My Mellow Miles

2010-08-09T21:23:00.002-04:00

Since I last updated this blog, Miles has become a permanent resident of my parents' house. This wasn't intentional and I still miss him every day. Miles and my dad have found great friends in each other and I don't think I could imagine taking Miles away from my dad.

In recent months, Miles has undergone some big changes. I noticed he was limping on one of his back legs around his second birthday. When I asked the vet about this, she told me he had a luxating patella which means his knee cap popped in and out of joint freely causing him to limp and use the leg less often. This condition usually occurs in smaller dogs and is usually fixed with surgery. My dad and I decided to wait until the summer months to get him the surgery.

It was heart-wrenching for Dad to drop him off at the vet for an overnight stay. The surgery was pretty intense. They had to cut open his leg, cut a tendon, shave down the groove in the bone, and then reattach the tendon and close up the cut. The surgery seemed to have gone well, but when Miles finally came home we all had a bad feeling. He got the cast off, the stitches out, and we all knew something was wrong. Dad eventually had to take him back to the vet to evaluate the surgery and the vet wanted to have him undergo surgery again immediately. After all of this ordeal, Miles was not his usual self. He was also very fearful of the vet's office.

After a whirlwind of emotions, Dad took Miles back to the vet and let them try to fix the procedure. Fortunately, this was not an overnight stay. Miles came home with new stitches to heal again. Dad gave in and let Miles sleep in his bed with him for a few nights while he was healing.

Thankfully, it has been a few weeks since the second surgery and it seems to have taken. Miles is actually putting weight on all four legs and even running a little bit. During my last visit home, I took him for a short walk down the street and let him get the newspaper a few times. His personality is coming back and it reminds me of what a unique and lovable canine he is. He has taken to slipping behind the couch when he needs a little quiet time, but he makes sure to peek his head out to monitor what's going on in the house. He still loves to hide underneath things, especially curtains.

I'm glad that he made it through this ordeal. For now, how will continue to live with Mom and Dad and the other two dogs. Maybe someday in the future he will live with me but I know he's happy with his best friend, Dad.

2009-02-24T16:14:00.002-05:00

Miles is still enjoying his extended stay with Mom and Dad.

During my last (quick) visit we went to the vet and for a walk. Miles still gets super excited to see me and climbs into my lap eagerly and puts his teeth on me (his sign of affection). I dropped off a big bag of food, as he is eating the same food as the big dogs now, and a big box of treats for when he gets the paper in the morning.

I'm looking forward to the day I can have Miles back in my everyday life. My main concern for him is being alone. He has always lived with at least one other dog and I don't know how he will react to being an only dog. I think we will visit the dog park frequently and maybe make some dog friends (which means I will need to make more people friends).

2008-12-04T07:50:00.003-05:00

I'm a few days late but we celebrated Miles' first birthday on Thanksgiving Day.

To fulfill my promise, the weigh-in at one year is 37 pounds (that's the most recent weigh-in from about two weeks ago). He is smaller than we all guessed.

Miles has been limping for almost three weeks now and Dad has pinpointed a tender spot where we assume he sprained/twisted a muscle or tendon. Dad has been keeping in inside more than usual to try to speed up the healing but it's hard to keep Miles still as he wants to chase squirrels and know what's going on in the neighborhood.

Here we all are on Thanksgiving Day (aka Miles' 1st Birthday!). Sammy and Django with Mom, Dad, and Grandma, Nora and Frankie with Nick and Ruth, and Miles with me and Andrew.

2008-09-12T23:13:00.002-04:00

It has been so long since I have had an update of my baby, Miles!!!

He is still living with Mom and Dad enjoying the pack life with Sammy and Django. Because of some circumstances here, my life in Louisiana is not ready for Miles yet. While I was home escaping Hurricane Gustav, I got to spend a little time with my boy. I took him to the vet and he weighs in at 32 pounds in his tenth month of life. I took him for a few walks and worked with him on remembering his tricks and how to walk nice (a new training collar was a good addition).

Dad has been taking good care of the dogs and giving Miles plenty of love and exercise. Miles has been leaving his mark (teeth prints mostly) on their house and I appreciate their patience with him.

Miles has taken to exploring the wildlife in the backyard a little more... viciously. In my short stay with my parents I witnessed my baby puppy prancing around with not one but two recently deceased creatures that I had to collect and throw away. Gross.

He is as smart and loyal as ever and I miss him dearly in my daily life here.

2008-06-21T17:46:00.002-04:00

While I'm in Arizona for five weeks, my parents are keeping Miles for me. He's having lots of fun running in the backyard and playing with the big dogs (Django and Sammy). He has some learning to do about how to get along with dogs that don't appreciate how much he likes to play. Dad says he's learning new games and the rules of their house pretty well.

I miss him very much and everyone I've met is excited to meet him as soon as I bring him to Louisiana.

