I tried writing this last night, had the whole thing written up, and the hotel internet ATE it. Darn that hotel internet. And DARN MY LUNGS.



So as you know, we recently brought home a corgi pup, but not without a LOT of precautions first. I spent time at people's houses, pet stores, and so on, bringing myself into exposure with doggies of all kinds. (Mostly dachshunds, but also Shannon's mini Aussie, the terriers down the hall, and some lab mixes.) My lungs behaved like champions. It… Continue

Don't read this before lunch.....

 

Email from John: "How did I get this old without knowing that dogs' anuses need periodic ... ugh ... juicing? WTF?"

 

Backstory: Ani's been sliding around on her rump and biting her flank. Turns out her anal glands need to be squeezed or some thing. WHO KNEW? This is not one of those things people tell you until after you join Dog Club. First rule of Dog Club: Don't talk about Dog Club. BUT the Second Rule of Dog Club: Don't tell… Continue

We picked Ani up from Barbara's place last night at 7ish. Rolled up to the house, and Barbara and her friend (whose name I've forgotten) had Jasmine and the Other J-named puppy in a pen in the front yard with Ani and Waffles. (Waffles is from a litter last year, and staying with Barbara for the weekend.)

 

Barbara took us through the puppy packet information, and then had Ani pick out two toys from a pile of toys. Ani picked a fuzzy stuffed bone and a weird rubber lobster…

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Today we put up the baby gate and placed the socket plugs in the sockets. We also made the discovery that the hooks I got for the cupboards are pretty much unuseable, especially if you keep your trash under the sink like we do. New plan: Get a tall bucket and put the cleaning supplies in that, and put it at the back of the cupboard. Sigh.

 

I was out at a coworker's house last night, stress testing my lungs one more time. Coworker has two dachshunds--one regular, one…

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Tomorrow, bank accounts duly fortified by paycheques, we're heading out to pick up a bunch of the supplies we're going to need to bring Ani (Anathema Device!) home. We're also puppy proofing the kitchen and much of the living room area, since the kitchen will be her first space in the house. We've read that while house training a dog, it's a good idea not to introduce them to too much at first, giving them a chance to adjust. This way, they aren't confronted with too many new rules all at…

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Well, we've made arrangements with Barb of Evanwhit, and two Fridays from now, Ani will be coming home with us. (We're going to call her ~Anathema Device after the character from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's book Good Omens, but Ani will be her short name.)

 

Naturally we've been reading up on all the things we're supposed to do and get, like puppy proofing the house, how to house break a puppy, the vaccinations, the license, the food, the kennel, the shampoos, the leads…

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So we called up Barb Evans of Evanwhit and arranged to see the last puppy of Jenny's litter. (Here's a neat tidbit: Puppies were born the day after my birthday! How awesome is that.) Anyway, the little girl is an absolute sweetheart and of course, John just fell in love with her right away. We couldn't make any promises right then and there though, because part of this expedition was to see how my allergies handled it.

 

The good news is that my lungs handled it like champions.…

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So, it's been a year and a half since we passed on Not Dewey. (I hope he went to an excellent home.) I started allergy shots last year, and last month got a chance to test them in the field, so to speak, by spending time at a friend's parents' house. Her folks have two dogs and a cat, and I'm pleased to say that I left feeling as chipper as I did when I arrived. No itchy eyes, no sniffly nose, no tight chest, no wheezing. (Also I should note that this winter passed without my usual case of… Continue

My boyfriend and I were finalizing preparations to bring a puppy home, when I had a bad allergic reaction. Initially I thought it might be the cats that were living in the house with the puppies, but after seeing an allergist, it turns out I have a dog allergy as well. The allergist recommends I not get a puppy at this time as I could trigger asthma issues. (He can only give us a 50% chance of having a dog at the end of next year too.) Needless to say, I'm heartbroken, and my boyfriend is very… Continue