Wordless Wednesday-Mummy Cuddlin' Time!

Torture Them Tuesday!

LOL...that's going a bit far with the day of the week "themes". I really have no theme for Tuesday but I did "torture" the pups today with their holiday photo shoot so it was appropriate for today anyhow. Well saying that, they were actually not too unhappy about it because as they know, camera time equals treat time! They even put up with a little holiday wear to top it off. They're such good pups to entertain their mum even going to great lengths to do so! :oD I do love these guys!!

Monday at the Movies

Okay, it's not Monday but my Mondays are filled with class these days so I didn't have time to post my movie last night! I'd been wanting to blog about this video for a bit just because I thought little Marley was so cute playing with his food. This video was taken when he was 8 1/2 weeks old. So innocent - I think the other pups thought he was nuts for not inhaling the scrambled egg like they do. hehe

BTW, I will try to catch up on reading blogs & moderating my comments tomorrow! Sorry for slacking fellow bloggers!! :o)

Wordless Wednesday-10 Weeks Old :o)

Fill in Friday

I like blogs that have a "theme" for some or all days & thought I'd give it a go. On Fridays I will try to give a little update (or FILL IN ;o) of the week that I may have missed with any other posts.

I did post about our walk the other day. Yesterday I thought about our walking & what could make it more relaxing. I thought yesterday afternoon I would try to walk the boys alone. It was the same scenario as the day before with Zander out on the front lawn but wouldn't you know that there was NO barking at all? The walk was much more relaxed & they did great. Marley even kept up for almost an entire mile! When we came back we spent some time sitting in the grass with Zander. Marleys "meeting" with him the day before had been a little too stressful for a first meeting of a new dog so I wanted to try to make up for that & hopefully will help any future meetings go a bit more smoothly w/o as much stress. Zander finally calmed down enough, even though he was happy to see the Chi's. He lay down & they were able to mingle a bit & Maxwell was his happy playful self with Zander. It was such a nice visit!

Now the task....working with the girls I'm thinking one on one with the walking. Maribelle is just so yap happy - that is something we've always worked on & I need to take the time to work with only her on this. Matilda needs some one on one as well. She has become increasingly more anxious & "flighty" (which has gradually been increasing for months now). It is unhealthy for her & I've talked with hubby about it since I'm sure it's because her "special treatment" she gets from him. She used to be FANTASTIC with letting me clip her nails - she'd always just sleep through the whole thing & I made the mistake of one day, doing it while hubby was home. She was a complete drama queen & yelped & all (I'm always very careful & know I didn't do anything to hurt her). If I try to correct her for anything she immediately runs to hubby and on walks she walks ahead of me & if I stop & walk toward her with my hand up (what I have always done to get them to sit) she acts like I'm going to eat her or something. It's very frustrating for me & makes me feel bad, even though I'm not being mean or doing anything differently. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT for EVERYONE in the family to treat all dogs the same & ALL be pack leaders!! So point being, I think I will focus on walking the boys together since they do great but the girls are going to need a little special treatment. Should be interesting!

Marley - Marley, Marley, Marley! I just love this little guy and today he completely made my day by going out the doggy door ON HIS OWN not once but TWICE! The first time I was watching him in the living room & he went to the puppy room door way. So I took him down the 2 stairs (he still is a bit nervous about going down the stairs even though he comes up just fine), put him on the floor & he ran right out the doggy door & poo'ed w/o me saying anything. Then this afternoon, I took all the pups down in the puppy room with some toys, gated it off & had Marley practice going down the stairs a few times in between playing fetch with everyone. I knew he'd have to pee soon & was curious what would happen. I was in the middle of playing when I looked at the doggy door to see his little tushy going out the doggy door (to pee)!! I was SOOO happy & proud of him!

I did a little doggy supply shopping yesterday. Got a few new toys & FINALLY invested in a bed. Any beds we've ever gotten the pups they've ripped apart & eaten the stuffing in no time so I've been hesitant in putting the money into one they possibly will ruin, get sick or bound up from the stuffing & not be able to use. They do fine with blankets on the floor so we always keep a couple around. At the store they had these HUGE quilted pillow beds for $40 which I thought was a terrific price! The cover comes off & is washable so I thought we'd give it a go. The pups love it & did dig at it for the first few minutes but they seem to just lay chewing toys or sleep on it now so I'm **crossing fingers** it works out!

