Grown Up Pup and Growing Older

Gosh! It is almost two years since Quincey and I rescued each other. Learning to lead is quite a journey. Quincey has taught me many things and I have done the same in return.

This past Christmas, for ten days, Quincey and I were apart for the first time since I adopted him. He took this well! He has grown up to be quite a champion in his own right. I feel fortunate to have gotten a dog with the type of personality that he has. He is a true "people pleaser" and always wants to make me laugh. Mind you, he has his quirks. Sometimes he just doesn't want to be touched and walks away from petting (especially when he doesn't get what he wants). He is demanding. He has his own set schedule of daily events and he likes them to unfold without delay or changes. He has set "chores" that he has to complete before he even gets out of bed and doesn't like to be disturbed while doing them. By "chores" I mean he attends to himself, of course: cleaning himself, stretching, looking out the window.

As a leader, I must say, it has been very hard not to make certain allowances for him because he is so darn cute and is such a good actor! Those sad puppy eyes, when I say no to "people food," are like daggers cutting into me. I can hear Sarah M. in the background singing "In Arms of the Angels" complete with violin accompaniment.

We believe (although we are still not sure) that he has stopped growing but I swear that when I got home from Christmas with family in New Hampshire, that he had grown another inch, at least, and put on about two more pounds. Yet, he is still small (more medium sized at approximately 48lbs.) and on the lean side although his back has gotten broader and his shoulders have too. His waste is still lean and his stomach still taut. He exercises a total of three hours per day (four to five when he is in daycare), loves to "fetch," and still has more energy to burn than I do. He has "double-suspension" running ability, making him as fast as a Greyhound, pound for pound and he sounds like a horse galloping when he is at top speed. His paws are just so much bigger than when he was little. It makes me wish I had taken a shot of a print when he was still little. However, I still have his first collar that he came home with and it barely goes around the back of his neck. I just can't remember him being so small! He also walks with a lope, has an under bite, one dog ear, one eye larger than the other and remembers things I forget, like keys, before we walk out the door.

I don't remember teaching him that.

First Video "My Best Friend"

http://youtu.be/SKt5KERNQzA

My Growing Buddy

Okay, it has been over a year and Quincey will be two in November. He's grown quite a bit. He's even starting to loose that long and lanky look of a teenage pup. I think I can safely say, at this point, that my dog knows me better than I know myself. He has been through a lot with me and has taken it all in stride.

Last summer he got his first taste of a swimming pool and was terrified but tried and learned to stay on top of the water. This year, his skill at swimming is improving at an alarming rate and his confidence in the water grows. I am amazed at how he takes his running leaps into the cold river on these hot Sacramento summer days. There was this point where he just found his sea legs and kept on swimming. I taught him how not to fear water; he taught me how important it is, as a leader and teacher, to know when to let go.

We went to a friend's house for the holiday. Fourth of July is a particularly difficult holiday for dogs. Imagine, having such acute hearing that you have the ability hear other dog's clinking tags from as much as 120 yards away. Dogs hear what we can't. They may not have the best eyesight in the animal kingdom but I am glad that no human has the capacity to eavesdrop with such skill. Since the 4th usually sounds like a night in Kabul, many dogs cower, shake and have a rough night as a result.

At first he was nervous about swimming, as was I. I kept showing him, patiently, where the stairs to the pool were. At one point, he kept squirming and I thought, "oh, he's getting tired, I better pull him out," but he just kept jumping in. My arms started getting really tired, then I realized what the squirming was about. He was trying to tell me that I could let go of him and let him swim on his own. As soon as I let go, he started swimming in these circles, then these kooky figure eights and finally (because believe me, I was holding my breath) he got to the stairs and climbed up, panting with this huge smile on his face. He looked up at me, beaming. I felt so proud of him, I started tearing up.

I have had three miscarriages. I will never know "the joys of motherhood," to the extent that is considered the norm but I love my little buddy and wouldn't trade these experiences for anything in the world. He keeps me on track, abates my depression, helps me to cope, prevents me from wallowing and keeps me strongly grounded in reality.


We are friends for life.

Crazy Doggone Holiday

We had a crazy first holiday that was filled with travel. Quincey was great through most of it. He was able to travel for three hours straight in a car without taking a break. When we were going through the Tejon Pass into LA county he started getting uncomfortable. He whined, panted and could not keep still. Five hours of driving, is obviously his limit. It was difficult for him to settle into new surroundings but with familiar people around he soon calmed down. He has become a watch dog for me. He is my protector. Good thing he likes people and other animals; at least, good for them.

