Category: Josie O

A new sweater for Josie O and an upcoming book on Kindle

I’ve been taking Josie O outside, just on the porch and the grassy area immediately beyond. Our house doesn’t front on the street, so I figure this is safe. She hasn’t been through her entire vaccination cycle, so that’s as much as I dare risk, to minimize the chances of her getting diseases from other dogs.

Being outside distracts her from the fact that she’s wearing a harness and leash, and she’s getting used to them pretty quickly, but it’s cold outside, and she starts shivering within about a minute. I’ve been looking for a sweater small enough to fit her, and Petco came through for me yesterday. Yes, the brand name is Smoochie Pooch. If you can’t embrace the cute, don’t get a Chihuahua.

(Put your cursor on the pix to get mouseover captions.)

In other news, Telling Lies, the book I’m going to self-publish, came through its reading with the psychologist with flying colors. (It has a therapist in it, and I wanted to check for realism.) She was very complimentary, although I don’t have permission to quote her yet, so you’ll have to take my word for it. This story also includes a Chihuahua, although the poor thing has some problems. Don’t worry – happy ending, happy ending.

So the next three things on my agenda are:

1) learn to format the book for Kindle and start that process,

2) compose back-cover copy, including a descriptive blurb,

3) decide whether I want to use the cover I made with clip art, which is acceptable, or hire a graphic artist to spiff it up (especially in the title font area) or even start from scratch.

Second night with Josie O

Josie woke me up with some squeaking a couple minutes earlier than yesterday – 5:39. I waited until she was quiet, then got up and checked her. Last night, per Nancy’s (her breeder’s) instructions, I made her a sleepshirt out of one of Joe’s orphan socks, and I slept downstairs a second time to make sure she didn’t get tangled in it. She had gotten her arms out and it was around her middle, which is fine. I took it off her, reheated her seed pad, put her back in her pen, and went back to my bed on the couch. She whined for maybe three minutes and then was quiet. I went back to sleep.

Woke up again at 7:22. Joe was stirring upstairs. Josie was totally quiet. I took her out of her pen and got back in bed and snuggled with her for a little, as a reward. Then we played fetch, at which she’s very good.

Nancy instructed me yesterday to use the washable potty pad she’d given me. She said that even thought it was laundered and bleached, it would still have some scent (wow). I had been using disposable pads that were scented with attractant, and Josie didn’t seem to get it. Well, Josie peed twice and pooped, all on the pad. Hallelujah. I’m sure she’ll still have accidents, but I’m still mightily impressed. I praised her to the skies, of course.

She followed me around as I got my breakfast, and I sat on the floor and ate while she played. She also licked my feet, which is like the tiniest foot massage imaginable. I won’t be stopping that behavior anytime soon.

I made a couple of mistakes. First, I got impatient with Musette when she wouldn’t come downstairs after our morning affection time. So I carried her, and got raked on the chest for my troubles. Normally she would never do that, even if she struggled, but all bets are off right now. The other thing was, Josie and I were wandering around downstairs when Musette came back in, and I didn’t pick Josie up. The temptation to see what would happen was so strong (hangs head). Josie saw Musette and gave a surprised little bark, which made Musette trot around the closet area out of sight. That part was fine, but about a minute later Josie went to investigate, and Musette ran. I’m not supposed to let that happen. On the other hand, Josie didn’t really follow her. When I went upstairs later, Musette was super affectionate, like maybe she was saying, “It’s not as bad as I thought!” Later, I got her to come downstairs and past Josie in her pen with a trail of treats down the stairs. Josie didn’t bark, and Musette didn’t run.

I won’t sleep downstairs tonight, although I may get up earlier than usual. Musette will get her regular affection time first thing, and then I’ll go down and eat breakfast and play with Josie. Playing will stimulate her to go to the bathroom and also tire her out. Then I’ll put her in her pen with a chewy and come upstairs to work (she’ll probably nap). That will give me time to hang out with Musette, unless she’s outside, which she is now.

And here I thought having a puppy was going to be hard. It helps that she’s a toy breed, and you can wear her out  just by throwing stuff around the living room.

Tomorrow she gets her new-puppy visit at the vet.

Josie’s first night.

For those of you not on Facebook, this my be the first you’ve heard that I got a Chihuahua puppy named Josie O (the O is for Outstanding). After trying to find an adult, adoptable Chihuahua that would get along with cats, I gave up and got a puppy, figuring that might work better.

We brought Josie home in the car yesterday.

Josie in her doggy car seat on the way to her new home.

She did great during the hour-long trip, whining for a while, then getting used to it and mostly sleeping. We had friends over in the evening. They all lost their minds over Josie’s extraordinary levels of cuteness. All puppies are cute. From the standpoint of prancing, fluffy adorableness, it’s hard to beat a Chi.

Josie did all her bodily functions quite well. She’s weird about her food. Doesn’t like to eat it out of the dish, but dodges in and gets a piece as if the smell is strong. If I throw it on the floor piece by piece, like a game, that works well. She loves her Greenies chew stick, though. Gotta get more of those.

I went to bed on the couch next to her pen. She whimpered for a little on her heated bed, so I got in the pen and put my hand next to her until she fell asleep – maybe a minute. I fully expected to be up and down all night long. When I did wake up, it wasn’t because I heard anything, but because it was morning. I checked my phone – 5:41 am. I looked in the pen. Josie was sitting up on her bed, awake but silent. I picked her up and she shivered a little, whether from excitement or cold I didn’t know, so I reheated her pad in the microwave. She pooped and peed, had a snack, and thus our day began.

I’m not going to count on the same easy night tonight, but who knows? Maybe I got lucky.

As for Musette, Josie barks and growls at her. She did it while backing up against me, so I think she’s scared of her. Something in that slinking feline motion probably says “predator” to her puppy hind brain. Something in Musette’s hind brain says that something that barks and growls is also a predator, and the upshot is that Musette is afraid of a creature that is one-fifth her size. I know…pathetic. Josie seems to be paying attention when I scold her for barking at Musette, or she’s getting used to her. Once that stops, I’m hoping Musette will stop running past Josie’s pen as though the hounds of a very miniature Hell are after her.