The newest Addition to our Family!
Blacky at 12 weeks old
This little feller was born on Easter Sunday 4.
April 1999. And from that day on all I got to hear from my boys was "Mommy,
we want a puppy." I wouldn't hear of it, because I was afraid my old cat
wouldn't get along with a new animal. But still we would go next door at
least once a week and visit the litter of 6. The last few weeks before
we finally got Blacky the boys would go by themselves and I would watch
them from the house. It broke my heart to see them both want a puppy that
bad and they promised they would do all the work in taking care of it.
So finally on 8 June 1999 I caved in and agreed to let them have a puppy.
Well here they come with a girl puppy. She was
cute as a button, but I think I had had my heart set on Blacky all along.
One more try, but this one was too rowdy for the cat. Got smacked first
try. Blacky was the shy one of the whole bunch, but seemed to be the only
one we could all agree on.
First
thing he got a bath against fleas, since he had been kept outside and was
now going to stay in the house. He didn't seem to mind. Then I dug out
an old catharnes and leash and we put that on him. Then we put newspapers
by the door and showed him where he would eat and fed him some canned food
that was given to us by the neighbors.
The next morning we woke up to all kinds of little
surprises he had left us. I was ready to take him back where he'd came
from, but once I'd seen that the boys would be able to clean up after the
puppy I calmed down and we went and bought more dog food, treats, chew
toys, food- and water bowl.
I couldn't get an appointment at the vets office
till the following day and knew that once we had started spending that
kind of money on him, that I wouldn't want to get rid of him. The
doctor gave Blacky a complete checkup with first shots and medicine against
heart worms, plus Frontline against the fleas. That evening the dog didn't
want much to do with us.
The next
day everything was forgiven. He didn't have a clue what for to use the
Lassie pads I had put by the door. So needless to say it was a mess. Never
in the places he likes to sleep though. He started using the bottom of
the recliner as an elevator to get onto the couch. By now he was behaving
like a little puppy. He loves to chew on his bones and running after tennis
balls. Also the cat seems to be more interesting and he tries to play with
Major, but he won't have much to do with Blacky.
4 weeks have passed now and Blacky is a real part
in our family. He wakes one of the boys up to take him outside in the mornings 
and
if he has no luck with them he knows where to find me. During the day he
tries his best to get him some catfood, and plays with the boys in the
yard. He's big enough already to not need the "elevator" for the couch
anymore. He's had his second set of shots and more worm medicine against
his hookworms. At night he's right beside me and the cat here in the computer
room. And I'll reach down every now and then and give both of them some
petting. We left Blacky alone twice so far for several hours and
to my surprise the only things that suffered were a telephone cord and
a rug that he decided to chew the corner off of. 
We've switched him to dry dog food,
since it doesn't have so much water in it and he hardly ever has an accident
anymore and if he does he uses the Lassie pads. Grandma perfected his ability
to shake hands with his paws. He even tried to say hello to Major like
that.
He knows the command sit and come. 
Right now his training consists of being told to sit, while he's running
without a leash. He still needs alot of practice but I believe he's getting
the hint, because when I yell sit, he just flops down.
Well Blacky is almost 7 month old by now. He has had all his shots and is on a monthly routine of 1 pill of Interceptor against heart worms and Advantage for flea control. We switched to it, since it seems to last longer than Frontline.
Blacky still loves to chew on stuff and so far he's ate the corners of our sectional, a lead pencil without eraser, a brand new Playstation power cord, some carpet and 4 different beach flip flops. To prevent him from getting into anything else we have bought a baby gate to confine him in the hallway when nobody can watch him. And on days when he has to be left alone for longer periods of time he has to stay in the bathroom. I forgot to remove the toilet paper once and needless to say he had a blast with it. *LOL*.
He's getting to be a pretty good sized dog by now and weighs around 25 pounds. Blacky also discovered his love for table food. I wasn't going to have him at the table begging, but how can you refuse those pretty brown eyes when they're staring at you while eating. He still isn't too fond of the dry dog food and most times I trick him into eating it by putting a little catfood on there. He's not spoiled...NO WAY. *LOL*
Since the boys are back in school now he has accepted me as his best friend during the day. We go outside and he loves to fetch sticks. He will wear me out bringing that stick back so many times and expecting me to throw it down the hill again, and I have to make him stop or I believe he would kill himself running and fetching. I wish I had that kind of energy. After the boys get home I'm invisible to him. At night he makes his rounds and stays with each of us by or in the bed for a while till he finally settles down in Davids room.
More in the life of Blacky to follow later.
