Puppy Lesson #3 -- Purse Diving

Today, Maya would like to share the joys of purse diving with those unfortunate puppies who have not experienced the thrill and joy:

Purse diving is one of the most entertaining things you can do.  For those of you who have not mastered this great past-time, or who are unfortunate enough to have a person who doesn't have a purse, you don't know what you're missing!

Female persons are very protective of their purses, so the first thing you need to do is wait patiently until your person leaves the room where the purse is located.  The key word here is patiently.  I know you want to get to the purse, but if you show too much interest, she'll just put it somewhere where you can't reach it and then your fun is over before it even begins.

Once your person has left the room, and you're sure she won't be returning soon, walk slowly to the purse.  This is very important for puppies like me who wear more than one tag on their collars.  You do not want to make any noise at this point.  If your person's purse is open, or only closed with a magnetic button in the middle, skip to the next paragraph.  If your person's purse if closed with metal teeth, you'll need to disarm the metal teeth before proceeding.  I know this sounds scary, but it's not.  All purses with metal teeth have a built-in opener.  It's usually located at one end of the metal teeth; it may or may not have a handle.  Either way, just grab it with your teeth and pull towards the closed teeth to the opposite end of the purse.  If the opener is in the middle of the purse, you'll have to decide which direction to pull.  One direction will close the teeth, the other will open them.  It's ok if you guess wrong, just stop pulling and then pull in the opposite direction.

Now that the purse is open, it's time to go diving.  To execute a perfect dive, simply bury your face in the purse.  There are always a lot more items than you could ever play with, so I'll just point out some of the common ones: 

1. Wallets -- These are not that fun by themselves, but they're filled with other stuff that is.  Credit cards are great because it takes a lot to break them.  Checkbooks are not fun.  I don't know about paper money because my person rarely has any.  I don't think it's much fun for her to play with it either.
2. Keys -- These are fun if you like metal like I do.  And they make a lot of jingly noise.  If you don't like either of those things, just move on to something else. 
3. Lipstick -- While this looks like fun, under no circumstances should you touch it.  I repeat -- DO NOT TOUCH THE LIPSTICK!!  Lipstick must be something sacred to people because my person freaked out when I grabbed hers.  I've never seen her that upset before.  In case you don't know what it looks like, think of a pencil only really short and fat, and it opens into two pieces.  If you're not sure if something is lipstick, don't risk it.
4. Rubber bands, hair clips, etc -- Don't bother with these.  Your person drops these or leaves them lying around all the time, so don't waste precious time playing with these - they are not purse-specific items.

My person has a lot of other stuff in her purse, but I don't know if they're common or not, and I just wanted to point out some of the common stuff. 

Last tip:  Like everything else, you have to take your treasure elsewhere to play with it.  Don't get caught near the purse, and don't pull out anything you won't be immediately playing with.  My person always seems to have some kind of paper in her purse, and I always mess up and accidentally pull some of the paper out too.  That's how I always get caught.  I'm still working on only grabbing one thing at a time, but until I master that, I need to practice getting paper back into the purse.

Happy diving!

-Maya

New Year's Resolutions

Maya was not good at keeping her New Year's resolutions.  In fact, she didn't make it through the first day of the new year!  And no, she didn't know she made the resolutions, but that's neither here nor there.

"Maya's" resolutions this year were:

1. Stay off the couch -- broken
2. Stay out of my purse -- broken
3. Stop stealing socks -- broken

I guess there's always next year!

First Extended Trip

Back in November, I had my first extended trip away from Maya.  I was looking forward to the trip, but not to leaving my puppy.  I tried to prepare her as best I could, telling her all about how she'd be staying with her "auntie" and about all the fun she was going to have and how I would be back before she knew it.  And as we all know, this was for me, not for her.

I dropped her off Friday morning, and eventually said good-bye.  I left her plenty of food, her favorite toys, her bed, and her kennel.  I even left the shirt I slept in the night before, just in case if she was missing me she could go snuggle up with it.  As I was driving away, I seriously considered calling off the trip, but I had committed to running a half-marathon with a friend months ago, and I couldn't leave her stranded at the last minute.  So off I went.

