Boo-ris : Happy Halloween

Halloween Night on Brushy Creek Trail (my street) is a major event for the neighborhood. Three houses on my block really do it up with elaborate decorations and animation. This draws large crowds of trick-or-treaters.

I was alerted to this the day before Halloween by my next door neighbor (the busy body). She informed me that she counted 250 "goblins" coming to her door the previous year and quite a few come in groups of 10-15 kids.

After considering an escape to a bar or restaurant, I thought it might be fun to stay home and experience this event for my first Halloween here. Also, I thought it would be good for Boris to experience all the people coming and going.

So, in a panic, I ran to WallyMart for several bulk bags of candy and a fake jack-o-lantern (impulse buy at the checkout). Then, while at Lowes, I saw some Halloween decorations on clearance. I snatched them up and returned home for some last minute decorating, which involved the few purchased items, 4 tiki torches, a home-made sign, and Boris!



I forgot to take any pictures that night, since it was pretty busy with all the kids coming by. Based on the amount of candy I went through, I am estimating that I went through about 150 kids between 6:45 and 8:30.

Boris in Solitary

Last night, after about 2 weeks of sleeping on the sofa, I finally got to sleep in my bed again. In order to ease Boris' separation anxiety (aka, whining and crying), I started sleeping on the sofa next to his crate, which helped him adapt to the crate at nights.

As we came in from a late walk (to burn off puppy energy), Boris decided to be stubborn and not come in from the garage when I called him (usually, he comes right away). So, to "reward" him and his desire to be in the garage, I decided to let him sleep in the garage.

This is where he spent the night. It was his choice!


Part of the decision was because he would not come in, but the bigger part was the fact that he made it through the previous 2 nights until 5:30 or so without having to go potty. So, I figured it was time to try him out sleeping alone again.

I did not hear him cry at all, although that could be because the sound could not make it in from the garage. Regardless, I consider it a landmark!

Fall Colors in Texas (Imagine That!)

The maple tree ("Autumn Blaze" variety) that I planted in late February has turned some brilliant colors this fall.

Here is how it progressed over a 2-week period...

Boris: Stay

Boris : Week 4 (13 weeks Old)

Made it through 3 weeks and the puppy is still alive. He even appears to be thriving and learning a lot.

For the most part, he is potty trained. I will take him outside regularly and he knows to take care of business. Also, while we are in my office, he consistently uses the doggie door to go outside. Additionally, when he has to go while indoors, he usually indicates it to me by looking at me then moving toward the door with purpose. So far, no accidents for over 2 weeks.

He is doing well with basic commands and obedience, but of course still has a long way to go.

Socially, he is doing amazingly well. I have been taking him around to meet other dogs and people and he is adjusting well. He plays hard with all the dogs, holding his own with the larger dogs. And he seems to mind people pretty well, although he is still jumping (to be expected, he IS a little puppy).

And, he starts school next week!

Boris and Sidney

Took Boris to visit a Boxer named Sidney. At first, she trampled him as boxers can easily do. After taking a beating, we put a leash on her, which helped to calm her down a bit

Landscaping Landmark

Finally finished raising the level of the retaining wall on the northeast corner. The timbers were significantly lower than the soil level and the layer of mulch kept washing away.
I added a row of railroad ties and filled in with topsoil.

Fire On Deck

Fall is here with cooler weather. The weekend had turned beautiful, so I had some friends over to hang out on the deck. We lit a fire in the chiminea and just hung out, drinking wine and eating pizza. Nice!

Little Nipper!

It has begun... The herding instinct is kicking in!

I took Boris for a walk down the block and we ran back, all the while he was nipping at my knees while running.

And that's not all. He's also nipping at other moving objects. Its gettting difficult to get any work done with him around.

Boris: 12 weeks old and shaking

Today Boris is 12 weeks old.

Today, he also learned a new trick.

Potty Training ... (Proud Father)

I am so proud of little Boris. He is showing definite progress in his potty training, especially this morning!
For the last week or so, we have managed to avoid accidents, mainly because I take him outside to "potty" often - after every meal and every nap and then some. But he does seem to understand "potty" because when we go outside, he gets right to business, even if it is only a few drops.

Today, right after his breakfast, while I was fixing my breakfast at the counter, he went to the door and let out a little whimper. I immediately let him out and he ran out to take care of business - a #2! Good boy!

A little later, while in the office, he went scratching at the doggie door (I lock it at night for fear of raccoons entering). I unlocked the door and he went for a pee! Good puppy!

I know this does not mark the end of accidents, but it is good that he getting the idea of going outside.

Puppy Personality?

I still have not figured out Boris yet - that is, what type of personality he will have.
He follows me around everywhere, always settles near my feet, and hates it when I am out of his sight, yet, at the same time, he is not quite as affectionate (ie, lots of licking and cuddling) as I would expect a puppy to be.

He always looks to me for shelter and consolation, often crawling under me when I stoop down to pet him, which I interpret as a sign of accepting my dominance. Yet he hates it when I turn him belly up, either in my arms or on the floor (books say that is a sign that a pup does not accept dominance).

