Merry Christmas and Hello Terrible Twos

Merry Christmas everyone!!! It is hard to believe that Christmas is already here and I am so excited that Penny will be with our family this year. Rumor has it that Santa is bringing her some pretty fun presents so she better be good for the rest of the year.

I think terrible twos set in last week - who knew 14 months was really when terrible twos started! Penny has been testing every rule, command and limit this past week!!!! I feel like the only word I say some days is No! NO, don't drag the bathroom rug out of the bathroom, NO, don't dive bomb Cyn as she is laying on the couch, NO don't eat the coffee table, NO don't run around the condo bouncing off the walls, NO don't try and pull the blinds off the door.....No, No, No......HAHAHA! The hardest part is saying No when half the things are absolutely hilarious. You almost can't get onto her because she is so stinking funny.

Mom did teach me a really good trick - Stop talking. I love to talk to Penny as we go on walks or even just around the house. Good girl, Hey Pen Pen, Watcha Doing....just silly talk as we spend time together. What I didn't know is that this becomes just constant chatter to her and she tunes me out. (sound familiar mom? I think you said this about me a time or two growing up) It is so hard for me not to talk with her but I am trying really hard not to outside of commands on our walks. I practiced yesterday and we went for about an hour and half long walk. It worked so well!!!!

By only using my voice for things I wanted her to hear, she paid attention so much more. She is so smart and is very attuned to my voice so I am going to have to keep practicing using it in the right way. Throughout our walk I threw out commands like SIT and she responded so much faster. What a great tip mom!

Now if only it worked on the terrible twos.....oh boy!

Big Dog Play Date

Penny at 12 weeks

Okay - So I know it is way over due for a post. I know this because Lindsay just sent me a message complaining that she wanted new pictures of Penny.....Well Lins, here ya go! :)

The month of December has just been nuts! Penny has had so many adventures that I need to catch everyone up on. My favorite recently has been her big dog play date! I discovered that you can rent private dog parks out at Sandy Creek Park. They are awesome! The one we rented was 3 acres with a portion of woods and the whole thing is fenced in. A bunch of guys from work and there dogs joined us and they had a ball! All of the dogs were full grown except for Lucky - Mike's adorable 4 month old puppy that is just a few weeks older then Penny. They had so much fun romping and rolling in the dirt. The favorite game was to chase each others tails - this is a great one of Lucky trying to get Penny's tail - it looks vicious, but they were actually having a ball!

Penny also go to meet Duke - Robert's part lab mix, Zack - Carson's rottweiler, Hamilton - Jeff's golden retriever, Ally - Kimberly's golden retriever and Emma - Rachel's Yellow Lab. It was a great chance for her to meet other dogs, run wild and burn off some energy! The parks are only a $1 per dog so we will definitely be going back!!!! (Maybe once it is warmer - it was freezing!)

Here are some other good ones:
Group Playing Football - the pups decided to sit this game out! We had the light weight division off to the side.

Jeff, Hamilton and Penny (Penny is going to be that big one day, my baby is growing up!)

Penny and Mike's Son Mason

Carson, Zack and Cyn - Zack just looks big and tuff, he is a complete teddy bear!

First Dummy!

Penny got to retriever her first dummy yesterday. Her proud grandfather bought her a soft puppy dummy and on Sunday we took her out to see what she could do. She did so good! Our goal was to just get her used to seeing it and retrieving it from a short distance so dad had me take her off the lease and he stood about 10 yards in front of her with the dummy. I picked her front end up so she could watch the dummy and he tossed it out in front of him. She was off like a rocket after it! The retrieve part was easy, now come was a whole different story. She taught the dummy was hers to play with. Dad taught me an awesome trick, each time she retrieved it and would want to chew on it, I ran back a few steps saying her name. It worked like a charm, she hates to be left behind so she would run to me with the dummy! We only did a few reps, each time stepping back further, so that she wouldn't get bored. Now I can gradually increase the distance and continue to work on the come portion of the drill.

Penny has also learned a few other tricks this week, a few intentional and a few not so intentional! Lets just say this pup will do anything for a Natural Balance Training Treat! I highly recommend them, they are soft so you can break off small pieces so over the course of a training session you only use several and your dog doesn't eat to many treats.

She has learned lay down as well as formally learning the word kennel. We are also working on stay while she is laying down instead of sitting up. I read the basics on obedience on the AKC website and you have to sit for 3 minutes across the ring from your handler in the beginning obedience test, lets just say we have a long way to go! We are up to 40 seconds...guess we have some work to do still.