I got text updates every day, and it seemed like Maya was having a good time.  She doesn't eat much when we're not at home, so I was worried about her not eating, but her "auntie" told me she was eating fine.  And I also had no idea if she was going to let everyone sleep.  She's only slept away from me once, and that was only one night when I had to board her, but this was going to be three nights, also known as an eternity.  I warned her "auntie" that she might cry, but she said not worry, that she would just take out her hearing aids and then Maya wouldn't keep her up.  After that first night, I asked her if Maya let her sleep, and she said yes.  She just put Maya in the bed with her (which I never do) and they both slept until 7 am.  I knew she was in good hands, and that she was being spoiled, but I still missed my puppy.

I made it back home the following Monday afternoon and finally got to see Maya again!!  She was super excited to see me too.  I sat and visited for a few minutes before we went home, and Maya was not enjoying that at all.  She kept nudging my arm, and then walking to the door.  She had had fun, but she was ready to go home.  During our little chat, her "auntie" told me that Maya didn't want to eat Friday after I left, not even treats.  When she hadn't eaten anything by Friday night, she stuck her food in the microwave for a few seconds, and Maya gobbled it up!  Apparently, she learned that little trick with her last dog.

For the first 5 hours or so we were home, Maya wouldn't let me out of her sight.  She thought I might have installed a secret exit in the bathroom and laundry room, so obviously I couldn't go into either room alone, just in case I happened to sneak out, and forget about going outside without her.  That night, she feel asleep curled up next to me on the couch.....with her little paw on my leg.  After the longest 4 days ever, things were finally back to normal in my little world.

Puppy of Terror

I have the bravest dog in the world, until someone or something looks at her, at which point she usually hides behind me.  I find it hilarious that when she sees someone in the parking lot or down the hall, she'll bark non-stop and pull on her leash like crazy.  But when she gets to them, she'll immediately cower in front of them or hide behind me.  Like I said, brave.

A few nights ago, we ran into another dog from the complex, a sweet lab that must be at least 10 years old.  We were walking back home when Maya spotted the lab, and she turned into a crazy puppy, barking and pulling like always.  At which point the lab ran and hid behind her mom!!  Poor dog, but I had to laugh.

I picked Maya up (the only thing that will get her to stop barking) and apologized to the lab's owner.  She explained that her dog is scared of little dog.  Apparently, her mother has a couple of little yorkies who always bully the lab around.  So now she's terrified of all little dogs, included my sweet innocent little puppy.  I felt bad for her, but I was funny to see this big dog scared of this tiny puppy. 

Ewww, Carrots!!

One day, when Maya isn't very puppy like or isn't around any more, I'm going to think back at all her antics and smile.  But in order to make that happen, I need to remember those antics.  And that's where this blog comes in.  I've been pretty back about keeping up on it, and that needs to change.  I would say that I'm going to write something cute or funny or annoying or whatever every day, but we all know that's not going to happen.  So instead, I'll just say that I'll write when I remember something cute she does.

So today -- Maya's introduction to carrots.

I never give Maya people food.  Or I almost never give Maya people food.  There are two exceptions: I use Cheerios as her treats and for training, and I give her plain rice (maybe a little plain chicken with it) if she's sick or has an upset tummy.  But that's it.

Last night, I was munching on some baby carrots and accidentally dropped half of one.  Maya was in the kitchen with me, and she immediately jumped all over it, carrying it to her favorite spot under the table.  Then she set it down and smelled it.  And then she tried to bite it.  And then she dropped it again and tried licking it.  For the next 5 minutes or so, she kept trying to figure out what to do with it.  She couldn't seem to actually bite it, and licking it wasn't doing any good.  After many attempts, she finally did manage to crack it, at which point she tasted it for the first time (I think). 

She doesn't like carrots.  After finally getting it cracked open, she set it down on the ground and walked away.  I guess I don't need to worry about dropping any carrots on the ground.  And the best part?  I grabbed the camera and actually got her reaction on video.  =)

Sweet Puppy

I've decided that I have just about the sweetest puppy ever.  And as proof, here's what happened this morning.

