The Old Quigley Returns

Okay, yesterday really was a respite. The old Quigley returned today, full of spitfire and mischief. New skills: barking continuously as I cook anything, because he thinks it is for him and can't wait, and even if it's not for him, he wants it to be for him.

He also has diarrhea from the diet change, I think. Or maybe the edible nylabone, which we thought was fine, until I got a non-edible puppy nylabone today. I gave it to him and then noticed on the packaging that I was not to use the bone until I'd read the enclosed paper. Which warned against giving the new bone to a really strong puppy chewer. How are you supposed to know what a really strong puppy chewer is? It also gave information about all of the other nylabone products including the edible bones, which should never be given to dogs who don't have all their adult teeth because it's not suitable for the immature digestive systems of very young puppies. Swell. Is that why he has the diarrhea?

Okay, no one cares about this, but that's been part of my day. It means he has to go out a lot. It means I have to think about about why it's happening (food change, overeating, stress)

I did finish the first scene in chapter 14 and started thinking about the second and final scene in that chapter. I also listened to Quigley howl and scream in his crate during Bible class (when I had a friend over listening to class with me; he was fine last night when I did it alone. Naturally). Then after class, as I was making dinner he stood in the kitchen and barked incessantly, despite instruction not to. Finally I put him in his crate. Then he screamed and howled and barked and protested. At last he quieted and I let him out.

Stu came home, and the barking in the kitchen began again, combined with frantic jumping on the counter and chewing on the cabinet hardware, biting my clothes... So it was back to the crate for more screaming. I wore my earplugs and gritted my teeth. He quieted after only ten minutes or so...

It's amazing how nice and fun he can be for most of the day but around dinner time... the torture begins. Ah well. This too shall pass and soon he will be a big, grown up dog. I am making a point, despite all the puppy annoyances, of enjoying the things about puppies that I love. He will let me hold him and pet him for as long as I want earlier in the day. And he is still SOOO cute! Even when he's barking imperiously in the kitchen, or jumping up.

Okay, I am beat. Time for bed. But at least I got a post in, when I thought earlier I might not.

Have a great weekend,
Karen