Dog Community

my baby is grown up

Posted : 9/29/2006 7:17:04 PM

I should preface this by saying this isn't anything about anything just lamenting that my puppy is gone!
We adopted Bugsy last December when he was between 3 & 4 months. He had been a stray and was very thin but you knew he'd be a big boy. He had and has a super sweet temperament & is just intensely loving. He's grown and grown and we discovered he has food allergies and inhalant allergies all the time he has never changed. You would never know there is anything wrong.
Despite his size everyone that meets him can see that he was just soft and gentle.
We've been amazed that he hasn't feared any other dog no matter how aggressive nor has he tried to defend himself. he doesn't bark nor growl but he will stare anything down and does not retreat or back away. He just stands there.
Bugsy is now about 13-14 mos old and must be approaching 100lbs now. Earlier this evening I was out with him and he was standing very tall looking at his dog buddy across the cul-de-sac. I couldn't get over how powerful he looked and elegant. It was then that I realized that personality notwithstanding my puppy was gone. Bugsy is a big boy now - by golly he's a dog!
Thanks for reading my drivel
just a proud dog owner!
(even if it means my puppy is gone!)

I'll try to get a big dog picture of him and post it soon

Mandy

Posted : 9/29/2006 10:21:30 PM

yep, they grow up right before your eyes. You go to bed one night when their still a puppy and the next day their a dog. Where does the time go??????

mollymoo

Posted : 9/29/2006 11:49:59 PM

Hi, I got a puppy that is 3 and 1/2 months old right now. Got her at 8 weeks. We are working on potty training ect. as I type. There are days that I say please grow up soon. No more potty training. No more eating everything just because its there. Yes - you can go up and down stairs , ect.

uppies are the greatest. When they grow up to become a adult dog is priceless.

pofi_pasquale

Posted : 9/30/2006 9:39:07 AM

It is bittersweet, isn't it! Pofi just turned two and Mia just turned one and we keep talking to Po and saying, "Remember when you were just a puppy!" There are aspects you miss and events you'd like to forget!

kpwlee

Posted : 9/30/2006 2:03:45 PM

Yes we had our troubles with Bugsy when he was little - mostly due to the fact that he is HIGH energy. He is still high energy but it is more manageable now. He was super easy to toilet train so that wasn't a worry. He still eats anything that he can, doubtful that will change. Although I believe our shoes are in lesser risk!
Our biggest problem was serious 'zoomies' - we used to call the the bewitching hour by the devil dog. He would just go insane around the house - now we can safely do that outside!

Anyway I would have loved to have had him from 8-10 weeks old as I feel a bit gyped.
He still has the silly puppy temperament but his physique is all dog now! He seems to be packing a ton of muscle on and he has even started to bark on occasion.
My advice is enjoy the puppydom even though its tons more tiring for you

ron2

Posted : 9/30/2006 8:07:47 PM

That's the lab in him. The energy, the eternal puppiness. The chowhound.

And, of course, a beautiful, well-behaved dog.

kpwlee

Posted : 9/30/2006 8:42:40 PM

"well-behaved dog"
We have only in the last week started to leave him uncrated when we go out for short periods - not really a big deal as he likes his crate - we went out for about 2.5 hrs tonight and he did great!!
Don't know who's happier us or him [

]
We certainly couldn't do that any younger with him - he hasn't destroyed anything but that is because we didn't give him a chance to - my boy can CHEW! We were laughing as we pulled up the drive, "do you think we still have a sofa?"
He cracked a raw marrowbone today trying to get the marrow and started to break the bone in pieces. This bone was 3/4 to 1 inch thick - I marvel at his jaw strength adn am very glad he doesn't have an aggressive cell in his body.
"eternal puppiness"
played with a cicada for about 40" today before eating it - then went hunting for more for another 30" or so
and for the chowhound
heck I think its great he isn't picky - I bought some fish oil softgels today and they are huge. I told him to sit and then I gave it to him like a treat and he ate it and waited for another. I toss his benadryl in with his kibble and he eats it. a friend came by and she had him doing tricks for lettuce. Certainly a dog after my own heart.

energy he's got plenty of that but at least now he's not constantly frenetic. He used to be ON from wake up @6 ish until after his dinner and then he would crash - coma-like. We would have to wake him to go out at night and he would go right back to slumber. Usually he slept from 5:30 or 6 in the evening to 6 the next morning. But when he was awake it was like wacky races

ah puppies! as you say with the lab in him he'll always have some puppy goofiness without the insanity of youth!

Lori

Posted : 10/2/2006 3:18:17 PM

I feel the exact same way...isn't it amazing how fast they grow?? My "little" guy just turned 6 months last week. While we were going through the potty training and nipping phases, I kept telling myself to not wish the time away and to just enjoy his puppyhood, cause time really does fly!! I have a picture on my computer desktop of him when he was 7 weeks old the day we went to pick him out...I always look at it and think "Where did my little tiny puppy go??"

jennie_c_d

Posted : 10/2/2006 9:47:41 PM

My puppy is about to be THREE! I miss how teensy and adorable she was, but I'm so happy with the beautiful, well behaved, gentle dog she's become. It's amazing to watch them grow and change, so quickly.