holiday gatherings

kim: peanut got to meet uncle justin, who is in town from seattle for the holidays. we enjoyed christmas eve at my mom's, catching up with each other and eating too much.

despite peanut's enduring efforts, lucky still won't play.

--

peanut: i like skritches!

a face full

kim: peanut doesn't like being outside for very long when it's cold out - just like the rest of us. however, it's almost never too cold to take a moment to do a bit of burrowing.

a trip to chuck & don's brings the total to $878.57

a trip to the bathroom scale brings the total to #26.2

--

peanut: i made a snow angel!

big day for coconut retrievers

kim: peanut was reunited this afternoon with one of her fellow pups that was rescued from st. maarten. we (peanut and me, and bella and her people abby and tim) met at the battle creek dog park for a frolick in the afternoon snow. the pups had a fabulous time.

peanut has been a major sleepyhead this evening - a sure sign of a good time!

--

peanut: coconut retrievers are great playmates!

christmas cookies

kim: we went over to my mom's today for the annual holiday treat bake-a-thon day. peanut made sure the floor stayed spic-n-span.

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peanut: spritz cookie dough! nummy!

obnoxious pup

kim: peanut has just been a real stinker lately. must be cabin fever setting in.

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peanut: since my mom hasn't bought me any new toys, i have to make my own from dryer lint. it's recycled from the trash, so it's eco-friendly.

happiness is...

kim: ...a little dog with a rawhide.

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peanut: rowph mmph

playing transformers

kim: you can play some fun games with your dog. like pretending they are shapeshifters.

doggie debit: $829.63

--

peanut: i am not a shar pei!

expanded obedience

kim: peanut and i are spending our monday nights at all-breed obedience for a few weeks. she's getting better at walking by my side without pulling. she does okay at sit-stay (better at home), and can now do a down-stay for a little while. little by little, she's becoming a more mindful dog.

--

peanut: i counted to 30. time's up on my down-stay.

scarecrow, i wouldn't visit if i were you

kim: peanut has finally discovered the joy of de-stuffing toys.

--

peanut: i found a new way to make a mess, and i don't even get in trouble for it!

gentle leader

kim: as part of the good-walker program, i purchased a gentle leader for peanut. boy, those things work wonders. if your dog is a puller, try it!

--

peanut: i don't like this thing. can we trade it in for some biscits*?

*dog spelling for biscuit

blinded by the light

kim: ...because peanut ate the sunglasses. they were an old pair in the goodwill pile. now they are in the trash pile. oh, well.

--

peanut: sunglasses are crunchy goodness.

the down side of fur

kim: peanut is shedding like mad. it's almost worse than with my dogs who had longer, thicker hair, because at least their hair clumped together some. her soft, fine hairs like to all be independent. just like her coat sheds dirt, it also sheds the dog and each other. what a mess.

items not purchased at the dollar store: 810.33

burden imposed by gravity: 23.6 lb

--

peanut: goodbye summer coat, hello winter coat.

obedience

kim: peanut is starting level 1 obedience class. this is a little different than puppy class, where you were doing a good job as long as you didn't gnaw off your owner's arm or pitch a fit of major proportions. i suspect our major challenge will be to learn how to work together even if a treat is not involved.

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peanut: i can sit in the heel position. as long as my handler walks up to the right spot.

graduation

kim: peanut successfully completed phase one of training class - puppy kindergarten. next up, level 1 obedience, which might require actual obedience.

--

peanut: good job me.

just darn cute

kim: sometimes peanut has the cutest darn facial expressions.

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peanut: i'm worried that someday you'll get a job and i'll be home alone all day.

cleanliness is next to godliness

kim: peanut is teaching me not to be a messypants. dirty clothes should not be put in a pile on the floor, but in their proper location - the laundry basket. i'm slowly learning that things on the floor are meant for dogs (especially wool socks and slippers, but not shoes).

so long, brand new wool socks. $684.01

peanut now weights in at 21.8 pounds.

--

peanut: flossing with wool is an important part of my dental hygiene program.

the first flakes

kim: the first snowflakes of the season came this morning. peanut took it in stride.

--

peanut: hey, this white stuff is tasty.

new favorite game

kim: our puppy kindergarten trainer thinks peanut has some sight hound in her. i think she's right. peanut is getting long and lanky, and has whippet-like ears. so i decided to see if she has a chase instinct (she clearly has the hunting by digging out your prey instinct). i bought a long paintbrush handle, tied on a few feet of string, and tied on a rag at the end, to allow me to whip the "prey" round fast enough for me to keep ahead of her.

well, we have found a favorite new hobby. peanut loves chasing stuff. she's quite quick and agile. she would be a great lure coursing dog. i hope there are some local fun clubs around.

