How time flies

Well Coco is now over a year old. Ralph is 8 months. Not much to report except that Ralph is pleasuring us with the same antics Coco did around that age - eating kleenex, stealing socks, eating carpet, etc. We have Ralph in puppy kindergarten repeating that class until the 2nd level class is available again which I think will be good. He can hardly sit still for anything. We'll see how things go.

On another note Paul and I are taking our first trip together to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. I thought I was booking the hotel in Puerto Vallarta - who knew? Nuevo is just a little north of there and is a newer up and coming vacation spot. You can do the same things you do in Puerto but it's quieter. We are thinking about doing this crazy day trip where you ride mules up a mountain, ride zip lines, slide down a waterfall slide, climb up a rope ladder, repel down the waterfall and then pass out! Not sure if I'll be brave enough but it's fun to think about it.

Doggy Photoshoot

See what they can do when they understand 'Sit' :)

Wee Wee Wee Wee All the way around the home

A few week-ends ago we had some friends over after dinner b/c they wanted to meet the dogs. Here's how this visit to our house went:

1) Ralph goes out to potty

2) Paul lets Coco out of her play pen (she should have been carried outside to potty)

3) Coco proceeds to jump around and pee all over the rotunda

4) Ralph comes in and jumps around like a jumping bean on fire

5) Coco squats down to get petted and again pees all over the floor

6) Everyone comes into the living room

7) Someone pees on the carpet

8) Someone pees again in the rotunda

9) Someone pees on the dang couch

10) Mom steams cleans the couch and says "So glad you could come to Pee Pee Ville tonight"

Now I've heard of excitement but seriously!?

P.S. Coco started level 2 training and proceeded to pee 6 times when the instructor was working with her and trying to give her treats in b/t my working with her. I think we have a possible problemo and know who was leaving their sparkle treats everywhere that night. I may be investing in a doggy diaper! :)

Puppy Kindergarten - Class Seven, Etc.

Guess I missed this post. The main teacher that owns the training company had to head to California to open a branch out there so the back up teacher is a bit different. Very nice and good with basics but very introverted and meek. Needless to say the classes ended for Coco on a good note with learning Down which has 7 levels to it in order to get a full down with the hand command. Ralph has not gotten this down after weeks of re-inforcement. He'll dive down for a piece of food but stares at you with a blank look like "what? give me that treat, I am sitting after all". We'll keep trying.

The newer folks in the class (with the exception of one couple and dog) seemed to come to class and mingle while they comforted their scared, anxious puppy dogs that they claimed they wanted to train and socialize. It was the oddest thing. One couple with a little schnauzer kept admiring Ralph's ability to come, sit and stay. I had to remind them that he had weeks of practice b/c of his sister attending class first and that they could get it down too. Needless to say the last few classes with Ralph were kind of a snore b/c of this. If you want your dog to socialize, let the dog off the leash and out of your lap people! :)

Puppy Kindergarten - Class Six

Focus: Leave It

Pointers: Food to the nose, when they quit trying to get it - the doggy gets to eat it

Not too many exciting things here. Coco seems to get leave it and Ralph a little bit as well. Coco does not really listen that well at home unless it's focused training so we'll see if we continue to the 2nd level class how things go. It is pretty funny that Coco would rather go around to all the humans in class and say hello than play with the other dogs. Probably because she smells all the yummy doggy treats. Ralph tends to play pretty well with the other puppies.

Coco graduates next week and then we'll wrap up the last 3 classes with Ralph solo which will be good so he gets some unique attention away from Coco. They don't like to be apart - cute but......

Puppy Kindergarten - Class Four/Five

Focus: Loose Leash Walking

Pointers: Must be patient! (that is an understatement with a 9 month old)

This class was more listening and watching. We paraded ourselves up and down the runway a few times. Class Four, Paul and I had to walk Ralph a second time together b/c he wouldn't walk with Paul by himself. Class Five today - Paul walked Ralph, I walked Coco. Seems easy enough.

Wrong! We have been trying to enforce loose leash walking since the first class on it and I am not sure where the patience is going to come from. Coco likes to pull, pull, pull and Ralph seems to like to pick up her bad habits. We'll have to walk them separately for a month (apparently) until they really get it down before we walk them together.

Sooo, here comes the testing of our patience!!! :)

P.S. The only entertaining element was that just about every dog in class pee'd on the floor this time at some point and Coco was going nutzo anytime Ralph and this other larger puppy got close to one another. I'm not sure if she was jealous or being protective. Thank goodness for raw hide to keep her little mouth busy.

Ralphers Joins the Chenuau Family

This post is a couple of weeks late but here it is!!! We now have Ralph Lauren with us (super cheezy name but it goes well with Coco Chanel). He's a wire haired dachsy and red in color. I would never have thought that I would have taken interest in a wire hair. I'm not a big terrier kind of gal and when he gets older he'll have a little terrier or schnauzer looking face when his whiskers grow out. But, when I picked him up and held him that was it. He's very calm and quiet compared to our hyper active Coco. Very sweet and timid demeanor.

Of course, he's been at home with us for two weeks and after hangin' with the Coco beans, he's a little bit nutty when he plays. He's also picked up some of her nosey habits. They shared a kleenex the other day (I swear I was gone from the room for 5 minutes). Our only big issue right now is potty training - boys are tougher to figure out. We take Ralph out about every 30 min's and apparently sometimes that isn't enough for his boutique bladder. It will happen over time if we just stay consistent. The other item we are working on is interrupting play when it's too rough b/t the doggies. They love to bite one another's ears too hard while the other one squeals (I'll never understand doggy play). Coco seems to think Ralph is a football sometimes and will literally run from the other room as fast as she can to tackle him - he just goes rolling across the floor. Trying to stop some of that.

Overall though, they seem to love being with one another and are doing pretty well. Ralph starts puppy kindergarten next Sunday. Should be interesting!!!