1 month with Abbey

As of today May 2nd) we've had our Wee Monster Abbey for ONE MONTH! She's been growing at the rate of just about a pound a week...she was 7 lbs when Jeannie brought her home back on April 3rd, and I when weighed her last Friday and she was 10 and 1/2 lbs and I assume she's over 11 by now. We're quite happy with our adorable little baby, but she is so far resisting the house-breaking part. I read up on Bull Terriers, and they are notoriously a bit more 'difficult' to train even though they are quite smart, as they are just so 'bull' headed. She's great in every other way, and I'm hopeful that she will soon pick up the good dooty-habits just by following Sophie and PG around, which she absolutely LOVES to do.

We have Abbey sequestered in the kitchen during our work days, as there's no way she will get the run of the house until she proves she can go outside on her own and do her business. Being as Sophie and Abbey are quite inseparable, we also keep Sophie with her during the work-days. I have put up a temporary wall out in the back yard cutting it almost in half...so PG has the one half via the usual doggie doors into and out of the garage, and Sophie and Abbey have the other half via the kitchen sliding-door-screen doggie-door I made. Then I made another movable wall that blocks the kitchen off from the rest of the house. Each morning before work I erect the walls with Sophie and Abbey in their safe zone, PG is on the other side LOVING IT (she's not really a big fan of Abbey running up to her jumping all over her and in general just being a puppy). But she's never bit or even snapped at Abbey, so we're thankful for that.

Sophie and Abbey play together a LOT, which is so wonderful! We've felt bad for Sophie almost since we brought her home...as she was a puppy ready to play, and PG is quite old and NOT much on playtime (when we first got Sophie we also had Sydney and Sweet Pea, both also quite old). Sophie is now about 2 and 1/2 years old, and is still very much a puppy, albeit a rather strong and large puppy (shes holding at 56 lbs). She's also a mother for Abbey when they aren't playing...she's always looking out for her, cleaning her, and is by her side at the slightest squeak. And when they play, even though Sophie outweighs Abbey 5 to 1, she's never yet even made her yelp...Sophie is in general quite gentle. Even when Abbey gets a total piranha lock on a cheek, ear or even poor Sophie's tongue, she just freezes until Abbey releases...never once snapping or retaliating for what is likely a painful bite with those super sharp puppy teeth! We're constantly amazed at how good they play together, and you can see how happy Sophie is having a playmate!

Anyway, here's a few more pictures from the last 2 weeks.

Here's a snoozing shot...she plays like mad and then just drops into a nap she's so tired.

In this shot I have a bowl of ice-cream (just outside of the camera view). This is MY view as I try to eat my ice-cream...what a bunch of moochers! They all LOVE ice-cream!

 This shot was just this Sunday as I was folding laundry. One moment she was standing up on the towels waiting their turn in the washing machine and peering into the dryer, and when I turned around to grab another armload to fold she was IN the dryer. She's very inquisitive and not really afraid of anything, including the vacuum cleaner! How many dogs can you say that about?

 

 I took this shot just this weekend. Sophie and Abbey were both totally tuckered out from playing and are napping on the couch. Sophie HAD her eyes closed but she heard me turn on the camera and peeked. Abbey is QUITE out of it, sleeping like the baby she is (now 12 weeks old).

 

 A few weeks ago I did a long Mt bike ride to check out some wildflower blooms that were going on out in one of our ecological preserves (I am allowed to bike thru it). This shot is just near my turnaround point, and is called Taylor Springs. The gate is for when ranchers have cattle (on the other side of the gate) so they don't get into the preserve land. That's my bike leaning on the gate, and in the background you can see the pens they have for the cattle (none in there THIS year thankfully!)

 

And here's a self photo I took a week ago when I did another long mt bike ride to check out some more of the big wildflower bloom in our Carrizo Plains. Due to all the rain we had this winter and spring it's been the biggest bloom we've had in a LONG time, and I thought I should check it out before it was gone. These flowers are about waist high, and it smells AWESOME!