Progress Report on Belle

Belle, my 3 1/2-month-old Chorkie, completed her puppy shots today at the veterinarian's office. She now weighs 5.56 pounds, up for the 2.12 pounds on her first trip to the vet two months ago. 

Belle

Among Belle's vaccinations was a rabies shot, and now she has a green tag to wear on her collar. 

In the past few weeks, Belle has developed some light bright hair around her neck and on her rump. I'm looking forward to seeing what she'll look like at six months.

Belle will be making another visit to the vet in about three months to be spayed. 

Bailey and Belle

She's been a great addition to our family, especially for Bailey, who is 2 1/2-years-old. He needed a doggy playmate and they've been pals almost from the get-go. Her friskiness has helped him burn off a few calories as well in the past month. Now that the weather has turned warmer, we're taking twice-a-day walks in the neighborhood and we'll be heading the park for them to romp around in a few weeks.

My wife and I love having two dogs in our home. We'll enjoy it even better when Belle is totally house-trained, but she's getting there. She's learned a lot from being around Bailey. And Bailey has become a friendlier pooch by seeing how Belle interacts with humans.

Until the next time....

A New Family Member

My wife and I added a new member to our household--meet Belle. 

Belle

Belle, we believe, is a Chorkie -- a Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier mix. She visited the vet yesterday for a checkup and distemper shot. She weighed 2 pounds, 12 ounces. 

She's about seven or eight weeks ago. We'll celebrate her birthdays on Dec. 1. 

As for her name, we chose it because our granddaughters -- Lily and Lola -- love the character in the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast." 

Besides loving dogs, we decided to take Belle because she's a rescue pup. A good friend was able to take 12 puppies from a person, and over a few hours, found them new homes.

Now we already have another dog -- Bailey -- also a Chorkie. And he came from the same home (we believe they might have the same dad). We've had him for two years and he's been a loving friend and companion. He's been a true stress reliever for me with his quiet and laid-back demeanor. 

Belle and Bailey

But we felt that Bailey needed a canine friend so that's another big reason we decided to take Belle into our home.

There are times when Bailey seemed lonely. When we had to leave the house for whatever reasons, he appeared to be very unhappy about it. And he was always overjoyed when we returned.

Another thing that sealed the deal was a video (see below) I watched on YouTube about what a dog does when left at home while the owner goes to work. The owner attached a GoPro cam on the dog. Needless to say, the dog was fretful and upset until he returned. We wondered if Bailey had similar experiences when he was by himself.

Bailey was a bit unsure about Belle when she came into our home, but after three days, they are playing together, lying next to each other, and getting along just splendidly. It's a delight to watch them interact.

I believe Bailey and Belle are happy playmates. I know my wife and I are glad to have them in our lives (even though we have another round of puppy training).


My wife has a cup that's inscribed "Who Rescued Who?" There's some truth in those words.

Until the next time...

Puppy Update #1

Bailey, our little Chorkie, is growing up quickly. He's been part of my family since Dec. 14 and he's made himself at home. He's about 14 weeks old.

He's doing well in the potty department, using the pad probably 90 percent of the time. The remaining 10 percent is when he misses the mark or finds another convenient place to relieve himself.

For the most part, he sleeps through the night. That's if we go to bed after 10 p.m. If we turn out the lights at 9 p.m., he'll usually awaken us at 3 or 4 in the morning. But he's good about going back to bed for a couple more hours before getting us up at 5 or so for breakfast.

He loves to play ball in the hallway. We usually spend some time each day teaching him the three R's of that doggie pastime known as "Fetch!" He's great about retrieving and returning the ball, but is still a bit reluctant about releasing it.

We've had a few nice days in the past week or so and I've been able to take him outside on his leash. Since he's been a house pet, it's been fun to watch him discover the outdoors, such as leaves blowing on the ground or responding to various sounds. We're looking forward to spring.

He's also has a couple of girlfriends. There's Callie, a German Shepard mix next door, and Lady, a dainty white Poodle from across the street.

Bailey is a healthy pooch. He's probably closing in on four pounds (he weighed about one pound when we brought him home). And he gets his final shots this week.

Bailey has been a godsend as well for us since Baxter passed away on Dec. 28. We still miss Baxter a great deal but Bailey has eased some of the pain in dealing with the loss of our beloved pet. 

Until the next time...

A New Addition

I've got a new addition to my family -- Bailey.

Bailey is a little fella -- a Yorkie-Chihauhau mix -- also known as a Chorkie. He's almost ten weeks old and weighs about one pound,  and probably won't get bigger than five pounds.

He arrived at my house yesterday (Dec. 14). I received a call from my friend Deb, who had made all the arrangements. She picked up Bailey from a kennel in another town and told us he was ready to go to his new home. My wife and I were expecting a call from her on Dec. 17 so this was an early and wonderful surprise for us -- an early Christmas present!

Bailey is nearly coal black with some white streaks on his chest. And he has blue eyes. I'm sure his looks will change as he gets older.

We also have Baxter, a Yorkie, who is going to have to get used to having a new "brother" around the house. Baxter is about 15 so there's quite an age difference, but I'm sure he'll show the new kid the ropes.

If you follow my blog, you'll be reading more about Bailey and Baxter in the coming months. I promise.

Until the next time…