The Diva Diaries

What Does Diva have to do with Song-Writing?

2009-06-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Well.... last night, while sitting on my back deck and watching her chase 4 squirrels (her mortal enemy) up into the woods, I decided it was time to re-write that CLASSIC Motley Crue song "Girls Girls Girls".

Yes, you're with me, aren't you?

It's going to be:

"Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels!"

If you have ideas for clever lyrics, let me know.
SmileyGirl has already suggested the first line:

"Bushy tails and rabies teeth...." !! (I love it!)

Goodbye to a Brave, Beautiful Golden Friend

2009-06-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Diva and Ruby want to dedicate today's post to a beautiful, brave-hearted Golden friend on the West Coast.

The mighty, lion-hearted ACHILLES who today makes the journey to Dog Heaven to start his new life.

We dedicate this post to Achilles and especially to his beautiful loving owners who have given him SO much love and care for these last few years of his life.

Although we haven't met you face to face, we love you just the same, Achilles!

Thinking of you ALL DAY TODAY!

Puppy-Palooza Videos!

2009-04-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

We had 2 new neighborhood puppies come visit this weekend ("Belle" and "Jackson").
Ruby LOVED the new puppies; however, Diva was too hyper, so we kept her in the backyard.

The puppies got a BIT too rambunctious in the kitchen and Ruby even wound up breaking up a disagreement!

Cute pups, nonetheless. Enjoy the vids. :-)

Diva & The Cleaning Brush

2009-04-08T18:22:00.001-07:00

Diva's Ocular Odyssey is Over.

2009-03-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, thank goodness.
A week's worth of antibiotic ointment, and another ointment (steroids, maybe? I've forgotten) and what looked like a near CATASTROPHE has been averted.

Darling Diva is back to her normal self.
In fact, she and Ruby were giddily chasing early Spring bumblebees in the back yard today. Luckily, they did not catch any. :)

Diva's Disastrous Day

2009-03-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Poor Diva.
Last night she and Hubster were in the backyard playing Diva's favorite game (Throw-The-Ball-And-I'll-Bring-It-Back!) and Diva was momentarily distracted by something (squirrel?) and in that horrible split second, the hard plastic ball Hubster was throwing hit her (HARD) in the face.

We didn't realize it at the time, but it hit her in the EYE. Apparently REALLY hard in the eye. (Normally he uses tennis balls, but all the tennis balls had been lost in the woods... the only ball available was a hard little plastic ball... which made this injury much worse...)

Anyway, by bedtime, her eye had swollen completely shut, was oozing Gunk (the scientific term), and she looked miserable. She was avoiding light and wouldn't let us inspect the eye at all.

So, long story short, I got the first appt. this morning at the vet and he confirmed my suspicion - she has a badly scratched cornea but will be fine. He did a full exam and sent us away with two ointments to put in her eyes (THAT should be fun). Ultimately, she will be fine.

So, poor Diva Darling is now napping.
She's definitely NOT her normal self; however, she still insisted on being Alpha Dog at the vet, and barking and being a Bad Ass to all the dogs in the waiting room, with her one Pop Eye.

Doggie Snow Day - 2009

2009-03-01T18:12:00.001-08:00

Diva Does Snow

Ruby Does Snow

Why We No Longer Have DirecTV

2009-01-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Diva has severed the outdoor cable that runs to the DirecTV dish on top of our house.

And here we were today, fiddling with the receiver, resetting it, unplugging it and waiting, calling customer service, etc. and ALL THE WHILE it was ....... Guess Who.

That's right. She pulled down the cable, chewed it up and quietly severed it.

Sigh.

(I wonder if we bought the "Doggie Destruction Service Plan"?)

The Scene of the Crime

2009-01-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Get the theme to "Dragnet" in your mind as you're reading the below.

For the purposes of this post, I'm Joe Friday. :-)

I arrived at the scene of the crime to find this.

That's right: avert your eyes, if you must, at the carnage, but what you're beholding is a once beautiful but now shredded and severed fur scarf. As you can see, canine tooth marks, and dog drool still markedly present. (This is the last remaining section of the scarf - everything else was in pieces...)

Any clear suspects you ask?

Why yes. Just one. With a silly grin on her face, and fur pieces still clinging to her teeth.

A Dream.... or a Premonition??

