Day 41: Sunday

I woke up at 9:30 this morning because Charlie was throwing up :( Just two little spots, but it sounded much worse. And just as I caught him, he was squatting, so we both got up right away, brushed our teeth, threw on some clothes and bolted out the door.

We took a leisurely walk to the dog run. He pooped and peed along the way. Hesagudboooyyyyy!! He was all excited at the park, running all around and sniffing everything. Gosh, he's adorable. We took some video of it so I'll post a link to it if I ever get around to uploading it to youtube.com

We walked up a trail through the woods and kept him off the leash. He was so good. Going off sniffing then running back to us when he was called or noticed we were too far away. We ran into Dove, a beautiful black lab and chow mix, and her owner. She's so friendly and well behaved.

Day 40: Saturday

This morning, we woke up around 10:30 and sort of took our time getting ready to take the puppers out and boy did we pay for it! He peed in the living room when we weren't looking. I made made Mark clean it up because I blamed him for taking his sweet-ass-time.

We went to the dog run and Charlie could not have been cuter. He was digging at the dirt for a few seconds then he'd jump up and turn around and plop down again and look at us. He was all frantic and playful about it. The sky was getting darker and darker until finally it broke and started pouring on us. We moved the bench under the huge tree but it only prolonged the inevitable soaking of our clothes. We decided to grin and bear it and walk home. It's about a 10 minute walk. Pouring rain the whole time, but it was still so hot outside that it was refreshing! I haven't been out in the rain like that in years. And it was also incredibly romantic :) We had to take a few kissing breaks. We took refuge under some scaffolding for a few minutes to see if the rain would let up, but it didn't.

We got home and took warm showers (and nice change up from the cool showers I've been taking lately because it's been so damn hot and humid!). Then Mark went to work. I played with Little Charles for a bit. Oh, he knows "paw"!!! It took him about a week and a half to learn it. Such a lil smartie!!

I cut a penny-sized hole in a tennis ball and put treats in it. I read on a doggie blog how to get your dog interested in toys that way. I started off putting treats in the hole so they are sticking out an he could grab it. Then some pieces fell in. But it actually works out for the best, because now it smells like treats, and every so often they fall out of the hole and he is rewarded! Who's the smartie now?!

He picks up his orange toy and his ball to play with!

Day 39: Friday

Charles slept in his cage last night. He started whining around 1:30 am. We were NOT happy about it. I get really cranky if I don't get enough sleep and I've only been getting about 6.5 hours of sleep for the past few weeks. I woke up and thought he would stop but he didn't. We whispered about what we should do... yelling at them is only rewarding them - giving them attention, but we couldn't have him whining all night if that's what he chose to do. We did eventually yell at him and it didn't make him stop, so I put earplugs in and went back to sleep. Mark eventually let him out of the cage (he opted to not wear ear plugs).

Charlie did not escape from his cage today. After the debacle yesterday, we were pretty worried about leaving him along again. But it looks like we won! In your face, dog!

Mark worked in the evening. I got home around 7, so Charles was only alone for a few hours.

I was designing some logos on the computer and Charlie was laying behind me on the floor. I sat with him for a little bit and gave him some love. I love spending time with him like that.  It's like I'm in his world when I sit on the floor with him. I see things from his perspective. He's so little, we have to bend over to pet him, but taking he time to be down on his level puts things in perspective. He usually rolls onto his back and lifts up his leg to show us his little white belly. Hehehe. It's frigging adorable. I love that he's so comfortable and trusting of us to do that.

His stumpy little tail has been wagging so much lately. And we've learned what his triggers are!! He gets really excited and giddy when we slap our legs and use our excited voices, talking about going for a walk, or how happy he is, or whatever (it's not like they can understand us! we can say whatever we want, but the tone is what's important!). I get excited about it too. haha. I mimic his actions. His body gets all wiggly and he prances around and rocks his head from side to side and he uses his little front paws to playfully bat at me. It gives me butterflies to get him that excited. hahaha!!

Photos: Charlie sticking his head under the bed to get the orange toy, which he picked up and started playing with without any coaxing from me!

Day 37: Wednesday

Slumber Party Charlie

Mark took Charles out this morning and tired him out. He didn't make a peep in his cage yesterday. He was home alone for about 8/9 hours :( I watched him for a while and he was either sleeping or moving around to lay in a different position.

