Category: Lili

I did not have a great day today. In fact I am exhausted. So is the life of a new mother! I woke this morning to a pup who had pooped in her crate and was covered in it!

First I had to pick up this poopy mess and carry her outside to wee-wee. Then I brought her in and tossed her in the sink, and gave her a bath. She did not like her bath, but accepted that in the end, she smelled better.

Then I put her crate outside, got the bedding out and in a plastic bag to carry to the laundry room. Cleaned up the poop, and then sprayed down the crate with shower cleaner, and hosed it all off, leaving it in the sun to dry.

The puppy room was mopped up and then the kitchen was cleaned up as well.

The dachshunds watched everything wide eyed! I don’t think their little minds go back that far, to when they were being potty trained. She is still so young, and these things happen.

Lili was upset (I think my gagging during the entire fiasco probably bothered her) as she wee-wee’d a few time today inside. Just a little setback, right?

I have discovered “The Good Wife”. They show it on the Hallmark Channel in the afternoon. Wow, is it good!

I had chicken to use. Not just a little, but enough so that I could make an entire meal, if only I could figure out what to cook. So many items I did not have in my pantry, but so many things I did. In the end I made a chicken soup, with a couple of small dumplings. It was enough and Hubby was happy.

Finally today, I got Lili in her crate by leaving the door open and allowing her to go back and forth at will. At one point, she just went in, got comfortable and took a nap!

Lili is a real spitfire! She is a handful! At times I have found myself with the exhaustion of a new baby parent.

Thankfully, Lili is very smart. I’ve worked with her every single day and she is really coming around. I remind myself that a great dog just doesn’t happen, it takes a lot of work.

I have her Obedience Classes all lined up. She starts on June 16th. I will keep going with her until I feel comfortable that she knows what I want her to do.

I think with Fritz it was about about six months. He did very well, and it made the rest of our life together so very much happier.

So although I am tired, life is good and Lili is doing well. The dackels are adjusting. Life is finding a pace once again. We miss our boy, but honestly, Lili keeps us all on our toes!

Well, we can call her Lili the Leaper!

I had a 2 foot puppy gate up to keep her from going down the hall, and she leapt the gate! So I put up a full size 3 1/2 foot x-pen as a gate across the opening. She is so disappointed as she cannot jump this one! She has even stopped going over there trying to sneak across the border!

Also in the last 48 hours, she has had just one accident! She also is going to the back door and whining when she needs to potty. Progress!

Here is another thing, I’ve worked on Lili’s recall to me, as well as the “no bite” and she is such a smartie pants. At first she tried to show me who was boss, but by the end of the day she was getting the hang if it all.

Lili, my love, you are growing up!

Saturday night Hubby was up later than me, so he was assigned the last walk and the putting of Lili into her crate. Then he came to bed.

This morning I woke, and there was no noise from the mud room where the crate is stored. I dressed quickly (I do that a lot these days) and went out into the kitchen. There, greeting me with a wagging tail and a big doggy smile, was Lili!

I looked at her crate, and the door was firmly shut. Nothing was amiss. I took her outside and she performed well. But I came in, still wondering about Lili, the magical puppy!

Hubby got up and I asked him about it and he was shocked! He swore he got her in the crate and closed the door with her inside! Well, seems Lili is a magic dog who transported herself out of that crate!

Yes, Lili is settling in, eating better and getting into a routine. The biggest routine is that I literally leap out of bed in the morning and rush to her crate, grab her and off we go for our morning walk! She loves that and frankly, I’m getting to enjoy it too.

She wasn’t eating too well at first, but I have some ground puppy food that I am mixing with her crunchy food, and now she just gobbles it up. Good think. Seeing as she is a big dog, in her puppy years she really needs the calories.

I remind myself that she is just a baby, even though at times she does act much older. Then she will do something like every other puppy, and I have to laugh and figure out how to modify this new behaviour!

She really is a doll and we adore her.

Happy Friday!!!

Lili is starting to settle in. She has now won over Greta and Anneliese (well sort of, but it is close!) but Arnie is still a little reluctant to have much to do with her. Mostly I think, the pack of hounds assimilation is going well!

On Tuesday we had Lili to the Vets for her first check up and shots. She handled it like a pro. In fact, she has made a new friend. We also stopped by our mechanics to swap out cars for inspection, and Pete fell in love with her!

Right now Lili does mostly sleeping and wee-weeing, With an occasional food and walk thrown in. It’s the wee-weeing that I am really working on. Getting her to the door fast enough is the key.

After all at 8 weeks she is really not house trained yet, but I sure am!

Lili’s first full day at home was a big one. It started at 5:30 AM and had me running in and out all day long to make sure she pottied correctly in the correct spot. She did amazingly well, with just one accident all day long.

Greta has decided to adopt her, while Arnie and Anneliese seem to be threatened a bit. There have been no fights, but they watch her like a hawk. Hubby and I have spent nice times with the other dogs while Lili slept.

Lili’s bed is in the puppy room and although I know she would love to sleep with us, that will not happen until she is absolutely potty trained. And then she will sleep on the floor next to the bed.

I was able to contact Fritz’s former trainer and she is still not just working as a Veterinary Technician, but she continues to train dogs.  It will be wonderful to see her again. She uses wonderful positive reinforcement to train, and Fritz did so well. I think this will be a special time for Lili.

My little baby is pretty tired out tonight. I’ll keep her up until 10 and then hopefully she will let me sleep in the morning.

If not, then I get to walk around my yard in the early morning dew!

What a whirl wind of a weekend! And in the end, I am a new Mommy to my sweet Princess Lili Marlene of Noblewood! Yes, that is her official name and she is every bit as stunning and regal as I knew she would be!

A very big hug and thanks go out to my cousin, Janet, who did the lions share of the driving. I am not a big city driver, and she not only is a good driver, but she actually enjoys doing it!

The first part of our trip down to my sister’s house, was really crazy. We had dark stormy skies and then torrential downpours! Finally we stopped in at Rein’s Deli where we enjoyed chopped liver and rye bread, blintz’s with strawberries, a deli meat platter, and some banana bread. We shared everything, and it was still more than we could eat. If you are ever on route 84 near Vernon, CT, make plans to stop in.

We arrived at my sister’s house later than I thought. It was already 9 o’clock int he evening, and by that time all us 50 and 60 somethings were getting tired. By 10:30 we were asleep!

The excitement was building and I was awake by 6:30 in Sunday morning. Janet and I got ready and packed up the car and by quarter to eight, we were on the road.

We arrived just at 9:30 and did all the requisite paper work, and then we piled into the car and off we went.

Thank’s Janet for these pictures!

That was when Princess Lili started to cry. She was scared. Fortunately I had a crate in the back seat and I tucked her away into the swaddling blankets and the toy from her biological family home, and she settled right in.

We stopped to drop off my cousin at her home, then onto Savannah’s house and then home to Daddy and the scary dackels. They are not quite sure what to make of this fury white creature. We’ve had some growling, a lot of sniffing, but so far all is good.

So, a new chapter has started in our home. I’m a new mother, and like all new mother’s I’m just a wee bit tired. Oh yes, and the report on the house breaking is that she is doing remarkably well. Just one use of the puppy pads, and aside from that, she has been going outside!

The car is packed and I am ready to go on Saturday morning to see my daughter, Mandy and my granddaughter, Savannah. I’ll pick up my cousin, Janet, stopping at a great Deli for dinner. Then, continuing on to my sister’s house for an overnight. On Sunday morning, we will go to pick up Lili Marlene!

I am so excited and so happy to be bringing her home. A new day dawns  and a new life with Lili begins!