Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
10 weeks
They say time flies when you're having fun, but what about the opposite sentiment? Not that we're not having fun, but I can't believe it has only been 3 weeks since we brought this guy home. We honestly feel like real parents now--our whole life revolves around this thing. "When did Alfie eat last? When did he pee? Do you think we should put him down for a nap? Will you watch him while I go to the store? Sorry, we can't come unless we find someone to watch Alfie." Amazing how that happened so fast.
Last night after some much needed time out of the house with friends, we were secretly excited to pull Alfie out of his crate for a pee, and some snuggle time. I know, I know, it's probably sending mixed messages to bring him up on the couch to sleep while we watched TV, but we couldn't help it. He is our little angel (or demon seed depending on his energy level). The good news is he wasn't able to get comfortable on the couch--he just couldn't find the sweet spot. He just grunted and groaned, repositioning himself, to no avail. We decided he would be more comfortable in his crate, so we put him back to bed.
On another note, we had our first Puppy Social and Puppy Class this week! The Social was great--they separated the "mellow pups" and the "rough pups" so that everyone was comfortable. We were surprised to find our Sir Alferton in the "mellow group!" He was very nervous to start, and hid next to us for a little while. Then he warmed up and had a great time getting to know about 6-7 other dogs. It was a roaring success!
On Saturday, we took him to his first Puppy Class, where we did some socializing and the beginnings of "Down" which I am VERY excited for him to learn. It will make things so much easier to tell him to "Down" if he is jumping or being a pain in the butt. The instructor of BravoPup used Alfie as an example for teaching "Down" and Sean captured it on video. Enjoy!
On another note, Alfie has just learned to bark. I heard it for the first time this morning and I was in disbelief. I guess I thought he'd just whine forever. Dear lord in heaven let him not be a barker.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
9 weeks
Lord have mercy, this pup likes to bite! Bite, chew, eat, sleep, pee, poop. That is it folks! Though he is a ton of work, and terribly frustrating when he's tearing holes in our clothes, we can't help but be truly smitten with him.
Alfie turned 9 weeks yesterday and we celebrated by buying him an old-fashioned kiddie pool. I say "old-fashioned" because they are so hard to find nowadays! Everything is inflatable, which just isn't compatible with puppy teeth and nails. But, after much searching, we were able to find a cheap, hard plastic one at Toys-R-Us.
Yesterday was super hot here. Sean filled the pool all the way up so that Alfie could actually try his hand (paw) at swimming, but the water was cold and deep, and it was a little too scary for his introduction to swimming. So today we tried filling it up just up to his "ankles" and had the sun warm it up for a couple hours. As you will see in the videos, (I will upload them soon) he did great. Now he jumps in there just to explore during his romps in the yard.
We had 2 big milestones this week. The first was sleeping a whole 6 hours without having to get up to pee! This means Mommy and Daddy get to sleep in the same room again! The second is being able to stay in his exercise pen without going berserk! The whining has decreased significantly and Sean and I have been able to leave the house without crating him. Hooray! He also grew out of his tiny red puppy collar, and into his big boy green puppy collar, which he looks very handsome in. :)
This upcoming Saturday he will start puppy school! We are very happy that he will be able to start socializing with other pups and get some good exercise!
Alfie turned 9 weeks yesterday and we celebrated by buying him an old-fashioned kiddie pool. I say "old-fashioned" because they are so hard to find nowadays! Everything is inflatable, which just isn't compatible with puppy teeth and nails. But, after much searching, we were able to find a cheap, hard plastic one at Toys-R-Us.
Yesterday was super hot here. Sean filled the pool all the way up so that Alfie could actually try his hand (paw) at swimming, but the water was cold and deep, and it was a little too scary for his introduction to swimming. So today we tried filling it up just up to his "ankles" and had the sun warm it up for a couple hours. As you will see in the videos, (I will upload them soon) he did great. Now he jumps in there just to explore during his romps in the yard.