2008-06-06T08:54:00.005-04:00

When Miles was a little puppy he liked to get under my bed and sleep there. When he got big enough that it was uncomfortable to slide under my bed he discovered that Ruth's bed was higher off the ground so he hung out there a lot. Ruth switched out her bed for one lower to the ground and Miles was left out in the cold. Until I bought a bedskirt for my bed which he thinks is awesome so he squeezes his furry little behind under there and then peeks out.

Since I gave away my desk chair, I've been using my computer on the floor which is also a new development that pleases Miles. He tries to get as close as possible and sometimes ends up laying across the keyboard. Andrew came over and was using my computer but I failed to warn him about the dog infestation we have in this house.

2008-05-28T11:35:00.002-04:00

The past few days I've been taking both Miles and Frankie for long walks on the greenway and because I'm currently unemployed we go in the morning. The greenway is so much quieter in the mornings! We usually walk for at least an hour and we probably see more rabbits than people. I don't have any pictures from these walks because I'm working on wrangling the two dogs. Next will be figuring out how to carry water so we can walk longer and then maybe I'll try to bring the camera.

Miles likes to pick up pine cones along the way and carry them for a few steps and then drop them. Frankie likes to be as annoying as possible by pulling, tangling his leash, and peeing on everything.

I spent Memorial Day weekend camping on the lake with some friends. We were joined by friends who had two dogs, Jade and Sage. Sage was a beautiful black lab mix and she reminded me so much of Tootsie, my first dog. When I was volunteering at the animal shelter in Athens I learned that black dogs are adopted less frequently from shelters for some reason. All three of the dogs my parents have owned have been black dogs and I have loved all of them! Black labs especially are so loyal and smart. Depending on my living situation in Louisiana I'm thinking about getting another dog. Dogs are pack animals and I feel like Miles would be so lonely all by himself since he has always lived with other dogs. I would love to adopt a big dog (preferably a black lab mix but I will take whatever is meant to be) so it can be great friends with Miles.

I'm so excited for Miles to spend the summer in the big backyard with Samantha and Django. He will be in heaven with big dogs to play with and the neighbor dog, Daxter, to run along the fence with. He's dreaming about it right now... his little feet are twitching and his tail is wagging in his sleep!!

Happy 1/2 Birthday!!!

2008-05-27T12:23:00.003-04:00

Today is Miles' 6 month birthday! I put his first dose of flea and tick medicine on him, clipped his nails, and weighed him (26.5 lbs!!) this morning. He's spent a lot of time with Ruth, Nick, and Frankie lately but when he's with me he loves to sleep on my bed while I work on the computer or sleep on my lap if I'm on the couch. That's only if we're not out walking on the greenway! I'm going to miss my little guy over the summer!

2008-05-22T20:57:00.004-04:00

I'm officially convinced that Miles is the cutest dog to ever walk the planet. He has some of the most adorable mannerisms. He likes to rest his head on something or someone while sleeping and he's a major cuddle bug. Here are some pictures I snapped of him on my bed while I was washing my sheets.

2008-05-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

Everyone does this, right? Right?! Miles tolerates way more than he should from me.

2008-04-30T07:10:00.002-04:00

I've taken to walking for at least an hour on the greenway every day this week and Miles has taken to barking at people. We usually encounter rabbits and deer on our walk and he has finally showed some interest in them. Another new thing is that he raises the hair on his back and let me tell you, it's intimidating.

This past weekend my sister hosted a party at her house and Miles walked around greeting people and being charming. One person informed me that if Miles was missing, don't go looking at his house... I think he liked him. Miles is still his cute, loveable self but I'm not really in love when he decides to start chewing on my arm when I sleep through my alarm clock. Sure, a built in, dependable, living, moving alarm clock is great to have so you don't oversleep EXCEPT on the weekends. Creature of habit.

2008-04-27T18:22:00.003-04:00

Miles is five months old today! He weighs 25 pounds and doesn't fit under the bed anymore.

2008-04-22T19:45:00.001-04:00

Miles doesn't normally pay any attention to radios and TVs but while I was cleaning today I was listening to Radiohead and I noticed Miles was really curious.

2008-04-16T17:13:00.002-04:00

I took a sick day to take care of some errands and when I got home Nick told me Miles had eaten "something green" and thrown it up. I picked him up and he immediately nuzzled into my neck and fell asleep in my lap. This is pretty out of character for him so I know he must be hurting. He's sleeping now.

The Makings of a "Dog Person"

2008-04-14T20:26:00.003-04:00

This is me with our first dog, Tootsie. My first memory is going to pick up this sweet puppy. I so desperately wanted to name her Rosie but she was named after the Tootsie Roll I was eating during the "naming the dog" debate. She was hands down the best dog I have ever met. Miles has a lot to live up to!

P.S. How sweet is my Smurf Patrol shirt?!

2008-04-13T23:13:00.004-04:00

We spent today at my parents' house with Sammy and Django. I brought home a new toy for the dogs and when I took it outside Sammy showed some interest. I let her take it from me and she proceeded to prance around the backyard proudly with her new toy. This is so out of character for our old girl who normally tries to distance herself from anything resembling a dog toy. After all the excitement of exploring the backyard and the new toy, the dogs came inside for a nap.

