I Spy A Doggie

Maybe his color is closer to tree bark than silver?

I Call it Puppy Love

My husband would disagree, but this is how my overly active imagination saw the events of New Year's weekend in Maine:

Once upon a time, Shadow the Silver Labrador loved the freedom that came with visiting his extended family in Maine.
(Click here for more info about his first visit.)

The fresh mountain air and lack of artificial boundaries made Shadow feel alive and full of adventure.

But like many a bachelor, Shadow was happily following his instincts when the unexpected crossed his path.

In his case, the unexpected came in the form of a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Zula.

He didn't know what was happening, but suddenly Shadow was floating on air.

For three days, he and Zula played with each other,

looked out for each other,

and even began to look like each other.

Like all couples, they fought...

but they always made up.

Alas, as is so often the case with young love, the time came for the puppies to part ways.

But as Shadow was summoned to the car, he gave his Zula a final glance and a promise that he would return.

A Snow Dog at Heart

Last weekend's blizzard wasn't the best for many humans, but Shadow was in heaven. Frolicking in the snow for barely an hour knocked him out for the rest of the afternoon, but he had a blast. Doesn't it look like he's in his natural habitat.

A White and Windy (day after) Christmas

Monday accumulation on our deck

Mother Nature fulfilled wishes for a "White Christmas" a few days late this year - and significantly overcompensated for her tardiness by dumping enough snow to close all three major NYC airports and incite emergency declarations all over the place.

The Boxing Day Blizzard of 2010 fell steadily on the New York City suburbs from early afternoon Sunday, December 26, through the wee hours of December 27. (For those of you who don't know about Boxing Day, it is a holiday with no relevance to the U.S. except that it sounds cool in front of the word "Blizzard.")

The wind knocked this down once

As the first flakes began to float down, my mother and I (who were scoring some annual day-after-Christmas-discounts) made the mistake of stopping by the grocery store. We were in the market for nacho fixings, but the rest of the mob seemed to be frantically preparing for Hurricane Katrina II. Bare shelves, no shopping carts, lines stretching into the aisles... I felt like a customer during the run on the Bailey Building and Loan. (Hey, at least I made it Christmassy.)

Shadow explores snow on the deck

Shadow (who, incidentally, we almost named "Blizzard"), wanted to play from the moment he saw the first snowflake hit the ground. Even when it was dark out and the accumulation was too high for him to go to the bathroom without us digging a special path, he could barely peel his eyes from the window - or from us, who he evidently blamed for spoiling his fun and not letting him loose in the storm.

Shadow tries to unearth the broom

This morning, while his owners broke out the shovels, Shadow frolicked his heart out on the snow-covered porch. Hours (and hours) later, he discovered the joy of swimming through nearly two feet of the white fluff in the backyard, chasing odd-looking tennis balls that disappear on contact, and chomping on an unfamiliar substance that hardly seems to exist at all.

Ah, the blessing of electricity in the snow!

It was hilarious watching him bound around in the drifts like a kid at Disney World. Surprisingly (the candles are still out just in case), the gift of snow didn't come with the inconvenience of losing electricity. That meant a low-key day at home in front of the Christmas tree, with mugs of hot coffee and our favorite canine, who is now incomprehensibly exhausted from his time in the snow.

All tuckered out

Video: Shadow vs. Moose

Another acquisition from the long lost camcorder vault: Shadow and his non-biological cousin, Moose, vie for a tennis ball in Maine. (Double-click to see it larger on YouTube)

Country Dog Goes South

Shadow spent Saturday with his aunt and uncle on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Brooklyn, NY. Being a country dog, Shadow's curiosity was on overdrive from the moment he hopped out of the car.

This is how I imagine his thoughts during the first 20 seconds: No squirrels? No trees? What's with all this tan grainy stuff my paws keep sinking into? Where's the grass? Where do I do my business? Who's that? What's that? Ooh, another dog!

