Darcy and JJ

Hey wait, Darcy is supposed to be MY best friend. I am so torn - as a vet I'm so proud that Darcy is a happy well-adjusted puppy that LOVES everybody but as THE owner I kinda wish she liked me the best! I'm the one putting in the hours here - OK, I'll admit she's being raised by the village but still, she's MY dog. I know - get over it. I'm trying. It would probably drive me nuts if she followed me everywhere, cried when I left the room, wouldn't let anyone else hold her, etc. I'd be embarrassed that my puppy was so dysfunctional and would make up a crazy syndrome about unbalanced hormones or something.

Today, Darcy spent a sunny afternoon playing outside with all the Hard Luck Hounds in our rescue program. I know she has developed such trust in other dogs because of the special bond she has with our lab, JJ. He is 10 and pretty slow but let me tell you she doesn't care. He is her BFF and will sit for hours while she growls, jumps, chews and pulls on and over every part of his body. He glows with love and reminds me of a grandpa watching over his grandkids. He is so patient and they are forging such a sweet, tender relationship that I can honestly say I'm not jealous. Seriously, do you think I'd admit to being jealous of a dog?

I've posted two pictures of them posing together and one of Darcy sleeping in my friends baby carrier. It took her 30 seconds to realize it was warm from the baby and she made herself at home. Luckily my friend is a vet and didn't care one bit!

Puppyhood is passing me by...

As a mother I find myself either oblivious to the fact that my kids are growing up or acutely and painfully aware that they are becoming little people right before my eyes. Sometimes you look at them and think, "Wow, when did that happen?". Other times you slow down and really take a moment in because it might be the last! EVERY time that Owen falls asleep in my arms I worry that he will soon be too big and it will never happen again.

Darcy is growing like a weed and so I am forced to stop and realize that all too soon I am going to have a real dog - not this clumsy and fuzzy little pup. I don't know if I should be sad the puppy is going away or excited the dog is coming? Will it really be any different?

I'm like so many of my clients in one respect - we all LOVE puppy fur. It's just so amazingly soft, fluffy and adorable that we secretly hope they will stay like that forever. I have had to break the bad news time and time again - their hair just doesn't stay like that! Bummer! So I'm rebelling by refusing to cut any of her hair off.

Darcy has mastered jumping off my bed, jumping up and down off the couch and dumping all of the toys out of her basket. I'm still pondering how to teach her how to put them back. She usually walks from my car to the clinic every morning which some people may fail to see the significance of. However I'm sure some of you know that some puppies do very little actual walking! She can sit for a treat and has really been working on developing a real bark. I'm glad that she has a cute little warble and usually only pulls it out when engaged in full on cat wrestling.

Today in itself was quite a milestone. Our rescue group, Hard Luck Hounds, had a dog returned to our program yesterday. "Alice" is an adult female standard poodle and didn't understand why she wasn't with her family anymore. They had their reasons for returning her but she was confused and scared. My parents have agreed to foster Alice for a while so this afternoon my Mom, Alice, Darcy and myself all took a nice long walk. It was actually Darcy's first real walk and she took right to the leash. She likes to walk herself by holding the leash in her mouth, a phenomenon usually displayed by Golden Retrievers. She was happy and excited because dry, blowing leaves are her favorite toy! Darcy did a great job of showing Alice the ropes and would have made the dog whisperer proud.

So I'll embrace these fleeting displays of puppyhood but also note and treasure these accomplishments. I know that I want my kids to be well adjusted and confident so I must have set these goals for Darcy as well. I am never at a loss to tell Harper and Owen how wonderful I think they are (Mom's prerogative) so we continue to lavish Darcy with verbal accolades and praise. I really think she has earned it - don't you?

Reunited!

OK -- I'm the freaky lady who doesn't like to leave her dog. I make a living assuring people how I am more than capable and our facility is adequately prepared for caring for pets! Sure - they would rather be at home, I understand that but geez why is it so hard to leave them? I am now crystal clear on why people give me that tragic look of longing when we walk down the hall and separate them from their pet. I get it now - it's hard to have fun on vacation when your baby is in a cage! (Is this really me typing this?)