P.S. No, this was not staged. My dad can usually be found on the couch playing his guitar but he does sometimes cater to the dogs' moods.

9 Week Update

2008-04-12T11:14:00.006-04:00

Miles and I met 9 weeks ago today so I thought it was time for some pictures and updates.

He weighs in at 21.5 pounds
He has lost all of his puppy teeth except for his two top canine teeth.

His likes include ice cubes, barking, biting, stealing socks from laundry baskets and then hoarding them under my bed, sleeping, saying "good morning" to everyone when he wakes up, and learning new tricks.

His dislikes are riding in the car, walking out the front door, the vacuum cleaner, when his ice cubes slide under the couch, and going to the vet.

Commands he has learned: sit, lay down, high five, speak, stand up, kiss-kiss, in your crate, go outside, come, and go get it.

This is Miles with his favorite toy. It's what's left of a reindeer toy from Christmas time. It's just a stuffed fleece ball with a piece of fabric hanging off of it.

The next few pictures are kind of gross if you're not really into dogs. I'm really into Miles so I took pictures of his teeth so you guys can see what I'm talking about. You can see the baby canine tooth on top and the new canine coming in on the bottom.

And this is the only baby tooth that I could salvage. The rest were eaten. Gross.

Social Hour on the Greenway

2008-04-10T09:19:00.002-04:00

While jogging on the greenway last night, I was stopped by a young family going in the opposite direction. The father said "Excuse Me!" to get my attention and I let them grill me with questions about Miles and let their baby in a stroller pet him. "What kind of dog is that?" "Where did you get him" "How old is he?"

This has happened a lot and the people never explain why they're interrogating me about my dog but I figure it's because they're in the market for a dog and think Miles is a good size and well behaved. I have no idea.

I also passed by a group of walkers who stopped mid-conversation and said, "Pretty!" and then to clarify they said, "Pretty DOG!"... Yes, thank you for clearing that up.

Miles has lost many of his "grinding" teeth in the back of his mouth and new ones are coming in. He has also started preferring to sleep on the floor at night because I think he gets too hot on the bed. It might have something to do with the fact that I sleep under two down comforters. Maybe.

Attack of the Water Hose

2008-04-07T07:14:00.000-04:00

Miles tried to stay awake but....

2008-04-03T07:46:00.000-04:00

My Boy

2008-04-03T07:22:00.004-04:00

2008-04-02T10:44:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Miles and I drove to the Greenway so we could walk the side we have never walked. And also because Frankie was running loose like a maniac around the neighborhood and would follow us if we went for a walk in the neighborhood. Don't ask how he got out but it's definitely someone who's name rhymes with SHMICK's fault. But that's beside the point....

We were enjoying the new scenery and there were lots of people out cycling, rollerblading, and jogging. As we went over a bridge that crosses over Big Creek I heard a noise I immediately recognized behind me. It sounds like "POP-ka-shlink" and that might not mean anything to you but to me it triggers a few reactions.

1)Look down and see if it was MY chain.
2)Find out who's chain it was and steer clear of them because chances are they're going to be slowing down rapdily.
3)If it is my chain I think, DANGIT I'm going to get my fingers dirty (because I'm not talented enough to get my chain back on while riding) and then my bar tape is going be dirty and then I'm going to have to catch up to everyone else.

If this doesn't make any sense to you, you probably haven't spent as much time around bikes as I have. The woman riding her bike behind me had dropped her chain.

I slowed down and watched the woman get off her bike, bewildered. After a few minutes I realized she didn't know what had happened and I turned back to help her. I asked her if she needed any help and she said "No, I think I fixed it" and she got back on only to feel her pedals lock up as the chain dropped again and got caught. So Miles waited nicely while I put her chain back on for her.

I thought that was very nice of Miles considering how many cyclists have scared the daylights out of him by coming up too fast and too close behind him. This particular greenway was not created for people who are riding racing road bikes. It has a posted speed limit of 10 mph yet people 1)don't announce themselves and 2)ride way too fast.

Miles also decided that he's suddenly going to bark at people on rollerblades. Not people on bikes, not people jogging, not people walking other dogs. Just people on rollerblades. And one particular rollerblading couple thought it would be fun to make noises at Miles to get his attention as they came up from behind. This is a bad idea for so many reasons but mostly rude because I am trying to teach my puppy to pay attention to me and walk FORWARD.

Lots of people on the greenway are polite but some of them are inconsiderate, ignorant, and nosy.

2008-03-31T11:02:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I look at Miles and I see the big, strong dog that he will become. He already has muscle definition in his legs. His face has matured and his eyes and ears are very expressive. When I'm upstairs, I look forward to hearing his collar jingle softly as he comes up to check on me.

Other times I see Miles as the baby he is. Especially when I catch him trying to eat the kitchen blinds or when he walks down the stairs. He still hasn't figured out the his back legs can move independently when walking down the stairs so he hops down them like a bunny. Or when I hear him chewing on something and I pull a tooth out of his mouth. Or when I pick him up and he automatically wraps his paws around my neck. Or when he steals socks from everyone in the house.

