You Think We Love You

Don’t you adore the way we look at you?  The love you see in our eyes is a heart warmer that helps you through the hard days, boosts you up when somebody else puts you down, and lifts you above the trials of life when it feels as if there is no hope.  It has been this way for thousands of years, since the wolves befriended man for the once in a lifetime best friend companionship of it all.  Well, that is what you stupid f***ing humans think. 

Try not feeding your best friend for a few days.  Watch as all that “love” in little Fido’s eyes (does anybody really name their f***ing dog Fido?) turn to hunger.  Don’t feed him for another day and you will have shifted from the beloved food provider to prey.  You think it’s not true?  Get it through you thick f***ing heads, we love food.  Again, we love food.

On day four with no food your beloved best friend will look at you and see roast beef, fried chicken, cheeseburgers and pepperoni, but beware, if the hunger has reached critical mass you will be a vision of nirvana (didn’t think a dog would know that word, did you?), you will have become a platter full of crispy steaming bacon, and there will be no stopping that little f***er.

 Chomp Chomp!

I Heard What He Said To The Shit Scooper's Wife

They would like to think I can’t understand shit.  I know, I usually like f*** as my go to word, but then he types those * thingies so I’m giving shit a try.  Well, I have given shit a try before, in fact, back when I was a pup I loved that frozen deer shit up in Missouri.  Would eat it by the mouthful.  Holy shit that was some fine shit, but I tried it again this winter, same deer shit nuggets, same Missouri town, but now, with me being all grown up, it tasted like shit.

Stop.  None of that was the point.  I heard The Shit Scooper say it.  This is going to be hard for me to tell you.  I get emotional just thinking about it, and remember, The Shit Scooper types this for me.  I have paws, not fingers.  Off topic again.  Shit!  Pretty good word.  I like it.

Anyways, The Shit Scooper was talking to The Shit Scooper’s Wife, and he said, and I can’t believe he said it, but here it is, he said, “Sometimes you forget she’s just a fucking dog.”

I know, your jaw just hit the ground, or whatever other cliché you want to use, you are shocked.  So was I.  He had to be talking about me.  He said she and I am a she, or at least used to be, well I’m still a she, even if fixed, and I’m a dog, and what other dog do they talk about incessantly other than me?  Answer: No other dog.  So if it was me he was talking about The Shit Scooper thinks I am nothing but a “fucking dog” and then throws in “just a”.  I’m not going to speak to that f***er for a while, I’ll tell you that.

Magic White Balls

There is some dark f***ing white ball magic going on in our yard.  You’re going to think I’m making this shit up, but it really happened.  The Shit Scooper’s Wife held the white ball out so I could sniff it.  Never saw a ball like that, but I like balls, so I thought, WTF, I can play this game. 

So she throws it, I track it, chase it, pounce it, front paws both land on it, and poof, the f***ing white ball disappeared right under my pads.  I dug for it, but gone.

The Shit Scooper’s Wife threw a few more.  Same f***ing result.  I got pissed and quit playing.  Still not sure if the balls were magic or if SSW was playing a trick on me.

Freedom from my life as a horse

I know I complain.  A lot, some would say, well, not today.  I got those blinders (secret training device I suspect, don’t know what for, not working) off, Austin came over, and I got to take a walk back to the water behind our yard.  I don’t understand water yet, and it still scares me a little, but I love balancing on the edge of stuff, and the rocks are perfect for that.  I try to pull Austin in the water and almost got him today, but he has some kind of bad ass balance for a bipedal to not go face first, the way I surprise him with a pull sometimes.  He had to slide down a rock on his feet and one hand, while trying to keep hold of the leash, to keep from falling in today.  I’m going to get him one of these times.

See, I don’t have to F-bomb all the time, but I like to.  WTF.

Torture

            No, I am not dead.  I may as well be.  Look at this! 