Penny has also mastered the art of jumping on the couch from a full sprint. Just picture Cynthia eating a chicken finger in the chair and all of a sudden Penny supermaned onto the ottoman next to her head and is nose to nose with the chicken finger.....it was priceless! We were laughing so hard we had to recover to even tell her no!

Big Dog Crate

Okay, so I decided that if Penny was going to have to be in a crate during the day while I was at work, then she might as well have tons of room to play. Plus a big fluffy Pillow crate so she is comfortable all day - yes she is spoiled! I wouldn't recommend this idea for a pup that isn't house broken but seeing how Miss Penny is top of her class and was house broken in a week we haven't had any crate issues! Yes, I know she is an accelerated student, her momma is so proud :).

Her other crate is totally fine for her but it is now her car crate/stay at the grandparents crate. I couldn't not post these pictures....I promised Cyn they wouldn't go on Facebook, but she didn't say anything about the blog!

Check out Penny and her Aunt Cynthia in her big dog crate! (Keep in mind, Cynthia is 5'8) What can I say....it is the crate that Petco recommend for a Golden Retriever. I have a feeling she will grow into it one day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! I got to spend the long weekend at Mom and Dad's and had so much fun. We spent Thanksgiving night with the Means Family in Covington and I just loved seeing everyone. The Means are my second family and it was so wonderful to be surrounded by so much love on Thanksgiving. My grandpa is here so penny got to meet her great grandpa! They got along great and she just loves the tassels on his house shoes....so funny! It was a bitter sweet weekend, since we lost Jazz last year the day after Thanksgiving. Having Penny there this year was a great feeling and we know that Jazz is looking out for us all in doggie heaven!

We went for a big walk each morning and Pen did great, walking pretty on a leash is still as work in progress but it will come. The walks also tuckered her out so Mom and I could cook for the Holiday. She found the screened in porch at their house and we couldn't keep her off of it, she just loved watching the other dogs go by while laying in the sun - must be a tough life :).

In between cooking and decorating for Christmas we had a few Sit, Stay and Come lessons. Penny is getting so good at it! She had the jist after one lesson but we are working on consistency and the ability to do it with distractions now. I am continually so impressed with how smart she is. It usually only takes one lesson to pick up on a concept - top off the class all the way! Once she really has Sit Stay and Come down we will start working on it in conjunction with a retrieve! Can't wait to see what my baby girl can do.

Pics from the weekend are below - the one with Penny in the Red Wagon is my favorite, she jumped in while mom was using it to take the recycling out....so stinking cute!

Thanksgiving Afternoon - Penny is getting Big!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Radio Flyer Dog! Best Pic yet.

Lake Time!

Penny went for her 1st swim, and did awesome! She loved splashing around in the water and did great swimming. We will have to work on her water entry....she likes to tip toe in but look at her go! I was such a proud mom! Just wait, one day she will be retrieving like a crazy girl.

The water was still a bit warm and since the lake was down for the winter it was so easy for her to wade in. I went in with her up to my knees to make sure she was okay but she didn't need me! She was a natural. I can't wait to see her plow through the water when she is older.

First Bath

Okay so I had to post two blogs tonight. We went for a walk and got caught in the rain so Miss Penny got her first bath. She wasn't to happy about it but she didn't fuss that much either. I found this awesome shampoo called "Buddy Rinse". It is all natural and really gentle on their skin. It made her smell so nice (I used the lavender mint) but not to nice that you forget she is a pup.Once we were done she was off like a rocket and I guess it was her way of telling me she wasn't stinking around for a second bath! She was adorable when she was done bc it looked like someone had taken a krimper to her (check out her ears below), you know the old school 80's kind! It was so stinking cute. When she dried she became the softest ball of fur you have ever held. All I wanted to do was cuddle with her.

Back to Work

So, my vacation is over and its back to work this week. This weekend was so much fun and Penny had a ton of fun! She got to play with so many people and especially loved meeting her aunt Lauren. Lauren gave her the cutest stuffed frog and it is her new favorite toy. She got to meet Lily - my wonderful kitty niece and they played cat and mouse all weekend. We are working towards them being friends but Penny's energy is a bit much for Lily just yet. She also got to meet Simba - Beth's kitty and they had a blast chasing each other. Simba was a trouper and had a big time playing with Penny. Not that I want her to love all cats, but it is a great learning experience for her and exposes her to different things.

My favorite moment happened on Sunday morning. We woke up at our normal 6:30 time and had breakfast and a play time. After that Penny curled up in bed with me and we had a nap until 9 am. It was so sweat, she curled up next to me and we got a cuddle moment. So cute! She had her frog with her and it was one of my favorite pictures yet. After that she got a big walk with Dad on Sunday and is doing awesome on the lease. We are not heeling yet, but she is keeping up and walking pretty. By the end of the day Sunday she was tuckered out and slept like a log.