He's very smart and learns new tricks quickly. This weekend he learned "Stand Up". He's very aware of what's going on around him and tries hard to please everyone. During this morning's walk one of the neighbors we passed leaned down to pet Miles and commented on his "pretty personality". I am working hard on developing a strong relationship based on respect with him. So far it's working.

2008-03-27T09:28:00.002-04:00

Today is Miles' Four Month Birthday!

I gave him a piece of ice in celebration. He loved it!!! He took it into his crate and wiggled around after it when it slipped from his mouth. When it got soft enough he chomped it into pieces. He's cutting some major teeth but he won't stay still long enough to take pictures of them.

On our walk last night we met a little one year old boy who was riding in a wagon pulled by his mom. Both Miles and the little boy were very gentle with each other. I showed the boy how Miles high fives and the boy "high fived" him right back! It was awesome!

2008-03-26T11:02:00.002-04:00

I woke up and found little blood spots on my pillow where Miles had been laying. I found a mark on the underside of his chin that looks like a bite from a big dog. Poor guy, but he probably just got too close for someone's comfort.

Since Ruth's boyfriend has been home the past few days with the dogs, Miles has taken a special liking to him and I can usually find him wherever Nick is. If I'm upstairs in my room, he still comes up occasionally to see that I'm still there. I give him a little pet, he might take a mini nap at my feet, and then he goes back to play with Nick and Frankie.

2008-03-25T09:09:00.002-04:00

Weighing in at 18.2 pounds, Miles endured his last set of puppy shots. He has become scared of going to the vet and misbehaved a little when it was time to leave.

We got more comments about how mellow he is. The vet was convinced he had just woken up -- which he had not. He's always up at 6 am. His records say he is an Aussie mix but the receptionist agreed with me in thinking that he's mostly cattle dog.

He has become quite the cuddle bug when he sleeps, too. He used to lay at my feet but now he lays next to my head and is always resting his head on my neck or shoulder. I'm happy to have him on my team when life gets tough because a little kiss or cuddle from him makes everything seem right with the world.

We're looking forward to the possibility of Ruth's yard getting fenced in because Frankie and Miles will be able to play without tangling each other's leashes. We're also hearing rumors of the addition of another dog into her household. Just when the humans started to outnumber the dogs at 3 to 2 Nick decides he wants to even it out to one dog per human! What can I say? We like dogs...

The Miles Show

2008-03-23T16:13:00.001-04:00

2008-03-23T15:05:00.008-04:00

We started our weekend with a visit to Aunt Darby and Uncle Dean's neighborhood. Miles was a little nervous and sleepy so he wasn't very entertaining. My intelligent, athletic, and handsome cousins, Stephen and Jeffrey, made some time before their 9 (!!!) mile run and baseball game to say hello to my puppy. Here's Stephen in his rock star running shades and Aunt Darby who thoughtfully blocked the sun for Miles while he napped.

Miles played with the big dogs while I helped Mom with some "yard work". And by "yard work" I mean decorating the driveway like I'm 6 years old again.

** In my defense, this was after I raked, put down grass seed, and planted a flower bed.

Today I actually got down to business and mowed and trimmed hedges. While I was outside, I enjoyed the company for Django, Sammy, and Miles. Ever since Django has become the proud owner of a slightly too big silver chain collar, he reminds me of some Italian mobster. See?

"You talking to me?"

He's too cool to even look at me.

Miles had his first experience with a lawn mower. He followed me around barking at the mower the entire time I was out there. Even when I stopped the mower and went on to do something different, he still tried to intimidate the newcomer to the yard.

Speaking of yards... Some people would call this a forsythia bush but in Ruth's yard we call it a "Miles' Toothpick Bush"

6 Weeks

2008-03-22T08:33:00.003-04:00

I adopted Miles 6 weeks ago today. He seems to be feeling better and we're packing up to spend the weekend with my parents. When we get back tomorrow evening, Ruth's boyfriend will be home from Iraq and it will be time for introductions.

In other news: Miles lifted his leg to pee for the first time ever. He normally does the puppy squat thing but I think he's learning how to be a big dog from Frankie. He has also become territorial over his food bowl. He used to share with Frankie but now whenever Frankie comes for a taste, Miles says "back off".

2008-03-20T07:33:00.007-04:00

Happy First Day of Spring and Happy "Won't You Wear a Sweater" Day!

Miles' symptoms still have not gone away but he sure likes the peanut butter I give him with his pills.

- Photo from Ruth

2008-03-19T10:04:00.002-04:00

My total expenses for Miles look like this:

Vet Bills: $294
Adoption Fee: $102
Rabies Tag: $10
Supplies*: $170
--------------
Total: $576

*Supplies include food, bowls, treats, crate, leash, collar, and toys.

I've noticed putting a "Donation" button on blogs is a touchy subject. I have one on my blog (it's over there --> in the side bar if you haven't noticed) because I am open to donations for anyone who wants to help him be happy and healthy. But, please, do NOT feel like you have to contribute. I enjoy keeping this blog and letting everyone share my experiences while he grows into a handsome, smart dog. I might be biased about the "handsome, smart" bit, though.

