Fuzzy Photo of the Day

The puppy got a much needed haircut today. The groomers even put a little bow on his collar, which Nick hates. He thinks bows are girly, but this one is a nice black and white number with little paw prints. Only a tough puppy like Forest could handle a bow like this.

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

(Winter) iPhone Puppy

In honor of the beautiful weather, I've decided it's time to replace the snowy photo that's been my iPhone desktop for a couple of months, as adorable as it may be...

This is the full-sized photo I cropped for my iPhone desktop. Nick was helping his brother Jason shovel his driveway in Iowa while Forest played in the snow. 

That Iowa snow pile is taller than our puppy. Missouri has had some crappy weather this year but we can't complain to any of our Iowa family members (spoilsports).

Now I just need a spring-time photo of Forest running thru a field of wildflowers or pausing next to a trickling stream.

(Winter) iPhone Puppy

Puppy Blankets

We own a few blankets that have been officially designated as "dog blankets" (I've watched Forest throw up and potty on those blankets far too often to use them for anything else). One of the blankets is always laid out on the kitchen floor, kind of like a safe zone for Forest. Our puppy has a difficult time sitting or maneuvering himself on the hardwood floors in the kitchen. He'll just be sitting there and suddenly one of his legs will start sliding out from beneath him, then another one will slowly glide away. Sometimes he'll continuously correct his posture, but most of the time he'll give up and use the momentum to plop down onto the floor. Forest likes lying on the kitchen blanket when he's playing, chewing on something or wants to take a nap.

A few nights ago Forest decided to play with the blanket instead of just on the blanket. 

The puppy pushed it around the floor with his nose.

He crawled under it. 

He flipped on his back and pulled it up over himself. 

And then somehow Forest manged to stand up with the blanket draped around him like a cape and took a little stroll around the kitchen.

Super Puppy!

But all of that moving around and smashing his head into the blanket severely poofed up his facial hair. 

It's a puppy beard! 

Action shot of Forest shaking his head in an attempt to fix his beard.

Might be time for the puppy to get a haircut.

Puppy Blankets

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

UFC Puppy

Nick put up a hell of a fight but was eventually dominated.

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Under-the-Bed Puppy

Forest was playing with his new toy ball and managed to roll it under our bed. The puppy was determined to find it but this was as far as he could fit under the bed frame.

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Fun With Puppy Rope

"This is my puppy rope. Let me repeat that, it's MY puppy rope, you can't have it."

"Oh gosh, I'm so close, I want my puppy rope now!"

"Puppy rope tastes good….like, um, puppy rope."

Fun With Puppy Rope

Stuffed Puppy - * Updated*

After we officially decided to adopt Forest, we had to wait a few weeks before we could meet the little guy and bring him home. During this time I quickly entered crazy-puppy-lady mode and was probably really annoying to be around. Every day I looked at the photos and videos that the breeder had posted online. I downloaded as much as I could to my cell phone and was constantly sharing them with all of my friends and coworkers.

I think it was this photo that first elicited the comment, "Whoa, your dog looks like a stuffed animal."

 And I was all like, "No he doesn-holy crap he kinda does."

Since then, Forest has been compared to a stuffed animal several times, usually by kids (which I think legitimizes the claim as I consider children to be experts on stuffed animals).

Update: Someone asked what Forest is stuffed with. Nick and I unanimously agree that the answer is poop.

Stuffed Puppy - * Updated*

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Don't need to vacuum in our household...

Forest woke up a few minutes after this photo was taken and immediately ate that piece of fuzz in front of him.

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Success!

As I've mentioned before, crate training Forest has basically been hell. That puppy could make the most dreadful noises when we put him in his crate, whimpering and moaning and barking, like we were burying him alive or beating him with a hammer. Lord knows what the neighbors thought we were doing. It was all very sad, but also extremely annoying.

Before we got Forest, Nick and I read books and articles about raising a puppy (none of which mentioned how vile puppy poop could smell, all you new or soon-to-be puppy owners out there beware). They all said you could train your dog to go into his cage when you said a specific command, so we choose the obvious phrase "Crate". Since the very first day we brought Forest home, we've repeated the word "Crate" every single time we've put him in his cage (which may seem really simple but can be tricky to remember when you're shoving a crying, shaking puppy thru a cage door while praying that he doesn't pee on you).

