Ginger

We are having so much fun with Ginger. She is a really smart puppy. Here are a few pictures and a video from the last few days.

Ginger has done really well learning the off command and will fetch her toy and bring it back to you! Right now we are working on getting her to not bite us but her toys!

She has finally gotten used to her collar, now we are getting her used to the leash so we can at least take her on walks outside! One of the pictures is her after she has fallen asleep in her crate, it looks like she was biting it. She has some sharp teeth.

Enjoy!

The first week

Well, it has been over a week since we took Ginger home. The more we get to know her the more we love her. She has a great personality and temperament. The first 2-3 nights were a little difficult. We weren't sure what to expect, but she has done better then we thought she would. The first couple of nights she whimpered when she went in her crate. We read to keep her crate close to the bed, at least in the beginning, so when she whines you can place your hand in the crate and she can smell you and know she isn't alone. This worked well and her whimpers only lasted a few minutes. She usually gets up between 1-2am and around 5am. She is so smart, she continues to amaze us with how quickly she catches on to things. After the fourth night sleeping in her crate, which she loves, she stopped whimpering at night! She seems to understand when we go in the bedroom and turn off the lights its time for bed. She has also been doing really well going "potty" outside.

Ginger is full of energy and loves to play with her toys. When you throw a toy she will run after it and then jump into your lap and play with it. Nick has started to teach her a few commands. She is learning her name, sit, off, and down. She is doing so well.

She got her first application of Frontline on Saturday to guard against fleas and ticks. She is doing well getting her ear drops as well. She is finally coming around to wearing her collar. That took a week of getting used to, but now she doesn't just collapse when we put it on her. She is acting more normal while wearing it. Next will be the collar and leash...

We cannot wait until she turns 4 months and we can bring her out to interact with other dogs. She will be getting her second shot for parvo on the 29th. Only 2 more months to go.

Check back for more pics and adventures of Ginger Bertonazzi!!!!!

We Survived the First Night

We were nervous about our first night with Ginger. Beagles are known for their howling and since Ginger is being crate trained, we feared we'd be up all night listening to her whining. We took her out at about 10:45 to go "potty" and she peed and pooped, which we were very happy about!

We then moved her crate into the bedroom next to the bed and put her in the crate. Nick decided to sleep next to Ginger, we were told to be close so that when/if the puppy whimpers, we can put our hand inside the crate so she knows she isn't alone. This seemed to do the trick. While she did whine and attempt to howl for a few minutes, she just as quickly feel fast asleep.

She woke up at 2:30am and we took her right out to her spot and she peed! Yay, training treat and lots of praise! However, then Ginger thought it was time to play. Nick was able to hold her and put her into a sleepy mood again. Once she was back in her crate, we had to endure a few more minutes of whining, but again she went right to sleep.

She woke up again at 5:30 and we took her right outside. This time she only peed a little, and again thought it was playtime once we came back inside. After a few minutes of whimpering she went to sleep and slept until about 6:30.

We got up and took her out again, she did very little, but of course we still praised! Back to the crate for Ginger and bed for us. She whimpered a few more times throughout the next few hours, but by just putting his hand in her crate she quieted down and would go back to sleep. We all woke up at about 9am.

She is doing very well with peeing outside in her "spot." She loves the training treats! Today we started introducing her to her collar. She appears to have adapted pretty well to her new life as a Bertonazzi! After yesterday's 3 hour ride in a car, bath, and introduction into new surrundings, she has done very well. She seems more comfortable in the apartment. She is more confident in exploring the apartment.

This morning we tried to get her to eat breakfast, but she wasn't interested in her bowl. She would only eat from our hands, but after a few tries she started to eat out of her bowl! She absolutely loves her rope toy. We already had to take one toy away because she has started to pull it apart. She has very strong teeth.

We think she may be a cat trapped insie a dog's body because she loves to pounce!! She is very cute and sweet, and we are so happy that she is now a part of our family!

When we got to the Beagle ranch Donna informed us that we could take Ginger home today. We had come prepared just in case! We got all her papers and instructions from the breeder. We took her out into the grass for the first time so she could empty her bladder before we took the 2 1/2 hour trip home.

Once settled in the car Ginger did very well. She wimpered for maybe the first 15-20 minutes of the trip. After a while she got sleepy and slept for the remainder of the trip. Waking up occasionally but falling right back to sleep. She did great in the car. As soon as we got home we took her to the area where she will be going to the bathroom until she has all of her shots. She did not feel so inclined to use the bathroom at that time. So we took her inside to explore. She was a little shaky at first. It definitely helped that we have been visiting her for the past several weeks. She is starting to act more comfortable in her surroundings and even started playing with one of her toys.

It appears that puppies are a lot like newborn babies... they like to sleep... A LOT! She has slept for most of the time that we've had her. We are still trying to get her to go to the bathroom outside, but she isn't feeling it right now. Hopefully that will change soon.

Stay tuned for more puppy tales and pictures!

I want Ginger now!!

So, Nick and I have been talking about when we might get to take Ginger home with us. The drive to El Cajon is a long one, and the last two weeks it has been raining. For those of you that know what it is like to drive in Ca in the rain, you can feel our pain. The ride is more like2.5-3 hours each way. Of course it is always worth it in the end when we get to see, hold, and play with Ginger. She is such a great puppy. She looks perfect and has a great temperament. We are hoping that Donna, the Beagle breeder, will say she is ready to go home when we visit this coming Saturday. We will of course be prepared for taking her home. If not on Saturday then we are hoping to take her home on St. Patrick's Day, which as most of you know, is our wedding anniversary. That would be a great gift!

Last night we went out and bought some bins and are in the process of rearranging the apartment and puppy proofing our place. There are many things a curious puppy can get into, and we want to make sure she will be safe. We already know that she likes shoe laces, so we bought a rack so our shoes will be out of reach! Now we need to figure out how to keep her away from the squirrel cage!!! DOH!

We are super excited to take her home and have her finally be a part of our family. Stay tuned for more updates and puppy pictures!

6 weeks old!

We headed to the Beagle ranch around 10:30am today and arrived a little after 1pm. It was great to see Ginger! She is getting so big and playful! She had her first set of shots this morning, so she a little skittish when we got there but after 15 minutes or so, she started to be her usual self. She's getting more and more active, already starting to follow her nose all around.

On Wednesday, we stopped by the animal hospital and had a consultation with a vet there. She was really nice and I think she is a great fit for us. The doctor answered all of our crazy questions and can't wait to meet Ginger. Her first appointment is on the 19th for a regular checkup.

We have 2 more weeks left till Ginger will be able to come home. EXCITING!

Here are some photos we took today: