Bruin is a Bear

Bruin is another name for the brown bear usually used poetically. I looked it up because this is the new name of one of my little boys. I think it's perfect. As a matter of fact, I had taken to calling him Teddy because he has the face of an old fashioned teddy bear.

Here are the updates that I was delighted to receive from Bruin's new family.

Day 1
Suddie,
After much debate, we have decided on Bruin. This was the name of my grandmother's old teddy bear, which I still have...think it is close to 90 years old. He looks just like that old bear!
We had an easy ride home, he only cried for about 15 minutes and then settled right down and slept. Ate a good dinner, played some, slept some and overall is doing great! We'll see how tonight goes and will keep you posted.

The kids are over the moon, were so surprised and have been so calm and gentle with him. He greeted them with lots of kisses and they are thrilled. My youngest said, "This is all I need for Christmas Mom...I don't need any presents!"
Deb and Duke

Day 2
TO: Suddie
FROM: Deb
SUBJECT: First Night
Went great! He slept in the crate in our room and went through the night beautifully. Didn't make a peep until 7 am! Had a great breakfast and has lots of energy this morning. Is doing well with the potty training.

Day 3 Morning

Suddie,
Lots of snow here! Bruin went crazy this morning when he went out side....jumping, leaping, digging, eating mouthfuls, so cute! Tried to get some pics but he was moving so fast that I couldn't get any good shots. Think he is going to enjoy our trips to VT.
Another great night with him...he woke up around 5 and was a little disoriented in the driving snow, but then went back down nicely until 7. He has a lot of visitors yesterday and handled it really well. Seemed to enjoy all the attention! We are going to hunker down today and lie low....will send some pics later today. Thanks for those cute Christmas pics!
Did you get much snow out there?
Deb

Day 3 Evening

Suddie,
Bruin loves the snow...it really tired him out though, he spent a lazy day asleep in front of the fire!






He is such a great little guy and we are all head over heels in love with him!
Deb

Moved to Los Angeles or Somewhere

I love the movie On Golden Pond. I'm sure you've seen it. I haven't seen it in ages, but I am thinking about it because at the end of the movie Norman and Ethel are alone on Golden Pond and Norman says "Ethel, listen. The loons...they've come to say good-bye. Just the two of them now. Their babies all grown up...and moved to Los Angeles or somewhere."

I was thinking about that line because my pups have started to go off to their new homes. Pandora (that's her new name) was the first to leave and she is now living with her dad Toby in San Diego. Not Los Angeles, but pretty close. I was a bit worried about my little girl taking such a long trip and living so far away from me. Even if she is with her dad.

Pandy's dad sent me an email right away to let me know she is doing well:

Suddie,
We had a good flight with Pandy staying in her bag very quiet until we landed and got home. We were happily surprised, as we expected crying etc during the flight. And it was a long flight with a full plane on both legs. They took one of my carry on bags and made me check it through, but that was no problem as it was there in San Diego when we arrived.
During the night we think she missed all the company of the siblings and started to cry and howl a few times, but we survived and now she is more adjusted. I went to pick up Toby this morning and they seem to get along great, but we have to watch Toby, as he wants to play too rough. But Pandy goes for more and pushes Toby to play longer than he wants. Then Toby goes to take a nap under the bed after lunch and wants to protect his territory under the bed as his own. Right now Pandy has found a place in my closet and is having her afternoon nap. I'll send a few pictures in a separate email.
Thanks for raising Pandy to be such a great puppy. We will keep up the work and let you know how all is progressing with her life here.
Have a Happy Holiday Season,
Charlie, David, Toby and Pandy

And then Toby sent me a note:

Hi Suddie,
Well I've been sooo busy since I last sent you a note. First, I think I told you that my Dads went on another trip and left me home with my handler friend. WELL they returned a couple of days ago and the surprise was waiting for me when I got back in my house, A BEAUTIFUL little girl that is our daughter. She is soo full of action, she keeps me on the go. We chase around the house having a great time. But she just wants to keep going without any rest time. Maybe I'm getting older or I'm just not used to all this excitement. Right now we are both resting in our own spaces. Thanks for raising her to be such a great little girl. My Dads have named her Pandy, which I think is very nice. I suppose you are helping your parents introduce all the puppies to all the lucky people who are providing new homes to the other pups. My Dads told me how great your house is and about the snow, which I have never seen. I better go and see how I can help take care of Pandy. Have a great Holiday Season. I will try to keep you updated on the progress of Pandy.
Toby

I feel much better after receiving these updates, but I couldn't help but notice that Toby didn't end his message with "Love, Toby." Just Toby. That reminds me of another line from On Golden Pond. "Don't be such an old poop."

Dogs and the Holidays

In their latest newsletter, the Tibetan Terrier Club of America provided some tips on keeping your dog safe and happy during the holidays. Although a lot of it is just common sense, I wanted to pass this important advice along to you.

Dogs and Holidays

Because your dog is special to you, you want him to share all the special times in your life, including holidays. But to your dog, everyday spent with you is a holiday (oh yeah, right, i'll take Cabo anyday), and he may not be able to appreciate or understand the strange people (like my parent's relatives), noises (like MeeMaw's farting), things and goings-on associated with holiday celebrations. Here are some ways to keep your dog safe and happy during those festive times.
General Tips
• Stick as closely as possible to your normal
routine. Try not to vary your dog’s feeding,
walking, and playtime schedule.
• Don't give your dog scraps from the picnic
table or holiday buffet. Cookies and pies,
macaroni salads and stuffing, potato chips
and fancy hors d'oeuvres, are inappropriate
foods for dogs and may make them sick.
• If you host a party, remember that some
guests may be uncomfortable around dogs.
Your dog may, in turn, be uncomfortable
or frightened around a large group of unfamiliar
people. You may want to confine him
in a crate or a room that will not be used by
guests. Otherwise, keep him by your side,
or with another family member, to keep
him from getting into trouble or underfoot.