It was months before Forest would venture into the crate by himself, and then usually it was only for a few seconds so he could snag the treats we kept leaving in there for him. But he slowly started to realize that :

a) the crate was not a backdoor to hell that would eat him alive

b) he was going in the crate whether he liked it or not, and wasn't coming out until he was good and quiet

c) most importantly, we would always give him a treat every time

Eventually he stopped whining when we put him in his cage. A little while after that, he started walking towards the crate when we said the command and only needed a little push to cover the last few steps. And finally, he officially gave up and started walking completely into his cage when we said the word "Crate".

Now if you watched Forest you would never know he ever had a crate phobia. We don't even have to say the word "Crate" any more. If I'm standing next to the cage and take out a treat, Forest quickly scampers into the crate and lies down. I'm convinced that we never would have won this battle if we didn't bribe him with sugary treats every time, but at this point I really don't care. I'll try to keep this in mind next time I see some parents buying their kids fast food.

Success!

Snow Dog

We had one blissful week without snow before Mother Nature gave us the middle finger and chucked another 4 inches at us. Nick and I are not happy; Forest is thrilled.

  Our puppy dislikes rain and water but he loves snow.

Based on his initial reaction to snow, we weren't anticipating this type of obsession. Forest was a little confused the first time he encountered snow.

I don't think he was expecting the ground to be so cold or slushy because he kept picking up his paws one at a time like "ohhh, this isn't how the ground usually feels, is this right?"

He slowly made his way into the yard…sniffing the air…licking the grass…and repeatedly looking back at us like he was expecting Nick or I to suddenly start yelling at him to get off of the weird white stuff on the ground.

On that first day he happily came back inside after a few minutes. But nowadays it's a 50/50 chance that we'll have to march into the yard and carry the puppy back into the house.

Snow makes our puppy very hyper. He'll literally bounce around the yard like a caffeinated bunny rabbit. On several different occasions I've tried to tape this spectacle but the video always comes out all shaky because I'm giggling too much.

 Zoom zoom...

We've been on vacation a lot and just overall lazy this winter so we've only shoveled snow around four times (which is like three times more often that it's been shoveled any other year). Thus our sidewalks and driveway have spent about 75% of this winter covered in ice and snow. In the past we've tried to train Forest to only go potty on the grass, but all of this snow has really confused him. I'll often find him taking a leak on the driveway or a big dump on the sidewalk. Can't yell at the poor puppy because it's not like he's going to understand "No, don't go bathroom in that snow pile, move over one foot and lay some pipe in this snow pile instead." (FYI, don't blame me, "lay some pipe" is one of Nick's numerous euphemisms to describe Forest's potty breaks).

Snow butt.

Luckily the snow is melting very quickly, so hopefully we won't encounter this wild beast again this year...

(To be fair, he really needed a haircut, there's a bush with extra snow and wild branches directly behind him and there was a snowstorm raging around us but still, yikes puppy.)

Snow Dog

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Sad puppy locked in his crate.

"You guys are going to let me out soon, right?

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Licky Puppy

Disclaimer: I should start off by saying yes, I know it could be worse. Other people have dogs who chew on table legs, eat slippers, dig thru couch cushions, bite the heel off a pair of new boots, rip up carpet and gnaw holes in the kitchen drywall. So I'm completely aware that what I'm going to complain about is totally lame in comparison. 

Our puppy has an obsession with licking. Everything. All household objects within reach of his furry little legs have been slobbered on.  It's not uncommon for me to turn around and find our puppy licking a doorframe, shoe, pillow or his own butt.  

It would be kind of cute if Forest just gave a few licks and then stopped, but most of the time he acts like whatever he's licking is the yummiest thing that's ever been in his mouth and he would be thrilled to continue licking instead of eating, drinking or breathing for the rest of his life. 

"Yum, octopusy."

 Baby Forest licking condensation off the bottom of a soda can.

Cats purr when they're happy, Forest licks when he's happy. Or sad, playful, bored, excited, constipated, distracted and sleepy.

