California Part 2

It snowed while we were in the mountains, so here are a few good pics from that. Pita LOVED running free in the snow.





























Then we went to the San Francisco Bay Area to be with more family and Pita got to play with them and meet her 2 month old cousin, too.














































Then, we went back to Boston and Pita did great on the plane again. She managed to hold it until we got to the Pet Relief Area in Boston.


Thank you to our family in California for hosting us and our puppy!

California!

Yay! We all made it to California! It was a nightmare getting to the airport and getting through check in but once they said she could go, we were happy. I was super nervous about her in cargo but in LAX, she was so happy to see us and seemed to have no problems. I quickly took her to some grass and she went to the bathroom for several minutes straight. She had held it for seven hours! Good girl!

Pita has been the most amazing puppy while here. She's loving all the attention and off leash time in Andrea and Jarred's backyard, the beach in San Diego, and the open mountain acres at April and Randy's. She has been better than she usually is at home! In the car, she stands and is uncomfortable but loves having the windows open. :-)

Here are some pics and videos from our time so far:

Pita at the car rental place in LA.

At Amanda and Bernardo's.
First time at the beach! (it's a long video but has some fun parts if you're willing to watch it)


At Grandma April and Randy's with my new toys.On a walk in the mountains.

Which coast for Christmas?

This Friday, we are off to California for Christmas, but Pita might have to stay in Boston if American Airlines says that it is too cold (under 20 degrees F). In that case, some dog loving super amazing friends will be taking care of her. THANK YOU AGAIN!!! (but I hope she can go with us!)

I know you guys know what to do, but as a puppy's mom, here are a few things to remember to keep Pita on somewhat of a similar schedule/training while we're gone:

Walking:

• You've seen the silly videos of her on walks here on the blog.
• She is getting much better using a lead.
• Here's a video of how to put it on because it took me a few tries to get it right too.
  
• Don't be afraid if she gets excited when she sees another dog and gets out of it. When they are done saying hello, calm her down again and put the lead on again.

Feeding:

• Pita eats ridiculously quickly so we feed her in three stages per meal. Also, it helps any food guarding that might come up if she has to wait for you to allow her to eat. Here's a video:

Training:

• This video shows you how we say and motion each command that she's working on.
  

Pita Finds a Stick

Pita's First Snow

Paws and Claus

This past week, I published an article on Examiner.com about December events and activities to do with your dog in Boston's South End.

Today, we went to DoggieDay to get pictures with Santa. Check it out, super cute! She was quite scared of Santa at first but once I gave him some hot dogs, he was her best friend.

She was 37 pounds on Wednesday and just got a new crate for our Christmas trip because she already outgrew the one we thought she would fit into. It takes up our whole living room and after Christmas, we will probably put it in storage.

All of the leaves have officially fallen from the trees behind our building and it is supposed to snow this weekend, so I hope to bring you fun pictures and stories of Pita (and my) first real Boston snow experience.

Three Weeks Later...

Here's a summary of what's happened in the past three weeks that I have not updated this blog. (Sorry!)

Pita graduated from Puppy Kindergarten and is well on her way to becoming a trained puppy. She now knows "Sit", "Down", "Wait/Stay", "Crate", "Go Outside", sitting left, right, or behind you, "Leave It", and "Drop It". She is waiting to eat her food instead of running and gobbling it up.

She now weighs 31 pounds and is about 22 inches long (not including her 10 inch long tail) and stands about 20 inches tall, as well. Eating about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of food a day, she gained 4 pounds this past week, a record for her!



Pita and I worked the polls in the South End and people loved her and probably voted for her candidate because they know her from our daily walks. She had fun playing with a water bottle.


We went on the T the other day. She did not want to get on the T, and shook a bit while it was running, but was happy to jump off when the doors opened at our stop.



She is losing her teeth (6 so far) and has larger ones. She looked like a third grader missing random teeth.









Daddy gave her a bath outside and for the first time she was cold. She did not like the cold hose water so we got some warmer water from the sink inside.




She loves her rubber ducky and brings it into the shower occasionally. Every morning, she will join you in the shower, as well. She loves water!




Her other favorite toys at the moment are her cow from Grandma and her Kindergarten Graduation toy (a purple soft frisbee).



She climbs up onto the couch on her own, though with the help of the ottoman which has handles that she can put her foot into and lift herself up. If anyone is on the couch, she wants to be there too.






Another fun toy is the door stop spring on the wall.



She's getting better at posing for pictures for my articles on Examiner.com:

My Teacher and Me

This is Carol C. Ahearn, Pita's Kindergarten teacher and co-author of my new article on Puppy Socialization. Visit the article here!

