In three weeks time, Juney has blossomed into a completely different dog. We’ll just put aside her still very serious skull condition for a while, since we can’t do anything to change that. It has been a while since I have had a puppy in the house. I had to readjust my thinking and movements, get back into the puppy mode. Juney is still too small to be set free on the floor and expected to walk anywhere. And my other dogs still have not adjusted to this puppy invading their space. So Juney is mostly carried everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not crippled. In fact, I am delighted that her legs are now quite sturdy. She literally dances a jig when she is put on her puppy pad to do her business. But she’s still too little to have the run of the house. Disgusting as I know this sounds, let’s talk about worms. There are three: hook, round, and tape, and puppies very often get all three. Just go ahead and get tested for them all. The medication is simple. Get it done right up front. Save yourself some grief and extra vet visits. I’m sure you all get w
hat I’m saying. ;-) Juney is being crate-raised / crate-trained. I don’t know that I believe in this method. It actually sounds quite cruel, probably because I have claustrophobia. But her numerous medical conditions required that I keep her with me for constant nurturing and medication. So her headquarters is a little purple kennel crate. It is about 10 x 16, more than enough room for her. The heating pad fits perfectly in the bottom. Because she is still on timed feedings, she comes to work with me every day. She has progressed from every two hours to every four hour feedings. I’m sure it won’t be long before she can go the whole day (with some dry food in a little dish for a snack). And then we can cut these apron strings. My boss has been unbelievably generous about me bringing a dog to work every day. Luckily, Juney is so quiet during the day. The total amount of time I spend administering to Junebug is probably less than 30 minutes, but she’s here all day, every day. Most employers would not tolerate that. How lucky am I? Actually, it is wonderful having this little love-bug at work with me. When I find myself alone, I pull her out of her crate, take her to her spot for a quick potty break, then spend a few minutes rocking her in my swivel desk chair. She soon falls back to sleep and gets returned to her crate.
Those little times make my maternal instincts quiver.
Let’s be honest. Junebug is not beautiful. She is not the most handsome specimen for her breed. But she is cute as a bug (pun intended). She gets smarter every day. And, hopefully, she gets healthier every day. Let me take just a minute to ask a question about dog eating. Why do (some) dogs take a mouthful of food (wet canned food and/or dry kibbles) out of their bowl, walk away from the bowl, and eat the food a little way away from their food bowl? My other dogs do this and Junebug is also doing it instinctively. Drives me a little bit crazy and makes me a lot curious. I’d love to know the answer t
o this. For this article I wanted to have a lot of photos, all different poses, showing her growth progress. Well now that she’s become a squirmy little puppy, it is all the more impossible to handle her one-handed and handle my camera one-handed. Most of these shots were taken on my bed with her on a blanket in my lap. Being out of her crate, on my bed, in the evening is her time to wiggle and squiggle all over the place. I wish I had a photo of her latest and greatest social accomplishment. My smallest Pom, Harley, is the doggie version of Norma Desmond. For those not familiar with that wonderful movie character, Harley is the consummate drama queen. And he is supremely disgruntled at this uninvited dog-thing invading his spot as Baby of the Household. I do my best to give Harley tons of extra hugs and kisses, but he is not fooled, not one bit. Of all my dogs, Harley has been least gracious to Juney, even snarling and snapping at times. So I was quite surprised last night when Harley was right at the crate door when I took Juney out for her evening visit. Even as I opened the grill door, Harley jumped into the crate with Juney. I fought my initial instinct to grab Harley by the hindquarters and drag him out. I think I did something like pet Harley’s body and talk gently, the whole time (maybe six seconds) hoping Juney would not get her head bit off. Harley backed out of the crate on his own. I quickly and smoothly reached in and extracted Juney. Then Harley cautiously came over and sniffed Juney’s genital area, something that had never happened before. I don’t know what it means, but it didn’t end in a fight. Harley got a lot of hugs and sweet-talk. Juney commenced to dancing around on her blanket as if nothing happened, and I thanked the Lord for tiny victories. Okay, before this article gets ridiculously long, let me ask you knowledgeable people how you deal with puppy biting. Well, chewing, actually. I’ve had this problem before with other puppies, and was advised by the breeder to deliver a quick and firm finger tap to the snout and a loud and stern “No Bite!” It works quite well, eliminating this habit in 1-2 weeks, depending on the intelligence of the puppy. Well, as you can imagine, I’m not about to hit/thunk/tap any part of Junebug’s head. Her favorite thing to chew on is anyone’s hand. Play-with-me time always includes finger and hand chewing, which gets more painful as she gets stronger and bolder. She has chew toys and rawhide stix, which distract momentarily. But nothing is more enticing than chewing on the person playing with her. Do you think she’ll grow out of this common puppy habit on her own? Any secret methods to handle this problem that don’t include head banging?
