Weeks 39...9 months

Note; her nose is often blurred from incessant twitching. She's got OCTD Obsessive Compulsive Tracking Disorder!

 At nine months I'm bracing myself for another adolescent obstacle; defiance.  Her recall seems to be fading.  Fast.  I figured it was time to shift gears a little and try some different rewards, change up the routine, but nothing seems to be improving the situation.  I have been very persistent with training so I'm not about to give up, however it is extremely frustrating.  The recall issue doesn't seem to be isolated to any one situation or circumstance.  It's almost as if she's conveniently forgotten all her commands or rushes through the sequence because quite frankly this pup has other things to do such as...

play ball!

At 9 months, 2 weeks EXACTLY, we may have discovered the reasons for our behaviour struggle. Clover began her first heat cycle.  Her surgery was rescheduled after my son developed pneumonia. Priorities. One of the most debated, nerve-wracking decisions I made as a dog owner was deciding when to spay.  I wrote an entire post on this and didn't publish in fear the commentary would cause me more anxiety.  

Catch Up!

The last three months have been a whirlwind of activity around the house.  My posts have really suffered since William began school full time.  But that hasn't prevented me from logging all the milestones I want to share so it's time to get caught up! I'll continue to put everything in sequence so that the timeline isn't interrupted :)

October 25, 2011

Happy Halloween!

This would be Clover yearning for some yummy caramel corn we all enjoyed before heading out for some ghoulish fun!

This is the resident witch! 

Week 37 & 38

Evidently turkey dinners have the same effect on dogs 

We had a cosy Thanksgiving. There wasn't a large gathering, we like it that way.  The neighbourhood was peaceful.  The weather even reached a record 24+ degrees!  It was a nice shift from the rain to have a few days outside and the extra long weekend to tackle some large house projects.  Once the visitors had left and the chores were done even Clover was treated to a little turkey of her own.  Needless to say we all managed to sneak in a random snooze.

The rain returned midweek-and so did the mud.  I thought the spring was bad, but wow, Fall brought far worse than I imagined. The yard is hideous.  I'll walk outside some days thinking "who the hell tore up my yard with a back hoe?".  She's bigger now, and that means so are the excavation holes.  This time around I haven't witnessed any worm consumption (personally).  I still wouldn't put that past her. Honestly I'm shocked at the things she's quite willing to unabatedly eat.  Sometime soon I hope to get a picture of the blackened muzzle that comes to greet me at the back door.  Yep, it will be an expensive sod bill in a few months. 

The squirrels are working away at foraging for the upcoming winter and the birds are just as busy stealing corn from the stalks that adorn our house.  This puts Clover on high alert searching for potential land invaders that may give way to a fearsome chase around the yard.  After observing the "game" I'm of the opinion those cute furry-feathered creatures enjoy a good puppy taunt and thankfully we've not experienced a casualty... yet.  

What's this?

As it turns out yogurt snacks can create a whole lot of drama! Crazy dog batting across the floor, leaping and lunging at this tiny foreign object. It was a spectacular display of acrobatics.  It was much like watching a kitten in a Vizzy body! Eventually she decided it was good enough to eat.

Week 36

WELCOME AUTUMN

I love Fall.  September and October are simply the best months of the year.  It means 'Harvest' festivals, midway fairs and the whimsical magic of Halloween.  It also represents a time of renewal.  Preparations are begun for the next cold Canadian winter. Children return to school. We celebrate our son's birthday and recall the events that began a very personal journey (the year I miraculously survived postpartum IGAS-STSS.). It is a time of giving thanks and feeling blessed. 

We're sporting a new fall coat!

William enjoyed his back to school shopping (Ok, maybe mom loved it more).  Clover was going to need a few things too this season.  I was fairly certain our pup had out grown those first knit sweaters and she surely wouldn't make it through the snow without some warm layers.  I found this fleece lined jacket that will be paired with a chest blanket patterned after her houndstooth collar. 

Clover is head over heals for straw

Hanging out on the front porch

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the chrysanthemums