We Think Summer Is Here...

Lucy is wild about her top hat! Granted, she's not usually spotted with it on her head, but I've been waiting for days to find that perfect little moment when she was calm enough to let me perch this hat on her sweet little head and snap a picture. I knew if I waited long enough that there would be success.

Actually, this is one of Lucy's favorite toys (at least for the moment- until we find something else that we just have to have for the boxer!). There are 3 rabbits inside of this hat, and Lucy loves working to get the rabbits out of the hat. Of course, I just stuff them right back in there and give it back to her!

My little pup just might be getting too big for the front seat. It was perfect when she was smaller, but now she seems to have a hard time snuggling in for the ride. Some days, she takes her copilot duties seriously, and will actually remain awake for the entire ride. But, most of the time, she takes the opportunity to konk out directly in the stream of the blasting air conditioning. This morning was no exception, after blessing her mother with tons of sweet little boxer kisses, posing for this picture, and settling in, Lucy was down for the count. She didn't wake up till I told her we were at the store.


Thankfully, morning and evening have been much cooler here than it has been during the day. It gives Lucy plenty of time to hang out in the yard, or on a shady step, chase her little pink football around the yard, or hop in the hot tub with Mommy & Daddy. Last night, Ceasar dropped his ball in the tub, and Lucy went in right after it. Luckily, her Daddy was right there to catch her, and she got to spend a couple of minutes doggy paddling between the two of us. I'm sure that some day, she'll be able to doggy paddle right across the hot tub. Both Rob and I have visions of Lucy hanging out in the hot tub with us!


Yesterday was pretty quiet at the store, and Lucy and I took the opportunity to take a walk by the stream, pick some daisies and chase some butterflies. Of course, it was entirely too hot to spend any amount of time out there, and flower picking and butterfly chasing only lasted about 5 minutes and was followed by a cold drink of water and a long nap with the AC blasting down on my little boxer. I feel guilty about dragging Lucy back into the store, she seems to just want to lay in the grass and chase after the ants, but her Mom thinks it's way too hot outside for those kinds of activities- especially in the sun...

Thursday night was our first night of Puppy Kindergarten. Somewhere along the way, the message that the 1st class was only for humans, got lost on Lucy's Human. Thankfully, the instructor was happy to have a demo puppy, and Lucy happily complied in turn for many, many treats. When she wasn't being used as a demo, Lucy laid quietly for an entire 40 minutes, stretched out on the floor- just waiting to be of service!

On our way to class, I stopped off at Arby's and grabbed a sandwich and 2 glasses of ice water. Lucy seemed hot and thirsty, so I immediately opened one of them and she went to work on the water and the ice. I placed mine in the cup holder directly behind hers, with the plastic lid on it, thinking I would get to it at a red light. My little pup had different ideas, and I didn't realize it until it was too late, but Lucy had been working on getting the plastic lid off of my water, and was happily lapping at the water before I even knew what was going on. I forget sometimes what a smart little dog I have for a copilot.

I am looking forward to next week when all of the other dogs are there! I think we're going to have a lot of fun and learn a lot. I hope Lucy loves it!

Lucy's 4 Months Old... Woo hoo!

I can't believe that it almost slipped my attention. But, this morning when I got to work, I pulled out a calender to figure out exactly how old my little girl really is. She was born on February 4, 2010. That makes her 4 months old exactly, TODAY! She's been with us for 2 whole months and a couple of days! I can't believe how much fun we're having and how well Lucy is adapting to us, and we're adapting to Lucy.

Tonight, we have our first puppy kindergarten class! Sure hope Lucy can stay awake long enough to learn her lessons. Between the heat and her allergies, Lucy has been doing a lot of sleeping the last couple of days. She's sleeping right now.. again!

Important Lessons From My Boxer Baby!

This morning, I was sitting on our deck enjoying the sunshine and warm air sipping a cup of coffee. We had just spent about an hour in the hot tub, and when I say we, I mean myself, Rob and of course, Little Lucy. I couldn't help but think to myself what a beautiful day it was, and how lucky I am. We have a big beautiful yard, with a sweet, boxer puppy asleep at my feet basking in the sunshine! Looking at Lucy, I realized that my little pup has figured out in 3 short months many things that some humans never get in a whole lifetime! If only everyone could observe and learn from thier darling little pups, the world would be a much better place!

Greens are a very important part of life! It's not only important to eat enough greens, but we need green around us for essential oxygens! Not only that, but they sure do make things pretty. Lucy loves the grass, plants and trees in our yard and always takes time out of her busy little schedule to appreciate all of the beauty around her. This morning, immediately upon arriving at the store, Lucy lingered to check out the beautiful pink blossoms all around the door. Of course, when she lingered, I lingered and couldn't help but enjoy the sweet smelling fragrance of those flowers. Thanks for making me stop, Lucy! "Good Lucy!"

