10/9/98 - the basics. After two weeks of adoption and officially turning three months on October 8, it's safe to say that the daily routine has certainly been stood on its head. Housebreaking training continues and had been making great progress until the last three days of rain - peeing and pooping outside when it's wet out there definitely is not high on the hit parade, despite out every hour on the hour we come in and then do it . She is in love with her cuddle bed for both sleep and play, and sleeps through the night just fine - no lonelies it would appear. An extra towel or two makes it even more interesting. Toys are wonderful - Henry the Hedgehog was one of the first and is still a favorite despite having his nose bit off so he now has an air leak and consequently doesn't squeak anymore. Sleeping Snoopy has moved in and is a little softer so he's easier to squeak while being rastled about - even though when it happens it's a major event that originated from the unknown. Binky (in reality a dish towel) is great to both snuggle into (since it paid a visit at the kennel and smells like home) and give a good rat to - and boy, can she rat.
        Chew bones have been popular new puppy presents from Uncle Alan and Aunt Toni (not related or even known to each other), and very much enjoyed. Auntie Hazel crocheted her a nifty sweater - if you want a good challenge in life try getting four pounds of squirming fur into one. Success is much worth it though....
        Nature provides great diversions also - every leaf, twig and snapper in her path are there just for her. She mightily defended the kitchen from a multi-legged creepy crawly at three in the morning, and a daddy longlegs spider in the run outside was just not welcome at all. By the way - not too shabby accommodations: the run is fully appointed in AstroTurf (four pounds of pooch poops on a hundred and twenty bucks of AstroTurf).
        Since things are still in the unpredictable mode Puffin spends her time either in the kitchen or Ginny's room. Ginny's room has neat things to explore and experience. It didn't take long to discover "under the bed", and that she can clear under it at a deadout fullspeed run. The next discovery was the briefcase zippers that can be pulled back and forth providing she's not defending the world from the briefcase (nasty thing). Most wondrous is the spring doorstop on the baseboard. A good swipe of the paw sends it twanging like no tomorrow, which of course requires a good long dissertation in puppyese.
        Jaws are very active - anything is a candidate to be chewed, by (very sharp) puppy teeth. She's learning that fingers, sneakers (she has a love affair with Ginny's sneakers and slippers), ears, hair, buttons. zippers, and standard household items aren't appropriate teething tools....and anything composed of nylon webbing is just captivating.
        All in all she's done a wonderful job over the last two weeks training her humans (despite the humans' efforts in the opposite direction), and the humans love every minute of it.

10/18/98 - Puffin has been in her new home for three weeks now, and we're doing wonderfully well training each other. It looks like there's progress in the housebreaking department - us reading her signals and Puffin giving them (for three months not bad, really). The rest of the hours in the days are full of playing, snoozing and snuggling. She's learned that a little less squirming can lead to a nice snuggle and snooze in someone's arms or lap. If that doesn't work Ginny's sneakers or slippers will suffice (I have yet to figure out how she can untie double knots with her teeth but she does). Speaking of teeth - sharp little fangs she has...and the jaws are getting stronger as she grows (and she has - by another pound, plus it looks like a few inches), so learning manners has become high on the priority list - no biting or jumping (right now she's winning the argument). Anything that comes along is fair game to be chewed.
        Playtime is of course a full-time occupation. Anything that moves, especially bugs, is just wonderful. She was introduced to a round thing called a ball today, and just couldn't figure out why when it gets bopped with a nose or a paw it moves. No matter - we go attack it anyway and by all means give it heck. She seems to have come equipped with a super-strong fetching instinct - it's become a very much in-demand game with either Rover or Snoopy - always at a flat-out gallop, which when executed on the tile floor sets things up for sliding into home on a regular basis. Whatever is tossed across the room is chased and brought back full tilt, either to Ginny or back to bed. Of course giving it up is a different matter, but after a good argument over it she's ready for the next round. Tug of war with the tug rope or knotted sock gets the juices flowing real good too. When all else fails we chew - in three weeks about four rawhides have seen better days, Henry's and Rover's noses are gone and Snoopy's is next on the list.
        Airplanes are just great to concentrate on (especially when you're outside and supposed to be concentrating on something else). We happen to live in the flight path of the county airport and from day one she has been fascinated - as soon as she hears one, it's watched (or listened to if she's inside) until it's out of sight and ear shot. Twanging the spring doorstops (mean old things) will get things riled up still......and the mean doggy in the TV screen (her reflection when it's off) just has to be told off in no uncertain terms.
        When life has her confined to the kitchen  her bed is just fine, thank you - there's little doubt that she will have dug through to the basement before Christmas. Should that become boring she'll drag the extra towel to where ever she feels like parking on the floor and settle herself in (heaven forbid she should be on the bare tile floor). Toys have found their own home in "Puffin's Basket"  which gets followed and guarded like glue- and dragging toys out by choice is part of the fun. Of course we haven't yet perfected the putting-them-back part....... And of course growing up means learning to cope with all of those other pesky things like being brushed - that's ok as long as she has one brush to chew on as a decoy while Ginny does the job with another (brushes and brooms seem to have some magic dog-magnetism that I don't know about - she literally glues herself to them) - she seems to rather enjoy it under those circumstances, and comes up so soft and shiny......cleaning eyes and teeth isn't quite as acceptable, but we're working on it. And of course it's time to learn manners and the basics - "no" and "stay" are making a bit of a dent, as is of course "good Puffin" - which generally sets off a ten minute squirming session. Barking isn't up on the common task list unless she's playing - defending us from the mean old doorstop, the doggy in the TV, any creepy crawly that has the misfortune of showing its body to her, or giving Henry, Rover or Snoopy heck. Doorbells or door-knocking haven't registered - watchdog she aint. That doesn't mean she doesn't talk - she does, up a storm. The grunts and whimps (and grins) and woofs and snorts go on and on. Life isn't too bad. Wee black doggy with black eyes can tend to set off some confusion - when she's curled up we have more than once found ourselves talking to the wrong end. When she's awake the shoe button eyes just sparkle - and she has perfected the dirty look routine without a problem.
