29.5 lbs!

June 28 - 15.1 lbs
July 14 - 18.5 lbs
August 7 - 24.5 lbs
August 30 - 29.5 lbs

We're slowing down to ~3.5 oz per day.

You know you've been around puppies too much when...

Today, as I was coding in emacs, I typed 'M-x toggle-leave-it' instead
of 'M-x toggle-read-only'.

doggie boredom

I'm sick. grete is not. life sucks.

Pool Party

Grete loves her pool - even when it's empty. It also makes a cute backdrop so there are some new pictures in flickr. I also added a couple flickr sampler badges to the blog. Scroll down for puppy goodness.

Grete by the numbers

In case you're thinking about getting a dog, here is a current snapshot of Grete's monetary cost during the first 40 days we've been together.

$120 to the shelter (Some of which I'll get back when she's spayed.)
$28.90 to the ferries (To pick her up)

$597.32 to Elliott Bay Animal Hospital (Exams, shots, fecal tests, medicines)

$302.52 to All the Best (First crate, first leash, first everything...)

$95.34 to Four Legs Good (Food)

$239.50 to Petco (Second crate, first pen, a couple toys)

$199.00 to Ahimsa (Training / Socialization)

$251.62 to Mud Bay (Spoiling - Toys and Treats)

$75.14 to Railey's (Spoiling - Toys and Treats)

[ $??.?? to the gas companies for picking her up and shuttling her around ]

[ $??.?? from others who have bought her presents ]

Grand [Known] Total So Far: $1909.34

Lucky dog

Grete had her final shots today. (Rabies + Distemper combo.) 1 week from now, we're clear for dog parks. However, Ahimsa would prefer we not go to the dog park until we're done with puppy class since some of the puppies there may only have their first shots. Thus, our first visit to a Seattle dog park may be the afternoon of 9/16. We'll see. In theory, I can also take her to the park and then give her a bath before class.

But that's not why she's a lucky dog. After the vet, we came home to a bag of free dog food and a $5 gift certificate to smileydog.com. We entered a drawing at the Ballard Sunday Market / Seafood Fest on the 29th, and Grete won. Unfortunately, it's Canidae All Life Stages, and she's currently eating California Naturals Puppy, but maybe we can work it in as a treat.

24.5 lbs!

June 28 - 15.1 lbs
July 14 - 18.5 lbs
August 7 - 24.5 lbs

She's picking up speed! It looks like she's averaging 4 ounces per day. (Previously, she was averaging around 3.4 ounces per day.)

Crazy estimate for 6 months: (80 days from now)
41.5 lbs @ 3.4 oz/day
44.5 lbs @ 4 oz/day

Ultra-crazy estimate for 1 year: (263 days from now)
80.3 lbs @ 3.4 oz/day
90.2 lbs @ 4 oz/day

Obviously, she'll have to slow down before 1 year. :-)

Pill Pain

Grete is sick. She'll be ok, but the medicine she needs to take is super bitter to taste -- and she knows it. To make matters worse, it's a chalky half pill that disintegrates when it gets wet.

I first tried the string cheese. This worked fine with the antibiotics she was on, but she gets one taste of the pill and spits the whole thing out. I then tried peanut butter. That just made a huge mess of her, me, and the pill.

I then broke down and picked up some hot dogs. (Hebrew National - only the best for my dog!) Still no luck. She eats the regular ones sans-pill, but she got the "lid" off my pill pocket I carved into one of the sections, got one lick of the pill, and now she won't touch that particular section.

I left the hot dogs (both tainted and untainted) in her crate with her tonight. Hopefully she'll decide the taste of the pill isn't so bad.

But ... what's next? The pill in a hot dog method doesn't seem to work that well. Grete is a dainty eater most of the time and won't indiscriminately wolf down food. i.e. She chews almost everything bigger than a pea, and the pill is about the side of half a pea.

Suggestions welcome.