Post #8 Dog Training

Training dogs can be difficult and you could be making mistakes you didn't even realize! I did some research and found some great tips on how to successfully train your dog! Hope this helps all you dog lovers out there!

Post #7 Ferocious Puppydog

My torn up arm. 

It's awesome to see Maggie's personality really start to blossom. She is smart, energetic, friendly, playful and sometimes a little too playful. Maggie is still a puppy and with that comes a lot of biting and scratching. I can't be to harsh though because I usually instigate it with a game of tug of war. Just the other night she got my arm pretty good. It made me super mad. I obviously told her no, but I don't know what I should let go and what I should get mad at. My dad is really good with dogs. He says it's just a phase and that every puppy needs time until they can start to be properly trained. Overall, Maggie is already shaping up to be a great dog. She has her moments, but thats just part of being a puppy! My whole family loves her so much. She has brought lots of laughs and memories already and she has only been in the family for about three weeks!

Post #6 Friend Troubles

Maggie has had a difficult time getting along with our other pets. We have a Cat named Caramel and and a dog named Jack. Those two get along great, but not with maggie. Jack is old and doesn't like it when she jumps on him. Which makes complete sense because she always want to play! As for Caramel, well she is a cat and unless its an odd situation, cats and dogs don't get along. On a side note, Caramel has lost a bunch of weight because she doesn't want to come into the garage to eat. She is trying to avoid Maggie. It makes me feel so bad because Maggie will be in the house and then we will take her to the garage and thats when the other two will leave. It breaks my heart and I'm hoping as she gets older they will start to get along better.

Post #5 Evil Mr. Porcupine

Maggie officially has her first nemesis and it's the furball to the left, named EVIL MR. PORCUPINE! She absolutely can not stand this toy. Reason being? I have no idea. Evil Mr. Porcupine was purchased at our friendly neighborhood Walmart for about $7. He is soft, squeaking, and according to Maggie filled with complete and utter evil. Last night Maggie battled with him for about two hours. It was a battle for the ages. In the end, she prevailed by ripping off his leg. The funny thing is that she believes the battle is over. Well, I plan on sewing his leg back on and the epic fight will continue. Little does she know, she doesn't just have a battle, she has a war on her paws.

Post #4 Maggie's Park Adventures!

Today, my friend and I, took Maggie to the local dog park! Unfortunately, there weren't any other dogs there, but that didn't stop us from having a good time! We let her explore in the weeds, play in the dirt, and run in and around different obstacles. To be honest, she isn't the most athletic dog. She is still a clumsy puppy! Sometimes, she will be running and will trip over nothing and then just lay there like she meant to do it. It's so funny and it happened several times today. We had a lot of fun, but I think her favorite part of whole experience was the ride there and back. Reasoning being that she loved the car's air conditioner! Overall, it was a super cute, fun filled day!

Maggie with the air conditioner.

Post #3 Growing up with a Dog

After having Maggie for about a week I have been able to watch my siblings interact with her and I'm starting to realize some of the benefits of them growing up with a dog. She loves them so much already. My parents and I were just talking about how great it is that they are learning so much from this experience. I can already tell they have learned a few valuable lessons!

1. Get off the Couch and Play!

For starters, they will now always have something to do! Instead of playing video games or watching TV, they want to do something with Maggie. Whether its taking Maggie on a walk or to swim (which she is surprisingly good at) they are always being active. 

2. Responsibility is key!

Also, they are learning responsibility. My parents are helpful, but my siblings and I are in charge of feeding, cleaning up after her, and bathing her (which she hates). Maggie already means so much to us that we are happy to help with everything! Well except cleaning up after her, but no one really is happy to do that! 

3. Companionship!

I’m glad my brother and sister get to experience the joy and friendship of having a dog. My childhood dog recently passed away. I'm happy my parents are giving my brother and sister the same opportunity to bond with a dog that I had because it's a really special connection. 

Here is a video of some of our adventures from the first week with Maggie! You will be able to see her meet new friends, her hilarious wobbly run, and her cute doggy paddle! Enjoy! 

Post #2 The Name Game

Look at the Batman symbol!

For the last few weeks my family has been trying to come up with names for our new puppy. Honestly, it doesn't sound like that hard of a task, but when you have family wanting different names it can be tough to compromise. My dad wanted to name A GIRL DOG, Sal, after Salvador Perez, the catcher for The Royals. I don't know why, but when I think of the name Sal, I think of an old man with a cigarette in his mouth. Anyways, my brother and I wanted the name to be Scout. It was a one syllable, quick, cute, and an adventurous dog name, but the rest of the family didn't go for it (still not sure why). Lastly, my mom and sister wanted the name Jess and we actually all ended up agreeing on that name for our new puppy. It was only one syllable and it was cute. Once we got her to the house we tried to start calling her Jess and it just didn't feel right. All of us agreed she wasn't a Jess. So, there we were back at square one. With our puppy in the middle of our living room we started coming up with new names. Robin came up because she has a big batman symbol across her chest (I know pretty cool), but we felt that wasn't right either. Then my brother heard the name Maggie in the background noise from the TV show "The Simpsons" and that was the end of it. We call her Mags for short and it fits her personality perfectly! Way better than Sal!!

Welcome to my Blog!

In three days my family will be adopting this six week old puppy! She is a Golden Retriever and Brittany mix. My parents were very hesitant to get her at first because a puppy is a lot of work. So, my siblings (Syd and Zac) and I have all decided we would do a majority of raising her. This blog is going to be dedicated to all of our crazy adventures and how my family and I  are going to be raising our new closest companion.