$666.02

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peanut: i'm focusing on the target.

a chill is in the air

kim: today was a sad, sad day. i bought a jacket for my dog.

i generally don't believe that dogs need to wear clothes. that's why god invented fur and put it on the dog. however, peanut is a small, skinny dog with short hair, and this is minnesota, so i bought her a coat. i had to go to three stores before i found one that didn't have arms in it.

so long, $641.56

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peanut: i look like a race horse. is this my halloween getup?

nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven

kim: peanut has figured out that there are good things in the kitchen. she's taken to following me in there, just in case something good happens, like i'm slicing up cheese and some falls on the floor.

--

peanut: little dogs do too like jalapenos!

fun with chores

kim: i have all the ingredients for a few minutes of fun: 1 swiffer mop, 1 cloth rag (swiffer pads are insanely expensive and create waste), and 1 puppy. just put the rag on the mop head, place assembly in the same room with the puppy, and get to cleaning. follow the canine's lead.

--

peanut: banzai!

puppy porch fundraiser

kim: if you've been following along, you may recall that i adopted peanut through puppy porch, a local rescue group. they are having a shindig (code word for fundraiser) this saturday from 11-3, so pack up your dog and join in the fun. there will be lots of vendors on site, a silent auction, demonstrations, and treats for your pup, of course. if you have some used or new supplies (leashes, towels, kennels, food), please consider bringing them along for a donation.

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peanut: can we go? huh? huh?

dog park

kim: peanut and i went to the dog park today for the first time. it was a nice day out, so there were lots of dogs there, and about 2/3 were larger dogs. peanut got pummeled by an overzealous lab a couple of times, but she is fine. she got pretty dirty, though. which brings to mind another thing i really like about this dog: her smooth coat. it practically repels dirt. by the time she got home, she looked perfectly clean.

--

peanut: i'm like a self-cleaning oven. but i'm a dog.

chewing phase

kim: life is full of stages, and peanut is going through a chewing phase. she seems particularly enamoured with slippers. i had to inform her that they are not chew toys. i also have to remind her: do not to chew on my clothes that i left on the floor. or on my hoodie strings, especially if i'm wearing the hoodie. or my hand.

$601.65

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peanut: don't be mad at me. i'm cute.

good retriever

kim: i lost a sock months ago. literally. i've had one lonely sock in the drawer since at least mid-summer. but i'm a person of faith, and my belief that the other sock would eventually appear kept me from throwing out the one that remained unlost. well, i found the lost sock today. right on top of my bed. apparently peanut found it in its hiding spot and kindly left it in an obvious place for me. as a bonus, there were no holes in the sock.

--

peanut: good job me.

school is in session

kim: yesterday was our first day of puppy kindergarten. at 4 months, peanut is one of the oldest pups. we both had a good time, but i couldn't believe what a squirmy bug peanut was during lecture time. thus, the homework for this week - dominance reduction. and look upon hearing your name. and sit.

r.i.p. dollar bills: $597.92

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peanut: i like school! i go for a car ride and get lots of treats and play with other puppies.

up almost 10% in 8 days

kim: last thursday peanut was 15.5 pounds, today she was 17.0. i wish my stocks were doing that well.

took peanut back to the vet because she's still having tummy problems. sadly, i need to fast her until tomorrow morning. she's not going to like this.

current cost of priceless dog: $512.92

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peanut: i may have to resort to cannibalism.

getting tougher

kim: when i first got peanut, she had little pink tender paws. now that she is running around more, her paws are starting to callous up. during today's operation-tough-paws maneuvers (a walk around the block), we saw not one, not two, not even three, but four deer. fun to see that wildlife is still in the area. peanut froze in her tracks and watched them cross the road.

--

peanut: those were the biggest critters i've ever seen!

make yourself at home

kim: there are ups and downs to having a feline guest. today was a good day; lucky's choice to enjoy some r&r cracked me up.

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peanut: good spot for him. i like having the whole bed to myself.

zzz

kim: peanut had a play date with lulu from across the street this afternoon. they tore around the back yard so much that eventually they were too pooped to run any more and just wrestled.

running total to have my very own peanut gallery: 457.21

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peanut: zzzzzzzzzz

a hole in my pocket

kim: today was peanut's first visit to her new regular vet. the impetus was twofold. she's been sickly for a few days and she needed her rabies shot. turns out she had tapeworm, but is now on the road to recovery. she did a great job taking her meds and getting her shot; she totally won over the crew with her sweet demeanor. oh, to have the charms of a puppy.

for an experiment, i'm going to attempt to capture how much money this dog costs me over her lifetime. she is priceless, of course, but here goes anyway. so far on the tab we have an adoption fee, two trips to petsmart for food and toys and stuff, and one vet visit. owning a dog for 10 days = $448.89

that's a lotta lattes.

