Stevie's Min Pin-edness is more and more evident every day. Recently, and most notably today, she has learned to try to do things differently once she has been told "no" to see if she can get away with them that way. Or maybe mom won't see. Or maybe mom won't notice. (Of course, she does.) Puppy child that she is, she still tries to find ways to get around mom saying, "no". For example, if Megan tells her no about biting or chewing her (Megan's) hair when she's holding her, Stevie will crawl over to the other shoulder and try biting/chewing from that side. Who knows? It might work...

We're all looking forward to their visit on Christmas Day. It should be interesting if nothing else!

G

Megan has been busy putting up more photos and comments about Stevie on her Photosite (see http://foreverwidget.photosite.com). She's got new photos that even I hadn't seen before. Gotta love 'em.

Today Stevie worked very hard putting all of her toys -- and there are MANY -- in the bathroom. When she ran out of toys, she decided to start on other stuff... t-shirts, pillows and anything else within puppy range. Pretty funny.

Megan and Stevie are planning to come visit me and my two Min Pins, 9 year old choc/rust female, Li'l Darlin', and soon-to-be 6 year old IMPS rescue stag red male, Newton, on Christmas Day. Darlin' is curious and polite and I am not worried about her. She will likely actually be a little wary of a puppy. Newton, I don't know. He doesn't like dogs that are too rambunctious, so I'm not sure how he'll react to bouncy Stevie. I plan to talk to them about it before Megan and Stevie get here, but it will be interesting to witness. Extra camera batteries are being charged in anticipation of the visit.

Don't touch that dial...
G

Today was Megan's last day at the Community College for the holiday break. Needless to say, she is very excited at the prospect of having 11 days off to do all the things she keeps thinking she's going to do the rest of the time. She called me after she got home.

Megan: "I don't have to go back! I don't have to go back for 11 whole days!"

Me: "I wish I could do that."

Megan: "I was driving home and I kept saying, "I can't wait to get home and see my puppy!"

Me: "That's pretty normal..."

Megan: "It's the first time I've said it."

Me: "Well, of course. You've never had a dog before."

Megan: "No, it's the first time even since I got Stevie."

Me: "Ohhh. Yeah, I got like that when I got Big Red. Now my dogs are usually the highlight of my days!"

Megan: "It's all your fault."

Me: "I know."

So a 30+ year "cat person" is converted, completely. :)

Be sure to check out http://foreverwidget.photosite.com for more pix and commentary on Stevie from Megan herself...

G

It was FIELD TRIP DAY today!

Megan came home from work and got Stevie ready for a little trip to her office at the Austin Community College Student Services department. Naturally, Stevie was pretty shaky at first, but when she realized she wasn't going to be in her crate for very long and had about 15 new people to snuffle and lick, she was very excited. She charmed the heck out of everybody, including a big maintenance guy who likes to give Megan a hard time (okay, she gives him a hard time, too). Megan set up "potty papers" in a corner, and darned if that little blind critter didn't know right where to do her business. Not sure how that went over with the staffers, but probably better than if she hadn't!

Megan says Stevie was a huge hit (big surprise!), and Stevie was ecstatic to have new people's ears to clean and faces to kiss. By the time they got back home, you'd think she'd have been tuckered out. Oh, no, she was just getting started!

Of course, it's all my fault. :)

G

Plans are afoot for Stevie to go to work with Megan one day this week before her office closes between semesters. Everyone at the office (Austin Community College Student Services; she's also a teacher of psychology, but classes let out last Thrs) has been with her through this from the beginning, and they have been pestering her non-stop about bringing her for a visit. She won't take her for the whole day, just come home at a break and take her for an hour or so.

I told her to be sure to talk to Stevie beforehand so she knows they're going somewhere new with new smells and new people to kiss and charm. :) Lots of people think that's silly, but I have always thought that dogs understand more than most humans give them credit for.

I always talk to mine before trips, told them about moving, etc. I think it helps... who knows, I don't speak dog! :) If nothing else, it helps me, so it has to count for something, right?

G