Bonaparte’s Hat

A few days ago a friend mentioned that she thought Boney’s name fit him perfectly, as his ears were like Napoleon’s hat. I looked online to see if this might actually be true or just a funny, and, in some instances one can see, if one tries very hard, that Boney’s ears are doing the whole stick-out-on-the-side thing that Napoleon’s hat does. I included a few photos here so you can see what I mean.

 We have signed up for puppy training classes and will start in September! I’m looking forward to these as I want to do right by our pup and have both of us well trained. He is doing great on the housebreaking front, considering he is three months old and we’ve had him, tomorrow, for a whole month (4 weeks)! Celebration! Yea! He is still sleeping through the night and responding to his routine.

Boney continues to relish his visits to his friends’ Frank and Ruben’s house and their yard. They all get along better each time we go and Boney is starting to feel quite at home there. I’m glad, as their “mom and dad” have offered to “puppy sit” if we need them to. Frank and Ruben’s house is fast becoming his second home.

Boney will take his first LONG trip this weekend (eight hours) as we head north to North Carolina for Labor Day weekend. I hope he’ll travel well for that long of a distance. Wish us luck! I’m looking forward to him meeting the rest of the family and hopefully finding a new friend in my sister’s family dog, Louis, who is a Shih Tzu and adorable too.

Okay, I’m going to go steam some broccoli and see if Mr. Bonaparte wants something to eat. He’s been sleeping most of the day after a wild time with Frank and Ruben!

 

Images of Bonaparte from:

http://thesuperabridgedcountofmontecristo.blogspot.com/2012/03/chapter-1-ship-of-ghostly-dreams.html

mennonitedreams.blogspot.com

Benji Look Alike or Not?

I’ve had two people come up to me in the last week and say Boney looks like Benji. I remembered Benji was cute and scruffy so I went home and looked him up on the internet. To a point I can see the resemblance, cute and scruffy. Time will tell if Bonaparte will really get that hairy, but the sweet face and the “look” are there. I hope Boney keeps his cuteness because he is, to me, absolutely adorable, especially when he comes running when I call him and wants hugs!

We’ve been using the halter for a week. I tried using it only when we went out to do “business” and that was a flop. He got to the point where he didn’t want to go out to do anything like business and fought me each time we did. So, three days ago I started him wearing it all the time except at night, and voila, we are having more success! He still hates it, but is tolerating it better now and is even enjoying our little outings to get business done. I’ve also found that since he’s holding longer, I don’t have to take him out so much. It seems to defeat the purpose to take him out all the time when half the time he won’t go, just wants to explore and chew on anything he can find. So we’re going out less and that also has equaled more success. The only accidents he’s had in the last two days were my fault for not taking him out in time. My only excuse, and it is just that, is I’m still adjusting to the schedule! The other thing I’m happy about when it comes to the harness is that after three days of him wearing it all day and looking at me with a heart wrenching (yes dramatic I know) pitiful expression, he once again cuddles up to me, licks me and loves all over me like he did before. Guess he’s realizing the harness isn’t a punishment…

Crate training continues to progress amazingly well. He now loves his crate (I wouldn’t have believed that he could two weeks ago) and even goes in without me saying a word. Like right this minute, he went in while I’m here working and is passed out, even with the halter on! I thank the powers that be, and discipline, for actually working.

Boney is sleeping through the night now (hope I haven’t just jinxed myself!) and doesn’t start making sounds until after 6:30 am. I aim for at least 15 minutes to a few hours a day apart from him because I want to avoid him having separation anxiety (which I’m told he might have since we’ve bonded so completely). We have our play time after dinner. He follows me or Geoffrey almost everywhere we go. Three weeks into this, I am a very happy puppy lover! He's growing on G.

Benji image from:

 luckymojo.com

And They Called it Puppy Love…

Because I am in  LOVE with this puppy, who, by the way is on his fourth name. Well, it’s not really so much a name change as using a first name instead of a last. Napoleon is coming much easier to the lip than Bonaparte. And “Napi” or “Napo” are the two we’ve been using for shorts. So, maybe he has a real name now.

Took Napo to the vet a few days ago because he was itching so much and there were no fleas to be found, for which I am very thankful! In this heat fleas would be a total disaster. Little Bit got a clean bill of health and I got lots of information about what I can do and what I shouldn't do with him. Granted, my vet, who also has a dachshund, said that she was “one to talk” when she didn’t pay any attention to the advice she was given in taking care and training her own! But I am doing my best to pay attention not only to her advice, but also the advice my friends (from whom we got Napo) gave me as well. Nancy gave me two sheets of instructions about house breaking and crate training, both of which I am doing my best to implement. They seem very common sense-icle (There’s a Joss Whedon “Buffy-ism” for you!) and we're having varying degrees of success. He’s already well on in the house breaking category, and uses his ‘pads’ more often than not. But he still slips up, even though I’m getting better at getting him outside after he eats. So far his hardheadedness is showing when it comes to going outside. He’ll pee but the pooing not so much. I feel like I’m re-inventing the wheel!

On Laydi's bed, our previous lab/border collie. Napo is so tiny!

We’ve had a bit of a rough patch, but Napo finally slept most of the night in his crate last night! This was after two distressing nights of him howling, pooing and peeing in his crate. Yesterday he slept ALL morning long and didn’t eat anything to speak of. He was so stressed out! 

Of course we put the crate in our room last night and maybe that made a difference. We shall see if he does a repeat performance tonight. It was wonderful to have him sleep and not be miserable all night, us too!