Vet Report

2008-03-19T07:44:00.004-04:00

Miles weighs 16.6 pounds. The hookworm is gone. He did, however, have a weak positive test for giardia. We have medicine to take care of that. Hopefully, it is the giardia that is causing his symptoms. I will be keeping an eye on him whenever he is outside so he doesn't drink from any puddles.

When the vet said "giardia" he was surprised I knew what it was and how he got it. I did get something out of selling my soul to REI for three years. Knowledge of giardia.

I'm a little irked about the vet. The first time I took him in, I brought a stool sample for the fecal flotation because I've definitely done the vet thing once or twice or fifty times in my life. The vet didn't do a fecal flotation which would have shown the hookworms. He threw the stool sample away. We didn't find out until our second visit that he had hookworms when they actually decided to DO a fecal flotation (and even then, they let me go home saying everything was fine and called me an hour later to tell me about the test results). During our second visit I also mentioned vomiting and the vet wrote it off as "You need to not wait so long between dinner and breakfast". I saw a different doctor in the same practice this morning and when I asked what the first symptom of giardia is he replied, "Vomiting" so why has this doctor blown me off twice? I think I'll ask to not see him next time.

Send good thoughts to my little guy.

2008-03-18T20:40:00.003-04:00

I've been a little light on posting lately because I'm worried about Miles' health. He's due to go to the vet this Saturday but I'm taking him tomorrow morning because it seems like he's got an upset stomach. I switched his food recently to see if that would do it and I thought it had worked but it hasn't. On top of the obvious symptoms, he also seems tired and not as playful as a few weeks ago. He's lost his appetite. He hasn't gained weight in the past two weeks. He actually lost a pound, gained it back, and then leveled off.

I'm thankful that the vet opens at 7 and I don't have to be at work until 8:30.

2008-03-17T08:12:00.001-04:00

Miles and Frankie wanted to tell you "Happy St. Patrick's Day" but they were too busy eating each other's faces to pose for a picture.

2008-03-16T21:44:00.004-04:00

Miles and I spent the weekend at my parents' house because I had some business to take care of on Saturday. We went for a night walk with flashlights on Friday night. Today, Ruth brough Frankie over and I stayed outside reading a book in the backyard while the four dogs played nonstop. Miles came home and was promptly thrown in the bathtub where Ruth scrubbed him down. He's been sleeping ever since. Playing with the big dogs wears him out. He couldn't even keep his eyes open while I took a picture of him wrapped up like a burrito.

Big thank you's to my parents for dog-sitting and to Ruth for giving my dog a bath. Miles loves all of you very much.

ALSO: Photographic proof of the "high five" trick we've been practicing.

High Five!

2008-03-13T14:08:00.002-04:00

I taught Miles and Frankie both how to "high five" while I was home at lunch. It's a little more like what other people call "shake" but I'm ok with that. It's awesome how fast those little guys can learn. Pictures and/or video of this amazing feat will be up when I get a chance.

The 5:30 Parade

2008-03-13T06:57:00.002-04:00

Alpharetta is home to a lot of corporate offices and newer homes. Ruth owns a townhome in a neighborhood that has houses and townhouses. During the weekday, the parking lots of the townhouses and the driveways of the houses empty out by 9:00 in the morning and start filling up again around 5:30 in the evening. There are a sprinkling of us who are fortunate enough to work close enough to home to come home for lunch (like me and Ruth) and it's the quietest you'll ever see our neighborhood.

The real fun starts at 5:30. Ruth and I are regular participants in the "Nightly Parade". People start spilling out of their houses with strollers, dogs, running clothes, or any combination of the above. About half a mile away is access to a greenway where you can find cyclists, inline skaters, and the occasional incredibly misplaced deer.

It's a very strange phenomenon that I'm not sure I can say I like (I like walking my dog, don't get me wrong). It's a little too much of an illustration of Brave New World, 1984, THE MCDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY (sorry... it's the sociologist in me --- Did you guys know I have a degree in sociology? Crazy.)

However, I am thankful for the extra hour of daylight in the evenings (I'm not too keen on the dark in the morning) and the beautiful weather that makes the parade more enjoyable.

Tummy Rub

2008-03-12T18:50:00.001-04:00

I have a feeling he'll be too big to do this soon.

Lunch Break Learning

2008-03-11T20:12:00.002-04:00

Just Me and My Shadow

2008-03-11T06:54:00.002-04:00

He was watching Daxter, the neighbor dog at my parents' house, across the fence.

Mom always told me "Life is not fair"

2008-03-11T06:49:00.002-04:00

Miles wakes me up before my alarm clock goes off every morning. No matter what day of the week, no matter where we're sleeping, and no matter how late we went to sleep the night before. He does this by sitting squarely between my knees and talking to me in his Chewbacca voice.

So I take him outside and put food in the dogs' bowls and then go about starting my day. At this point Miles GOES BACK TO SLEEP. This is not cool.

Frankie's "Chuck" Trick

2008-03-10T19:27:00.002-04:00

I moved the camera right at the grand finale but you get the idea.