Since it's getting dark earlier, we've been going on our evening walks a little earlier than we used to.  So instead of potty break at 7ish, walk and final potty at 9ish, it's just walk and final potty at 8ish (or just slightly later).  But because she goes out earlier than she used to, she also wakes me up to take her out earlier in the morning. 

Since last Saturday, I've taken her out and gone back to sleep.  Usually, I walk into the bedroom and Maya follows me in; I crawl into my bed, she crawls into hers, and we're both out for about an hour.  Today, she didn't follow me into the bedroom.  I didn't really pay attention to where she went, but I assumed she went to look out the window for a while.  I crawled into bed, and just as I'm about to fall asleep, I hear this teeny tiny muffled little bark.  Now I'm awake.  I listen closely thinking maybe I was imagining it, but about 30 seconds later, I hear it again. 

I quietly got out of bed and peeked into the living room.  And that's when I saw her.  Maya was lying on the floor, head resting on her front paws, staring at her empty food bowl.  And then another teeny tiny little bark.  My poor puppy was hungry, but she didn't want to wake me up!  You could almost see her little brain thinking: "I'm hungry, but Mommy is tired and I don't want to wake her up.  But I'm hungry.  Maybe if I bark really quiet...." 

Of course I went and got her some food.  Then I crawled back into bed.  After filling her tummy, Maya came and joined me (in her bed). 

Now admit it, I have the sweetest puppy.  :)

"Play With Me!"

I've been very busy with work lately, so my poor Maya has been left to her own devices much more often than I like.  She usually does pretty well, but sometimes she just really wants some attention.  This morning was one of those times.

I was in the bathroom getting ready for work when Maya comes looking for me.  She has one of her favorite balls in her mouth, which she drops at my feet.  This is the universal sign for starting a game of fetch.  I look down and tell her I can't play, that I have to get ready for work.  She looks at me with those big brown eyes, picks up the ball, and drops it at my feet again.  I ignore her.

I hear Maya leave the bathroom, only to reappear moments later with another ball in her mouth.  Again she drops it at my feet, and again I tell her I can't play.  She leaves again and comes back with another ball.  Eventually, there are five balls at my feet, and Maya is looking up at me with those big brown eyes.  Her tail was wagging slightly, almost tentatively, and you could just see the hope in her eyes.

That's when I decide that a ponytail would be a great look for today, and for the next 20 minutes, Maya and me enjoyed a nice game of fetch. 

Park Scare

For the first time in months, it was cool enough to go for a walk in the morning.  Maya and I joined a few friends and their fur-babies at the local park, where I almost immediately had a mini-stroke or mini-heart attack or mini-something.

The local park has a duck pond that the dogs love.  It's not so much the water that draws their attention, but the ducks.  Pretty much the only thing I don't like about this pond is that it's relatively close to the street, so I always keep Maya on her leash until we're on the other side of it, just in case.

Today, just like almost every other time we've gone to the park, one of the dogs took off running towards the pond.  And just like almost every other time, Maya decided to follow.  She was still on her leash, so I didn't expect her to get very far, but the next thing I know, she's almost at the pond and I still have her leash in my hand.....with her collar hanging off the end.  Yep, the clasp on her collar broke.  And that's where the mini-stroke/heart attack happened.  Luckily, she decided to run after the ducks in the pond and not the squirrels crossing the street.

And needless to say, we were at Petsmart picking up a new collar before the day was over.  I did not like that feeling, and I'm hoping it doesn't happen again for a long time.

Spa Visit

Maya went to the groomer yesterday for her last summer cut.  I've been to this place before, and I really like it.  And since Maya practically dragged me in through the front door (or as much as a 10-lb dog can drag someone), I figure she really likes it too. 

I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled with her cut.  She was shorter than I wanted, and they did something odd with her face.  I can't put my finger on it, but she just looks......different.  There are only two groomers at this place, and a different one did her this time, so I'm sure that's why.  She still a cutie, but I'll be sure to request the other groomer next time.

And in case you're wondering, here's how she turned out. 