Dog Costume Party

Pita and I just got back from the dog costume party at Pops Restaurant which was a fundraiser for ARL Boston.

For a review of the event, visit South End Dogs Examiner.

Since I know that Pita hates wearing even her harness, I sprayed her with white hair spray and she went as a skunk to the party.

When we got there, Pops Restaurant had made some chicken and pork spring rolls, goat cheese and caramelized onion phyllo puffs, and steak tartar bruschetta. They were all delicious and good for people and dogs! Pita had not had lunch so she loved the spring rolls especially.

Most people understood that she was a skunk and she did very well with the other dozen dogs there. From pumpkins to penguins, the dog costumes were enjoyed by all!









Happy Halloween!

Pita's Pahk (Peter's Park)

Rebecca took a trip with us to Peter's Park, the dog park nearby, and we had a great time!

Two small dogs came in while we were there, one a four month old cocker spaniel (so adorable!) and the other an older dog that did not want to play. Pita and the cocker sniffed each other and started to bat at each other's faces. They played fairly well for a minute or so and then they got mad at each other (as usually happens with Pita) and we tried a few more times.

When the other dogs were not in there, here was our play time:

3 months old!

Pita turned 3 months yesterday and is loving life! Her new thing is finding a stick on the sidewalk and carrying it. Usually it's a normal sized stick, maybe a foot long at most and she drops it before we get home.

Well, the other day, she found this huge branch and became quite fond of it. She carried it down the street, across busy Tremont Street and another 3 blocks to our street where she left it. People usually smile and say, "Oh how cute! The puppy has a stick in her mouth." People looked much more confused and surprised by the site of this 20-pound puppy dragging a branch through the South End. Here's a video and a few pics:

Pita's pics of the week

She weighed in at 18 pounds yesterday. How bad can life be with two walks and three cups of dog food every day?

Pita's first day of school

Today was Pita's first day of Puppy Kindergarten and she did pretty well!

Because the class of about ten puppies is for ages 8-20 weeks, Pita was one of the youngest and the third largest puppy there. She was also by far the most shy! The puppies all had time to play before we started working on PITA (knowing her name), SIT, and DOWN. While all the other puppies jumped and ran, she hid between Alan or my legs (or another person's!) or sat underneath the table and watched everyone. We encouraged her to play, but the puppies did it for us. They came over and tried to sniff her. She sat still and let them until she decided to start running from them, which the other puppies thought was great fun and she became the play toy. She did well considering she did not growl, bite, or have her tail completely between her legs. Once we all got in a circle and started working on training, she decided that she was big now and barked at the dogs next to her, but if they got close to her, she became shy again.

She did very well with the training, but took a chance with the teacher to finally get DOWN before she did it with us. Of course she did well with the training though because she LOVES hot dogs, which are her treats for extra good behavior.

At home, she is doing well with going outside to relive herself because she knows that she gets hot dogs for that. If she goes inside, then no harm done because she goes on the paper, but going outside is even better! We also are working on CRATE with her to get her to go inside her crate and have that be a positive experience. She has that down pretty well and it became useful when Alan was carrying a large piece of furniture and told her to go in her crate! One more command she is understanding and practicing is DROP IT. When we play, she loves to play tug-of-war, but that doesn't get her very much exercise, so DROP IT is good because we can throw the ball again instead of prying her mouth open. It also comes in handy when she steals a shoe or sock, starts to run away, and hears DROP IT, she does! Our Pita is a quick learner.

Her favorite new activity is going out on walks. On Wednesday, she got her second round of vaccinations so she can now go out on walks and not get kennel cough or other not so fun diseases. She does a mixture of weaving between your feet and chasing after people, other dogs, and leaves. We'll see what her favorite season is in about a year, but so far, she loves fall because of the fact that there are leaves dancing in the wind and she gets to chase them everywhere. She is very good about making eye contact with you on the street if you call her and refocusing. We go on two walks a day and she is great in the house because she is so tired. She also is sleeping much better through the night.

Another new activity is sleeping on the shelf of the bench by the front door. Since she is too big for under the couch, that is the next largest 'small place' for her to hang out. It's adorable!
It was a busy week (Pita grew three pounds) and we look forward to going to the dog park this coming week!

Examiner.com

As of Wednesday, October 7, I am now the South End Dogs Examiner for Examiner.com and this blog will change course because of it. I will still be blogging and some of the content will be the same, though this blog will contain more personal accounts about Pita and my experiences. Thanks for reading!

Please visit us at South End Dogs Examiner.

Pita - 10 Weeks

Pita's getting more used to the camera.

