Funkidivagirl.com » Chili Dawg

The Destruction of Mr. Bill: Oh Nooo!

funkidivagirl — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:00:06 +0000

I used to watch Saturday Night Live with my friends and many of my favorite skits involved Mr. Bill, so when I saw this toy for Chili Dawg, I just had to get it. Never mind that my puppy has 37 toys (my daughter counted–yikes!). The Mr. Bill toy actually says “Oh Nooo!;” how could I resist?

This is how I found the toy in the pet store:

Chili Dawg loved it. It was his favorite toy and he carried around the house, room to room.

Just like the original Mr. Bill, the toy ran into some problems. Chili Dawg chewed him up. At first it was just part of a leg–not too bad, so I sewed it up.

Then it got much worse; Mr. Bill lost both legs and a whole arm. Determined to save Mr. Bill, I sewed him up again. You can’t hear it, but Mr. Bill is screaming “Oh Nooo!”

Chili Dawg played with Mr. Bill all day everyday, missing limbs and all. Eventually he tore through my stitches and began disemboweling Mr. Bill. We found stuffing all over the house and more than once Mr. Bill lost his voice box. I heard “Oh Nooo!” coming from Chili Dawg’s crate while I saw Mr. Bill in front of me on the floor. Chili Dawg was eating the voice box.

Finally, there was nothing I could do. Nothing more to sew, nothing left to save. Mr. Bill was completely flat, devoid of any limbs or stuffing, voice box lying on the kitchen counter, just an empty shell of his former self.

Reluctantly I threw away Mr. Bill, but I couldn’t throw away his voice box. It’s still in the kitchen drawer. Every once in awhile we hear a muffled “Oh Nooo!”.

Bored Kids Are Creative Kids

funkidivagirl — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:56:26 +0000

Today I’m participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop: 3.) It has been said that kids these days are pushed into too many extra-curricular activities and are not given the freedom to play and be bored and to use their imaginations. Is this true?

I dont’ know if this is universally true or not because I’m not all up in people’s business to know what their kids are doing after school, but I know that it’s not true of my kids. I purposely do not put my kids in too many extra-curricular actives because: A). I don’t like driving them to said activities and B.) I do think they need time to “be bored” and use their imagination. Of course, this only happens if I restrict access to television and the computer. But even during the summer months when they are mostly at home, they find things to do both inside and outside to keep themselves occupied.

In his downtime, my son has taught himself how to pay the acoustic guitar and keyboard. He doesn’t read as much as he used to, but he has taken up reading Harry Potter to his sister, which means that the are spending time together as well. I like that.

Both of my kids love to play with our puppy when they are at home; he’s like their own living stuffed animal. When they are bored, they will pull out the Dog Tricks book and try to teach Chili Dawg a new trick. Last week when we were snowed in, we taught him this trick:

My daughter is an artist and spends most of her free time creating. She creates elaborate hairdos for her American Girl dolls, she makes friendship bracelets for everyone (even the dog) and draws for hours. Here’s an art piece that she made from materials in the recycling bin:

One of her favorite made-up games is “Spa.” Unfortunately for me this spa is more interested in planning and marketing than it is in the actual spa services; my foot rub lasts about 30 seconds. The creation of the spa is the most fun for my daughter: she creates an elaborate menu of spa treatments, mixes up special lotion, fixes snacks, colors signs and even makes a credit card scanner. The entire spa creation can take her several hours. This was one of the ways that she kept herself busy during Snowmageddon 2011 last week. And she sewed too. She made pillows for everyone, a toy for Chili Dawg and this cover for my Apple keyboard. It even has a velcro closure at the top.

See? Bored kids are creative kids!

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

He’s Home To Me

funkidivagirl — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:18:24 +0000

I am not a Baby Person. (I mean other people’s babies; of course I love my babies.) I will pinch their fat legs and say “awww” at their universal cuteness, but I won’t ask to hold your baby. I’m good. I like my clothes without spit-up and prefer the smell of fresh air to poopy diapers.

I like dogs in the same way that I like babies: I notice, I coo, I pet them if they look well-groomed, but I won’t let your dog lick my face; I can only guess where his tongue has been. I’m sure his breath smells bad and he may have fleas.

But my dog, MY DOG, I love. I kiss him, rub his belly and snuggle his nose. He may have fur (and fleas and stinky breath) and I know where his tongue has been (ewww) but he’s more than a dog to me, he’s family. He’s home.

The last few years have been stressful for me. It was pretty traumatic moving away from my beloved New Jersey town and although we have been in Georgia now for 7 years, it still doesn’t feel like home. I live here, but I’m not rooted. Adding Chili Dawg to our family last year made me feel a bit more anchored.

Of course I have a human family that I care for everyday. I plan, I cook, I drive, I play. I love and propel them towards their dreams. It’s both what I love to do and feel called to do. But they are humans and as such they are complex creatures intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Those relationships are as rewarding as they are exhausting.

Humans: can’t live without ‘em and can’t throw yourself off a cliff when they get on your nerves.

But my relationship with Chili Dawg is wonderfully simple: I love on him and he loves on me. That’s it. No words, no deeds, no negotiations necessary.

That’s love. That’s home.

He’s A Menace To Society

funkidivagirl — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:54:32 +0000

Every parent of young children knows that time of day called “the witching hour.” It’s the time of day when normally sweet, adorable children turn into monsters and just wile out. Tantrums, mayhem and general unruly behavior reign. I survived that stage with my kids and was happy to have that unpleasantness behind me.

Except that I’m here again. Everyday between 5-7 p.m. Chili Dawg loses his mind. My normally sweet, doe-eyed cuddly fur-baby turns into a wild-eyed, stalking beast. We call him Menace or Rascal during this time. My friend Laura calls hers Damn Puppy. Yeah, that works too.

Okay, maybe he’s not a menace to society, but definitely to my house! He steals paper from the printer, he gets into the trash can, he digs at the rug, he shreds newspaper–he literally stalks the house looking for things to destroy. Nothing is safe and unless things are placed on a VERY high surface, they will be eaten, torn or chewed. As the sun sets my house echoes with shouts of “DROP IT!”, pounding feet and scuffling paws as the kids try to rescue whatever he managed to steal this time. We’re hip to his game and batten down the hatches when he starts to prowl, but he’s a crafty one and finds new ways to wreck havoc everyday.

Usually we’re exasperated, annoyed and inconvenienced by his antics, but when I saw this, I was scared.

He stole the bottle off my bathroom counter sometime between 6-7 p.m. I found 5 aspirin on the floor and could only guess that the rest (about 25) were inside Chili Dawg and the piles of vomit on my bed. A call to poison control and the animal ER confirmed that it was serious due to possible kidney failure, stomach problems and bleeding out.

A quick visit to the emergency room turned into a 4 day stay in the animal hospital. The vet called each time they instituted a new procedure. And the business manager called to tell us how much it would cost. My husband asked, “how much?” And I answered, “You don’t want to know.” Some things are best left unsaid. Just know that it was lots and lots and lots of hundreds.

Thank God that we had the money to pay. And thank God that I had the good sense to buy PetPlan pet insurance not long after we got Chili Dawg. Because of insurance I didn’t have to make a decision about my pet’s medical care based on finances. Chili Dawg was in serious jeporady and we wanted the vet to do whatever necessary to ensure his full recovery. We were so scared and couldn’t even imagine our little boo hooked up to IVs in the hospital!

(Sidebar: this when social media becomes more than just cyber chit-chat; people in my networks were so helpful with information and supportive with prayers and thoughts about Chili Dawg.)

The vets and techs at Village Vets took great care of Chili Dawg (an awesome practice, if you are here in Atlanta) and PetPlan took care of my claim quickly and without dispute. Within 11 days of submitting the claim, I had a check in my mailbox for the full amount of my vet and ER bills, minus the deductible. Most pet owners I know don’t have pet insurance; they think it’s an unnecessary expense or that it’s a scam that won’t pay out when redeemed. Well, I can tell you that it does work and it is worth having.

Chili’s first day home from the hospital. See his bandaged leg and sad eyes?

As for Chili Dawg, after a week of recovery at home he’s back to his rascally rabbit self. Just today alone he’s stolen several socks, my camera (!), 3 towels, paper, a dyer sheet, a stuffed animal, a sweatband and a pillow. He’s a menace, alright! But we love him so much and happy to have him back where he belongs.

*I bought PetPlan after careful and exhaustive research of all pet insurance, hoping never to use it, but thinking that it just made sense to have it. I was not paid or prompted by PetPlan to write this blog post. That would be ridiculous, of course, because I wouldn’t know if it worked unless my pet was ill, but I’m saying it anyway because you never know how some people think. I only identified the company in my post because I was impressed by their customer service and fast response. The moral of this post is to put all medication up very high–higher than you think necessary–for the protection of your pet and that pet insurance is worth the expense.

A Spring Flower In Bloom

funkidivagirl — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:37:50 +0000

Go Chili Dawg! It’s Your Birthday!

funkidivagirl — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:17:12 +0000

The Most Disgusting Thing I’ve Ever Done

funkidivagirl — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:26:28 +0000

I’ve done some gross things in my day. Being a parent, it comes with the territory. I’ve cleaned up my share of explosive diarrhea. One time my son vomited a whole meal’s worth of chili. From the top of a bunk bed. It took me 2 days to get chili out of the carpet, off the walls and in the cracks and crevices of the bed. Fun times.

But nothing–NOTHING–compared to a recent experience that I had with my dog.

I was just getting out of the shower when I heard my husband yelling, “Sherrelle, come quick!” Thinking something was wrong with one of the kids, I ran downstairs in a towel where I was further summoned outside. Throwing on a coat and my slippers I go out into the winter morning to see my son standing on the sidewalk holding our puppy, Chili Dawg. And in his mouth is a dead squirrel.

Let’s stop for a minute and rewind. Did you notice that my husband called me outside? To take a dead squirrel out of my dog’s mouth while he watched from the porch? And this is not the first time that I was asked to handle a dead squirrel. When my dad removed a dead squirrel from our attic he handed it down to me in a trash bag, because he knows that my husband (who was standing right there) wasn’t going anywhere near it.

I’m not squeamish, but even I have my limits. A dead squirrel in a trash bag is not the same as one hanging out of my dog’s mouth. Oh, let me clarify: this wasn’t a dead squirrel (like from the attic); my dog had picked up squirrel road kill on his walk. It was about 3/4 of a squirrel–minus the head–with blood and guts spilling out. Yeah.

I actually tried to find photo online to accompany this story and there were many to choose from. For some disturbing reason people take photos of squirrel road kill. But I couldn’t bring myself to use a photo…my stomach turned just looking at the Google images. I don’t believe that I will ever look at a squirrel the same again.

As disgusting as it was–AND IT WAS DISGUSTING–what choice did I have? My kids couldn’t do it and my husband wasn’t going to do it. My dog’s health depended upon me removing the squirrel from his mouth. Which was not going to be easy, I could tell. He had a death-grip on that squirrel and no amount of cajoling or bribing him with treats was working, so I put on rubber gloves and pried his mouth open. To do this I was very close to the dead squirrel and the smell and site of squirrel guts was over-whelming. I dry-heaved several times in the process, but finally pried the squirrel out of Chili Dawg’s mouth and threw it on the ground. I disposed of most of the squirrel pieces before one final heave told me that I had reached my limit. My husband (watching from the porch) saw that I could go no further and finished picking up the last bit of squirrel guts from the sidewalk. I spent the next half hour sitting on the porch washing Chili Dawg’s face and brushing his teeth.

Still naked under my coat.

And that was the most disgusting thing that I’ve ever done.

On The 3rd Day of Christmas: Chili Dawg’s 1st Christmas

funkidivagirl — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:47:43 +0000

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

…..Chili Dawg. Look at my puppy in his Santa hat; isn’t he too adorable?

As much work as it is having a puppy (and it’s a lot of work), it’s just as much fun. I love his combination of exuberance and innocence; looking at him makes me laugh and he is a joyous part of my life.

