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Bella was
born January 4, 2002. She came
home to live with us in March, when she was just 8 weeks old.
May 18, 2003 - This will be the last entry in Bella's
diary. Things have just gotten too hectic to continue adding to her
diary. Bella is the light of our lives and is such a special girl. She
may be grown up, but she will always be my baby pug and she has endeared
me to the pug breed forever.
April 16 - Bella is doing wonderfully! She went to the
new vet today for her shots. She also got her nails trimmed, anal
glands expressed and a heartworm test. She was so well behaved. I was
very proud of her.
March 23 - Sorry I haven't written lately, but I've been
spending all my time taking care of Samson and writing in his log.
Bella has adjusted so well to having Samson around...especially with all
of the problems he has had, i.e. sickness, fractured leg...which has
caused him to get a lot of extra attention. She really seems to care
about Sam...and I can definitely tell that now that he can't run and
play with her because of his leg...she really misses having him as a
play mate.
Glory went to live with my Aunt & Uncle and she is doing WONDERFUL! She
isn't having any potty accidents, even though they do not have a doggie
door which she was used to here. She has really bonded with my Aunt &
Uncle...following them around, sitting beside them all the time. Glory
has her own little bed in their bedroom and she sleeps there at night.
They use a crate to keep Glory in when they are not at home...and
surprisingly she LOVES it...never fusses or cries when she has to go in
her crate. And this is surprising because Glory had never been crated
here so I didn't know how she would react. And my Aunt said it is so
nice to have Glory to come home to. When they've had a bad day, there's
Glory ready to give them lots of love and attention!
January 24 - Bella has had NO more incidents of having
trouble breathing. She finished her antibiotic and is doing great!
My Aunt is getting more and more excited about Glory coming to live with
her. We both agreed it will be better if we wait for warmer weather.
Glory is used to using a dog door to go potty whenever she wants...so
there will be some house training involved to get Glory to know that she
has to wait until someone takes her out.
Bella got a new red sweater to celebrate Valentines Day in style! LOL!
She also will be getting a harness. She has been using a collar, but
now that she is bigger and spring will be here soon, which means she
will be getting out and about for walks, etc. much more...I think the
harness will be best. A harness won't pull on her neck like a collar
does...and with pugs having breathing difficulties to begin with the
harness is the perfect choice.
We have officially decided that we ARE adding another Pug to our
family! We are so excited! We will be getting a puppy and although we
were talking about getting a black Pug, we most likely will get another
fawn.
January 22 - Geez...I feel so dumb as I look at the last
sentence I wrote in my last entry..."And the dogs LOVE it!" AAAaagh!
Of course they ate it the first time I put it down...it was new, more
like a treat than regular food. However, I have to report that we are
no longer feeding the Nutro food.
The next day I mixed some Nutro in with their regular food and a short
time after eating, Tucker began throwing up. Now, this is pretty scary
because we always say that Tucker, our chi, has an iron stomach. So, it
really had to be something that didn't agree with his system to make him
vomit. Bella scarfed hers down with no hesitation, but then she kept
belching and belching all morning. And poor little Glory...she wouldn't
eat it, wouldn't go near the bowl. She just kept walking out to the
kitchen, standing about 1-2 feet away from the food dish, staring at it
and whining.
So, mainly due to Tucker vomiting...I am not going to continue feeding
the Nutro and will be looking for something else. I probably won't be
attempting another switch for a couple weeks.
January 19 - Well, after LOTS of research into dog
food...I decided to feed the NUTRO Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Small
Bites. I wanted a dog food that didn't have all those "by-products"
(which is actually a nice word for heads, feet and guts...YUCK!). I
also wanted a food that didn't have a lot of unnatural preservatives.
And the most amazing thing is that the NUTRO brand, which in my opinion
was the best, actually cost less than a lot of the other brands, such as
Eukanaba and Hills Science Diet...and didn't cost much more than the
Beneful that I had been feeding (which isn't even close in quality).