            Can somebody explain to me why I have this thing on my head?  Oh, the f***ing squirrels have another name for me.  “Lampshade, lampshade, lampshade, lampshade!”  That’s what they chattered at me when I charged into the trees in the back yard, bouncing off a couple little ones I just couldn’t see.  Is this some new kind of stupid training?  Don’t they know that with me training doesn’t take?  Stop torturing me!  I am not a f***ing horse.  I don’t need blinders.  And, I hate horses.  I don’t know why I hate them so much, but they’re big and dangerous.  I am sure of that.

            One time these two horses were all hooked up to a big wheel thing full of people.  Until they came along to spoil everything we were having fun walking the streets someplace by the salt water.  Those evil horses were wearing their own kind of blinders, probably because they’re big and stupid.

            You should have seen me.  I mean I went after them.  Yes, I was on a leash, and yes, my shit scooper was pissed at me, and yes, he dragged me by my neck to the car, and yes, I didn’t get to do anything else fun that day, but, wow, I was a bad ass bitch.  One of the horses was so terrified he shit right in the street.

            Okay, back to being miserable.  Take a little nap now and dream about kicking some horse ass.

Cone Head

Well, this time he has gone too far.  Do you see that thing they put on me.  The f-ing squirrels are yapping at me from the trees, laughing, calling me Cone Head, Coney Dog, and the other things they already called me like Slow Dipshit and Stupid M***** F*****.  You know what I’m saying they’re saying, but I can’t type with these paws, so my shit scooper types this for me and for some reason he doesn’t think I should be saying F*** all the time even though he does. 

But, that isn’t the point.  The point is he put this thing on my head, and now I look like a Dipshit, and with this on I am slow.  My head runs into trees and you should have seen me trying to go upstairs.  I looked like a Stupid, you know, what the squirrels say. 

Just another of the horrors that is my life.  WTF!

Bored

Being an eighteen month old bitch is not perfect, especially if your food guy sits around making shit up on his laptop.  I am Tessa, and I am a neglected pup.

WTF does he not get about me being BORED BORED BORED?!  Isn’t WTF about the coolest thing ever invented?  So much expressed, so few letters.  WTF might be the most perfect English word. 

If you read his blog, which I’m sure you don’t, since nobody does, you would have seen, well, you would not have seen a damned thing, ‘cause he has been writing a novel.  How boring!!!

What am I supposed to do while he, my food guy, writes and wishes to write a better than dog shit novel, leaving me to nap on the floor?  I am a tortured soul.  Neglected is too happy a word to describe my fate.

I hate to even get into it, but did you know he makes me wait until the sun is about to come up before he feeds me in the morning?  Then, even though I get out for a pee before I eat, he makes me wait until the sun is actually all the way up before I get to go out for a dump.  That is almost too much to bear.  I can’t go on right now.  The unfairness of it all is too much.  I will tell you more of the horrors that are my life after I pull myself together.

I’m hungry.

Tessa Taking Over This Blog

From now on I (the human) am not allowed on this blog.  Tessa, now a teenage girl, if you start adding it up in dog years, thinks I am neglecting her career in show biz, well, she didn't tell me that, and I don't think she would know about show biz, but she told me to butt out, not in so many words.

After all these months of me trying to figure out how to write something worth a shit I have not done enough to record her history.  I think that is what she thinks.

So, even though the only living soul other than me that reads the content of this website, my wife, will be subjected to the sillyness of Tessa, she will be posting her virgin entry soon.  A coming out party.  Don't believe everything she says about me.  She makes shit up!

Tessa at Reedy Creek Park

               I took Tessa to Barkingham Park in Reedy Creek Park.  It’s a great dog park with lots of trees so during this brutally hot summer we can still get the girl some exercise.  It takes about 35 minutes to drive to the park in north Charlotte from our home in south Charlotte.  There were a lot of nice dogs there and Tessa got to meet a full grown Irish Wolfhound, something you don’t get to do every day.  He was not a huge one, but he was formidable all the same.  Of course, Tessa did not see his as intimidating, and followed him around trying to get a sniff of his low hanging testicles.  He glanced over his shoulder at her once and I have to admit, if he got pissed I don’t think I would have much chance of pulling him off Tessa.

