...puppy's first Christmas!

     The tree is trimmed, the hats and mits are out in the basket where I normally put them; in a basket by the door.  The winter boots sit out by the coat hooks just waiting to be needed.  The carpet is out by the front door to catch snow and rocks before they enter the house.  All these things I have listed will have to change.  Why you might ask?  Oh, because 'the puppy' cannot handle all this change, apparently.

     As I sit here listening to the rumble coming from Leroy's stomach and wondering what he may be attempting to digest this time, I am reminded of his innocence.  He truly is just a puppy at a mere 8.5 months old.  The biggest problem is he is now over 130 lbs. which seams like a contradiction to his age.  Here are a few things Leroy has taught me about myself this past month:

1.  I will not take a regurgitated piece of clothing and wash it for future use.  I just cannot do it.  No matter if it is in perfect condition.  (Although I have thought about it when it is a glove.  But alas, we will simply wear unmatched gloves and rest assured that these have never graced the intestinal tract of my puppy)

2.  Some of the Christmas ornaments that I believed were sentimental in value were simply 'things'. The memories attached to them cannot be gently removed from a branch and played with until they are a fine glitter on the floor.

3.  Mike and I both require new winter boots.  Shoveling snow in runners because the boots that you once owned had the heels chewed off in a fit of anxiety, is not smart.  Runners become wet and cold which in turn causes the person wearing them to become cold and sick....for the rest of the winter.

The aftermath from the first attack on the tree ornaments.

These are from July and September.

Most recent comparison shot.  Meg is getting back to her normal size and Leroy is still growing.

     Leroy went on a camping trip to PEI this summer.  He loved playing on the beach and especially digging in the sand to find a cool place to lie down.  His friend Meg and brother Flash were there as well.  The most interesting part of the trip for the pups was when I attempted to take them all for a walk.  The operative word here is "attempted".  I'll let the photos speak for themselves. (photo credit goes to my friend, Colleen)

Awe look!  They are singing!

On the left is Leroy and the right is Flash.  Handsome boys they are.

...and we are off.

Hold on.  Just a minute while I get you untangled (after having taken a handful of steps to this point).

This might just work.  I am the puppy master!

Hold on!  We are going this way!  No. Over here!

Um, yeah.  This was it.  Apparently, they had an agenda.  How about we NOT go for a walk.

     Leroy is about 120lbs now.  I believe from this point on he will not grow much bigger in his frame but will fill out significantly.  It is amazing just how fast his growth has been.  I took some reference pictures to compare and it is shocking what transpired in just 9 weeks.

The first picture was July 12 and the second was Sept. 13.  Poor Meg lost weight in this time because she has anxiety issues when we go away on vacation.  She is looking much better today :)

  

...a long time between posts.

     I admit it has been a while since I posted but it is summer, I have 4 children and life happens.  Leroy has been on a number of adventures like camping trips and a visit with some siblings and his father.  Now he is staying with the Grandparents while his family is on vacation and apparently giving them a run for their money.

     They tried to barricade him but he found a way around it.  They tried to put him in the bathroom so he wouldn't hurt himself, the cats, the house, etc... but his affinity for paper got the best of him and he ended up toilet papering the bathroom.  I can only imagine the stories we will hear after he is returned home to us, safe and sound.

     My in-laws are saints for taking in the dogs while we are away.  I know it is a big job and I am very thankful they love them like we do....I think.  I am not sure Leroy is making a strong case for himself just yet.  Somehow he must win them over; I am sure by the end of this vacation.  I mean look at this face:

How can ANYONE resist a face like that!

By the way:  that is the bunny.

THE bunny.

Leroy's Buddy Bunny.  It goes with him wherever he goes, just like a child and his blanket.  They are like peas and carrots. 
 


    

...Sunday morning.

   
I know I still have to blog about our camping trip to Fundy with Flash but I wanted to tell you this story while it is still fresh in my memory.  

     On Sunday mornings I go to the gym from 9 to 10.  Church starts at 11 and for us to get there on time we have to be organized and flawless.  This particular morning Mya is working so we had to get her there by 10:30 which means Mike and the kids had to  leave before me. 