I was paying $10 for a 17 pound bag of Beneful. The NUTRO cost $15 for
a 20 pound bag. So, Beneful runs 58 cents per pound and NUTRO costs 75
cents per pound...a difference of ONLY 17 cents per pound.
And the dogs LOVE it! If I happen upon any problems with the NUTRO, I
will be sure to report them.
January 14 -
Bella went to the Vet today. She has a slight temp...just a degree or
two higher than normal. The Vet thought her throat also felt a bit
swollen. It was her opinion that Bella's attack the day before was
caused by drainage down the back of her throat...which was aggravated by
the swelling in her throat. She gave her a shot of antibiotic and sent
home an 8 day supply of antibiotic pills. She also gave me instructions
on administering Children's liquid Benadryl if she ever had problems
breathing again...and instructed me that if Bella were ever to be stung
by a bee or wasp that she should immediately be given a double dose of
Benadryl, not even to wait for any breathing difficulties...to give it
immediately.
I also spoke to the Vet about Bella swallowing her food whole instead of
chewing it...and told her how sometimes Bella will vomit right after
eating and it's whole pieces of food. The Vet said she should be put on
a food that comes in "tiny bites." So, we will be switching foods
soon. The Vet sells the Hills Science Diet food...but I'm going to do
some checking around before I decide on which food to feed. I've felt
that I should be feeding something better for some time now and simply
have put it off...I know, shame on me. The dogs had been eating Beneful.
I spoke with my Aunt this evening and she and my Uncle have decided that
they would love to take Glory into their home. Of course, this is on a
trial basis. If things don't work out, Glory will come back with me.
Also, Glory won't be making her move for another couple of months.
In a way, I'm excited for Glory, but I'm also having second thoughts and
feeling pretty sad. I care for Glory...she really is a sweet and loving
dog. But, with big Bella Boo and Tucker getting all the
attention...with plans to add another pug to the family...and with the
unequal rough housing between she and Bella...I know that Glory will be
better in a home where she is the only dog. She'll be getting the
undivided attention of my Aunt and Uncle (whose children are all grown
and out of the house). And I'll be giving them the most precious gift,
a wonderful companion, which they miss dearly since their Taffy passed
away last year.
January 13 - Bella had an attack of some sort yesterday.
I had just gotten out of the shower and when I came out, of course all
the dogs were waiting to greet me. Bella started doing this thing that I
had always called a "reverse sneeze." She had done this several times
in the past, but never more than 15-30 seconds. This time it lasted and
lasted and seemed more like she couldn't get enough air. I thought I
had her calmed down and she seemed to gave come thru it okay...she got
off my lap and went over to sit with my daughter. Just a minute of so
later, my daughter was very upset, yelling that Bella couldn't breathe.
I looked over and it was apparent that Bella was not getting enough
air...she was stretching her tongue out over and over again and had
white bubbly spit along the bottom of her lip. I didn't know what to
do, but rushed her outside into the cold air...sat with her on the front
steps. Within seconds she was breathing normally. At the same time I
was sitting outside with her, my husband was calling the emergency vet
(which, by the way, is an hour away...aaagh!). They said to just watch
her and if it started up again to bring her in and they would probably
give her a shot of benadryl because it sounded as if she was having an
allergic reaction.
Luckily, it did not happen again. And Bella will be visiting her
regular vet tomorrow for a checkup.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this in any of my much earlier entries, but
my Aunt and Uncle lost their dog to old age around the time we had
brought Bella home. When we had problems with Glory attacking Bella, we
even talked with my Aunt and Uncle about the possibility of Glory coming
to live with them, if the dogs didn't learn to get along. Well,
everyone did learn to get along.
