Thursday, September 30, 2004
Bun and pup
So, last night the cutest thing happened ...
We opened Nikkis cage, wanting to let her out. We kept Brutus around to see how he would react.
At first, he just sniffed around her pen, and gave her a beady eye ... she didn’t pull away or run off, she just sat there.
Then he started sniffing her face, and she sniffed him back. Then she hopped out of her tube and they started sniffing each other.
Then they started chasing each other around the floor! We had to put a stop to it when Brutus looked to be getting just a little too playfull, and we didn’t want to tempt fate just yet, but for a first face to face meeting between the animals, it was great!
Tonight we’ll try again, and this time I’ll make sure I have my camera!
Monday, September 27, 2004
Doggy docs
Diosa has just booked an initial visit for Brutus to go and see the vets a week on Friday.
Basically we want to make sure all his jabs are up to date, get him registered, get his neuter papers redone (we don’t have them), and them we can get him registered with the state. We may also look into getting him microchipped, but not all at once 
The Vets came recommended by a workmate who takes her mad Greyhound there.
http://www.northeastveterinary.com/
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Beach time
We wore Brutus out today! We took him for a walk down to the beach and let him play in the sand, which he absolutely loved ... we wandered down the sea for a while until we got to Swampscott, where we picked up ice cream and water for Brutus from Red Rock, then wandered back home along the promenade.
By the time we got back, he was well and truly pooped out!
Apologies for the quality of these pics, they were taken with my camera phone, not a real digicam.
It was hysterical watching him follow the waves on their way out, then run away when they came back in. Also watching him go absolutely insane when he worked out what sand was, running around in big circles on his leash having a blast
He got to play with other dogs out there too, although he has to work out the concept of being on a leash, as he wrapped up people in his
When we were at Red Rock we got Brutus a cup of water ... he can easily drink straight out of the cup, if we tip if over a bit for him, and he needed it today, the weather was warm! He also loves vanilla ice cream, and would eat it off the spoon which was *very* cute
The beach was a hit. We’ll be going back there many more times I think
Day out
Hi! I gots the pooder thing again. Today was so much fun. Mum and Dad took me for a long walkies wiff them to this really cool place. They called it a beech. The ground there was really weird, but fun. I gots to chase birdies around and play wiff other dawgies. The water liked to play and kept trying to chase me. I’m too smart though. I ran away. Then we went for more walkies to some place they could eat and I could drink. Mum was nice. She gave me this really yummy cold sweet stuff. She didn’t give me as much as I wanted, but that’s ok. I’ll steal it next time. Hee hee hee.
But I very tired tonight. So I go lay down now. Bye
Friday, September 24, 2004
oops
Brutus had his first accident last night, but I can’t say I blame him!
Diosa had gone to bed early, and I had managed to totally pass out asleep on the sofa snuggling Brutus ... I woke up about 11:30pm, and on auto pilot went to bed, feeding the bunny on the way, but totally forgetting to let Brutus go out and do his thing.
So, sometime in the night he peed. He didn’t get scolded when we found it in the morning, it wasn’t his fault!
He got to meet the neighbourhood pug last night too, a much older female pug called Jasmin ... pugs really are specieist, Brutus is very wary of other breeds of dog, but was right in there playing with another pug
We also took him to the pet store last night, he rides in the car really well, and the folks there loved him and made a huge fuss over him ... he lapped it up
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Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Day two
Day two on his own, and when we went back he was incredibly excited to see us, and ran around like a mad thing for a bit, but still no mess, no puddles and no ripping things up ... he’s been good as gold.
I do expect, one day, to come home to *something* ... puppies learn by doing, so he’s going to do it one day, even if it’s just to see what reaction he gets.
More pics added to his image gallery, including some *huge* pictures by special request
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Tuesday, September 21, 2004
First morning
So when we left this morning we closed the baby gate on one kitchen door, close the swing door on the other and put a chair behind it so he could stay in the kitchen with his water and toys and bed.
Came home at lunch time to find him greeting us at the front door! He’s managed to push the swing door open and escape!
Even so, there was no mess, no poop ... he had carried on of my slippers from the living room to the office, but no damage. Even the rabbit was calm and happy, so he hasn’t pestered her either.
So, when we left we let him have the run of the house ... we’ll see what kind of damage he does this afternoon 
We did let him have the run of the backyard at lunch ... he managed to get himself wet in the kids paddling pool, but did his business and ran back inside to play
So far he has been absolutely *fantastic*.
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Quiet night
It was a great night with Brutus last night ... for his first two nights, he slept in his carrier, with his blanket and a toy, next to the bed. He whimpered occasionally, but was mostly great. Last night we put his doggy bed in the bed room, with toys and a blanket.
We made sure he knew he wasn’t allowed on the bed, and he would hop his front paws up, but jump back down when we told him no ... he did a couple of laps of the apartment, then quickly settled down in his doggy bed and slept the entire night. I didn’t hear another peep from him all night. It was so great, third night here and he’s sleeping like a baby.
We’ve had no mess form him, he’s not peed or marked anything in the house yet. Today will be the big test, we’re going to work soon, and will be leaving him alone in the kitchen until lunch time. I’ve let our landlords know he may whine and woof, and they are fine
As Beth wrote, our landlady came up last night with Cash ... Brutus and Cash got on great after a while, and I hope they will become great companions for each other. Next month is Cash’s one year birthday, and they are holding a doggy party in the back yard for him, Brutus is invited That should be a great chance for him to socialise with plenty of other dogs and get to run off a ton of energy, that should be a lot of fun!