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10/26/98 - Well, we've all made for a whole month!  Puffin has settled in as part of the family without doubt. We're getting the hang of what going out means but it will still take some time. This week brought a lot of new discoveries and things.....first was getting used to her collar ID tag. She spent a whole evening doing her best to "catch" it  (did you ever try to bite something hanging under your chin?)...but eventually realized that it wasn't the awful thing she thought in the beginning. At least now the rattle of the tag against the leash ring gives us a little bearing on where she is. The next big discovery was the dishwasher...very definitely DOES NOT like it when it's running. Each evening after supper finds us playing fetch (her retrieving instinct runs deep) in the kitchen, and the night the dishwasher was running each return trip was the long way around to keep as much distance between her and the meany as possible. The UPS man brought a few more goodies for life....a "beanbag" bed for in Ginny's room - just her size with a sheep-plush cover, now known as Puffin's Pod, and quite acceptable, thank you. It isn't quite amenable to playing and sleeping on at the same time - she tends to fall off, but that doesn't seem to deter her. Along with the pod came a compatriot for Rover, who has lost one ear and a nose and is ready to donate the next ear....Quincy has now become a buddy too, a gray plush Koala Booda Chew, with squeaker. The only slight problem is that Quincy is easily half as big as she is....not that that dampens the spirit at all. She has managed to pick him up and carry him around, providing she doesn't trip over him. She also now has her official Puffin dishes.....regular shallow pet feeders, which means she doesn't go in past her eyebrows in human bowls......obviously a success since she's eating and drinking twice as much it seems.
        Belly rubs are very much in demand, and she loves to sleep belly up, contorted in more different directions at once than you can imagine. She accepts being brushed quite well, and we're about to initiate the nail trimming habit which should be quite interesting. She very much knows when she's being scolded.... after an accident yesterday she was in her bed, and still catching some flak, so she very nicely stuck her head under the towel and Quincy, thank you. Life is just grand as long as someone's loving or playing with her.....fetch is I think the all time favorite - I tried to outlast her the other night but gave up after fifty minutes. She was still going strong. Tug of war ranks right up there too......and of course when all else fails, chew.
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11/1/98 - Life in Pufferpuppydom continues to be pretty good from all indications. The routine is settling in very well, especially for a little thing not yet four months old. Without a doubt, balls have become the toy of choice. Snoopy's squeaker has gotten quite weak, and his nose is now white instead of black; another rawhide bit the dust, and Rover's ear is hanging on by a thread -literally. Quincy is a good pal, even if he is almost her size. Given the option Ginny's slippers and sneakers are still favorites, but they're kind of tough to get hold of these days.
    We're working hard on learning some manners - not to bite/chew humans or human possessions; not to jump (up on people or over the guard gate) - down, stay, - the good old usuals. It's a little difficult to tell if progress is being made since without a doubt Puffin does have a rather stubborn streak.....
Leaves and bugs are still absolutely infatuating, as are airplanes. Watching TV is a pretty nifty pastime too. Belly ribs are still top priority...and the favorite sleeping position, especially in the nest, is belly-up. She spends half of her life upside down.
    This week saw her join the ranks of crate crew....the crate being housed in Ginny's room so life isn't as awful as it could be. After spending the first evening playing fetch by tossing the ball into the crate for her to get it she accepted it quite nicely and now trots in and out at will; it harbors her bed, so things are nice and cozy. It has provided dry and clean nights since it's arrival, so we are well on the way in that department.
    Puffin had her first visitor during the week, the nice human that crocheted her a sweater as her new puppy present. This time Hazel provided her first "cookie" - a Purina 1 biscuit, which was great fun chomping down, without a crumb left. Took a little while for those little puppy teeth to bulldoze through it especially since it was from Dory's cookie jar (and Dory happens to be a beautiful Golden Retriever)....but that didn't stop her.
    Tug of war and fetch can be played by the hour, fetch being preferable - she returns like a homing pigeon. She would be a wonderful candidate for a soccer team....swatting the ball around with the paws and then chasing it down is just wonderful. If the kick technique fails to amuse then we nose nudge...tends to go farther with that method. And of course the drop works well too - pick it up with the mouth and swing it for all your worth to see where it lands. The jaws seem to never get tired....
    And of course, each day must include a good share of snuggle time - naps on Ginny are preferable to bed or nest no matter how comfy each of them may be. The puppyese of grunts, snorts, squeaks and such is quite something - there is no doubt that she does her best to talk. The look on her face when you talk back is quite something too. Grins are quite common, and the warm, soft, pink tongue is usually pretty busy.

