Just another night at 3780

Saying that Jake and I love our dog is an understatement.  We are obsessed with our dog.  And by obsessed, I mean we are abnormally infatuated with this 19 pound Boston Terrier that was introduced into our lives nearly 2 1/2 years ago, named Tank.

So, what prompted this blog?  Moments like these...

Scene: 8:29pm and a DVR'd episode of Billy On the Street: Funny or Die is playing.  Jake is laying on the couch in his fleece jacket because he refuses to set the thermostat higher than 62° and I'm on the chair playing on my new MacBook Pro, lovingly named Watson.

Jake: Would you rather Tank be soft and have a not so cute face or keep his cute face and not be soft?
Me: Cute face, I don't care as much if he is soft.
Jake: Really?  I don't know about that.

a minute later...

Jake: Would you rather Tank not shoot bunnies (aka fart) or not beg for food?
Me: Easy. Not fart.
Jake: No way.  I'd rather he not beg for food.

another minute later... 

Jake: Would you rather Tank have his cute eyes and face and lose his floppy ears or get buggy eyes and an ugly face but keep his floppy ears.
Me: Lose the ears.
Jake: Seriously?  Why?
Me: Buggy eyes lead to more health problems and I don't want an ugly dog.
Jake: (to Tank) Mom did a good job picking out the cutest Boston Terrier with the best ears and face.

end of conversation.

I won't even get into the details of this past Sunday where me, my Dad, and Jake were at one point all sitting in the living room begging Tank to come sit by us.  Don't even worry about the fact that we paused a movie to have this weak moment.  He chose me, but who's keeping track?

PS After I read the draft of this post to Jake he told me he didn't say any of this and that, for the record, Tank ended up choosing to sit near him Sunday.  

Meet Zooey

It's absolutely ridiculous that Zooey was introduced into our lives this past July and this is my first post about her!  Trust me, she's gotten a lot of instagram coverage and Tank is in love with her already (whether its in a sisterly or girlfriend way is still TBD) but that doesn't explain why you're just now hearing about her!  No excuses, I'm the worst.

That aside, she is the cutest Boston Terrier and every time I'm around her it makes me itch for another one.  Don't worry, she doesn't have the same effect on Jake... yet.

I'm certainly going to miss her (and her sweet family) when we move, but have a week of watching her this November to look forward to!  I'm not the only one, Tank has grown extremely attached to her too and cries at the door any time he hears her or her name being called outside.  It's the cutest and saddest thing all at the same time.  His ears go up and he gets anxious when he hears her barking too.  Poor thing, I think he actually stresses when she's crying in her crate- a rare occurrence because she is quite the traveler.

What do you think, should we get another dog?  I mean clearly Tank is open to the idea.

week two: mid-week laughs

E, Myself, and I is back this week with her blog series, "mid-week laughs" and I decided to participate again! If you're a blogger, feel free to partake!  This week's topic is:

_________ makes me laugh about MY PET!

I'll go ahead and fill in the blank with...

His big dog personality makes me laugh about MY PET!

 Just to give you an idea of his size.

My puppy Tank currently weighs in at about 5 lbs. with the potential to reach 17-20 as a full grown adult.  However, judging by the way he carries himself and the large dogs he tends to associate with you'd think he was working up to 100.  His favorite neighborhood dog is the German Shepherd Great Dane mix and his most recent friendship is with our friends' French Mastiff, Gus.

I know its been said that smaller dogs tend to be this way, but I'm convinced Tank takes this to a whole other level.  Combine his belief that he is way bigger than he is with his alpha dog personality and you get t r o u b l e!  Take a look for yourself.

 

Vet Nightmare

I don't want to become that dog owner who obsessively talks/writes about her pet, but I think when noteworthy things happen in regards to Tank that they should be shared. So without further ado I want to talk about his first vet appointment on Friday.

Long story short, it was a total nightmare (in case you didn't gather from the title of this post). He went in for some shots and a check up and came out with a trauma he would spend 30+ hours working past.

I knew it was going to be a rough appointment when he screamed just at having his ears cleaned. Don't get me wrong, if someone shoved a Q-tip that far down both of my ears I'd react too, but that was just the beginning. Next came the shots in different locations and finally a dose of liquid through his little baby snout. It was too much to watch and apparently too much too endure at just 4.6 lbs.