      I got home and as per instructions Leroy was safe in the bathroom.  I let him out, got ready for church and decided that it might be a good idea to let him out to do his 'business' before I left.  

     My first indication as to the kind of mood Leroy was in had already come and gone but I wasn't really focused.  He had managed to get a pull-up, bring it over to his pillow and was gently mouthing it when I caught him.  Don't be alarmed; it wasn't dirty.  I took care of it, he was properly scolded and away we went  Since I was pressed for time I decided to let him out without his leash.  We have done this before and he has been wonderful.  Today, however, is a different story.  At first he made his way to the front yard area where we always take him.  

That is when I knew something was up.

That lowered head...the slow walk....the look of curiosity....and the direction towards to backyard.

He walked slow at first and when I protested he lifted his head in confidence, wagged his tail a little harder and trotted away out of sight.  All I could do was go after him to see what was on his mind.  He is still young yet and I cannot always make an educated guess as to what he is thinking.  It will come in time but for now we have to just roll with it.  He WAS named Leroy Jenkins, after all. ;)

     My neighbors, who in the past few years have had extensive landscaping done, were sitting in their gazebo.  Leroy proceeded to climb up the little hill on their property and arch his back to get into position.  Now, those of you who are experienced with giant breed dogs understand what I'm saying when I tell you a dog of this caliber has EPIC poops.  They are not your run-of-the-mill puppy poops and are scooped with one poopy baggie.  Oh no.  We are talking epic.  

     Realizing what is about to take place, I throw off my flip-flops and run to him in my white maxi-dress and proceed to throw him onto our side of the backyard.  Thankfully, he is able to do his business there but just when I think the drama has ended....

He lowers his head and looks at me with a sparkle in his eye....

Then bolts!

My lumbering, giant puppy is running around like Forrest Gump all up through my neighbors hostas and lillies, stomping on anything he can and blazing a trail.  The neighbors were trying to talk to me asking questions about how big he was going to be and what breed.  My maxi dress, bare feet and I are trying to tackle this puppy before he does anymore damage while I try to gracefully and politely answer their questions.  I have him by the collar at this point and am semi-classy (for a second) when the unthinkable happened.

One lone bloomed lilly was apparently taunting enough and just like that it was...yoink!

IN. HIS. BELLY.

     The only thing in their entire garden with any color other than green was now in my puppy's belly.  I am pretty sure it was in tact for the most part as he didn't even chew.   I was mortified.  Thankfully, my neighbor was ok with it. 

     Moral of the story is don't bother with the lillies in your garden.  The dog will just eat them. ;)

...puppy orientation.

     We took Leroy to puppy orientation at Petsmart as it was included in the Puppy package we bought.  It was an hour long introduction of what you should and shouldn't do with your puppy.  There were dried beef liver treats.  Lots of it.  So much that almost two weeks later Leroy is STILL feeling the effects of it. lol

     Leroy was there with Flash, his brother.  When these two are together it is always a puppy pile.  They rolled around for a bit before going to class.  At one point they met up with a very large Great Dane and were mildly terrified.  Leroy did his best to make himself invisible by trying to hide in his skin by pulling back on his collar.  He managed to cover everything except the end of his nose.  Flash tried to become part of his owner's lap.  In their defense that Great Dane was huge and intimidating.

     The puppies did very well in class; it was probably because of the liver treats the teacher had.  We didn't test the theory but I think Leroy would have rolled over and played dead for more treats.  As well as they both did, they still need more guidance.  They are going to be very large dogs (Giants, remember?) so a sense of control needs to be established now.  Stay tuned for more adventures of Leroy and Flash as they embark on their training...

  When Leroy wakes up each morning you never know what his temperament is going to be.  Yesterday he was so full of energy...

...he was like a bat out of hell...

...he was full of spit and vinegar...

...he was bat-(poop) crazy...

...he was t.r.o.u.b.l.e....

...I think you get the idea but I might have one more...

...nope.  that's it...

     He started off head low and walked out of the room like a dart.  He went for a few sips of water and just kept moving from there.  It was like he just wanted to get into anything he could find.  He went from pulling socks out of the laundry to hanging on to Meggie's tail to stealing Meggie's toys to asking to go outside but just sitting there staring at the trees.  

It was frustrating.  So very frustrating.  

