Guinness' First Photo Album

Neck cramp?

Alright, as promised, here is a little photo album of the wee one...

Gallery One

More Shots

Big puppy.

Guinness paid his second visit to the vet this morning. He was due for another round of DHPP. He packed on another 2.5 pounds this week.

Soon, he'll be too big to fit in my lap. Just have a look at the photo. Notice his love of lap time. He can sit in lap position for a good 45 minutes before starting to squirm. He loves being held and typically falls asleep. The closer the better. He's going to be a very loyal and happy dog.

After Work

Calm before the storm.

So, I don't know want you do after a hard day's work, but this is what Guinness does. Rough life I tell ya. Rough life. After twenty or thirty minutes of this, Mr. Guinness is again ready to take on the World.

Snow Day

Green is good.

Today wasn't actually Guinness' first day in the snow. Truth be told, he grew up in the snow, and the cold doesn't phase him in the slightest. However, today was his first day in Seattle snow. We went for an extensive walk in the morning and even tried out his leash. Needless to say, puppies and leashes just don't get along. Especially during that time of day when the little guys are at the height of their energy levels. You know: those moments when the only thing that exists is whatever they've decided to sink their little razor sharp teeth into. For instance: the helpless piece of moss hanging from Guinness' jowls in the above photo.

Guinness did do very, very well though. He continues to amaze me.

First Time to the Veterinarian

Sleeping.

Guinness had his first veterinarian appointment today at Carkeek Park Veterinary Hospital. By luck, Guinness drew Dr. D'Orazio out of the hat. He was very pleasant and full of useful information. It was obvious he really cares about animals. We look forward to future visits with Dr. D'Orazio.

Carkeek was well reviewed on Yelp.com and the hospital happens to be quite close to the house. Needless to say, Guinness passed his initial exam with flying colors. I was told, "he'll be a great dog" by several of the staff, but we already knew that.

18.7 pounds by the way. Almost 10 weeks old.

After the vet appointment we stayed home today working on miscellaneous business stuff, blogging, the company website, and drinking wine. See how far along we got:

www.bpcustomwoodworks.com

I just have to say this: I love this dog! He's going to be a great, great companion. He's sweet and gentle yet tough and playful. He already listens. I only have to say "no" once and he stops and, so far, doesn't seem to want to try again. He's doing very well in the potty training department as well. He likes to poop in the grass and not so much on the carpet!

He loves to snuggle... when he's not busy beating the crap out of one of his toys or causing some other puppy mischief. Guinness is always very close. We have yet to even use a leash with him. He just walks along side (typically the right side) a mere 12 inches away.

He's awesome as a puppy. I just can't wait to see what manner of adult beast he's going to be.

First Trials

Tuckered out.

Today was a big day for little Guinness. He experienced many things for the first time. He was left alone in the truck with a couple chew toys and a quick little prayer. This was a big test as he'll be left in the vehicle from time to time when his poppa enters a none dog-friendly facility. Upon returning 20 minutes later I found him sleeping in the drivers seat without any damage in site. Success!

Guinness also received a tour of our local Dunn Lumber building. My goal was to see how well he'd do in such a center of activity. He started off great! He walked along side and sat while I was fumbling through some sticks of fir for a current project. Things degraded quickly once an employee or two caught sight of the little fellow. His puppy instincts took over. No listening. Running from person to person screaming, "pet me!" Well, what could one expect? With twenty people telling him how cute he was and reaching out to grab a feel of his fluffy, luxurious fur, I had to take him into my arms while he absorbed the adorations. Partial success.

Clearly more comfortable with his surroundings today, he has become a bit of a terror in the shop. It turns out it's hard to operate a router with a puppy constantly pulling on the cord from below. At the same time, today was entertaining.

Later at home, momma and poppa decided to go out for a quiet dinner at Pasta Bella, one of our local favorite eats, and leave the pup at home. Needless to say we came home to a bit of a mess. But this was expected. Overall, Guinness is doing great for just being over two months old. We're proud parents.

First Day at Work

Lounging on his shop pad.

Well, today Guinness spent his first day in the shop with his poppa. He did very well. No cords chewed and loud noises don't seem to bother him a bit. He trounced every spare block of wood in the place. No scrap was left without a puppy mark or two.

Speaking of marking, Guinness has decided the scrap pile under the table saw is a marvelous place to poop. The scrap pile is right in the center of activity and yet typically out of view... until you reach under to extract a scrap or two. Now the wood comes with a bonus if you happen to pull the right one. We'll soon cure him of this little ailment.

Magnuson Dog Park

Muddy log at Magnuson.

This morning we got up (as demanded by our new pup) and took him for his first walk to see uncle Johnny who lives a few blocks down the street. Something strange happened. Guinness followed right along without the use of a leash. He pranced along behind us less than a foot away and seemed to be having the time of his life. He's an amazing little guy. I have a feeling he is going to be one heck of a well-behaved beast. Are you allowed to use well-behaved and beast in the same sentence???

Later in the afternoon after lunch uncle Jay called and invited the newbie to Magnuson Dog Park. "Why not," we said, so off to the park we went. Again, Guinness did phenomenal. He tagged right along stopping here and there to investigate but responded when called and came running. What a great dog! He played along very nicely with all the other pooches and watched in amazement as Gerrard attempted to show him how to climb trees.

On the flip-side, for those of you who have never been to Magnuson, it's quite a muddy experience. I hadn't been in some time and, therefore, had on a regular days garb. We completely forgot our knee-high rubber boots and disaster suits. Needless to say, by the time we left, we all needed a bath.

So, Guinness had his first bath. No kicking and screaming. Just shampooing and rinsing followed by a good forty-five minute nap on my lap wrapped in a towel. It was a good day.

Meeting the Family

Carol Sue (aka Ya-Ya).

On our way home from Yakima the phone calls started flooding in. "Do you have him? When do we get to see him?" Soon we were scheduled for a little on-the-way-home tour of Guinness.

Our first stop was Snoqualmie Ridge to see auntie Sarah, uncle Sascha, and cousin Marley. Guess what? They loved Guinness.

Our next stop was to see Ya-Ya Carol and Dave. Guess what? They loved Guinness. In fact, it was really Carol who solidified the little critter's name as Guinness. We had been tossing around a few ideas. When Carol heard "Guinness," she just decided that was his name from then on out.

Between the two stops, I'm positive Guinness only spent about 30 seconds on the ground. I'm pretty sure Guinness thought his new life was to consist of being held in the air and mashed against the nearest human's face. Who knows what the poor little guy was thinking. He was being passed around like cold potato for the next two hours. It was a race to see who could hold his little frame the longest.

The next stop was at grandpa Ray's where he was doted on for another hour or two. Ah, to be a puppy for just a second... If any of us were to be so lucky.

Speaking of Guinness, if you have a look at some of his photos (which will be posted soon I swear), I think you'll agree he resembles a freshly poured pint. He's mostly dark, but his undercoat gives him that tan look of Guinness as it settles to the top. Lucky dawg!

Look at those paws! What a monster!

Dog from Yakima

Over the pass.

Today was the day! We woke early this morning for our drive to Yakima. We hit the road a little later than expected but made good time. Once there, we were introduced to Guinness, his two brothers, and his sister Kate. They were all adorable, and we know each of them will find a good, loving home. If it would have been at all feasible, we would have certainly brought home more than one of these pups. Soon we were on our way back to Seattle with our new baby boy.