My Pet Sitter

Today, my humans hired a pet sitter to check in on me twice a day while they're at work. How cool is that?!

Two people came over to meet me and the humans, but I liked Anna of Creature Comforts the best. She was really sweet and calm, and I could tell she liked me a lot too even though she wouldn't let me chew on her shoes. Darn.

She showed the humans a lot of papers — stuff like references, services and rates, policies, her business license, and insurance information — which I tried to sneak off the table. I was totally bored. But then she wanted to interact with me and learn about my daily routines and preferences. The four of us even went for a walk together!

Anna is going to start on Monday and I can't even wait! I wonder if I'll be able to wrap her around my little paw. What am I saying? Of course I'll be able to. Not many people can resist my puppy charm.

Sharky?

Sometimes I think my name is Sharky. I've only been here five days, but the humans — especially that Tall Human— have been calling me that, and I think I'm beginning to understand why.

I've been chewing on pretty much anything I can fit in my mouth, but hey, that's what puppies do. Unfortunately, Tall is trying to thwart my chewing by reading The Art of Raising a Puppy written by the Monks of New Skete. They're the guys in those black nightgowns who raise German Shepherds.

The monks recommend giving me one permissible object that is mine. I think they sound pretty skimpy because I have tons of toys, but oh well. So the humans are supposed to make this object the focus of all my chewing by using it for play sessions and as a replacement after they make me stop chewing on something inappropriate. Right now, I'm not making a big fuss because the humans bought me some yummy meat-scented bones, and I'm enjoying them very much.

When I'm chewing on the bone, I let Tall clean my eyes, nose, private no-no place, and tooshie. But one day, I couldn't take her incessant preening any longer. She was holding the bone for me and I grabbed her middle finger. She screamed like a little girl and writhed in pain for a few minutes. Then there was some bleeding (and cursing), but everything is okay now because we made up.

So, I'm pretty sure that's why I'm also known as Sharky around here. The name is actually kind-of growing on me.

My First "Accident"

It happened today. After gnawing on the coffee table, the couch, a quilt, and finally my crate, I scooted into the bedroom — a.k.a. the only room in the house with carpet — before Tall Human could catch me.

The humans have been really good at keeping me within their sight, but today I was quicker than Tall. By the time she rounded the corner and entered the bedroom, I was in "crouching dog, hidden pee mode." I even managed to squeeze out a few drops before Tall grabbed me and whisked me outside where I promptly finished my business.

I really like the carpet, especially because I'm not allowed in that room very often. And the way I understand it, the humans are supposed to get me used to peeing on surfaces other than grass. So why was peeing on the carpet so bad?

Tall was acting all weird and angry and even went outside a few times to "cool off," as she put it. I think the sleep deprivation is testing her patience. Oops!

Puppies and Pygmy Sharks

Tall Human says she suspects puppies are descendants of the pygmy shark. I guess that's because my teeth bumped her arm. Over and over again. I don't mean to hurt her, but she doesn't know how to play and ends up getting hurt. Maybe I miss my littermates just a little.

My New Home

Hi there! My name is Dixie Belle's Orange Blossom, Dixie for short. I'm an eight-week-old, 10.1-pound black standard poodle. According to my breeder, I'll weigh between 40 and 45 pounds as an adult and stand about 22 inches tall.

I just moved to Orlando yesterday to live with two humans, Tall and Short. Apparently, Tall wanted a standard poodle for quite some time, but Short didn't really care for poodles. I think Tall must have some powerful persuasion techniques because Short came to appreciate poodles and was even excited to add one to their home. Cool.

My mom, Aris, and dad, Gretsky, had quite a big litter — four girls and four boys. I'm told my mom and dad are both champion poodles. I guess I'm not really sure what that means, but it sounds pretty impressive. You can see photos of me and my mom and dad on Flickr.

So far, life here in Orlando is good. I hardly miss my litter mates at all and I'm enjoying all the attention I'm getting. I've been playing it mellow because I want to make a good impression on my new humans, but I sure hope they know what they're in for.