Of course, getting along and having the ideal situation for all involved
is not the same thing. To explain...Glory weighs a mere 5 pounds,
compared to Bella who weighs 20 pounds. So, when there are scuffles, or
even simple playing going on...Bella will grab hold of Glory's tail and
can drag her around like a rag doll. For some reason, Bella never does
this to Tucker. Tucker and Bella do play, but it isn't the same type of
play. Also, even though Tucker is much smaller than Bella, she seems to
respect him. So, if Bella comes upon Tucker and he doesn't want to be
bothered, he growls a little, bares his teeth and she backs off and
finds something else to occupy her time. Not so for Glory.
This, as well as the fact that we really would like to add another pug
to our family, has made us go back to my Aunt and Uncle and ask if they
would like to give Glory a home with them.
January 5 - Yesterday was Bella's One Year Birthday!
Bella still reigns as Queen of the other dogs...LOL! She gets all the
attention whenever anyone comes to the house. Her wonderful personality
always wins them over. When we hear a noise or someone outside, she
will join right in the barking with Tucker, our chihuahua...the
difference is that once we go to the door and let the person in or
acknowledge the noise, she stops barking...Tucker keeps on an on.
There is still some rivalry between Bella and Glory. If you
read back in the early entries you will see that Glory didn't like the
fact that Bella joined our family and she wasn't shy about showing it.
At one point, she aggressively attacked Bella. Well, now that Bella is
much, much bigger than Glory...outweighs her by about 12 pounds...Glory
is forced to hiding toys from Bella as a means of picking on her. LOL!
Bella will be playing with a toy...she'll get up and go off to do
something else and Glory will grab the toy and take it outside.
Bella definitely has won our hearts, not only for her, but for
the pug breed in general. We are even thinking of adding one more dog
to the family...and you can be sure he/she will be a pug.
October 31, 2002 HALLOWEEN!! - Bella just couldn't decide what
she wanted to be for Halloween this year. After all, this is her FIRST
spooky holiday and she is very excited. So, Bella ended up with 4
costumes...a Biker, a Ladybug, a Convict and an Angel.
Bella's favorite food is still POPTARTS ! She can hear you
opening a package of poptarts from a mile away. LOL! And if she hears a
word that even sounds like poptarts...well, you had better look out.
The funny thing is that she doesn't even take the time to chew them.
You give her a piece and she just swallows it.
My daughter and son switched rooms so that Amanda now has the
bedroom on the main floor. Of course Bella is just thrilled with this
new arrangement because it means that she has somebody to sleep with and
a nice cozy bed to sleep in every night.
September 6 - Well, it has been a LONG, LONG time since I've
written in Bella's diary. I apologize. I've gotten wrapped up in other
projects and have neglected this one.
Bella is now 8 months old, as of September 4th! She is still the most
wonderful dog. She is an excellent companion to EVERYONE in the
house...even the kid's friends who come over. Unlike my chihuahua, who
barks non-stop and has to be put in his bed when any friends are here to
play...AND unlike my pomeranian, who is so timid that she runs and hides
~ LOL! ... Bella will bark a few times when she hears someone at the
door, but once they have come in and she sees that they are accepted by
us, she accepts them also and paces around their feet until she gets
some pets and scratches. Just as Bella loves everyone...Everyone seems
to love Bella too!
She is still completely housebroken. She hasn't had any accidents for
months and months now. She does love to chew, but we have been able to
train her as to what she is allowed to chew and what is off limits. The
key is to make sure she has something appropriate to chew. Many dogs
NEED to chew. I've had friends who complained and complained that their
dogs were chewing their shoes, their furniture, etc. When I would go to
their homes, I would notice they didn't have any "chew toys" for their
dog. No wonder the dog was chewing on THE PEOPLE'S things, the poor dog
didn't have any things of his/her own to chew on.
Bella has full run of the house now. In fact, all the dogs do. Even at
night, or when we go away for a bit...they are allowed to be left out.