Then it happened.

   He was so very quiet.  My motherly instinct tells me that when the house is quiet there is someone somewhere doing something they shouldn't be doing.  So I was on the hunt for this someone.  Then I heard it.  The tearing sound that I will never forget.  It came from the bathroom.  It took me a moment to rev up my engine to get moving because it was the morning and all.  As I rounded the corner I realized the sound I was hearing was Leroy with a mouth full of the bathmat.

The NEW bathmat.

The one I just bought after looking for years for the perfect bathmat.

 LEROY JENKINS!  NO!!!

     Realizing he was caught, his turbo boosters kicked into high gear and off he went.  Like the fuzzy missile he is, with a mouth full of yarn and rubber, (in my best Forrest Gump impression) he   was   running!!!

   He flew out of the bathroom and dove right into the freshly topped up water bowls.  I would say, after seeing it all spread out on the kitchen floor, there is about 2L of water in those bowls.  He managed to try to bank off the wall because his momentum was so great at that point running from the bathroom that he couldn't stop on his own.  In doing so he ended up swiping the water bowls as he went by knocking them all over the kitchen.

     It is a good thing he is cute.  It was his only redeeming factor yesterday.

...a conversation with Meggie.

     Meggie and Leroy have really amped up their playtime.  Leroy has been renamed "fuzzy missile" as he runs full speed around the table and couch with his ears flapping in the wind.  Or he hangs on to Meggie's tail while Meggie tries to run away.  This lasts for about an hour or so and then he crashes...hard.

    During one of his naps, I had a chance to talk to Meggie.  She asked me why Leroy was still here and when he was leaving.  I had to tell her that he was staying.  She thought she did something wrong and Leroy was punishment.  I explained to her that we thought Leroy would make a nice friend for her.


Disclaimer:  I don't really think my dogs actually talk to me.  I can, however, create entertaining stories from the expression in their eyes. 


     Leroy had a playdate with his brother Flash, recently.  When they reunited for the first time their tails were wagging so much.  It was evident in the nose bumps that they were happy to see each other.  Then they played, and played, and played some more.  This went on for 3 hours!  I don't think Leroy or Flash have been awake for such a long stretch.  When it came time to crash did they ever! 

    
     Leroy has a pretty busy schedule this month.  He is going camping with his family along with Flash's family and he has a vet appointment.    It should make for interesting blog posts. ;)
    

...puppy play.

     The past few days have been a challenge, to say the least.  Meggie and Leroy have amped up their play and it leaves me wondering if it is still a good thing.  Neither one gets hurt but if it gets any more rough I fear one of them might feel it.  Leroy goes right for the hind legs while Meggie has learned that she can grab any paw and pull Leroy's feet right out from under him.  I know it is all part of the process but I don't want either of them to get hurt or acquire any bad habits.

     Leroy can sit on command.....most of the time.  He can also walk well on a leash......when he wants to.  He understands "enough" means he and Meggie need to tone down their playing.....somewhat.  Are you seeing a theme?  The flip side to this is instead of sitting he will completely ignore me.  Instead of walking well on the leash he will sit with his back to me or lie flat and I have to drag him.  The command "enough" somehow means "keep playing".  His stubborn side really shows through his personality sometimes.  It is a good thing he is so cute.

    

     May 17th Leroy had his vet appointment.  At that time he weighed in at 15.38 lbs.  It will be interesting to see how much he has grown at his next appointment as I am sure with a couple of days after that appointment he went through a growth spurt.  He went from eating 1.5 cups of food a day to over 4!

     So, it seems that Mike and Leroy have bonded.  I guess Mike is more willing to play with him when he comes home from work.  Emma is more willing than any other child to take care of Leroy's needs, like poop scooping and taking him out to pee, but she is more of the nurturing kind anyway.  Mathieu and Nikolas will make sure the food and water dishes are taken care of.  Mya has taken on walking Meggie since she is out walking almost everyday anyway.  Leroy doesn't go for walks so we take that time to do some puppy training.  I am working on "shake a paw" and "roll over".  I love that this has become a family thing and everyone has assumed a roll.

(I must be hungry.  That should read role, not roll.  I could have just edited it but then we would not have had this humorous encounter and frankly, I love to laugh.  I also love to write run on sentences, apparently.)

