Day 31 - Week 5

Oh what a start to the day.  Eve was lying so quietly under my desk chewing on what I thought was a toy and suddenly there was a YELP!  OMG she chewed right through my computer electrical cord and was given a shock!  Is she ok?  What do I do?  Call Linda of BC Guide Dogs!  What do you know she's never had a dog get an electric shock!  Why am I the first???  She will call the Vet and call me back.  In the meantime, I did a search on the web.  Big mistake!  Is there really a chance her lungs can fill with a fluid and she can die!  OMG I am freaking out!  Linda called back to advise that as long as she was still able to eat and doesn't show any signs of pain then she is fine!  This little one gets into everything! 
She also discovered a new trick today while I was in the shower.  She can now easily hop onto the sofa.  No problem.  Just a little jump and up she gets and off go the pillows.  When I called her name she just hid her face and pretended not to hear me.  NO FURNITURE!  She is such a handful.  She also knows that when my alarm goes off it is time to get up.  Any other time I can tell her to go bahe isck to sleep and she does.  But as sooon as that alarm goes off...that's it.  She wants me out of bed and now!  She wants her breakfast!
She sure is cute and getting cuter every day.  Her coat has got quite a bit lighter as well.  OMG I think I love her!  Especially when she is sleeping.  Check out this photo with my niece Levi!

Day 29 - Week 5 (October 2010)

I love this puppy when she is calm and sweet!  Why does she turn into a little terror?  I told her today that I'm tired of fighting with her!  Hopefully she listened.  I write this as she lies sleeping with her head at my side.
My little California girl does not like the rain one bit.  A big rain storm rolled in today and whenever I had to take her out she would stay under cover to go to the bathroom.  She refused to go in the rain.  I did drag her out for a 20 minute walk.  It was her best walk ever!  She walked so quickly and nicely and when we rounded the corner for home she ran all the way to the door.  All soak and wet!  She slept most of the day.  It was one of those rainy, stay inside and nap days.  Unfortunately I had to work but at least I didn't have much interruption except for meal times.
We met up with Janel, Penny and John for lunch yesterday.  OMG she barked 3 times in the restaurant!  I felt I had to leave and John said not to worry about it.  As long as the barking wasn't coming from the kitchen it was all good! LOL.  I think I need to loosen up and not get so uptight. 
Eve is behaving in the car although she did test me this weekend.  I put her in her place and we had a nice fairly quiet ride.  If only I could stop her barking!  I will keep working on it. 
This is a great shot of Eve and Janel!  Janel is so great with her!  Enjoy!

Day 25 - Week 4

I could not go to bed without documenting this day!  Today was obedience class.  Sometimes I wonder if it is Eve that is in obedience or me.  Regardless, Mary was terrific today and although it sometimes feels like I'm not doing anything correctly, I  know that these classes will only help me to improve.
After the class, Rupert (puppy Purdy's raiser) offered to help me with my ongoing dilemma with Eve and traveling in the car.  Of course I took him up on his offer!  So in his truck we went.  I was in the back seat and he placed Eve in the floor of the passenger side where she is supposed to travel.
Rupert hopped in the drivers seat and before he started the car he waited to see what Eve's reaction would be.  She didn't disappoint - yelping, barking, jumping!  Well let me tell you, Rupert wasn't having any part of her shenanigans!  He gave her a good jab in the thigh and kept pushing her off the seat back onto the floor.  This went on for a good 10 minutes.  Although it sounds like it wasn't very harsh, I was in the back seat almost in tears.  However, this needs to be done!  Eve finally calmed down so Rupert started the engine and off we went for a drive.  She attempted again to jump up and bite and bark, but Rupert stayed consistent and before you knew it, she calmed down and rode silently in the truck.  WOW!  I was impressed.  Because the drive is from Ladner to downtown on the freeway I didn't want to take any chances and decided to place her in the crate for the ride home.  However as I approached my vehicle I thought, there is no time like the present to tackle this.  So I placed Eve on the floor of the passenger side and off we went.  Well what do you think happened?  NOT A PEEP came out of her the entire trip!  Unbelieveable!  I am sure she is going to test me in the near future but I'm confident that I will win this war!
We came home and I decided it was time to deal with her barking and biting using the tips Mary provided today.  Well, I still have some work to do but what a difference.  She is finally listening to me - her pack leader!  She was pretty tired this evening.  Probably from all the excitment and stress of the day.  But I am very proud of her and me!  Raising a puppy is a lot of work but I know it will be worth it!