Mark went to his sisters to visit for the night, so Charles and I had a slumber party! He slept in bed with me all night. See photos below.

Day 38: Thursday

Bad boy, bad boy!

Woke up with my furry 4-legged friend on Marks side of the bed. Since it was just the two of us this morning, he was more focused on me than usual, so when I put his food down he took a bite of it then followed me back to the bedroom. I wouldn't let him into the room with me. I kept trying to shoo him out into the front hallway to eat but he just looked at me like "derrrr why you so mad?" I wasn't mad but I was annoyed and I was using my stern voice. I know he's going to be home alone for a while again today and I wanted him to eat quick while I got ready so he could have a longer walk to tire him out.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I didn't hear my alarm and I woke up at 7:15. My alarm is set for 6:30. So I lost 45 minutes of leisurely getting ready for work. I was in a rush this morning! Why didn't he understand that. So I decided to get dressed in the front hallway while he was eating. He's spoiled. He finally ate all of his food and drank some agua then we were off. He went #1 & #2! Hesagudboyyyyyy. After he peed, I got the brilliant idea to jog with him to the next patch of grass. Although I don't have enough time for a lengthy walk with him, at least he got more exercise than just walking 3 blocks. We actually jogged around 6 blocks! He doesn't need to exert much energy to be tired because of his short little legs. Hehe. So I hope my method worked.

We got home and I was finishing up on getting ready and he was being stubborn about getting in his cage. But he finally got in. The iCam is on him and I left a bone in there for him. It was in there yesterday too and he didn't touch it. Weirdest dog ever!!

So with the iCam, I get notifications on my phone when there is movement. I ignored them for about an hour at work but once I checked it, I noticed that the camera had been moved. I figured, although highly unlikely, maybe the lap top screen had readjusted and fell forward a little bit. I continued listening to a podcast on the computer and watching the camera on silent. This went on for about 10 minutes until I saw a shadow in the room and blur of something to the left of the screen. I plugged in my headphones to my phone and waited for more action and then I saw it. Charles Houdini struck again. That little bugger managed to escape from his cage once again!!

I texted Mark about it and he grumbled a bit but went home. Charles had pulled everything down from the back of the door (robes and hoodies) and pulled all the clothes off my dresser. He chewed one of my hoodies to shreds and there were tiny pieces of it all over the comforter, which means he was up on the bed!

Mark couldn't stay home for very long because he had dinner plans with his family, so he took Charlie for a walk and fastened him in his cage. And whaddya know, he got out again.

Mark went to Home Depot after dinner with his fam and I was on my way home from work. He bought the bungee wraps with the plastic balls on the end. They are typically used to tie up tent canopies. We fastened those around the "problem area" and went to the grocery store. And 10 minutes after we left, he had chewed through the bungee and escaped again.

...

And he peed in the cage.

We were at a loss for words.

When we got home, we assessed the damage and divied up tasks. Mark made dinner (home made tacos!) while I cleaned up Charlie's mess. I disassembled his cage and washed everything really good in the bathtub. I had a plan. I decided to shake things up a bit by binding the door shut and using the other door, on the end. The door he was used to getting in and out of is now bound closed and placed up against the wall.

He also got a bath because he smelled bad. Spoiled!! This is his 4th bath in 4 weeks...

My iCam is set to record all motion events so I reviewed the videos and there is no evidence of his escape. It's like he apparates (http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Apparition) out of it!

Mark will be home with him for the majority of the day tomorrow and Charlie will only be home alone for a few hours, I hope he can handle it.

Photos below are screenshots from the iCam of him being a naughty boy out of his cage!! And a photo of him before the third escape-with the elastic ties around the door.

Day 36: Tuesday

Mark has been taking the pup out in the morning after I leave for work. As much as I love the time Charles and I have alone on our morning walk, I love being able to sleep in an extra half hour :) Also, it's a good bonding time for them. It's really paying off!!

Mark worked this afternoon and got home about an hour and a half before I did. Charles was pretty good in his cage all day. No howling but he was getting antsy - clawing at the door and whimpering sporadically.