We’re really looking forward to spending our first Christmas with Chili. (Okay, the kids and are are excited; I can hear my husband now, “Stop! No! Argh! Someone put that dog away!” Chili’s antics frustrate him). I bought Chili a stocking and it’s ready to be filled with treats, toys and balls (his favorite). I was really worried about him bothering the Christmas tree because he can be really mischievous, but so far so good. He’s taken a drink a few times, but mostly he stays away. Now, it isn’t totally decorated yet, just the lights, so I do think that he will try to steal ornaments once they are on there. And putting presents under the tree unprotected is out of the question because he loves to tear up paper. I guess that I need to put a play pen around the tree or some kind of barrier; how ugly is that going to look?

What about you? If you ever had a puppy at Christmastime, how did you keep him away from the tree?

*******************

The 12 Days of Christmas by Funkidivagirl

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me…..the words to the song.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me….Christmas cards.

Chili Dawg Escapes-The Evidence!

funkidivagirl — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:29:11 +0000

I had to solve the mystery; Chili Dawg was escaping out of his pen and I had to find out how so I set up my Flip Video Camera and went to Target. Our family theory was that Chili Dawg got excited when he heard the garage door open and jumped out to greet us. Therefore, I fully expected the camera to run out before I could catch him in the act or even still find him in his pen upon my return. Oh, was I wrong! This is what happened when I was gone:

I edited the video to only a few minutes, but he escaped about 30 minutes after I left, right after he finished eating his LickALots. I was gone for 2 hours, so that means that he was running loose in the house for 90 minutes! I saw that he got into the closet in my absence; there were hats and scarves strewn all about the living room. But he didn’t potty in the house and nothing was destroyed. Nevertheless, now that I have proof of his escape, that’s the end of that. From now on he will be put in the bathroom when we leave home.

Did you hear his victorious bark when he leap onto the sofa? Even though I am not happy about his escape, I have to admit this puppy has moxie!

Chili Dawg: Escape Artist Extraordinaire

funkidivagirl — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:56:49 +0000

Something mysterious has been happening with Chili Dawg and we can’t figure out how he’s doing this. He’s a very smart dog and now we fear, too smart. THREE TIMES this week we have left home with Chili Dawg in his pen and have come home to this:

an empty pen–still locked–and Chili Dawg greeting us at the door. This pen is 30″ high, but somehow he is able to jump out, scale the sides or teleport himself. I think the first time was a fluke, the 2nd time was to see if he could do it again and now by the 3rd time he knows exactly how to get out. Next time I walk in the door I expect to see him laying on the sofa watching a movie and eating popcorn. Obviously we need to find other ways to confine Chili Dawg when we’re not a home

Chili is full of hijinks. We have to push the chairs away from the table or otherwise this happens:

And it is not unusual to see a whole roll of toilet paper unraveled in the bathroom.

All attempts to keep him off the sofa lead to this:

My husband is not amused.

Chili Dawg is a handful, a rascal, a SCOUNDREL, but he’s my puppy and I love him so much. Look, this is a photo that I tore out of a magazine years ago; I knew instantly that it was my dog. I taped it in my “dream notebook” and forgot about it until I blogged last year about wanting a dog.

And now look at this photo of Chili Dawg. See, Chili Dawg was in my heart, even before he was born.

*Not only do I blog about my puppy, Chili Dawg also has a Facebook fan page! Click on the badge to the left to become a fan, keep up with his status updates and to see more photos. I have officially become “one of those dog people” that my friend @StuMcDnld talks about makes fun of on Twitter.

LickALots: Doggie Ice Cream!

funkidivagirl — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:52:21 +0000

I’m new to the dog retail world and it’s very overwhelming; all I do is buy dog toys, chews, food, treats. I even bought a life jacket for my puppy! It’s like having a baby all over again, there is so much gear available; trolling the aisles of my local pet stores is quite fascinating.

So when we came across LickALots we had to buy one for Chili Dawg. Back at home we were eager to see if he would like his ice cream as much as we like ours.

Chili Dawg inspects it; hmmm…smells good….

And it tastes good too! Hey Mikey; he likes it!

