In the Beginning

Mason at 14 weeks.  How could this furball be so evil?

     Puppies are cute for a reason.  I've come to realize that their cuteness distracts you from how bad they can be.  At least this was the case with Mason. 
     I went to work the morning we were going to pick up Mason and two of my friends from work had left a gift basket on my desk.  In the basket was sparkling cider, cheese, crackers, and Advil.  My friends are such comedians.  Little did I know I would need that Advil, not necessarily that weekend, but eventually.
     Even as small as Mason was he had a huge attitude.  After that first weekend with us he had no interest in cuddling with me, which was what I wanted to badly.  I was convinced that I had gotten a bad seed; that there was something seriously wrong with him.  I really didn't think I would make it through puppyhood.  My friends at work kept telling me to be firm and what I was going through was exactly what it's like to have a puppy.  The books did not tell me how difficult some puppies could be.  Mason would run around the living room, stop at my feet, bite and attack them relentlessly.  I never knew how sharp puppy teeth were.  They are like tiny needles.  The more he sensed my frustration the more stimulated he became.  I reread my books and they all said a firm, "No!" and "ignoring the puppy" was all the correction that was needed.  Well, that didn't work on Mason.  My mom was old school, she told me to roll up a newspaper and smack his bottom.  I was tempted, but didn't want to go there.  I even tried spraying water at him with a spray bottle, but he wasn't even phased by that, he thought it was a game.  He would attack my hands when I would put his leash on him.  When we did venture outside Mason would constantly chew on his leash.  He would not walk properly no matter what I did; he would jump up and try to grab his leash.  I think we went through several leashes during his puppyhood. Everyone kept saying that things would get better, but I couldn't believe it.

Talking back

     Oh yes, we went to puppy class.  Who was the one who would not listen in class?  Yes, that would be Mason.  We would be all standing in a circle with our puppies by our sides and while the other puppies were quietly sitting or lying down, Mason would be trying to pounce on one of them.  Mason and Kyla would constantly try to play with each other in class.  I had to stop standing beside Kyla's parents because Mason and Kyla would always disrupt class.  

Stalking us

     One of the things that Mason did was stalk us from under the sofa.  He was so small that he could easily get under there.  It freaked us out at first.  He would just lie under the sofa and stare at us, calculating his next move.  The funniest thing was when he was having one of his "moments".  He zoomed around the living room at top speed, ran under the sofa, grabbed the electrical cord of the phone, and the cordless phone went flying.  We were in such disbelief that a little puppy could actually do this.
     This was just the beginning of puppyhood.  Sadly, puppies and adolescent dogs (5 months-2 years) are the ones that more often than not end up at shelters.  Just like children, puppies go through a teenage phase where they forget what they've learned.  This was so out of my comfort zone, but I educated myself as much as I could and I was determined to work through the difficult stages.  Raising a puppy is challenging, exhausting, and frustrating, but in the end very rewarding.

The Dog Park

Mason and Kyla at the dog park

     I didn't start to expose Mason to a lot of experiences until he was 16 weeks old.  No trips to Petsmart, no walks around the neighborhood, nothing.  His vet and I agreed that it would be best to keep him quarantined to our house until after he had gotten all of his vaccinations including rabies.  All that was completed at 16 weeks.  A little overprotective, I know, but he was such a tiny little guy that I didn't want to take any chances.
    Our first outing was to the local dog park, which is very close to our house.  Other dog people were raving about it.  At that time it was all gravel, which translates to messy.  There is a section for large dogs and a section for small dogs.  This seemed good.  Mason had a blast playing.  Plus, this was good for his socialization.
     We would take him periodically to the dog park and Mason kept having such a good time.  But, I started noticing that as the weather started getting warmer the dog park started getting busier.  The dog parents would stand around and chat, and would not supervise their dogs.  I did not like this at all.  There are bossy dogs, fearful dogs, and the pack of dogs that would gang up on a submissive one.  The parents would continue to chat and not supervise.  Who was I to correct another person's dog?  That wasn't my responsibility.
     My approach to the dog park changed.  I would only take him very early in the morning on the weekends.  One Saturday morning he had a scheduled playdate with one of his friends from puppy class.  Miss Kyla, a cairn terrier puppy.  Oh, he loved Kyla.  They had so much fun playing there.  Then a lady brought in a fearful small dog.  This dog had his tail tucked between his legs and was bearing his teeth.  The puppies just wanted to play.  Why would anyone bring a fearful dog to the dog park?  We packed up our stuff and left.
     Our last trip to the dog park was July 2006.  Mason was six months old by then.  He had fun playing as usual and I did my part by following him around and watching him like a hawk.  Within the next couple of days he started having severe diarrhea.  It was terrible and I mean terrible.  Mason had to go out every two hours and he could not hold it.  When he whined that meant he had to go right away.  I took him to the vet and they needed stool samples and did bloodwork.  Kenny and I camped out in the living room (that's where Mason's crate was at the time) and in the middle of the night we would take turns taking him out whenever he whined.  Mason was miserable and we were worried sick.
     The stools samples came back negative.  The last place he had been was the dog park and on that last visit he did drink water out of a common water bowl.  Big mistake!  Mason's vet had determined that he had picked up some sort of virus, but we never pinpointed what it was.  Mason was on antibiotics, a bland diet, and a probiotic.  It seemed as if it took forever to get this issue cleared up.
     I guess it's obvious that I am not a fan of the dog park.  You never really know if a dog that's playing there is fully vaccinated.  That is the biggest lesson that I learned.  Some parents don't pay attention; it's just as much a social time for them as their dogs.  Yes, the dog park is free.  Yes, a lot of people take their dogs there and love it.  Yes, the dogs get to run around freely in a fenced in area.  But, it's not for everyone and it's definitely not for us.