To close - I took a video of the pups getting their new toys. I swear these guys are just like kids. They were so excited about them. And I love how they were all squeeking away after a minute. TOO FUNNY!

First Walk Since Marley Came Home

The thought crossed my mind to bring a camera but reality told me I may be a bit too busy to be carrying my camera on the first walk with Marley. I was right. First off, those of you that have been following this blog will know Zander, our lab mix. Well, he's been staying next door with my dad, step mom & their Bassett Hound, Sadie for almost 2 weeks. I love Zander & always will. He's a great dog & a sweet heart. We are going to be moving (long story but we're not sure when - we're waiting for my aunt to sell her house so she can buy ours) and hubby & I had talked & we thought it would be best to rehome Zander when we moved. :o( If for nothing more than the fact that with his energy level (six years old & acts like a pup! LOL), he's never been able to be apart of the "pack" for safety reason for the Chi's. Not really fair for him to be seperated from the rest of the dogs. We'd only talked about it when my dad mentioned to me one day that my step mom just adored him & if we ever wanted a new home for him to talk with her about it. Being as I'd never just give him up to anyone - I took it as a sign.

I do feel bad because I feel in a way we traded him in which isn't true. This is something we'd talked about long before Marley was even a thought. But when my dad said that and knowing Marley was coming home soon we thought maybe rather than waiting - this would be the best time. He has however, been doing great down with Sadie & it absolutely makes me smile to look out & see him rolling around in the grass & hanging out with my dad & step mom who are very "outdoorsy" type of people (totally unlike me). He really looks happy & that makes me feel like we've done the right thing. Not to mention I think he & Sadie have been playing which is good for both of them.

Anyway, back to our walk - Zander was out on the lawn as I exited the house with the 5 Chi's. Being as the pups aren't used to seeing a dog out on the lawn they started getting all excited first thing. I sat down on the lawn waiting for them to relax, not wanting to step on Marley first thing. My step mom drove in & talked with us for a bit - little Marley so excited to see her. Finally we started down our long driveway as Zander came to greet. The dogs, seeming to have forgotten who Zander was. ??? They sniffed, barked & Matilda even got nasty with him when he got near which I wasn't expecting. However I shouldn't be surprised - she hates dogs who have high energy - they totally put her out! Zander was also going balistic trying to get to the new addition to sniff him out. I finally had to pick Marley up, not wanting him to get stepped on. Finally we were on our way.

The rest of the walk couldn't have gone any better! We did not go far because 1)it was cool & 2)I didn't want to over-do little Marleys little legs. :o) When we got home, it didn't take long for the pups to pile up & zonk out...

Just one of those mornings.....

So snuggley & content.

Chewy chewy chewy chewy CHEWY!

They hardly last at all in our house but alas we still buy them once in a while to give the Chi's something new & interesting to put in their mouths.

Maribelle likes to steal another pups chewy & hoard them all at the top of the stairs. I went to see how many she had & she lowered to the floor & got a big "grin" on her face as to say "crap, I'm caught!". Guilty consciece? Certainly makes me feel bad! LOL

As soon as I take the "extra" chewy away, she comes down with hers & struts her stuff and literally prances around in front of the othe dogs flashing her "prize" to them. The only one to fall for it this time, Marley.


"You are not taking MY chewy Mari!"






"Look but don't touch now"



"Okay, maybe just a bite"



"Not mine brother!!"



Matilda immediately took her chewy upstairs on the bed in the comfort of the sun & peace and quiet!

My New & Improved "Lap 'o Chi's"!