Important Lessons Number One and Two: Always eat your vegetables and take the time to enjoy all of the beautiful things around you! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

I have spent countless hours researching dog toys in attempt to give Lucy toys that are not only safe and durable, but also that will challenge and entertain her! However, give my little boxer a water bottle, and you and she both will have about a half hour of sheer pleasure! Lucy will chase, chew and tease a plastic water bottle for as long as you will let her. This little boxer becomes a gymnast whenever there's a water bottle around, I couldn't believe watching her last night the way she would flip right over the bottle in attempt to retrieve it. There is nothing ordinary about Lucy's retrieval process!

Monday on a break from working, and playing in the yard, I filled a water bottle with ice cold water and ice cubes and rolled it to Lucy. At first, she wasn't quite sure- it was really cold. But eventually, I think she loved that the bottle was cold, and the sounds that the ice made rattling around was music to her ears. I think she would have shed big boxer tears if I had made any attempt at removing that water bottle from her posession.

Important Lessons Number Three and Four: The best things in life are free and sometimes it's the little things that bring the most joy! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

When this new toy arrived, Lucy looked rather puzzled- she cocked her pretty little head, sat down, and looked at me. I wonder what was going through that little puppy mind of hers? After discovering the puppy made very funny squeaky noises, Lucy warmed up to the puppy and quickly began a very wild, noisy romp with her new friend! My little one is good at making new friends- she's also figured out that even though it's more fun to play rough- everybody needs to cuddle now and then, and this little stuffed pup got lucky with my boxer this morning. This toy is actually a great snuggle buddy.

Important Lessons Number Five and Six: It's important to make new friends and there's a time for play, and there is a time to chill out. "Good Girl, Lucy!"

With it being so hot the last couple of days, I have been very concerned that Lucy might be overheating. (I am probably worrying too much, but it's better to be a bit on the cautious side, in my opinion.) Thankfully, my little pup absolutely adores the hose and the water billowing out of it. Our faucet makes a huge noise when you turn it, and the second Lucy hears that squeak, she's right there and ready to play in the water.

Lucy has no fears or qualms about water- she'll stick her head right in the water stream, and if she doesn't get her entire body wet, she'll let her Mom hose her down.

On Monday, Lucy's Daddy installed the new hose hanger on the side of the house. Now, the hose hangs and when it gets turned on, Lucy can really make sure that the water gets proper attention. She has figured out that she can paw at it, and the water will move around.

Important Lessons Number Seven and Eight: It is very important to drink plenty of water and stay very hydrated when it's hot outside and sometimes it's okay to just stick your whole head right in! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

Lucy absolutely loves the steps leading into the house. In the morning, if she curls up on the top step, she can catch some shade. She spends a lot of time sleeping there, although sadly, I'm not sure she's gonna fit on these steps much longer! She is already to big to curl up like she used to, and I'm afraid those steps aren't going to be long enough soon!

Important Lesson Number Nine: It's always a good idea to have a place to go where you can just relax and hang out! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

Before the installation of the hose hanger on Monday, the hose was always draped across the deck, tangled and completely unruly (en route to the hot tub). Lucy seemed to love to "protect" the hose- or maybe she was waiting for the water... I'll never know. All I know is that I've walked out on the deck several times and found my little boxer sprawled across a non-running hose.

Important Lesson Number Ten: Always protect and appreciate the things that mean the most to you and bring you the most happiness. "Good Girl, Lucy!"

My basset hound always loved looking out our front windows (as evidenced by the scratches on the window sill), but I've never seen Lucy do it until last night. (Her Daddy is going to have a bird! We're definitely going to have to break this bad habit... She'll be able to see out that window soon enough without standing up!) I suspect she might have been looking for her boxer buddy, Layla, whose yard is directly to the right of this window. But, again, I'll never know! (Check out all of the wonderful puppy wrinkles draping down to her adorable little wiggle butt! Gotta love it!)

Important Lesson Number Eleven: It's a good idea to be aware of what's going on around you... Otherwise you might miss out on something big! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

Lucy's been very tired and very cuddly the last couple of days; she's sleeping a lot too! She's sneezing again, and this morning, I noticed that she seems stuffy headed! After our little walk in the pretty smelling flowers, she curled up and decided to take a nap! She's out there right now, snoring like a champ!

This is one of Lucy's new toys: this little platapus has eggs inside of it. I still can't get Lucy interested in removing the egss even though they squeak and I've pulled them out of there 10 times to show her. She loves taking the rabbits out of the hat, but is not so interested in taking the eggs from the platapus. She will play with the toy though, maybe she's just not old enough for the "interactive" toys.

Lucy is always close by when I'm in the kitchen. If I'm cooking or grilling, you don't have to look hard for her. I love turning around and seeing that sweet little pup waiting patiently for a goody to drop!