I learned from my mom (Darcy's MiMi) that Darcy was quick to learn how to escape the pen I had fashioned. Amazingly enough I am still surprised when she does anything naughty! We may have taken a few steps backward in the potty training department because she pretty much ran loose in my Mom's house all day! She got to be top dog and go fun places but... it was difficult to drop her into that little pen and walk away! At least I was leaving her in my Mom's kitchen which was familiar to both of us. Let me picture dropping her off at a kennel... NO THANKS! What a conflict of interest! Why is it OK for my clients to trust me/us with their pets but I'm unable or unwilling to leave my own dog? This is one of those situations I'm placed in with my job - the two sides of my brain just don't agree! The science and fact vs. the emotions. 10 years later and it doesn't get any easier.

Don't get me wrong. We have so much fun with dogs while they are boarding. 99% of them do really well, get into a great routine and have a terrific time playing with other dogs. It is fun to see them experience things and interact with each other. They are really cherished and loved during their stay. But... at the end of the day they aren't in our arms. They aren't in bed with us and we aren't making sure that everything is just so. I've spent EVERY minute of the last month with this little puppy and it's a hard transition to expect someone else to me the mommy.

So what I'm saying is I get it. I had the humbling experience of doing a house call euthanasia tonight. When I walked away from their home carrying the dog they had loved for 12 years it really opened me up to thinking about this. That pet was gone but it still took incredible trust for them to let me take her away. I don't want to pretend that it isn't a big deal. It is a big deal but it's still part of my life. For me to do my job there is pain. Sometimes it's just a tiny twinge when you have to leave your dog for the day or night. Sometimes it's a great big in your face pain.

Hopefully we won't have to leave Darcy for a while. In San Diego and Coronado there were dogs EVERYWHERE! The stores, restaurants and parks were full of reminders that Darcy was stuck back here in the cold! I'll post a picture of the fancy new collar we bought her and her first official jewelry! (I can't really believe how much thought I have put into that collar and name tag.) I bought her a pink leopard snuggly fleece at the street fair in Palm Springs. There were incredible handmade dog clothes and custom harnesses. We bought a fun book about going to the vet in a very cool store www.warmheartcoldnose.com. Fun dog toys and a sticker for my car ("wag more, bark less") in a San Diego pet boutique. I'm on my way to being a savvy traveler who brings the poodle along for the fun. I know she's ready but we still have to convince Dad!

Prep for separation

We are leaving town Wednesday! Darcy will be vacationing at Mimi and Papa's house while we are gone. Sunday I had lots of cleaning to do in preparation for our Super Bowl party so we had dry run #1. Darcy and the kids spent the day with Mimi and Papa while I spent a good hour vacuuming up dog hair. The official report was: no accidents, very well behaved but was MIA for a short time. After a brief panic and search of the basement she turned up unscathed.

I'm going to take her kennel although she really hasn't spent any time in it. It has a new tray and custom fitting "cinnamon" colored fleece bed - just hasn't been used... I plan on fashioning a puppy playpen with the baby gate but don't know how that will go over - turning the kitchen into doggy daycare. I'm a bit concerned about the fact that Darcy really hasn't ever been away from ME and that she likes to sleep on my bed. You can't really leave detailed instructions for a puppy sitter about how they should tolerate romping, chewing and tug-of-war at 5AM right after her first morning potty break. At least my parents are early risers!

I know she will be fine but we will sure miss her. I am however getting really excited about visiting a certain little doggy boutique that I discovered in San Diego last fall. I'm confident Harper and I will find that perfect something to help dull the pain.

Lessons Learned Part 1

What I've learned so far...

1. I am absolutely not cut out for anything larger than the puppy shown in the above picture. I say kudos to ANYONE who is able to chase after, keep up with or clean up after a puppy bigger than 3 pounds 7 ounces at 14 1/2 weeks of age.

2. Even though she is able to charm the pants off of everyone she meets - this puppy does eat cat poop. I now have an elaborate system of gates and cardboard boxes blocking access. I have also gotten out the baby gate and converted the kitchen into a puppy pen. I keep reminding myself, "An unsupervised puppy is a puppy in trouble"!

3. My voice can go really high-pitched when I say, "Does Darcy need to go potty" or the ever popular, "Darcy is such a smart puppy".

4. I have a lot of people say, "Oh! It's real!". I'm still trying to figure out why they think I would be carrying around a stuffed dog or statue of a poodle...

5. Darcy and I seem to have similar taste. We are both high maintenance. She has demonstrated an uncanny ability to make herself at home in Nordstroms.

6. We are going on vacation next week and our hotel does not allow pets! Why wouldn't you welcome a darling little dog like Darcy? My loyalty to Marriott may be a thing of the past!