Also at my aunt's house was Casey, a seven-year-old pug. Shadow had never met a pug before, let alone a quasi-city dog. And while Shadow had it over Casey in terms of weight and teeth (they grow back really fast!)... it was 16-pound Casey that called the shots, at one point even swiping Shadow's bully stick!

As usual, by time we headed home, Shadow and Casey were as civil as at the start of the day, when Casey's curly tail was wobbling back and forth like a bobble-head and Shadow was curiously following him around with his tongue half out.

Today, Shadow is a sack of potatoes, using only enough energy to eat, poop, and move to another spot on the floor. For such a little guy, Casey sure did a number on his younger, larger "cousin."

Oh, and Shadow requested I make a special shout-out to my cousin and his new biggest fan (of course that's you, Em!), who spent the previous weekend hanging out in our neck of the woods. He's counting the days until he can jump on you again (or hopefully show you how well-behaved he's become by NOT jumping!)

Check back later for the myriad videos I just discovered sitting on my camera. (Aye, there's the rub with digital technology... I have almost unlimited space, but it's so easy to forget I filmed anything at all!)

Helpless?

The count is two canine fangs gone (both on the bottom), and almost no full teeth in the front half of Shadow's mouth. Poor little guy's been rendered helpless. And I can't imagine eating the sharp little things is making him feel much better. Basically, if he and Moose were to play tug today, Shadow would last barely two seconds.

Canine Weekend: Day Two

Shadow's Canine Weekend continued early Saturday morning with the customary 6:30 wake-up call (bark) and a dewy walk around the neighborhood to expend some excess energy, which must have been running on credit at this point.

It had been my hope that Artie, being in my opinion one of the world's best trained dogs, would rub off a bit on our little rascal. And while that did happen to some extent by the end of the weekend, all it took Saturday morning to reel in Shadow was the discovery of a huge stick (more accurately a tree branch) significantly larger than him.

Trotting along, tail in the air like a flag and head proudly raised, he carried it all the way home like a trophy, leaving him no opportunity for misbehavior or wandering. (Hey, at least he's got priorities.) What happened next, I do not know, but a few minutes after reaching the house he and Artie each had their own half of the aforementioned stick.

While killing time waiting for the other guests, Shadow somehow managed to get Artie to wrestle with him a bit in the backyard.

I would say they even got a game of 'fetch' going, but what really happened was Artie stood on the flying disc chuckling (in silent dog laughter, of course) while his little silver nephew struggled in vain to pull it from under his uncle's massive paws.

Finally, around 11 a.m., the game changed and it was two crazy little rascals against one wise -- though still young -- dog.

Enter Moose, Shadow's 8-month-old light cream Lab cousin.

Initially quiet and curious, Moose explored his weekend home, hosts, and for -- a brief second -- the neighbor's yard, with a happy face and sweet demeanor.

Then, almost without warning, he flung off the shroud of propriety and let Shadow have it, yelling "Let's Play!" (Again, in doggie language).

Shadow was beside himself with joy as he and Moose tumbled and pawed and pounced and panted -- with tails wagging all the while, of course. The pair played almost the exact same way, and even their barks and whines sounded remarkably alike.

Three days later, I think Shadow still misses his cream-colored buddy, poking his head up with excitement whenever he hears another dog bark. Sure, we play with him too... but there's a slight difference between puppy tussling and human-to-puppy play. I mean, for one, my teeth aren't as sharp.

All this delinquent tussling brought out the paternal peace keeper side of Artie, who often stepped between the two pups and gave a low "break it up, kids" growl. The rest of the time he retreated to the stoop and stared at the front door, telepathically trying to tell us he wanted to get away from all this racket.

This dynamic pretty much continued through Sunday morning, which gave Chris and I a very calm (i.e. GOOD) puppy to show off to my extended family Saturday night.

More about that later, but for now enjoy these last couple photos, which prove that once they run out of energy, anyone can be buddies.