--

peanut: come out, you coward! (addressing yella bellied tennis ball)

sicker 'n a dog

kim: if you're a dog, can you really be sicker than a dog?

peanut has the little doggie flu. it's not very fun cleaning up the messes. i'm sure peanut isn't really enjoying it, either. she seems to be doing better now. poops are starting to look more like poops than lumpy puddles.

yesterday, i didn't want her to mess in the house while i was gone, so i put her in her kennel. so she messed in the kennel. today i left her out. the floor is easier to clean up.

she has taken to making herself at home on the bed when i'm not looking. upon discovering her misplacement, i gently remind her that she is in violation of the little dog proper placement treaty. and she politely gets down.

--

peanut: she doesn't know it, but i sleep on the bed when she's gone.

coconut retriever

kim: we've had a few debates about peanut's heritage. puppy porch billed her as a terrier mix. i think she definitely has a terrier's ears and face. however, if i had more carefully looked at the paperwork i received when i adopted her, i would have seen her breed right in black and white: coconut retriever.

that's the best breed name i've ever heard of!*

--

peanut: i love being a coconut retriever.

*it means "mutt"

socializing

kim: we went over to karen and lash's, and peanut got to meet val and tara and raleigh. there was lots of ball tossing, tearing around and photography.

--

peanut: good thing i wore my best collar, because the paparazzi were everywhere.

lots of new faces

kim: today was another big day for peanut. we went to visit karen and lash, so we both got some socializing in. peanut learned how to go down stairs; she is officially bi-directional now. then we went to petco for some new toys and more socializing.

my mom left for australia today, so we received lucky, her cat. just when the poor cat thought it was safe to come to my house...

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peanut: i'm only going to engage the new guy from a distance. he looks like he could kick my butt!

night night bedtime

kim: every day has a close; that's called bedtime. sometimes little dogs aren't sleepy at bedtime. sometimes they are in full-on play mode. this can be a little dismaying to a sleepy owner. however, i discovered a way to make this particular canine assume the sleeping position. i simply shut off the lights. darkness is mother nature's way of saying, "go to sleep!" try it with your pup - it just might work.

--

peanut: there are dust bunnies the size of kansas under the bed.

routine

kim: morning. outside. pee. inside. eat. outside. poop. inside.

that's start to the day we've established. it's a good one. now, if i can gradually remove my presence from this equation (pretty soon it'll be too darn cold to go outside!), mornings will be awesome.

peanut is a great coffee shop companion. she sits nicely in the passenger seat during the drive, and when i go in, just curls up and waits politely with no fuss.

so far, the power cord for my laptop is in one piece. she is good at not chewing on cords.

--

peanut: tennis balls are fun!

downgraded to really good

kim: peanut is obviously getting settled in and starting to expand her horizons. she has pooped in the den (luckily, i caught her, so hopefully lesson learned). she started gnawing on the dining room table and chair legs. she is finding all sorts of things to chew on in the back yard.

she did really good in the thunderstorm.

she's learned how to climb up stairs, although she's a little klutzy yet.

she's learned how to climb up on the couch. it's her new favorite nap spot.

--

peanut: i wish they served dinn'r ten times a day.

this dog is amazing

kim: peanut is an amazing puppy. in two days, she has not had an accident (of course, she is kenneled when i'm not home, and i let her out often). she rarely barks or whines. she has learned the words outside, inside, pee and poop. good job, cookie butt!

this dog is going to eat me out of house and home. she is constantly checking her food bowl. at 15 pounds, she eats more than my 35 pound dogs did. mercy.

we have met the close neighbor dogs lulu, belle and dakota.

she has started to like digging, but at the locations where the burrowing critters (voles?) are. i'm torn between yelling at her for this. i wouldn't mind it if they weren't in my yard.

she immediately made the southwest corner of the fence her 'home base' and will go there after a round of zoomies, or when she doesn't want to come back in.

--

peanut: i have a squeaky octopus that is fun to chew on and toss around and pounce on.

first impressions

kim: i'm talking to a brick wall.

peanut: the only word this lady knows is "no."

the time is now

the exterior remodeling project was finished, the weather was still nice, summer sports were winding down and winter sports were a ways off yet. the time to get a puppy was now or never.

so i scoured craiglist, petfinder, the animal humane society, etc. for my new dog(s). i came across the sad story of one rescue puppy named peanut, thought she looked pretty cute in the photos, and e-mailed about her.



as luck would have it, she would be at a petco across town on saturday the 20th. i told my mom about it, and she promptly came over to ride along for the puppy meet-n-greet.

i came home with a sweet puppy named peanut.

peanut

one summer day in sint maarten, a litter of puppies were found boxed up on the side of the road waiting for the trash pickup. luckily, someone heard them in the box and they were rescued. one of these puppies was peanut.

thanks to the animal rescue group puppy porch, she is now my girl.

in the beginning...

my first 4-legged kids were bonkers and uffda.

they were great dogs, and are now in doggie heaven.