                We won’t get up to Barkingham Park very often since it’s farther from us than any of the other Charlotte dog parks we have been to, but I will try to get up there once a month or so for a little variety.  It’s not the variety in parks I look for as much as a variety of dogs.  You tend to see the same dogs at the same parks day after day, and if you go to any of them often enough either there will be an annoying dog or, more likely, an annoying dog owner that you can only take so many times per week.

                Hope it cools off a little pretty soon.  The heat index is over 100 again today.  Even though I am getting to be an old fart, I handle the heat better than my furry little companion.  I say little, but she is 46 lbs now and just turned 9 months old.

                Try to get out with your dog, but wait till the sun dips down in the sky a bit. 

Tessa at Folly Beach, SC

               I am going to catch up on my blogging this week.  I have been traveling for most of the past 3 weeks, which has included driving 3,600 miles.  I’m finally starting to come alive again after a couple days at home with my wonderful wife and goofy pup.

                From 06/18/11 to 06/25/11 we stayed at Folly Beach, SC, which is located just south of Charleston.  It was time for Tessa to get used to the water.  When we arrived on Saturday and she got her first look at the Atlantic Ocean she barked at and ran from the waves as they washed out into foam creeping up the sand.  Gradually she got her feet wet until Melissa started hopping waves with Tessa beside her on her lead.  Then it started to become a game Tessa could appreciate.  She leaped chest first into the waves by day four.  Folly Beach is a dog friendly environment with multiple restaurants where your pup can join you on the patio.  We particularly enjoyed the Lost Dog Cafe where we ate 3 times for breakfast or lunch.  Rita's Seaside Grill also drew us in for multiple meals.  Both places have water bowls out for the dogs and the waitresses are armed with dog treats.  Also, dogs can be on the beach until 10:00am and after 6:00pm, but must be kept on the lead.  In the off season, after October 1 and before May 1, dogs can be on the beach at any time of day, on lead.  One more thing about Folly Beach, Tides Folly Beach Hotel is pet friendly, on the beach, and located next to the pier, which is large and well equipped for fishing.  We have not yet stayed at Tides, but intend to in the future.

                We took a drive to Sullivan’s Island, just north of Charleston, one morning.  Dogs are allowed off lead until 10:00am.  Tessa met about 30 dogs, ran through the incoming tide filling the area between a sand bar and the beach, and just ran until her tongue was hanging almost to the sand.  The pic I have included with this entry was taken at Sullivan's island.  She was a mess.  We will look into staying on Sullivan’s island next time we go to Charleston, but I think rentals there are going to be very expensive.

                The find of the trip from Tessa’s point of view was the James Island County Park dog park, the best dog park yet.  It was no more than a 15 minute drive from where we were staying at Folly Beach, and get this, includes a lake with multiple beaches for the dogs.  That was where Tessa first lost her fear of going into the water, after being tempted chest deep by me, with treat in hand.  Once she had that down she knew how to cool off, but still has not gone out for a real swim.

                I have to admit, I don’t think I will take Tessa along for a full week beach trip again because she does require a lot of attention, and it was so hot during the day we couldn’t really take her anywhere other than the dog park with the lake.  As a result we drove over to James Island 4 times during the trip.  It was fun, but there are better ways to spend your time at the beach with your wife.

                Overall it was a great trip, and Tessa will be less trying on long trips when she’s grown up.  I have to keep reminding myself, as she drives me nuts with some pointless exuberance, she is only 8 months old.  I need to enjoy this because she won't be a puppy again.

Rafting with Tessa

               On 06/11/11 we took Tessa to Outdoor Adventures Rafting on the Big Pigeon River in Eastern Tennessee for a charity event for the benefit of the Humane Society.  We ran the lower section, which consists of class 1 and 2 rapids, and was calm enough that there was little danger of losing anybody over the sides.  Tessa wore a stylish red CFD (canine floatation device), and other than the initial shock when I lifted her into the raft she didn't seem at all stressed.  She rode with her back feet in the bottom of the raft and her front feet on the side.  She continued to earn her traveling name, Captain Hackysack.  I know, silly, but we just can’t help it.  She is a cute one.