Chili Dawg thoroughly enjoyed the LicksALot and lapped it up in about 10 minutes. I call it “doggie ice cream” but really it’s a healthy frozen treat as noted on the website:

The pedigree of this FROZEN lickable treat for dogs (think healthy dog ice cream) is the best of its breed. LickALots® are created using all-natural, ultra premium ingredients in a low-fat yogurt base. LickALots® provide your four-legged friends with the health benefits of wholesome natural ingredients and active yogurt cultures that assist digestion, aid nutrient absorption, boost the immune system and provide long-lasting benefits to your beloved companion.

Since then we bought more LicksALot for our home freezer and we bring one with us whenever we go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt. While we are having our frozen treat, Chili Dawg has his too!

Um, okay, yes; I’ve totally given in to the fact that I am crazy about this puppy and will buy all kinds of special treats and fun toys for him, but so what? Don’t judge me!

Time Out For YOU!

funkidivagirl — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:51:35 +0000

How does that feel, master?

Is There a Tooth Fairy for Dogs?

funkidivagirl — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:41:25 +0000

If you read my blog regularly, then you know the drama that the Tooth Fairy brings around here.

We Should Have Named Him Chewbacca

funkidivagirl — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:20:24 +0000

Chili Dawg is still a young puppy, so he mouths and chews EVERYTHING: furniture, walls, baskets and worst of all, our body. Right now I am on a mission to find appropriate things for Chili to chew.

Chili has a drawer full of toys, but this lamb that I purchased at Target is his favorite. The toy makes a “baa” sound and at first Chili Dawg used to whine whenever it made noise; it was so funny!

Another favorite toy isn’t a toy at all, but a small clothing hamper that I bought in Target’s Dollar Spot. He loves to put toys in the hamper and also get in there himself.

These are rawhide chews. They can be bought plenty much anywhere dog products are sold, but I got these from Whole Foods. Rawhides can be dangerous if swallowed, so we have to really watch Chili when he’s chewing one of these.

These bully sticks that I bought at Highland Pet Supply are an alternative to rawhide and are supposed to be healthier as they are totally digestible. Rawhides are the hides from a cow, but bully sticks come from a bull/steer. A part of the bull that is shaped like a stick. Remember that a bull is a male animal. Did you get it yet? Yes, you can be grossed out; I am.

If you didn’t know what it was, then you wouldn’t be so grossed out over the bully sticks because they really aren’t that identifiable. That’s not the case with this cow’s tendon I bought at Iman Park Pet Works….it looks exactly like a tendon; ewww!

It smells awful too, but look how much Chili Dawg loves it. The tendon also kept him quiet and occupied for a good hour, so that was golden, but I don’t know if I can take the smell. Chili Dawg’s breath was kicking something terrible for days afterward and that just won’t do because I like to hug him.

Chili Dawg’s Bad Hair Day

funkidivagirl — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:04:29 +0000

Chili Dawg, at 16 weeks old is finally vaccinated enough to be taken into the world and our first order of business was to find a groomer. True to my nature, I obsessed over finding the right groomer; I read countless reviews on Yelp and Kudzu, got recommendations from neighbors and called each establishment personally. Initially I had an appointment booked at a chi-chi Buckhead salon way across town, but then against my better judgement I took my obsessiveness down a couple of notches and made an appointment at a neighbor-recommended groomer closer to home. Upon meeting the groomer this morning I had a long conversation with her, specifying that I wanted scissors used, not clippers. We seemed to be on the same page. Still I was very nervous about leaving him there.

This is what he looked like before leaving home today. We wanted to keep him scruffy looking, but clearly he needed to be able to see better.

And this is what he looks like now; I didn’t even recognize him! His face was shaved down too much.

Yes, he can see better, but the essence of Chili Dawg is gone; his expression is totally different now! Waah! It’s an outrage, a scandal!

The next time he gets groomed (not at the same place!), I am going to be the crazy stage mom telling the groomer exactly what to do. I will have these photos with me to show an example of what NOT to do. As God as my witness, nobody will ever give my puppy a bad hair day again!

He’s Just So Cute!

funkidivagirl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:58:28 +0000

I took this photo of Chili Dawg today and just had to share it because HE’S JUST SO CUTE!