2009-01-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a VERY realistic dream that we added a THIRD girl to our "team" of pups... a female Golden Retriever named.... Lila.

Isn't that a beautiful name?

She was gorgeous.... pale, pale yellow... almost white.

And she had the sweetest little heart shaped face and was just a LOVE!

I told Ron about it this morning and he looked at me like I'd been smoking crack.

(I guess that means NO.)

However, I'm thinking maybe Lila exists somewhere in our future, and was coming to visit me in my dreams. I hope she continues to visit me in my dreams. :-)

A Day at "Dog Academy"

2009-01-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Ruby the Rock Star

2009-01-08T12:41:00.001-08:00

Ruby went to the vet today to get her stitches out from her recent surgery to remove her bladder stones.

She is SUCH the littler rock star at the vet's office.
I'm biased of course, but she truly is THE sweetest dog that I've ever known. And I've known many, many, many dogs.

She constantly has a smile on her face, is constantly wagging her tail and is just generally a really happy girl. What a sweet baby doll!

The Latest....

2009-01-03T07:50:00.001-08:00

Doggie Update:

Ruby has recovered beautifully from her surgery. Our finances are still recovering (between the 2 dogs, we spent $1,200 at the vet during the month of December). Zoinks, Shaggy!

Diva's Destructive Ways: yesterday, the kids and I went out to run errands and his some post-Christmas sales. We were gone 2 hours, tops. We came home to find:

Destroyed earmuffs
Shredded dustcover for one of my favorite books (the book itself is still missing... I'm wondering if it was ingested...)
The owners manual for my new camera - shredded
A vacuum cleaner attachment (the little brush thing - I never use it anyway, so it's no great loss) - CHEWED beyond recognition
A new sketchpad - destroyed.

Amazing, that dog. Good thing she is well-loved!

Diva's Dilemma - Part 1 (The Crisis!)

2008-12-30T15:36:00.001-08:00

Diva's Dilemma - Part 2 (The Happy Ending)

2008-12-30T15:35:00.001-08:00

Ruby has Bladder Stones

2008-12-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

Bless her heart. By the time I got her to the vet today, she was moaning, very softly, and looking at me like "I feel like $hit".

(And Ruby is one who doesn't show pain.)

Anyway, yes, bladder stones. They are like kidney stones, but not spiky. She had them once before. They are smooth, like river pebbles. Unfortunately they are fairly large and have to be removed surgically.

Our vet bill for the month of December will top our over $1,000 between Diva's spay and Ruby's surgery.

What can you do though? When you love your pets, you take care of them. They are part of the family.....

Ruby is Sick

2008-12-26T07:10:00.000-08:00

My sweet sweet Rubester is sick. She's having a hard time urinating and is looking generally miserable today. Luckily our vet is open today so I have an appointment for her this afternoon.

She had this problem once before and it turned out she had bladder stones (just like kidney stones).... and required surgery. I have a feeling that will be the case again.

My poor sweet girl.

Of course, Diva wants to romp and play and can't understand why her BFF is uninterested.
Bless her little furry heart.

Diva Dislikes Christmas...

2008-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

....judging by the fact that she shredded 4 WRAPPED presents today while the kids and I were out and about (and she completely destroyed a nice necklace in one of the packages).

(Humorously, one of the packages she SHREDDED was the Pedi-Paws that she and Ruby were giving to Hubster, as "their" Christmas present.)

Sigh. It's a good thing I love that dog so much....

Diva did GREAT!

2008-12-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

She is a bit sore, and a bit cranky.
But all in all, she did fine.

She has been sleeping more than normal (I doubt she got much sleep in the kennel at the vet... and judging by the mark on the side of her snout, she tried to use her snout as a battering ram to get OUT... no surprise there!)

The vet said to keep her activity level low for the next couple of days (ha!) but other than that, she is fine and "good to go". :-)

Ruby sniffed Diva from stem to stern when Diva got home. They are now napping on the (flipped, double mattress-covered, and re-made) dog bed in the guest room. :-)

Ruby Enjoyed the "Diva-Free" Day

2008-12-18T19:29:00.001-08:00

Ruby got lots of 'quality snuggle time'.... and didn't have to share the love with any other pets.