I know... too early to tell for sure.

But still interesting...

Boris and Hatch

Puppy Bait and Switch

Last night I played a little trick on Boris. As usual, we went to bed with him in the crate next to the sofa and me sleeping on the sofa. Once he settled down, I quietly snuck out of the room and upstairs to my own bed. And... it worked! He slept through the night without crying.

I still got up extra early (5:00 am) to allow him a potty break, since I still think his retention cabability is borderline. But we are making progress.

Velcro Puppy

Is that a growth on my foot?

Nah, that's just Boris. A very common sighting these days.

Every time I leave home and then return, he seems to reduce the amount of space between us. Used to be that he just wanted to see me in the room. Lately, he needs to be sitting on my feet.

What a cute little Poopy Dog!

PEW!!!! Stinky little pup, with a nice poo scent!

Today, we went through the standard morning drill - wake up, pee, eat, drink, play a little, then poo. Everything taken care of! So far, so good.
Then I had to crate Boris so that I could go into the office for the morning.

Upon my return, the crate area was wafting in a foul aroma. I discovered that the little beast had an accident in the crate and then managed to smash it up all over the towel and crate bottom. Luckily, he only picked up the smell and no major chunks. But its defnintely time for a bath!

So much for not soiling the crate!

Bath Time (aka Wet rat)

Boris: Week 2

Its been a week now and we have mostly settled into a routine. Of course, the routine is wake up, eat, drink, poo, pee, sleep, then repeat!

All in all, things are going well. Boris is learning fast. He seems to understand (and sometimes even obey) basic commands : sit, down, eat, potty, inside, outside, bring, release, and no. Still working on "get me a beer".

He is sleeping through most of the night without crying, but that is because I have been sleeping on the sofa next to his crate since Saturday night. He usually wakes up in the middle of the night scratching on the crate door for a pee break. I figure I will do this for a little longer to give his bladder a chance to get used to holding it all night.

He is pretty good on leash also. For the most part, he will heal (some semblance of it) and he has accepted it. However, he is still pretty good off-leash in the front yard - he still stays within sight of me and usually comes when I call. Yeah, I know.... short lived!

Enjoying it while its still good!

Heating System - Bad News, Excellent News

The bad news : as a result of an annual heating system inspection, the technician determined that one of my furnaces had a crack in it and needs to be replaced. This one is original to the house and the spring air conditioner inspector suspected that this might be the case. The other 2 furnaces have been replaced in the last several years. The technician estimated the approximate cost to be $2500.

The excellent news : this is covered by my home warranty. All I have to pay "out of pocket" is approx $300 to cover a few non-covered accessories.

The home warranty has paid for itself several times over.

Completed Electrical Work

The electrical work is done! Alright!
I got an electrician friend to come and finish the three things electrical tasks that I have been wanting to get done since moving in:
1) install a heater fan in the downstairs bathroom
2) install a 20 amp outlet in office for a space heater
3) install a new outdoor light to illuminate the far right deck and alley

After working at my house for 2 nights, the work is done.

Back to House Work - Electrical Work

Finally finishing up on some electrical work I want to get done. Three things I want done:
1) install a heater fan in the downstairs bathroom (requires new 20 amp circuit)
2) install a 20 amp outlet in office for a space heater (requires new 20 amp circuit)
3) install a new outdoor light to illuminate the far right deck and alley

Items 1 and 2 were to provide localized heat in the winter so that I do not have to run the central heating as much when working in my office. That heating zone includes the "great room" (pool table room, high ceilings), which would be a waste of energy to heat during the day.

I had started the work and run some wiring, but finally decided to enlist the help of an electrician - a climbing friend who is also an electrician.

Work is in progress....

Boris : Playdate 2 - Hatch

Took Boris to visit a friend who has a 5-month Border Collie puppy. He was about twice the size of Boris and still played puppy-rough!

Boris: Day 5

Yesterday was a long and busy day for Boris - next door neighbor had a garage sale and there were lots of people coming and going, so lots for a little puppy to take in. There were several children of various sizes, and he was surprisingly mellow around them.
Later, some friends (Mike and Loreena Yeo) came by with their 2 year old son to visit also.

Needless to say, by 8:00 pm, the little beast was totally exhausted. All he could do was curl up on the floor and nap. He was so tired that sometimes he opted NOT to follow me around when I relocated (within a reasonably close distance).

So, come bedtime, I broke down, pulled out the air mattress and slept next to his cell (er, crate). As expected, he whimpered a little at first, but finally settled down and slept through the night - which means till 5:00 am when he needed to potty! ;-)

The joys of puppy parenthood.

PS. Researching diapers....

Boris Plays Fetch

Boris and the Doggie Door

Doggie Doors - Another Use

Calm After the Storm

Its early Saturday morning and I am tiptoeing around my house, gently doing things, all in an effort to not make a noise that would awaken the sleeping puppy.

Ahhhh.... silence! It is golden!

After the horrendous night of noise, the house is silent. Following the advice of Cesar Milan (Dog Whisperer), I ate my breakfast first, while Boris watched. Then I fed him.