When I got home, we took Charlie Boy to Petco!! It was nice to be able to bring him to a public place where he's welcome! He was unamused, per usual. We didn't meet any other pups there. But we did get him a name tag for his collar. Daawwww.

He threw up on the car ride home :( It was on a sheet laying on the seat. We pulled over and cleaned it up quick then I sat with him in the back seat and held him on my lap. I held him tight so he wasn't jostled around and he relaxed a little bit.

He gobbled up his new food in a jiffy. We switched from Purina One to a better brand. The first few ingredients are supposed to be whole meat and meal, not grains and carbs, which are just fillers and not incredibly good for their digestive tract. He also got new delicious treats, which he obviously loves. I was showing him toys while we were in the store and mentioned that if he liked any, we were absolutely buying it for him. But alas he just sniffed it and looked confused. Haha derrrr!

Photos below: the engraving machine at Petco, his new name tag, happy pup in the store, pooch and Mark in the car, screen shots of iCam being a good and bad boy

Day 35: Monday

Charlie has been sleeping in his cage every night, with the door closed and locked. He's been very good! And it's helped him get used to being in there; it's a lot easier to coax him in, especially when we are leaving. His trigger word is "crate". "Get in your crate", "Crate up". "Get in there" works as well lol. He is a little hesitant but he only needs to be told a few times.

Mark had a job interview this afternoon and he took The Prince for a long walk to tire him out. They went to the doggie run and Charles was running all over the place "like a real dog!" See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4VfvFEKOXM&sns=em

He was home alone for about 4 hours with the camera on him. I think he got a bit antsy towards the end, but he slept practically the whole time! We realized this morning that the key to a happy (crated) puppy is a tired puppy. That way he will sleep, and a sleeping puppy is a happy puppy.

We went out to dinner with friends. so Charlie was in the crate again. I came home at 10 to hang out with him (and also to rinse my tie dyed items from Sunday-they turned out great, thanks for asking!) I took him for a walk around 11:30 and he peed and pooped. Hesagudboyyyyyy!!

He's really warming up to Mark. He comes nearly every time he's called (for both of us). He's slowly but surely learning "paw". He sits every time although it takes him a few seconds...

Oh! His meds came! We got preventative flea & tic meds (the kind where you place the oil between his shoulder blades) and de-worm medicine. For de-worming, you give them one pill and if you don't see any worms in a week, that's it, but if you still see them, you give another pill. So we'll see when next Monday rolls around what the status is.

I only have one photo for today. It's a screen shot of him on the iCam, laying there quiet as a lamb.

Day 34: Sunday

Little Charles in a Little City

Today we are going to Marks sisters for his nieces 8th birthday party. His boss is letting us borrow his car while he's out of town, so we are driving there (about 40 minutes away) with Charles in tow.

He was a perfect little angel at the party. He laid in the grass right next to us. Followed us around, explores the yard with no leash, frolicked, came running to us when we called him, laid under the table while we were eating, backed away when he was scolded for sniffing food on the children's table (even though he could have easily taken a big bite). He followed us in the house and jumped up on the couches (3 times!! The little bugger...) but he jumped off when we told him to.

The worst thing he did today was throwing up in the car on the way home. He was laying on a blanket in the back seat and I was sitting in the back with him (Mark and his boss were in the front seat, we picked him up from work) and I felt him wretching. I d over and he ha just finished. Poor pup pup. Motion sickness :(

He slept in his cage last night with no problems!

Days 32 & 33: Friday & Saturday

I haven't written in the past few days but here are some photos of the cutest moments.

Last night I called Charlie up on the bed and he ran around to either side, jumping up with his front laws and he was getting all excited then he finally jumped all the way up and snuggled with my pillow (see below).

Photos: chewing on a toilet paper roll, out for a midnight stroll, Cylon Radar photo op in the basement,

Day 31: Thursday

Nothing too eventful happened yesterday, Wednesday. Same old, same old. Skipping ahead to Thursday...

I let Charlie out of his cage this morning and he was prancing around all playful. It was adorable! And that's when it happened. He dragged his bum on the floor. Woooomp, woooomp :(

He. Has. Worms.

Mark did a but of research and found that its called "scooting". What an adorable thing to call such a lewd act. He did it again about 10 minutes later in the kitchen. Cue the Lysol wipes! Thank the gods for hard wood floors.