Rights to all original photos appearing on this blog (excluding links to outside vendors and products) are the property of the creator of "Me and My Shadow" and may not be used elsewhere without said creator's permission.

Did you miss these videos?

Puppy's First Day at School

Shadow Does His Chores

Drowsy Shadow

Round and Round 

Hit and Run (don't worry - he's fine, just clumsy)

Singin' in Shadow's Room 

Silver Lab Puppy Meets Kong

Shadow the Silver Lab Comes Home

Canine Weekend: Day One

From left, Moose, Shadow and Artie take a rare moment of rest.

Rarely is it so clear that living things have limited energy reserves than when watching kids, puppies, and video games.

Shadow was still a slug all day yesterday, Day Two of recuperating from a weekend with his three-year-old (25 in human years) golden retriever uncle Artie and eight-month old (7 in human years) light cream Lab cousin Moose.

The festivities began Friday night, with the arrival of Shadow's other set of human grandparents and Artie.

With an unbelievably calm disposition, massive body, and flowing tangerine locks, Artie resembles a favorite toy of Shadow's (Leon the unfortunate lion) come to life. And that is exactly how our 35-pound bundle of puppy energy acted toward his 75-pound guest, who just wanted some peace and quiet.

Artie began his visit by checking the perimeter of our property -- a task he is used to performing at his home in Maine -- and taking a quick foray into the neighbor's yard across the street. 

Shadow seemed beside himself with excitement that this new, large, four-legged thing had come to his home and appeared to be staying. After a few battles over sticks and leashes, the family moved inside for more contained playtime.

Trained to tolerate annoying behavior rather than confront it, Artie put up with the little guy nipping and jumping and mounting and following him (like an unwavering sidekick) for over an hour before finally giving the youngin' a good old corrective snap-and-growl. (Note: It looks a lot fiercer in slow motion than it actually is.)

Unfortunately, Shadow took this as encouragement that his Leon-come-to-life wanted to play, and continued poking his nose into his lounging uncle's face and pawing at his large feather-duster tail like it was a rope toy. (Add another line to the list of things that don't scare Shadow, but should.)

Despite this and Artie's inspection of Shadow's bed, toys and water bowl, the evening ended rather peacefully with Artie squeezed safely between the couch and coffee table... and Shadow directly in his line of sight with one paw splayed out in his giant toy visitor's direction.

Tomorrow's entry: It becomes two kids to one adult with the arrival of Moose, Shadow's 8-month-old cousin, on Day Two of Canine Weekend 2010.

Rights to all original photos appearing on this blog (excluding links to outside vendors and products) are the property of the creator of "Me and My Shadow" and may not be used elsewhere without said creator's permission.

Did you miss these videos?

Puppy's First Day at School

Shadow Does His Chores

Drowsy Shadow

Round and Round 

Hit and Run (don't worry - he's fine, just clumsy)

Singin' in Shadow's Room 

Silver Lab Puppy Meets Kong

Shadow the Silver Lab Comes Home

A Teaser

This is how Shadow's weekend with his canine uncle (above) and cousin (below) began ...

... and this is how it ended.

 

Right now we're all recuperating from an exhausting but very fun weekend of playing and picture taking. Check back soon to find out what happened in between.

Rights to all original photos appearing on this blog (excluding links to outside vendors and products) are the property of the creator of "Me and My Shadow" and may not be used elsewhere without said creator's permission.

WANTED for maiming stuffed animals

You may recall Leon, the very brave stuffed lion whom Shadow rendered mute a few weeks ago...

Well, Shadow just decided he wasn't a fan of the tail. I personally think it was a power play -- Shadow's way of claiming that he is the real king of the jungle.

But either way, Leon doesn't have to look far to realize he got away fairly unscathed (for now). Moo Cow got her rear end stitched up earlier this week, and Sam the red chicken is just a fraction (literally) of his former self.

Puppy Steps

On one hand, it's hard to believe Shadow -- or "Mr. Shadow" as some of his fans like to call him ;) -- is 15 weeks old today.