Choosing the Right Vet

    While we were in the process of deciding on getting a dog I knew I had to choose a vet.  Only one came to mind....Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Centreville, VA.  The biggest plus for me at first was the location (very close to home) and that they are open seven days a week.  Then I went to take a tour and was so impressed.  Everyone was very friendly and patient (as I had told them several times that I will be a first time dog owner).
    Against everything I had read I did take Mason to the vet the first evening he was with us.  The books will tell you that it's too stressful to do the first day you bring home a puppy, but this time I went against the books.  I wanted to know right away that he was healthy.  The veterinarian that he saw from that day and for the next 3 years was Dr. Jen Brown.  I immediately loved her.  She thoroughly examined him.  She was gentle, patient, and very knowledgeable.  Plus, she answered all of my questions.  All I had to do now was go home and get a stool sample???  What??  I couldn't believe it.  But, it was necessary so they could check for parasites.  After getting Mason got his shots we headed home and I stressed over getting this stool sample
    The next morning I brought the vet the sample and within a couple of hours I got a call that he had a mild case of coccidia (a type of parasite).  I was told it was common in puppies and Mason was prescribed a banana flavored antibiotic, which he loved!  I had to take a stool sample in the following week and it came back negative.  Whew!  The stool sample thing becomes a regular occurrence for us during his first year, but that's another topic in itself.
     Then came the talk about neutering him.  Do I want a laser surgery?  Full blood work?  I got that all taken care of when he was five months old.  Laser surgery and all.  It minimizes discomfort.  I definitely wanted my little guy to have as little discomfort as necessary.  He pulled through with flying colors.  It was a big chunk of change, but well worth it.
     The first year I had Mason I called Caring Hands at least twice a week.  Mason is vomiting, Mason has loose stools, Mason is sleeping a lot, Mason is itchy.....  The list went on and on.  But, each time I called them a vet tech or even a veterinarian would always answer my questions with patience.  Especially Dr. Brown.  She would call me back as soon as possible regardless of how trivial my question was.
     The main complaint I have heard from several pet owners about Caring Hands is that they are too expensive.  I don't know otherwise as we've never been to another vet.  But, I do know one thing, their facility is state-of-the-art (recently remodeled and expanded) and the level of service is impeccable.  After each appointment I get a follow-up call to see how Mason is doing.  Whenever I have needed to get an appointment for him they always are so accommodating, fitting us in as soon as possible.
     One Halloween night a couple of years ago Mason and I were on our evening walk when he started limping all of a sudden and blood was pouring from his paw.  Of course, I panicked and carried him back home and immediately called Caring Hands.  They didn't hesitate and told me to bring him in right away.  I did and thankfully it was only a small cut on his paw pad, but he was thoroughly examined to make sure there were no pieces of glass or any debris in his pad.  They bandaged him up, gave him some medication, and gave me very detailed instructions on how to care for the cut.
    Dr. Brown has since left Caring Hands, but we have not been disappointed with the veterinarians we've seen.  They have all been just as helpful, gentle, and knowledgeable.
    Regardless of how expensive some might think Caring Hands is I highly recommend them.  You would take your kids to the best doctors regardless of price, right???

Bringing Home Mason

Mason at 10 weeks old

     My husband and I brought Mason home on Friday, March 24, 2006.  I will never forget that day.  He was 10 weeks old.  He was sent home with a small teddy bear and a washcloth that he had slept with for two nights prior, which had the scent of his littermates.  I had Kenny drive 40 mph down Rt. 50 from Chantilly to Centreville while I sat in the passenger side seat holding this tiny three pound puppy.
     For almost a year I had researched what kind of dog I wanted.  At first, it was a pug, but they shed too much.  Finally, I decided I wanted a purebred maltese.  Perfect, I thought.  I found a lady in Chantilly that bred maltese puppies.  We chatted a few times and as many questions as I asked her, she asked me more.  It was like I was adopting a child.  She called me on a Friday evening and told me she had three male maltese puppies that were ready to go.  She also had two male "maltipoos" (maltese/toy poodle mixes) that were also ready.  I hate the name maltipoo and knew I didn't want a mutt, but a pure bred dog.   
     The next morning I was so excited I couldn't stand it.  The breeder lived just a few miles from us and we were at her house by 9:30 a.m.  She had these five little white fluffballs running around and they were all adorable.  The purebred maltese puppies were very tiny, but fiesty.  The two maltipoo puppies were just doing their own thing.  How was I going to choose which one I wanted?  Kenny told me to just sit on the floor with these puppies and the one that comes to me is "the one".  I really, really wanted a purebred dog.  I did what Kenny said and sat there.  Finally, this little maltipoo puppy came over to me and fell asleep in my lap.  I couldn't believe it.  He was the one!  So, the breeder marked the inside of his ear with a black marker, so she knew he was ours.  I couldn't possibly take him home that day, I wasn't prepared.  He would be coming home with us the following Friday.
     I reread all of my books that night.  I needed a crate, x-pen, bowls, toys, blankets, etc. I was ready.  How hard could it be to raise a puppy?  The books told me everything I needed to know.  Don't let dogs on the furniture.  Don't let them sleep in your bed.  Be the pack leader.  Yes, I was ready.
    The first weekend Mason was with us he slept the entire time.  I thought something was definitely wrong with him.  I immediately called his vet and she assured me that he was just a little stressed from being away from his littermates and that he would get used to us in no time.  By Sunday evening he was used to us.  He ran around the house like crazy, starting biting and attacking our feet, and would bark at us.  Are you kidding me?  What had I gotten myself into?