                She still hasn’t been in the water, but it was about 90 degrees so we dumped a few helmets full of crisp river water over her to cool her down.  Our dog raft mate was Loco, owned by Moe, our guide.  Loco is a veteran, and in calm water even stood on the side of the raft for a while.  He jumped in with Moe for a swim when we got to some calm water.  I jumped in, and encouraged Tessa, but she didn’t jump, and we decided not to just drop her in.  Probably should have, but didn’t.

                I can’t wait to get back to run the upper which is class 3 and 4 rapids.  I hope to get back within the next month.  From Charlotte you can drive to Outdoor Adventures Rafting in about 3 hours, so it can be done as a day trip, or you can take it in when you visit the Gatlinburg area.

                Well, Tessa is getting impatient for me to do something other than sit at this keyboard, so it’s time to get this posted and get out to the dog park with her.  Make time for your pup.

McDowell Nature Preserve

               Only 15 miles from our home in South Charlotte is a scenic dog walk destination, McDowell Nature Preserve.  There are over 1100 acres of land and water with camping, hiking, fishing and boat access onto Lake Wylie.  There are 7 miles of hiking trails, a 50+ site campground, picnic areas, and playground.  We were able to hike on an up and down, but not difficult, path, with access to the shore of the lake along the path.

                Tessa still has not decided if she likes water in the form of lakes and streams.  She only accidentally gets her feet wet.  We are two weeks from a trip to Folly Beach, SC, where we will be staying very close to the shore, so a week of walks by the Atlantic.  I need her to figure out that water is fun.  She was particularly put out by a guy about my age coming into a small beach on a kayak.  She had a nice growl and a bark, but then eased up to get a sniff, figuring out the guy was not a threat, and moved on to other sniffing business. 

                I will be back for some additional hikes on the preserve, earlier in the morning, or later this year, because it was roasting by 11:00am.  We need to increase the length and difficulty of our hikes during the rest of the hot season so I can take Tessa on a few long overnights into the mountains in the fall.  Shopping for backpacks and other equipment has opened my eyes to the cost of getting well equipped for 2-3 days in the backwoods.  Retail prices would have me spend close to a thousand dollars for backpack, bag, pad and tent.  Going to shop all those items on eBay, Craigslist, etc., to see if I can get the price tags more reasonable.

                Don’t miss McDowell Nature Preserve at 15222 York Rd., Charlotte, NC 28278. Phone: 704-588-5224, if you want a scenic walk with your pup.

Anne Springs Close Greenway

              We took Tessa to Anne Springs Close Greenway over the weekend.  There are multiple access points and about 30 miles of hiking trails.  We hiked the Steele Creek Trail from the Steele Creek Access until the trail became too muddy to continue.  The trail is very closed in by thick foliage this time of year, and don’t forget your bug juice because the bugs are out.  The buggy nature of the walk didn’t bother Tessa one bit as she led the way, a good scout.  We did hike just a bit of a trail that was open for horses and hikers.  That was a mistake.  Our little Skunk hates horses, or at least is scared shitless by them, but loves their poop.  I believe it may have been her finest discovery, from her point of view, not mine, since she discovered frozen deer poop in Missouri back in March.  The jury is still out regarding which is the finer flavor to her palate, but I will try to avoid horse trails from now on.

                Then we drove to the Cantrell Avenue Access and hiked the Haigler Loop around Lake Haigler.  It’s only a 1.3 mile trail, wide and easy, and the lake is beautiful.  There are also kayak rentals on the lake at the Cantrell Avenue Access.  Tessa isn’t too sure about water yet, other than for drinking, and has been recovering from her spaying, so I couldn’t let her in the water anyway.

                I will spend more time exploring the many trails at Anne Springs, which is located next to Fort Mill, SC with access points from Hwy 21 Business.

                Tessa is ready now to start getting fit for some long hikes with overnight camping.  I have been pricing backpacks and tents and bags, as well as the other equipment I will need to go camping for a couple days with just what I carry on my back.  It is amazing how light the equipment has become, and how expensive.  It’s time for some eBay shopping.