She loved it. :-)

Diva, Queen of Destruction (New Video from Yesterday)

2008-12-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Diva's surgery went FINE today. She is resting comfortably and spending the night at Casa de Veterinarian tonight. Tomorrow she will come home and I'm preparing Chicken & Kibble (per KBL's instructions) for both Diva and the Rubester.

However, for your viewing enjoyment, I have video of the DESTRUCTION I came home to yesterday. Keep in mind I was VERY irritated at what I found (you'll hear it in my voice). The bed they sleep in IS "their" bed.... it's in our guest room (also my office) and the mattress is old and crappy and simply NOT suitable for humans anymore. But what Diva did to it is..... well, I'll let the video speak for itself. :-)

Big Week Ahead for Diva

2008-12-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Diva get spayed (spaid?) - FIXED - on Wednesday.

My kids are NOT happy.
They want puppies and cannot understand WHY I'm being so cruel. I explained to them the world already has PLENTY of puppies... we don't need to contribute to the problem....

(And then there's the issue of the amorous German Shepherd down the street who has been coming by the house with chocolates, flowers.... and ulterior motives..... It really is just a matter of time before he gets her alone and - voila - we WILL have little pupsters running around.)

So, Wednesday is the day. I know the vet very well (actually he goes to 12Stone).
I'm sure it will all go off without a hitch. :-)
Full report to follow.....

And in Other Dog News....

2008-12-14T10:51:00.001-08:00

The New Biden Puppy.... :-)
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Ruby, the Reluctant Reindeer

2008-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

Diva's Christmas Goose

2008-12-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

Monsoon

2008-12-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

We are having monsoon rains today in Atlanta.... it has been coming down in big sheets all day (which is wonderful... we're still in a horrible drought).

Anyway, Diva let it be known she needed to go outside and tinkle so I opened the back door ... and Diva saw the monsoon that stood between her and the grass. She looked at the rain, looked at me, looked at the rain, and just sat down.

What a delicate little flower my Diva is.

(Ruby wisely has stayed upstairs on the doggie bed - ie. the queen size bed in the guest room - what spoiled girls those two are!)

The Sweet, Sweet Rubester

2008-12-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Especially after yesterday's "mattress attack", Ruby's sweet docile nature deserves much praise. She really is the sweetest dog I've ever known (and I've known a lot of dogs!)

Afternoon School Bus Greeting

2008-11-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Tremendous Excitement Over a New Rawhide

2008-11-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

a BIG 6 month old puppy

2008-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Our 6 month old puppy Diva and our 11 year old daughter.

(The puppy weighs ALMOST as much as our daughter!!)

LOOK What I Found at Target

2008-11-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

A great big sparkly Christmas tree ornament with my DOG's name on it!

How 'bout that... :-)

"Friday Night SmackDown"

2008-11-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Diva in the "Turd Garden"

2008-10-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

If you listen closely at the end, you can hear Hubster "howling" from inside the house to try to distract Diva from the "video shoot"... needless to say, it worked! :-)

Cute Doggie Costume

2008-10-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

Although this isn't my dog, I thought this was a really cute costume. (Princess Leia, from "Star Wars"). :-)

Diva, the Honorary 5th Grade Girl

2008-10-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

My daughter had her 11th birthday party Friday night.
We had a whole HERD (gaggle? flock?) of 10 and 11 year old girls DESCEND upon the house Friday night for pizza, cake, ice cream, squealing over the Jonas Brothers, make-overs, and general madness.

Ruby (our "senior" dog), my husband, and our almost 13 year old son "hid out" upstairs while I chaperoned (read: LOOSELY controlled) the madness downstairs...

Actually, it was a blast! Girls at this age are SUCH fun! They have yet to become insecure adolescents (thank GOD!), they're smart; they're funny; they're opinionated (but not in an obnoxious way)... and we really all had a great time together.

Diva had NO problem keeping up with them and they LOVED her! Diva was beaming ear to floppy ear! (I really should have taken some video and still can't believe I didn't!!) There was one particularly funny moment when the girls were running (in a sugar-fueled frenzy) around the downstairs and Diva started chasing them, and then the girls were squealing and Diva started blissfully barking, and it was just so darn cute. I really think Diva thought she was an honorary 5th grader. Very sweet indeed. :-)

Rowdy Doggies (New Video 10-22-08)

2008-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

KBL, you have INSPIRED me to put a new video of my puppies up on the blog!
This was shot in my VERY messy home office/guest bedroom/JUNK ROOM!
You'll hear me allude to Ruby's breath which was HORRIBLE! :-)
Enjoy the video!

