They Haven't kicked him out yet!

Well, we're on day 3 of Thanksgiving vacation at Grandma's. Hank's doing GREAT! He's everyone new best friend, and even Josh has started to play with Hank and pet him. Hank is LOVING the big backyard and not having to be on a leash while he's here. Today we went over to Pet Smart to get a stocking for Hank, and we found an ID tag that we could get engraved, he really likes it and it's nice and shiny.

Hank & Uncle Josh playing with the ball!

We also are taking a LOT of pictures of Hank, because we're obsessive new dog parents. They're up on Picasa if you'd like to check it out.

Jeremiah & Hank napping after Thanksgiving Dinner

AND, the biggest news (oh yeah!) Hank slept on his travel bed last night and slept through the night! Hooray! Hank has been sleeping ON the aerobed with us, in between us. And, while I thought I hogged the bed, I've got nothing on Hank, good grief! So, Jeremiah and I both slept very well last night for the first time in a few days, YAY!

To Grandma's House we go!

Well, we made it to Grandma Paula's last night in Pasco. Hank did great in the car on the ride over, AND got to play in snow for a couple of minutes during a potty break. We arrived last night and Hank did GREAT! He sniffed out stuff, and Paula panicked at how HUGE Hank is. But, it didn't take too long for her to realize that he's a huge teddy bear and really just wants to snuggle and play.

And then Josh & Jaimie arrived...evidently Josh was maimed/sniffed by/saw a couple dogs when he was a kid and has been scared of big dogs ever since. So, he's gotten to the petting the top of Hank's head point, which is good. AND, they've all learned that if you tell Hank to STAY, he does. It's the miracle of having a trained dog!

Today in the light (and 20+ degrees), we have been able to take Hank out into the backyard that Paula shares with Jeremiah's aunt & uncle, they don't have a fence so Hank has a BIG area to run around in. And, it's not fenced in well at all, but he does great! We saw cats earlier and heard dogs, but Hank's one track mind has been on the balls! He's having a blast, and is now passed out on the floor while we watch Santa on the Parade! Hooray!

All my bags are packed

They opened an REI in Issaquah this weekend. It's really nice for the size of the space. Since we're going to Pasco for Thanksgiving, we decided to go and see if they had any good dog travel stuff. They did. And they had shoes, and a polar fleece. BUT, they had a cool travel bed for Hank, and a cool water bottle thing for him too. And a dog bowl for food. He's all set! And, some guy had his dog in the store, without a leash on, and this dog was REALLY calm, and stuck right next to his owner, it was kind of crazy! But, the guy got in trouble for bringing his dog in. Still, we got to see what the dog tent looked like all put together, I think Hank would like it.

So, Hank now has his own duffel bag that will hold his bed, his toys, his food dishes, and anything else we decide he needs for a trip.

I ran more errands this afternoon and Hank and Jeremiah watched NASCAR and the Seahawks. They took a walk at half time, and Hank is worn out, so he's sleeping on the couch right now. He's really the greatest dog ever!

Why Me?

We all know how much I love Hank and what a GREAT dog he is. We continue to get compliments on what a great dog he is, and for just 3 weeks, how mellow he is. Tonight, Hank met Gravy, a collie mix. And yes, Gravy's brother is named Biscuit. For as wild as Gravy was, Hank was nice and calm and politely sniffed his butt. Gravy's owner was very nice and complimentary of Hank.

But, that's not the question. The question is: Why will Hank only poop when I walk him? What does he have against Jeremiah? I don't get it. I think Hank believes I'm the pack leader, so does that mean he will only take a dump for me??? I'm happy to relinquish my pack leader abilities if it means that he poops for Jeremiah!

Something that's NOT a good idea...

...is bathing Hank yourself.

DISCLAIMER: None of this was my idea, this was ALL Jeremiah.

Earlier this week, Hank was invited to go to Grandma's for Thanksgiving. He's really excited about it, but he does not currently smell like roses. So, he needs a bath. The plan was for Hank to get an exit bath when he checked out on Sunday after Thanksgiving. But, now that he's going he needs a bath. So, Jeremiah called earlier this week to get a bath scheduled for him, and they were full through the holiday weekend. SO, my husband (really, he's a VERY smart man) decided that a good daddy/puppy experience would be to bath Hank himself. Jeremiah bought a shower hose this morning for Hank and planned to give Hank a bath tomorrow.

