debating this post

It is really tough for me to try to create a post on this blog without pictures. I just don't see the point. But I suppose, someone might be missing out on the weekend happenings of our little family...

Friday we left Olive at home for the evening and went to a concert. This is one of the first few, real, "grown-up" events that we have gone to since she arrived, but it was just down the block, so not too far. I always feel such guilt leaving her at home when I very well could be spending time with her. This is only because we crate her all day while we are at work. It wouldn't be like this if the guilt from "Oh, but how will you work all day and leave her at home? Poor thing!" wasn't everywhere. Geez, dogs live in NYC with owners that work full-time all of the time. They survive. They are not mistreated, harmed, or abused. They are healthy and loved, thankyouverymuch. I can't STAND people who say that to me upon learning that I have a puppy.

The concert was great, Erin McKeown. She is just so darned cute and fun to watch!

On Saturday morning, Olive woke me up at an unusual 4-something. I think. I was so tired I don't remember. I usually like the early morning time with her. It is just her and I while the Jess-ter puts in her ear plugs and sleeps. Or, at least, tries to. I make coffee and spend some time cuddling or just let her be in my lap doing whatever she wants. Chewing, most likely.

But this morning was just TOO early. I took her outside when it was a little more reasonable of a time. The gay-boy-bar was just shutting down their gates from the prior night (!). After the walk and play session/and or cuddle session, she is awake. Simply, awake. I do not give her breakfast until 7, so that is quite a while to wait. But, she usually does fine and she did fine on Saturday. The weather was what begged us to come outside and play. In my groggy state waiting to give her breakfast I fashioned the bright idea that I would take her to the big park for a play session during the off-leash hours.

I decided that I would take her to the park. The park is a full 4 blocks uphill. This is a lot for a little pug to walk on her second walk of the day. But I thought we'd try it. And I am happy we did. It was quite an idea, on my part, to bring a 4 month old pug puppy to the park where neither of us have ever been, let alone know where to go. I knew the off-leash hours were until 9am, but that was about all I knew. I had heard of pugs meeting on a certain hill, (no, not PUG HILL, that is in Central Park. We were still in our neighborhood of Brooklyn after all) but I wasn't sure when or where that was. So we just went in. I kept her on the leash and we walked in the grass. She enjoyed the sunshine and had a lot of sniffing to do! There were so many new smells and she was very excited. She had no trouble peeing outside eventually (hooray!) and we walked further into the park on various paths until we came upon a valley. The valley extended into the main grass area of the park and it was in this area that THOUSANDS of dogs ran, off leash, so happy to be in the sunshine! A beautiful sight. It was perfect because we didn't know where we were going towards, and then we come to the crest of a little hill and BAM! Doggie-heaven!

I was sort of following some smaller dogs since I wasn't sure Olive would know what to do with all of the big dogs. But since she had her first meeting with her cousins, Gertie the chihuahua, and Lexie, of Lexie Lew fame, I figured she wouldn't do much except let others play with her. She is certainly not very aggressive, more like brave and thinks she is much bigger than she is, but none of those qualities really worried me.

So, I found a good spot and unhooked her leash. I didn't come prepared with a toy or anything, which was stupid on my part since I was all by myself, but I learned and brought one on Sunday when we returned. She ran a little and generally didn't bother any other dogs and they didn't bother her. But then, further up the hill, I spotted the trot. The black face in the distance...another pug!

Through the thousands of dogs, they found each other! "OB-One" was his name. He was a big snorter of a guy and just wanted to stand around until Olive got him to muster up some energy and CHASE her! She got him to bark and really let loose! They were so cute together. She ran circles around us, herding, as she likes to do, and he chased after her for a couple of rounds. I was so excited that she found another pug because as soon as he came over, she suddenly KNEW what to do! Amazing! OB-One's Mom and Dad talked to me about how they play differently than other dogs and it really is true. I thought it was just Olive being young and not knowing how, but it might just be pugs. They have little spurts of really intense energy and then none at all. Too funny! We went back home after an hour so the Jess-ter didn't wake up to us missing. She walked very well on her way home (probably because she was tired!) and we brought the Jess-ter with us Sunday morning! So fun! Sunday was not nearly as crowded because we went an hour earlier, but it was still cool to show the Jess-ter where and what specifically, we were doing during that morning.

I am so glad the weather is finally nice enough to take Olive to the park and have both of us enjoy it! She is learning how to walk much better on her leash, plus learning the off-leash park etiquette. She is growing a lot, too! I am worried she is overweight already, but I think I am going to be forever paranoid about that with the pug breed! The doctor said she was fine last week so I don't have any reason to believe this, but still, I don't want her to be an overweight doggie.

ALSO! In the most exciting news, she can finally go up the stairs in the apartment building!! The inside, steep ones to get to our actual apartment door. She goes up all 2 flights and I still can't believe it! She is so cute when she goes up, too, her round little body swaying back and forth taking each giant step with all of her might! There is a dog run at another playground-type park just down the block. We will be exploring that one this evening after work! I hope she continues to be a good, growing puppy.

Another thing I hate: when other dog owners think that she is too young or little to play nicely. A dog approaches and they sniff each other. Olive's first usual reaction is to jump up on them to get a better view. She doesn't really "jump" as much as place her front paws on their back. Perhaps the owner might not like this and view it as aggressive or unconventional, but it really isn't. She is just very small with funny eyes so therefore would like a better view. The doggies usually begin playing or whatever until they ask, "How old is she?" "4 months." Then they usually take their dog away. What's with that? I know they are being protective of her, that they don't want their big dog accidentally hurting my little dog, but when it is a full grown chihuahua? Seriously? Why do you HATE PUPPIES?? I want to answer any questions from now on with: "5 months." or "4 months, but she's tougher than she looks." or lie and say "A year. She's just a miniature pug." HAHA!