UPDATE ON HOW GYPSY IS DOING

With her training & play-time ...
Working with GYPSY, teaching her the simple commands. Short lil sessions several times a day. "Sit" "No" "Stay" "Wait" "Lay" "Beg" "Shake" ( her paw ) learning "Here" "Come" "Fetch" "Heel" and she does good on leash but working with her not to pull and tug... "Slow" is taking more practice too~ when to go and stop walking on left side alot of practice is paying off. She doing very good for her age. Also, been teaching her some other stuff and . "Back" (meaning to step back) "Right" and "Left" Doing pretty good with "OFF" ( meaning off limits--- like cats, cars, road and garden & etc. "Drop-It) (drop out of mouth) "Down" not to jump on people, She been letting me know when she wants to go out side. She too has been learning where her "Beddie" is... too. She has some favorite toys and games she likes to play. She has a good sniffer nose and likes to find a treat when I hide it I then tell her "Find your Goodie" Then she looks like a big hunting dog tracking... It so cute. I think today I going to go get a plastic container w/ lid to pour her food into to keep it fresh ... I keep her treats in seprate little bags in zip lock baggies that works pretty good. I keep those close at hand.
I too find puppy toys at the dollar store for her... she likes them. I am thinking about looking for easy to wash toys for her to have outside too. I have a ideal for her to have a weather resistant toy box outside. I will work on that and see what I can come up with for her. I am still trying to decide if it would be necessary for her to have a doggie house outside or not. Simply for the fact she will not be a outside dog living out there. So I will have to figure out that one.

Paula & Gypsy

GWEN OFFERS WONDERFUL TIPS

Gwen Bohnenkamp has a awesome site I just have found great comfort with her wonderful site she has on PERFECT PAWS. This is her site addy... http://www.perfectpaws.com/index.html take time to visit it you will find alot of information that has been so useful to me. Gwen has a impressive back ground in animal care and behavior, she has also written several award winning books. Check out Gwens' blog http://perfectpaws.blogspot.com/ hope you love it as much as GYPSY & I do. Beautiful job Gwen... Thanks you a MILLION TIMES OVER.
I was not planning on a puppy at this time but for the last few years had thought about getting a dog. But never knew what kind I wanted, or wasn't sure if I could be a good Mommie, hesitated because of cats and etc. Gwen sites has made the this transition go much smoother than I could ever imagined.
Little Gypsy and I are a perfect match... I love her personality, She is quick to please and learn. She loves Loving Praise and returns it all in a MILLION FOLD OVER & OVER TIME AND AGAIN. She is my lil miracle baby, I am so Thankful I happen to go out on that cold winter night.

FIRST PICTURE OF PUPPY STOP GATE

This is definately helps keep Gypsy safe also. Also having doors in other rooms of the house helps out too. The door in a distance had just recently been installed, this does help confine her to the rooms where we are at... Doesn't make her feel so restricted too I am sure. I want her to grow up to be in the house ( down stairs on main level) comfortably, but with her still so young... She needs supervision at this time. Puppies are fast! lol She thinks she is in the DAYTONA 500 running around the dining room table... ZOOM.

I did put a Kiddie gate up at the bottom step and this does prevent her from going upstairs. I don't feel safe with the thought of her getting on the. I don't know if she will be allowed up there yet. It might be best she stay on the main level.... I just haven't thought that far ahead yet... I think it will depend on how she does and etc.

PUPPY STOP GATE DETAILS

I used the end piece off of a spent crib. It works out great... I used kitchen cabinet hinges, because they offer a gentle swing back and will not hurt the puppy if she should happen to be there when someone would be going through the gate. My kittys do come into the kitchen by jumping over it. It measures approx 30 inches tall. and happen to be perfect width of 30 inches also. We cut off the long legs and stood it up right at the opening, then used a shime board to even up it to t he width of the doorway. We also drilled a hole exactly the size of a larger nail to use this to slide in and out for the stop of the gate... ( Look at upper left side) . Also As a normal door when being hung it needs to be level and also lifted slightly off the floor to prevent wear on the carpet or floor. It is working really well.

Winding Down

Let's Do it again Soon...

the kids playing

No... I got it!!!!!!!!!

Gypsy new lil friend...

This is Gypsys' lil friend they had alot of fun playing.... he has alot of energy for being so little.