After we got home from the Bark Park today, we knew that Hank needed to get a bath NOW. So, we left Hank outside and Jeremiah quickly put the shower hose together. And then he put on a swim suit (Jeremiah, not Hank) and I brought Hank into the main/guest bathroom. I shut the door and did a little bit of cleaning up (Hank wasn't the only one who got mud on him). Then, I heard Jeremiah ask me to come in. This was evidently NOT a father/pup experience but a parent/pup experience. So, I changed into different clothes and ventured into the bathroom. The next 20 some minutes were mostly a blur of angry dog, a couple of times Jeremiah picked up Hank and put him in, and then two times of Hank backing out once he started to get wet. Finally, Jeremiah just hosed him off a bit, on the bathroom floor. The bathroom doesn't look as bad as it COULD have, and towels are in the wash.

Wednesday at 11 AM, Hank's getting a Shampooch at another area doggy daycare in town that doest baths. HOORAY! I don't care what it costs, it'll be worth it.

Hank is currently air drying and passed out on the floor. We brushed him off and wiped him down with baby wipes, and we think he'll survive.

The Dog park is a great place, but we need to plan for a direct delivery to the dog cleaners, he sure likes it!

Heaven on Earth

Today, Hank had his vaccination appointment. He did pretty well considering they shoved a thermometer up his butt, and gave him 3 shots! ugh! Since Hank is now fully vaccinated that means he's 100% and can go to the dog park and play with more dogs. SO, we ventured up to the Bark Park this afternoon. We did think ahead enough to throw a towel on the back seat to help the hair situation on my recently vacuumed out car thankfully. So, off to the Bark Park. HEAVEN ON EARTH. It didn't take long for Hank to realize he was FREE to run and play. We bought a couple of fun presents, including a chuck it and a Frisbee. Hank LOVED running after the balls, and there was another dog there too, and they got along pretty well.

Here's what we didn't think about...it's been raining lately, and sprinkled a bit while we were there. Having never been before we decided to let him roam free before we noticed ALL THE MUD. TONS, Hank turned a lovely shade of dark brown quickly. But man alive did Hank have a BLAST!

So, we played for about a half hour, and then in started to rain enough we decided to wipe him down and head home. We pulled up the seats and Hank laid down in the back of the car just fine.

We got home. And really, this deserves it's own post...

Oops I Crapped my Pants!

As you know, Hank is the greatest dog ever to be adopted by the Humane Society. It is clear that God brought us together. Hank is the BEST! And, rumor is, with time, he'll become even more of the best dog.

This morning, Jeremiah got up at 6 and took Hank for a short potty break/walk around the neighborhood about 6:15. When I got up at 7, we played with the squeaky ball and he finished eating his breakfast. Now, granted I needed to get to work this morning, so we took a short potty break before I left. AND, I was relieved that about 3 houses down he decided to relieve himself (but just #1).

So, I left for work, gave him a slice of cheese for being so great, and then left for work at 8 AM. Flash forward to 6:45 when Jeremiah got home. I had an evening event tonight, and Jeremiah had a lot of work to do so he could take Friday off. So, Jeremiah gets home and Hank had not one, but TWO surprises by the front door.

For those of you who have an upcoming visit that includes Hank staying over night, DO NOT BE ALARMED! Again with the Divine intervention...Jeremiah had to clean it up. Hooray! Now, I do most of the daily pooper scooper duties. So, Jeremiah's not QUITE the saint he's trying to portray. But they were nice neat piles that cleanly scooped right up.

So, Jeremiah noticed that it was NOT a warm pile of crap, which means that Hank did this a while ago. So, what we learned today was, Hank needs to poop in the morning AND evening, and when I get him riled up and eating a bunch in the morning, I need to make sure he craps it out before I leave.

Again, for those with upcoming visits (Grandma Paula) no worries, we've learned our lesson, and Hank felt bad about it. He has been so good so far, and if he was going to have a wetting the bed mentality, he would have shown it in those first 4 days with all his separation anxiety.

Hank is VERY excited to meet his Grandma next week AND all his aunts & uncles and extended family!