Then I caged him again and went over to my office to add to this blog. After a little crying, he fell asleep.

So here I am now, trying at all costs not to wake him!

Let sleeping dogs lie!

PS. I can now somewhat empathize with parents trying to get children to sleep, though I know there is still no comparison!

Boris: Day 4

Last night was living hell - more for Boris than for me. The little beast cried for most of the night. That is, as much as I could tell - doors were closed and ears were plugged, but the crying still resonated throughout the house on and off. I managed to get in a good bit of sleep, but recall checking the clock on a roughly hourly basis. The best I can surmise is that he was quiet for about a half hour stretch between 5:00 and 5:30 am - that is the only stretch of time that I was really awake the whole time.

Having watched a special episode of "The Dog Whisperer" on raising puppies last night, I decided to try some of his principles this morning. The primary tactic is use (and avoidance) of eye contact when addressing the puppy. Too early to tell if it is working, but what the heck.

Since I am pretty certain that Boris will need to sleep a LOT today, I plan to keep him in the crate whenever we are not playing so that he will sleep (I hope) in the crate and not at my feet.

This is going to be a LONG day.

Boris' First Girlfriend

Today Boris met Lucy, the 1 year old beagle from next door.

My next door neighbors, The Steeles, have 2 daughters who have been anxious to meet Boris so I brought him over. Even though the girls were not there, Boris got to play with Lucy for a while. Lucy is only a little larger than Boris (barely) bit really hyper when she sees visitors, so it was a good experience to introduce Boris. They played and wrestled and, for the most part, Boris held his own.

Sid and his wife were really happy that I got Boris, because now Lucy has a playmate!

They also offered to help out if I ever needed any assistance with Boris. Nice!

Boris: Day 3

I was hoping that the 3rd night would see less crying than the 2nd night. WRONG!
Last night, Boris cried and barked for 3 hours. I put him in the crate around 10:30 and he did not stop crying until around 1:30. OK... so I need to just be patient (so they say).

Today, I had the luxury of working from home, so I was able to allow Boris the freedom to roam (within reason). That did not seem to be a problem, since he appears to be practically attached to my ankles. He follows me wherever I go and rarely lets me out of his sight. The exception is when he is sneaking off for an unscheduled bio-break.

He is extremely tired today and when I am working at my PC, he pretty much sleeps near my feet. Hmmmm.... I wonder why?

Tired as a dog! (and, voluntary imprisonment)

Boris's First Play Date

I took Boris over to a friend's house to "play" with their 80 lb golden retriever. Boris weighs 10 lbs.

Hey Baby...Do you think I'm sexy?

Here is a video.

The golden was massive by comparison, but as gentle as could be when they played.

Boris: Day 2

Last night, I left Boris in the crate and I went upstairs to sleep (er, try to sleep). I put him in at 10:30 and the howling, whining, screaming, crying, and backing commenced!

The sounds resonated and amplified in the great room due to the high ceiling and tile flooring, so I was concerned that the entire neighborhood could hear him. Just to make certain, I went outside to listen. Whew... the cacaphony was contained within the house!

Finally, at 12:30 am, he settled down. 2 hours of torture - I guess thats not so bad.

In the morning, as I opened the crate, I was greeted by a happy little puppy and a nice squirt of pee. Poor little thing tried to hold it all night, but once the crate was opened, that was it! As I put his leash on, he washed my floor tile with another healthy squirt! I guess I need to consider a midnight potty run!

Me and my Shadow

It amazes me how quickly a puppy latches on to someone. I can understand when I first took him home that he would look to me as a replacement to his litter mate - he follows me around everywhere and when I get out of sight, he cries. (I suppose that is better than crying when I am IN sight!)

What is more interesting is how he seems to have bonded with me in less than 24 hours. My friend Dianna came over to visit last night and Boris put on a shy act. He was very tentative with her, even when she offered him treats, and constantly looked for me and ran to be near my feet.

Even when she took him out on the deck (without me and WITH treats), he kept looking back into the house to find me. When he did see me through the glass, he tried to get back in the house.

Boris: Day 1

Made it through the first night with some sleep, no thanks to the little beast.

I was warned that it would be a noisy, sleepless night, so I was prepared for the worst. After putting him in his crate (in the breakfast room), I left the room to get something. Immediately I heard a horrible whining and crying, as if the pup was being tortured.

So, I followed through on my plan to sleep next to the crate on an air mattress. It worked out fairly well. He cried a little at first, but eventually settled down, albeit with a lot of figeting and occasional whimpers. I got a moderate amount of sleep.

Today was his first vet visit. All went smoothly (he was very well behaved and charmed everyone there) and he got a clean bill of health. I got a nice bill of expenses (cha ching).

Boris was introduced to the big deck today...

Boris: Day 0

I picked up the little beast today and brought him home.

Home Sweet Cage

Preparing the place for the little beast!

Thats his "bedroom" in the background.

Crossing over... to the bulk side!

I finally did it - bought bulk paper towels!
I swore I would never do it, but with the impending arrival of the little pee-poo-vomit machine, I decided that this warranted reinforcements.

This should probably last me a couple of years!