Okay, if we go with the age originally quoted to me, Junebug is now a little over three months. Head trauma aside, she has systematically overcome hypothermia, dehydration, all the worms, an ulcer in one eye, being a preemie, lung congestion, and being dropped onto a cement floor.Oh, I didn’t tell you about that one. The original dog owner let me know – a few days AFTER I took the dog – that Junebug had been dropped onto a cement floor the day before I got her.Another little news flash reported AFTER I took the dog – all of the other pups in that litter have died. None of them ever received puppy shots, most of them contracted severe diarrhea, at least one of them died from seizures. Head trauma aside, I’d say that Junebug is doing quite well. She acts, eats, yips, and smells like a real dog. She voices her displeasure loud and clear. She mercifully falls asleep soon after a half hour of lively play. One can of dog food lasted nine days when I first got her. Now she can empty 2 cans a week (she eats like a PIG!). She knows her name. She proudly and dutifully goes peep and poop and then waits for the resulting praise. (I must say, it’s just so seldom I get to discuss dog poop in a formal article.) She looks you straight in the eye and waits to see what life will be like in your arms, then gives you a firm puppy kiss and/or bite if you take too long to please her.
I must admit, this commitment had taken an exorbitant amount of money and time. I can’t be the only one who thinks that vet charges have become outrageous, much on the scale of gasoline prices. And it feels like Junebug and I are attached at the hip. Truly, I must be the only Harry Potter fan on the planet who has not finished even a third of this last book; no time to read with puppy in hand. So to sum up this update, I think Junebug will be with us for a while. How long? For as long as our luck holds out. She doesn’t have a cloudless sky ahead of her, but we can definitely see the sun s
hining.
Junebug and I would like to dedicate this article to my dear friends Debbie G. and Tonia G., and their wonderful dog Buddy. Buddy is struggling with some severe medical problems right now. Your prayers and positive thoughts for this wonderful guy are greatly appreciated.
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Comments: 38
* It did it again. I carefully double spaced between all of my paragraphs --- and this Gather publishing format deleted all of those returns. Everything is going to run together in one great big jumble. So sorry about that.
* I used some of these photos to give you a better view of Junebug's bone deformity in her head. I honestly don't see it that much --- till I looked at this last batch of photos. I'm not trying to be graphic. But I thought it would be helpful if you could better see what all the fuss was about.
Thanks so much for reading. And Juney sends her puppy love.
I have found crate training a wonderful method. Correctly used as it sounds you are instinctively doing, there is a real advantage in actual bladder control training. Also it is a secure den that many dogs love to retreat to all of their lives. Great article and update. Thank you for mentioning Buddy, and keeping him in your prayers.
I also believe that crate training is a great thing, especially for their safety. Can you imagine how it would be to have to quickly evacuate with a dog who cries excessively when put in a carrier.
Anyway, this is ever so sweet, and bless you for the rescue.
I managed to find myself a new pet this summer as well. Well he found ME.
Tonia and Debbie, still praying for Buddy
I'll add Buddy and Junebug to my prayer list.
Again, thank y'all for reading.