Hank's New Neighborhood Friends

Jeremiah and I have started to get into a routine with Hank. Jeremiah takes Hank out in the morning to go potty and feeds him. I take him out again when I leave for work. Who ever gets home first, takes him on a potty break. Then, usually later in the evening, I take him for a 20-30 minute walk. Jeremiah's plays with the squeaky toy, and then before bed Jeremiah (usually) takes him for his last potty stop of the day.

So, on my walks the past couple of days, we've decided to make friends and sniff out the other dogs. I've been curious how Hank will do with other dogs. I know he did OK at Pet Smart, although with the bigger dogs, I was cautious. Two nights ago I was out walking Hank and we saw a big Aussie-mix. The owner had complemented Hank about a week earlier on being such a beautiful dog. And he commented again, and then asked his dog if they should sniff it out. Since he offered, Hank and I crossed the street to sniff it out. Ben (the big dog) was pretty nice, although he did growl a couple of times. Hank did GREAT! I was so proud. The owner was very complementary and was amazed he was only 18 months and that we'd only had him 2 weeks. Hank is quite the Humane Society find!

Then, yesterday morning Hank and I were on a walk and met a chocolate lab, they sniffed butts and were on their way. As we walked yesterday I also noticed a cat perched up on a stoop. Hank didn't even notice and just kept going, AMAZING!

Then this morning, we were on a walk and we met a pug (twice actually we ran into them) and he scared the poor Pug, but they sniffed and were fine. We also ran across a couple of little Scottie dogs, they yipped a bit and one jumped into Hank's face, but Hank just sniffed and then we were on our way. Hank likes to act tough and gets low to the ground like he's going to attack, but he just sniffs and leaves. He's SUCH a great dog. I can't wait till this weekend when we can finally take him to the dog park and let him RUN and play, he's going to love it!

The squeaky tennis/football toy is a HUGE hit. Every time he comes downstairs he goes straight for the toy bag to play. We played for about 10 minutes this morning, he finished his breakfast and then we took a 20 minute walk. He's sleeping on the floor now, and occasionally tries to figure out where his ball is.

Hank's New Toys!

We finally found toys that Hank likes! Hooray! Yesterday we went to a pet store in Redmond and found a couple of squeaky toys. Jeremiah found a football shaped tennis ball (so it's oval, but yellow with tennis ball material) that SQUEAKS. We weren't sure about it, but Hank LOVES IT! Jeremiah throws it and Hank runs after it, but then he continues to attack the ball himself because the squeak throws him off. It's hysterical (to us anyway!)

He's eating well and pretty tuckered out. AND, he jumps with the squeaky toys, it's really funny to watch! The carpet will be worn out by Christmas, but he's having fun.

Grandma is here for the weekend and she really likes him, he's very snuggly and mellow.

Alright, Jeremiah and Hank are throwing around the balls again, MASS excitement!

We Can Never Have Children

Hank's doing GREAT! This morning when I left, I realized I forgot my laptop, so came back into the house. When I left, Hank was at the door watching me, and when I came back up the house, he was gone. I opened the door, and he was walking back over from Jeremiah's chair to greet me. He's SO GREAT! I gave him a Kong this morning, and after he said goodbye to me, I think he was done with it.

So, we can't have kids because...

(Heather, I know you will appreciate this!)

Hank didn't poop yesterday. We've been feeding him a lot of cheese lately because he likes it, and because we can stick his kennel cough drugs in it. So, no poop yesterday, and we were a little nervous. So, this morning I took him on a little longer walk before I left. Jeremiah had taken him out at 6, but just for the morning whiz. So, I took him out for about 3 blocks, and he (hooray!) pooped. So, after I finally left this morning (with my computer) I called Jeremiah to tell him. It can't be a healthy sign of a relationship when you call each other after your pet or child POOPS!

So, Hank's it. Not the first step, but the last step. Sorry Moms!

And we're good!

Yay! Hank slept through the night last night, hooray!

Well, it's day 2 of Hank home alone and inside the house. And again today, everything was just how I left it this morning! He curls up on Jeremiah's red chair and watches out the window for the day. I peeked in the window when I got home tonight, and he had heard the gate click and was jumping off the chair to come greet me. He gave me time to change, and then we went on a walk. We've found a good 25 minute loop around the neighborhood, which is nice in the dark.