                Our pup has had so many things wrong with her during her first six months, and right when she was getting healthy from her 6 weeks of never making a solid dump, she was spayed and had to recover from that for 10 days.  It’s time for me to get her in shape, and me at the same time.  No point going out there in the wood s for a long one and wearing out after a short one.

                Make the time to walk your pup.

Tessa at Ray's Fetching Meadow

              Tessa was spayed a week ago, so for the few days leading up to the 7 to 10 days of restricted activities period I took Tessa to the dog park.  We went to William R. Davie Park (WRD Park), featured in my blog of 03/07/11, the first few days.  She has dog friends there, so she can usually find a wrestling match.  The final day before her spaying I decided to try out a new dog park.

                My son, Austin, joined us for a trip to Ray’s Fetching Meadow (at McAlpine Creek Park), 8711 Monroe Rd., Charlotte, NC.  Ray’s is a large enclosure with a few trees for shade, some places to sit, water, and plenty of dogs to play with. 

                Ray’s is a smaller enclosure than WRD Park, but a young lady, there with her 1 year old puppy,(the puppy battling with Tessa in the pic), pointed out to me that she can see all four corners of Ray’s enclosure, which is not true of WRD Park.  She did not like having her dog run off out of sight.  That is a very good point I hadn't thought of.  Tessa has gotten out of sight a few times at WRD Park and I spend some time walking to where she has run at WRD.  Of course, nobody said I wasn’t supposed to get some exercise too.

                Ray’s Fetching Meadow is an excellent place to get your exercise if you live out on the east end of Charlotte, or in Matthews.

                Tessa is about through her recovery from the spaying and will be back in training at Dogtopia tonight at 6:30.

                Make some time to walk your pup.  You and your pup will benefit mentally and physically.

Five Month Old Tessa Is Recovering

          It’s been a while since I have posted.  My writing life was slowed by my dad’s illness and extended hospital stay (he is recovering at home now) and slowed by my little (not so little anymore) Tessa’s battle with loose stool.  I may now own stock in Commonwealth Animal Hospital, but Tessa seems to be improving.  I never would have imagined we would spend so much time worrying about the consistency of dog poop.  We have not found anything seriously wrong with Tessa, and are now feeding a low residue prescription food to try to settle her bowels down.          

           Since I last posted I have taken Tessa on a 2000 mile round trip, from my home in Charlotte back to Missouri, so I could see my dad and keep my mom company.  Tessa is a great traveler, spending 90 percent of the time sleeping while I drove, but I may have been responsible for her upset system since she was very young for such a road trip, turned 5 months old while we were gone, and I had just started gradually changing her diet from Taste of the Wild to Orijen.  I thought I was doing a good thing for her as the Orijen is 40% protein, 80 percent meat, and all of the meat used to make the food is human consumption grade.  Maybe the high protein count was just too much for her since the Taste of The Wild she was eating is 25% protein.  Surprisingly, the prescription food she is gradually switching to now, Iams Low Residue, is only 22% protein.

            If the current plan gets her back on track I will eventually convert her back to Taste of The Wild, which she was doing quite well with until I decided to switch her to a “better” food.  I should have stuck with what was working, but didn’t have it occur to me that she would have this problem.

            If whatever you are feeding your puppy is working, stick with it.

            Make time to walk your dog.

Four Month Old Tessa at Dog Park

           Tessa’s been stepping out.  She’s been to the William R. Davie Park’s dog park 3 days in a row.  Dog parks have to be the greatest idea anyone ever had for those of us who seek a heavy dose of socialization for our canine companions.  We have only lived in Charlotte for one year so we don’t have many friends who own dogs.  I know there’s group training, and other doggy social events, but nothing compares to the dog park for dogs teaching dogs how to behave among dogs.