I fed him then took him out. He didn't do any of his business. I left work work and Mark took him out a short while later and he peed. He took him out again a few hours after that an he pooped. And that's when he saw it...

Its been verified! Mark sent me a text telling me what happened and he began looking up where and what and how to get medicine for the poor poochie woochie. I stopped at Petco on the way home from work but Mark found cheaper meds online, which we should receive in the mail in about 3 days.

Prince Charles was very wiley today. It was adorbs!! He was super excited to see me when I got home. He ran up to the door and dropped down to his elbows and slithled (combination of slither and crawl) up to me with his little stumpy tail waggling. Then he jumped up on me, which I promptly scolded him for but secretly melted.

So, our couch is backed up to the kitchen table, which is tall, so it looks over the couch. We were eating dinner at the table. Charles had already eaten and he was pretty interested in what we were eating. He was sniffing all around and he ran to the couch and jumped up on it to get a closer look and sniff! We yelled at him to get down and scoffed at the sudden audacity this puppy had!! I'm not happy that he did that but I'm glad he's beginning to have his own ideas and gain a personality ;)

We took him out after an episode of Battlestar and he peed. Hesagudboyyyyyy!

He slept in his cage last night, no problems.

Day 29: Tuesday

Mark took Little Charles out this morning and he peed. I left to go to work and Mark left a few hours after I did. He got home around 6 and (for some odd reason) waited until I got home to take Charlie out. But I assumed he already went out. We went to dinner at an Indian place Curry spot) a block away while Charlie was in his cage. Then we met up with some of my friends at a bar a few blocks away. We got home and Charles has pooped in his cage. I was angry with Mark for not taking him out when he got home from work. Since Mark has cleaned up a few cage messes, he got the luxury of giving the pooch a bath while I toiled away with Lysol wipes in 90 degree heat at 10pm. It wasn't a terrible mess. And now the doggie is all clean and silky smooth :)

He's starting to recognize my face!!! When I met them in the park last night, Charlie got all waggy-tailed when he saw me :) daawww.

I did not take any photos of him today :,( I tried to take some videos of him shaking after his bath, which comes in a close second in cuteness. The absolute cutest thing he does is use his little front paws to clean or scratch his face. But alas, none of the videos turned out, and I can't upload them from my phone anyway. I'm uploading my favorite Cylon Radar photo of him.

I promise to start taking all my photos in hires. Sorry for the awful image quality, you'd think I was using an iPhone 3!

Thank you for reading <3

Day 28: Monday

Today makes 4 weeks that we've had our little bundle of joy!

He did not sleep last night. He was walking around the bedroom and bouncing the orange toy. I don't know what his problem was! So neither of us was very well rested this morning.

We both took Charles out and stopped at a bodega to get eggs for breakfast. Little Charles peed and pooped! Hesagudboyyyyyy. Mark had the day off. He made me a delicious cheese omelette wrap with humus (mmmm-mm!) while I got ready for work.

I met up with them in Central Park on the great lawn for a free concert by the New York Philharmonic! We had sandwiches and beerz. It was super packed and everyone loved little Charles (ooooobviously). He practically slept the entire time, even during the fireworks after the show. We took a cab to Grand Central and Mark held him on his lap. We waited an hour for the train at GCT, so we sat on the cool concrete floor and took our second family photo (see below).

He is going to sleep in his cage tonight with the door closed because he's getting a little too attached to us. He never goes in his cage anymore and it's difficult to get him to go in there when we have to leave.

He's been pulling on the leash lately so we are going to walk him with the gentle leader all week and see if he's any better without it next week.

Day 26: Saturday

I took Little Charles out for his morning walk. He peed and pooped!! I fed him the rest of his food and made a mental note to buy more later on in the day.

I was pretty hung over so I made a deliciously greasy tomato and green onion scrambled egg for breakfast. With tvp and veggies. I had a pretty bad stomach ache all day.

Mark went to work around 4. I napped on the couch for a little bit and watched Drowning Mona. Charles picked up the orange toy on his own accord and played with it by himself for about a half hour! I didn't intervene because I didn't want to distract him, even though I wanted to take a video very badly. I'll have more opportunities to do that.

Fed the pooch din din then took him out. Can't remember what he did...