THEN, Jeremiah got home, and the fun really begins! Jeremiah has decided that throwing balls in the house is OK, and I KNOW his mom taught him better, but such is life! They run back and forth and back and forth chasing the ball (yes I said THEY). Now, Hank is panting and laying on the floor. He did stop for a water break, and he hasn't eaten much today except for some ends of chicken that I had been cutting up. But, hopefully he eats when he's hungry!

Pray that we keep this going!!!

He's the dog's version of Houdini

The last 24 hours have been a CHALLENGE! Our House Cleaner was GREAT! She really liked Hank so he got to hangout inside all day with Janine and laid around and slept. The vet said that between the neuter & the Kennel Cough, Hank has to lay low, and should only go outside to use the bathroom. So, we laid low last night, watched TV, had a good rub down, and went to bed about 10. Well, Jeremiah & I got in bed about 10. Hank, decided he'd slept enough for the day and was now ready to play. Not only did he attack his bed, thinking something was wrong, which was WEIRD! He just wouldn't calm down for bed! We turned off the lights to sleep, and he'd put his feet on the bed to sniff us out and play. he was SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS! We were really irritated. I dozed off for about an hour about midnight, and back up for about two hours at 1 AM. I took him out to go potty, at 2:3o, Jeremiah took him out and ran him up and down the hill and then we finally went to bed. And we both had early morning, so we got about 3 hours of an angry nap.

We tried the Garage, and he barked too loudly for 1 AM, and with the neighbors. Oh yeah, and if the garage door to the house is unlocked, he can open it...about 1:30, Jeremiah went downstairs to get him out, and he was standing at the bottom of the stairs, proud he'd just figured out how to do it. It was an AWFUL night, we were NOT having it!

Jeremiah put Hank in the garage this morning since that was our plan for the day. He barked, and barked, and barked. And scratched at the door a lot. So, when Jeremiah left about 6:15 this morning, I decided to keep my ears on the door. By 6:30, I decided he needs to come in for the day. I put a sheet on Jeremiah's chair that Hank likes to look out the window from, and just PRAY the day goes smoothly.

The whole drive home tonight I was in terror that he'd finally lose it and the house would be in shambles. I came home, looked in the window, and the couch looked fine, I look over and saw Hank had heard me and had been quietly sitting on Jeremiah's chair and came right over to greet me. The house looked FINE! It was so weird! So, I guess Hank will be an inside dog. HE really likes to be able to see outside.

So, forget the no exercising. Jeremiah and Hank played with the tennis balls tonight, (yes, inside the house) and then we took about a half hour walk, tonight, and he's laying on the floor passed out, hopefully he continues through the night!

So that puts it at this:

Hank 3
baby gate 0
wire crate 0
garage door unlocked 0

Hank's new friend

Well, we had a new house cleaner today, and she's GREAT! I met her at a networking lunch, and really like her. She uses Eco-friendly products on the house, which I like, and the house is REALLY clean tonight, hooray!

She also has raised labs in the past, and LOVES Hank. So, I let her meet him, and then we put him in the garage. HE started scratching on the back door, and I made a comment about how sad it is. She asked if she could bring him in. So, Hank got to stay in all day and hangout with his new friend. I need to see what time she left today, but besides one pillow on the floor, and the newly cleaned windows having nose prints on them, he did OK!

So, we'll try the garage tomorrow. I also noticed that the Humane Society teaches a class on Separation Anxiety, so I called to see when the next class is. The woman who leads the class isn't back till Wednesday, so hopefully she'll be helpful. The woman I spoke to, said " oh dear, she'll call you back soon!" So, hopefully soon I hear more!

In the mean time, Hank's passed out on the floor next to me but sure was excited when we got home tonight!

Napping Hank

Here's a sampling of what you'll see online...

Pictures

I've uploaded our pictures thus far onto Picasa for easy viewing, here you go!

http://picasaweb.google.com/HankandElizabeth/HankSFirstWeekend?authkey=b3V-FDTHOqQ

The Garage?