Today he’s actually eaten well and played and slept and acted like a normal unstressed puppy. He follows me almost everywhere I go, except when he wants to play coquettish and won’t come when I want him to! We’ll be working on that as soon too. Okay, I’m off to take Napo out. Have a good one…

The First Night... And Second...And New Name

 

Bonaparte, better known as Boney

The first night I slept in our guest bedroom starting with Little Bit in his bed right next to mine. That lasted oh about five minutes. He knew exactly where I was and so his not being there was unacceptable. Needless, I know, to say, he slept with me. I did manage to sleep some but was so concerned about waking him up if I moved that I woke up repeatedly. He, on the other paw, slept like a log. So tuckered out from his first day away from his family he had no strength against sleep, now that he was in the bed with me.

He had traveled very well on the long drive from Atlanta down to the Florida/Georgia border, in my lap or on the seat beside me all the way. No accidents, no whining, only shaking like a little leaf in a storm. I could tell when I looked into his little black eyes that he didn’t trust me yet and felt lost. By the time we arrived at our destination he was curious but didn’t want me out of his sight. By the time my husband came home a few hours later, Little Bit fell asleep in his lap within seconds. One of our best friends, who is “parent” to two schnauzers, came over to meet Little Bit and pronounced him cute as a button; funky looking but cute!

So passed the first day and night. Yesterday was wonderful. He likes me now. He trusts me a little. He is eating and, peeing and pooing on his pads like a pro! Knock on wood no accidents yet. I know they are coming, but for now he’s doing great. He doesn’t seem to like to “go” outside yet, but we are working on that.

While I work he plays in my office. I’ve had to get all paper products out of his reach, which is sad for me as I use parts of my floor as shelving space (I’m not joking. I need more real shelves.). He plays then lays down in his little bed beside me and sleeps. He seems happy. Last evening while we watched “Cheers” and ate our dinner Little Bit played and romped until he grew tired. We first tried him resting on my husband’s lap, but Little Bit had a different idea. He wanted my lap. So he got it.

Last night we tried him sleeping in our bedroom, not the guest room. He made it until four this morning, in bed with us of course. When he wouldn’t settle, I moved us back to the guest room so at least my husband could sleep. While he was finally settling down his true name came to me. He isn’t an Elvis (my husband’s comment was, “Hey, who wouldn’t want to spend a day with Elvis?”) Guess you can tell he’s a fan. But he’s also a fan of the person and name that came to me in the dead of night after dealing with a stubborn, needy (but adorable) puppy. Bonaparte. Yes, this is the name that will last until his dying day. Boney for short, but Bonaparte it is. My husband loves it and so do I because not only is it the name of one of my husband’s favorite historical figures, it is also the name of one of my favorite detectives, Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte of the “Bony Series” as they are referred to. It’s a series by Arthur W. Upfield set in Australia and written in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, with a “half caste abo/white detective who is simply amazing.  He would have to be with that name! So from here on out, our pup will be referred to as Boney or Bonaparte. He seems to agree as well that it’s a great name for a little guy. (wink wink!)

Info and photos from these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Upfield

http://www.naboflex.blogspot.com

http://www.myreadersblock.blogspot.com

Elvis the Mauxie

I’d like to introduce you to Elvis, our new “Mauxie”, who is such a strange mix of white (really long hair) Maltese and red (shorthair) Dachshund that we have no way of knowing what he’s going to end up looking like! (We're still "supposedly" working on his name, but this one is my husband's pick)

It took some time to make this decision and my husband has been very gracious about it as he really wasn’t ready for a new dog. Our beloved Laydi (a border collie/black lab mix) passed away in June of 2011 and we’ve grieved and missed her ever since. Therefore, we decided to wait to get a new dog.

A week or so ago, while talking to a dear friend whom we haven’t seen in about nine months, we were catching up on each others lives when she mentioned the three puppies they had and that only one was left to find a home for. I asked no questions beyond what kind of puppies they were, and found out I knew their sire very well as we’d been around when he had come into their home. He is the red dachshund. My friend had no idea that I basically sat on this information for a week mulling it over in my brain and heart. I say it in that order because I knew all the reasons we’d chosen to not get a new dog and none of those reasons had really changed except for Laydi’s death being a bit farther down the road.

So, over last weekend I talked with my husband about my desire to look into getting this puppy. He was so calm and generous about what I told him, that at first I couldn’t believe he was for real (he really does love me!). With heart pounding and insecurity about making the right decision hanging over me, I called our friend back and asked her to send me a few photos of the puppy they needed a home for. She was completely surprised by my interest. She knew the stance we’d taken on getting a new dog. So she sent the photos within the hour. Of course the little guy was adorable and I knew I had to “meet” him before being completely sure. Our friends live four hours from us in Georgia. I called on Sunday and asked if I could come up on Monday. She was thrilled, and so wonderful as to say that if it didn’t work out with the puppy, they wanted “rights of first refusal” to take the puppy back. She couldn’t have made it more attractive for me. So I headed up and spent the night. We caught up on all the family news, I saw one of their sons and their grandson, and, I met the mother of the puppies, who is not only adorable, but very loving as well. I also reacquainted myself with papa dachshund and enjoyed seeing the "parents" interact with the two puppies they had left.

The Three Puppy Brothers Livingston, Elvis and Winston

I took photos, held the little guy I was there to meet a few times, and thought through my decision. My husband had really left it up to me, and so, after a second restless night, I got up, packed up my little overnight bag and prepared to become a “mom” again. I would take “little bit” home. I would see how we “gelled” and make my final decision once I saw how he adapted to “chez nous” and whether or not he and my husband clicked.

Stay tuned for the next post: The First Night

To find out more about "Mauxie's/Moxies" and their great diversity, go to:

http://www.maltesemaniac.com/mauxie.html