New pictures: outside

Some new pictures today!

Looking for the neighbor's cats (too hot to come out!)

 Yeah, it's 90+ out.

Squirrel!

Molly and the Vet

Molly will not be getting off leash for a while. She bolted out the door knowing I was going to take her to the vet on Tuesday, so I had to chase her around the neighborhood for fifteen minutes. We got there only five minutes late, luckily, but if she had gotten hit by a car it could have been a lot worse.

Her heartworm meds costs 6 months for $120!! And that's at/below retail from what I see on the internet. Yikes.

Also got her vaccines (parvo and lepto) on 5/8/2012 so she'll need to go back for a booster in June. But this means she can go play with other dogs!

Otherwise vet exam turned out all good and clear. She's back to her normal weight so I'm gonna have to start exercising again.

Molly and Storms

Unlike many dogs, Molly isn't bothered at all by thunder or lightning. In fact, she wanted to go outside! We went out to the patio and she figured out it was also raining too.

Sorry for the lack of posts/pics, been busy with last week of school and it's hard to take pictures while I'm walking Molly.

Photo update

Molly doesn't like photos so I've been slacking here, but here's a good one I got with her sock on.

Problem: solved?

Molly was gnawing on her foot so much that it was turning pink (I'm 100% sure it's allergies! The pollen around my apartment is awful). I got one of my socks that I don't wear because it's too small and put it on her paw. Apparently it worked!

happy Molly!

In other news, Molly enjoys asking to go out at 2am and then waking up at 5am and then whining all morning so that I can't sleep.

I know, you get to nap all day while I'm class.

Still super awesome silly puppy!

Dive bomber!

There's a bird two blocks away who dive bombs Molly's tail every time we walk past his or her tree.

AHHHH BIG BUSHY TAIL

TARGET LOCKED TWWOWOWOOWOWOWOW

pizza is human food

Molly has no interest in this delicious pizza, which is good, because she's not going to be disappointed when I don't give her any.

I'm starting to read emotions in her face, which is weird, because she's a dog.

Molly is being a silly dog

Molly's pouting because I didn't share any of my dinner with her. She's all pretending to be sad (or maybe she is actually sad). NO ONIONS, YOU'RE A DOGGY! I'm trying to keep your red blood cells from exploding. I even gave you seconds on your dog food. So stop being a silly dog.

Also, every bit of good training says I ignore her barking and pouting or otherwise she'll keep doing it. Silly dog, you're being trained.

I'm almost 100% sure she's gonna get revenge by waking me up tomorrow morning at 6am.

Wake up call

Molly woke me up at 6am this morning. For her breakfast. C'mon now! Just wait an hour, geez.

And now she's passed out on the couch like a silly dog.

Chicken dinner!

Molly wasn't eating at all, so I decided to look up healthy dog meals and came across boiled chicken and rice as a great meal starter.

Molly couldn't have been happier! She was licking the microwave door (it's pretty low to the ground in my kitchen) and I made sure the pieces were fully cooked AND had cooled down before I mixed them in her food bowl. Added some of the chicken broth for flavor. She finished her bowl!

I think we're starting to be on the same page now, although I have largely given up on crate training. Which is not a good thing. But the couch is much more comfortable for her, plus she hasn't tried to bolt outside when I open the door, so she's figured out where is home.

Gonna be a good week!

Foods Molly likes

Molly likes:
- Chicken al carbon

- hamburger?

Molly does not like:
- Castor & Pollux Organic Chicken Cookies
- Newman's Organic Chicken flavored treats

Molly is not eating:
- Science Diet Ideal Balance (Chicken), but she did finish a whole bowl before.

hamburger?

Molly right now looks like the saddest puppy ever because I ate a whole hamburger while she watched. She sat, patiently and happily panting, just hoping I would give her a piece... and I ate the whole thing. :D No people food until you finish your antibiotics, then I'll figure out what I can make for you.

Happy walk!

I took Molly out for a half an hour walk around the neighborhood today and she looked like the happiest dog ever, even after she got home.

Diarrhea's mostly gone, which is a very good sign. Going to finish out her prescribed antibiotics in any case, to prevent the bacteria from surging back.

Eating food and excited about exercise are both very good signs!

meal time!

Molly's feeling good enough to eat! Crunch crunch crunch. She ate only a little, but a little is better than none.

Plus no bathroom breaks last night! I got a 6am wake up though -_-

Back home from the vet

Had a good talk with the vet today. Diarrhea problem persists, but the problem seems to be a stress-related bacteria increase so got some antibiotics and diarrhea medication to help.

Apparently has had some serious weight loss. Hasn't been eating at all at home, hopefully she'll start to get hungry once the antibiotics help.