Excuse the jammie pants & black baseball socks lol...but today was the first day everyone felt comfortable enough with the baby & all, to pile in my lap. Marley is there somewhere - he just blends well with Matilda. Now I remember why I wanted a chocolate!! ;o) (TOTALLY kidding lol)

Houdini Strikes Again & Surrogate Mommy

First of all, last night went a bit more smoothly. We crated Marley down stairs this time. I let him out to potty at 8:30 & fully planned on letting him out again at 11 (after I was done watching my fav show from bed). Wouldn't you know I fell asleep before my fav show started (UGH!). So I wake up at 3am & it is quiet as can be. As I head down stairs, I was pleasantly surprised that it was still quiet. That was however, until I noticed a gray streak running in front of me at the bottom of the stairs. D'oh!! As seen in the photo below, we double latch the crate because little Maxie likes to open crate doors. I failed to realize the side door wasn't double latched so Maxie must have gotten tired of the noise & let him out. LOL All was well except the fact he had been "accident free" until that point. Oh well, one little set back & the thoughts of what *could* have happened a couple potty accidents was more than okay with me!

Secondly, Matilda has sort of become Marleys "surrogate mommy". While I do think it's great Matilda is being so accepting of Marley & is being extremely gentle, patient & loving to him I've also noticed she's becoming a bit possessive over him as well. I'm thinking if I don't nip this in the bud a bit it could become quite a problem. So far if Marley tries to play with any of the other pups, she gets in between them & lays down & digs, rolls or kicks at him so Marley has to play with her and not the other dogs. Same seems to go for humans as well - she's got to be in the middle. She's not nasty or mean or anything...but Matilda is always the insecure type & I don't think could or should handle the "responsibility" of a puppy. LOL Also, when hubby comes home at night it's not unusual for Matilda to whine & be extreamely excited to see hubby & give the occassional "whine" of excitment but tonight she was absolutely off the wall! It was almost as if she was saying "DADDY, I got a BABY!!". LOL Yes it is cute & I am proud of my Matilda being so great with our new addition. But I also know enough about dog "psycology" that it could turn into a problem. So we'll see what tomorrow brings.

I am going to add a little clip of Matilda & Marley at quiet play. They are adorable, aren't they?!

Puppy Blues

Who likes crate training?! After our first night I thought we'd had it made. Five minutes of whining & little Marley zonked out & was quiet until I woke up a couple hours later. Wanting to snuggle the sweet little baby - I brought him into bed with me for a nap yesterday afternoon. BIG MISTAKE. Last night was not good! I had taken 2 Benedryl to try to dry up my sinus' so I wasn't in great shape anyway. After he finally stopped whining initially (or maybe I fell asleep during it?) it was quiet for an hour. I took him out to potty - back in the crate - an hour later it started again. I tried ignoring it for I knew he didn't have to potty again & it just continued...continued...continued. Knowing I needed some sleep I took him out to potty and finished off the night on the couch....with Marley. LOL But hey, we both finally got some sleep!

Today I had to leave the house a couple times for about 20 minutes a piece. Figured it was a good chance for some more crate training. After arriving home both times I made sure not to let him out until the whining stopped. Which took a bit.

Watching him was the most pitiful thing. I'll let the photo do the rest of the "talking". The only thing missing from painting the picture of what was happening is the quiet whining every time he took a breath....just like a newborn baby who had cried themselves to sleep.

SUCCESS!!

Seeing as this is our 5th puppy in less than 2 years, I'd like to say we've got the house breaking well down pat. The first 4 Chi's have been rather easy to train, but in reality I think we've got to give credit to ourselves here for training the best way possible to ensure a successful puppy. Granted, Marley hasn't been at our home for 24 hours yet so it's far too early to tell but I'd say this first day is a complete success if I do say so myself!

Not only has Marley not peed/pooed in the house as of yet but he now knows when he has peed in the potty area, to go up the ramp to the doggy door! Earlier this afternoon, he peed & I went around outside to go in the house & he even had gone through the doggy door to the puppy room! I'm sure he probably went in through with one of the other pups...but still. He certainly isn't afraid of the doggy door.

