Sunday, March 13, 2016

The New Kid in Town...

This is Indigo. He arrived from Iowa two weeks ago and is settling in just fine!  We all adore him. OK.. maybe not Nutmeg yet, but she is quite curious and is making her presence known.

This little guy is an English Cream Golden Retriever. They are the same as the traditional American line Golden's but come from European breeding lines. They are lighter in color in most cases, a bit shorter, stockier and tend to have a blockier head.

All other traits are pretty much what you'd expect from any golden retriever.

Indie just adores the BIG dogs! It has taken a little getting used to things for all of them, but nothing we weren't really expecting.  The big dogs are teaching him all of his "puppy" manners.. biting, playing, respect. I swear by having other dogs to teach a puppy! While they aren't reliable to say "don't chew on that electrical cord", they teach a puppy valuable things they learn best from a pack.



Monroe has emerged as the favorite big dog for Indie. He does make him tow the line respect wise, but he is the best snuggle buddy and playmate a little guy could ask for. Watching them play is quite a sight! To see the 105 lb Great Pyrenees on his back with a little 10+ lb. puppy climbing all over him, chewing etc. is hilarious! It's amazing to see him put his whole head in Monroe's  mouth.. it's like putting your head in a lions mouth.. Those teeth are BIG!


Freyja has come along and is letting the puppy snuggle up to her. In the past this took a considerably longer time. She plays with the puppy, but does so like an Aussie.. a bit of herding and nipping usually come into play. Indie seems to take it all in stride. Including those big dog "don't do that" corrections.

Nutmeg... Well, she's a work in progress. At least she isn't hiding under the bed in my room all day. She "stalks" the puppy every morning when we first get up. He and I spend a little one on one time in the living room. She has taken to inserting herself into the room, sniffing his toys, drinking his water and daring him to approach. He usually tries at least once and is met with the same response... hissing, growling and a swat. Eventually Nutmeg will get to the point she is with the other dogs, they respect her (usually) and she gives the nuzzles to say that she loves them.



He's growing fast! We've started our first puppy class. An early socialization and puppy kindergarten. This class is given in a facility that is Parvo / Distemper disinfected following a veterinary protocol for puppies not yet fully vaccinated. We are taking little short walks around the block getting used to being on leash. He is doing quite well! Again, this is where that adult dog makes a HUGE difference. We walk with Freyja and Indie just wants to keep up with that big dog. He's much less concerned about a leash.

A few updates on the things I wrote about previously...

I bought this shampoo for Indie.. Cloud Star Rosemary and Mint. While I have no objections to the ingredients, I don't really love the smell. I have always LOVED Aveda's Rosemary and Mint shampoo for humans, but this smells nothing like what I expected for those herbal scents. It is quite "perfumy".. Which in a house with humans who get migraines frequently, perfumy is NOT a good thing. I think I will still go down the road of making my own. I also got a spray from the same company in the same scent for those who prefer NOT to bathe... (Monroe) I found it to be even more highly fragranced with a stronger perfume like scent and less herbal. I will also be looking for a recipe for a spray to freshen the "let's not take a bath" crowd.

I really like the collars, leash and harness I ordered for Indigo, but the leash and harness were both a bit too big. I had to go hunting for an alternative the day before puppy class started. It took a couple weeks for each order to come from the first harness and leash, so I knew that wasn't going to work for class!

  I'll have many more things to share about Indigo and what he and I are planning in future posts!
Till next time!