Important Lesson Number Twelve: When all else fails, smile and look adorable! "Good Girl, Lucy!"

Lucy's Take... Mom, I Don't Have Enough Toys

Mom and I have been pretty busy, and she's always coming up with new things to entertain me. Today is our day off, and it's so pretty outside-hardly any clouds in the sky and the sun is really shining. It's a little hot for me, but that's okay because Mom keeps coming outside and turning on the hose. I love to play in running water, and I feel so much better by the time she turns off the house. I don't mind getting wet, sometimes though, I don't like to stay that way. Mommy & the contractor stood on the deck a little while ago just watching me play in the water. I'm so glad to be able to provide the humans with entertainment, they must be pretty bored! Appearantly they've never seen a boxer play in water before, because they seemed pretty fascinated, Mommy couldn't stop laughing and Don, the contractor who loves to play with me said he wished he could be that entertained by water!

I got a little antsy at work yesterday and started whining a little bit. Mommy didn't think my whining was appropriate and kept giving me things to play with and chew on. But, I was still bored, sometimes I wish we could just go outside and lay in the grass. I think Mommy couldn't figure out how I could possibly be bored, because she dragged all of my toys out on the floor, looked at me and said " There is no way you can be bored!" I guess she was right, I do have a lot of toys. That whole exercise was kinda silly, Mommy just had to clean all those toys back up before we left for the day.

Just the other day a big box came from Amazon for me! Yep, all for me! There wasn't even a book in there for Mom! That nice UPS guy brought me a really cool toy. It's a top hat with 3 little rabbits inside! Mommy thinks it's pretty cute and keeps telling me to " Get the Wabbit, Lucy!" Every time I get them all out though, Mommy stuffs em' back in and tells me again to "Get the Wabbit, Lucy". Sometimes I think my human might be a little goofy! I can't figure out why she makes me get the rabbits out if she's just going to stuff them back in the hat. Maybe someday I'll figure out why she does that.

Friday night and last night after work, Mommy and I went to the dog park. It's not that far from work, so I don't know why we don't just go there instead every day. Mommy seemed a little nervous about letting me loose in the play yard with all of the big dogs, but I was soooo excited!! I couldn't make my butt stop wagging. That's probably why Mommy calls me "Wiggle Butt" all the time. I'm so glad she didn't try to make me play in the puppy yard, those little dogs didn't look like too much fun. I've made lots of new friends. Last night, I met a Great Dane- he was enormous, and the look on Mommy's face when I marched right up to him and attempted to kiss him was pretty funny. I'm still kinda little though, so I couldn't reach. I hope I don't get that big or Mommy is gonna have to get a new car and somehow, I don't think Daddy will be too happy about that.

On Friday night, there was another boxer there. His name was Dutch and he's about a year old. He and I had a lot of fun together, and I was hoping to see him yesterday. But, he must have been busy. That's okay, my friend Molly was there. She's bigger than I am, but it's okay, cause she's still a puppy and I have a lot of fun with her. Molly is a very energetic golden retriever, and even though she looks different than me, she can be my friend.

It was really hot out, so we didn't stay very long yesterday! I was tired and very hot by the time we got to the car. Mommy turned the AC on high, and I slept the whole way home! I can't wait to go back to the dog park.... Can we go now, Mom? Those floors you're cleaning are just gonna get dirty again when Daddy comes home and cuts the grass...

Lucy loves Water, Daddy's Shoes and Ant Hills!

Last evening upon returning home from work, Lucy and I joined the German Shepherd in the yard for a little bit of fresh air. It was a perfect evening! There was a very rare brightness in the sky and it was warm and breezy, felt an awful lot like I remember Spring (Working only from memory because we don't see nearly enough sunshine or warm breezes in Western Pennsylvania anymore!)

I was under strict orders from the hot tub repair man to remove the filter from our hardly ever working, but almost new hot tub when I returned home from work and to give it a good cleaning. (He told me I just had to turn that little bolt in there and it would pop right out- yeah, sure it will- maybe for you! Much to my disgust, I ended up with the whole bolt in my hand, and I was completely soaked after wrestling with that darn filter for 10 minutes.)

My little boxer was thrilled with this chore- anything involving water means "playtime" and her whole entire body wagged when she saw her mommy struggling to drag the hose across the deck. And it wagged even harder when I turned on the water! She couldn't get enough of it, she stuck her whole face right in the water stream- she was completely soaked and I had a great laugh. Of course, after a couple of minutes, she was standing by the door waiting to be dried off. Lucy loves the activity of getting drenched- just doesn't like to stay that way!