Told you she was still cute.  :)  And I don't know what the deal with the bows is.  I forgot to tell them no bows, so they gave her a couple.  I'm not a big fan of yellow on her (or in general), but this isn't the first time someone has put something yellow on her, so maybe it's just me.  And probably the most shocking of all -- the bows are still in!  Apparently she doesn't mind them as much when they're tiny like these.

Harness Time

If you ever read this blog, you probably know that Maya is a puller.  If you didn't know that, well now you do.  Although I've looked into getting a harness for her before (click here), I never actually bought one.  But after a day of horrible pulling and gagging, I decided it was time.  I rather spend a few bucks on a harness than a few hundred bucks on a vet if (and when) she hurts herself. 

I already knew the selection at the local Petsmart wasn't very good, so I went online instead.  And I soon realized that I needed a measuring tape.  I own two of them, but I had no idea where they were.  So I did the next best thing -- I grabbed Maya's leash and a ruler.  In no time I had the measurements I needed, jumped on Amazon, found a good harness, and it's on it's way.  Hopefully it will arrive before my puppy decides to choke herself to death....

To be continued......

New Game

I inadvertently stumble upon a new game for me and Maya yesterday: chase. 

Maya loves when I chase her, and yesterday we somehow got a game of chase going.  Since she's so much smaller than me, she can easily get around and under things that I pretty much have to move out of my way.  And this is where our typical game of chase changed.

I was chasing her around the kitchen table, and I kept having to move the chairs out of my way as I went around (I guess that's what happens when you don't push them back in).  It didn't take long for her to catch up to me, and soon we had a game of let's-chase-the-human going.  From the wag of her tail and playful barks, this might just be the most fun game ever. Now I just need to work on getting in better shape so our games can last longer.

Can't wait to see what fun games we come up with tomorrow.

Invader

I've been working with Maya on getting her to leave me alone when I'm eating.  She does better some days than others, and it really doesn't matter what I'm eating.

Today was an especially bad day.  I tend to eat in the living room, and Maya tends to curl up on the other end of the couch.  Occasionally she heads my way, but I just block her path with my leg and she'll head back to her end.  About half the time I need to add a stern "no" or "off."  But that didn't work today.  No matter what I said or did, Maya just kept trying to get on my lap and into my plate.  The more I tried to get her to go back to her end of the couch, the more determined she was to get to my food. 

And then I happened to glance to her end of the couch, where my laptop bag was laying.  She wasn't trying to get to my food, she was trying to tell me there was something in her bed.  I moved the laptop bag, and she immediately went to her end of the couch and curled up for a quick nap.

One Year Later...

Yesterday was Maya's "got day."  What's that?  It's the day I got her!  :)

It's officially been one year since Maya came home, and what a year it has been.  She started out as a really shy puppy who ran and hid from me to one whose favorite nap position is curled up on my lap or right next to me (where she happens to be right now).  We've had our share of adventures, from a broken leg (her) and a broken foot (me) to meeting new puppies and new babies.  We've visited the dog park (which she hates) and my parents house (which she loves), discovered her favorite foods (chicken and rice), her favorite treats (Cheerios), and her favorite non-chew toy chew toy (my socks).

Yes, it's been a lot of work, and we're still working on some things, but it's also been a lot of fun.  So what's my favorite part about having a dog?  Coming home and seeing how excited she is just to see me.  It's been a year, but it still makes me smile every time.

Sneaky Thief

Maya has always been a bit of a thief.  I think it's just a dog thing, but since she's my first dog, I could be completely wrong.  I've written about her being a thief before.  If you'd like to reminisce, click here.  She was just a little puppy then, so she's gotten better.

She still loves socks, so I have to be careful about those.  But now, she also likes any piece of clothing that she can get her paws on.  To be more specific, anything that is in my closet.  Now to be fair, it's only the clothes on the floor, but still. 

