Day 230: OFF THE COUCH

You remember how I told you that in our Mark-Leah-puppy family that Mark does everything? Well you should also know that Mago is smarter than both me and Mark combined. So on Day 230, when Mark decided that we should no longer let Mago hang out on our couch and I taught him the "Off The Couch" command, he learned very quickly that to get a treat for getting OFF the couch, meant you had to get ON the couch.

Duh.

15 treats later, we decided there was no use...and Mago is allowed on the couch again.

Day 215: Training Day/ Drop it Like it's Hot

Things you need to know about the puppy/family relationship:

1. Mark does everything.

What Mago would look like on a roller coaster

I would have never gotten a puppy myself because I just don't know all that much about dogs. I lived with them growing up, but even then I felt like the cool aunt who would come play but never have to do any of the care.

So far, if you couldn't tell from the video about me failing to go to puppy school, is that Mark taught Mago a huge repertoire of tricks such as sit, down, roll over (a perennial favorite, even when not prompted), touch (with his nose), paws (the precursor to high five), high five, stay, leave it, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

My joke for a while was that I taught him one trick--be cute.

It's a win-win. He does it 100% of the time, and about 80 percent of the time, he'll look at me when I say it. It is love.

But let's be honest. It's no real trick.

Mago in his basket of toys, all of which he knows how to drop!

On Day 215, however, I finally taught Mago a real trick: drop it.

This means that whenever he brings me a toy, I'll tell him to drop it, fighting his typical response of viciously protecting it in his mouth and tugging/teething furiously at it until he gets bored. Now, with "drop it," the game can continue...and he gets a treat!

I'm sure you don't want to learn how I taught him to drop it, but that's okay. Just know, it makes me feel like a NINJA. I have mind control over my dog. Domestication at it's finest.

Day 211: Puppy Training (NOT!)

Some "New Thing" days, I predict in advance (e.g. my 2-year anniversary, and my CRR 10K). Day 211 was one of those--I was going to take a day off of yoga-ing and go do puppy training with Mago and Mark. Then, the day of, Mark checked the website only to find that the puppy school only allowed one handler per pup.

Instead, I decided I'd go to a yoga class, and then realized we were having guests this weekend and I needed to clean instead.

"Mama said there'd be days like this."

Anyhoo, these are the tricks that Mago already knows, so by my estimation, he doesn't need puppy school anyway. So I didn't miss out on anything...I hope.

Day 206: I Am Not a "Dog Person"

As I've said before, having a new puppy makes doing New Things really easy. If anything, Mago is GREAT for blogging. On Day 206, we took our first venture to the dog park! We had to wait until Mago had all of his shots before he was exposed to unknown puppies, so that was why we held out for as long as we did. 

Dog parks exist for the same reasons as playgrounds--let the little things run around for a couple of hours, and ensure a relaxed remainder of the day. Dog parks are great because they're fenced-in areas where you can let your dog off the leash, sit back, and allow him to have fun without the burden of throwing increasingly-slobbery toys around. And the dogs have a blast. I can't imagine what it would be like if dogs owned me and then allowed me to go run around with people. It would make me pretty excited, too.

In short, Mago was thrilled to get to know the other puppies, and even made a girlfriend, Kelly, a golden retriever mix puppy. Mago was initiated to the big dogs by being pestered a little, but when he met a puppy his own age and size, they chased each other, played, rolled around in dirt and just looked like they were having a blast. 

Like I said, it must be cool to meet someone your own species every now and then :)

I also realized here that I'm not a dog person's dog person. Like, some of the people here were like "my dog and I have worked on a more subtle temperament than other border collies, and he's really such a fan of Blue Buffalo food, the Purina was too abrasive on his digestive tract, you have to be careful about that ingredient normatryxiloxilide, I mean, dogs change if that's in their food. Oh, and we got him into the BEST puppy school early on, so that's why he is just better than the other dogs."

Those people are exhausting. I just think Mago is the cutest puppy ever and I enjoy when he gets to interact with other puppies.

I had intended to take pictures of him at the dog park, but that didn't work out. But this is what he looks like now! Growing up so fast :)

Day 191: Splish Splash, Mago's Taking a Bath!!

Having a new puppy makes doing New Things pretty easy, and Day 191's New Thing was that I gave a puppy a bath. I grew up with two dogs, but for whatever reason, I have no recollection of ever washing them. I was there while my mom would wash them, and I'd help her out where I could, but I never actually did the wholle deed myself.

Until Day 191. Prior to washing said puppy, Mark and I went to Kroger to pick up a good puppy shampoo. There were the classic choices like Tail and Mane, but what really struck our fancy? Fur So Fresh.

Yes M'dears, this puppy shampoo, for a whopping $6.00 was literally called Fur So Fresh and contained more delicious smelling ingredients and hair promises that I bet the dog's fur enjoyed more pampering than I give my own locks. But it was the last bottle in the store, clearly indicating that it was in high demand and very worth it.

Fact.

So here's what ensued:

He's getting so BIG!

Day 188: Pooper Scooper

I hope my property manager isn't reading this. So, I live in an apartment that allows pets and has lots of green area for them to roam around in. They're also really helpful in that they have conveniently, strategically placed poop bags and trash cans around particularly appealing poo areas.

Now, being a new puppy owner, I still think scooping poop is gross. I'm sorry. Especially when it's warm. So, I haven't been especially diligent about scooping Mago's poo outside.

Frankly, I have had to pick up PLENTY of it inside the apartment, so the thought of scooping up every poo, even the, um, less-than-hard ones, is less than appealing. But on Day 188, after noticing how much poo is not scooped around the apartment complex, and how annoying this must be for the landscapers and property managers, I decided it was time to scoop Mago's poo.

Now, I am a pooper scooper.

No pictures necessary.

Day 178: This is mostly a post to show off my cute puppy...

Day 178 was nothing short of BEAUTIFUL. And I mean, first-day-of-Spring, break-out-the-sundresses beautiful. Mark and I decided that we'd want to go eat outside somewhere, and we wanted to bring Mago along. It just so happens that there is a great little restaurant just across Roswell Rd. from my apartment called Nancy G's that has a puppy patio, complete with a menu for people and puppies. Instead of driving over to the restaurant that was no more than a half a mile away (SUCH a beautiful day) we decided to walk, making day 178 the first time I walked along Roswell Road as well as the first time I dined on a puppy patio.

Hanging out with mom

Basking in the sun!

Later, Mago met George, Mark's 150-pound golden retriever. Mago has no idea how small he is and George has no idea how big he is, so they got along swimmingly.

Day 172: Mago

On Day 172, Mark and I adopted a puppy. He is a "bulldog mix" which we think may mean a "Bea-Bull" or a beagle-bulldog mix. His name is Mago, named after one of Mark's favorite authors, Jose Saramago. We adopted him from the Atlanta Humane Society, a place I recommend highly.


No need to tell the story, I'll just make you jealous with pictures!!

Siiimbaaa

 

The sweet face that runs up to me when I get home!

His eye color is especially pretty!!

After lots of playtime, he's conked out!!