11/8/98 - Today  marked Puffin's four-month-old birthday, and she celebrated by having a day with no indoor accidents. Needless to say her humans were quite appreciative. Joining the crate-crew has provided clean and dry nights, just as long as someone rallies to get her out by 6am - that's as long as a little Puffin can make it, which is pretty darn good. She is becoming quite her own little personality - exhibiting a good stubborn streak when she chooses to, but over all being the smooch and love that only a puppy can be. She's had a bit of an exciting week - at least in the present department. Her Aunt Ellen and Uncle Alan (by their own announcement) gave her a brass bone ID tag professionally engraved by them, along with a semi-lifetime supply of rawhide chew bones just her size. Heidi's mom Elaine was up visiting from North Carolina and brought a squeaky boot from Heidi (a German Shepherd) and Kris (Heidi's human), which has given her quite a challenge since it's about as big as her head, not that that deters her.... and Aunt Toni arrived for the third time with another present - (consequently spoiling her rotten) a hard rubber jingle ball, which has become a right-up-there favorite (since balls appear to be the most preferred toy this week). Indoor sports have evolved over the toy basket and bed - no matter how many times toys are put back in either place (leaving a few out to play with of course) - ALL items, including towels and pillows MUST be removed and dithered all over the floor, no exceptions. Her pod has become a multi-purpose entertainment and comfort tool - when in the attack mode it's an overgrown chew ball that gets dragged all over or run down and tackled. If it's nap time then it's just fine to snuggle into and then roll belly up - nicely supportive for sleeping on a doggy back without rolling all over. If it's attack time in the kitchen, it turns into a live hockey puck as she lands on it and slides across the room. And this dog being no dummy  - it's the perfect portable bed that she drags into the sun to curl up and bake on. It's also nice when it's placed where the TV is viewable - she has become a couch potato and watches quite diligently.
    The household did have a compromise - while in general Puffins aren't allowed on furniture, the exception has been made for Ginny's bed, and Puffin has decided that it's not too bad a place to plaster in next to a human body and have a nap - or to race around on and terrorize the trying-to-sleep human. Speaking of racing - we still can't quite comprehend the speed at which four legs can go (or two when digging) - and her honorary godfather dubbed her four-feet-drive, which is much more effective on carpeted surfaces compared to smooth floors. And the tail goes just as fast, although it hasn't had a speed definition yet.
    She is being taught her manners although the learning curve still has a ways to go - we are making some progress on no, down and stay....and of course things like "good Puffin" and "do you have to go out" are making some headway too. She speaks in her own language quite readily - a most interesting collection of squeals, grunts, groans, snorts and whimps.....one really has to wonder what that puppyese means. She is getting used to being brushed regularly and this week managed to survive that awful time called having your toenails clipped - but really did quite well (not that she had much choice considering that she was being held down by Aunt Toni while Ginny attempted the task). She has learned leash walking quite well and loves to go for tours around the neighborhood. And of course the most favored time above all is that when it's nap time and there's a pair of arms ready to receive......
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11/15/98 - Well, our little critter is definitely starting to become more of a dog compared to a puppy...while there are still very much many puppy traits her expression is emerging more, and her features becoming more defined (still very cute, trust me). She still rolls and tumbles but is much more sturdy and secure on her feet, and in her attitude. We've had a very good week in the house-training department, with accidents being more the exception than the rule, a very welcome reversal from what it had been. She is making good progress in learning her manners and basic commands. The daily schedule has settled in pretty securely and she seems quite happy and content.
    Playtime is of course the most important ongoing activity of the day, with perhaps the exception of snuggling - she honestly would rather do either one than eat. We've started to discover what puppy biscuits are, and having a "cookie" now before bed is quite acceptable, thank you. The teeth may be willing but the jaws aren't still quite up to snuff, so Ginny cracks them up for her, which sets off a fit of squirming that rivals all. Speaking of teeth - we think she's starting to teethe, given her age and the predictions, as well as actions. While chewing has always been a major pastime, there just has to be something in her mouth now no matter what, and it's fine if it's something soft, like a towel, blanket, quilt, shirt...you get the picture. And while the jaws may not be quite strong enough to tackle puppy biscuits, they certainly can do a number on humans...all accidentally of course as we play, but they are something to reckon with (and avoid). And, they regularly retire her toys....Henry and Snoopy have both been given proper burials, and she's doing well massacring the big boot from Heidi (see last week's update). They have been replaced with a squeaky pork chop (every self-respecting dog needs a squeaky pork chop) and a Galaxy ball...puchased without really thinking, since it's about one-and-a-half times bigger than her head. That, however, does not deter her....it's a big squeaky ball with a whole bunch of nubbies all over it, and she grabs on to those and hauls it back. It's squeak is enough to be heard in Kansas from here (New York) which just send her into orbit. The rest of the time she punts it around with a paw or nose.
    Regular balls continue to be the favorite..especially her Jingle ball. She's turned into quite the shortstop - part of the game now is to get it past her when rolling it versus throwing, and it's quite a challenge. She also has a mini-soccer ball in honor of Kristen, Heidi's mom - which should be too big for her to get into her mouth but she does, and can make it squeak. That gets manipulated by a combination of nose and paw bunts and carrying. Soft toys are tossed, and she's coming close to catching them in midair - it won't be long before she's outfielding as well as infielding. The one thing she hasn't figured out how to catch is the reflection of light that sometimes glints off of her ID tag...just can't understand how that gets away all the time.
    She's discovered that snuggling into Ginny's side on the bed after breakfast and taking a nap isn't too hard to surrender to, and if she can't manage to worm her way up onto the bed then Ginny's slippers or sneakers are still much in demand, both to sleep on and to try to heist for a good chew (although that doesn't go over too well on the human side). Pod is a multipurpose solution - great for a nap, since it can be pulled into the sunshine, wonderful to drag and rat around even if it is three times her size, great for taking flying leaps to land on, and even better if it's in the kitchen so that the combination slides across the room. Walks with Mom outside are delightful, and reports have it that she covers three times as much ground as Mom due to zigzagging all over so as to not miss a sniff anywhere. She's learned her leash manners very well. Next milestone will be some house freedom - her curiosity is becoming strong and she'll occasionally make a break for it and run like the wind.
