Dolly

 

Dolly.

Born Aug 7/2026

Did you all forget to remind me what it's really like to live with a big puppy?

It's been 17 years.  Clearly I forgot.  I feel a bit shell shocked.

Good lord.  What have we done?!

She is NOT a Chihuahua.

She is adorable, wiggling, sweet, menacing, whirling, twirling, pouncing, barking, biting, and AWAKE.

She hoovers.  Zoomies.  She carries things around.  Drags things.  Chews things.  All things are currently in  danger.  Crocs are her favorite.  I'm definitely concerned about all of our shoes.

I would describe her as relentless.

I call bull on the 18 to 20 hour estimation of sleeping hours for an 11 week puppy.  

We're all tired.  She made it very clear that she wasn't inclined to sleep or be in the crate.  It was very, very loud here last night.

I was telling Eric it didn't feel ok to let her cry.  He insisted that we all let her cry it out.  At one point I got up to go to the bathroom and he demanded to know where I was going.  Guess who cracked first. Yup.  Eric.  I heard Jia ask Fei where Dad was, Fei told her sleeping in the living room with the puppy.  Jia grabbed her blanket and went down saying "if puppy sleeps in the living room, I'm sleeping in the living room".  I grinned and then got a few hours.

Eric did a run today.  I woke him up early, like 5:30.  He reported she was out to pee at 3:30.  I took her out again, we hung out and played with Eric until he left.  Then I slept on the couch with her from 7 until 10:30.  

The worst is over.  I hope.  She has decided the sleeping spot is my couch and some progress was made with her going in and out of the crate willingly today.  No accidents.  She goes every time we go out and she has peed and pooped on the pee pad. 

Overall, it's a lot.  She is a LOT.  And that is why puppies are built soooo cute.  Lol.  

Yesterday.

Luk took pictures.

It was fun having the kids on board.  Kai was genuinely thrilled.

She hovered 2 rocks, a stick, some paper and a dandelion before we got her to the car.  I'm happy to report on day two I didn't witness her eat anything other than food.

Once in the car she was desperate to get to the boys.

She was raised in a family.  Kids, dogs and cats.

First pee break on the way home.  She went right away.  

We were so proud.  She handled being in the car like a pro.

We stopped to see Lili at work.  She showed her sister off to her co-workers.  

Kai's turn.  That cheeky, oh so pleased look on his face stayed the whole way.  These two are going to be close.

Sassy 1st.  Sniffed bum then put her paw on her and smelled her face.  No issues.

Coco had opinions.  We have some work to do.  They mill around ok.  Every once in a while Dolly tries to play and Coco isn't ready. 

We set up a pen to keep her away from the Chihuahuas and cats.  This didn't work long.  She climbed right up and out.  We got about six hours of control. Lol.

She plays with toys but keeps losing them under things.  Luk is her hero digging them out.  

Up stairs is ok, down is scary.

Fei was home last night and got some cuddles.  She was up this morning and took over so I could get some things done.  Luk took a turn following her around so I could clean the kitchen.

A mid day nap.  The best 10 to 15 minutes of the day.

Wearing Finn's raincoat.

A wee 2 minute snooze with Sassy.

Fei got her to lay in the crate for a whole minute.

We had friends over.  Dolly snoozed under their feet.  And nibbled toes.

9pm, time to end the day.  Dolly and Sassy are crashed.  Together and touching.  Awe.  Wee Coco is on the little bed.  Making sure her point is clear.  I do believe she will come around eventually.

Oh, Oliver and Walter, zero concern.  They just looked at her and walked on by.  Esmei, not quite so enthralled.  Dolly has no interest in the cats.

Clunk.

Yes, she did fall out of bed and sleep through it.  

Coco, in the little bed, in silent protest.

Good night ya'll.

Wish us luck.

I just spent a half hour chasing the land shark.  She gets quite wild when she is tired.  She finally went in her kennel and flopped.  Oh, and, on the last pee break she found a pine cone, and carried it to the door, we let her play with it and when I insisted she come in the house I couldn't find it on the porch so I assume she ate it.  I spoke too soon about her only eating food today.

We all need some sleep.

The Baby has been secured.

 

Signs

 Do you believe in signs?

I do.  Big time.  The Universe speaks to me in crazy ways.

We're on route.  The puppy owner texted to make sure we were still coming to see the boy.  I had indicated I was interested in the black one.  She asked if we would like to meet the girl too.  I said yes.  Appeasing the kids.

I was ok with either but my feed is FULL of black labs, so I do have a preference.

Then I was sent a picture of Dolly.

Yes!  Her name is Dolly!!  I mean. Come on.  Can it even get better?!  

The picture:

Dolly is on PINK ROSES.

This day is taking too long.  We've made it to Comox.  Meeting Dolly at 1:30.  And her brother Chum, lol.

Potential Puppy Day

 

I know no one regrets their fur babies but I'm definitely fearful of change.  Lol.  

I do regret getting rid of all Izzy's big dog things.  

"IF" a puppy comes home with us today, 1st stop will be the petstore for a harness.  So we can safely get it out of the car for breaks on the way home.

I had a big leash left here for in case Poppy needed one or I found a stray.

Eric my lovely hoarder husband just brought in Izzy's giant camping/emergency kennel in the house.  Yay!  I thought it left the house a year ago.

