Time for a Check Up!

We took both dogs to the Vet tonight. What a treat! I've heard nightmare stories about dogs and the Vet's Office! Panic attacks, aggression. Luckily I have not had any experience with that! Dutchess loves going to the Vet. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that she's an attention hog! She loves when people dote all over her and she loves greeting all the other animals in the waiting area. My only issue was trying to keep her from dragging ME all over the waiting room! We've got a handle on that now. In fact, tonight she flopped down and chilled for the most part. She hopped up and wiggled her butt at any new dogs that happened to cross paths with her, but she was content otherwise.

It was Winston's first visit to our office. He was not so content....He wanted to go check out the other dogs in the waiting area. Unfortunately, none of the other dogs were the playful types. There was a cute little collie that looked half blind and very skittish. The other dog was a hyper little Scottie Terrier - but he seemed to have a little aggression problem so that was a no go as well. When Winston realized that he wasn't going to get to play he got very upset and proceeded to bark, and whine, and bark some more. Which caused the terrier to bark. Which only made Winston worse! To make matters worse there was a emergency which delayed our appointment for an hour! So this all went on for a very long hour.

When we finally got into the appointment all went well. Both pups got their shots with no problem. Winston got a clean bill of health and the Vet was very pleased with him. We were able to get some medicated ear cleanser for Dutchess which will help with her dirty ear problem! She actually ended up having a little bit of a yeast problem with her ears, which can be brought on by her allergies. So, we're definitely going to be keeping up with the ear cleaner every night until we get that cleared up. Then we can knock it down to once a month outside of allergy season. We also have to be more diligent about getting her benadryl twice a day. And that little devil was so good for the Vet while she cleaned her ears! Not like the escapade when I tried for the first time! The little booger!

A Morning at Renfrew Park

We have always enjoyed taking Dutchess to Renfrew, a local park here in the area. It's a beautiful area with several miles of hiking trails, which are all mostly shaded. Perfect for Bulldogs - who are not fans of the high heat of the summer months! Antietam Creek runs through the park and there are shallow areas where she loves to play. It's a great park to have a picnic or take pictures. There are plenty of picnic tables, pavilions and there are beautiful flowers planted all around the Victorian period homes and out-buildings that are all throughout the park.

This morning we got up early and packed up both dogs, a blanket, breakfast to-go, and some toys and we were off to the park!

Winston was a little apprehensive about the water at first but Dutch dived right in, splashing and trotting up and down the creek. Winnie eventually followed her in and in the end he loved it as much as Dutchess! They had a ball running up and down the creek chasing sticks that Bradley or Eric would toss. As usual Dutchess always reached the prize first and eventually Winston just started chasing her up and down the creek latching onto the stick once Dutchess retrieved it!

After they played for awhile we packed it up and walked up to the old white barn and made our way back to the walking trails. It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning, walking along the creek side under the shade of the 200 year old pines.

I'm not sure what they enjoyed more, playing in the water or sniffing and exploring their way throughout the trails. Whatever the case my be, the pups were thoroughly tuckered out and ready for naps by the time we circled around to where we had parked the car.

We will definitely be making some more outings to Renfrew this summer! We are thinking of trekking to Cunningham Falls next weekend. I can't hardly wait!

Separation Anxiety

We were extremely lucky with Dutchess, she adjusted to crate training very well! Although she's always slept in our bed since she was a puppy, she's crate bound during the day while we are at work. She will normally go in without any fight, knowing full well that there will be a treat awaiting. (And, yes, you read correctly, 60 lb Bulldog + 2 adults and new puppy= very full bed!)

We are not having such luck with our boy Winston. He despises the crate. Although very excited about the treat, he's no fool and wants out immediately after scarfing them down into his little belly! So needless to say it's drop and run when it's exit time! We've tried everything we did with Dutch with no luck. His crate is fully equipped with "his" blanket and a chew toy. We've encouraged him to go in and out as he pleases when we are home so that he gets used to the idea and it becomes "his" place. It's in the living room, a place where he feels comfortable. Dutchess is in a separate crate but in sight, so he doesn't feel completely alone. I've tried everything I know how to try!

I'm lucky enough to work close enough that I can come home over my lunch break to let the beasts out for a potty break and some stretching and mid-day play time. As soon as the key hits the door the ruckus ensues. The crates are a'rattling, there's barking and whimpering. Dutchess greets me with her normal enthusiasm. Some butt wiggling, kisses, and then makes a quick chase to the closest tennis ball or nylabone. Winston on the other hand wants picked up immediately and does not stray but 2 feet from under my feet! And he makes this high pitched squealing sound - he sounds more like a cooing pigeon than a dog.... It's insane - you would think he's been left alone for days not a few hours! And this scene repeats itself a few short hours later when my husband or I come home for the day! It's comical but quite pitiful all at the same time!