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11/23/98- Hard to think how time flies along. Puffin has definitely rounded the bend in the house-training department - a whole week plus with no accidents, which at 18 weeks everyone who's anyone in the dog world that we know say is really quite impressive. She's gotten very good at letting us know when it's time, as well as usually doing good when she's taken out every three hours or so. Since she's been doing so well she' started to have a little supervised run of the house - and oh how we love to explore!! She also now has free range in her run during the day when she goes out, since she now understands what she's out there for. At night it's a different story - the BugHunter awakens within her and unless she's encouraged she'd hunt bugs (although most of them appear to be imaginary) all night long rather than take care of business.
        She continues to make out like a bandit in the gift department.....toys abound. Rover is rapidly approaching retirement so she received a fleece bone with a squeaky in it to begin the replacement transition today. Rover was her very first toy and we had it with us when we brought her home - she has slept with it every night, and is still the one she returns to when the chips are down, so when Rover really goes it will be a bit traumatic. She is still devoted to full time play - fetching is even better than ever, and she is quite the shortstop and soccer forward. She is also coming close to starting to catch soft toys in mid-flight so it looks like we'll add left-fielder to the talent list soon.
        Puffin started teething this week. It's a cross between humorous and pathetic - you can tell that she's got some sore spots in there and maybe some itches....she goes into episodes of rooting anything and anywhere with her snoot, as well as rubbing her muzzle with her paws, and is quite happy to have you scratch or massage her chops. Always the player and chewer, she now just absolutely HAS to have something in her mouth....preferably something soft. She will still go for the rawhide chews and bones but most of the time it's the fleecies or Binkie, or an old washcloth. Most nights she gets a "cookie" - a Milk Bone, before bed, but between teething and the jaws still not quite strong enough to crack them up it gets a bit frustrating. She sucks it in until just the tip is sticking out by her nose...sucking and drooling and gumming it around, but not able to crunch it. She then gets antsy and starts running around whimpering with it...but of course won't give it up so someone can help break it up for her. In the end we give in and it gets cracked apart for her.....and oh boy does it taste good. Slimey by then, but good.
        She now weighs a whole five pounds. Her coat has grown some in these weeks but appears to have reached it's max...she looks like a shaggy Cocker. She does like to be brushed as long as she has a brush to chew on at the time...and she comes up so silky and shiny you just want to sit there and look. She loves to be "massaged"....not scratch or stroked, but really rubbed....and will whimp and grunt and squeal all through it. Get her really going and she loves to laugh....the mouth just opens to catch the breeze as though you can hear her chuckling.

11/30/98- This was quite an eventful week . Wednesday Uncle Alan came to visit, bearing gifts of course. He'd known that Puffin  was in love with her "cookies" but that Ginny had to help her by cracking up her MilkBone since the jaws weren't quite strong enough to crunch them when they're whole, and that we were having a hard time finding the real puppy biscuit type, so his solution was a box of Recipe Flavor Snacks.....adorable little T-shaped things much more amenable to Puffin-size jaws and teeth (more about those later) - solved the problem just fine, thank you, and of course to prove it Uncle Alan decided that Puffin had to sample one of each flavor (beef, cheese and liver). Since Uncle Alan also has a lot of doggy knowledge and experience he was a wonderful gentleman and trimmed her nails (although Puffin was re-evaluating her opinion of him during this venture), which of course necessitated having another cookie when all was done for being so good (she really was, not that she had much choice since Ginny had her pretty well hog-tied).
        Thursday found her having another round of cookies for her Thanksgiving treat - no arguments on that decision. Friday was oh, such a stressful day - time to go see Dr. Relyea for her real check-up and next set of shots, and then some. Dr. Relyea is the friend of a another good friend, so she had been hearing about Puffin for a while, and greeted her with "Oh! This is PUFFIN!" - but to be quite honest Puffin didn't care a flying hoot and just wanted the whole thing over with. She had a rather uncomfortable visit - her fourth set of puppy shots, her rabies shot, her first Lyme shot, her ears cleaned out (and we now have drops to use each day since her ears are very much Cocker-like and therefore prone to infection), her butt trimmed up to help stay clean (and I mean TRIMMED - must be a bit drafty back there right now), and was started on FrontLine to ward off the mean old tickies and fleas (she celebrated her two-month anniversary with us by having Ginny pull of an engorged little sucker - but not a deer tick - on Thursday). She came home a pooped little puppy, and a bit bedraggled, but after a nap and snuggle seemed to pick even though they advised us that she'd probably be a bit funky for the night. She was ok during the evening, but then about 11pm started having chills and obviously was a sick little puppy....she spent the night snuggled in Ginny's arms to ease the nasties, and by morning was much better, back to her old self. Ginny, however was rather bedraggled by this time.
        She's doing wonderfully well in the house-breaking department - it looks like we've got that under control. That means that she gets some free run through the house several times a day.....Saturday morning's exploration was just grand. The phone rang, and Mom got side-tracked, all of a sudden coming too that a certain puppy hadn't been seen for a while and was awfully quiet....sure, she was happy as a clam dragging the light blue yarn from Mom's stitchery project all over the living room. Not entirely her fault though - her toys are kept in a basket on the the floor, and the yarn was in a basket on the floor, and yes, she does have to learn the difference, but Mom had been warned......and in case you're wondering, she looked adorable draped in light blue.
        Her fleece bone with squeaker has become a hit - Rover is still hanging in but not by much. She should be forever grateful to Dr. Relyea, since I'd noted that I was pretty sure Puffin was teething - you bet. Quite to Dr. Relyea's surprise she has about half of her second teeth in - even though we haven't found any puppy fangs anywhere (she suspects they've been buried in her chew toys). So, with the advice that Puffin will teethe until she's about six months old, the good doctor gives her a bona fide prescription....for plenty of chew toys. Why don't human doctors think like that????