Chocolate Slumber

2008-09-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

.... Sleep came easy after a hard morning of digging (note the dried dirt on the paws and nose....)

:-)

Yes, She's Getting Big!

2008-09-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Diva is 4 months old on Tuesday the 9th. And she's now about 35 lbs.

BIG girl. (She'll top out around 70 lbs... maybe slightly larger...)

AFV - Here We Come!

2008-08-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

OK - after multiple suggestions - I've sent this video to AFV.
So, if y'all see me "yukking it up" with that goofy Tom Bergeron, don't be surprised.

Hubster and I have decided that a lot of VERY lame videos have won $10K (and even $100K!) so we've going to throw our hat into the ring and see what happens!

Keep your fingers crossed!

Who's So Pretty?

2008-08-14T12:58:00.001-07:00

First Growl.... My Little Protector

2008-08-10T18:43:00.001-07:00

Diva is now HUGE. (Relatively speaking.) I'd say she's between 25 - 30 lbs. It's getting hard for me to lift her easily, like I used to.

Anyway, we have these transom-style windows on either side of our front door, plus we live up on a little hill at the end of a cul-de-sac, so you have a pretty good view of what's going on below... and something Diva saw did NOT agree with her and she begin to growl, bark and really carry on.

It was absolutely adorable.
I know she was trying to be Terribly Ferocious (so I didn't laugh), but BOY I wish I had captured it on film..... she was protecting her family from some sort of perceived threat. (There wasn't anything out there that I could see.... probably a squirrel crossed the yard, or something like that...)

I need to hurry up and read the owners manual for my new Nikon so I can capture these fleeting moments on film for All Of Us to enjoy. :-)

She really is just so darn cute.

Diva's Latest Sleeping Arrangements

2008-08-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well, basically we have failed miserably at crate training. We've been trying since mid-June but Diva is totally NOT into it. And now that she and Ruby sack out during the day on the bed in the guest room/office, she's even LESS into it.

So last night I woke in the middle of the night to find a 25 lb. lump at the foot of our king size bed. In no way did it resemble a dog (and I'm blind as a bat without my contacts), so I fumbled for my glasses and turned on a lamp. Yes, it was indeed Diva. She was sound asleep on her back - legs splayed out (very un-ladylike) and she stayed that way all night.

Hubster and I kind of enjoyed it. It's been since Chloe (our wonderful, late great Black Lab who we got when we were newlyweds) since we've had a dog sleep in the bed with us. Diva fits right in. And Ruby gets the queen bed in the guest room all to herself. (Boy, are our dogs spoiled, or what??)

The Puppy Games

2008-08-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

"The Puppy Games" are going to be broadcast on Animal Planet this Friday evening - 6 PM ET.
My daughter S and I will be watching - we are quite excited.
The boys (Hubster and J.) think it looks dorky.
Below is video from last year's "Puppy Bowl" .

Is This Our Dog?

2008-08-04T18:56:00.001-07:00

So..... we get back from the beach tonight and pick up Diva from the vets, where we've been boarding her for 4 days.

She literally looked like a different dog. She's HUGE. I almost can't lift her now.
That cute puppy is gone.
In her place is a rowdy adolescent dog.... who got home, and took a humongous steaming dump on the dining room floor.

WELCOME HOME!! :-)

Rebellious Ruby, The Doggie Bully

2008-07-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ruby, our incredibly sweet and docile "senior dog" has let her new-found Alpha Dog status go completely to her head, and has begun to bully little Diva.

She's not hurting Diva (except for her feelings) but definitely is enjoying barking and making Diva jump, and letting her know when it's time for her to move from her favorite backyard shady spot. Poor little Diva runs back up on the deck to me as if to say "She's being MEAN to me!"

However, I realize I have to let all this shake out..... as long as there's no physical harm involved (and there's not), this sort of territorial posturing is to be expected, especially from Ruby, the dog who has been the SOLE canine in the house for the past 3 years.

I do feel a bit sorry for Diva though. Sometimes Ruby will play with her, and then sometimes she'll growl at her for no apparent reason, and Diva will look totally bewildered.