The fact that some people let Forest lick their faces just boggles my mind. A few months ago I was picking our puppy up from doggy daycare when they casually informed me that Forest ate some dog poop during a play session. "But don't worry, we brushed his teeth." Immediately I was thinking: Brushed his teeth? Did you also scrape his tongue; maybe wipe off his gums a little? The only question I managed to form into a coherent statement was "Umm, was it his poop?" Like somehow that would make it better, but no, it was not his poop. These people have actually watched Forest eat dog excrement and yet still let him lick their faces! (If I ever hear a child say that s/he wants to grow up to become a vet, I'm busting out that story. Kids should be warned about stuff like this.)

Don't worry folks, I've thoroughly disinfected this pillow.

Licky Puppy

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Seriously?

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

"Dude, enough with the pictures, I need my puppy sleep."

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

"Where my humans at?"

Forest is basically catatonic while riding in a car. He'll just lie against the back seat and watch the driver or fall asleep. The puppy doesn't stand up or look out the window or bark at anything. Every once in awhile Forest will change the direction in which he's laying but that's about it.

However, this dog has control issues that pop up when the car is parked and no longer in motion. As Nick puts it, Forest always wants to know where his humans are. If Nick and I are both in the car and just one of us gets out (like at a gas station or to run into a store real quick) Forest freaks out. He couldn't care less that one parent is still in the car, he wants to know where the hell the other person is. Forest will whimper, pace back and forth on the seat and jump up on the car door to look out the window. Sometimes he barks a little.

Even when he can see the other person is like a foot away pumping gas, Forest doesn't calm down until that person is back in the car. Kind of makes the parent who's still in the car and totally being ignored feel a tad worthless. Once I climbed into the backseat to keep him company but nope, he wanted to know where the fuck Nick was. So new strategy, next time he starts pining away for the missing parent, I'm going to ignore him. Take that puppy dog! 

(I'm fully aware that this will only last 20 seconds before my heart melts and I climb over car seats to comfort my sad puppy but I will attempt it nonetheless).

"Where my humans at?"

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Urban Puppy Unleashed

Every once in awhile, Forest can no longer contain the wild canine urges and must release a ferocious howl at the um, kitchen ceiling.

Fuzzy Photo of the Day

Somebody missed me

Sorry for the gap in posts but Nick and I were preparing for and then enjoying a tropical vacation in the Virgin Islands. I usually get really depressed on the last day of vacation when it's time to head home and I have to leave behind the sun, beach and fabulous rum. Nick has repeatedly threatened to stop going on vacations with me because of it. But this was the first time where I was actually eager to come back to dreary KC (in comparison to the Virgin Islands) because I knew there was a fuzzy little dude waiting for me. This was the longest we've ever been away from Forest and I was positively giddy about seeing him again.

Whenever we board Forest for more than a few days, he always comes home with some potty issues (like the great Bean Bag Mishap of '09). So the idea of boarding Forest for over a week had us contemplating saran wrapping our furniture. Luckily Nick's brother and sister-in-law graciously offered to doggy-sit Forest in Iowa while we were gone. We flew home late Sunday night, got a few hours of sleep, worked all day Monday, then hopped in the car for an Iowa road trip.

Jason and Elizabeth were both attending a class that evening so they weren't home when we finally arrived in Iowa (after driving thru rain, fog and road construction, but I would have driven thru a tornado if necessary). We let ourselves in thru the garage and made our way to the upstairs bedroom where Forest was staying in his crate.

The puppy went nuts as soon as we opened the bedroom door and turned on the light. Forest whimpered with glee and the tip of his tail was whipping around like we had just dropped popcorn on the floor. It was only after I opened the crate door that I noticed he was walking in this weird crouching position with the base of his tail tucked under his butt. Then I saw little, glistening spots on his crate blanket and quickly instructed Nick to evacuate the premises.

Yep, Forest was so happy to see us that he was peeing on himself. Nick had to cradle the puppy like a baby so he would stop squirting everywhere and then carry him outside. We had expected Forest to dart into the yard and finish his business right away but nope, the puppy was so ecstatic that he just kept running back and forth between the two of us so he could lick our hands and jump on our legs. I'm surprised he didn't just let loose on the garage floor or driveway. Finally, after confirming that he could keep both of us within eye sight, he went potty on the lawn.

Dang dog, I never thought I would consider losing bladder control as a sign of love :)

Somebody missed me