Her recently awakened face.
New Activities:
~ Tearing up paper
~ Running around the house with any clothes she can find
~ Chasing after your pant legs while you're walking
~ Staying up all night and whining
~ Playing with her toys while lying on her back

New Accomplishments:
~ Took a bath in the shower and did pretty well!
~ Went to the vet and actually really enjoyed it - she loved the medication taste...
~ She is 13 pounds and eating about 2 cups of food a day.
~ Can jump to get toys and not fall on her face
~ She is now big enough that she cannot fit underneath the couch to take naps.

That's the Pita update. Once she gets her second round of vaccinations this week, we can actually take her out on walks around the neighborhood, so fun trips will come soon. Thanks for reading!

ARL Boston Veterinary Care

Pita and I had to make an early visit to the vet this week because she started vomiting and had some diarrhea, which turned out to be a common roundworm diagnosis. The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is half a block away and we had already signed up for Puppy Kindergarten there, so I made an appointment to get her checked out. It was by far the best experience I have ever had at any vet's office and Pita really enjoyed it, as well.


We registered with the front desk and Pita quickly became the talk of the office. Staff came out from all corners to come and pet her. Once we were inside with the vet and vet's assistant, Pita was weighed in at 13 pounds and we went over her previous vaccinations. Dr. Davis, the veterinarian that we saw, was extremely kind to both Pita and me. He answered all my questions and talked about the similarities of my Newfoundland and his Bernese Mountain Dog. The vet's assistant was very helpful as well and, after Pita's tasty deworming medicine was injected, she gave us a welcome bag from ARL including a sample of Heartgard and a Pet Passport to keep Pita's health information.

I decided to make our next appointment with Dr. Davis because of the warm welcome we received, and once everyone had pet Pita and said, "Goodbye", we walked back home with peace of mind. A few days later, I received an email with Pita's login information for her web portal which contains all of her medical history and ability to make appointments online. Very cool! ARL has my vote and will be my dog's veterinarian.

A quick pricing guide:
~ $50 per visit
~ $22 per vaccination
~ $50 per heartworm test
~ 10% off total bill with Charlie Card
~ Because they are connected to ARL Boston's nonprofit, the samples and low prices cannot be beat!

Feel free to call them at (617) 226-5605 or you can even email them at bvc@arlboston.org. Normal business hours are:
Monday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Pita - 9 Weeks

Here's Pita's best shot at nine weeks old! She always turns from the camera or comes running at it, so this is the best for now... :-)

Notes about her changes in the past week:
~ Comfortable with her harness
~ Eating dry food
~ Much more energy
~ More strength and coordination (in other words, she bites harder and doesn't trip over everything; also, she can stand on her hind legs for a second and jump over small items)
~ She had a strange white wart-like thing on the inside of her back left leg that went away on its own (sorry for the details).
~ Used to the sound of the trains and the dishwasher
~ Barks at any new item in the house (ie. Rebecca's backpack, shoes she has not seen prior, etc.)
~ Sleeps in the living room by herself now and does not whine until she is hungry in the morning
~ Goes to the back door and looks back at you when she needs to go out (this occurs about 85% of the time; the other 15% means that we have gone through numerous rolls of paper towels and cleaner)
~ Did NOT like her first bath in the kitchen sink, but did enjoy time out back in her new pool (the lid of the trash can flipped over and filled with water)
~ BMs have been inconsistent (for medical purposes)
~ Is very comfortable in the house and backyard (hence the flattened plants), but the hallway in the building and the back walk to the street were scary for her
~ Eats everything including tanbark and newspaper
~ Comes when called (unless she is in play mode) and knows her name
~ Is VERY good when given the warning sound to stop chewing on an item, then licks it...
~ Enjoys tennis balls and so do I since they play with her in return. She pounces at one, and it rolls away, and the cycle continues! :-)
~ Was kind and a bit shy when the maintenance men came

Here she is getting accustomed to the camera, more like just yawning then barking at it!

Dog License in Boston

Upon taking home the new furry addition to your family, you need to license him or her in your city. For Boston, it's a fairly simple process.

1. Go to the Boston Dog License website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/animalcontrol/dogapplication.asp

2. Print and complete the PDF application.

3. Mail it or take it to Animal Control and pay the appropriate fees.

4. Receive your dog's license.

The tricky part is that they run on an April 1st to March 30th year cycle and you do not have to license your dog until age 6 months. Pita was born just in time because she will be 6 months old in late January, so Animal Control told me to apply for her license in February 2010 and they would put her on the April 2010 to March 2011 cycle. If she were 6 months in July (or anytime in the middle of the year cycle), then I would have to pay the full fee even for just a partial year license. You do need to re-register each year, though it is probably similar to the DMV where you simply pay the fee again and do not have to send in a new application. I am guessing on this part, but I will let you know when I find out!

