronicle our family's adventure raising a service dog puppy for Canine Companions for Independence.
I'll post more, likely in January, when we know that our puppy is arriving soon!
KP
I created this blog to chronicle our family's adventure raising a service dog puppy for Canine Companions for Independence.
I'll post more, likely in January, when we know that our puppy is arriving soon!
KP
One journey ends
This is my first post on my new blog, which I created to chronicle our family's adventure in raising a service dog puppy for Canine Companions for Independence. We started the application process in July 2009, just after our 14-year old dog, Foster, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer. Foster's inital prognosis was two weeks to three months. Thankfully, the cancer was not nearly as aggressive as we had feared, and we had Foster with us for five more months. He lost his battle with cancer just two days before Christmas, which was devastating to my family. I have gained solace from the many kind words of friends and family, and in knowing that Foster is no longer in pain. In fact, I hope he's lying in a big patch of sunshine somewhere on a soft fluffy bed. His passing was made easier by the wonderful vet at Hillsboro Animal Hospital, who made is as calm and peaceful an experience as I could have ever hoped for.
I'll post again when we hear from CCI that our puppy is arriving, sometime in January.
KP
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