Maya loves hanging out in my bedroom when I'm getting dressed.  I know it has nothing to do with me; it's just when she can guarantee the closet door will be opened sooner or later.  She'll sneak in there as soon as I'm distracted and take off running with whatever goody she finds.  This past week, as soon as I noticed she was in there, I would quietly close the door behind her, leaving it slightly cracked so I could still look in.  She'd grab something and head to the door, only to find it closed behind her.  Since she knows "drop," I would tell her to drop.  As soon as she did, I opened the door.  The first few times, she immediately grabbed her goody again, so I closed the door again and told her to drop.  She caught on pretty quickly that she would not make it out of the closet with something in her mouth.

I thought we had turned a corner yesterday.  We were playing fetch and her ball accidentally went into the closet (which I had inadvertently left cracked).  She used to just run in there and maybe come out with her ball, maybe come out with a goody.  This time, she stood outside the closet and barked at the door until I went and got the ball for her. 

At first I felt a little bad because I had made her scared of the closet.  But at the same time, I was kind of glad because I didn't have to remember to keep the door closed.  And then about an hour later, Maya ran by with a sock in her mouth.  Apparently she got over her fear of being locked in the closet.

Chipped

I've been debating for a while now whether or not to have Maya microchipped.  On the one hand, she's a completely indoor dog who never goes anywhere without me, so when would she ever get lost?  On the other hand, someone could always break in, or maintenance could accidentally let her out, or there could be a fire or other disaster and we get separated, or.....  I realized that even if none of these things ever happen (and I hope they don't), there's always the possibility that she could get lost.  And yes, she has a collar and tags, but what if they fall off?

So I called my vet to inquire about pricing.  They charge $89, but they do all the paperwork for you.  This seemed a little steep to me, but since it was my first call, I guess it could be in line with other vets.  I then called the local animal control.  They charge $20, but you have to do the paperwork.  So basically my vet is charging me $69 to fill out a form?  Wow.  My final call went to a vet recommended by a friend.  This is actually where Maya was spayed and where I had been considering making her permanent vet.  They charge $30.  I was amazed at the differences in prices for the exact same product.  A $10 difference seems perfectly reasonable, but charging three times as much?!?! 

Anyways, I made an appointment and Maya got microchipped today.  She doesn't particularly like the vet, so she hid under my chair at first.  She eventually ventured out, and she let the vet play with her and check her out, but she did not like that big needle.  She turned her head so quick when the vet inserted it that I thought she was going to snap at her.  But a second later it was over and we were heading home.

I know that if Maya ever gets lost a microchip won't guarantee her safe return, but it gives her another chance to make it home.  I just think of it as a tag that can't fall off, and that means a little peace of mind.

Alarm Clock

Since Maya came home almost a year ago, I have rarely had to use my alarm clock.  Maya is very good about getting me up in the morning to take her out, and the vast majority of the time, that's between 7:00 and 7:30.  That also happens to be the time I need to get up in order to get ready for work.

Today I decided to sleep in.  Maya woke me up as normal, and we went outside.  When we got back, I laid down on the couch and catch a few more z's.  Maya was nice enough to let me sleep half an hour, then she decided I really needed to get up.  She growled at me, barked at me, hit my arm with her snout, and then jumped on me.  I finally decided that I was not going to get any extra sleep and got up. 

I assumed Maya wanted to play, but I was wrong.  As soon as I got off the couch, she got on, curled up and went to sleep.  Apparently she just wanted me out of her bed. 

Help! I'm Being Attacked!!

Maya is scared of bubble wrap!  Ha ha ha!!

I opened a package the other day, and the contents were wrapped in bubble wrap.  I love bubble wrap.  More specifically, I love popping all the little bubbles one at a time.  Apparently Maya does not like this.  The first few pops intrigued her, the next few startled her, the next few scared her. 

I guess that's partially my fault.  When I first started popping them, she came to investigate.  This was the giant-bubble bubble wrap.  Since she was pretty close to the wrap, I thought it would be funny to pop the bubble right by her, where it would blow a little air in her face.  She did not like this. 

After realizing she was scared of it, I set it on the ground and tried to get her to come check it out, but she wanted nothing to do with it.  She started growling at it and walked way around it.  I felt bad for her, but I couldn't help but laugh. 

Haircut Time?

Time to catch up on some Maya adventures!!