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12/7/98 - Puffin without a doubt is growing up. This week was quite active in the dental department - the vet had warned us that she was teething (not that we hadn't figured that one out...) - so to just be sure that we knew it she merrily spit out a molar out last Monday, and then apparently the mate to it on Thursday, and then one of her lower "fangs" on Saturday. Of course the puppytooth fairy came each night - a new chew stick for the first one and then a cookie for the next ones. Of course we now have one problem - since the fang came out she can't get a grab on to any of her vinyl toys or a ball of any size. Since they are still the favorites that makes play time rather frustrating. If it was possible for her to chew any more determinedly on anything that isn't nailed down and even what is, she's doing it - first it was a preference for soft things, now hard. She has cut quite a few teeth, and now when her mouth is open you see that darling row of pearly whites. Helps us tell which end is which (we still tend to talk to the wrong end when she's all curled up - wee black doggies can tend to confuse the casual observer).
        She has had some more run in the house, and has been testing her turf with a couple of deposits, but has gotten the message and it appears that the housetraining has been accomplished. It's possible to walk a continuous circle in the interior of our home, and it didn't take her long to figure that one out. She now goes on laps at top speed - and I do mean speed. You know that something has gone by but you haven't got a clue what. In the process of this she also discovered that toys can be taken out of Ginny's/Puffin's room without it earning a reprimand....the first try took her three steps out into the hall and before turning around to see if she was in trouble. Since she apparently wasn't, she trotted back in then trotted out to the edge of the kitchen. Since this still didn't cause a problem she tagged home plate and then pranced around the house dragging the pink washcloth, looking as absolutely proud as any not-quite-five-month-old puppy can. Since it worked with the pinky the next step was to practice it with the chewstick - and that worked just as well, thank you.
        The next great accomplishment was learning how to climb (drastically understated - leap is closer to it) onto Ginny's bed (the only piece of furniture that she has dispensation for) using Pod and the footstool. It only took one lesson in the three step process for it to sink in and she was laying claim to the bed....getting down though was a little different story. If there was something she was after then it was no sweat - but if she had cause to stop and think about it then it took fifteen minutes to work up the courage to go down the way she came up. That lasted for about three days - now she just goes into hangglide and doesn't think twice. If the footstool isn't in place for her coming up is a bit tough - she tried her darndest to get a boost from Pod but just can't quite get those back legs where they need to be - yet. This whole scheme has opened up another wonderful action - waking Ginny up in the morning. It used to be just the two front paws up on the edge of the bed with a head bobbing along with them - now it's a slurp across the face and 6 pounds of livewire furball landing on top of the human. That having been accomplished she would rather worm in and grab a nap than munch on breakfast.....so we enjoy a snuggle together for about two hours (no, Ginny's not complaining).
        Today also was the starting day of switching her over to Iams chow per the vet - they didn't object to the Diamond that she's been raised on so far but felt a little more comfy with Iams since they knew more about it. So, supper tonight began the adding a little of the new in with the old - after she discovered the box of bona fide Iams PUPPY biscuits.......ones that she can actually crunch up herself rather than Ginny having to crack up the MilkBone. If it was possible for a puppy to turn inside out with desire she did - it would appear that Iams will be the preferred chomp on both counts.
        And, we have a little celebrating to do - these web pages of Puffin were accepted by Yahoo! this week.
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12/13/98 - We're still having regular visits from the puppytooth fairy, and Jaws Junior is chewing on anything not nailed down - and even what is. She had a "present" of an empty gift wrap cardboard roll (paper towel and Tissue tubes are among her favorite things) - and in the course of about half an hour had few pieces larger than about an inch left. She just had a ball...and of course so did we picking it all up. The other "fang" came out on her lowers - but at least now she's balanced and life is worth living anew since she can pick up her balls to play with again.
        Puffin has quite laid claim to Ginny's bed, although getting up there still requires the footstool, and if it's not in place oh boy, are we frustrated- first thing after coming in in the morning she's bounding aboard to say good morning - even takes preference over breakfast. After a good roll and tumble she'll generally snuggle in for a nap. Of course bed privileges for her mean no place sacred for Ginny - getting dressed in the morning with Puffin helping is and adventure. She has gotten to know though that not everything is Puffin's - it may take some convincing but she is learning that no and stay mean that she needs to leave it alone - especially Ginny's needlework - and that if she's going to be welcome up there them's the rules. And, a bit sadly - you can tell that she's not quite the puppy versus growing up doggy - she will at times be quite content to sit or lay on or next to Ginny, rather than the non-stop whirling dervish of puppyhood. The payoff for her growing up in that respect is that the preferred resting mode is somehow attached to Ginny - she makes no bones about throwing her whole six pounds around to snuggle in on close connection. And Ginny doesn't really complain.
        The major trial and event of the week was itching - Thursday morning she started scratching anywhere and everywhere....a call to the vet Friday brought the suggestion for her to have a bath (not a bad idea overall - her last one was when she was spiffed up by her kennel mom to come home to us, three months ago) with an oatmeal-based doggy shampoo. Ok, off to the pet store to fetch that....Saturday night found Ginny in the tub with Puffin, who much to our surprise seemed to quite enjoy the whole adventure. She was good as gold, and after a good towel rub down and half an hour was dry enough to be brushed....and oh how shiny, soft and silky. She knew it too - pranced around proud as punch all night long. And it does appear to have calmed the itches some.
        Now she just has to be introduced to the Christmas tree.........

