Peg’s Journal

looking cool and staying warm in her sweater

Cookie’s been with us for almost a month and I’m happy to say that I no longer have thoughts of giving her up. We’ve established a nice routine and she’s better behaved now. But she still has severe stranger anxiety…which I’m not used to AT ALL. Whenever we take her outside, she barks at all of our neighbors then dashes between our legs. She does the i’mgettingslaughtered yelp whenever people come over and peer into her pen. She also freaked out when we took her in for her second set of vaccines. She peed on one of the vet technicians and struggled like a rabid animal that they had to put a muzzle on her.

Every dog I’ve ever had has always been so friendly….sometimes TOO friendly - jumping up and licking everyone that walked by. So whenever Cookie goes into hysterics, I don’t know what to do.
Last weekend we brought her along to my in-law’s to play with Bubble. I was very nervous at first because of Bubble’s sheer size (Bubble’s paw is the same size as Cookie’s head!)…but Bubble, who is a few years older, is very sweet and gentle. It took less than 10 minutes for Cookie to come out of her crate uncoaxed. She spent the whole day with Bubble and eventually felt secure enough to play and run among my in-laws….but would still dash into her crate if my father-in-law approached her.

After the weekend, I felt like we made great strides in her socialization…but the very next day, she acted up again. I guess we’ll keep working on it. Maybe she’ll grow out of it as she gets older. Otherwise the vet tech suggested meds. Have you ever heard of that? Anxiety pills for dogs?! Wow.

Tags: Cookie, weekend

First off, I want to THANK everyone for all the incredibly helpful comments and emails regarding puppy/potting training. Crate training proved to be tough for us. Cookie wouldn’t stop crying. I tried to be strong, but eventually caved. After having access to the entire downstairs when she first arrived, the tiny crate seemed like punishment. So we moved her into the kids’ old playpen. She’s seems quite content in there. She has enough room for her bed, toys, food, and potty pads. We take her outside every 2-3 hours to do her business and play.

We have our good and bad days. On a good day, she’ll be sweet, “accident”-free, and playful. On a bad day, she’ll bark incessantly, display aggressive behavior towards the kids, and/or sneak away while playing with Ashlyn to take a crap in our upstairs bedrooms. We have more bad days than good.

We’ve encountered more than just housebreaking woes. Over the weekend, Cookie attacked and bit my friend’s daughter. Luckily, the bite did not break skin, but gave everyone quite a fright. Cookie doesn’t like strangers, and dislikes kids even more. My heart feels heavy as I struggle with the possibility of giving her up. I try to remain strong and patient, but something doesn’t feel right. We’re a social family….our Cookie’s personality is not.

looks are so deceiving, huh?

*sigh* I feel awful. I made such a hasty decision without putting much thought into things. All I saw was her adorable cuteness. Now I’m torn. Will she’ll grow out of the possessiveness and aggressiveness? Aren’t dogs the most friendly and carefree when they’re puppies? She’s only 2 months old and she can get scary mean. I worry for my kids. *sigh* I need Cesar Millan.

Tags: Cookie, puppy

At the visit to the vet yesterday, we found out that Cookie is about 8-9 weeks old. She’s a Chihuahua and (possibly) Dachshund mix. She’s healthy and flea/worm-free. She got some shots, her nails clipped, and we went home with lots of samples and brochures. We’ve also discovered that she’s quite defensive to strangers and packs a fierce growl and yap!

I just love seeing Ashlyn with Cookie. Ashlyn just oozes love for the pup. She loves to cradle Cookie in her arms and rock her like a baby. She talks, sings, and reads to the pup in a gentle soothing voice. It’s pure sweetness.
Summer, on the other hand, is a different story. She tried to pick up the pup by the neck. She’s constantly chasing after Cookie with a kibble in her hand. Her loud squeals and cackles, sudden movements, and big gestures totally freak the puppy out. Poor Cookie. hehehe

Having a pet is not quite as fun as I remembered it to be. It’s probably because I’m a parent now and not a kid. It’s only been a couple of days and my biggest debacle is potty training. Cookie generously leaves little “gifts” for me all around the house. And because she’s a tiny little thing, her puddles and poos are hard to spot right away. Currently we’re in the midst of getting laminate flooring installed at home, so it’s not a big deal when she goes on the cement floor. But today, the installers worked on the living room and Cookie and I were confined upstairs. I would take her outside every hour or so, but nothing happened. By the end of the day, she went on the carpet FOUR times! I wanted to cry.
My friend suggested the crate-method for potty training. Sounded easy enough, but poor Cookie just wimpered and cried the whole time in the crate. All the wimpering, yapping, and yelping sounded like there was animal cruelty going on at my house. I just couldn’t stand it, and would take her out. Of couse the minute I took her out, she would pee on the carpet or in my arms.

Thoughts of regret and giving her up crossed my mind a dozen times, but I mustn’t give up so easily or quickly. I have to keep reminding myself that it just takes time, some love, and a whole lotta patience. HEEEEELP!

I’m open to any advice…..anything.

Tags: Cookie, kiddies, puppy training

Meet Cookie -the newest addition to our family!
We named her that because she’s tiny and golden and sweet and you just want to gobble her up! That, and the fact that all the other names that the kiddies picked out (ie..Goldielocks, Gingersnaps, and Kellyclarkson) were too long.

We got her yesterday…on a total whim. As we were walking out of Home Depot, the kiddies spotted the cute puppies. We went up to say HI and pet them (as we always do when we see dogs in public). As we were petting them, the smiling owner said with a nod, “$100″. For a second, it went over my head, then I leaned to Aric and whispered, “I think he’s selling them”.
Long story short, we rescued Cookie from a Hispanic couple outside of Home Depot for a hundred bucks. Quite a steal since adopting a pet from the shelter can cost way more. OMG!…what an impulse buy. Goes to show you the lengths I go to for what I consider a good bargain.

Then reality set in….when she peed on me twice during the car ride home. I love dogs, but to be honest, I’m kind of freaking out. What was I thinking taking on such a responsibility?!
In the last 24 hours, she’s been peeing and pooping everywhere, whimpers whenever I leave the room, and wants to be held constantly. I’ve accidentally stepped on her twice already…her yelps alarm me, and I end up falling down myself. I think we just need to get used to having her and being more careful.

I’m taking her to the vet later to find out what type of Chihuahua mix/breed she is. Find out how old she is (lady said nine weeks, but I suspect that Cookie might be younger), and to get her checked out.

Anyhow…we got a new baby in this house and she is absolutely the cutest little thing!

Tags: Cookie, puppy