Who’s a Big Bad Puppy?

funkidivagirl — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:54:03 +0000

Chili Dawg is not a shy little puppy anymore! Now that he is comfortable in our house, he has started chewing everything and jumping on the furniture. We learned of a trick to keep him off the sofas, using his natural puppy timidity of loud noises. By putting pennies in empty cans and placing the cans on the furniture, they will fall off and scare him if he jumps up. It really works and only took one can falling for him to keep his paws on the floor. I also use this trick for my exercise mat; if I place a can on either end of the mat, he won’t even come near it (he used wrestle with the mat).

The other day he discovered the basket full of reading material and started nibbling on a book. We placed one of the cans on top of the book, let it fall and he immediately backed away. But that doesn’t mean he’s happy about it! He really wants the book and tries to show the can what a ferocious little guy he is:

He does this several times a day, but still won’t actually touch the book or can, just bark. It’s so funny! Cheap entertainment.

*Update 5/25/09: Chili got really bold one day and knocked the can off the magazine rack. Barking and growling, he grabbed the can and took it into his crate. And the winner is…..Chili Dawg!

Grand Opening at Glamour Paws

funkidivagirl — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:07:34 +0000

On Saturday my family and I attended a grand opening red carpet event at a local new pet boutique, Glamour Paws.

Nestled among the trendy boutiques of Virginia-Highland, Glamour Paws is an adorable shop for chic pet owners. Even before we had Chili Dawg, Girly and I had browsed this cute shop in anticipation of adorning him with the best and most fashionable dog accessories. Once we got our puppy there was no stopping us; shopping for a new puppy is just as much fun as shopping for a new baby!

Look at the beautiful decor!

Drinks and food were served for people and dogs alike.

DJ Salah provided the music while chatting with my husband.

My daughter would love to put Chili Dawg in one of these very hip doggy tee shirts.

Juicy Couture! It’s a good thing that we don’t have a girl dog!

I have been to many pet boutiques looking for a cool collar and leash; I found them here.

I bought Chili Dawg this Bessie + Barnie collar and leash because my Chili must be stylish!

And no ordinary dog tag will do for my puppy; I ordered a Red Dingo tag for him.

Glamour Paws has so many great products for sale: grooming aids, treats, toys, clothes, carriers, beds. There is even a Spa (grooming salon) in the back; I’m sure that we will be taking advantage of that. Because nothing is too good for my Chili Dawg!

(Oh my….I’m becoming one of those dog people!)

Puppy’s First Week At Home

funkidivagirl — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:24:18 +0000

We’ve had our puppy for over a week now and although the adjustment has been a big one, all of us are doing fine. The puppy no longer cries (except at night) and doesn’t look scared anymore; I think he has accepted us as his new family. In fact I think he is downright comfortable since he now barks, growls and tries to chew on everything (including us). We are starting to recognize his moods and signals that he wants to eat, potty, play or be left alone. Except my daughter…she doesn’t like when he wants to be left alone. Since we got the puppy, every waking moment she is playing with him. Until they both collapse, like this:

They stayed asleep together for over an hour.

I had my first chaotic moment with the puppy while at home alone. First, I had been noticing that he was scooting his butt on the floor. Next, when I took him outside to potty, he couldn’t go, even though he tried for over 15 minutes. Finally I noticed that he had a wood chip stuck to his butt, or rather the wood chip was stuck to poop that was hanging out of his butt. I put some gloves on and tried to wipe it off, only to find that it wouldn’t come off because it was halfway in/halfway out. I called the vet in a panic and they told me to come in. Here’s where I broke down and actually started to cry as I had to figure out how to get the dog in my car with poop all over his butt. I thought that I had a brilliant idea: I took a pee-pee pad and tried to fashion a diaper out of it with scotch tape. It’s funny now and I wish that it had been filmed, but I wasn’t laughing as the puppy tried to run away from my efforts. The diaper idea didn’t work, so in the end I just wrapped the pee-pee pad around his butt and placed him on a towel in the front seat. Which presented me with another dilemma: how do I drive and make sure the puppy doesn’t get poop all over my car seat? I couldn’t put his special car seat belt harness on because of the poop, so I held him down with one hand and drove with the other. It was truly a comedy of errors, but we arrived at the vet safely and without poop all over my car. He stayed there all day and came back with a vet bill of $246.82. That was a big “Hello; welcome to puppy parenthood!” day for me.