12/20/98 - Oh my, this has been an eventful week. Tuesday was a scheduled return trip to the vet for the second Lyme booster; she also got a good report on ear care so we don't have to squirt the goopy stuff in each day any more - now the task is to use her prescribed ear wash twice a month. Puffin was pronounced a good, healthy puppy - has gained a quarter of a pound (that means 6 1/4 lbs total weight) - and as of the visit had only two puppy teeth left to loose, both of the upper canine "fangs". One of those decided to jump ship Friday night so now we're just waiting for the last one - still rock solid in there. I don't' know what Jaws Junior will use for an excuse when she's done teething - we still are a perpetual chewing machine. It was also recommended that we trim the fur on the bottom of her feet around the pads, especially in the bad weather so it doesn't mat and get wet - leads to nasty infections. The thought had been pondered about trimming the feathers around her feet any way to help things stay a little cleaner - they are like four little dust mops dragging stuff in and around. Her tail had grown quite a nondescript tuft on it - and her eyebrows had anyone wondering if there really were eyeballs under there. So, after investing a good pair of grooming scissors Ginny was the nasty person Saturday and trimmed said areas up a little, very acceptably - now there are four little poodle feet trotting around rather than four shaggy cocker paws, and it's quite refreshing to have eyeballs looking at you again. The tail seems to have a bit of a point on it - needs a little work. We just have to rev up the reserves to hold her still again.
        On the brighter side, Auntie Hazel came for a Christmas visit Wednesday and brought an early Santa present - her favorite treats, and also a most adorable reindeer constructed of MilkBones (it really IS cute...) - and things are a bit frustrating because the reindeer got hung in sniffing-but-not-getting reach. Puffin seems to have (thankfully) outgrown the puppy trait of peeing her greetings to visitors....but still can forget her manners when being allowed to play in the house and has left deposits a few times. Over all though she's doing quite well - and has graduated to being a big dog and during the day goes in her run without being leashed or accompanied. Night time is still chaperoned because she is quite prone to bug-hunting (although we haven't yet figured out if they're real or imaginary). She does know what "no", stay" and "leave it" are - although whether she chooses to accommodate you is another question. We're working on "come" - that still takes the solid insurance of a treat on the other end, but a little progress has been made. Yesterday started the idea of "sit".
        Much to our surprise the Christmas tree hasn't been in as much danger as we thought it would be - albeit it is elevated about 18 inches off the floor. We did however, one night find her next to it with a piece of tree rain draped around her nose, and admittedly is was difficult to do the disciplinary thing with that staring at you. She seems to be much more interested in the packages that have started to gather at the base.......
        She had a mild traumatic experience Thursday when Ginny moved the footstool that she uses to launch herself up onto the bed from the foot of the bed over to the side (Ginny got tired of tripping over the fool thing all day) - took a while for her to really believe that is was still there, but then once it filtered through she's back in business. Rover (her first and most beloved fleece toy - he was there to bring her home with) is having a hard time - his ears are disintegrating beyond surgical repair so we don't know how much longer he's for this world. However, judging by what Santa is bringing I don't think she'll be lacking, but nobody will ever be the same as Rover.
        Have a warm and snuggly Christmas.....
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12/27/98 - Well, hang on to your seats. To say that Puffin's first Christmas was a success would definitely be an understatement. We started by losing the last puppy tooth on the 23rd - and foolishly thought that the teething period should be ending which should mean a slow down in the chewing department by Jaws Junior. Ahem. Puffin's buddy from next door  - Lauren - and her folks came over Christmas Eve afternoon with a present for her - her very own Santa, vinyl on top with fleecy fuzzy pants that squeaked. Lauren and Puffin had a grand time playing for a little over an hour - and then Puffin continued on after Lauren went home. It seems though that we forgot to tell Puffin that you don't amputate Santa's arm - especially on Christmas Eve. Ginny did rescue the squeaky pants...later that night Santa and Ginny decorated the door of her crate and had a present hanging on it for Mom when she came in to take her out for first call....and then the show got rolling about 10am. Puffin's presents (and let's say that many people were very good to her) were placed in the middle of the living room floor and she needed absolutely no assistance in opening any of them. She quite gleefully ripped the wrapping off of each one, dutifully (like it really was a chore) played with whatever she discovered inside for an appropriate period of time and then moved on to the next one....which in some cases was a necessity. Mangling Santa the night before not withstanding she also destroyed a rawhide shoe within five minutes of opening it. She also received a squeaky dumbbell, two cans of tennis balls, a squeaky hot dog, candy cane, boot and hedgehog (those four in her stocking) - a plush soccer ball, a new nylabone (which she totally disdains), a pink rope and fleece tugger, box of biscuits (which has been safely stored out of reach), plush squeaky football, and her very own red Polarfleece blanket with her name on it (L.L.Bean no less). And, the crazy people she lives with also gave her a mechanical mouse (which she loves) and a radio-control truck (which she is going to get the better of or die trying). Within an hour she had chewed up the boot - and when we weren't looking pulled the nose off the mouse (it has been safely reattached and put out of reach). The next day she did in the candy cane, and today popped off the hot dog and hedgehog, as well as the previously received pork chop and big red boot (which had survived her 80 pound German Shepherd cousin). Deciding that she was bored, she then went after the tube the tennis balls are in.
        And is that wasn't enough excitement, (and you have to understand that the Christmas tree is a four-foot job perched on a square patio table that's about 16 inches high), Christmas afternoon she discovered that the packages that were previously blocking everything off were gone so that she could go explore - under the tree/table. We became aware of the fact that the tree was having a minor siezure....which stopped as soon as the tree skirt was lifted up and out popped one bright-eyed puppy. The day ended in perfect form - although we usually are very strict about her having only Iams kibble and a biscuit before bed at night - no human food "treats" - the exception was made and Puffin had a marvelous time licking her own candy cane for a little bit - you never saw a tongue go so fast.