Dirty ears? Clean it up a bit!

Dutchess has developed mild allergies this year which causes her to get a little sneezy at times. Lately it's effected her ears. Over the past two weeks she's had a lot of dirty wax build up, making for some pretty itchy puppy ears! Up until now I've only had to use a wet washcloth to clean her ears but that just wasn't cutting it anymore. So to give her some relief until her Vet appointment later this week I picked up some Ear Cleanser at the Pet Store.I figured I'd just sneak this new little chore into the nightly wrinkle cleaning routine!

So, at bedtime I started with all the typical face cleaning stuff that she was used to and she was relatively agreeable. She only tried to take the washcloth a few times! And then came time for the ears! I started with the left ear because the right ear seems worse and I've noticed has more build up than the left. So I figured I'd go in slowly. She wasn't real pleased with me but she stayed put and let me do my thing.

And then we went to the right ear. I no sooner squirted the solution into her ear and she was up like a shot! She ran about 10 circles around the bed, tried to bury her head under my pillows, and shook - all the while spraying the ear cleanser all over the bed and me! I managed to get a hold of her so that I could at least massage the ear to work in the cleanser and wipe out the excess and wax build up but then she was gone.

Sad to say, I got the cold shoulder for the remainder of the evening. She refused to come back to bed and chose to sleep in the hallway for the night!

Winston

We picked up our newest addition on Memorial Day weekend! After scouring the breeding websites again and again and again, we made a trek 170 miles north to find some adorable pups. Although my husband kept proclaiming throughout the entire drive that, "we were only looking" - he was the first one to cave when "Mojo" came bouncing into the room. It was clear that he had made up his mind, Mojo was coming home!

I was very happy with the breeders. They made our decision a lot easier. I cannot stress the importance of a good breeder when it comes to choosing your new puppy! A good breeder is one who is in it for the breed and not the financial aspect. Bad breeding will only bring heart ache for owners and their pets. Mojo came from a family environment with children, which we were ecstatic about. And they had both parents on site, which is very rare!

After making the long drive home, it was time to introduce "Mojo" to our home and to Dutchess. I was so nervous about this! Dutch was very well socialized with other dogs from a young age, so she loves playing with any other dog she comes along. One of her favorite things to do is going over to play with my Sister and Brother-in-laws two Beagles. They are the best of buds! But she is the Queen of the Castle at home and I just wasn't sure how she would react to having a new puppy eating up all the attention in her castle! Playing with her toys, laying in her bed, heaven forbid - eating her treats.... But she was wonderful with him. She's very gentle and didn't seem too bothered by him at all really. Now that they are adjusted to each other I'm actually more worried that his nipping will cause more harm to her than she ever will to him!

After much debating and some help from my sister-in-law we picked out a name. Sometimes I think this is the hardest part when it comes to getting a new puppy! We named our adorable new mug Sir Winston Churchill. We call him Winston, of course, unless he's doing a bad puppy deed. Then we break out the full name!

Sometimes I find myself wondering what I was ever thinking going back to square one with a new puppy?! Dutchess has finally gotten a handle on the whole house training deal and is gradually falling into "laid back" bulldog mode. And now we have this bouncing, barking, peeing, nipping, chewing little poop-machine?! But all it takes is one little puppy dog look and I'd never go back.

Dutchess

Both my husband and I have been fans of the breed for a very long time. We were able to introduce Dutchess into our family in 2009. If we were fans before, we are fanatics now! She's 16 months old now - but still VERY much our baby!
The one thing I always tell people if they are considering an English Bulldog as a pet - research, research, research! The English Bulldog Breed is a complicated one. There is a lot of upkeep and hygiene maintenance that must be kept up with that you don't find with your typical puppies of other breeds. But if you can commit to the responsibility you will NOT regret you choice! There is SO much information out there! Some helpful web sites I use very often are http://www.akc.org, http://www.englishbulldoghealth.com, http://www.trimbulldogs.com, and http://www.puppygal.com.
We searched breeders online for several months before deciding on a puppy to bring home. And the wait was well worth it. It was love at first sight with Dutchess! I will never forget the fist time I picked up that wiggly little bag of wrinkles!

It's hard to believe in February she turned 1 years old. She's a lot bigger now - pushing 60lbs, which is rather large for a female. She's had some of the common Bulldog issues but overall she's a very healthy, playful little cuddle-bug which I couldn't imagine life without!