Our After Work Walk

2008-03-10T18:50:00.002-04:00

Note: You can click on the pictures to see a bigger version of them.

Family Portrait

2008-03-09T21:59:00.003-04:00

Ruth tried to get a picture of me with both Frankie and Miles. Hilarity ensued. These are my favorites.

GOFORAWALKGORFORAWALKGOFORAWALK

2008-03-09T21:50:00.003-04:00

Mom and I leashed up all three dogs twice this weekend to take them for a walk. It was much less traumatic than you might think. Miles doesn't understand why the big dogs (Sammy and Django) go nuts when they hear the words "go for a walk".

Miles wavered between paying attention to me and trying to jump on the bigger dogs.

Another Interesting Trip to Petsmart

2008-03-09T10:47:00.004-04:00

Mom and I took Miles along with us to get some supplies for the big dogs last night. One woman was kissing Miles while I was holding him (he got a little nervous being in a new Petsmart) and then KISSED HIS PAW.

Two separate people asked if he was a cattle dog. I wrote a few weeks ago about how someone else mentioned that and I think he might have some cattle dog in him. Here's a picture of cattle dog. What do you guys think?

One little girl said "I wish he could sleep in my bed at night" and I wanted to tell her "No, you don't. Because then you'll have to train him NOT to sleep in your bed" which I have not successfully done, by the way.

And then one strange woman was eavesdropping on a conversation between me and Mom about Django's bad breath problem and she thought we were talking about Miles and suggested flossing his teeth. Thank you, strange, eavesdropping, Petsmart stalker lady.

Miles has two shiny, new teeth coming out of those empty spots I posted pictures of a few days ago!

2008-03-08T08:05:00.004-05:00

There has been a lot of speculation about how big Miles will eventually be. I added a poll on the side bar (over there ---> ) where you guys can tell me what you think! I will weigh him as close to his his first birthday (November 27, 2008) as possible and let you know the results.

His current status is:

age: almost 3.5 months
weight: 16.5 pounds

The Tooth Fairy is Coming Tonight!

2008-03-07T19:10:00.001-05:00

A girl and her dog.

2008-03-07T08:05:00.000-05:00

2008-03-07T08:03:00.004-05:00

The peach tree in the back yard is blooming.

Miles likes to pick up the fallen flowers and prance around like he's found some great treasure.

2008-03-04T21:01:00.003-05:00

We're slowly meeting all the dogs in the neighborhood. So far we've met:

Riley: 6 month old golden retriever
Reno: a very BIG black lab who's owner (Bill) said he was 80 years old
Blue: a 1.5 year old Siberian Husky with blue eyes
Lucy: a Yorkie with a human named Sue
Bandit: lives next door and has very soft, floppy ears

Miles and I have an enlightening conversation

2008-03-04T13:13:00.002-05:00

But you said you wanted a little brother!!!

2008-03-04T13:08:00.001-05:00

Rainy Days

2008-03-04T09:24:00.002-05:00

I woke up earlier than usual this morning to see if Miles would sleep through the night (he didn't). Usually Frankie and Miles are taunting each other, wrestling, and being annoying in general all morning until it's time for me to leave. This morning as I sat on the couch reading a book, Frankie crawled into my lap, Miles flopped down at my feet and they both fell asleep. I guess because it's raining and the sun isn't shining, they figured it's a day off.

2008-03-03T08:07:00.002-05:00

This is my little wormy puppy after getting a bath. He looks a little bit like a wild coyote but he fluffed right back up after he dried.

Sorry about the false promises of video "coming soon". Maybe "coming sometime" would be more accurate.

2008-03-01T08:21:00.004-05:00

Today marks three weeks that I have had Miles.

We went to the vet early this morning and got his fourth round of puppy shots and his first dose of heartworm medicine. His heart murmur is gone and he weighs 14.1 pounds. He's currently sleeping off the shots.

Video and pictures coming as soon as I get some other things done.

UPDATE

The vet called about an hour after we had gotten home and let us know that Miles has hookworm. I did a quick google of it and found that if Miles had it, Frankie probably had it, and it could be passed on to humans. We don't know where it came from. Could be the dog park (which Miles has never been to because he's too little), the neighborhood, or it could have already been in the yard. It's a good thing Miles had to go to the vet anyway because we probably wouldn't have known about Frankie until much later. I took a trip back to the vet and picked up medicine for both dogs. We were just advised to keep the yard clean, which we do, and not go outside barefoot.

Poor Miles has had shots, heartworm medicine, and now hookworm medicine all in one day. He's taken refuge under my bed for the time being.

2008-02-29T11:43:00.002-05:00

I've noticed that a lot of people name their pets one thing and end up calling them something else.

The following are pets' real names followed by what they actually got called:

Suzy - Seskandahedra
Myrtle - Tiny
Django - Prancing Meatloaf, Django-Buddy, or my invention: Django-Patango.
Samantha - Sammy or Sam-bone
Will - Dewch
Tootsie - Precious Girl

I tend to talk to animals knowing full well that they don't understand me. Sometimes I even make up words... For example - I catch myself saying "Ijoobaby" to a lot of the dogs I know. I think this started out as "Hello little, baby" and morphed into something incomprehensible.