        She is quite snuggly in her blanket....and overall is having a ball being half puppy and half adolescent doggy. When all else fails it's still time to go crawl into Ginny's arms and snuggle in. And, we're well into the serious part of learning manners - "come" and "sit" are the two being worked on right now.
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1/4/99 - one might suppose that this week in the life of Puffin was relatively quiet....depending on your point of view. It is decidedly acknowledged that she is a chomping machine - Jaws Junior still is mowing down whatever lands in her mouth....and an hour after Ginny had gotten done pointing out that yes, she is a chewer but she chews HER things - it's not one of these dogs that munches everything in sight in the house - Puffin very nicely chewed a hole in Ginny's blanket and then the end off a rug in the living room. Ah well. The battle over Ginny's slippers continues - not a wise choice for warm tootsies since the sheepskin lining is the same as fleecy tuggers. Her latest fascination is with the empty plastic spools from sewing thread. She loves them - they are great to chew, toss, boot with your nose (things that role in ONE direction are something new) - and when you plop your paw on them they "squirt" and take off in random, but one at a time, directions. And it's just wonderful to spend the evening transporting eight of them, one at a time, from Ginny's room to the living room. Still hasn't gotten the hang of going in the opposite direction.....
        The vocabulary of Puffinese grows each day - and oh how I wish I could understand it!! The grunts and whimps and moans while playing and being petted are quite descriptive. When frustrated they become whines.....and she has this halfwoof-halfgrowl thing that she does when playing that is beyond imitating. Barking is still reserved for hard play, talking to the birdies outside or seeing her reflection in something (other than a mirror)...and is surprising for her size. Rather than it being the yap that you would expect from a tiny dog/puppy it's more of a higher-pitched woof. The sleep sounds are entirely different - she gently woofs and growls, squeaks (yes, squeaks) - and the snuggliest of all - as much as she's growing up she still sometimes suckles in her sleep.
        And, just to keep life interesting - it might seem that we have a puppy with hormones. She's due to be spayed this week coming, when she will be six months, but there a few telltale signs that have us thinking that she's approaching her first heat (minor, thankfully). We're working hard on the training thing - not a whole lot of progress there, in combination with the fact that this is one stubborn dog. However, she will learn her manners......
        She celebrated New Year's Eve by having another whack at a baby candy cane,and chasing the radio control truck since it had a loadbed of treats in it. In case you're wondering - she won. She was much better at snitching a treat than the three humans who were taking turns driving it trying to keep it away! She woofed in midnight by spying her reflection in the glass doors on the fireplace and barking at the strange doggy looking back at her. And, earlier in the day a friend dropped in and brought her presents (again!) - two squeakies and a fleece/rope tugger. Mary Ann was warned that the squeakies had a very limited life span...she'd have a ball with them for that time however. The time was indeed very limited - both of them had parts missing within ten minutes. Honest. We have determined that the problem is if there are edges or nobbies - if so, it's a goner. Rounded sides or balls are just fine, thank you!
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1/11/99 - For a little puppy who just turned six months old on Friday this has been some week. It started Monday when she went back to Mulberry Farm Kennels for her first real grooming - Carol and Karin were delighted to see her and spiffed her up just grand - nothing fancy, just enough to make her look like a dog instead of a mop, and let us see her face and eyeballs. Wednesday was another trip out but this one wasn't so nice - it was time for Puffin to be spayed. She did just fine and came back home late Thursday afternoon. She was of course rather down that night but still glad to be home, you could tell - and after an evening of extra (albeit gentle) snuggling she was quite content to be tucked into her blanket and bed around 11pm, and had a quiet night. Friday morning she snuggled right into Ginny's side on the human bed and spent the morning - when she got moving at noon things were a bit brighter and perkier. She still needed to stay a little on the quiet side and wasn't to be jumping (hah!) per Dr. Relyea's instructions, but she seemed to know her limits instinctively and took good care of herself. Each day has found her more and more herself - and today (Sunday) has her looking just about all aok - right on time, as her instructions had said about five days for her to be healing. Of course she still has that to do - and get some fuzzies back on her belly.
        Friday was a day of more wonders though - Puffin's half sister (the same daddy toy poodle) came to live next door. She's a honey-blonde puppy, two months old and has been named Zoe (click here to meet Zoe), and she was a birthday present for Lauren who turned 12 on Friday.  Zoe is just adorable, and she took to Puffin like peanut butter goes with jelly. She was put down on the floor while Puffin was still in her crate and just waddled right on over and went nose to nose, tongue to tongue with Puffin, who responded in kind (we didn't think Zoe would have a problem just having come from company of the kennel, but Puffin hasn't co-mingled with another pooch since she came to us). Puffin was then let out and the two of them were snuggling and nuzzling....Puffin being very gentle with Zoe. Zoe had brought Puffin a vegetarian dog biscuit (her new home is a vegetarian one) which Puffin enjoyed immensely, and while chomping it down Zoe spied Pod and merrily climbed up into the middle of it and plunked down. The next thing to investigate was Puffin's blanket (even though Zoe has her own pretty pink one) - and she had a grand time rumbling around in all the nooks and crannies and chewing on the corner. Puffin seemed delighted to have a buddy and had no problem in sharing her belongings. It would seem that this is the start of a snuggly friendship....
        And then last night Uncle Richie came to visit. Adopted as he may be he holds a special place in the family - and when Puffin merrily slurped him across the nose much to others' embarrassment, Uncle Richie proclaimed that he'd been kissed by worse (but that certainly didn't include Aunt Lee!).....I think they quite enjoyed each other. (Proof in the picture - click here ).