During our travels to La Jolla, we went to "Dog Beach," in the Ocean Beach section of the San Diego shore just off the I-5 @ the Seaworld exit. This strip of beach is awesome! Quincey got to work on his hunting skills in the wetland preserve area and he really got to stretch his legs, running to and fro from waves and such. It is open 24/7 and is never crowded. I have never seen Quincey run so fast, so far and his recall skills are superb, now. I had no trouble calling him back if I thought he went too far. I think, based on Q's reaction, that this is his favorite place in the world besides his usual daycare center: Grateful Dog (which is the best boarding and doggie daycare in Sacramento, CA!) I highly recommend taking the trip if you have never experienced this lovely site! http://sandiego.about.com/cs/prosports/a/dogparks_sd.htm


For what it's worth, Quincey is becoming a sublime companion. He comes with many challenges, mostly to do with being young, but he is sensitive, intuitive, intelligent and as good a friend as I could have. I love his personality. He is proactive and positive. I never would have bothered to travel to the beach everyday in SD if it weren't for that little cur and I am all the better for having driven the 20 miles round trip. The hour and a half we spent there was well worth it. I learned a great deal about him and what makes him happy. It rained long and hard every single day we were there but that did not dampen our spirits one bit.

It has also been wonderful watching Q's social skills develop. I don't worry about him around the big dogs anymore. He seems to have learned the lesson of proper introduction and uses a more subtle and mature approach of 'sniff first, prance later-maybe!' This is a big step to adulthood and an indication that Quincey is learning valuable lessons. He also doesn't bother with the aggressive dogs anymore and knows how to out maneuver most.

I miss my family back home on the east coast. This Holiday especially for some reason, I feel the strings pulling tight. Both my partner and I have been feeling the tug of the east coast hard this Holiday Season. We think it is because of the puppy.

My partner's mom got a chance to meet Q over the summer and really liked him. She told me something I never knew about her before...that she once owned a dog she aptly named "Gypsy." I did not think she was the "dog-owning type." My folly for seeing only one side of a person. I was really delighted to know this. She actually got a kick out of Quincey. I know that my nieces and nephews would like him, too.

There is something about a puppy that makes you want to put down roots and spread out and grow.

Happy Holidays, doggonit! Here's to me and mine and you and yours!

Time and the Tide

It has been quite some time since my last entry. Quincey has grown to be over thirty-five pounds and has been through some rough times. He has also had quite a lot of successes as well. Through it all, he has been my closest and constant companion. We have gone through other dog attacks, almost becoming homeless, rejection, eye infections, facial scars, Giardias attacks, warts, demodetic mange and disappointments galore. He is loyal to a fault (he follows me everywhere and will not sleep until I sleep), friendly and obedient. He guards me constantly. He comes to me when called, even at the dog park and has more energy than three dogs combined. He can scale chain-linked fences, can jump over six feet and is as strong as a sixty pound dog. He will be due for his annual checkup soon but he has been to the vet twice since his last yearly for obvious reasons.

I read the pet section of Craigslist often. In fact, when I was looking for a dog, before I found Quincey at the pound, I used to read this section everyday. I get sad when I read "moving, so I have to let him go." I understand that there are restrictions from state to state that require a lot of hoop jumping in order to transfer a dog from one state to another, but I would never give Quincey up just because of that. I have even gone without dinners in order to pay his vet bills because life without him is just not an option. I am the richer because he is in my life. Yes, it has not been easy. I am not a wealthy individual. But as long as I live, I will never give up my friend. He is my buddy and always will be.

Recently, I saw a Nat Geo special about dogs. I learned that when you pet them, there is an exchange of something called Oxytocin, a biological agent of some kind that gets transmitted on a molecular level through the blood. They have found traces of it in the blood of both the animal and the owner after a petting session. This same agent and molecular transfer, happens in mothers while they are breastfeeding and is considered a physical bonding mechanism.

I could never give up my friend.

Update

Quincey will be a year old in November and he has been at my side; a constant companion for the past eight months. I have learned a great deal from him in these last few months as he has gone through some major physical changes like overnight growth spurts. I don't even know how much to feed him anymore, he grows so fast!

When I adopted him, he was 12 weeks and 8 1/2 pounds. The volunteer said that she didn't think he would get much bigger than 25 pounds, fully grown. Quincey is a muscular 35 pounds and when all is said and done, I think he will reach 40 pounds. He is a powerhouse and when we play soccer in the mornings, I call him "Morning Thunder" because he sounds like low soft thunder as he gallops by.

He can out run just about any dog in the park and is all heart and steam when he plays. He has never gotten bitten again; he's far too clever and quick for that. He has developed a loyalty to me that borders on possessiveness. The feeling is mutual.

I really think I did the right thing by adopting him. Now, I want a companion for him.

Gmail: Email from Google

Gmail: Email from Google