I have been very careful not to leave shoes around to tempt Lucy- especially shoes that have shoelaces- because those are just way too intriguing to my little pup. Her Daddy, however, either did not get this memo- or he did not read it- because these pretty tennis shoes have been on the deck for days, and no matter how many time I put them up, or how high up I put them, I always catch Lucy dragging these shoes around the yard and deck! Right now, one of those tennis shoes is at the bottom of the yard, and I know that Rob will be asking me what hapenned to his shoe. I couldn't resist snapping this photo even though shoes are OFF LIMITS! (At least Mommy's shoes are!) She is once again showing in this picture how well she has mastered the "I'm not guilty, Mommy- I was only looking at it..." look!

There is an ant hill about 24 inches long and full of very large ants directly behind the store where Lucy and I go for walks. Most days, she's very content to walk right past the ant hill, but there are days, like yesterday, when the sight off 200 ants rushing about was just too great to pass up. It didn't matter how many times I told her it was time to go "home" or how many dried liver treats I stuck in front of her nose, Lucy was determined to play with these ants. I kept brushing ants of off her and me, but we both walked away covered in ants.

My little pup has been extremely unhappy the last two days. I sense that the vets warning that her "big girl" teeth are coming, is ringing true. Lucy hasn't really even attempted in the last couple of weeks to nibble on my fingers, wrists or ankles, but the last two days, despite the very, very wide variety of appropriate things to chew on, all she has wanted to chew on has been my fingers, wrists and ankles. Last night, she seemed particularly agitated, and I felt so bad for her. I got out of bed and wet down an old washcloth. Lucy chewed for a couple of minutes, and then fell blissfully asleep right next to me- after I turned the ceiling fan on! :)

Bring Mommy the Frisbee, Lucy!

Rob & I live in a world with a "ball dog"; a dog that is completely crazy over the ball- despite that fact that old age has him limping and stiff. So when we brought Lucy home, I know that he was hoping that Lucy would learn from the shepherd and love to chase the ball the same way that Ceasar does. In the spirit of this, Rob will sit on the deck and coach Lucy to watch Ceasar chase after the ball. For weeks this has been going on. Rob throws the ball, says "Lucy, watch", and Lucy surveys the whole thing from the edge of the deck. I've often thought that she was thinking that the whole thing was just plain crazy! Rarely will Lucy leave the security of the deck and her Mommy & Daddy when ball time is going on- unless I walk out to the yard, and throw the ball while standing in the yard. She will, from time to time, make attempts at removing the ball from Ceasar's possession when it is not being thrown. (As previously noted, this usually does not work out very well for Lucy!)

Several days ago, with a disappointed look on his face, my darling fiance announced that Lucy was not going to be a ball dog.

Lucy's Human, however, had different plans for the little boxer! Last night when she and I returned home from work, and Ceasar was with his dad (meaning the yard, frisbee and all of the tennis balls scattered about were free game!), I decided I was going to have a little game of fetch with Lucy and see what would happen. I was thinking that perhaps Lucy's lack of desire to chase after things in the yard, had more to do with the presence of the shepherd than a lack of desire to do so!

As is the norm when I'm trying to get Lucy to learn something, I filled my pockets with liver treats, grabbed the frisbee, said "Lucy COME!" and headed out to the back yard intent on getting my little dog to chase and bring me the frisbee (without a coat on- which wasn't the brightest idea in the world- but bright ideas haven't been abundant in this blondes world lately!).

My bright little boxer did not dissapoint. All those weeks of surveying the fetch game from the deck must have been research, because I threw the frisbee, watched Lucy chase, and then told her "Lucy, COME!" and she came running. "Good Lucy!" When she saw the treat in my hand, she dropped the frisbee at my feet and accepted her goodie with her little butt wiggling! I could tell she was very proud of herself, she loves to please her human. I would tell her to "SIT" and throw the frisbee again, and again, and again! We did this for about a half an hour! I'm not sure who had more fun, the human or the boxer! As I quickly found out, Lucy doesn't just retrieve the frisbee, she does a comedy routine: flips, rolls, jumps & hops, you name it- it's part of little Lucy's retrieval process, and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Unfortunately, Lucy's Daddy did not see the whole thing- so he, at this point, is very skeptical that any of this happened! Guess we'll have to show Daddy, hugh, Lucy?

Lucy is growing up so fast. She was 26 or 27 (not entirely sure because she sat before the machine was turned on, and then wouldn't sit after that!) pounds last week at the vets, and I'm sure she's over 30 by now. ( I get a big shock every time I try to pick her up and lift her out of the playpen. That's not gonna work much longer!) Her little legs just keep getting longer and longer- I can relate to that- it's the same way I grew. I was all legs for a very long time! And yesterday, I noticed that the new collar we bought for her 2 weeks ago needed to be loosened, soon we'll be buying another new collar.

My little pup will try to eat anything (and just about everything)- last night she had her very 1st (and very last) raw carrot which didn't agree with her, so we won't be doing that again. She loves peanut butter, blueberries, and ice cream is her favorite treat! And when there's a steak on the grill, Lucy is always close at hand.

