Obie - Vivian/Marsi 2017

First Week Update...
Hi Rhonda & Stephanie,

This won't be a big update (I will write one in a few weeks, so I can provide more information), but, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Brown did well on our car ride back to Iowa City. He was a good sport--I got lost somewhere along the way and it took four hours to get home. He slept most of the way, but, I let him out to walk around on each of the multiple times that I stopped for directions!

The meeting with my pack went smoothly. My dog sitter was there to help with the meeting and he could not believe how well it went. Mr. Brown behaved very well. There was a lot of sniffing, but, they all eventually did their own thing. I can't say my dogs "love him", but, they don't hate him either. Neutral is good in this situation. Louie, my cavalier, is most bothered by the pup. I knew he would have his nose out of joint. He is the lap dog and he is not happy that there is someone cuter than him in the house. He has growled a couple times when Mr. Brown is in his face, but, nothing alarming. Frankly, it is the first time in 6 years I've ever heard him growl. I am being cautious about monitoring all interactions between the dogs. I imagine when Mr. Brown is more comfortable, he will become more emboldened.

I just adore him. He seems attached to me already, but, not overly dependent. He is not fearful of anything, but, he does ponder new things. He is very snuggly and he loves to romp in the grass. He hops around like a bunny and then slides down on his tummy. He did not eat much the first day home, but, if I sit with him and feed him out of my hand, he will finish his meal. He does not like being kenneled. He cries when I leave, which makes me sad for him. But, he is safer in the kennel and I suspect he settles down shortly. Tony, the dog sitter, did not report him crying when he got there in the afternoon.

He received rave reviews at the vet. He is as healthy as he appears and everyone remarked on what a calm, confident puppy he is. He weighed 15.2 lbs.--up a few pounds from his last appointment. The highest praise he has received is from my mom and dad. They were not in favor of my getting another dog, and they are not dog people. They invited him down for dinner Monday night, where they were so impressed by his manner and his looks. My mom stopped down yesterday just to visit with him!

All is well! By the next time I check in, I will have decided on a name. He is such a special guy that I want his name to be special. For now, he is pup-pup and he comes running when he hears that call.

It was a pleasure to meet you and some of your family. What a wonderful life you have up there! I so appreciate all the love and effort you all put into giving Mr. Brown a good start on life. I am a convert to "imprinting". Thank you so much for the life of Mr. Brown. I will keep you posted!

Warmly,
Lisa

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Week Three Update...
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​Thanks for checking in on Mr. Brown! He is doing great. He has made peace with the other dogs in the house. I can’t say they “love” him, but, they tolerate him, which is better than the alternative. I have had him for three weeks now and he has grown so much! The first week he was very calm and reserved—sort of getting the lay of the land. The last couple weeks, he has been much more comfortable asserting himself and engaging in normal puppy behavior. He loves to shred newspapers and upend every water bowl in the house. He has a particular fondness for my shoes. He doesn’t chew them up, he just drags them around the house. I spent ten minutes this morning looking for a matching pair of shoes. I found one on the screened in porch and one in the laundry room. I have been late in puppy-proofing the house, but, his presence is forcing me be neater than I usually am to protect my belongings!:)
 
I believe I mentioned that he had his first vet visit a couple of weeks ago and he is scheduled to go back for more shots on June 7th. We are starting puppy kindergarten on June 11th. In the meantime, I am working on providing him new experiences and opportunities to socialize. We have taken a variety of different walks around my neighborhood where he has met the local dogs. There is a cream colored golden down the street that is exactly his age. Her name is Wrigley and she is a favorite playmate already. She came from a breeder in Indiana and while she is very cute, I am partial to Mr. Brown. He has also befriended a year old French bulldog who is very playful. He has visited Petco and a couple of other stores that allow dogs. He is admired everywhere we go and he behaves well. He does like to jump on people which was cute when he was really little, but, I am working on teaching him “off”—not everyone is as happy to see him as he thinks.
 
He did not like being in a kennel in a separate bedroom. I upgraded him to a larger kennel and put in in the living room and he seems much happier. Tony and Jess, my dog sitters, love him and work with him a bit while they are there. I was pleased to come home the other day and find that he conquered the stairs. Going up was a piece of cake, but, he did not want to go down stairs. He is a pro now. Just when he was getting too big to carry down the stairs!

Caught red-handed (or pawed) with his foot in the water dish!

 I have had a hard time deciding what to name him. I came up with a lot of options, but, none of them quite fit him. I finally decided on “Obie”, as in Obi-Wan Kenobi. I like to think of him as a force of good...Everything is going well. He is a special little guy and he is acknowledged as such by everyone he meets.
 
Thank you again for all the work you did to provide him a good start in life! I hope you enjoyed your week off. I imagine you are busy now (or about to be!) with Oakley’s puppies. I hope she is doing well.

I also received all my registration materials. It is fun to see them, but, for me, the most important part of acquiring Obie from your kennel was the care and effort you took in preparing him for life. I really notice the difference in him when I meet puppies his age. He is more confident and comfortable in all surroundings. He has been respectful to my older dogs, but, still interested in making them his friends. He still comes to "pup-pup", though now that I have named him, I will have to teach him his own name.

His favorite thing to do is to tip over the water bowl, It is great fun for him. One of the photos I am attaching shows him in his water bowl.

Thanks again for everything. I will keep you updated with his progress.

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