Penny has done so great in the crate during the day. We have our routine down - wake up around 6:15 and go for a short walk, breakfast and play time followed by a longer walk. Then its time for me to start getting ready - this is when it gets funny. She is not fond of being left on her own unless she wants it that way. She loves to bark at me while I am in the shower and whine if she can't see me, such a momma's girl! I have learned that if I bring her toys into the bathroom where she can play and keep an eye on me she does better.

I thought the crate would be a problem but she goes right in the mornings. We are working on "Kennel" but so far its the treat that gets her to enter the crate, not the kennel command. We will have to keep working on that one! Mr. Frog goes with her and they curl up and take a nap. The only time she whines is when I put her back in the crate after our lunch play time.

We had our first accident- Penny distroyed my cell phone charger, she must have pulled it off of the night stand while I was in the shower yesterday. Thankfully she unplugged it when she pulled it and didn't eat it! She simply tore it into several different pieces. Verizon here I come. She is at that stage where everything is fair game - I better watch out when she gets bigger and can reach higher.

So far she has been great while I am at work. She is wired when I get home so that is funny, I am ready for a nap and she is ready to be wild!!!! We have started going on long walks after work and having mini lessons. So far I am trying to keep training lessons short and fun - hopefully it works.

I am continually amazed at how smart she is - smart enough to get into everything but also smart enough to pick up on things so well. She is keeping me on my toes, each time I sit down she is into something else, biting the rug or trying to steal my shoes. She has also gotten sneaky and you will think she is asleep until she is quietly trying to chew whatever is hear her! Sly little rascal! Sit, Kennel and Potty training are well on there way and she hasn't had an accident in the house in two days! So proud of my baby girl.

Stay tuned......

Penny is finally here!

Penny finally made her way to Georgia and we are working on turning her into a southern dog :). She is so stinking adorable and I couldn't as for a more awesome puppy. It is so fun to learn her quirks and personality. She is so loving and sweet but don't worry, she has a little attitude as well. She flew in from South Bend, Indiana on Delta and didn't seem to mind the trip at all. Mom, Dad and I went to Atlanta to pick her up and I felt so blessed to have them with me on such a special day - not that I could have forced them to stay home even if I had wanted to! Penny got two proud grandparents as well yesterday!

She got to Atlanta without any problems and her tail was wagging a mile a minute. She came running out of the crate to give kisses to everyone and was ready to play! It didn't take long for her to tucker out from her big day and she slept on my lap the whole way home. She seemed to settle into her new home without a hitch and has already made herself the queen of our condo. She loved all of her toys and has so far been more interested in them then my shoes........Lets hope that continues.

There is no doubt that she will lack in love, attention or toys - she has already had visitors and even has a play date with Maddie next week so she can get some famous Rapp family love. The Rapp's introduced me to the wonders of Golden Retrievers many years ago and they had a wonderful Golden named Molly. Molly isn't with us anymore but I have a feeling Maddie (Lauren's sweet heart Petite Mastiff) will love on Penny as well. She will meet her other Aunt Lauren this weekend and her cat Lilly - this could be entertaining! It is also the UGA vs AU football game on Saturday so Miss Penny will be wearing her AU bandanna (thanks Aunt Cyn!)proudly at the tailgate where she will have lots of people to play with!

Today was her first morning with me and I am trying to establish a routine so that she will be prepared when I have to go to work next week. (We will see how successful this is on Monday) She did AWESOME and slept until 5:30 before she wanted a potty trip outside. I was able to con her into an extra hour of sleep after that but that was all she was giving me before she wanted to play. We went for a long walk down to the lake so that she could get used to the sights and smells here. On the way back we had our first lesson - stairs! She was awesome and didn't even hesitate going up or down the stairs even though they were open stairs.

After our big walk it was time to go see Monica at Good Hands Veterinary. Penny just loved Monica and had such fun at the clinic. The minute they put her on the exam table she was out like a light - man does she have them fooled, she has been a mile a minute since she got to Georgia! She got her 9 week shots, lots of love and a clean bill of health (not that I expected anything else - Highroller Kennels did an amazing job with the pups). Tip to new pet owners -Monica asked that I do 3 things daily: 1. Play with her feet, 2. rub her gums so she is used to fingers in her mouth, 3. Put my fingers gently in her ears so she is used to having her ears messed with in case she ever has an ear infection.