We had 2 big milestones this week. The first was sleeping a whole 6 hours without having to get up to pee! This means Mommy and Daddy get to sleep in the same room again! The second is being able to stay in his exercise pen without going berserk! The whining has decreased significantly and Sean and I have been able to leave the house without crating him. Hooray! He also grew out of his tiny red puppy collar, and into his big boy green puppy collar, which he looks very handsome in. :)
This upcoming Saturday he will start puppy school! We are very happy that he will be able to start socializing with other pups and get some good exercise!
First week at home
At 8 weeks old, Alfie is well on his way to being crate-trained/potty trained. The first few nights were exhausting--up every two hours to let him out to make sure he didn't have an accident-- but he has finally gotten comfortable in his crate (goes in for a couple of hours throughout the day for naps and sleeps there all night) and whines mildly for about 3 min. max if at all when we put him in. We have found that he can hold it for about 3-3.5 hours as opposed to every 2 hours. SUCH an improvement over those first few nights! Even with the longer sleep intervals, we have found it easier to switch-off with one of us in the other room getting a full night's sleep. (Getting a 7 week old puppy is not for the feint of heart)!
He had his first Vet check up yesterday, and everything went great. He weighs 13 lbs 10 oz already--he is going to be a big boy. The Vet said he was a great sociable, happy puppy. He loves everyone and is curious about everything, but mostly just wants to be next to you. He was so good with his shots--not even a wince! (Of course I was feeding him treats the whole time). He got A LOT of attention at the clinic. One of the receptionists even made him a "Welcome" gift bag for him. So cute!!
A big thank you to Grand Paw for lots of great puppy goodies! The Illinois kerchief is really adorable!
He had his first Vet check up yesterday, and everything went great. He weighs 13 lbs 10 oz already--he is going to be a big boy. The Vet said he was a great sociable, happy puppy. He loves everyone and is curious about everything, but mostly just wants to be next to you. He was so good with his shots--not even a wince! (Of course I was feeding him treats the whole time). He got A LOT of attention at the clinic. One of the receptionists even made him a "Welcome" gift bag for him. So cute!!
A big thank you to Grand Paw for lots of great puppy goodies! The Illinois kerchief is really adorable!
Bringing Alfie home
One week after our first meeting, we drove back up to Redding, CA to bring our little one home with us. We were beside ourselves with excitement and couldn't believe it was finally happening! We were going to be puppy parents!
When we got there, he came right over to us and into our laps. We carried him to the car, wrapped him in a towel, and gave him lots of treats and love while the engine started. We only stopped once for a pee break. Here are some pictures of Alfie during his first time in the great outdoors (a grassy median alongside an independent gas station).
After sleeping the entire 3 and a half hour car ride home in my lap, Alfie was introduced to his new home. We let him explore and sniff the entire house before playing with him and showing him his new toys. Welcome home Alfie!
Welcome to the family, Alfie.
After literally years of waiting for the right time and searching for the right breed of dog for us, Sean and I finally brought home a little bundle of Vizsla love, who is now known as "Alfie."
We decided on a Hungarian Vizsla, a fairly uncommon breed in this country, but well-known in Europe to be excellent hunters and companion dogs. We wanted a short-haired dog that likes to learn, loves to swim, and adores people. When we came upon the Vizsla breed, it was love at first sight.
When Alfie and his littermates turned 6 weeks old, Sean and I drove up to Redding to pick him out. After holding the other possible boy, I went inside and found this one sleeping soundly in a puppy pile in his crate. I pulled him out to see if he made a fuss, but as you can see from this video, he gave me nothing but love. He would be known as Alfie.
We decided on a Hungarian Vizsla, a fairly uncommon breed in this country, but well-known in Europe to be excellent hunters and companion dogs. We wanted a short-haired dog that likes to learn, loves to swim, and adores people. When we came upon the Vizsla breed, it was love at first sight.
When Alfie and his littermates turned 6 weeks old, Sean and I drove up to Redding to pick him out. After holding the other possible boy, I went inside and found this one sleeping soundly in a puppy pile in his crate. I pulled him out to see if he made a fuss, but as you can see from this video, he gave me nothing but love. He would be known as Alfie.
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