The Biggest 'Gainer'

I'm pleased to say that Olive is doing great today. She had some whimpers throughout the night and I was of course was ripped awake by each one; but she's back to her frisky little self today. She even tried to eat some kale out of the garden this morning; which is doing great by the way. All of this rain has sure been good for the greens.

Speaking of eating, I forgot to mention that between the two Vet visits, from Tuesday of this week to yesterday - Olive gained 11 ounces. What a fatty - almost a pound in 2 days! I knew she was growing before our eyes.

I took Olive on a little trip to PetSmart to let her pick out a new toy and lift her spirits (okay let's be honest - it made ME feel better). For some reason though, the toy that she picked out at the store, she is now just barking at like crazy. She won't play with it, she just puts her bum up in the air and barks at it. Maybe she's pretending it's Chester. She certainly isn't laking in the personality department.

Here is a photo of the 'before' picture where the new gate will be built. We are (or should I say Luke is) going to use the existing poles and build 2 cedar gates with a drop-rod to lock the gates closed. Luke assures me that we will have an 'after' picture by tomorrow.

I did some research and found a few puppy socialization classes around Portland that allow puppies that are 9 weeks old (most require that they are 12 weeks and have 2 rounds of shots). So, we will be taking little Olive to get some good canine socialization with pups her own size. I also sent a note to the neighbors with some classes for "reactive rovers" that may help Chester deal with some of his aggression issues. I will feel much better once the gate is completed; and Chester will be moving in June, so that will help ease my mid as well.

Just in case you weren't completely convinced that Olive is doing much better. I will leave you with this photo of her zonked out and making herself at home.

TGIF!

Lowe's Pup

Well, what an eventful and stressful day. On the good side, Olive has learned to sit and also knows how to go up and down the steps to the back yard where she's understanding the meaning of "potty". She also had another fun trip to Lowe's where she got to ride in the shopping cart and experience lots of fun sights, sounds and people. We were shopping for the materials to build a gate over the driveway so we can fully fence in the back yard. Olive was great in the cart and loved all the attention that she received from the other customers and Lowe's workers. She was so comfortable in fact that she dozed off a bit as you can see here.

Well, I guess we may have been taking too long because she really made herself comfortable after about an hour. Can you imagine how ridiculous we must have looked pushing this passed-out puppy around in the shopping cart? It was pretty endearing and hilarious to say the least.

Bath Time Fun

Today was another day of firsts for Olive. She had her first visit to the Vet where she managed to melt to hearts of the entire staff. She pretty much slept through her exam; but the Vet was still able to pat our little 15 pound furball with a clean bill of health! He was especially impressed with her comprehensive paperwork and family history that we received from the Breeder. He said it was some of the best he's seen!




It's been especially rainy that last few days (shocker) and little Olive has been smelling a little, well stinky; so we decided to give her her first bath! She stood just as you see here while we scrubbed and massaged up a lather to the sound of her cute little grunts of pleasure.







After a rinse and a shake she got a good toweling off. Olive liked the rub down so much that she feel asleep in Luke's arms all swaddled up like the little furry princess that she is.

I think it is safe to say that they are smitten with eachother...

Friends

Olive is settling nicely into her new home. She was a little restless last night however - full of whimpers, grunts and harrumphs. So, the daily goal is to get her nice and tired out. Since we can't take her to the local dog parks yet (she hasn't had her second round of vaccinations) we decided to take her to Lowe's with us. She got to ride in the shopping cart and take in all the sights and smells. Loading up mulch and dirt proved to be the perfect puppy activity.

Olive's friend Nola (a 4 year old Berner from the same breeder) stopped by yesterday for a visit. It was pretty cute to see them interact. Olive loves other dogs and people. She'll tackle your ankles as soon as she sees you :)

The Neighborhood

We attempted our first walk with Olive yesterday evening; and I must say it went quite well. She wasn't sure what to make of the whole leash and collar get-up; but she got the hang of it quickly and ended up walking better and faster than Luke on his gimpy leg.

The neighbors a few blocks down have a 9 year old male Berner named Jacks whom Olive got to meet down at the park. She was feisty and ready to play. But Jacks (even though he is about 20 times the size of Olive)wasn't too sure. Jack's parents told us to get ready to find out what it's like living with a rock star because everyone will want to meet her. So, I'm sure her cuteness factor will aid her in becoming a very well socialized little dog.

Sleepy Puppy

I just had to post this video of Olive in her beauty sleep. She is such a deep sleeper and has vivid dreams that leave her twitching and whimpering. She's such a cute and cuddly puppy!

Puppy Play Time

Here is a cute video of Olive playing in the yard. Although, she is a heavy sleeper - she also likes to get down and bark and play! Luke sustained a slide-tackle injury to his leg in last week's soccer game; hence the limp.

Homecoming

The homecoming went well. Little Olive was such a trooper on the 2 hour ride home. So far she is getting the hang of doing her business outside and taking lots of naps. We're just hoping that she sleeps well tonight. I'm officially in puppy-love.

Dreams Coming True

This is a very exciting weekend for two reasons:

1.) We are going to see the Cirque du Soleil tonight - I have been dying to see them in person since I was a little girl. They have a huge yellow and blue tent set up by the waterfront downtown. Thanks to Luke for the tix!

2.) We get to bring little Olive home tomorrow. It feels like Christmas eve. I just can't stand the excitement. I think we are prepared; I just hope she likes us ;)

I guess I should stop drinking coffee right about now...

Anticipation

So, I decided to create a blog. Mostly as an outlet to share the many upcoming puppy pictures of little Olive - she comes home with us this Saturday and we simpy cannot wait! But also as a vehicle to detail and share all the wonderful things that life has brought our way.

I am experiencing so many fun things including: remodeling, gardening, landscaping, cooking, puppy rearing and the wonderful city of Portland. I hope this helps to shed some light on my life for my family and friends who are so far away. Enjoy!