The Latest Doggie Bulletin

2008-07-27T13:13:00.001-07:00

Boy, it's hard to keep up with 2 blogs, Facebook, 2 kids, a husband, lead a small group, run a business, keep a clean house (insert uproarious laughter here), and all the other stuff of LIFE.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you, just..... venting? whining? :-)

Anyway, here's the latest "doggie" news:

1. Diva has figured out how to "scale" the baby gates that were keeping her in the den/kitchen area. Therefore, they are now completely useless. We are frantically trying to puppy-proof our entire house, as everything is now her "playground".
2. Diva is almost completely house-trained. (Hallelujah!!)
3. Diva and Ruby are now very good friends. (Again, Hallelujah!)
4. Ruby, who had been suffering Diva's hyper-hyena outbursts in stressed-out silence, has asserted herself as Alpha Dog (shocked us all) and Diva has shown, very clearly, that she is willing to be submissive to Ruby. Diva will literally lay down on her back, exposing her belly and throat to Ruby, who shows her teeth to Diva in "mock aggression". At first it was a little alarming, but after about 3 episodes of this behavior, we realized it was all a territorial thing, and they've since figured out who is the Boss (clearly, Ruby) and things are MUCH happier at our house. They now play, wrestle, nap, and run around in the back yard and woods together. Whew - big relief for us humans!!

Life with 2 dogs is good! :-)

Diva's Latest Discovery

2008-07-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

I don't know what this thing is called, but it's the little spring thing (with the rubber cap) down on the baseboard, that prevents your doorknob from smacking into your wall and leaving a mark.

ANYWAY, Diva has discovered it.... and it's her new plaything. Funny puppy. (Diva is 10 weeks old now.)

No Accidents Today!

2008-07-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

...except one little teeny tiny pee puddle and that was totally my fault.... I got her all wound up then went down to the basement to get something.... heard her whining upstairs to go out and by the time I got back up she wasn't able to hold it.

But, other than that (which was really only about a tablespoon of pee), little Miss Diva made it the whole DAY with no accidents. A major milestone has been reached, I tell you!

HOORAY!

A round of Milk Bones for everyone!

The Escape Artist!

2008-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

So, the kids and I are out and about today.... it had been another slow day for me, work-wise, and my kids were "dying of boredom" (a frequent complaint) and so I thought Why Not .... Let's just go have some Fun.

So, we crated up the puppy with some chewtoys and snacks, patted our sweet older dog Ruby on the head and left the house around 11:30. Hit the library first.... I found 4 books I wanted and J found 3 books he wanted. S, who unfortunately has not developed the love of reading (yet!!) did not find any books.

From there, we stopped by the middle school J will be entering in the Fall. Picked up a registration packet, introduced ourselves to the principal (really nice guy), and headed out again.

Then we checked out the new "Super Arcade" near our house. This place has a mega-arcade for kids, two bowling alleys, lazer-tag, and 2 restaurants. The kids and I hung out there and played quite awhile. They got hundreds of tickets that they turned it at the little gift shop for ridiculously over-priced merchandise (that I could have bought at the dollar store....)

At around 2:30 my cell phone rings..... it's Hubster.
Hubster: "Hey... did you guys forget to crate Diva before you left?"
Me: (feeling my heart skip a beat, as I realize the Tasmanian Devil of Destruction has been LOOSE and UNSUPERVISED in the house for over 3 hours now....) "No..... I don't think so..."
Hubster: "Well, apparently she has figured out how to escape from the crate."

Long story longer.... Diva (a/k/a "Houdini") SOMEHOW freed herself from the crate and had a Merry Time running all around the house while we were gone. Blessedly (miraculously!!) she did not destroy anything, however poor Ruby (our "senior dog") looks like she needs a Valium..... or maybe even a Qualude (sp?) at this point :-)

I can hear Diva now (in evil cartoon villain voice): "THERE'S NO CRATE BUILT THAT CAN HOLD ME BACK!" ("BWAHH-HA-HA!!")

One Worn-Out Little Puppy! (Video)

2008-07-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Little Diva was EXHAUSTED after her long morning walk with Hubster today. (She was trying to keep up with Ruby, who was trying to keep AHEAD AND AWAY from Diva...)

