Parks and Pills

There has been so much going on with Clover that writing an entry is just plain overwhelming. My apologies for the delay.

He had his first bath with us on Sunday and was extremely well behaved. I've only had cats before so perhaps my expectations are low. He stayed in the water without much encouragement. Although unhappy about being wet, Clover did not assert himself.

On Monday, he went for a long walk all over Central Park that included many breaks. During this adventure, he met a 7 year old rescue from Texas who looks like an adult version of our puppy. The owner said he was 70 lbs but she adopted him as an adult so seeing Clover was great for her, too. 

I saw a women I have seen over the past decade in Central Park who I consider The Dog Whisperer. She walks about 15 dogs for hours at a time through the park as a pack that is always well behaved and happy. I got her number but have not scheduled a day just yet.

Tuesday night, at playtime, Clover met a puppy named Ruby and they had tons of fun with each other. The video isn't uploading properly but I'll try again later. Ruby kept walking through the water dish and creating an extra slippery play area that was fun for the dogs but not for the supervisors. Clover was better at reading the temperaments of the other dogs this week and was enthusiastic about playing.

He also took his first anti-worm medication that night and Wednesday morning was pretty rough. He wasn't feeling well-- both sleeping a lot and having tummy troubles. We got a call from our vet in the late afternoon that he tested positive for a parasite. He needs to stay away from group play and be extra clean until he completes the medication cycle. The worst part is that he got a new toy that he can't play with until Saturday.

I picked up the medication Wednesday around 5:00pm. It was very clear that he was over whatever had bothered him in the morning. He couldn't contain himself!

Clover is very low key and easy for 23 hours a day. For about 15 minutes at a time, he gets so excited that he can't control his breathing, chasing his tail until he melts into a pile of paws and tongue. Of course, one of these bursts was brought on by a trip to the vet which is almost as embarrassing as having your dog mount the leg of your vet. Thankfully, we had gotten that embarrassing moment out of the way the previous time they said hello.

Before Clover, I never realized how many ways we need to look out for a dog's health. For each action we take to keep him safe, it is another action that bonds us together. I asked a dog walker with a frail toy poodle with spots of fur missing, how old "She is very sick but she is 17." I was shocked and asked what is the secret to a long doggie life. "Her owner loves her more than anything. Shower him with love and the life he has will be a longer happy one."

Training

Clover stayed with his foster family for a few days and we picked him up last night. The drive was super hot, as it was close to 100 degrees for the trip. As a result, everyone was hot and tired when we got home. He's been unhappy going out for walks bigger than around the block-- not even making it that far last night.

Clover recognized us and was happy to come home with us. He was excited throughout the drive so he was very tired, sleeping through the night. He is excellent at communicating when he needs to go outside so there have been no accidents yet.

During our few days apart, Les found pictures of American shepherds puppies such as the one with the 3 in this one that look an awful lot like our rescue. I'm still hoping that he doesn't grow to be 80 lbs like a purebred but only time will tell.

The heat wave has given us more time with him at home (in front of the air conditioner) to work on training. The vet gave us a book (and DVD) that has excellent tips such as how to handle mouthing, jumping, and controlled walks. Clover has mastered "sit" and is doing pretty well with "come" and "drop it".

Since the vet suggested feeding him more, he has grown visibly and is more confident and relaxed. At dinner tonight, he kicked out a lot of dry food so he could get right to the canned food. After that, he ate all the dry food that had fallen out around the bowl, licked it all clean, and started wandering around the apartment looking for more to eat.

Is there food on the kitchen counter? Food on the kitchen floor? Food on the chairs around the dining room table? Food on the coffee table? Food under the sofa? So many places to look!

At that point, I had mercy on him and gave him another half cup of dry food. He looked at it but wouldn't eat it. He then came back to me, did another tour of the apartment, sat for a bit, sighed, and finally ate that as well but slowly. It reminded me of the joke about one person in prison saying the food tastes so bad and the other prisoner chimes in to say "and the portions are so small!"

Vet and Vacation

It's funny that we've only had Clover since Sunday afternoon, as we drove him back to his foster family for the holiday and he is already missed. While driving in Vermont tonight, Les said "I wish Clover was in the back seat so we could roll the window down and he could smell the cow filled Vermont air." He is also having a vacation of his own with people and animals he adores. We can't give him the freedom of being in a neighborhood with a yard so everyone wins.

This just in! He ran in circles around the yard in Connecticut, ate a lot, and is now happily passed out.

This morning we all went to the vet. As with many parts of this process, I don't have the expertise to know what to look for but Les does so she made all the arrangements. We spent a good half hour with the vet, getting important information on the basics of puppy care as well as getting to know one another. The doctor was great with Clover as well as with us-- which must not be easy to master.