As for the crate: as long as you don't keep her in the crate for long periods of time she should be fine. It sounds like you are getting her out frequently for exercise, relief, and loving. As Debbie mentioned, many crate trained dogs use it as a kind of den even after the initial need for it is gone. With one of our dogs, once she was potty trained and allowed the run of the house, we kept the door of the crate open and she would often go into it on her own to lie down when she wanted to be left alone.
Prayers being sent for her continued health and for Tonia's and Debbie's Buddy.
Pets teach us so much especially the ones we rescue. I look forward to hearing about her progress as time moves on and Yes, you have a great job and I can relate to the jealousies of the other animals. Maybe they all sense the neediness of this lovely little princess and do truly want to help her out.
Have a great week, Miz Pamela - I'm sorry I've not commented on your other works but hopefully by the fall, I'll make up for it. I've been quite busy here in Louisiana.
Many hugs and Bayou Blessings. Salud.
And Miz Mariana, where the heck have you been?!? Enjoying yourself, I hope. You're right. You have a ton of catching up to do. We'll all be watching for your articles and your comments.
Just to guild the lily of this Junebug article, our little girl saw her vet today. No change in the skull bone condition (sigh). Her eye problem is all cleared up. No more twice-a-day salve applications, which she hates. Weight good. Temp normal. No more constant heating pad. Except for the big head problem, all her little puppy things are right in line. So we can all feel a bit better about that. And since I took the day off to accommodate this vet visit, I can now steal the time to take a cozy mid-day nap, one of my luxuries. My wish for all of us is to have at least one good luxury a week.
Now my boss has another chore for me, so I'm gone.
We'd have all the tiki torches and lamps lit to ward off all those uninvited skeeters.
C&W music over the speakers, but not loud enough to drown out conversation.
I'd have several tall pitchers of my famous margaritas waiting to pour. I make mine with Cuervo Gold, a splash of Amaretto, and the essential fresh lime juice. Salted glass rim is your choice.
Plenty of my family's famous guacamole with crispy corn tortilla chips.
Non-stop trays of nachos. As hors d"oeuvres, these are not the typical "super-nachos". But a blend of three cheeses and jalopenos (light on the peppers for my yankee friends).
The main course would be charcoal grilled beef fajitas served taco-style with homemade flour tortillas.
And for those who like it, crisp roasted cabrito.
Our feasting and partying would end with a dessert choice: "pickled" watermelon (soaked in vodka) or my mom's homemade Fredericksburg peach ice cream. I'm saving a big bowl of that just for you.
No big lake for swimming like Lisa had. A pool would have to do.
Now that the flooding rain has stopped in Texas, I think we need some serious partying.
Well, its gone back to raining here in San Antonio. I cannot remember having such a wet summer. Still hot, but now wet and muggy.
In honor of this latest downpour, when we do finally have our big Gather blowout (even if its just in my imagination), I've changed the menu to a big fish fry. Trout and catfish will head the menu. And since we're frying, we'll have a separate vat of oil for the home fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings. Gotta have cole slaw, not my grandma's famous German version with hot oil and bacon bits, but the cool crisp creamy version, slightly sweet and tangy. For nibbles we'll have a huge shrimp cocktail tray, and then down at the other end of the buffet table we'll have a giant bowl of my daddy's shrimp salad for guests to spoon on salteens. Sorry, I don't know how to shuck oysters. Now with this much seafood swimming around, we've got to have icy-cold beer and bloody marys; its a must. I'm still thinking about dessert. Y'all let me know what you want. Don't worry, its still in our imagination, so we can go hog wild.
But even an imaginary party is still A PARTY!!!
I think your dog is cute. Your dog is lucky to have your care and compassion. One way to stop biting is to use lemon or lime juice. Put it on things she nips on and this should break her from this habit. You might have to get a few friends to put lemon juice on their hands. The smell alone will be a stopper.
The first thing I do the minute I get home is "potty" all the dogs (this has become a MAJOR issue since I have discovered that small breed dogs don't really give a flip about doing their business outside). I scoop up Junebug out or her pen for tons of cuddles and her 5pm feeding. Once she has a full belly, its on the floor for some play. I liberally rub my hands with fresh lime juice and wait to see what happens. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that JB takes one sniff/like of my sticky hand and sets to work licking the entire hand, fingers and all. Apparently, this is a pure Texas Chi who loves margaritas. I better keep the tequilla away from her.