Diva came home and immediately passed out, on her back, on the couch. The video tells the humorous tale.... :-)

Ruby Remembers....

2008-07-11T11:02:00.001-07:00

"I remember the Good Old Days, when I was the only dog in the house..... those were the days..."

Poor Ruby. She's having a tough time adjusting to growing Diva, and Diva's VERY active little personality. :-(

Eventually they'll find a happy medium. (I hope.)

My Last Nerve......

2008-07-08T05:15:00.001-07:00

Would I be a horrible Dog-Mom if I said I'm just READY for Diva to be a grown-up dog?
I mean, she's really cute and all but I'm already worn out from the lack of sleep.... I'm worn out from the chewing....(yes, she has a plethora of chew toys but she prefers furniture... and NO the bitter apple spray doesn't seem to faze her!) I'm worn out from the housetraining and the cleaning of pee and poo (which is a DAILY issue).... and now she has discovered her VOICE. Yes, she has realized she can bark - LOUD!

I look at Ruby, our incredibly sweet, docile, superbly behaved older dog and I say "Hang in there, Ruby..... one day Diva will be your Friend and not your Irritant."

We'll be fine, of course. I remember going through this with Chloe, our Black Lab, when Hubster and I were newlyweds. (When you look up "Destructive" in Webster's, there is still to this day a sketch of Chloe next to the word.) Chloe destroyed everything. She even ate a step (carpet, padding, all the way down to the wood) in our first house. She also ripped wallpaper off the walls (worked it loose with her tongue, apparently, then ripped it off in SHEETS!), AND she disassembled a chair from our dinette set. I think most people would have given her away, but we stuck with her. She was ROUGH. But, after about a year or so, she was magically transformed into a fabulous, protective, loyal (and relatively docile) family dog. And she gave us almost 12 years of love. I still have a framed picture of her behind the sink in the kitchen, so I can remember her in her youth.

I try to keep Chloe's "metamorphosis" (and successful outcome!) this in the forefront of my mind when Diva is jumping up and down on my last nerve. :-)

Nothing like Squishy Puppy Poo Between Your Toes....

2008-07-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

It's really a good thing Diva is so darn cute..... because if she weren't, stuff like what happened this morning would be VERY tough to deal with.

Anyway, this morning, around 9 AM, working away, I hear my 12 year old son BELLOW from downstairs "MOM!!! I NEED YOU!!!"

Thinking that something Very Serious had undoubtedly happened, I raced downstairs to find that J had accidentally stepped in an unfortunate pile of poo that Diva had deposited on the carpet. The poo was still warm (ick) and had squished up between his toes.

J was NOT happy and was standing on one foot, GLARING at Diva, who was, of course, completely oblivious, and wanting to play.

Long story short: I had J hop into the bathroom where I proceeded to clean his foot for him, over the toilet (yes, I realize he could have done this himself, but he was so FREAKED OUT that he stepped in warm poo, INSIDE, that he was momentarily rendered helpless....). Then I cleaned up the carpet, and put the puppy back outside for a bit, filled her kiddie pool and let her play.

Just another morning of Puppy Mayhem at our house. :-)

(But the accidents are getting fewer and fewer. Thankfully.)

The Latest Diva News

2008-07-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Diva did NOT like the fireworks last night.
We were at a party and didn't get home until about 11:30 (she did very well in her crate) but when we took her out, she was very nervous about the loud noises and stayed very close to us.
(Poor baby.)
Chloe, our late great Black Lab, was much the same.

Diva has also just noticed the squirrels in our backyard. I think it won't be long before she "gives chase". :-)
I'll try to capture that on video.

She is growing like a little weed. Getting visibly bigger (and noticeably heavier) in the 2 short weeks we've had her. She's going to be a real beauty too.

Diva Rolls Around and Looks Cute

2008-07-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Immediately before I took this clip, Diva was jumping, splashing and frolicking in the baby pool (notice the wet tummy), then jumping out and doing hyper little laps through the backyard (with Wild Look in the Eye). Of course, once I came back with the camera, she wouldn't repeat it, and just wanted to roll around and chew grass..... but even that is cute.

Doggie Destruction

2008-07-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

A certain someone (not naming names but her nickname is DIVA) has started gnawing on the corner baseboards from where the breakfast room goes into the den.

Keep in mind this puppy has a PLETHORA of chew toys.