It is beautiful outside so after the vet we snuck in a fun trip outside with the tennis ball before it was nap time again. We also played fetch with her rope toy - I am working on getting her used to "fetch", "bring it" and "drop it". She was so cute and brought it back right away each time. Drop it is a work in progress as she loves to play tug once she brings the rope toy back!

The shot made her sleepy so she has been sound asleep for the majority of the afternoon. I have a meeting tonight so we will have our first kennel lesson without me here.....lets hope our neighbors don't hate us by the end of the evening ;)

Each minute of the day is a learning experience and I can't wait to see what she will do next!

Who is Excited More?

This was to stinking cute not to post - The letter below arrived last week in the mail just in time to reach me before my last final. (Yes I am now finished with my MBA woo hoo) I was super stressed out and when this arrived in the mail I couldn't stop smiling.

The letter was sent by Penny - aka Penny's Grandmom better shown here as JAM. Hilarious!!! The letter totally brightened my day and I couldn't help but smile. Enclosed with the letter was a book mark with a Golden Retriever on it. Now you tell me - who is more excited? This might show that Penny's Grandmom is pretty siked as well - don't you think?

Jazz's Love

In my previous post I mentioned how the timing of having Penny come to Georgia felt like fate. Yes I am finishing my masters - a process that has been a long 3 year road, she will be here for the holidays and almost all of our family is headed to Georgia this year and cant wait to meet her, and I was so lucky to find an amazing breeder who has continually impressed me. The thing I didn't mention is that it feels most like fate because this time last year was a really hard time for our family. Those of you who have ever owned pets that were truely a part of your family will understand.

The day before Thanksgiving last year was the day that I made the worst decision I have ever had to make. Jazz, our family Jack Russell, aka "my dog" as dad liked to say when she managed to cause yet another hilarious moment, was 16 years old and started failing very suddenly. Making the decision to let her be at peace was absolutely the hardest decision I have made and while it was the right one, it wasn't without alot of pain and tears. We truly lost a member of our family that day.

Everyone who reads this probably has a hilarious Jazz story to tell - she was notorious for finding trouble! To completely understand you have to know that while Jazz was our dog, she only allowed us to live in "her" house. She was also so protective of her family and always knew when you needed some love - you couldn't have asked for a better nurse when you were sick.
She was a terrier through and through! I have chased her through countless neighborhoods, family events and towns...she was a master of escape. She was independent and must have known that her parents came from Queen Elizabeth's Kennel in England because she had the royalty act down!

This year has been the first year since I was born or that my parents got married, that there wasn't a dog in our family. It is such a strange feeling and there are days that I still expect to hear a jingling color as I come in the house. I can't wait to have Ms. Money Penny here and I know that Jazz would have loved to have met her. Below are some pics....


Jazz with her Tennis Ball - good luck trying to catcher her when she had it!



Jazz at Parent's weekend - What a fine Auburn dog!

Leaf Green Girl

Here it goes, my first attempt at blogging. It has been 7 weeks of waiting, watching and planning on one of 10 awesome puppies to be mine. Check out the pups a week after they were born:

It has seemed like fate from the beginning and my plan to find a puppy after graduation from grad school happened so perfectly. Anyone looking for a golden should definitely check out Kelly Kosinski's website for her kennel - High Roller Goldens: http://www.highrollergoldens.net/ . She is incredibly knowledgeable and I continue to impressed with her knowledge of goldens. Effie has been such a good mom to the pups and it has been interesting to watch her care for the pups as they grow. Each day Kelly and Effie expose the puppies to different environments, experiences and situations. Check them out on a walk through the river - these dogs are going to be fierce in the field:

After all of the waiting......

It's official! Leaf Green girl is coming to Georgia. Leaf Green Girl won't do forever, so a great name will be important. Ms. Money Penny is leading the pack but I want to see her before I decide for sure. I couldn't be happier. While all of the puppies are adorable, after talking with Kelly and learning about their temperament tests it sounds like her recommendation of "leaf green girl" is a perfect choice and I can't wait to see her. There are 11 days until she arrives and it can't come fast enough. This whole process has been such a learning experience and I know each day once she is here will teach me even more! Kelly has been so patient and continues to teach me so much about the puppies and the breed.

All of the puppies are so adorable and I can't wait to see how each of them grows. It seems like it has been years since the puppies were born on September 8th but the long wait is almost over and shortly she will be making the flight to Georgia.

Getting ready for a puppy to arrive has been such a fun process and there is definitely a ton of information out there. Books, websites, veterinarian research.....where to begin. It can be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully all of the research will pay off and Ms. Money Penny will thrive in her new home.

Goal for this weekend - Puppy proof the house! Time to think like a puppy!