They all get along spectacular and don't cause any problems while left
alone. The minute Bella hears us pull up in the car, she will begin
whining and crying for us. Even if we have only been gone 15-20
minutes, it is the same thing. We get out of the car and look up at the
house...there's Bella, standing on her tippy toes so that she can see
out the window, and she is just whining and carrying on something
terrible. We come in and immediately have to acknowledge her before
anything or anyone else. After she gets to get several good hugs and
gets to give us at least 5-6 big, wet puggie kisses...she lets us do our
thing and she is happy and content once again.
If I didn't already have 2 other dogs...I would definitely have adopted
another pug. But, three dogs is enough!
June 11 -
Bella continues to grow and learn. She has learned to head right out to
her bed at night with the other dogs when I say "It's bedtime. Let's go
to bed." I used to have to carry her or she would just lay there and
stare at me with that look that says, "What?? You want me to do
something??"
Bella used to try to bound
right out the door whenever I was leaving. She now knows to stay back
away from the door and wait to see if I'm going to say, "NO. I'll be
back" or if I will say "Come on, let's go out."
She definitely knows what the word "Treat" means and I can use it if we
are outside and she is being stubborn and running off, not listening to
me. The word "Treat" will bring her right back immediately. She also
knows exactly where the treats are kept. So, once you say "Treat", she
will go sit in front of the cupboard door until you give her one.
May 22 - Boy, oh Boy! I sure am glad that I read about
pugs being BIG TIME shedders before we got Bella. Because it is oh, so
true...Bella sheds A TON! It is something that I am willing to deal
with. I already have to vacuum every day since I have 5 kids, a cat and
2 other dogs. But, if you are considering a pug...believe every word
you read or hear about pugs and shedding. Pugs definitely would not be
the right dog for everyone.
May 19 - Bella is potty trained! YEAH! And no more
peeing on blankets and pillows, etc. when they are left on the floor.
It took her longer to get the hang of it than the other dogs, but she
finally realized that she had to potty outside and only outside. She
uses the doggy door. What is really funny is that she still expects a
treat whenever she goes poop. So, I will hear her come barreling in
thru the doggie door, running across the kitchen floor and straight to
me...then she will jump at me and stare and bark to let me know that she
went poop. I have to tell her what a good girl she is and take her to
the kitchen and give her a treat. Actually, all the dogs get a treat...hahahaha.
I can't leave anyone out.
May 2 - Bella
came home today after being spayed. She went in to the vet's on
Tuesday, April 30th. They did the surgery the next day and then we got
to pick her up this afternoon. She did very well. Although, the first
thing the vet technician said when we walked in the door was "Don't be
surprised if Bella has lost her voice for a few days." Right away I
looked at my hubby and I knew that they meant she had been crying a
lot. I was right. I guess she whined and cried and drove them crazy.
LOL
When I got her out of her cage, she went crazy...giving me tons of wet,
slobbery, puggy kisses and doing her little crying noises to let me know
how much she missed me. Right now, she is sleeping at my feet...happy
and content to be back home after her long ordeal at the vet.
A potty training update - I would have to say that Bella is completely
potty trained, EXCEPT for her unusual habit of peeing on anything soft,
like blankets, coats, pillows if they are left on the floor. It is a
bit odd and I wish there was some way to break her of it, but for now
everyone just knows NOT to leave anything like that on the floor. Oh,
and she did have a poop accident in my daughter's room, but that was
because she got shut in there and couldn't get out. The poor thing was
so scared...I think it literally scared the sh** right out of her. LOL
April 23
- Haven't written lately because everything is going smoothly. All the
dogs, including Tucker, have settled in to being a 3 dog household now.
In case you haven't read all the earlier entries...when Bella first came
home Tucker was "madly in love" with her, mothering her all the time,
sleeping right beside her, etc. Glory, on the other hand, wanted
nothing to do with Bella and really just wanted Bella to go away. LOL
At one point, Glory attacked Bella. No major injuries...just shook
everyone up, including me. Then Glory settled down, realized Bella was
here to stay and found out that it was pretty fun to play with her. I
thought, thank goodness, everyone will be getting along now. BUT, I was
wrong. Tucker didn't like the fact that Bella and Glory were getting
along and playing and I think he felt left out, so he began to pout,
refuse to play, didn't want anything to do with me, etc. Well, finally
Tucker came out of his sulking period and now all 3 dogs play together
and get along great.