Everyone keeps asking me how I talked Eric into a dog.  I didn't.  Honest.  He has ALWAYS had a dog.  I knew with full certainty that he would want one eventually.  He has always known that I like to fill the grief hole pets leave with a new baby.  No secret.  But no threats, deals or demands were made.

He keeps saying he wants to travel more.  A dog will tie us down.  In the extensive planning to take our 16 day Hawaii trip it was abundantly clear that leaving Luk, Jia, the pets, the house and yard....EASY.  Leaving Kai, extremely difficult.  So what or who is tying us down?  It won't be a dog.  

So, yes, he is approaching this with some excitement.  He set up the temporary pen this morning.  Then offered to grab enough cash for both dogs.  Grin.  I just want ONE.  Lol.

Eeek!!

 

We're meeting these two in Campbell River tomorrow afternoon!!

Black one is a boy,  brown is a girl.  Both available.  They're 12 weeks.  Raised with kids, dogs and cats.  Lab Mom crossed with a lab/shepherd Dad.  

Odds are very high one of them will come home with us tomorrow.  Eeek.  So exciting.  And stupid.  Possibly into the insane category.  This cute baby will be a land shark in two months and a teenager after that.  Plus, a lab, so a goofy, shedding, wiggling, whirling dervish.  I can't wait.  

I have put in over a dozen applications for rescues.  I'm told there are dozens to hundreds of applications for each one.  It's definitely daunting trying to find a dog.  Finding cute pictures of them is easy.  Getting through the hoops, not so much.

We are still on the list for a litter available in a couple weeks but I'm having concerns about their possible giant size.  Their temperament sounds amazing though.  It's so hard to know what a puppy will turn out like.

I did the scary Tremfya injection on my own.  It went just fine.

Kai, ready for Trick or Treating in Chemainus on Halloween.  I put the shirt on him and he said "I look GOOD!".  Lol.

Eric and Luk are off to Queen Alexadra today to get his orthotics repaired.  

Jia and Luk have been sick all week.  Eric's cough is still lingering.  Reports from schools, playgroup and Jia's work is that everyone has it.  Kai and I have managed to escape it so far.  

Road trip to see the puppies tomorrow.   I can't wait.  

Kai's newest creation.

 

He had to have worked all day today on this one.  

Yesterdays Adventure

 

Mount Arrowsmith and Labour Day Lake.

I thought we'd get rain, it was very cold but the sun came out eventually.

Oscar showing off.

Our trail lead, Michael.  We've been out with him on trails before.  He didn't want to lead but by accident gathered our group and did a great job.

Squirrel did great.  We did a fun trail, I love how she crawls in 4 wheel, I was spotted doing a long back up, spotted again on a mountain turn around and then did a mountain edge turn around on my own.  Progress.  

Funny, one moment Eric was spotting on the radio.  He said passenger, so I promptly turned driver, the frustration in his voice when he gritted out "that's ddrrivveer".  

Labour Day Lake.  We didn't find the way to the waters edge.  It's a big lake.

We just see roads and trails not yet traveled.

It was fun to explore a whole new area of the Island.  We met at Whiskey Creek.

And another cabin.

She who has the most mud WINS.

Showing off again.

This way of backing in one at a time is very intimidating to me.  Everyone is watching. Or waiting for their turn and watching.  I did it with only mild anxiety.  The pride, walking away and looking back to see Squirrel looking like she belongs there.

And yes, showing off again.  It's like Oscar just can't help himself.  Lol.

Eric was tail for the day.

This is Odin.  I've looked at his file on line.  He was with his foster Mom and he is available for adoption with Snow Dogs.  

He is 2 and GORGEOUS.  He is happy, happy, happy.  He was prancing in puddles.  So excited and exuberant.  The energy of six large dogs.  Double leashed and his Mom was having a hard time controlling him.  I love his personality and his joy.  I am not nearly strong enough to deal with him.  

Back to aiming for a puppy.

I got up this morning and Eric is watching training videos :) I think watching a very high energy dog for the day scared him.  I let him know the litter we're signed up to see is not high energy with a very calm and gentle Mom.

The red Jeep was on their first run.  I was wondering how she would deal with the BC pinstripes that are inevitable.  She did comment she thought they'd buff out.  Haha.  The whole group laughed and we all compared our marked up paint.  White doesn't show much, I mentioned it was really visible on my blue.  There was a collective "Squirrel is blue?!".  Um, ya.

They loved seeing a tiny bit of what Big Red can do and they now have a long shopping list of equipment and upgrades they want.  Indoctrinated.

Next weekend Eric is doing Granite Dunes.  I'm tagging along as a passenger, I think.  It's an intimidating run.  We struggled last year, bottoming the whole way and needing a winch three times.  Oscar has had a lot of upgrades and it should be easier but it still makes me nervous.

Then the following weekend is a women's run.  I said I would go but it's causing me anxiety going all the way to Mount Washington without Eric.  Yesterday the poster changed.  Women drivers can have male passengers.  So, I formally checked "going".  Then let Eric know.

Tomorrow I have an eye appointment where we will be discussing cataract surgery.  Very, very, scary.  I get to choose whether to fix my far OR near vision.  For an added fee.  I'm thinking far.  Right?  If only it could be both.

Then Luk has two Victoria appointments this week.  Different days of course.  One to the Neurologist and one to Queen Alexandra to get his leg orthotics repaired.

It blows my mind that the boys prefer to stay home versus go on our adventures.