Life with Stevie... Megan informed me that Stevie is trying to master the fine art of multi-tasking, particularly when it comes to playing with her toys. She was running around with "Mr. Bluefoot" (a squeaky blue rubber ball with two feet and a "dinosaur" tail) and wouldn't let go of it even though her intent was to try to get her ball with the bell inside of it at the same time. In fact, she wants to play with as many of her toys as possible all at once. She's nothing if not persistent.

Megan also wants Stevie to learn how to climb up and down stairs since her current apartment is on the second floor. But she didn't want to try to teach her on the apartment stairs because they're the kind that are open at the back, just asking for a puppy mishap. So she has a little plastic step stool that she put at the end of her bed to show Stevie how to get up on the bed without any help. She has actually done it twice pretty much on her own. I told Megan she may regret teaching this to Stevie, but really, it's only a matter of time before she figures it out anyway. She has gotten tall enough to begin reaching for things on the second shelf of the bookcase that Megan had moved from the bottom shelf not so long ago. "Puppy-proof" takes on new meanings as puppies grow. I guess "puppy-proofing" is kind of like owning a house... you're never really done with it.

G

P. S. - Megan sent me a photo of the squeaky orange ball with feet and horns... I'm going to post it next, so you can see what we're talking about.

G

When we were out yesterday, we stopped by Petsmart. Megan had several coupons that were going to expire and we were on a quest for dog nail trimmers and puppy food. Besides, Megan said, Stevie needed a new toy. I cocked an eyebrow at that last part-- Stevie has more toys than Santa's elves on December 23rd. Still, it is true that some toys have already gone to that great toy box in the sky, some have been taken away because they are inappropriate for Stevie the Terror, and quite frankly, her attention span for any one thing is about what one might expect from a gnat larvae.

We went, we saw, we shopped, used all the coupons and came away successful. In the end we bought an a squeaky orange rubber ball with feet and horns (I'll have to get a picture of that one for you), the Nutro puppy food she's been getting, a nice Stevie-sized set of nail clippers (along with styptic powder, just in case) and the Dog Fancy Magazine about Min Pins. Nice haul.

We returned to the apartment and played with Stevie, then decided it was time to inaugurate the clippers. At first, Stevie didn't want to have anything to do with anything that involved her holding still. But I got her to calm down and lie on her back -- something we're going to work on a little more -- and Megan did an excellent job of trimming all but the dew claws (they weren't as grown as the rest; we'll tackle them next time). Both Stevie and Megan did great. Megan was really scared at first, and Stevie could sense it. But once Megan relaxed, so did Stevie and it went without incident.

Then, of course, it was time for a "snack", currently Stevie's favorite word, and yes, she knows it well! All in all, quite a day.

G

Sorry I've been off line for two days. Bowling is Thursdays and last night I went to a friend's birthday celebration, so all electronic communication had to wait a bit.

I visited Megan and Stevie again today. We joked that we have seen each other every weekend since she first got the pup, which is more frequent than we had seen one another for quite a long time. That's okay, though, we both enjoy it, and Megan insists she has to see me and talk to me more often because, as she puts it, I "know puppy stuff". It's great.

The "fetch" game continues to evolve. There's a sort of ritual to it: Stevie will choose a toy -- not always the ball with the bell in it -- and come nudge Megan with it or, a new development, stand up on her hind legs and put her front paws on Megan's knee with the toy in her mouth. Megan gets the toy and asks, "Are you ready? Are you ready?" Stevie gets set -- and I swear to dog, it's just like a receiver waiting for the quarterback snap -- and then Megan hollers "Go long!" and tosses the toy. Stevie, by smell and sound, finds the toy and away they go again. Stevie will play this game, like most dogs, until either she or Megan - or both - is completely exhausted by it. It's fun to watch and to participate in.

Today I gave Stevie a little tee shirt that says "Squirrels... they're not just for breakfast any more!" Normally, that might be kinda funny on its own. But you have to understand there's a back story here. Megan teaches psychology at Austin Community College. She tells her students that all people are squirrels... you never really know what they're going to do or how they're going to react in a certain situation. So when I saw that doggie tee shirt with that saying on it, well, there was just no way I was leaving the store without it.

As you can see from the photos I posted in the Gallery here, while Stevie may have appreciated the irony of the shirt's quote, she thought wearing it was one of the worst ideas ever. Still, it was fun for about 5 minutes.

There is a Christmas photo posted out of order. It's one of me with Stevie inside my sweater and Newton sitting on my lap. That was Christmas Day during our Scrabble game. I had been holding Stevie in an effort to keep her quiet for the duration of the game. I remembered that when Li'l Darlin' was a puppy, she loved to sleep inside my sweaters and sweatshirts. (Now, at 12 lbs, she sometimes still wants to try, but it's not that simple any more.) Newton decided that was *his* territory and insisted on sitting on my lap. That's comical in and of itself, and a great photo. But what's even more funny is the expression on Newton's face. I'm not sure how to describe it, and I know the so-called experts say that dogs don't have the same emotions as people do, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions after you have studied that picture.

Stay warm and dry!
G

Megan informed me that Stevie's new full name is "Stevie Bonk Dumb Ass Wild Thing Pooter Baldwin".

The "bonk" part is a very un-P.C. moniker for the sound that happens when she runs into something. We'll apologize for it, but we won't mean it. It just fits. (In truth, she doesn't run into nearly as many things as she used to, and it usually happens when she's overly excited.)

The "dumb ass" part is borne of frustration because of Stevie's insistence on doing totally goofy stuff like chewing carpet, eating paper, and generally doing dumb things. Now, don't get all riled; it's really a term of endearment. Heck, I call Newton "dumb ass" for eating deer poop. I mean, really.

The "wild thing" part should be fairly self-evident from the other blogs I've written. She is simply puppy-nuts! Her levels of enthusiasm, excitability, and high energy, coupled with a very wide streak of serious Min Pinitude, make her a force to be reckoned with. It really can make you tired just watching her.

The "pooter" part... hmmm, well, geez, I wonder where on earth that came from? Evidently, over the last week or so, Stevie's gastric system has kicked into high gear and she expels gas in amounts totally disproportionate to her tiny stature. I think this may have coincided with the timeframe during which Megan determined it was okay to feed her more frequently.

In any case, "pooter" is just funny enough to "stick" as Stevie's nick name. I guess time will tell.

G

Megan had called me a while back and asked me if Min Pins did a certain little "dance". She tried to describe it to me over the phone, and I finally decided what she was talking about was the kicking up of dirt, grass, paper or what have you after they potty. So I told her that was just a dog thing in general. It wasn't until I was over there this weekend that I actually SAW what she was talking about. Whenever Stevie is convinced she's going to be fed, she does a little dance: First, she'll spin around in circles (Newt does that, too), then she'll stop and "stamp" her front feet - left, right, left, right, left, right - as if to say, "Come on, hurry up, I'm hungry, what's the hold up, where's the food?!" It's really very comical and oh, so cute, something I'd love to capture on film.

Talking with Megan tonight, she elaborated further on Stevie's requests for play. Stevie will go and pick out what toy she wants to play with and now, instead of nudging her ankle, she will stand on her hind legs and put her front paws on Megan's knee, holding the toy of choice in her mouth. The child may be blind, but she's no less demanding than any sighted puppy I've ever known.

More to come...
G