7. No matter how many dog toys we have the pile of leaves on the deck have provided WAY more entertainment!

8. If your puppy is sleeping with you and she wakes up a little bit earlier than you would like - keep a stash of Greenies beside the bed! Darcy has a Greenie EVERY morning about 5:30 while I am multitasking - sleeping and at-home pet dental care all at the same time!

Shoe Fetish

As I write this Darcy is curled up on my lap, sleeping soundly. I've definitely noticed that as she is getting older she has more energy and is playing more. This morning she spend quite a bit of time really running around and playing with her toys. She IS getting away with something that is considered a no-no though - chewing on shoes. She is able to stick her entire head into Owen's sketchers and can drag one of Harper's Ugg boots all around the house. I'm not sure what the attraction is but can remember over the years that many of my clients seem to have experienced the same thing with their puppies. I've also validated another truth - small dogs just get away with things that larger puppies get in trouble for. A tiny little poo-poo on the floor seems a little bit more tolerable than a large pile. One Kleenex vs. multiple paper towels. No clean up required vs. get out the steam cleaner. The holes in the shoes are barely visible when those tiny teeth are chewing! I've heard of this phenomenon day after day. I've marveled at how people tolerate tiny pets being 80% housebroken as the finished product and let them get away with downright obnoxious behavior. Now I'll admit, some of the most popular breeds that I see every day are almost impossible to housebreak and train. Yorkies, pomeranians, Min Pins and other itty-bitty dogs are often missing the "teach me" gene. The trainability of poodles played significantly into my decision to get Darcy. A Yorkie in my hands would be a recipe for disaster. Even though I know all this, I don't seem to freak out when I see her dragging around expensive boots. I've actually chuckled and congratulated her on being such a determined little puppy.

Now, I know this can't keep up. I'm slowly forcing myself to admit that she isn't just going to know how to sit, come, stay, etc automatically. Oddly enough when I envision Darcy as an adult she already knows how to do those things - the training part between now and then is a little fuzzy. I've taken several larger dogs to obedience class but can't see myself (6'0" tall) parading around in a circle with a 3# dog on a leash. However, in the words of the Dog Whisperer, I AM the pack leader. I know Darcy will love learning and be happier as a well-balanced pup. I also know that it may be a different story if she starts dragging around MY shoes! I think I'll sign up for a program on the Dog Whisperer's website - become the pack leader in 1 year with a weekly activity. This week - find an indoor exercise activity - we have that figured out - tug of war with a slipper!

The Ouch Factor

In my profession there is always the possibility of the "ouch factor". Sometimes animals come to me in pain and sometimes there is pain associated with their visit. Despite our ongoing and aggressive efforts to prevent, eliminate or at least control pain - it is there. Surgery, shots or abscessed teeth - that stuff hurts.

Some animals are amazing in their capacity to tolerate pain and likewise some are amazing in their ability NOT to tolerate it. The trick is you don't know which is which until after the fact.

So it was with much trepidation that I prepared to vaccinate Darcy. She had already experienced the occasional discomfort during ear cleaning, grooming, nail trimming, etc. I vaccinate LOTS of dogs and cats and believe me - the vast majority of them don't even acknowledge the actual injection. I counted back on the calendar a couple times and confirmed that she was actually due for a vaccine then gave my assistant the go ahead. We carefully prepared the vaccine and used a new, sharp needle (courtesies extended to all our patients of course!).

After a bit of stress on our parts, Darcy took the vaccine like a champ. She was sleepy that day which is a very common question from my clients. Most noticeably, she did seem sore in that spot and so I was very quick to give her a dose of oral pain medication. After that it was smooth sailing.

Since I became a veterinarian and then later a mother I realized those sensations I feel when sitting in the pediatrician's office are similar or the same to what my clients feel. I vividly remember taking a newborn infant to the doctor for the first time and the trapped feeling as my baby was hurting. OK - so maybe I was a little bit more hormonal and a little bit more sleep deprived than the average client walking into my office but it is still stressful! I always try to reflect on those feelings for just a moment when the tables are turned and I'm sitting in the waiting room - dreading what is about to happen. I know that Darcy's "well-puppy" visits and her spay (yikes!) will help me to stay more grounded and in touch with the not-so-fun aspects of getting a new puppy.

She was anxious to help me type this post so I grabbed a picture to show how she is growing. She has gained about 6 ounces since arriving and is learning something new everyday - whether I'm trying to teach her or not.