We were given very exciting news last week at our checkup- Lucy's baby teeth are going to start falling out! I couldn't be more excited!!!!! While the number of incidents involving skin, blood and pain have been seriously reduced, she still gets me now and then, and I can't wait for them to be gone!

I am prepared for new teeth to be arriving, we've got every kind of chew thing imaginable and then some. Our chew toy selection rivals that of Petco and Petsmart both! Bring on the big girl teeth!

Yesterday, Lucy decided that in order to be completely happy, she needed all of her toys surrounding her and available for immediate play! She dragged each and every toy from the "toy bag" to her little play space and proceeded to give each toy a little bit of attention, one by one until she exhausted herself and required a nap!

Lucy & Ceasar are still making progress at getting along with one another. Ceasar still gets ticked off, and Lucy is still a puppy and she still wants to play, but they're both learning when to back off! Lucy is starting to learn that barking at the big dog or nipping at his very fluffy tail, isn't going to make him play with her.

Saturday night, Lucy and I spent a half hour in the neighbors yard! Lucy and her buddy Layla, the brindle boxer, had a great time! I really need to get my camera over there- but we weren't planning on going there (at least the human wasn't!) so I wasn't prepared. We were out for a walk, trying to work on our "heel" when Lucy spotted her buddy, after that there was no where else for us to go but Layla's yard! They play so well together, I absolutely love watching them and the experience of it all seems to be great for Lucy! I know she slept well on Saturday night after that little romp!

Last night, we decided to leave the "kids" outside while we ate dinner. (It has been raining here for days, and the dogs have been cooped up in the house without a break to run and play for what seems like eternity. I could just tell that if Lucy didn't run off some of that energy soon, there was going to be some kind of disaster!) I was thinking to myself that they were being very quiet which is very unusual, and was just getting ready to check on them when I noticed my neighbor (who recently fell in love with Lucy) walking across the yard carrying a boxer puppy!

I got all excited, thinking that she had loved my boxer so much, that they had decided to adopt one. (I confess, images of play dates were swirling in my mind and I could hardly contain my excitement! I couldn't wait to tell Lucy!) I couldn't believe how much the pup she was carrying resembled my Lucy, it was just a lot bigger than Lucy! As I flew down the sidewalk to greet my neighbor and the pup, I realized that it was indeed Lucy that she was carrying. She had found Lucy sitting on her back porch, waiting to be let in! (Rob insists that she was begging for food!)

I had completely forgotten about it, but we had opened the back gate so that the hot tub repairman could get in and out, and neither one of us had nailed it shut! That explains how the dogs got out! (Incidentally- the hot tub ran for 4 minutes last night before tripping the breaker- I suppose we should have been thrilled, that's longer than it's run in the last 6 weeks!)

I have been busy as a bee with training Lucy and teaching her manners. My earlier concerns and fears that I had a "DOMINANT" boxer were eased a few weeks ago. I knew I had to take immediate action, so as soon as I got to work, I did a search for a book about working with dominant dogs. I stumbled across "So Your Dog's Not Lassie" and immediately ordered a copy up- even paid for express shipping. Turns out that Lucy, while having dominant tendancies, tends to be more of an independant dog-- Whew! And the issues and challenges facing Lucy and I were more the result of her human's action (Bad, bad, bad human!), than Lucy's dominance or unwillingness to learn. I sucked up the information in that book like my Dyson sucks up dog hair- and I'm proud to say that my little boxer is more than happy to learn, is extremely obedient and is an exceptionally quick learner... now that her human is behaving properly!

We've mastered the "SIT" and the "PAW", she "Come"s most of the time, and this week we're focused in on "HEEL" and "LAY DOWN". We're making great progress, we've definitely got a head start on Puppy Kindergarten which starts in 2 weeks! "Good Lucy!"

Definitely Lucy's Human...

I have anxiously awaited that big moment, and watched for signs that I could be sure that Lucy had decided I was definitely her human. For the last couple of weeks, I've noticed a huge increase in the amount of affection Lucy has been bestowing on her human, and she seems to be checking in with on a very regular basis. When we're playing, she'll try to put her entire body on my lap, and sometimes will even stop playing with the toy to give me a kiss. And the other night, when we were at the breeder's house, she seemed very protective of me when the other dogs were around- "Hey, that's my mom! Stop kissing my mom!" But I didn't feel 100% sure that we had that solid connection, until last night.

Rob was out of town, so last night at 9:00, I decided that I was going to curl up in bed with a book and just relax with my little boxer puppy. It was too cold and rainy to be outside playing with the kids, and I had been running around the house doing laundry, scrubbing floors (which is quite pointless when you've got 2 dogs, the entire yard is a big pit of mud and the kitchen floor is white!) and putting away dishes in addition to handling a plumbing issue at the rental property from the time I got home from work! (So glad that my work day ended at 6:00!) I felt frazzled and tired, and couldn't wait to chill out!