Day 22 - Week 4

Here we are heading into week 4.  Eve is growing so quickly and I can't believe I'm going to say this after the morning I just had with her...but she is maturing.  If only I could get her to sleep through the night.  Soon!  This morning she didn't wake up until 4am and after a quick bathroom break she was back to sleep until the alarm went off at 6:30.  At that time there is not getting her back to sleep...she knows it's breakfast time and she will not rest until she has had her first meal of the day. 
She is pretty much potty trained now with the odd accident inside...what a relief! 
We met Linda of BC Guide Dogs yesterday for a walk through the mall.  She said Eve was doing very well and as usual gave me some pointers and reassurance that everything so far is going according to the puppy plan. 
We came home from the Okanagan a little richer!  Summerland Middle School raised $70 for BC Guide Dogs.  The money will go towards the raising of these little pups.  They raised this amount in about 4 days.  I was very impressed!  Thank you Summerland Middle School and especially the grade 6'ers and Lexus (my niece) for arranging the visit and the penny jar! 
I guess I better share with you a morning in the life of a puppy raiser.  After tearing up my brand new book she some how pulled down from the night stand she proceeded to the bathroom where she tore up the toilet paper, then shredded my plant, pulled down a note card and tore that up, pulled down her bell and used it as a toy and NOW....she is fast asleep at my side! 

And when she is sleepy she is an angel and as you can see from this picture with my sister...she loves to cuddle.

Day 18 - Week 3

Wow has it really been almost 3 weeks!  Little Eve has come a long way.  She is such a good walker now and a fantastic runner.  Too bad she doesn't come when she's called!  She played with 3 other dogs today - Cody, Chance and Luke.  She had a grand ole time although the other 3 probably had a different opinion.  She was completely worn out and had about a 3 hour nap this afternoon. 
She is really growing too.  Carrying my little puppy is coming to an end. 
She is loving Peachland and the freedom to run around in a yard.  In 6 days she has had only one accident inside. 
Unfortunately she still hates the car but I'm confident we can over come that!  Fingers crossed!
She makes such an impression on everyone she meets.  Well it's time to get the little one to bed.  This is a photo of Levi (my niece) cuddling with puppy Eve.

Talk soon!
Andrea

Day 16 - Week 3

Wow has it really been a week since I've updated the blog?  I have a very good excuse.  I am not going to lie!  Last week was a difficult week.  It felt like potty training would never be mastered, I was lacking sleep, and to top it all off, Eve was not getting any better in the car.  Last Thursday we took a drive out to Ladner for her shots and she absolutely went nutso in the car.  I tried everything,  I had her on the floor, on the seat, in the back, on my lap...nothing would calm her down.  Once I got on the highway she became very distressed and began to attack me.  Literally, attack me!  I could not stop her and I could not pull over.  By the time we got to Ladner I was very upset and we were both very stressed. 
As I tried to fight back the tears, I explained to Linda the situation.  She came to my rescue and the solution was a crate.  She assured me that Eve would come around and not to worry.  The drive home was better.  Eve did not like the ride home  any better than the morning but she eventually cried and yelped herself to sleep.  We went in the car again the next day and she actually likes being in the crate. 
The big test was going to be the drive to Peachland.  I was so worried!  Thankfully, Michael and Cody were with me and Michael was awesome with Eve.  Eventually he had Eve on the floor of the passenger side right where she is supposed to be.  It has now been a few days since that trip and she is getting better although I attempted a ride with just the two of us today and again she freaked out.  I'm confident that she will get better though and I'm not as stressed about the car ride as I have the trusty crate to rely on for now!

Having Eve at my dad's place in a house is much easier than a condo 15 floors high.  She has only had one accident in the house and loves to run out in the yard.  Today Michael and I headed to Lexus' school to talk to 100 6-graders about Guide dogs.  It was great and the kids were very attentive and had great questions.  It was really fun to have both the baby (Eve) and Cody there.  It really gave the kids and understanding of how amazing these dogs are.  Thank you Lexus for arranging this! 
We are spending the rest of the week in Peachland and I am doing some catch up on sleep and Eve is having a ball. 

Everyone is loving having the pup around and I'm loving the help. 
Happy Birthday Levi!
This is a pic of us at the Elementary School today.  Michael & Cody and Aunty Sylvia & Eve.  The puppies were very well behaved!

Andrea & Eve

Day 9 - Week 2

Little Evey and I had a bit of a stressful day.  I had to take her to my first work outing and that meant we had to get in the car. We know how much she loves the car...NOT!  Ashli was going to be in the car so I was pretty confident she would be fine.  Boy, was I ever wrong.  We tried to have her sit on the floor in the passenger side like she's supposed to (Eve that is) and she went nuts.  Her yelping was bringing chills right through my body.  I always thought dogs liked cars. 
She slept pretty much through the entire training session and I guess she was exhausted again from the mental stress.  The car ride home wasn't any better.  Ashli ended up getting an alergic reaction from her and could barely see out of her eyes!  It was one of those days! What am I going to do about the car???? 
Well I got home and there was a message from Linda of BC Guide Dogs.  I called her back and she gave me some suggestions.  It appears that being on the floor of the car may give her some anxiety after the plane ride last week and the vibrations she is feeling. I will bring a blanket with my scent on it and have it cover the floor and the seat.  If that doesn't work I can allow her on the seat and we will eventually work her back down to the floor.  She seems to want to be near me all the time
We are both exhausted tonight so I think we will head to bed early.  Tomorrow her guide puppy friend, Maggie (who flew with her from San Fransisco), is coming over to play at lunch.  It should be fun. 
Until next time! Enjoy a picture of Eve asleep with her teddy and always next to my shoes!