But no. She prefers hard, wood baseboards.

Bitter apple spray, here I come!

Diva "Does The DEW!!"

2008-06-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Now, before anyone rushes out to call PETA, let me say that this bottle was empty, and the cap was screwed on very tightly.

NO PUPPIES WERE INJURED IN THE FILMING OF THIS PHOTOGRAPH.

But damn, it's cute, isn't it??

Just what Diva needs.... a beverage laced with caffeine and sugar!

Cuteness Won

2008-06-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Rough night. Put Diva in her crate for night-night around midnight. Was awakened by howling at 3 AM. I though SURELY her paw must have been severed by the nature of this howling, so I rushed downstairs to ascertain the situation.

No, she was perfectly fine - just wanting to play and wanting to pee.
Took her out back, let her use the bathroom and then lectured her on the folly of playing at 3 AM, then attempted to put her back in the crate. She was having NONE OF IT.

I went upstairs, (foolishly) thinking that she'd "cry herself out" within 5 - 10 minutes.... oh no.... 45 minutes later she was till howling to the point that Hubster, both kids, Ruby, and I were now all wide awake.

So I went back downstairs, extracted her from her crate (I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure I saw a "triumphant smirk" on her face...) and took her to the couch, where we slept (she, like a baby; me very fitfully) until 8:30 this morning when I heard my office phone ring.

As my husband said "Cuteness won last night, huh?"

Darling Diva on the Deck

2008-06-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

Diva's Disastrous Play Date

2008-06-26T18:32:00.001-07:00

DIVA: "Hey Ruby! Wanna play? Huh? Huh? Do ya? Huh? "
RUBY: (.... stony silence.... avoiding all eye contact.....)

DIVA: "Drat. My plans have been thwarted." (......sigh.....)

Diva Destroys Dangerous Dinosaurs

2008-06-25T15:15:00.001-07:00

Poor Barney and Baby Bop! And to think they were once well-loved.... (I even asked my kids - TWICE - "Are you SURE you want to 'donate' these to the puppy?" Oh yes... they were ABSOLUTELY sure... )

Sing along with me now: "I love you. You love me. Let's chew Baby Bop and Barney... With a great big chomp and a bite from me to you, Won't you say you'll chew me too!" (Thanks to my children for helping me come up with "new" lyrics to this song....

Making Progress!

2008-06-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Crate training last night was very hard.
Diva cried and cried..... and cried..... and cried some more.
But eventually, she fell asleep and I had (drum roll please) a Good Night's Sleep!
Although she did pee in her crate, it was an easy cleanup.

And, as of 3:52 this afternoon, she has had NO accidents in the house today. We've crossed a Major Bridge in doggie training!

She also had her first bath this morning.
Very cute.

Pictures soon..... promise!

Doggie Hardware Has Been Purchased

2008-06-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Crate Training starts TONIGHT.

I've also purchased 2 baby gates so I can work without a puppy coming CRASHING into my office while I'm on the phone with a client..... (followed by one of my children, chasing after her.)

(To say it's been an interesting 2 days at work for me is an understatement.....)

But she is just so darn cute.
And she has that Cute Puppy SMELL!!!!

More photos...... hopefully tomorrow.
Eventually video. (I promised Laura I would figure it out.... and I will - really!)

But this tastes BETTER!

2008-06-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Diva has decided that Ruby's (grown up) dog food tastes WAY better than her puppy food, so she's been sneaking over and eating some of Ruby's wet, rich food.

How do I know this?

Well, let's just say when I went downstairs to fix my lunch I found several "pudding piles of poo" awaiting me, and the food that Ruby had left uneaten in her bowl had been licked clean.

Looks like we'll have to feed the dogs separately, in different rooms, at least for now.

Diva makes little grunting noises when she eats. She really is a little piglet.
Ruby is much more ladylike. She practically wipes her mouth when she's done.

A Disney Character?

2008-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

We took our kids (and our dogs) out to our favorite park yesterday afternoon.
Enjoyed picking and eating some fresh blackberries (yummy), and of course, Diva was a TOTAL rock star at the park.

She LOVED the attention.

