Something to be thankful for this time of year

The thing about this time of year is that everyone is crazy with Christmas shopping and parties and all kinds of other things. Maybe we are not happy about how cold it is outside, or stressed about money.

On the way to work today I realized that although the days are much shorter this time of year, the great thing about that is we can see the sun rise and set every day. Most of us are awake at 7am and 4:30pm. Take a look at the sun at these times. It is gorgeous! I have noticed the color is usually a wonderful shade of orange pink and the clouds take on different shades as the sun is "moving".

Take a look, be thankful for the beauty, and take a deep breath. Enjoy this time of year!

Kako with her Daddy

Kako!

First week with Kako

Oh my goodness, what a week! I feel like I have been through the ringer! I got my little puppy baby Kako last Friday night and boy has it been quite the ride. She is amazing- a fast learner, cute as a button, energetic, and fun. I love her. We all love her! When I picked her up she was 7 weeks and a day old. After 3 days, she was housebroken! Amazing! What a perfect first doggie. She is wicked smart, but she is very headstrong and independent. Well, she likes to think she is, but she loves having us around. After only a few days, she didn't cry when we left her. Hearing her cry was the worst thing in the world, but I had to let her do it so she could learn we aren't leaving her forever.
Last weekend I got sick, probably on the worst possible weekend ever. But i made it through with a little help from family and friends and now everything is great. We are in a groove, getting our routine down, and on our way to successfully training this little pup.
The cats are taking it better than i ever expected. Of course they aren't thrilled there is a dog in their lives, but they are still happy and able to adjust. It will take time, but they are certainly still the rulers of the house and will be forever!
Kako is sleeping right now, thank God. She is so adorable when she sleeps. She is always adorable actually!

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving i am thankful for..........................

My family (including present and future animals!)
My health
My home
My job
My quit (smoking)
My friends
My freedom
My life

Thoughts on dogs

It's a little frustrating not knowing when i will get Kako. I really want her to be with her siblings until she is 8 weeks old. Apparently it is very important for her so that she is more adaptable with other dogs in the future.
At the end of my hike of the Seven Sisters a few weeks ago, there was an altercation between a sweet small puppy and a big golden retriever. The puppy ended up getting nipped on the ear and she cried like a little baby. I felt awful! The owner was a young girl around 20 years old and she was so upset. It was a Sunday and her dog was bleeding and clearly upset. I was upset too!!! I probably will never forget that.

It makes me very nervous and at the time i thought if i ever get a dog, i won't let them near other dogs. But that's silly. Dogs are everywhere and i want to take her hiking with me which means she will be around other dogs. If i raise her to be confident and playful around other dogs, she will have a fine time meeting other dogs. And people for that matter. I want her to be the kind of dog that doesn't scare people and that everyone likes. No one likes a scary dog!

I ordered her "long term confinement area" yesterday. It's a 5x5x4 pen that we will have in the finished basement while we are away at work. When i am home, she will be training in her crate. So every hour or so i will bring her to go potty outside, get her reward and then puppy play time and more training. They say you have to start from Day 1. I don't know when that will be yet, but i will be ready!

Kako is on the way....................

Just ordered our brand new doggie house for Kako. Yes, we are getting a puppy! Her name is Kako and she is a Shiba Inu. She was born October 14th, so right now she is 5 1/2 weeks old. I am hoping she gets to hang out with her siblings until she is 8 weeks old. Let's keep our fingers crossed! She needs the extra interaction with them.

I've been reading about training. It is quite an interesting venture and i can't wait to tackle it with her. I want her to be an awesome doggie so we will be working extra hard to train her the right way. It will take a lot of work, but i am so up for it.

PUPPY!!!!!!!