Weimaraner Wednesday: 14-Week Update

Tomorrow Brooklyn turns fourteen-weeks-old! She has been with us for six weeks now! While she still seems so young, it's strange to think of life before having Brooklyn around.

Here are fourteen fun facts about the woman of the hour.

At fourteen weeks, she...

1) Eats 4 - 4 1/2 cups of food a day, divided between three meals. She is finally filling out! No more pokey ribs.

2) Consistently performs the following commands: sit, down, wait, off, leave it, okay.

3) Is working on the following: come and stay commands, door manners, leash walking (and all of the above in higher-distraction settings).

4) Still thinks she is a lap dog and is sitting in (all over?) my lap as I type.

5) Is 90% house trained! She nearly always goes to the door in our house now, but new places are more challenging.

6) Has a psychotic fascination with rocks and mulch.

7) Has an innate hunting sense already! We catch her pointing in the backyard and "sneaking up" on toys with this cute Army-crawl.

8) Loves the car! She has finally discovered the thrill of sticking her head out the window.

9) Is a velcro dog! She wants to be as close as possible to the action (although she can be persuaded to stay behind if peanut butter is involved)

10) Loves to run! Formal training won't begin until eighteen months, but she sure loves to chase us!

11) Loves to play with people and other dogs; she loves humans of all ages, shows no fear of other animals, and is always ready to play (and very upset if the other dogs aren't feeling playful).

13) Barks like a watch dog! I heard it for the first time on Sunday! She is hyper-alert to outside sounds now and goes to the window to see what's going on.

14) Is a more enjoyable part of our family with each passing day!

Blogging Buddy!

On the hunt in the backyard

Well, hello there, pretty girl!

Lovin' the car!

Look at the size of those paws!

She fell asleep on top of my feet - on the bottom shelf of the coffee table.

Playdate with Scout (16 weeks)!

Watching Daddy take out the recycle.

Focused

I love my family.

Brooklyn's Big News!

My best friend in all the world is getting married!

Congratulations to Tali and Garrett!!

You Know You're a Weim Owner When...

...every person in your local pet store oohs and ahhs over your dog and then proceeds to tell you how to raise, feed, train, clothe, praise, love, and all-around own your dog.

It must be because they are experts.

Have you ever owned a Weimaraner before?

You know, these dogs need a lot of exercise.

You know, these dogs are out-of-control when not trained.

You know she's going to be a big dog.

You know, this is a big responsibility.

I hope you're ready for this.

You know...

Actually I didn't know.
I just fell in love with these dogs from William Wegman's photographs and Sesame Street.

I got one because I think they're pretty. I was taken in by the blue eyes.

I know nothing about the disposition, energy-level, exercise-needs, health, and size of my dog - and zilch about dog-training in general.

Thank you for your concern. I'll be sure to do my research next time. Or just get a Chihuahua. Those are generally well-behaved without intervention.

Wubba Love - My Weim's Favorite Toy

I spent the month of January (and half of February) scouring two libraries and reading every blog post and informational site on dogs - particularly Weims. My browser history shows continued evidence of my frequent return to my favorite finds.

What to feed your puppy, the proper weight for a thirteen-week pup, puppy-proofing tips, when to spay, when growth plates close, local dog-friendly locations, etc., etc.

The list could go on.
Really.

While waiting for Brooklyn's homecoming, I took particular delight was researching toys for Weims. I had read that Weims were intense chewers, so I wanted to be prepared. And of course, I couldn't help but look at every toy aisle without joyful anticipation. I'll admit to buying four toys before she arrived. Two were a win. Two were a flop. Thankfully, none of them broke the bank.

Much to our surprise, Brooklyn was really not interested in toys for her first two weeks home. (With the exception of a rawhide bone the Madonna family gave her! That was a miracle bone!) Truly, she would much prefer gnawing on our hands. In an effort to dissuade playful nipping, we purposed to find toys she loved. Ty came home with a stuffed duck, and I think that is the first toy she was all into.