The most interesting comment she got was from a grown man who said "She could be a Disney Character!" (I could tell by his worshipful gaze that this really meant something....) :-)

The cutest moment came when we passed the doggie water fountain and it was Diva's turn to get a drink; she climbed into the water fountain and laid in it, luxuriating in the cool water, much to the annoyance of the dogs behind her, waiting in line for a drink. (I SO wished I had my camera or cell phone to capture that moment...)

DogZilla!

2008-06-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

Be afraid..... be very, very afraid....

The Sleeping Puppy Angel.....

2008-06-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Of course, this happens during the day, and not at night.... but isn't she adorable? Look at that coat.... doesn't she look like she was dipped in chocolate sauce??

My Dogs' Thoughts...

2008-06-23T07:08:00.001-07:00

Ruby:

"Yeah, puppy, you're cute, but if you don't quit pouncing on my tail, you're gonna get it."
"Touch my food dish and it won't be pretty."

Diva:

"Hmmm.. Can I chew this?"
"I wonder what THIS would taste like?"
"Can I pee here?"
"Why is everyone asleep? I'm just now getting my 2nd wind! Let's party!"

"10 Pounds of Chocolate Destruction!"

2008-06-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

That is how my husband described Diva to a friend of ours, on the phone, this evening.

It is an apt description. Diva has already shown a very CLEAR preference for furniture and shoes, rather than the chew toys we have purchased. :-)

(We know the drill though.... our late great Black Lab Chloe - may she rest in peace - was Queen of Destruction....)

More Photos of the Ferocious Beast tomorrow!

(Looking forward to a good night sleep tonight - hopefully!)

Darling Diva Has Arrived

2008-06-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Diva has arrived and is settling in nicely. I'm worn out (suffice it to say I'd forgotten how much ENERGY puppies have!) She's wonderful, though, and she and Ruby are getting along famously. Below are some photos from today's festivities.
_________________________________________________

Passed out in the back seat on the drive home. (She makes tiny little grunting noises in her sleep.... if she were a boy dog, I would simply have to re-name her Wilbur, in honor of "Charlotte's Web". ) :-)

The initial "meet and greet" (may I please sniff your butt) with Ruby, our Alpha Dog. It went very well. Ruby was very sweet to her and Diva was appropriately submissive. By the end of the day they were playing and running around together. I predict a very special friendship.

S. and 2 of her 4 BFF's who descended on the house within MERE MINUTES of our arrival. The girls were all atwitter over the new puppy. J is excited but true to his laid-back nature, chose to play it "cool"... esp with a housefull of cute girls.

Resplendent Ruby, realizing that she is no longer the only dog, BUT she also has a companion and playmate now. A good development.

Backyard Action Photo #1

Backyard Action Photo #2

Time for an evening dip in the kiddie pool.

Is this water the appropriate temperature for canine consumption?

I think I'll just sit on this comfy lap right here and take a nap... it's been a tiring day..

'Twas the morning of arrival...

2008-06-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

...and all through the house
The family was rushing about
There was no time to grouse!

The food and water dish were both placed with care
In the knowledge that soon,
Miss Diva would be there!

Ok, that's the best I can do with on-the-spot poetry. :-)

S and I have just gotten back from PetSmart.
We have a cute doggie dish, a new leash and collar, a squeaky bone, a rope chew toy, a big bag of puppy food, and a little dog bed (although I'm sure she'll sleep snuggled up next to Ruby....)

Time to make the pilgrimage down to Williamson, Georgia to pick up our new pupster.
LONG drive from where we are, but we're so excited.

S has invited 3 friends over for a "Meet and Greet" slumber part tonight to meet Diva. I told her they cannot be loud and wild... Diva is going to be adjusting and will probably be a little scared and lonely and missing her mommy and brothers and sisters. (Since these are all sweet 10 year old girls coming over I'm sure they will cover Diva with lots of kisses and love...)

Photos to come soon - if not tonight, then tomorrow for sure!

PS: Achilles & Milo - thanks for the warm little welcome message!
:-)

"Digging" Diva

2008-06-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just look at that nose. (She is 3rd from the left....)

Dirt, you don't stand a chance.

Diva will come to live with us on Saturday, June 21st.
We are so excited!

Introducing The "Sisters"

2008-06-16T06:28:00.001-07:00

Darling Diva, in all her Chocolate yumminess, at 4 weeks old.....

Resplendent Ruby, the world's Sweetest Dog (seriously)