The point of all this is that I've heard myself talking to Miles and calling him "Kajojo". I think that one started out as "I love you" and then evolved. But I have no idea.

Now that I've confirmed your suspicions about the state of my sanity... you can just call him Miles.

2008-02-28T11:55:00.002-05:00

Baby Miles is turning into Little Boy Miles. He loves to have some snuggle time in the morning when he wakes up. He will lick my face when I say "Good Morning!" and then he will greet Frankie, and when we go downstairs he sits quietly and waits for me to pet him. He's like me in that he likes the mornings, he just starts out a little slow. Streeeeeetch, snuggle, yawn, blink, blink, and then he's ready to play.

He was very confused yesterday when I left him in the house to go chase Frankie around the neighborhood. Stinker got loose and taunted me for about 20 minutes before I just started walking home in hopes that he would follow me. He did, but I had to get the neighbors to help me get him in the house. We walked the neighbor's dog, Bandit, into our house and Frankie followed very cautiously. He knew he had been bad. If only he would get that thought while he's running wild in the neighborhood and come home himself.

Miles finished his medicine a few days ago and he's finally stopped hacking and dripping neon yellow snot. He's due to go back to the vet soon for his last round of puppy shots.

2008-02-27T09:43:00.002-05:00

Miles was ready to get up earlier than usual this morning. His normal time is 5:58. Two minutes before I have my alarm set to go off. This morning he was raring to go at 5:30.

I have to admit that we have developed a bad habit of Miles sleeping on my bed with me. My next goal is to remedy this situation.

This morning he was 13 pounds. He's packing them on.

Today he is 3 months old. It is actually 13 weeks but the 27th of November is his birthday.

2008-02-25T21:07:00.005-05:00

Miles is growing at an amazing pace. I swear I can tell he's bigger at night than he was in the morning.

Maybe it's because of this.

Oh yeah, meet the new toy. It's a... pig? It got a little use this weekend with the big dogs at Mom and Dad's house.

This is a video of Ruth and Miles sharing some sugar except Miles had to yawn.

Then I got some sugar.

2008-02-23T09:42:00.005-05:00

My friend, Augie, suggested that maybe Miles is part Australian Cattle Dog. I looked up a few pictures and his markings seem to be consistent with the photos I found. There's no telling what his coat will end up like at this point but if he is more AuCaDo then it will be shorter than if he is more Aussie.

We went for an early morning walk around the neighborhood for farther than Miles has ever been and when we got home he passed out in Frankie's crate while I made breakfast. He doesn't like to walk out the front door when we ty to go for walks. Once I pick him up and put him outside though, he starts trotting right along.

This morning's weigh in puts him at 12 pounds.

2008-02-22T15:05:00.002-05:00

Miles is beginning to discover his voice. He uses it to yell at Frankie, tell me when he needs out, or wake me up in the morning when he thinks I'm sleeping too long.

Thankfully he is also learning my voice when it says "No Barking, Miles!"

Gooooooooo POTTY

2008-02-21T10:13:00.002-05:00

One morning this week I was outside in my pajamas waiting for Miles to do his business when I heard a tired sounding man repeating "goooooooooo potty!" over and over again in a yard nearby.

Good to know someone else is in the same boat.

2008-02-20T19:43:00.006-05:00

A typical evening: my sister is working, Frankie is lounging like a cat, and Miles is completely zonked out.

Frankie's got a hard life. He needs his rest after playing his part as chew toy/play mate/ keeper away of toys for Miles.

This is a shot of one of the most difficult times of the day with two dogs. Dinner time. Here Miles is in Frankie's crate trying to eat his food while he has an equally full bowl of dog food in his equally cool crate about 3 feet away.

2008-02-20T19:02:00.003-05:00

Miles and I enjoyed a stroll around the neighborhood this evening when I got home from work. He is doing so well on his leash lately. He was only a little frightened when cars would pass us. They're big, loud, and they move fast. At the beginning of the walk he would whine and cower when cars went by but by the end of the walk he would just sit his butt on the ground and watch them pass.

We met another dog and some nice ladies while we were out. The dog was a 6 month old Golden Retriever named Riley who was not quite as calm as Miles. The women oohed and ahhed over how polite Miles was to them. When someone bends down to pet him, he immediately sits down and looks up at them. Sometimes he even gives them a few kisses on the hand.

When Miles went to the vet last Monday he weighed in at 9.9 pounds and a few days later I weighed him on my bathroom scale and it said 10.5. He's growing quickly.

He has 4.5 more days of antibiotic to take. His coughing and congestion seem to have eased up. I washed everything that had been covered in dog snot in hopes that the worst of it is over. I hope I didn't jinx anything.

The Ear

2008-02-20T07:04:00.000-05:00

2008-02-19T07:24:00.013-05:00

The pooch and I spent the weekend with my parents. Friday night we packed it all into the car. Having a do is a lot like what I imagine having a child is like... at least while the child is a baby and can't talk. He still hasn't shaken his cough and spends most of the nights trying to get comfortable enough to sleep.