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1/17/99 - Sort of quiet week as Puffin continued to heal from the spaying - as of now she's totally back on the beam and even has fuzzies coming back on her belly. The itchies are still going strong but that seems to be the only reminder. She continues to expand her horizons - we've had a few days of snow and ice so going out isn't up there on the hit parade unless it's snowing - that she loves. She is dedicated to burrowing her snoot in it - and then of course coming in and burrowing her snoot in us. She has re-discovered the spring door stops in each room and has a grand time twanging them - usually when the human in the room is least expecting it. Trust me - the noise is impressive. Another adventure was investigating a stack of empty grocery bags - until the pile came tumbling down on her and one kept chasing her - since she'd stuck her head through the handle. Not to worry - Mom to the rescue. Jaws Junior (click for the Toy Tally ) managed to chew the end out of her fleece football, and is still having a grand time each night playing with her spools - a big part of it being hauling them one by one from Ginny's room to Mom in the living room. Of course this does set up a bit of dilemma - she thinks that all spools are hers, whether there's thread on  them or not (naturally she only gets the empties). Sneak Thief made off with a full one, duly rescued and lesson told. Now she sits and watches, all aquiver and snorting and squeaking while Ginny empties  them one by one (the thread is used in a craft that takes a spool per project)...being told that she can have it when it's empty. As soon as Ginny says OK - off she goes. And even though she has about ten in her collection each new one is greeted like it's the best thing there is.
        The excitement for the week occurred when Zoe (click here if you haven't met her) came to visit again, a week now that she's been in her new home. It's the first we'd seen her in the week and she has definitely grown - on all counts. Not only is the body a little bigger but so is her confidence level. The quiet little thing that was stumbling around last week is not lacking for spunk or energy. Zoe and Puffin did the usual things doggies do when they get together; Zoe did turn submissive to Puffin by laying on her back. That however didn't really signal the truth - as soon as she was up she was launching herself at Puffin and doing a good job chomping on her ears. Puffin took it all in good stride, and when the going did get a little tough had some extra snuggling because Lauren's friend Mary came along for the visit. Mary was sure to give Puffin some extra TLC, and Lauren did too. Zoe went at it, exploring all over again and having a grand time with Puffin's toy box, blanket and Pod - and Puffin was a good big sister and shared everything, including food and water dishes (Zoe didn't get too far with the food raid thanks to Lauren, but did bring Puffin some more vegetarian biscuits, which Puffin snarfed down with thanks). After about an hour and a half Zoe conked out cold, flat on the floor. She was eventually transferred to Mary's lap which didn't phase her - and was still pretty sleepy when she was woken up to have her collar put on to go home.
        Tonight it was time to do some spiffing up - Puffin now has her ears, face and muzzle trimmed up a bit so that she can see where she's going - and others can see her. Bright eyes passed the time while all of this was going on by chewing up the comb.

1/25/99 - Puffin did a lot of discovering this week. We had some off-beat weather for New York State in January and Monday found us with heavy rain and wind plus thunder and lightening. The lightening didn't seem to interest her - but she very definitely did not like Thunder playing in her back yard. As each long rumble started she started woofing and barking at the window, and kept it up until we were long safe from that particular event. After about four or five of these Thunder went to play somewhere else, so she thinks she succeeded in scaring it away. Puffin, by the way, was not in the least fazed by Thunder (this was her first experience with it since coming to live with us, and I suspect her first experience with it overall as I think back over the summer from when she was born). She also discovered that the lower rack of the dishwasher, when it's open and the rack pulled out, has wonderful dirty dishes that just absolutely have to be dog-tongue pre-washed. Her particular favorite seemed to be the serving dish that had oil and vinegar salad dressing left on it (huh?).....considering that Puffin doesn't get table treats or anything besides her Iams kibble and Iams biscuits this was quite a find. And the last time she'll find it.
        Reflections in anything besides a mirror also seem to hold special enthusiasm for wooffing. So far she's found the screens of turned-off TVs, the door of the microwave oven, the glass doors on the fireplace, house windows after dark and before the shades are pulled, and glass doors in two different curio cabinets. Put her in front of a mirror and she looks at you like you've got three bolts missing. OK.
        We've got a good crop of fuzzies coming back on her belly after being spayed and physically she certainly is fully recovered, just two and a half weeks later. She's also now an official Dog, having gotten her NYS Dog license this week. The clerk at the town hall looked a bit befuddled after having admired her "cute" picture and then being asked "What happens if she chews up the tag?" Huh? Yup - she's already massacred an ID tag as well as her Rabies tag. Well, it tuns out we can order a new tag if she does - but someone got smart and they're made of stamped stainless steel as is her second ID tag. The Rabies tag is aluminum - and in the seven weeks she's had it has too many teeth marks in it to read. However, the three tags on her collar now provide quite a set of sound effects - sneaking up on someone is well on impossible by Jingle-all-the-way.
        It's certainly looking like Puffin's in the adolescent puppy phase - sometimes still that wriggling lump of fur that can't get out of her own way (I still haven't figured out how her rump and tail can wriggle so fast) and others as agile and assured as you could want. She's learning some commands but we've got a ways to go yet. Working on sit - using her "cookies" - biscuits - and now when she knows it's cookie time and is asked to sit that little rump goes down so fast and hard you have to laugh. Other times it isn't as direct - but we're getting there. She usually does pretty well with stay, but that's not totally reliable yet either. She's got time to learn - in some ways it's hard to remember that she's only six and a half months old - still very much a puppy/baby, albeit a little smart, conniving one.
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Last updated 3/1/99                           © from 1998 inclusive G.Thompson