Going to the vet was much more stressful than it should have been, but at least I got her checked out. Scheduled for shots, coming up in two weeks. Now resting comfortably on the sofa. Heyyyy that's where I was gonna go after this very long day!

I was trying to figure out what Molly's other half mix was since she's an Akita mix. Closest picture I found was a pitbull-akita mix, so that might hint at her submissive/protective behavior. In any case, she's still the sweetest girl around.

Off to the vet

Molly kept waking me up every two hours last night for her diarrhea, so I called the vet (Westgate Pet & Bird Hospital) first thing this morning at 7am. Even if it's just anxiety, I need to take her to the vet anyways for her post-adoption check up so I don't mind.

It's gonna cost me a something silly like $200 to get her fecal tests and everything. At least they're only charging me $10 to keep her there till her appointment at 5pm. Helps make it a little less stressful for me.

Looks like more of that money I saved up is moving right out.

Now I'm sleep deprived and stressed out. Gonna be a long day.

Sleeeeep

After a long stressful day, Molly falls asleep.

She had one last instance of diarrhea at home, but I hope that was the last of it. Saw some blood at the end, so called Vet Hospital- as long as it doesn't get worse and she wakes up hungry tomorrow, things should be ok.

Gonna get up at 7 tomorrow to make sure everything is okay, might even sleep on the couch.

First Day!

The first day was very stressful for Molly!

Time to pick her up from the shelter! Possibly the longest thirty minute drive I have made, thinking of all the great things and great responsibility that comes with owning a dog. PAWS is right off I-35 in Kyle, Texas.

I checked all her paper work and got her ready to go. She didn't exactly volunteer to get in the crate, and the dog treats I got didn't work at all, but all the volunteers had wonderful things to say about her so I took it as she was a bit stressed.

 She had a case of diarrhea on the long car ride home (thirty minute drive) and this was a tough start for poor Molly. I couldn't get out and clean it on the highway, and the best option I decided was to rough it out till we got home, and then I could clear out the soiled tray of the crate and give her a little bit more breathing space.

She's a champ: everything I did she cooperated with and when I looked up her history it says she's super housetrained so I didn't think I was going to have a problem. Got her out of the crate, got the crate out of the car, cleaned up the car and the crate while she waited on leash. She's still trying to figure out her schedule (can I go out?! can I go out?!) and adjust to her new home.

After giving her a walk around the complex outside, I brought her in. I had to leave for class and a meeting so it was time to get her in the crate. Although I had changed out the tray and cleaned the whole crate, she was not looking like she would get into the crate on her own. Being firm I eventually got her in (took like twenty minutes).

When I came home two hours later, found some projectile diarrhea on the wall. Yikes! It's true dogs don't like soiling their own crate but this wall art is... a pain to clean up. Spray with pet cleaner, paper towel to rub off. No scolding, but no praise or hugs either. Positive reinforcement is the only way to train effectively.

Usually diarrhea is a food illness symptom, but luckily I read up that it could happen with first day stress, so I'm going to keep my eye out for when it might happen again. Luckily she got fed for the day this morning, so I won't have to feed her till tomorrow morning. This fasting helps settle her stomach and hopefully she'll have her appetite back tomorrow.

Good things so far:

• Had a lady passing by on her walk comment on how beautiful she is! It's true, she's a beauty.
• Great walking dog: no problems with people, cars, or other dogs passing by. Runs around like a hound with her nose in the ground.
• Peed normally outside in the grass, no issues there.
• Knows her name (apparently her old name was Zoey, so she perked up her ears instantly when I called her that!).

Things to work on:

• Apparently has no interest in toys (I bought so many kinds too! squeaky toy, chewy toy, hybrid squeaky chewy toy, cotton toy, rubber chew toy- and so far nothing).
• Barks and whines a bit to get my attention. Barks when I leave. She's gotta realize that's not gonna help, but it does add to her personality being a talkative dog!
• Treats have been completely ineffective, having tried two expensive organic chicken flavored brands (Castor and Pollux, Newman's Organic). Gonna be a lot harder to train if she can't be motivated by treats.

I've been spraying deodorant all around my apartment since her second accident. She's lying on the floor right now as I type this.

In just ten hours from now!

I'm picking up Molly ten hours from now!! AHHHHHHH

Her food and water bowls are laid out on a dog-treats themed place mat, her crate is lined with a cozy mat, and she's getting so many treats and toys she's not gonna be able to say no to all of 'em.

Expenses, for those keeping track:
$400 pet deposit to my apartment, $120 adoption fee, $350 pet supplies...
It's a good thing I got money saved away!

I have to see how expensive the vet is down the street from me. It looks like a really sweet place, with great reviews on Google, built in a converted house, but something so close and convenient has got to have a catch. Of course, I'm getting pet insurance so maybe that will help.

Thanks to PAWS Shelter and Humane Society in Kyle for letting me adopt her!