I've decided that Maya needs a harness.  It something I had considered in the past, but hadn't thought about recently.  Then Maya broke her leg.  Then I broke my foot.  Then we've had 40 days of 100+ temperatures.  So what does that have to do with anything?  It means she hasn't gotten regular walks in a LONG time, and she's somewhat forgotten how to walk on her leash.  If we got out to potty, she has no problems.  But if we try to head out for a walk, she gets super-excited and pulls like crazy.  She's choking herself, coughing and gagging, but she won't stop pulling.  A friend took her for a walk the other day, and she suggested a harness.  It should help her not pull, but even if she pulls, she won't be getting choked.  That made sense to me.

The next day, I took Maya to PetSmart to check out the selection.  Maya loves going to PetSmart because she knows they have treats at the register.  Of course, that's the first place she heads (pulling the whole time).  The lady there knows her and bends down to pet her.  The first words out of her mouth?  "Hi there!  Looks like you're going to see the groomer today!"  Um, no.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that sometimes I let her coat get a little too long, but I thinks she looks really cute right now!  Am I right or am I right?

I don't know, but that seems like something you shouldn't ask, kind of like asking someone who's gained a little weight if they're pregnant.  (Ok, it's not that bad :P)

And by the way, they had a horrible selection, so Maya is still harness-less.

New Toys!

I've realized that Maya is like most puppies, meaning she's like a little kid.  And like little kids, she loves getting new toys.  I took her for a haircut a couple of days ago, and unfortunately, I didn't realize until late that night that her ears were lopsided.  :/  I was not happy about having to go back the next day, and she was even less thrilled.  She hates going to the groomer, but I figured a new toy might make it better.  So while I waited for them to finish up evening her out, I decided to take a look around the store.

I've been thinking about getting Maya something new for a while now, but I hadn't decided what.  She already has balls and ropes and other random stuff, and I can't give her any stuffed toys because she tears them open and eats the stuffing.  And that when I stumbled upon the stuffless stuffed animals.  They had the cutest little fox, and I just knew Maya would love it.  I went ahead and got it for her, and I was right, she LOVED it.  In fact, once we got it home, she didn't put it down for almost 2 hours!!  She "hunted" it, dragged it around the house, chewed it up, tried to shake the stuffing out of it (someone beat her to that one!), and everything else dogs do to their toys.  Then she comforted it.  :)

Look what I caught!!

Please be ok! Please be ok! Please be ok!

Puppy Lesson #2 -- Socks

Today, Maya would like to share her tips for successfully stealing socks: 

First, find a good hiding spot.  This needs to be a place the socks will fit, but it is not necessary for you to fit into the hiding spot.  You'll need a way to get your socks in and out quickly, so be sure you can easily get a paw into the space.  If you're a small dog, you have the advantage that your paws are smaller than your person's arm.  Use this to your advantage.

Next, locate socks.  It helps if your person doesn't notice you hunting for the socks.  You can distract her by playing quietly with a toy for a couple of minutes.  That way when you quietly start your hunt, she'll think you're still playing with the toy.  Take as many socks as you can possibly find, and quickly and quietly get them into the hiding spot you previously identified.  Sacrifice quickness for quietness if necessary.  Depending on your size, you may have to take one sock at a time.  That's ok, just stay quiet while you do it so you don't draw any attention to yourself while you go back for the remaining socks.  If there are a lot of socks and it will take you more than a couple of minutes, you might also want to make a quick appearance in front of your person so she doesn't get curious and start looking for you.  Just take the toy you were playing with earlier and play with it in front of her for a few minutes before going back to your sock hunting/hiding.

Finally, play with/chew socks.  You'll have to do this in the open.  Whatever you do, do not do this near your hiding place.  We all know you'll get caught eventually, either because your person will see you or because you're being too quiet and your person will go looking for you.  Either way, if you're near your hiding spot when you get caught, you'll lose all your socks.  If you do this elsewhere, one sock will get taken away, but you still have the rest safely in your hiding spot. 

I hope this helps some of you puppies out there enjoy your socks a little while longer.  Happy hunting!

- Maya