The fees for a spayed or neutered dog is $6 per year. The fees for a dog that is NOT spayed or neutered is $17. A little incentive to get your pup fixed!

If you have more questions, Animal Control was very helpful when I called and I hope that you will have the same experience.

Pawsh

Pawsh Dog Boutique is a gem in the middle of Back Bay on Newbury Street and it has plenty of gem-studded collars to prove it! Balki, the Boston Terrier mascot for the store, slept quietly in the corner while I shopped for a slicker brush and any other miscellaneous goodies for Pita.

The store is clean and small, but the downstairs will surprise you with a clearance section and a selection of dog food. Since I was shopping around for various places nearby to buy dog food on a routine basis for Pita, Pawsh caught my attention in that THEY DELIVER! How smart when it is not easy to carry huge bags of dog food anywhere in the city. Even though they have a small selection of dog foods in the store, the owner offered to order what I wanted for the regular price and deliver it to my house for $3. I emailed him for the price of the food and I have not heard back yet, but he probably is not raising the price since it is a guaranteed sale.

Pawsh might be a little to classy for my taste, but I had a pleasant experience and Pita and I might just take a long walk over there sometime for a tasty dog treat and some Ben & Jerry's!

For the Pawsh website, click here: http://pawshboston.com/index.html

Doggy Day

Across the street from ARL Boston (Animal Rescue League) is Doggy Day. They sell pet products as well as services for your pet and I have recently become quite a fan!

As you walk in, the place feels like a pet playground with stairs stepping down into a montage of toys, baked goods, apparel, camping gear, and, of course, food! The back is where they have their doggy day care, grooming services, and grooming facilities where you can bathe your own dog.

I went in to ask about their dog food and delivery possibilities because living in the city means that it is difficult to carry home a 50 pound bag of dog food! They carry only natural dog foods that have no fillers or animal by-products. With Pita, I needed a large breed adult dog food and had heard that Blue Buffalo is a great brand. They sure enough had the basic adult dog food for Blue Buffalo and let me know that they would order any all-natural food and sell it to us at a discount since it was a guaranteed sale. The one down side is that they do not deliver to your home (unlike Pawsh- see next post). Luckily for me, I live less than a block away so even carrying a large bag of dog food is not a burden.

Doggy Day's services such as dog walking, pet visiting, overnight stays, and grooming are well priced and the staff is very kind and helpful. For more information, visit their website at http://www.doggieday.com/indexnoad.html

Espeso, Inc.

We live in the South End in Boston and the collar we got for Pita is too big...not for long with a Newfy. But we did need something in the meantime, so we walked over to Espeso, Inc. (website).

At first sight, it seems like a complete pampering store for your pet with spa treatments, glittering collars, and frosted baked goods. After looking around for a few minutes, we easily found the harnesses and the store manager was very helpful. He helped us decide on a suitable harness size and type. Pita was not with us (since we did not have a suitable collar), so we had to guess on the size. The price for the harness was $10, not outrageous, especially with the manager's guarantee that if it did not fit for some reason, then we could bring it back no problem. Upon deciding to buy the small, blue harness that was adjustable for her undoubted growth spurts, we found some complimentary food samples and pamphlets being put in our bag.

Thank you, Espeso, Inc. for being so convenient and open on a Sunday evening!

The Team

The Blogger - Jenn
I live in the South End in Boston and am ready to experience this new city, coast, and weather!


The Dog - Pita
She is currently 8 weeks and about 12 pounds. Watch her as she grows to over 100 pounds in the next year!

Welcome to Dog Friendly Boston!

When I decided that I was going to get a Newfoundland puppy, I started doing a lot of research about having a dog in the city.

Here is what I found:

DogFriendly.com - They have a site for most cities (or at least major ones) that list hotels, parks, outside restaurants, etc. that allow dogs. They specify a few details for each location. http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/uscities/guides/us/cities/usonlinecityMABoston.shtml

Boston.com - Map view of dog friendly locations in Boston and Cambridge. This site gives you some interesting sites and fun quotes from the store managers, as well. http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/special/dogfriendly/

Care.DogBoston.com - Another map view of dog friendly stores and parks. http://care.dogboston.com/dog-friendly-parks-and-beaches/

These are all great, but why do they all have unique information and where are all the answers to my questions about having a dog in the city? This blog will document the dog friendly locations that we visit and answer questions about living in Boston with a dog. Please feel free to post questions and we will be happy to do some learning!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the ride!