When we left he seemed ok, just frazzled. However, by the time we got home he was ready for a nap in his crate- something very unusual for him. After giving him some alone time, I tried engaging him with his favorite toy fish, Mr. Griggles. No such luck. He didn't want to chase him, chew on him, or even lay near him. All he wanted to do was sleep in his crate away from me and Jake. Whenever we touched him or tried to pick him up he would scream and whimper. Naturally after witnessing all these symptoms of distress, I cried. He was traumatized and I was the one who put him through it.

When I noticed that Jake was alarmed as well, I called the vet. They asked if he exerted any of the symptoms they requested I watch for and I said no. They assured me at his size and with what he had done that it was natural for him to be sore. I vowed to give it just over 24 hours before I brought him back in. Sure enough, Sunday morning he stopped whimpering when touched and was all about Mr. Griggles...what a relief!

He is acting completely normal and has gotten lots of extra love this weekend. Now all I'm worried about is his next appointment in three weeks! Thank goodness I scheduled it for Jake's day off... its his turn to bear it!

a work in progress

Tank is exactly 7 weeks old and Jake and I have been proud owners for officially one week (and a day). Despite having pets before, it has been interesting having a puppy and actually being the primary caregiver. We both have learned a lot...

First, never again will I be fooled into thinking that kids can have pets... their parents can maybe, but they can't. I remember being on the other end of this argument in middle school when I begged my mom to keep our lab puppy, Emma (originally purchased for Dani, which is an entirely different story) promising I would take care of her. My Mom tried explaining to me that I couldn't care for Emma at that age, but I was determined to prove her wrong... and in her wise way, she was determined to prove me wrong by letting me experience first hand that I was utterly clueless past playtime. Lesson learned. I mean I am almost 25 and I'm still wondering if I'm actually a qualified pet owner.

Second, I've come to find that puppy teeth are extremely dangerous and are most attracted to quick moving hands, feet, and sometimes faces. Tank in particular thinks this is the best game ever. Wrong. I think both Jake and I would go as far as to say that's the worst game ever. Our little piranha, he's a nightmare.

Third, if a puppy looks like he has to pee then he probably has to pee. Seems simple enough, but when you're taking a dog out constantly for lack of a yard it gets tiresome to keep bringing them in and out and in and out and in... you get the point. Another lesson learned after Tank peed in the apartment 5+ times this weekend. Now we know.

Fourth, Boston Terriers are gaseous... even as puppies. I thought the coast would be clear for awhile with this common breed "issue", but I was wrong (are you seeing a pattern?). Although it hasn't happened as often as Jake has blamed him, Tank does already pass gas and it is gross! How could something so sweet and small let out something so awful?

It's been an interesting week full of lessons, sleepless nights, & bites... but we survived and Tank is still adorable.

Photos courtesy of Meme Tomasulo

Tank's Arrival

Yesterday Jake and I drove to North Carolina and back to pick up Tank! We hit the road early to make it there by 3 but gave ourselves enough time before leaving to tie up any loose ends. I don't know why I was dead set on doing things like vacuuming before Tank arrived, but I was, and I did. We packed his "go bag" and excitedly started our trip.

Our original plan to stop and eat in Greensboro was altered when we realized how far it was when lunchtime hit. We stopped in Hillsborough instead, which was a decision made out of hunger... not always the best kind. I found a restaurant named "The Dog House" on the GPS, so in the spirit of our trip's purpose we agreed to try it. We had already decided beforehand that we didn't want to stop at a chain, so this seemed like an exciting choice. After I entered it into the GPS, Jake immediately got frustrated because he realized it wasn't taking us the shortest way. He complained and I offered to just forget the idea altogether (really hoping he wouldn't stop at Wendy's instead), but we kept on route. Finally Jake saw it in the distance (not where the map took us) and it was a hot dog stand. I'm not joking- it was actually more like a shack near a car dealership... which on top of everything was closed because of the holiday! It was hysterical (to us anyway)! We kept driving to another place called Bandino's. Honestly, even if the stand had been open I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have stopped, it was that s h a d y.