I gave him a bath. He didn’t like that at all; we both emerged soaking wet. I have started brushing his teeth and he does like that because it is poultry-flavored toothpaste.

And finally, finally the puppy got a name. Every member of my family is so opinionated so it took a full week of daily conversation to name our puppy. My daughter wanted Chewbacca (Chewy), my son wanted Ferris (Bueller), my husband wanted Bugsy (Malone) and I wanted to name him Groovy. We spent considerable time trying to get each other to agree on our favorite name: we sorted and voted, twittered and live-streamed. Finally we agreed on….Chili Dawg. So that’s his name, Chili Dawg–the Dawg spelling is a nod to his good ‘ole country boy roots. Ha ha! I also call him Chili Man, Chili Willie , Chili Bear or Chili Sauce (you know, from The Time).

Puppy, You Rock My World

funkidivagirl — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:56:05 +0000

We finally did it. I blogged about wanting a dog and we adopted a dog from the shelter that didn’t work out, but finally on Saturday we drove out the country and got Puppy.

I thought I was prepared. Unlike the carefree (“how hard can this be?”) attitude I had with the shelter dog, I did my homework this time. I read 4 books on puppy training and dog psychology, I googled and researched the internet for weeks, I watched countless hours of The Dog Whisperer, I talked to everyone I knew and strangers too about having a new puppy and I shopped for pet supplies in advance. I typed up a puppy schedule, posted house rules on the refrigerator and held a family meeting explaining all that I had learned. I rolled up all the area rugs, pinned up the curtains and covered the electrical cords. Lastly we assembled the crate, but the toys in the basket and drove the 1 1/2 hours out to Royston, Georgia.

My first indication that this was going to be more difficult than I thought was when we first saw the puppies….they were so little; this is a baby! And like a baby he cries at night and often during the day for no reason at all. He hates his crate, just like my kids hated their crib or any confinement; the crying and wailing are so familiar, but something that I haven’t dealt with for a long time.

And just like that, I am taken back to the early days of motherhood….those days when it was a good day if I was able to bathe, dress and eat something.

Yesterday within a span of an hour Puppy had 3 pee accidents, 2 poop accidents and vomited. All this while I am learning that the elementary school is closed because of storm power outage, but the junior high is still open. I must instantly rewrite my day and set the bar way low. Forget exercising and all the other things on my To Do list; my goals for the day are to shower and dress, take Puppy to the vet and watch Puppy like a hawk to prevent anymore accidents.

The vet visit went well; Puppy slept through most of it, but I found out the source of the vomiting–tapeworms and parasites. Grrrreat….let’s add forcing a pill down Puppy’s throat every morning to my ever-growing list of Puppy Duties.

He’s really asleep on the examining table.

But oooh, just look at that face; he looks like a stuffed animal and is just so cuddly!

The kids love him too. My daughter won’t ever let him sleep, poor thing, or if he does it’s in her arms like a baby.

Honestly I already love his little furry self and so happy that we got him; I’m just a little sleep deprived and thrown off-balance. Kinda like having a baby–exhausted and elated at the same time. But just like early motherhood, I know it’s only a matter of time before Puppy potties outside on a regular, stops crying and learns to like his crate. In the meantime, I might be kinda scarce on Funkidivagirl.com, Twitter, 12 Seconds and YouTube. If you happen to catch me somewhere in the social media world, please give me a shout and a wave.

Oh, in case you are wondering, no, Puppy doesn’t have a name yet. We posted this 12 Second video on Twitter asking for votes. So far Paddington, Astro, Quincy and Ziggy have the most votes. Since then we have added Niko and Spanky to the list. Chewy (Chewbacca) was suggested often and we like it also. We have to decide by the end of this week; I refuse to to go back to the vet next week with “New Pet” as his name there.

Please leave a comment if you have a vote or any suggestions; we need help!