     Other dogs are not a problem for Leroy.  He is very calm around other dogs.  Throw a cat in the mix and we have a problem.

Huston!  We have a problem!

     I think he is trying to play but they don't want to.  Ever.  They have not confronted him yet, or even tried to put him in his place and I really wish they would get right to that.  At least before he gets too big and thinks they are like a real live chew toy.  For now they just growl and hiss at him while he gets his ghetto on and barks like a boss.

     Yeah, 'cause that is how he rolls.  Everything he does is like a boss.

He sleeps like a boss.
He eats like a boss.
He poops and pees like a boss.


(crickets)

I think that is about it...

....He Is Here!!!!

     It has been a few days but Leroy is home!  It was a spur of the moment decision to go get him and start the introduction process.  Really, since when do Mike and I NOT do anything spur of the moment?  HA! 

Life is meant to be lived so live it!

Vivre  La France!

ummmm, yeah.

     May 11 we surprised the kids by bringing Leroy home to stay.  It was just a good thing.  I was a little overwhelmed once we got him home as I thought he would be a little more timid.  He is very confident and loves exploring.  My house suddenly felt very small.  He even discovered the balls of cat fur that accumulated under the couch and immediately proceeded to choke...but only a little.  It just meant I had to actually clean under there.

     The meeting between Meggie and Leroy was uneventful which is what I was hoping for.  Meggie was a little anxious but she always is.  Ok, so "A little" might be an understatement but she was consistent. 

     The overnight was a different story.  We crated Leroy and with the serparation anxiety, new crate and frequent potty runs there was no sleep to be had.  He seemed to calm down every time Mike spoke so I had him read training instructions ...........................for about 3 hours. 

I can tell you Leroy was NOT saying "mama" at this point.  It was more like "GET ME OUTTA THIS THANG!!!"

     The next day Leroy took his first long drive to visit the Grandparents.  He had to ride in the cab of the truck with us because he is too little to crate in the back.  We put him at the kids feet on a blanket and for the first part of the drive he snuggled right in.  About half way into the drive I checked on him and he had squirmed his way up in between Emma and Nik.

     We had a great visit at the Grandparents.  Another sure sign Leroy is fitting right in to the dynamics of this family.

     The second night Leroy only woke once to go on a bathroom run.  He is now understanding the crate and isn't afraid of it.  He is so smart!

     When he is awake he requires full attention so he doesn't eat something he isn't supposed to or can be corrected immediately when he does something he shouldn't. 

For example: chewing.

Oh, he is a chewer.

     So far he has chewed his pillow, a blanket, the shoes, the coats hanging on the hook, the straps to school bags, my legs, my back fat, the chair legs, the bunny stuffie, Mike's pant leg, the wall, the neighbors shoes, Grammie's shoe, fingers, toes, dandelions, Meggie's tail, Meggie's legs, Nikolas, etc....

     It is now the end of day 4 with Leroy.  He went to bed early tonight because he has been actually playing with Meggie for the past couple of days.  I think it tired him out this evening after their playtime.  

     We are correcting the chewing and now that he has found a playmate in Meggie it is not as bad.  Well, it is still bad but better than it was. 

Not really.

It is still pretty bad.

But it will get better.

......won't it?

...reality.

     This week my friend sat me down and said "I don't think you realize just how big your dog may end up being."


(insert chirping of crickets here).......


     I get it like I get how much a million dollars is.  I know what it means but I can honestly say I have no idea how it feels.  I have never had a 200+ pound dog before.  It is starting to sink in that in 8 - 10 days I will have the equivalent of a baby in the house.  The feedings, the middle of the night potty runs, the feedings, the play time, the feedings, the naps, the feedings, etc...  I get that.  I think what is causing me the tiniest bit of anxiety is the fact that when I look into items such as collars, leashes and kennels, I have to look for giant size items.

Giant.

G.I.A.N.T.

Not large, extra large or even GI. Ant.

    

      This was taken during our visit tonight.  This is the GIANT puppy that is giving me all the anxiety?  This fluffy ball of fur? 

"Mama"

    

     Um...ok. These pictures were taken April 23, April 28 and May 9.  This is documenting 17 days of growth. 