But if anyone has a sure-fire cure for small breeds who love to do their business in the house, I'd love to hear about it.
If she is soiling her pen, she needs a smaller pen. :)
kennels/crates- good. den animals need a den.
Chewing fingers- bad. Puppies will be depressed if they cannot chew, but it must not be people. By allowing the dog to put his mouth on you like that you are not teaching him not to bite. And if you "obey" him when he bites you for not acting quick enough, he is gaining a position over you.
socialization- good but you need to be aware of what is being "said." All the interactions between your dogs mean something and it might not be what you think. They are the dogs words just like you and i use our words.
Dog language is really fascinating and it is amazing to communicate with your dog in a way that you understand each other. My older dog and I have a lot of fun with this. He is within a few feet of me most of the time just because he like being around me.
here is an interesting article:
http://www.wolfweb.com.au/acd/alpha.htm
here is one that might help, too:
www.ddfl.org/behavior/dog-intros.pdf
thanks for being a good doggie mama!
Junebug went to her vet today for her next Parvo shot and a check-up. The vet understood my hesitation in using the snout tapping for Juney's bitting. She suggested loud noises. A strong "No" from my own voice. Shaking a jar of coines near Juney's ears. A sharp rap of a folded newspaper. Its worth a try.
I got a real treat just yesterday. For the first time Junebug definitely responded when I called her name. Whatever her age is, I've only had her a few weeks. And I hate to admit it but she may not be too bright. So I'm delighted that she responds to the word "Junebug".
The vet was delighted with her physical progress. She is still under-size / under-weight, but catching up. Her eye ulcer is completely healed.
We are also making progress with her interaction with the other dogs. We now play with her in the comopany of the older dogs. She still annoys them when she pounces and chews on them (as puppies will), but she has learned that a swift snap and snarl from these bigger dogs means BACK-UP, which she does. There's no fear or resentment on her part. She might be safer if she would keep her distance. But she gets too much enjoyment out of her infrequent playtime with her "giant" friends. And please understand my tongue-in-cheek use of the word "giant". I have one Chihuahua and two Poms. Only to Junebug are these giants. So it is all controlable.
I will definitely read your suggested articles. I will gladly accept all the help I can get. Thanks so much.
What she has learned is to CAREFULLY bite at them and then RUN. She still gives all humans plenty of "love bites" and thinks nothing of it.
I'm hoping our other dogs will do their part in training her OUT of this biting phase.
Thanks Marge for your practical suggestion.
I commend you for rescuing your pets. I do that myself I have had two pets from a pet store and they had some really quirky behavior that makes you wonder if they were from a puppy mill and what actually they endured. This is the first I've heard about JB. I happened upon her videos and had to check out your articles. I will need to go back further to see what her skull condition is. I hope she lives a long, happy and healthy life.
I had one toy poodle who would life his leg on my bichon poo's head while she was sniffing out an area to mark of her own.
Dog's are fascinating and their personalities are so different from one another.
Is JB still biting hands when playing? If so, you may want to grab her favorite chew toy when you are playing and when she starts biting the hand quick hand her the chew toy.
Biting? She's actually better. Oh, just a tiny bit better, but she let it slip that she knows what those words (No Bite!) mean. She turns her head when we say her name "Junebug". She does a tiny freeze when we say No Bite! And I took another Gather member's adivce and let her play more with my other dogs. Dog language being what it is, they have managed to relay to her that they will gladly bite her little leg off if she doesn't stop biting them. She now nips and runs. I'm hoping that by the end of the month she may have given up the nipping all together.
What I have heard about poodles: They are very intelligent, loyal, and generate huge expensive monthly grooming bills. Its those hairdos, girl. My hair should look so good. You've got to be very secure about your looks to get a dog who is going to look better than you on any given day. With your signature icon, I'm guessing you look good all the time. I'll bet you give your poodles a run for their money.
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