Lucy and I had a pretty good rumble on the living floor in between laundry and dishes with her soccer ball, and I knew that she would probably settle down with her evening knuckle bone. She seems to understand, most of the time, that once her little body is plopped down on that bed, it's time to be a calm girl!

Both dogs followed me upstairs, and I plopped Lucy down on the bed (She still can't jump up there!). She happily accepted her bone, and drug it to the foot of the bed, like she does most nights. She chewed for about 5 minutes before looking back to see what mom was doing.

Then she did something she's never done. She dragged the bone to the head of the bed, got her sweet little boxer body as close to mine as she possibly could, gave me a kiss, and started chewing on her bone again! I was so happy to the have the little one right next to me and pleased that she had chosen to be that close to me. Every so often, Lucy would look at me as if to say "hello" and make sure that I was still there, and I would stop reading for a moment and pet her sweet little head.

The real defining moment came when I told Lucy "Lights Out", and snuggled down into bed. In the 5 weeks that she's been with us, she hasn't really been much of a snuggler. But, last night, my little boxer put her precious little head right on my neck and proceeded to fall asleep. I was so happy to have that soft little head right next to me, that I couldn't even move her when she began snoring quite loudly!

And it was that very moment when I figured out that Lucy had decided I was her human! This morning when I opened my eyes, my first site was my boxer. At some point during the night, Lucy had shifted and her head was on the pillow right next to mine! "Good Boxer!" My little pup definitely knew I was pleased with her choice of sleeping spots.

In the spirit of my being Lucy's Human, this morning, Lucy took it upon herself to clean up all of the crumbs on the pantry floor. That kept her busy for about 5 minutes, she got tons of crumbs, stale nuts, and maybe a chip or two and I got a good chuckle out of the whole thing in addition to a clean pantry floor. Lucy, you're a good little helper!

Lucy's Take... A Trip To The Old Homestead

Yesterday, I spent the entire day playing in the yard with my brother, Ceasar. I was pretty tired by mid-afternoon, so I was pretty happy when mom called me into the house. I curled up right on the living room floor and headed off to dreamland.

A short while later, Mom woke me up from my nap and told me she had a surprise for me! "Oh boy, where is she taking me, now?" I thought. I wasn't real sure I wanted to go, but Mom persisted and she stood patiently waiting for me with a big smile on her face, in the kitchen, my leash in her hand. I couldn't figure out what Mom was up to, but she kept telling me I was gonna like it, and when she told me to "Lucy, Come!" I didn't want to dissapoint her, so off I went! The entire ride in the car, Mom kept saying how excited I was going to be. I tried to watch where we were going to see if I could figure it out, but Mom has a tendancy to take bends a little fast, and I kept tipping over. I sure wish my mom would learn how to drive so that I didn't tip over!

It was a short ride, and before I knew it, we were pulling in the driveway of Grandma & Grandpa's house! Wooh boy! I couldn't wait to see everyone, my little butt started wiggling, and I couldn't get out of the car fast enough! Both Grandma & Grandpa were very excited to see me! "Wooh- who's that? Is that my brother? Oh goody! Someone to play with me! Thanks Mom!" Tank seemed pretty happy to see me, I ran from him at first, I just wasn't sure, I haven't seen him in weeks. But, then I got over my shyness, and let him give me a proper boxer greeting.

We played for a long time! A couple of times, we got a little carried away, and Mom grabbed me and Grandma grabbed Tank and made us calm down. After a couple of minutes, they would put us back down again and let us rumble! I could have done that all night! It's so good to see my brother, even though he's bigger than I am! Nobody plays like a boxer!

Grandpa thought Tank was getting a little carried away, so he put him inside to chill out a little bit! It was okay, I'm a tough girl and Mommy didn't seem to mind. I could've taken it! He brought my Aunt Chloe out to play with me! I was pretty happy to see her, even though I thought she gave my mom too many kisses. I kept trying to butt in, but Aunt Chloe was very happy to see my mom, and she just wouldn't stop kissing her! She got so excited she even knocked an earring out of mom's ear and mom landed on the ground! I sure hope mom is gonna be able to get all of that slobber off her face when we get home! I will probably have to help her.

Mom really loves Aunt Chloe, her face lit up when Chloe came out to play, and she and Grandma kept saying how I'm gonna look just like her when I get older! That's cool, Aunt Chloe is such a pretty girl. I'm probably gonna be bigger than Aunt Chloe because my mom and dad are so big, but I'll still wanna play with Aunt Chloe. Mom said Aunt Chloe can come visit our house! That would be fun!

The pampas grass at Grandma & Grandpa's house looks different than Mom & Dad's. Wonder why? It's okay, I still had fun with Aunt Chloe playing in it, even if it is different. I even got to help Tank and Aunt Chloe clean up Grandpa's dinner plate. I'm sure Grandma appreciated not having to wash that dish. I always try to help the humans out- they seem like they have a lot to do, and all I have to do is sleep, play and eat.