(Those crickets are back)

    

a continuation of the last post (aren't they all)

  I am just jumping back on here to post a reference picture.  Prepare to be amazed!!!

This was taken April 27.  7 days ago.

...and this is from today.

...puppy therapy.

     The punks were restless today.  Too much time on the computer will do that to you.  We had them all outside cleaning the vehicles and tidying up the gardens but that just made them even more cranky.  I wasn't sure if we would get in a visit to see Leroy as all our punks are ill with some kind of nasty flu bug.  It worked out that we were able to go for some outside time.  Wouldn't you know that was the perfect remedy for the bad moods. 

     Since we hadn't seen Leroy for a week I was expecting him to have grown significantly.  I was not expecting the puppy to have morphed into the ball of fur that greeted us today.

 He was playful.  He wanted his belly rubbed.  He tried to get in my lap.  The punks were happy.  The punks were playful.  The punks wanted their bellies rubbed.

Wait a minute...

 

     I think we really need to stop carrying the puppy around.  You see, this puppy has the potential to grow to be 250+ lbs.!  That's right, folks.  Just imagine a 250+ lb. dog trying to get some cuddles.  He will squish the children!  He will squish me! 

     Just like that, after 20 minutes in the fresh air and bright sunshine he was out.  He just flopped to the ground, rubbed his massive head into a comfortable position and proceeded to fall into such a deep sleep that he was twitching.  It was pathetic, really.

Leroy, don't you know you are a puppy? 

To which he responds "Um, it takes an enormous amount of energy to grow as fast as I am growing so I need a great deal of nourishment and sleep."

He is smart and his diction is way better than mine.

Bonding moments.

     I am really loving this whole process and how my family is all in.  They are all just as full of joy as I am about Leroy joining our family.  I'm not certain they are truly prepared for what is to come when he does come home.  Should be an interesting story.

     We had another visit today.  This was our first daytime visit so the puppies were all sitting up and waiting for us.  They are more vocal and playful now.  They sniff, growl, bark and even wag their tails.  One of them already loves chewing on shoes!


I pity the fool who gets to take this guy home!

     Leroy is a different kind of puppy.  While some of them are starting to playfully nip at eachother Leroy will nudge instead.  He just plows through the puppy pile, tossing his weight around, always looking for the closest food dish.  He tries so hard to sit around and play but a couple of feet of walking and a lifted paw to play brings him to his limit.  He is down and asleep before we can say "Oh look!  He is .....playing." 

     I am really amazed at how fast this guy is growing.  I thought my children grew fast but this is just magic.  Here is a pic from the last visit and tonight's visit:

     Ok folks.  I just checked and this is only 4 days of growth!!!  Panic is setting in.  I can't breathe.   It isn't even subtle.  Its like BAM!  Here I am!  Look at my head!  Leroy, seriously, how can we miss it!  It is huge!.  

BREATHE!!!

     You know how it is said that the dog and it's owner resemble eachother?  I don't know who exactly says that but take a peek at the next pictures.

Do you see the resemblance?  They both have the same markings on their chins.  (Sorry McHottie, I had to.)

I tried to squeeze harder but I couldn't.

At the rate he is growing I think by the next visit Leroy will be as big as this kid.

Mark this moment in history, folks.  This child is BONDING with the puppy.  She even told me in the car on the way home that it was so "weired" but she actually likes this puppy. 

   
     And there you have it.  Oh wait.  I have another child but she was busy bonding with someone elses puppy because that is how she rolls.  She didn't want the other puppies to feel left out. 

Mathieu

     I really think Mathieu and Leroy have bonded in a way only a dog and his best friend can.  Leroy is not the kind of puppy that will snuggle very much because he is hungry.  We are talking hungry all the time.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.  That is because he is growing so fast.  If you look at my last post you can see a big difference already and it has only been 5 days.  The last time we visited, as well as this time, Leroy made his way over to Mathieu and snuggled.  Unfortunately, these kind of snuggly moments are few with a dog this size but for now I think it is important for both of them to enjoy it while they can.  

I can't get over how big his head is!  Not Mathieu's head; Leroy's.  Look at it!

Leroy's eyes really glow like that, too. ;)  He is a magical puppy.