Bella's potty training is coming along...just not the way I expected.
She hasn't had any accidents for quite a long time now, but unlike the
other dogs who "always" used the doggie door once they had it figured
out...Bella still comes to me during the day and wants me to take her
out. Sometimes she will go to the front door, which is right by my
computer, and stand there looking at me...then if I don't acknowledge
her she will come over to my chair and jump at me, rest her front paws
on the seat of the chair and just stare. So, I take her outside and she
goes potty. If she is behind the gate in the utility room, like during
the night or when I have to go away, she uses the doggie door. I have
also been in the kitchen and she has went out the doggie door and went
potty on her own. I think she just needs the praise more than the other
dogs. In fact, sometimes I will hear her come in from the doggie door
and she will run right to me and jump up at me, staring at me as if to
say "I went potty!!!" So I praise her and tell her she is a good girl.
April 16
- Bella had her first bath yesterday. You can view the photos by
visiting Bella's Album and going to 14 week old photos. She wasn't too
happy about the whole thing, but tolerated it pretty well. Glory and
Tucker had their baths first and as soon as Bella got done with hers,
they all ran around, chasing each other and just acting really silly.
Of course, Glory, being a pom with all that fur, looked so pitiful.
hahaha And Bella kept trying to lick her.
Potty training update - Bella has had no poop accidents in the house for
at least 2 weeks now. She is still having pee accidents one or two
times a week and they seem to when she is playing and doesn't want to
stop long enough to go out. I've witnessed her get up from sleeping and
run right outside to go. However, and this is a funny story...one day
she was laying on the floor beside me while I was at the computer and
she was chewing a bone. I glanced over at her and saw her lift up just
enough to start peeing. Of course I shouted NO and OUTSIDE TO POTTY and
she ran as fast as she could out thru the kitchen and out the doggie
door and went. Then I told her how GOOD she was and gave her a treat.
Oh yes, that is another
thing I have to report. With Glory and Tucker, I NEVER had to use
treats while potty training, but with Bella we started using treats a
couple weeks ago and that has really seemed to help. I guess food is
just more of a motivator for her.
As far as all of the dogs getting along together, they are doing
wonderful. They even have come to an agreement as to which bed each
will sleep in at night. This was like a musical chairs at first...each
jumping from bed to bed...but now Glory sleeps closest to the door,
Tucker in the middle and Bella next...all in a line. Just the other
night, Tucker went in to bed and got in Glory's bed right beside the
door. Bella got in hers, but Glory would NOT get in the middle bed.
She stood by her bed, that Tucker was in. Well, I went to the bathroom
and got ready for bed and when I came back out to go down to bed...Glory
was still standing there. She was not giving up and Tucker was
pretending to ignore her and act like he wasn't aware of the problem,
but I saw him peeking up at her. So, I simply slid the two beds around
instead of making Tucker get out. As soon as the empty bed was next to
the door, Glory jumped in and was fine. TOO FUNNY!
April 6
- Bella is growing and growing. She and the other dogs all get along
great together now. The only fighting going on is "play fighting". I
think I finally understand their "order". Glory is the alpha dog,
Tucker is next (for now...that may change as Bella gets older), and then
there is Bella.
We are still working on potty training. Bella can't be trusted 100% and
it may be a couple more months before that happens. There are times she
runs out the doggie door on her own and goes potty and then there are
times I catch her sniffing around in the dining room and have to prompt
her to go out.
All last week I took Bella in the car with me to take the kids to
school. She really doesn't seem to like it very much, but I'm going to
keep doing this and hopefully she will get more comfortable.
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