Well, after last night, Jeremiah & I talked a lot about what to do with Hank today. We decided to put the crate in the garage and put him in there. But, as we talked throughout the night, we really don't want him to hurt himself. So, we decided to put the crate in the garage and then just leave the door open and let him hangout in the garage for the day.

We have a new cleaning lady starting today at 10, and she's dog friendly, which is nice. So, I think we'll stick him in there, and see how it goes. Hopefully he doesn't cry too much for her, and hopefully she doesn't consider it animal abuse, but I don't think she will.

My friend David has a weimaraner and ended up building a dog run in their garage out of fence materials. So, Jeremiah's considering doing that. It would mean no more parking in the garage for me, but if it also means Hank not hurting himself, I guess I'm for it!

So far we've spend $160 between a crate and a baby gate for Hank, and he's managed to break both. Jeremiah used tie-downs for the crate last night to make sure that everything but the door is secure.

AND, another feat! Hank went 9 hours without a potty break last night! Hooray! He also ate his whole bowl of food this morning, which is great. He usually leaves a bit in the dish. I can't wait till his Kennel Cough meds are done, and he's vaccinated so we can check out Doggy Day camp!

The garbage man is outside, and Hank is now on full alert, just like that out of a deep morning nap!

I'll let you know how the garage goes, keep your fingers crossed that he STAYS IN IT!!!

Hank or Houdini?

As you may know, Hank didn't care for his baby gate much. We brough Hank home on Tuesday, and Wednesday I left him for about 2 hours behind the baby gate. Mind you, I didn't set it up correctly, so he pushed it down, and ran all over the house. He didn't pee on anything, OR break anything, but the pillows from the couch & chairs were on the floor and there was dog hair everywhere.

On Thursday, I secured the gate, and went to work. Jeremiah came home 4 hours later to work from home. The gate was still in tact, BUT Hank had jumped OVER it! At this point, we were getting pretty frustated. Jeremiah had Friday off and the boys hung out.

On Saturday, I went to a pet store and got him some "puppy downers" or a natural anti-anxiety medication. When I left the house, I left him behind the baby gate and put a blanket over it, thinking if he can't see what's on the other side, he won't jump over it! Correct, he won't jump over it. JEremiah got home 10 minutes later! and Hank had broken the gate into 3 pieces!

So, we bought a crate. We tried it out for about a half hour yesterday and went to the grocery store. He was barking when we got back, but still in his crate. SUCCESS!

Today, we left him for about 3 hours to go to a Young Life fundraiser. We got home, and looked in the window to see what state Hank was in, and if the drugs had helped. We didn't hear him barking which was good, but we didn't see him in the crate either! I looked, thinking maybe the blond of his hair and the cream of the bed were blended together. NOPE! Hank was gone! Jeremiah could see that he was sitting on his red chair looking out the window. We opened up the door and he came bounding towards us, so glad his people had returned. We looked at the crate...we had missed a latch at the bottom, and he figured it out, and pushed his way out, and bent the crate at the same time. SO, tomorrow...Jeremiah will zip tie the crate's extra doors, and I"ll make sure that the door is properly locked. We've also moved him to the garage for the time being. What is a puppy parent to do!?!?!?

Only 2 more weeks till he's fully vaccinated and can go to doggy daycare! Hooray!

Here we Go!

Well, here we go. All the men in my family have had blogs for some time now, and I love hearing what they're doing. So, I figured now that I have something to write about, I should start!

Jeremiah & I adopted Hank on Tuesday. My dad was up for the weekend so we went over to meet Hank, and thought he was a sick old dog. Turns out he's 18 months old, and the greatest dog EVER! He had to be neutered, and has kennel cough, but besides that he's GREAT. Jeremiah & I brought him home on Tuesday afternoon, and are loving every minute of it!

After 3 tries at the baby gate we bought, Hank sucessfully broke it into 3 pieces, so no more baby gate...We purchased a crate for Hank yesterday, and although he looks really sad, we think he'll get use to it. AND, yesterday I learned at a dog store that there's a natural anti-anxiety drops we can give him. We tested it out this morning, and it nocked him out for about 1 1/2 hours, so we think it'll work to at least get us out the door in the morning, and him into his crate. I'm not looking forward to leaving him every morning, but I guess we all have to get use to it. Or, I'll just quit my job.