If my research is correct, by most Weim standards that duck would have lasted a few hours. Brooklyn's lasted about two weeks. Once she tore one wing, the duck was on his final days. He officially bit the dust at the park with Scout on Monday. The pups were enjoying a friendly game of tug when they ripped Mr. Duck right in half. Did I mention that was a clearance toy? That lasted two weeks?
Definite win.

One wing off!

Recently Brook has had a fascination with shoes and books. If either of these items is left unattended, she will chew them. There is no doubt.

Dilapidated duck? Intensifying chewer? Hungering for Vans and Webster's?

Our trip to the pet store on Sunday required immediate action. Brooklyn and I neared the toy aisle, and I spied whole line of Kong Wubba toys.

Remember my (borderline-obsessive) research? Sometimes being OCD pays off!
I found this article on best and worst toys for Weims and remembered it from the adorable video (click on the link and watch it - so darn cute!!) of a growing Weim going to town with his favorite toy. Yes, the Kong Wubba.

Because of her puppy teeth and love of the duck's soft feel, we went the furry fox model.
As I was selecting it from among the other toys, Brooklyn gave her approval by snatching it out of my hands and then hurrying over to show Dad. Ty pretended to scold her, and said we could buy it.
Hooray for coupons!

Isn't this the cutest?!

Nine dollars and some change later, and Brooklyn has found her favorite toy!
This is a three-in-one tugging, squeaking, chewing toy that is nearly indestructible!

Wubba goes everywhere with us, because he keeps her interest even in new environments. In fact, near the end of our dog-training session today, Brooklyn opted to play with Wubba rather than race to the opening and closing door. (We're working on entrance and exit etiquette.)

If you aren't in puppy-zone you probably don't give a lick about all these details.

But you know you think Brooklyn is adorable.
That's why you're going to scroll through to the end of this post.

Hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa W's with Wubba

Being silly!

And no, I did NOT position her like this! She did this all on her own.

Today, after training. She needed a nap. And of course her Wubba.

Weimaraner Wednesday: The Perch

Eventually we would like to purchase a big bed for Brooklyn to have as her perch in the house. We'd like to tell her to go to her spot when we want her out of the kitchen or settled down. While we can work on the training side of this now, we have opted to forgo a large bed until she has more reliable potty habits. (Update on "the sign:" she is going to the door to be let out about 75% of the time now!!)

So, the dog figures she is being mistreated and makes her own perch.
In our room.
On our pillows. (But not the furniture!)
Call it her pillow-top mattress. (But not a real mattress, because that's furniture!)

Can I complain about a puppy being too sleepy? (By the way, the veterinarian reiterated what the trainer said about our Weim being calmer than most.)

It started one night when I was getting ready for bed. I put her in her crate and closed the door, but I did not latch the door. Until this point she had not yet discovered she could open the door. While I was brushing my teeth, I overheard the jingle of her collar and came out to find this scene:

The little monkey had fetched her bone and made herself comfy. (Pardon my laundry!)

We always toss the shams and decorative pillows on the floor before bed. The bed doesn't always get made up all pretty (ahem), so I guess Brooklyn decided she'd take advantage of our untidiness.

Exploring under the bed. Good thing it's (mostly) puppy-proofed!

This is now her go-to spot. She sleeps here while I put away laundry, read, or blog (like now!). When I leave the room, she is loathe to relocate. But her velco-nature compels her to stay close to me (or Ty).

Such a tough life, huh?

Cozy-ed up to Mom and pillows! Win-win!

And let's not forget her favorite toy. (More on the toy later!)

Today I found my cute little family like this. Ty quickly woke up and said, "No pictures!"
I gave no promises. (Heh, heh.)

My favorites!

She entertained herself last night while I did laundry. We listened to Debussy, because we're cultured like that.

Then she dozed off.

Looks like we found a winner, folks!

You Know You're a Dog-Owner When...