            There’s always an element of danger since there’s the occasional knucklehead who take’s his intact male adult dog to a dog park, and sometimes there’s aggressive behavior, but the risk is worth it for the reward of watching Tessa learn from her mistakes.  After all, I have been called a stinky dog a few times along the way, but I don’t actually speak dog.  I’m fascinated by the range of personalities and the variety of methods used by dogs to introduce themselves.  The tail-up bold approach, the tail-down shy method, and every dog-hello in between, is right there for you to watch and learn.

            Tessa has been snapped at a few times, knocked down many times, and trampled over by a massive dog who wasn’t intent on Tessa, but on a brute on the other side of Tessa.  Tessa just managed to get in the way.  Yelp, tail down, look around trying to figure out what just happened, tail back up, back in business.  Toward the end of our third visit to the dog park, and when Tessa was wearing out, she happened upon an old female dog about twice her size, and Tessa decided it was a good idea to get right in the old girls face.  She was driven to the ground, gnashing teeth driving at her head.  She got out of that one without a scratch, but she’d better figure out the manners thing pretty soon.  I still can’t in any way predict when she will be a bitch, so to speak, to another dog, because she’s frequently submissive from the start, and it’s not about the size.  She went right over on her back for a little mutt who did not appear to have done anything dominant.

            Okay, about William R. Davie Park at 4635 Pineville Matthews Rd in Charlotte.  The fenced dog park is massive.  There is a small dog (20 lb and under) separate fenced section.  There are big buckets of water out for the dogs.  You will also find benches and picnic tables so you can sit while your dog plays if you wish, but I wouldn’t suggest taking your lunch with you, unless you have been feeling unpopular and need an ego boost.  You will draw some admirers if you start in on a steamy cheeseburger while in with the dogs.

            Make some time to walk your pup.

Tessa at 16 Weeks

          Yahoo, we finally finished puppy immunizations.  Being able to go for walks where ever we please is life changing.  I was beyond bored walking around our condo buildings.

          I wish I could say our puppy training worked magic with Tessa, and I wish I could tell you she’s great at everything we’ve been teaching her, but no, she’s not.  Sometimes an event free heeling session happens, but this afternoon she decided to start biting the lead again, and when I snapped the lead out of her mouth she took a shot at my leg.  She was pissed, but I sat her, calmed her down, and she licked my hand.  Strange little creature she is.  When the devil gets inside her she gives you the old stink eye.

          She’s good most of the time in her 17th week on the planet, and we can’t ask for much more than that at this age, and she does love her mama, as you can see in the pic above.

          We took a nice little walk at Park Road Park.  There is a trail, about a mile, around an empty pond.  There has not been water in that pond since we moved to Charlotte a year ago, but work is being done, so hopefully the pond holds water again soon.  Park Road Park is not pretty enough for me to recommend it until the pond is full.

          Tessa does not agree with my assessment.  She had a fine time snuffling the unfamiliar smells, and desperately wanted to go get the ducks enjoying the water at the still wet end of the pond.  She gobbled some tasty dirt, chewed sticks, ate a couple rotten nuts, dropped a steamy load of poop (which we bagged), and overall had a glorious time.

          Make time for a walk with your pup!

Tessa at 15 Weeks

            The temperature is going in the 50s again today, so another pleasant day to train Tessa.  Tessa is slowly mastering heeling, pretty consistent at stop/sit, and making progress on stay.

            This is a big week because Tessa will have her final round of puppy immunizations, including rabies.  We will finally be free to start exploring the parks and mountains and beaches without restrictions, and my blog entries will, with any luck at all, become more interesting and useful.

            My intent is to share, on a weekly basis, the places we discover on our hikes with Tessa, provide my thoughts, along with some puppy input from Tessa, regarding the plusses and minuses of each of our destinations.  I’ll provide the website for each park, beach, mountain, or trail, if one exists. 

            Tessa and Payton, our 10 year old 13 pound cat, have come to agreement regarding some of their differences, and occasionally spend time together without a wrestling match breaking out.  It’s amazing how hard they play and there hasn’t been any bloodshed.  I guess animals figure out how hard they can play.  We are posting a video on YouTube entitled Tessa Tussles With Payton if you would like to see a snippet of one of their wrestling matches. 

            Find the time for a walk with your pup.