But then again, the extent to which he's changed -- in his understanding of us, his level of obedience, and even his sheer size -- makes it hard to believe we've only had him for seven weeks!

Just days ago, for example, I had to carry him down the stairs to get to the front door. They were too steep. If I tried to coax him down on his own, poor Mr. Shadow would just sit at the top, whine, paw at the edge, and look absolutely beside himself. It's the way I'd look if I ever attempted skydiving.

But today, with the help of treats and a blocking of his escape route, he's gone down those steps three times already! So what if he does it like a person with a limp and a fear of heights? It's a big achievement. (Come on, do you really think I'd be so cheesy as to put "It's a big step" there?)

Socially, while he hasn't mastered staying on four feet to greet people, he's already found himself a neighborhood girlfriend and (in my blatantly biased opinion) is one of the best puppies in his kindergarten class. (Watch the video to see how that all began.)

And finally, an update on two of the biggest problems we had in the beginning:

Sleeping: While I don't relish getting up at 6:30 every morning (goodbye Saturday sleep-ins), I've come to really appreciate the extra 3-4 hours of daylight. Plus, the middle-of-the-night barkfests have completely disappeared. The guidebooks nailed it when they advised having patience and letting him cry until he realizes it won't get him his way.

Biting: It's as good as a memory. He may have the occasional relapse, but it's fleeting and soft. The lesson to take away here is to never ignore biting, no matter how harmless or even cute it seems. Whether it's a yelp, a forfeit of attention, or a spray of water, do something when he nips and have patience.

Just like his weight, it's hard to notice progress when you're watching it every day, but some day you'll look back and go "Hey! Remember how he used to bite all the time?..." (or weigh 12 pounds?)

More videos:

Shadow Does His Chores

Drowsy Shadow

Round and Round 

Hit and Run (don't worry - he's fine, just clumsy)

Singin' in Shadow's Room 

Silver Lab Puppy Meets Kong

Shadow the Silver Lab Comes Home

Shadow Goes to School

The first day of school is often cause for celebration and pictures. And so it would have been for us, had our little one not peed on his way out the door and refused to get into the car willingly last weekend.

Due to the low immunity of all puppies, Shadow hadn't interacted with another canine -- aside from glimpsing the neighborhood poodle and Samoyed -- since leaving his siblings a month ago. But with his 12-week vaccinations finally in his system, Shadow joined a local canine "kindergarten" group late last week in order to get comfortable with other dogs (and to learn a little obedience while he's at it).

Chris and I were excited to see how he would react to four other puppies, and it took less than a second for Shadow and a tiny Yorkshire terrier named Elmo to hit it off. Tails wagging, noses sniffing, backs arched to pounce at each other... they were either instant enemies or instant friends (both look the same to me at this point in my puppy motherhood).

Having missed the first class, Shadow was initially far more interested in getting to know his new buddies than learning to walk on a leash or "drop it." But crazy puppy mode eventually subsided, and the troublemaker blossomed into a straight 'A' student, earning compliments galore from us, from other parents, and from his beaming new teacher.

Shadow didn't come in a fancy car or designer wardrobe, but he left his first day of "puppy kindergarten" with a slightly larger brain, quadruple the number of friends, and quite possibly a bloated ego (and tummy).

Our Retriever Learns to Retrieve (or at least tries)

On Saturday, under beautiful blue skies and weather more typical of late summer, Shadow learned to play "fetch."

Shadow the Victorious

It was a step-by-step process for him -- first realizing he was supposed to go get the disc, then that we expected him to return to us, and finally that he had to actually give his new toy back -- but within a few minutes he was racing back and forth like a true outdoor dog.

It really is amazing watching him work things out in his head and change some small behavior in accordance with the new knowledge. More about that tomorrow, but for now enjoy the photos of Shadow and his flying disc.

Very good job, Shadow ;)

(Doesn't he look so proud?)