But enough pre-Tank details, I know what you want to hear about! We met the family who had Tank at a steakhouse parking lot in Yadkinville, NC. Their whole family was there and Tank was right in the front seat with Amanda, the puppies' care taker. I could barely hold in my excitement. I jumped right out and went immediately over to their car. She met me pretty quickly and without hesitation handed him to me. I was in love with him instantly. I held him in his blanket and kissed his lil face. After a few minutes, Jake very excitedly asked to hold him too. I couldn't believe I had been hogging him up until that point. I didn't feel too bad though- he had been talking to the owner about shots & food... very important details to know! We got back in the car after about 30 minutes of chatting with their family and gushing over our new puppy! We forgot all about the crate and let him cuddle in my lap. Jake was looking at him so much we both worried we would crash; at one point he was trying to take a picture- while driving!!! Crazy, I know! Anyway, Tank rode all the way home without a single yelp. He was such a good boy! Now bedtime was another story, but I'll skip it and go straight to pictures. He is so cute!

Tank Update

I assume you all are as eager to meet Tank as we are, but we've still got a few more weeks! The July 4th pick up date has been confirmed and we both have that Monday off already for the holiday, which works out perfectly. I mean honestly, how could I go to the work the next day anyway???

We're coordinating borrowing a crate and soft carrier for the trip and I've started acquiring a few things here and there to help him settle right in and feel at home! I also wanted to mention that one of Jake's patients is the proud owner of two boston terriers and Jake is already making sure to get training tips at each visit... thus the final decision to crate train. I'm sure there will be other life-saving insider tips and tricks we will be sure to incorporate as well, but time will tell!

I just can't wait! I'm hoping my business trip and the two weddings we have coming up will make the time fly by! For now, here are some current pictures! Oh, and I did I already mention we're almost 100% decided on Tank for his name? Well, we are.

after much anticipation

I wanted to wait to share the news until I had all the details worked out, but who knows when that will be and I'm just too excited!

This past weekend, Jake and I sent in a deposit on a puppy! After much debate, we went with a Boston Terrier and he will be 8 weeks on July 4th! Dotson (his temporary name) currently resides in NC so we are still working out the details for picking him up, but rest assured he will be home sweet home at some point in July. The family seems very nice and turns out they live close to my grandpa in the boonies...small world.

Here are some pictures of him, he is just a bitty baby right now, but we'll have updates with photos as he grows!

This is the whole litter, he is at the bottom of the dog pile.

He is the little guy on the right with the dot.

His first solo photo.

Already up and checking things out.

Names we're tossing around include:

• Tank
• Samson
• Boone

Personally, I'm happy with any of the above and think we need to meet him to see what fits!

Puppies...Come One, Come All

Ok, so if you know me (which I hope you do if you're reading my blog) then you know that I LOVE dogs! I grew up with dogs in my family and actually struggled with not being allowed to have one in the Hasselhouse during college- sad times. Anyway, now that I'm graduated and a working woman/wife I've taken even more seriously my intense affection for dogs and really want to get one. I have had countless conversations with Jake about whens the perfect time, what kind of dog do we want, where should we look, etc. etc. and I must say after our last dog sitting experience I think Jake is slowly coming on board with the idea...bless his heart.

So, after a lot of thought (and online research) I've convinced Jake that we need to start off with a smaller dog, nothing yappy and get our "big" dog after kids. The biggest hurdle with this idea however was getting Jake to agree with my plan. Imagine my surprise when Jake completely unprovoked commented that he could see the point in having two dogs "because they serve different purposes"...remember in the McCrowell household we only make practical choices.

So what's my point in sharing all of this? I need your help! We have dogsat Boomer, a Boston Terrier, on more than one occasion and that is the type of dog we're looking for. Something smaller that could live without a yard if need be, doesn't bark, likes to play, has a quirky personality, and cuddles!

So in doing all my research I've got it narrowed down to 3 breed options and need your feedback:

1. a Boston Terrier (bet you didn't see that coming)


2. a French Bulldog



or 3. a "Frenchton" (french bulldog mixed with a boston terrier)



What do you think? I could get any of them and be happy but I'm leaning towards the French Bulldog or "Frenchton". Oh, and if you have name suggestions too that'd be great! I am starting a folder on our computer with pictures of the ones I like (in regards to coat color and markings) with potential names and breeders/rescue sites as well- a little creepy??? I don't think so...Jake might.