Miles played outside with the big, older dogs while we put my diplomas into their fancy frames.

This is Django. He's a jolly, fat, and friendly guy. If he knows you... If he doesn't he's pretty grouchy.

This is Samantha, Queen of the Yard. She loves to talk. About everything.

Sammy likes to smell Miles and follow him around but not play. No, sir. No playing for her.

And these are my diplomas... I figured I would hold the dog in the picture to make it relevant to this blog...

Miles found a new toy that can be found in abundance in Sammy and Django's backyard. And they're free.

I think he likes them.

But that's just a hunch.

At some point he even started putting them in a pile when he was done playing with them.

Miles had fun watching everyone celebrate Ruthie's birthday on Monday. He behaved in his crate while we went bowling and out to eat. Happy Birthday, seester.

But then Miles got his teeth on something not meant for dogs. He managed to chew through the USB cable for my sister's fancy, expensive digital camera. A replacement has been ordered and puppy surveillance has been increased. Frankie has managed to chew holes in all of the tennis balls I bought last week but at least those are meant for chewing...

2008-02-15T09:41:00.003-05:00

Miles slept through most of the night last night until he started coughing again. I take back what I said about him being 100% healthy. He has a hacking cough and yellow snot around his nose.

He loves his new food and his new bowl. He got Purina Beneful for healthy skin and coat. You know... got to take care of those flowing locks!

On most days my sister leaves for work at 6:45 but on Fridays she doesn't leave until 9:45 so she was downstairs with the boys while I was in the shower. Miles snuck off and went to the bathroom in the house for the first time. I know it's my fault but I had taken him out several times before and all he had done was pee. Miles did not want to walk on the leash in the front of the house this morning either.

Today he will get a bath to get him ready for all the weekend visits we have planned!

2008-02-14T21:39:00.007-05:00

To celebrate Valentine's Day I had some curry tofu delivered for dinner, shared a few bites of my sister's Valentine's chocolates, and then took Miles to Petsmart!

While we were waiting for dinner to be delivered, Miles walked on his leash to the mailbox and back. He has gotten much more comfortable walking on the leash.

We practiced more leash walking in the store. I was so surprised with how well he did considering all the smells, people, and other dogs. I never knew having a dog was such an icebreaker. Or such an invitation for random stangers to get in your personal space while you're holding your puppy. One woman came up and said "So how is the potty training going?" In any other situation this would have been strange but I just responded "Oh, just fine! He's doing great!" Miles would sit when I stopped to look at something and would respond to very gentle tightness in the leash when we would turn.

When I got home, I put all the toys, old and new, into a box.

Frankie laid claim to the green ball -- only an hour later it was in pieces. Goodbye green ball...

Miles liked the rope. I got the rope because he liked Django, my parents' dog's, rope when we visited.

And this is what happens when Miles thinks "Hey, Momma, what's that thing you're pointing at my face?"

Miles is progressing well with learning "sit and "come". The only thing I am disappointed about with Miles is his lack of puppy breath... aww, puppy breath...

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T10:43:00.003-05:00

Miles played harder than I have ever seen last night. He romped with Frankie, ran around the back yard, and tried his teeth out on everything. I took him upstairs to start working on the post I wrote last night and he walked downstairs by himself. This surprised me because everyone, including Frankie, was upstairs. I followed him and spied on him while he licked Frankie's bowl, licked his bowl, and then sat in front of the pantry door (where we keep the dog food). At this point I figured he was trying to tell me something...

He ate a whole second dinner and went to the bathroom a LOT during the night. He didn't sleep as much as I thought he would and at one point I had to practice the asserting dominance thing by holding him still so he would understand it wasn't play time.

We woke up at 7 this morning instead of 6 so he didn't get as much morning play time. He has been on his antibiotic for three full days now and I think he's almost 100% healthy.

Today we will take a trip to the pet store to get adult dog food, a sturdy bowl, and some new toys.

The name of this blog may be HUGELY misleading.

2008-02-13T19:48:00.006-05:00

Miles is an almost three month old Aussie mix that I adopted on February 9th. We met while he was spending a Saturday outside a pet store with the other dogs from his foster home trying to get adopted. I was... walking by. After an hour of holding this boy in my arms, he was mine.

Yes, it was an emotional and spontaneous decision.

We live with my sister and her dog, Frankie. This is Frankie.

Miles was sick when I adopted him so I took him to the vet at the first chance there was. He was given an antibiotic that he's been taking for two days. He is feeling much better now and is acting more like a puppy. His nose is wet for the first time since I have known him and he ate like he meant it!

In the past few days he has conquered the stairs, gotten used to his collar, been to two pet stores to buy supplies, ridden in the car many times, had a bath, gone to the vet, and stolen my heart.

Miles has a pink tennis ball.

He's learning to eat in his crate but he's in dire need of a real bowl. Gladware isn't going to cut it with those curious puppy teeth.