Christmas
• Turkey bones can pose a choking hazard for
dogs. Do not give turkey bones to your dog.
• Keep an eye on the holiday table and secure
leftovers and garbage to prevent your
dog from foraging among the holiday foods.
• Holly, mistletoe and poinsettia plants are
poisonous to dogs. Make sure they are kept
in places your dog cannot reach.
• Do not put lights on the lower branches of
your tree. They may get very hot and burn
your dog.
• Watch out for electrical cords. Pets often try
to chew them and get badly shocked or
electrocuted. Place them out of reach.
• Avoid glass ornaments, which break easily
and may cut a dog’s feet or mouth.
• Do not use edible ornaments, or cranberry
or popcorn strings. Your dog may knock
the tree over in an attempt to reach them.
• Keep other ornaments off the lower branches;
if your dog chews or eats an ornament, he
can be made sick by the materials or paint.
• Both live and artificial tree needles are sharp
and indigestible. Keep your tree blocked off
(with a playpen or other “fence”) or in a
room that is not accessible to your dog.
• Tinsel can be dangerous for dogs. It may
obstruct circulation and, if swallowed,
block the intestines.
• Keep burning candles on high tables or
mantels, out of the way of your dog’s
wagging tail.
• Review canine holiday gifts for safety.
Small plastic toys or bones may pose
choking hazards.
• Your dog may want to investigate wrapped
packages; keep them out of reach.

America's Next Top Model?

Here are my pups at 9 weeks. This is just a small selection of the hundreds of pics that we took on Saturday. Aren't they precious?

Smile For the Camera

So we did it. We went on our first outing with the pups. We set out early because we had an appointment at 10 AM and we had almost a 2 hour journey ahead of us. Dad placed all the pups in a crate. I sat with Angus and Roxie in the far back of the car behind the doggie divider. The pups were really good. A few of them cried for the first five or ten minutes of the trip, but soon enough they settled right down and were great travelers. We were going to visit the studio of a photographer friend of ours. You know what they say. A picture is worth a thousands words. I am at a loss for words to describe how I feel about my pups going off to their new homes. In fact, I'm not really sure I know how I feel about it. But I do know that I want some great photos of this sweet moment in our lives. Also I thought the new owners might want to order a photo or two of their pup or a shot of their pup with all of his or her brothers and sisters from the photographer.

This photo shoot was a lot of work. It was also a lot of fun. The time flew by really quickly, but at the same time the session lasted for what seemed to be a very long time. Does that make any sense? Well that's how it felt to me. By the end of it the pups were pretty sleepy. They fell asleep in their crate even before we left the studio and they slept all the way home.

I'll be sure to share some of the photos when I get them. Since you couldn't be there with us, here is a short video that I think captures the feel of our studio visit.

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

I know I have gone on ad nauseum about my Animals Matter bed. It is one of my favorite things. I'm gonna mention it again because all 7 of my pups are curled up in it right now. They LOVE it! It is SO COMFY!

So if you are looking for the best possible present for your favorite pup this should be it. It's official name is the Katie Puff and it comes in a variety of sizes and colors. I have a large so that Roxie and Angus can curl up with me. I think a medium is the perfect size for a TT, but a large is even better. Better than perfect! Kids and even parents have been known to curl up in mine. Check out Animals Matters website for more info.

That's it. That's all I have to say today. Tomorrow the pups and I are going on an adventure. I'll tell you about it soon

A Lot Like Christmas

It snowed quite a bit last night. We LOVE it!


Toby's dads are arriving tonight to spend the night on their way to visit the relatives in New Hampshire. And I look just like a BIG HOT WET MESS (or, maybe, more correctly, a BIG COLD WET MESS). What with my pregnancy, the shedding associated with my pregnancy, and this WET snow. It's not a pretty combination. That's me in the pic all wet and messy (right after shooting my latest video) in my favorite Animals Matter bed. Don't fret. I am getting back in fighting shape. As you can see in the video, I can whip around the yard pretty well and dad is playing frisbee with me every day. I stills gots it! Somewhere.

Toby's 'rents are going to visit relatives in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and then will stop by again on their way back to the airport before Christmas. I think I told you one of my little girls is going to live with them in San Diego.

Toby sent me a note about the whole shebang. I guess it is a Christmas surprise. Don't worry. He's not tech savvy like me so there is NO CHANCE of him reading this.

Hi Suddie,
It's been a long time since I have communicated with you and I am sorry for that. My Dads had gone away and left me with my friend, my handler, Now they came back and I thought we were all going to be together for a long time, but yesterday I heard them discussing another trip. AND they mentioned "Suddie's Whiskey Sours" So I think you must be involved in this next excursion, which I thought might include me. But, earlier today they left me again with my friend. Hope they come back sooner then the last time they left me. They told me they were going to bring me a surprise. I hope that maybe they are going to see you and I hope they will bring me back one of our pups. That would be a great Christmas present. I have been following the progress of the pups and watching the videos. They sure are a handsome lot and very active investigating their new world. You have done a great job of keeping us all informed of the progress.
Take care, and I send a lot of Love,
TOBY