@#$% Daylight Savings Time and So On...

So much to report!

First, why must we do Daylight Savings Time?!! Do you think the puppies understand the whole "fall back" thing? No, they do not and so we get up at 4:15 every morning! The big dogs start it by moving around and then the puppies hear them and start barking. I can tell the big dogs to go back to bed but the puppies do not understand that and when they wake up they need to potty. I just cannot go back to sleep knowing they all need to potty -- it seems mean and imagine the big mess!! And so I get up and start the day at 4:15 -- sigh...

It will be easy to get my own puppy on a schedule but that will have to wait until Madison and Dawson leave on Sunday. I will be thrilled if we could just sleep until 5!

Second, the puppies are doing very well with their Intro to Housetraining. Just a bit ago Zoey Rosebud stood on the x-pen and whined, and so I picked her up and took her out where she ran off to potty :) This raises an interesting question -- how do we expect puppies to communicate their need to go out? If I have a rule that the puppy cannot come out of the x-pen when s/he is crying, what is s/he supposed to do to tell me that we need to head outside? Send silent ESP messages?! That seems unrealistic!

And so I have the attitude that these are babies and my expectations of them reflect their developmental stage. All those good, adult behaviors will come with time and training, but training has to fit the cognitive and physical abilities of a puppy. I think people forget they are not small dogs -- they are babies, which is very different.

Dawson just whined and paced for the second time in ten minutes. The first time I took him out he sat and ate sticks (!). So he went back to the play area (two x-pens together here in the Great Room). The second time I took all four out and Dawson again played but then he ran off to potty. I could be annoyed that he made me go out twice (don't worry -- I have shoes on today!) but instead I am happy that he is communicating his need to go out. Yes, his attention span is short and he might forget why he is outside but all things in their time :)

The third thing I want to report is that Madison has a forever home. She will be leaving on Sunday with Dawson, and she will live in Port Townsend, Washington with a wonderful couple who recently lost their berner. Madison cannot replace their beloved friend but she can carry on the legacy of love that was left behind. This is a wonderful match for our sweet, happy Madison.

So on Sunday I will pack up Dawson, Madison, Zoey Rosebud, and Asia and head for Spokane where I will be met by the two women who are taking Dawson and Madison back to the Seattle area -- it is like a drug deal only it is legal ;) I want the women to see Asia and Zoey Rosebud so that is why they are going with me -- besides, how boring would it be to ride home and not have a puppy whining?!

Susan asked if we would be at the 2009 BMDCA National Specialty in Portland -- we would not miss it! I expect that we will have at least five of the puppies there. Purna (Kinsey), Zoey Rosebud and Dawson will all likely be shown in the beauty pageant, Peaches (Sula) will be there because she lives in Portland, and Faith (Lolo) and Zoey Rosebud will both be ready to enter the Tracking Test. So another excellent reason to attend the Specialty -- a chance to meet more than half of the F Litter :) Specialties are SO FUN!!! Here is the link for the 2009 Specialty:http://www.bmdca.org/specialty/2009/

The pictures are all from this morning -- I took the puppies on a little hike since I teach later this morning and did not have to rush off to work. Madison is the one with the cute freckles (there are two of her), Faith (Lolo) is running with a stick and we have three of cute Dawson.

Thanks for visiting and I hope your day is going in the best way it can!