Tag Archives: Teddy

A Dog Update

It’s been a couple of months since I gave an update on our two pups and how they are doing with our new addition.

Our rat terrier is still apathetic towards the little boy. I think the only thing she realizes is how much he encroaches on her snuggle time with Michael. Any time he is sitting on the couch, holding our son, she insists on getting up there with them. She will even let the boy give her a few pats on the head if it means she can be sitting on Michael’s lap.

Our blue heeler has taken a more active role. When I’m feeding Sam, he comes into the nursery just to check on us, then goes to sit on his chair in the library (it has become his chair). He has gotten a bit adventurous with the kisses (and I have wipes on hand now). He mostly loves to go for the hands, and Sam has responded by attempting to grab his tongue. Yes, lots of handwashing and monitoring during these interactions.

Sam obviously is responding more to the dogs. He notices when they walk in front of him or sit beside him. He’s still hesitant to reach out and touch, but he has been pretty gentle so far. I look forward to teaching him the right ways to interact with these puppies. I continue to hope he loves them as much as I do.

How Are The Dogs Doing?

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It’s the number one question I get. So, I thought I would answer that question.

For our rat terrier, the boy is nothing special. She hasn’t shown much interest in him, only a few sniffs here and there. The one time she does notice his presence is when our lap is full. It’s a new experience for her, being that she has been in our family for over 10 years. She’s not used to sharing, but if we give her a bit of attention at some point during the day (and keep her food coming), she is adjusting well.

For our blue heeler, it has been a little different. Teddy is a newer addition, himself. So, he was a lot more curious. Whenever he can get the chance, he loves to kiss the boy’s feet, and sometimes even noses his head. And Teddy is so gentle in general, so I’m not worried. In fact, I am looking forward to the two of them becoming best buds (and getting into all sorts of trouble, I’m sure).

I feel like we lucked out in the canine department. I’m so glad the transition is going so well. Of course, we are always vigilant and never leave them in the room together unsupervised. As gentle as my dogs are, I’m not going to assume they know all baby etiquette right away.

We did bring home the blanket from the hospital so they could smell him before seeing him. That is the most recommended way to introduce a new baby to your fur babies. But I think it’s also in knowing the temperament of your dogs and being vigilant during their interactions.

Have you ever had to make these kinds of introductions? How did they go?

Happy Birthday, Teddy!

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So, if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we celebrated our pup’s birthday on Monday. He has been a part of our family for almost a year, and it has been so wonderful to watch him grow and learn.

We adopted Teddy from the SPCA. He was in a group of dogs who came from a hoarding situation, meaning that the owner had too many dogs to be able to care for all of them. He was unsure of a lot of human social interaction but was very comfortable around other dogs. He knows the rules of play with dogs, but the rules when interacting with humans were completely foreign.

Over the last year, he has learned so much. We have game nights at our house that are so helpful with Teddy meeting and interacting with new people. He has learned, for the most part, to calm down when coming in from outside. I mean, he’s still only two and a puppy for the most part.

For our dogs’ birthdays, we have a tradition of taking them to Petco (not sponsored) and letting them walk around the store. They get to sniff all the toys and go home with a toy and treat. This was the first time Michael and I can remember actually taking Teddy to a store like this, so I was interested to see how this would play out.

He was a bit unsure, with his tail tucked and his back legs shaking. There were so many sights and smells and sounds. We decided to take him closer to the end of the day when the store wouldn’t be as crowded. I think the experience overwhelmed him at first, but gradually he seemed to adjust.

We walked around the store a few times. But my favorite part was when two of the employees got down to approach him. He went right up to them and let them pet him. It was an amazing moment, that I, of course, forgot to take a picture because I was part of the interaction. I wanted to be in the moment for him in case he was unsure. But he was actually braver during those interactions than he was just walking through the store, itself!

Later this month, he will go to the vet for the second time since he has been a part of our family so he will have more opportunities to interact in unfamiliar settings. I’m so proud of our pup, and I look forward to seeing how much he will grow and learn this year!

My Pet-sitting Helper

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I have been pet-sitting on and off for the last couple of years. It started by just watching a few neighbor’s pets in their homes, and over time, through word of mouth mostly, I’ve been hosting weekend sleepovers with my favorite puppy clients almost every month this year. Spring Break and July have been my busiest seasons so far, and I’ve been loving it.

One of the concerns I had this year with my pet-sitting was the addition of Teddy to our family. Teddy comes from a hoarding situation. Some dogs that come from that kind of environment can be food or toy guarders. They may not know many manners with humans or dogs. And they can even exhibit feral qualities. I was concerned with how Teddy would do with our overnight guests.

But Teddy is amazing. He shares his toys, plays with patience and manners, and listens to me for directions when he is unsure. With the high energy pups, he will run them around the backyard in a game of chase. Once he has tired them out, they hang out together under the shade of our tree in the backyard.

He also plays with them inside, letting them crawl all over him. They love him so much. He becomes their very best friend.

And even the dogs that aren’t quite sure about him will warm up to him pretty quickly. It’s amazing to see him adjust his energy to the dog, giving them space when they need it.

The backyard is his domain, but he shares the space well. Even if the dog isn’t interested in running or playing, Teddy will just hang out. He is a dog’s dog. He loves being around other dogs, so he is so happy when another guest comes for a sleepover.

I couldn’t have picked a better dog to help me out with the rambunctious puppies. I’m so happy and blessed to have Teddy as a part of our family!

Katy's Life Story

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