In case you havent seen it, there is an image gallery for Brutus here:
http://smeg.serveftp.org/gallery/Brutus/
We’re adding a ton of pics as we take them, so check often
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Monday, September 20, 2004
So cute!!!!
Our landlords downstairs brought up their puppy Cash and introduced him to Brutus. They were a little tentative of each other at first, Cash moreso than Brutus, but then again I prolly would be too if I were a little 5 or 6 pound Shih Tzu facing a 15 pound stocky Pug! Brutus was the first to break the ice and started woofing and play nipping to try to get Cash to play. Maribel started chasing Brutus and Cash around the house, and they were loving every minute of it, and we were just killing ourselves laughing. It was hysterical!
Then Smeg got out his electric car and started chasing the two of them with it. They were both then running and jumping around. They really started to warm up to each other after a while. Cash has been shaved, but his tail is still all poofy so both dogs were chasing the furry bit. The fur from Cash’s tail tickles his back so he chases his tail all the time. Brutus just thought it was another toy and kept chasing it, since it’d make Cash play.
It was so adorable to see the two of them make friends and play like that. I hope they will get a lot more play time in the future.
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Hi again
I stole the pooder ting again from Mum. Today was a great day!! Dad stayed home wiff me. I missed Mum. She left and it took a long time before I saw her again. But Dad took me out for more walkies today. He called it a park. All I know is I gots to run and run and run. It was fun!!!
Today a new ting came up. It was black and white wiff a toy on the back. But it liked to play. The people that came up wiff it said it was its Mum and Dad. They called it Cash. It was funny-looking. Big poofy ting on the back and silly fur on it’s ears. But it played and played. Though it tried to play wiff my toys. Hmph! My toys. But I tink I like the Cash ting, so I might let it play too.
I also gots a new toy. I can chew and chew and chew on it and no one gets mad!! I like this new toy.
Hey, I heard walkies. I go now. Bye!
Hello
Park
I just took Brutus down to the local park on his new harness and retractable leash ... he loved it there ... it’s got a small baseball pitch, so I let him have full run of his leash there, and he ran around like a mad thing sniffing all the smells and getting plenty of exercise.
It definitely worked, he’s slouched out on the floor in the living room now sunbathing and snoring
He’s settling in great. He’s getting along better with Nikki each time (she’s adapting to him too) ... I caught them sniffing each other through the cage earlier, but missed a photo op when Brutus ran after me when I went to get the camera
One thing that will be interesting is that he really doesn’t like being left alone. I’m making the kitchen dog safe ... there is a baby gate on one wall, and a swing door on the other side (which we’ll have to have a chair behind, he’s worked out it swings). I’m teaching him to be ok on his own today, I keep locking him in there, then going out the back door to do the laundry giving him a little bit more time by himself each time. He seems to fret at first, then calm down and amuse himself with his toys. He really doesn’t like it if you are still in the house and he’s locked in though!
Tomorrow will be the test, he’s going to be on his own for the first time when we go to work in the morning. We’ll be back at lunch, but thats still longer than we’ve tried.
I’ll let you know how it goes
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Sunday, September 19, 2004
Hi
Hi! I just stole this ting Mum calls a pooder. I’m Brutus. These peoples call themselves my new Mum and Dad, so I’ll go wiff it. They’re nice. They play wiff me and take me for lots of walkies. I love walkies. There’s so many neat tings to sniff at and lots and lots of smells.
I gots a new toy. Mum called it a hedhog. I keep trying to kill it but it still makes lots of noise. I still plays wiff my moomoos, but this ting is fun! There’s also this big white ting in the room. I gots in twouble when I woofed at it, so I don’t woof at it now. I didn’t like Dad scolding me. It wasn’t nice. But the white ting won’t play!! It just sits there. I want to play wiff it. I keep telling it to play but it don’t listen. It’s stupid.
Eep. Here comes that Mum person. I better go. Bye-bye.
First night
The first night in a new place is always weird for any dog, but Brutus was really good about it.
When we got in, we let him run around and learn about the new apartment, we let him explore, jump on things. We made sure he knew that barking at Nikki wasn’t allowed, and he responded well to it, and didn’t do it again (he did keep going back for a look though, she must be one ugly dog to him!). We gave him his water and a little bit of kibble so he knew where his bed was.
When it came to sleeping one of the things I’ve read is to make them confortable with their existing bed, but keep it close. So, we put him in his carry case and had it next to the bed.
It worked great. He settled right down, and only a couple of times in the night did he whimper, at which point I would roll over, put my hand through the bars, talk to him and he settled right down knowing he wasn’t alone. He slept almost all the way through, with no messes. We’ll probably do that for a couple more nights. Eventually we’ll pick him up a nice comfy doggy bed (probably on Monday), and we’ll see how he adapts to sleeping on that either in the bedroom or in the kitchen.
He had a nice walk this morning, and he’s gobbled down his kibble, he’s busy throwing the “whoomphing” hedgehog toy around the office right now, and chasing pieces of fluff around the floor
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Saturday, September 18, 2004
Today
Today is the road trip to pick up Brutus!
See you in 14 or so hours.
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