Exhausted Andrea & Eve

Week 2 - Monday

Eve discovered a new toy today!  THE ICE CUBE!  Now I should actually look at video taping her with an ice cube because it is so hilarious how she pounces on it as it slips away.  She is so playful in the morning it drives me nuts as I'm trying to get ready for work!  Well the ice cube was a great distraction and when she was done I gave her another one.  She played with it for about 10 seconds and then looked at me as if to say "Is that all you're going to do is give me ice cubes all day?  Well, I'm done with the ice cubes for now!"  Luckily by 8am she is ready for a power nap!  We attempted a walk this morning to attend a coffee meeting.  She will now walk a half block!  There was a puppy about the size of her across the street who was walking along so happily as Eve sat there not moving.  "Why can't you move like that puppy?" I asked her.  She just looked at me and smiled with those puppy dog eyes. 
We are off to a meeting tomorrow and it should be very interesting!

Day 7 - Week 1

The weekend can not possibly be over!  I need more sleep.  I say this as my little angel naps at my side.  It's still quite difficult to go anywhere as she doesn't like to walk much.  I won't be able to carry her much longer she has grown so much in 7 days! 
We hopped in the car on Saturday to drive to Ikea in Coquitlam.  What a mistake.  What was I thinking!  First off, she was so stressed in the car that eventually she cried her self to sleep and Ikea was so unbelievably busy that everyone wanted to meet her.  I'll save you the rest of the details but all in all we made it back to the city and met Ver for coffee.  By this point she was so mentally exhausted she slept the whole visit.  Today she spent an hour with Ver and I think she had a lot of fun cause as soon as I put her in the car she fell fast asleep. 
Well we made it through the first week and I can already tell that it is going to be very difficult to let her go!  However, I cannot lie, this has been a really challenging week.  I know it is going to get easier but this potty training is really hard! 
This week we are off to get her next round of shots and our first obedience training class.  We will keep you all posted on our progress. 
This is a picture of Eve checking out the doggy park below.  She can always hear me taking her photo and she turned around to catch me.  What an adorable puppy!

Day 5 - Week 1

Eve got to meet Michael and guide dog Cody last night.  The short 2 minute drive to Michael's was a nightmare.  She absolutely hates the car!  She barked and yelped so loud I had to make sure the windows were rolled up tight so no one would think I was hurting her.  By the sounds she made you would think I was torturing her. 
Michael loved to hold little Eve.  Something he didn't get to do with Luke and Cody.  So that was nice.  Thank GOD Michael is coming with us to the Okanagan next weekend.  I'm going to need some help in the car.  I wonder how long the drive will take!  NO Michael...you can't back out now!
Eve gave Cody some kisses, they played and then she did a little poop in Michael's kitchen and off we went to get home for some much needed sleep.

Eve and I went to bed late....11:00 pm.  Way too late for a puppy...and especially me!  Anyways, off to dreamland we went.  She is such a good puppy and makes no fuss at bed time.  Let me re-phrase that - she is such a good puppy when it comes to sleeping!  This was our 4th night together and I'm telling you I was exhausted.  I'm not sure how mother's cope with human babies.  Love you Michelle! 

I woke up suddenly to an unbelievable but familiar stench!  OMG I am afraid to open my eyes.  Where am I ????  I turned on the light and there was little Eve lying quietly on her bed and there on the floor was a whole mess of pee and poop.  I'm telling you it was a great mess.  The stench was more than I could stand.  I thought it was a good idea to close the door at night so that I could hear her when she woke up.  I guess I was so exhausted, I didn't even hear her little bells jingling. 
She looked at me with her sleepy eyes with a look that said "Can you please clean this mess up, that's nasty!"  I told her to stay, and off I went to get yet another roll of paper towel, toilet paper, disinfectant wipes and a rag.  Why did I think she would just lie there after I left?  Up she gets, straight through the mess! She then lays quietly beside me and watches.  I didn't know where to begin!  What time is it?? 
I cleaned up the mess but the smell was so bad in a hot stuffy, closed up bedroom.   Why is it so hot in September???  Hey I have an idea.  I just purchased a new can of Febreze with a light scent of citrus.  Perfect!  I sprayed that room and didn't miss a spot!  Even her bed got a little mist of Febreze. 
Back to sleep we go.  I left the door open this time and within a minute, Eve decided to go sleep on the floor in the living room.  Why you ask?  The scent of the Febreze was more than the two of us could bare!  I joined her!  I cannot even tell you what time this took place or how long we were in the living room but we did wake up in the bedroom this morning!  I guess we eventually made our way back to our comfy beds!

Guess what we're doing this weekend?   SLEEPING!