Ty and I had fun coming up with these. We freely make fun of ourselves now. (And truthfully, I am way more ridiculous than Ty, so don't project all of the following onto him just yet!)

We love having a dog, even more than we anticipated! 

Here are some of our favorites! Enjoy!

You know you're a dog-owner when...

...you clean your glasses with the dog's stuffed animals.

...your first instinct is to tell human children to sit.

...your first question about a restaurant is (no, not about the food served) whether or not there is outdoor seating.

...you feel compelled to walk down the pet aisle in every store.

...you forget to ask permission to bring your dog along. (The family was invited, right?)

...you take your dog on road trips.

...you miss your dog on grocery shopping trips (thus, the reason the dog goes on road trips).

...your ears perk up at the mention of a walk.

...you carry a brag book with pictures of your dog (or the iPod photo album equivalent).

...you can't imagine a family photograph without your dog.

...you know all the dogs in the neighborhood, including their breed and disposition.

...you schedule puppy play dates with your dog-owning friends.

...you have an Instagram account dedicated to your dog's life.

...you spend your free-time Yelping everything "dog-friendly" in your area.

...you make kiss-y noises to get your spouse's attention.

...you sign up for a Hulu trial just to watch The Dog Whisperer.

Stay tuned! We've only been dog-owners for 4 1/2 weeks. It's bound to get crazier!

Weimaraner Wednesday: Oops..Thursday

So I missed Weimaraner Wednesday. But really, who actually checked up me?

Yesterday I couldn't get myself to do much of anything. I performed thirty minutes of music for a friend and taught in the afternoon. After that, the munchkin and I crashed at my parents'. We ate their food and watched their TV. And enjoyed their company immensely. Brooklyn had a hard day yesterday, so it made our time less than stress-free.

Is anyone else having a terrible time with the time-change? I looked at Tyler this morning and said, "I officially hate the time change." It postpones my runs (running? oh, yeah, I do that), and tricks my body into hitting the snooze button. There is nothing worse than starting the day late; I never feel like I can get ahead after oversleeping.

Funny story that happened on Wednesday. Does that count?

At Brooklyn's 12-week vet appointment Monday, she weighed eighteen pounds. While she's healthy, the vet encouraged us to increase her food amounts. It's nearly impossible to keep weight on large-breed dogs when they're growing. She still eats three times a day, but now we're giving her more for her afternoon and evening meals.

I fed her an extra-large lunch yesterday, before heading out about 12:30.
Later I received a text from Ty that said he had fed her lunch at 1:30.

He called me from work that evening, and I told him about our mix-up. He laughed and said, "So that's why she ate much slower than normal and looked at me as if she was so full."
I have yet to see our dog look full. Guess that's one way to bulk her up.

Training is going marvelously! She still has the occasional accident, but a miraculous thing has happened: the sign.

She has begun sitting by the door to let us know she needs to go outside. (Insert clip of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.)
Such a smart doggie!

Too smart, sometimes! Now she sits at the door when she wants to go out just to eat sticks and rocks - even if she doesn't have to do her business.

Today at her training session, she made me one proud Mommy!
She began learning the command, "Wait" and picked it up so fast today! Within two or three tries, she was consistently responding correctly. Our trainer let out a huge sigh of relief and sang Brooklyn's praises. Apparently said trainer had worked with a 60-lb Poodle on this skill for twenty-five minutes a few days prior.

Also during training, she properly performed settle (like lying down, but rolled halfway over on one side) on the first try! She is so smart! The puppy training is truly more for Ty's and my benefit, because Brooklyn knows exactly what is going on when our trainer asks something of her.

While practicing recalls in the backyard ("Come" command) in a tag-team fashion, Brooklyn stopped to sniff something and regally pointed.

Like this. Like a big doggie, bred for hunting. I was so proud.

Image from dogbreedstandards.com

Even the trainer couldn't help but notice and cheerfully exclaim!