Tessa at 14 Weeks

              Our little Tessa, not so little anymore, is doing well.  She has hit 20lbs and is eating 3.5 cups/day of Taste of the Wild, roasted lamb formula.  Sounds fancy, but not very expensive and grain free.

            She’s lying next to me as I type this, chewing on a bully stick, stinking up the room.  I’m enjoying the puppy raising process, but am ready for her to be a dog instead of a puppy for behavior as well as immunization reasons.

            She is getting better every day on the lead, especially since Randy, her trainer, provided and sized a training collar for her.  The collar, a Herm Sprenger prong collar, not choke collar, turns her like a horse with a bit in its mouth.  Make sure you have somebody who knows what he or she is doing size a prong collar for your dog and teach you how to safely and effectively use it.  I think you could damage to your dogs neck if the collar is improperly used, or if the fit is not right.  Links are easily removed and added to the collar to adjust the size.  

            Tessa’s sit/stay is becoming consistent.  She comes when called most of the time, unless distracted by kids or another dog, her favorite things in the world, well, after food that is.

            We are still restricting how far we wander from our condo building with Tessa, as puppies are not completely protected from parvo virus until they have completed the series of 3 immunization shots for the disease, which is usually completed in a puppies 16^th week.  Don’t let some idiot at a chain pet store tell you that you can start group puppy training before the final round of immunizations has occurred.  Tessa’s vet, Dr. Rattray, at Commonwealth Animal Hospital in Charlotte filled us in on the dangers of the disease.  Parvo is deadly in young puppies, and they are not completely protected until the entire series of immunization shots is completed.  Don’t take any more risks of exposure for your puppy than you have to because by the time you see symptoms of parvo, diarrhea and vomiting, it is frequently too late to save your puppy’s life.  Parvo is passed from an infected dog to a puppy by infected dog’s waste, and as you know, lots of people don’t pick up their dog’s waste, and most puppies are fascinated with dog poop.  An adult dog can be a carrier of the parvo virus without showing symptoms of the disease.

            We have not been to any parks or dog parks in Charlotte with Tessa yet, so we can limit her potential exposure.  We can’t wait until next week when she will get her third and final round of puppy shots.  Then I will start reporting to you about all of the great places to hike with your dog in Charlotte and the surrounding North and South Carolina countryside. 

            We will be taking Tessa on a trip to the mountains to meet friends at a cabin near Gatlinburg, TN in late February.  That will be her first of many mountain trips, and we hope to get her to the beach, probably Folly Beach near Charleston, SC, sometime in May.  Until then, it’s training, training, and more training.  I think she is actually starting to enjoy it, and as Tessa gets less angry about being told what to do, the training becomes more fun for me.

Tessa at 13 Weeks

Tessa is chewing on a Bully Stick, which is a bull penis tendon for the uninitiated.  It smells like sin as she chews at my feet, the putrid dried donkey dick (what we tend to call the Bully Stick) wafting up to nauseate me a bit here early in the a.m., rolling on coffee and no food.  I’m going to get her out for a walk as soon as Melissa goes to work.

            She has nearly tripled in size since we met her a week before Christmas.  Her behavior is improving daily, even though it was never bad for her age.  9-13 week old puppy behavior is not very impressive as a rule.

            We will soon have our second puppy training class.  Tessa is still fighting for her freedom to do as she pleases when she pleases.  Might be cute now, but we don’t want to see what it would be like if she remained untrained and grows to 50lbs.  Much easier to bend her to our will now, and she will be happier because dogs actually like rules.  It makes them comfortable with their place in the world.  Smart, but simple creatures.  Give them a framework and they will live within it.  That is the theory.  We will see.

            She's great.  She plays hard and when she's sleepy, well, then she's gone.  I brush her and clip her claws while she naps, and it doesn't even wake her.  I can tell we’ve got a good one here.  It’s our job not to mess her up by not giving her enough discipline or enough love, not mutually exclusive.  Never mean, but clear and calm.  Tessa is settling into her position in the house, making many less demands, but instead, pleading with her mournful hound dog eyes.