Mom said in the car on the way home that she thinks we're gonna need another Boxer! Boy do I love that idea, but Dad and Ceasar aren't gonna be too happy about it. I wonder if she'll let me pick out my new brother or sister? Can we go take care of that tomorrow, Mom?

When we got home, Mom looked at my green paws and said I had to go straight in the tub. She really scrubbed my paws, and when I came out, I was all pretty and my paws were white again. I was kinda cold, and Mom did a very good job of drying me off! But, boy was I tired. I didn't even feel like chewing on my knuckle bone like I usually do before bed! I went straight to sleep. Mom chuckled over my little snores, she doesn't know how tired I was! But, I sure had a grand time. Wonder when we're going back?

Wiggle Butts, Kisses, Sneezes and Snores, OH MY!

It was about 5 weeks ago that we brought little Lucy home. She was about 10 pounds and looked so fragile, she was really tiny- especially next to the German Shepherd. She was absolutely darling, and when people saw her, they remarked how cute she was and asked what breed she was. 5 weeks later, I hear, "What a beautiful little boxer." It's amazing that this time has turned Lucy from a puppy, to a boxer! And everyone wants to stop and talk to her. She's such a little charmer, and has made lots of friends in the last couple of weeks.

I'm pretty certain that the man upstairs had something to do with my finding the ad for Lucy 9 weeks ago. I think he knew that not only did my broken heart need to be mended, but that I also needed some humor, silliness, and some good, plain fun in my life. Because I haven't stopped giggling since Lucy came home! My little girl always seems to know just the right moment to wiggle on up to me and plant a bunch of tiny little boxer kisses right on my mouth. I never knew how much I was going to love Boxer kisses! And after several weeks of attempting to play with her, and ending up with bite marks all over my hands and arms, I am loving that I can now sit on the floor with her, and she'll plant her little bottom on my lap and attack a toy instead of my hands and arms!

I love to watch her play. Most of the time her little butt is up in the air, and as she plays her body twists and turns and fumbles all over the floor. Boxer play is so comical!

Lucy has always done some version of the much discussed "kidney bean", but this past week, she has perfected it. One night last week, Rob walked in the door, and Lucy got so excited and doubled herself right in half. My face lit up, and I said "She's kidney beaning, look how happy she is to see you". Rob thought I was nutty, but the fact that her little "antennae" was just about touching her nose just made me smile! That wiggly little bottom is absolutely priceless... I just can't get enough!

My little Lucy must have allergies- this has not yet been confirmed by the vet, but for the last several days, Lucy has been sneezing and has had a runny nose. Maybe she just has a cold- but let me tell you how darling those little puppy sneezes are. Our only concern is that the rain shower that accompanies those darling little sneezes is pretty substantial and we're going to require umbrellas and rain coats once she gets a little bit bigger! ....And the snores? Oh my gosh! What adorable little snores, I laughed the whole way to work one morning as Lucy happily snored, teeny, tiny little Boxer snores as I drove along! I would be extremely worried about the sneezing and the runny nose if she weren't acting like herself, however, she's in the back yard right now "sassin" at the German Shepherd, so it mustn't be anything too drastic!

Lucy knows she's a darling (I would like to thank all of my customers, friends and family who have oohed and aahed at my little puppy for instilling this very extreme level of self-confidence!), and when she darn well feels like it is more than happy to strike a pretty pose for her mom and the camera... However, when she doesn't feel like it, I can pretty much forget it about it.

In addition to house breaking and leash training, I have been making Lucy sit for everything. If she wants to go out or come in, SIT! If she wants a toy, SIT. If she wants a treat, SIT. If she wants out of her harness, and the car, SIT! She's learning very quickly that in order to get what she wants, her darling little bottom better be on the ground (and it's okay if it won't stop wiggling, just so it's touching the ground!). She is also learning when we tell her "down" that the right thing to do is, SIT. Liver treats are a must for training a puppy, she will do just about anything for a liver treat!

I have yet to decide if Lucy finds trouble, or if trouble finds Lucy. She's very curious, gets bored very easily, and always loves to explore. Yesterday, she decided that she was going to pick out her own toys, dragged the "toy bag" (which goes back and forth between work and home) out of my office, and proceeded to remove all of her toys. The she started chewing on the bag! No, Lucy! SIT! Good Lucy!

Relations between the "old dog" and the "new dog" are showing huge signs of improvement. Earlier this afternoon, Lucy and Ceasar took a break from play (or should I say that Lucy took a break from "sassin") and they both laid down underneath the oak tree for an afternoon siesta. Of course, there are still great moments of tension, and Lucy is still brilliant at getting Ceasar to snap at her, but it seems as she gets bigger, or maybe as they get used to one another, that things are definitely calmer between the two! Now if only Lucy could figure out that attempts at removing the ball from Ceasar's possession are a VERY BAD IDEA! Lucy LEAVE IT!