All three of us were very pleased with Brooklyn's session today. While walking out the door, the trainer looked at us and said, "You know you have a very calm Weimy, right?"

I can't say I'm disappointed. We are rookies, after all. Brooklyn is a great first dog for us!

And now, the photos you've been waiting for. (Maybe you just scrolled through the text?)

Brooklyn and her duck in honor of last night's Duck Dynasty

Photo Credit: Sierra Allmand

The first toy she destroyed

Her "Goodnight, Daddy" face

Sitting between my feet during my morning practice session

This was a little better, but still highly distracting.
"But Mommy, don't you want to play with me?"

This is how she fell asleep the other day.

Mommy kisses :)

Ack! That was not supposed to happen!

Om nom nom sticks

Brooklyn and Asia having a stare-down.

Have I mentioned I LOVE my dog?

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

Just a whole lotta pictures! It's Friday! Here's what we've been up to this week. Puppyhood is in full swing, and we are loving it!

But (ah, I know I promised!) first a short story...

Brooklyn ran at a (FAST!) sustained speed for a good distance today. The three of us went to a local park, and Ty walked the pup while I ran. When she realized she wasn't running with me, she began to whine and moan. When I lapped them around the lake, she chased after me until Ty made her stop. As I lapped them the second time, Ty was kind enough to let her sprint the rest of the way around the lake (even though he wasn't dressed to exercise). She finally caught up with me at the end, and all three of us had to catch our breath. I looked at her and told her it was a good thing she liked running, because she has a runnin' mama. Soon I'll be the one trying to catch up with her!

She doesn't run distances with me yet, because I was told that puppy growth plates are shifting so much at this age; apparently it can inhibit proper growth and development. By age one she should be mature enough to run long distances. I plan on asking the vet about this on Monday. (Can't wait to see how much she's grown!)

I know, I know. That was most definitely an and.

Now on to the pictures.

I love my family.
This is just before Miss Brooklyn got a bath.

Brooklyn loves sleepy time with Mommy. Sometimes we "stay up" (meaning we both fall asleep) for Ty. Since she's not allowed on furniture, I make a comfy spot on the floor for us. That might be counterproductive.

I've found that Brooklyn does much better at night when we get her outside at some point during the day.
(At this point you're probably saying, "Really? Weimaraners need stimulation and exercise?! No duh!)
 It certainly helps with the six-o-clock-sillies she seems to come down with in the evenings.

Oh, and how cute is this picture? She's just looking at Ty like he's the most wonderful thing in the world.
Can you blame her?

More fun at the park with Daddy! With this weather, it's just plain dumb not to be outside!

Brooklyn may or may not have a Downton Abbey addiction.

The things I do for my dog.

Speaking of silly, this is my typical view from the breakfast table.

We dropped some donation items off at Goodwill today (yay, my garage is cleaner!).
Usually she sleeps on my lap in the car. I've been telling her that grown-up dogs love to look out the car window.
She did this on her own for the first time today. That nose was sniffing a mile a minute!

I sat on the floor to play with her, but she just decided to snuggle instead. I can't complain too much. I know I'm going to miss this in a few pounds!

Don't get the wrong idea; while she loves to cuddle, she definitely has her crazy moments. More sillies!

This is my attempt at keeping her busy for ten minutes. Between the three of us, we go through jars of PB at alarming rates. My name is Jessie, and I haven't eaten peanut butter in three days.

Hello, beautiful girl!

Our gun dog! Yes, she is bred to hunt. The first time we saw ducks, she ignored them.
This time her instincts kicked in.

I thought she was going to jump in the water and take Ty with her!

One of our nightly pictures to Ty. I'm sure he has nothing better to do at work than fawn over puppy pictures.

And another.

Yes, I know this duck isn't as exciting as the ones at the park. And you are looking much too grown-up, young lady.

Oh, phew. The puppy face is still there. :)

Sunbathing on the patio, completely unresponsive to the "come" command at this point. 

So you see why I can't stop taking her picture, right?