He has a little issue with one of his ears and is 4 months (not 3 months) so it seems that he may not get as big as I fear. We also found out that he has a heart thrill (aka, a murmur). Much like in people, this can be an issue or not but there is a good chance it will take care of itself in a few months.

We learned how to clip his toenails, clean his ears, and clean his his-parts. We were reminded not to leave anything plugged in, as he could get shocked and to be sure he has no access to pennies or Advil. Training should involve the command said only once. Boundaries are important: owning a dog is more like having a teenager than a baby.

While I was driving on the highway, I heard Clover making a weird noise with his mouth- a licking that turned into a sucking and asked Les to check on him. It turns out that he lost his first tooth and almost swallowed it! She put her fingers down his throat to pull it out. One more example of us making a great team.

Social Studies

Clover was shy around bigger dogs but last night he had a bigger dog who he snapped at. This morning, he avoided most of the dogs we passed until he got a bit more comfortable. He does have this habit of following a person who catches his attention but, getting distracted by something, realize they are getting away, and hurry to follow more. He seems to be happier with people then other dogs but being in New York there are so many of both that it's important to make sure he adjusts.

Part of the plan to have him be socialized beyond long walks is to go to day care one or two days a week. On the after-work walk today, we took him to the place nearest to us to learn more about available programs and introduce him. It turns out that Tuesday nights is a free puppy hour that starts at 7:45 so we just went back a bit later to try the place out. The first women we spoke to took one look at him and scooped him in her arms (Clover loving this, of course) saying "Look at you! You're going to be HUGE!" It seems to be the consensus of dog-loving people that instead of being a small to medium dog that there is a good chance he will tip over 100 lbs when he grows up.  So much for being terrier-corgi-sheltie. The latest observation that gave me heart palpitations? "He looks like a white German Shepard."

Clover really enjoyed being off leash and playing once he got into it. Some other puppies were loud or scared so it felt good to be in the company of other young dogs learning how to socialize. Clover has a tendency to...um... mount other dogs (and people) and the supervisor nicely corrected the behavior each time it happened. He certainly wore himself out, as you can see from the photo below. Everyone seemed to think he is both adorable and had an impressive first day!

First Walk in Central Park

In order to visit Clover in Connecticut, we rented a car that needed to be returned this morning about a mile from the apartment. Clover went along for the ride so we could take a long walk home through Central Park together.  You can see the feet of the benches in this little photo towards the beginning of the adventure.

While returning the car, he wiggled out of his harness and started to go into the street. Thankfully, the cars were all stopped at a red light and I was able to snatch him up without anyone getting hurt. Of course, I have since tightened the harness but it is clear that there are some aspects of dog ownership that I will be learning as I go.

There were so many happy dog owners in the park who were friendly with calm dogs excited to meet Clover. I learned that he is scared by large dogs-- no matter how friendly. There was a beautiful Portuguese Water Dog named Milo who kept trying to get Clover to play with a toy but he hid under the benches instead. When Milo walked away, Clover followed him for about 2 blocks.

He is wonderful with toddlers, as they don't all know how to pet dogs. One little boy gave him a kiss on his back and other one touched his tail. It makes me a bit nervous to have him interact with children, as he is clearly docile and sweet but babies are babies and he is an animal.

Much like babies, Clover is certain everyone is happy to see him and walks up to all expecting a new friend. During our walk, there was another dog we saw who had a lot of similarities-- except he was about 100 lbs and looks like he is part greyhound. They played nicely together but now I am nervous about him getting really big.

It started pouring rain when we were very close to the part of the park closest to the apartment. We waited for it to let up with a group of tourists by the event space at the Boathouse. In spite of our best efforts, we still both ended up pretty wet by the time we got home. Clover was completely exhausted. Mission accomplished!

Taking Clover Home

This is the story of our dog. Yesterday, we took home Clover from the sweetest foster family in Connecticut. He is a 3 month old puppy of questionable origins. He was saved from a kill shelter in Alabama along with the rest of his liter (6 puppies total) to Double Dog Rescue up north. It sounds like he spent 4 days traveling with 150 other dogs and was happy and unfazed when he came out of the truck. He has a mellow but curious temperament.

When I met him, he spent several minutes saying hello, licking, and wagging so I was a goner. We took him for a successful walk. Then it was off to Pet Smart.

At the store, we were approached by a women with very strong views about how we should and should not care for little Clover. Each instruction was followed with a line about a dog choking to his death. Apparently, she has 7 dogs. It was like a Saturday Night Live skit but she was a real person and she was serious. 

Since we live in New York City, there are plenty of places we can go to pick up additional items to care for our pet so we got only the basics. Once we arrived in the apartment, he was scared of the stairs leading up to our third floor apartment so I carried him. It took three walks and holding his pee until 1:00am before he would go outside.  

The occasional noise from the street will upset him or invite a bark but he is otherwise adjusting well.