Watching for her "Playdate" to arrive

I kept her on her schedule by same routine as normal, except about the time I thought they (my friend and her vacined lil 14 week old pup) would arrive. I took GYPSY outside and walked her and let her do her business... Then I did let her off her leash and Handle & play for about 15 or 20 minutes and using my voice commands and interacted with her quiet a bit... Not to wear her out... mainly to give her the since of her being a good girl and was bering rewarded with play time, for working so hard learning. Before going in , I said "Go Potty" w/o being on her leash. She went to hear designated potty area. That was very good. I Praised her for her progress.

House Training has been going well

I believe keeping GYPSY on a regular schedule has increased her success in house training. Rewarding her with treats and extra playtime has been an insentive to take care of her business fairly quickly. Ususally ahe will pee very readily when we get out side. While she is peeing I will say "Go Pee" while she is peeing. She is picking up what this command is. Within about a minute she will go poo-poo. I will also say "Go Potty" while she is going. Sometimes there has times when she has needed a lil extra time, and by staying out the extra 5 or 10 minutes . I will walk her around the yard a few minutes if she doesn't go right away. Then I will bring her back into her designated potty area. I will say say "Go Potty" She will go potty. I praise her and tell her she is such a good baby and pet her .... also I always keep treats in my jacket pocket.

I also have been very consistant when I walk her, to always have her walk on my left side. I have been also working with her, when she starts to want to run while she in on leash with me walking her... I been teaching her "Slow" by showing her I taking baby steps... also I do use the "No" command if she wants to lead me. She does stop looks at me ... Then I say to her "Wait" This is proviing to be very effective. She is a fast learner.

Although we have a very large securely fenced yard... I believe by using the wonderful shared adviced that has been passed onto me... This is very good and absolutely feel this will be the rewards of the future, by taking the time with her now. I do allow her supervised free time off the leash inside my yard... I do not allow her out of my sight. I too do use her leash with her in the house... I have closed doors and put up kiddie gates to keep her in the same room I am in during her play time. I do not let her run free in the house w/o supervison. This is for her safety. At night time I do have her in the kennels near my bed.

Speaking of night time. At first I did take her out every 45 minutes during the first week around the clock. At eleven weeks it has already increased to about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. She does let me know when she needs to go out at times... But I have been ahead of her for the most part and I think this is better not to wait til she is all but ready to bust. That is pushing for a accident to happen. I have had to hurry when I seen her start to sniff and hunt. That tells me I waited to long inbetween her going out. Also the great advise I too received was not to leave her food and water down for her to eat or drink when ever she wanted to... Has definately helped her success. By being willing to meet her needs to her body functions of her schedule makes a difference too. But she is the one who gets all the credit... she is doing so well.

Gypsy is very playful and responds very well to the first few basic commands she has been learning. I use a leash with her altough having a large fenced in yard. "Come" "Sit" "Stay" "Lay" "No" "Off" "Wait" "OK" "Down" "Play" Those are both hand and voice commands... "Beddie" "Ball" "Bone" "Toy"

Early Days

This photo, we took of her after her 2nd day here. She could eat, didn't have to be bottle fed. Had several teeth, but was sure she was still very young. We didn't think we would ever get her filled up. Plus, trying to make sure she not eat to much at time, not knowing when her last feeding had been. Poor lil snip. We had guessed her to be older than the calculations of what the vet has judged. For which would have made her about 5 weeks when found. She must have really been worn out from her ordeal... Has slept quite a bit. Even much more than the normal amount for a puppy. From the very start she has responed very well to house-training.

GYPSYS' Story

It was a really cold windy early evening. I went outside to take a few Christmas boxes out to the garage. I heard a wee yelp as I closed the service door to break the wind from coming in. I drop the boxes to check make sure I hadn't gotten one of the neighbors kittys' toes into the door. And didn't see anything so I went out to investigate where that cry was coming from
I found her in the very top level of a tiered garden I have.
I don't know how she gotten there... other than someone actually throwing her there from outside my fence. She wasn't able to get in or out from that top tier... she still can't so that is why I am thinking that is what happen.
Poor lil fur ball was cold, hungery, scared and abandoned out on a winter night. I am just very grateful, I didn't sluff taking the boxes out and early enough in evening she hadn't frooze. So I took her inside warmed her up, gave her small amounts of milk and water and food. Taking her in... Until the owner find her... Well nothing... I had asked several of the neighbors, did postings, made a police report, call animal conrol... and etc...

After having her since early January, I have done every thing I know to find the owner... Thinking well maybe she had some how wandered off from her home or maybe kids had drug her around then got scared or something to take her back or something........ No one not even a inquiry... so I knew she was getting close to figure out she needed to start getting her shots and too she has to be legal. I decided to keep her. I think she is happy here.

Monday I took her to the the Vets... Doctor says she is 10 weeks.