Then, just now, I thought I'd even try putting him out through the doggy door for his pee pee & see what happened. He stood there by the door for about 30 seconds, then proceeded down the ramp, was down there for about 45 seconds, started whining so I called to him & when he came through the doggy door upon inpection - the sign was there that he had in fect, PEED!! We celebrated & he was so proud of himself. I can't believe he's accomplished knowing what the potty area is for & to come in through the doggy door (though actually pushing it open himself I'm sure will take a bit more time) in this short period of time. I was super impressed with Mari learning this in 3 days of having her - less than 24 hours blew me away! YAY MARLEY!!

He also knows how to play fetch and ate a good amount of food at lunch today. He napped with me & the crew for 2 hours today in bed w/o any problems at all - he was sound asleep the whole time & the one time I woke up & looked at him he was just staring at me with his big blue eyes. He has totally stole my heart and it gushes every time I see his sweet face. I'm in love. ♥ :o)

We took this video this morning of him when he first wore a shirt. He wasn't very impressed & it's going to take some work (he really needs to be able to wear tops because of our harsh winters and his short coat!). He was literally trying to roll it off! hehe You can also see just how much Matilda wants to play with him...but too roughly! She gets so frustrated...when he is a little bigger she will be able to tackle him like she wants... ;o)

Marley is Home!

Last night was the night we were to pick Marley up. We took Mari with us & traveled an hour & 20 minutes. I was a bit apprehensive about how Mari would react to other dogs and puppies since she's never really been around too many in such an intimate setting. She did GREAT though - much better than I had anticipated. She was a bit unsure about the dogs & did snap at one that got a little too close to sniff her (and she was in my lap so I'm sure she felt cornered) but otherwise she sniffed & allowed others to sniff. If she got uncomfortable she just hopped in my lap.

So what can I say - Marley is PRECIOUS! The entire litter of pups were but of course I'm fond to my boy. Marleys mom Cookie, was so pretty & super friendly showering my human girls & myself with kisses. We had a great visit with the dogs/pups & of course my breeder friend we've gotten our 5 Chi's from. It's always great chatting with her! Of course every time we meet it's a promise that it will be the LAST time we meet....for a puppy pick up anyway. ;o)

Marley is doing great at home so far. No potty "accidents" & he's been a champ at pottying right when I take him out. He's drinking well & eating "okay". But he's fitting in great with the rest of the pack so far. The only one who's having an issue thus far is Maxwell. He's acting like an old man who is totally turned off by this new kid running around making a fool out of himself. hehe I personally think he's a bit peeved Marley has found his way into my robe (which is usually Maxwells territory). However, a little while ago he curled up next to Marley on my lap & took a nap so they will be just fine. Mari & Milo are just way curious of him & Matilda...she's so great. She just wants to play play play! BUT...her idea of play, especially when it comes to a new family member consists of being bossy. Several times she has "donkey kicked" poor Marley across the floor! But she is being very tollerating & patient with him which is great!

All & all Marley is settling in extreamely well considering he's only been here for just about 13 hours. Oh & did I mention he whined for a whole 5 minutes before settling down in his crate last night? Then he was quiet as a mouse (as Mari slept in the crate next to him - door open as always) until I woke up at 1:30am not feeling well. So I took him out to potty & we curled up on the couch & finished off the night there. I don't think we'll have a problem crate training him at ALL.

So a post isn't a post, especially with a new addition with out a picture or two! A couple play time pics & one sweet "portrait" style photo...








Priceless - the girls were trying to help him up the stairs. (which he did figure out btw LOL)

Mari's Bath Time Zoomies!

I'm sure EVERYONE with Chi's or dogs in general know about the bath time zoomies. It was bath day here at the MChi home and Mari was first on the list. I got a little video of her bath time zoomies (or should I say bath time dry me offies)...though she was keeping an eye on me. I'm sure she was trying to figure out just what I was so amused with her for... Also, listen carefully & you'll hear her signature "snort". ;o)

Such a Beautiful Day - the Pups Fall Time Play

The pups just love it outside...especially when they're are leaves blowing all over the place & the different kind of fall smells are everywhere. Here is a video of the pups playing around this afternoon since it was such a BEAUTIFUL day here in Maine (55 degrees). They really go crazy!! hehe