Luna and Maggie Part 2

[Sofie, Maggie, and Luna]

I realized I haven't written in quite some time with an update on Maggie and my new puppy, Luna. Luna is 16 weeks old today and is getting tall and leggy. She's a beautiful little girl. Sadly, I have no updated pictures up here yet, but hopefully will over the weekend. Sorry. But I'm sure those of you with doodle puppies know how much free-time one doesn't have. She finally has started allowing me to brush her out. As I mentioned in a previous blog, she would totally spaz out when the brush touched her...but after about 2 months of keeping at it, it seems I may have finally wore her down. And she let me clip her toenails last night without much of an ordeal. She has learned her commands wonderfully, although I'm not 100% happy with her come recall. She still needs work on that...but she's improving. She knows LeaveIT very well...hmm...maybe because that's the most used command in our house. :) And I'm so proud of her for her Stay command. She will stay so well, she's awesome at it. And she's not a bitey pup. Our other dog Maggie would bite like crazy as a pup, and ripped many a sweatshirt sleeve. Luna has probably only bitten just a handful of times since we got her on Jan. 8th. It still amazes me how different these two pups have been though. Maggie was like an old man in a puppy body. She was calm and thoughtful. If a ball rolled across the floor in front of her, she'd sit there and ponder and had the most soulful eyes...and then when she finally had all the problems of the world figured out...she'd pounce on it. Luna...if a ball rolls across the floor she is on it before you can even bling, she's got it in her mouth, throws it up in the air, pounces on it again, shoots it across the floor with her feet, runs her head into the wall trying to catch it, lets out a growl or a bark and is on it again. She reminds me of a kitten. Luna's eyes have an intensity in them, along with a streak of ADHD. :) The vet the other day was checking out Luna's eyes and mentioned, "She looks like a thinker, like there's some thought going on in those eyes." I had to laugh because my boyfriend and I have commented that from the day we got Luna we're not sure there has been a single full complete thought that has crossed her mind without getting distracted by something else. But all in all, she truly is such a sweet sweet baby puppy. She is going to be such a lover. And it will be nice to have a dog that isn't scared of everything in sight...unlike Maggie who practically hides behind me from a grasshopper (slight exaggeration...but you get the point). Which makes me think...Luna and grasshoppers...could be a fun time.

Anyhow, Eric (boyfriend) and I took the pups out hiking yesterday. It was snowy and muddy, and warm and sunny and Eric hiked them up a small hill. Luna kept running to the top and then sliding down on her tummy chasing the rocks that were rolling down in front of her. She'd get to the botton and grab the biggest rock haul it to the top of the hill and drop it and off she'd go again...sliding and bunny-hopping to the bottom. Meanwhile Maggie had the zoomies in the snow drifts. Then they found the creek that was running a chocolate milk colored water about 2 feet deep and of course Maggie plowed right in and had a blast jumping back and forth over the creek, jumping in the icy creek and sticking her head under and trying, (unsuccessfully thankfully) to knock Luna into the creek. Luna kept herself busy chasing Maggie along the edge of the creek and chewing on sage brush stems. They were a riot and we laughed constantly at our two doodle-dorks.

Finally we headed home and noticed that one of Maggie's footprints had blood in it. We found the foot with the cut and she had cut the pad of her foot, about 3/4 of an inch long. She wasn't limping and didn't appear bothered by it, but it sure looks like quite the cut. Poor girl. I guess she wont' be running with me today.

So we got them home, bathed, combed out and all pretty and fluffy. Maggie was sleeping on the couch and Eric pulled Luna up on his lap. She eventually kind of rolled off of his lap and was sitting with her front feet on the floor and her hips on the couch, with her back legs stretched out behind her. And she peed! In that position...I don't think she even knew she did it...what's with that? Did she just get a little too relaxed?

Anyhow, that's my most recent update on the doodle duo. Pictures to follow on my page hopefully by this weekend sometime.

Thanks for reading.

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

Sounds like the two doodles are happy ones! Love the post!

[Kathy Spyker]

Sounds like everything is going well. I had to laugh when you said about Lunas eyes..ADHD..lol I know that look!! I see it in Lillys eyes right before she is ready to pounce on you..(playfully)..Sounds like she's keeping Maggie busy=) Can't wait to see new pictures!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

What a great update. It's funny that you posted this today, because our new puppy, Murphy, has the same issues with the brush. We've only had Murphy for a few days, and he's fearless. He has shown absolutely no fear of anything...except the brush. I just don't know where that's coming from. I'm also taking it very slow with him. Right now we're just smelling the brush, and I'm putting treats in between the prongs so he can start to associate it with good things. Judging by his fear reaction, it will be awhile before I'm actually be able to actually groom him. Was there anything special that you did to get her over her "brush" fears?