It has been an *amazing* week on so many different levels. My sister is visiting from from Virginia, my hubby bought me a new car (more to come on this later), and we had our first week with little Tomlin. Phil and I are completely smitten with this little puppy. I wanted to share with you some progress we’ve made, and of course, some more pictures.
-Most importantly, Tomlin is feeling much better! The meds the doctor gave us have helped with the upper respiratory infection tremendously. She isn’t hacking up her lungs all night and is now able to sleep through the night, which we’re all grateful for. It’s been interesting getting her to eat the pills. We have hid them in all sorts of foods and even cut them smaller, but she sniffs them out and skips them or eats around. She will be done with the meds this week and then she can get her last puppy shot.
-Tomlin gained a pound this week, though it looks like she’s gained a few more. Also, the little pads on her paws are changing from pink to peach. I’m a little sad about this because it means she is already growing out of this cute puppy phase.
Part of our new morning routine :-)
-We have gotten Tomlin on a pretty good schedule (at least we think so). She is eating on a schedule (three small meals a day), taking 3-4 naps during the day, and playing all in between.
-As for housebreaking, this has been our biggest challenge so far, as I’m sure all you dog owners recall this stage. We’re doing well with getting outside on a regular basis and figuring out how many times a day she needs to do her business. The past couple days she has been going to the door to wait so I think we’re pretty much done with the puddle pads. However, we still have accidents, but this has been our carpet’s saving grace.
-Crate training has also been going so much better since she has been feeling better. When she was sick she had a little separation anxiety because she just wanted to be held. The first few nights were painful for us (and our neighbors I’m sure as well), but now she is going in “her room” all by herself and doesn’t cry when we put her in at night. During the day is a different story though. I have been home the past couple weeks, so when I run out for an errand it just breaks my heart to hear her whimper when I leave. (I guess I should also self-diagnose myself with some separation anxiety hehe). This too is getting better for us each day.
Look how cute she is when she sleeps….Oh you can’t see Tomlin? Let me zoom in.
How about now? Cutie pa-too-ty?
-I know Tomlin was meant to be ours and I’m reminded every time I cook. Tomlin doesn’t beg for food in the kitchen, in the dining room YES, but not in the kitchen. When I’m cooking, which we all know is quite often, she loves to watch me cook. She is so intrigued by what I’m doing, that sometimes she gets overwhelmed and falls asleep. She sleeps with me cooking in the kitchen everyday. And yes, I’m very careful not to let her get near the oven or spill anything on her. I promise!
“Guarding” the grill
-Playtime is hilarious! Her favorite toys right now, despite all we have bought her, are my hair and brown shopping bags from the market. Since she is working on getting baby teeth in and making room for her adult teeth, chewing is constant. There are A LOT of chew toys all over the floor these days. My new friend Erin suggested Petstages for toys to help attend to specific developmental time points. She was so right!!! Thanks Erin! Also for playtime, we have a bathroom with 2 doors that you can either enter through from a bedroom or the living room. Tomlin thinks this is her personal race track. She runs in circles through the bedroom, living room and bathroom, over and over again. It’s hilarious to see her floppy ears bounce and her little feet to slip on the tile floor as she runs. We love this game because it gets out some of her puppy energy.
-With my neuroscience and behavioral modification background, and Phil watching several training videos, we have already started a strict training and discipline regimen in our home. We’ve established consistencies with commands and used lots of praises for positive reinforcement. Here are some of the commands that we are working on and have already mastered:
“Tomlin”- This isn’t really a command but it something she had to learn, though a bit obvious. But like all pet owners, we want this little girl to know her name :-)
“Come”- This is great in the house when we want her to get out of something that she shouldn’t be messing with, or on walks, again, when she is getting into something she shouldn’t.
“Sit”- This one works best before meal times. We get her to sit before she can get her meal. We still need some more work on this command in other situations though.
“Stay”- This is one that only works occasionally. There have not been any patterns exhibited yet to say why or what we can clarify for her yet (besides the fact that she is still a puppy), but I’m sure they will surface within the next week.
“Shake”- We have introduced this one, but definitely have not mastered it.
“Down”- She learned this one pretty quickly because we wont let her on the coffee table.
“No”- This one is sensitive. I am positive that she knows what this command means, but chooses to ignore it sometimes. I can’t blame her too much because I think I respond the same way sometimes! oops!
So that was our first week with Miss Tomlin. It was both hilarious and educational! Having Kellyn, my sister, here in Houston this week has also helped SO much! Thank you Kellyn! Not only did she helps us out, but she also took some great photos of us (check out the sidebar). Kellyn and I are going shopping today, so I will be sure to report back what we get. Have a great Monday!!!
Tomlin and Aunt Kellyn