On a completely unrelated note, we had some excitemement at the house on Saturday evening. I returned home from work, tired, and having to pee in a very bad way! Grabbed the mail out of the mailbox, talking to Lucy about how I couldn't wait to get in the house, and pulled in the driveway. I hit the garage door opener and waited. Nothing! Hit it again. Still nothing. Decided to try the other door. Still nothing. As I have no key to the front door because the contractor has our only copy of our front door key, I was out of luck. Wearing heels, I traipsed around the side of the house with intentions of scaling the fence. Battled my way through rocks and thorns and realized that unless I suddenly developed super powers, and the fence suddenly wasn't completely deteriorated (and 6 feet high) that there was no way I was going over that fence.

I decided my only hope of getting across the fence was to borrow a ladder from the neighbors. Neighbor #1: NOT HOME! Neighbor #2, home and they've got a ladder- and a news bulletin that the power has been out for the last 4 hours! AGH- that's why my garage door opener isn't working. I made it over the fence, heels and all, and didn't even break anything (on my body or the fence!)... Note to self... a copy of the house key might be a good thing!

ROAD TRIP!!

Lucy turned 3 months old on Sunday! She and I celebrated with a trip to Petco and of course a basket full of goodies (which she once again failed to pay for!). Lucy loves going to Petco, and loves the treats that we walk away with even more. She picked out this octopus, which we have not named yet, even though she already has one octopus. We're getting quite the artillary of toys, if this keeps up, we're going to need a huge toybox. Don't ever let my boxer try to convince you that she's not spoiled rotten. Variety is the spice of life, and my little one has it down pat.

We also had a nice suprise visit from Lucy's Grandparents and great-Grandparents on Sunday afternoon. Lucy had fun letting Grandma & Grandpa play with her toys, and showing off her "paw". Grandma thought the fact that Lucy likes to carry her own leash was very adorable- bad Grandma!! (I have to admit- it is very cute- it's just not the appropriate behavior- Lucy cannot walk herself, much to her disappointment!)

Monday morning, bright and early, Lucy and I jumped in the truck with Daddy to take a little road trip to Amish Country to pick up furniture. Lucy loved being in the truck in between Mommy & Daddy- I had her buckled in right in the middle. (This was the first time her Daddy has seen the "car gear", and he was very amused seeing how he's had a lot of dogs and has never fastened them in to take a ride- but then he's never tried to drive with a boxer puppy in the car loose either... I'm sure that if I had left her loose, he would have insisted she be buckled in about 5 minutes into the drive!)

I'm sure Lucy would say it was a great trip, she had 1/4 of a real beef hamburger for lunch and a tiny bite of ice cream for dessert. She's really living the life! I'm still very amused by all of the things that Lucy will eat- I do try to make sure that I'm not giving her fatty or spicy things, or any of the "no-no's" on the list. Saturday night for dinner, Lucy helped me eat a sweet potato. And earlier today, she played with an almond for 10 minutes before deeming it okay to eat.

Lucy's never seen a horse, and I had to hang on tight to keep her from exploring the big horse piles on the Amish Farm that we were on. She's pretty fearless, and I'm sure that if I didn't have a good grip, she would have marched right up to that horse and given it a nice Boxer kiss- which seconds later would have been followed by typical Lucy Sass.

Lucy made a new friend late Monday afternoon, which her mother was very excited about. This is Lucy and Bella once Lucy decided that she was going to play with her and not just tease her! (I was really hoping for a great shot of two puppies sitting pleasantly next to one another- but it didn't happen...)

Bella belongs to a member of the Oak Depot family and she's half beagle and half dalmation. That had a great romp around Daddy's store and didn't even knock anything over- but I could tell Daddy was getting a little nervous! I definitely want to get those two together to play again, they were both worn out when play time was over. Lucy slept the entire way home, and then tried to get a like performance out of Ceasar when we got home. That was a no go!

The last couple of days have been very hot, and I can tell the heat gets to my little boxer. I nearly froze to death last night in the car driving home- Lucy's preferred car tempreture is 59 degrees- she doesn't settle down till it feels like a meat locker in the car. (I'm gonna start carrying a coat!) She loves the AC, she sticks her head right in it, and you can tell she's just sucking it up. She got pretty restless last night around midnight, and didn't calm down till we got some water, went for a walk and turned on the ceiling fan. Rob & I nearly froze to death- but Lucy slept like a baby!

She hasn't been much in the mood for play today, and this afternoon after a walk and a little bit of playtime, she curled up next to me and fell asleep. She never does that. I'm sure that she'll be ready to rumble by the time we get home, it will be much cooler and the back yard will be nice and shady for her.

But for right now, my little boxer is in her playpen, snoring!