Toby_Athena

Toby & Athena
Birthday: May 23, 2009
Came home: July 25, 2009 weighing just about 2 lbs

Toby & Athena are adopted!

In late June B&A and K&K found two little Shih Tzu pups that were born to an adoption shelter after their elderly human mom found her dog pregnant and was unable to take care of any or all. The initial photos sent were darling - we had to choose from photos alone. A brother (m3) and his sister (f1) were going to be coming home with us.

On the left is the original photo - on the right, is our two a few weeks later, before we picked them up. Amy's mom, Melissa, rode five hours down to TN to help pick them up. Then, to Melissa's great delight (and to Amy's great relief), Melissa got to ride in the back seat with both pups all the way home.

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	Athena (left) & Toby (right) at eight weeks old - first time on grass - July 26, 2009. At their first puppy vet visit (where they rode to the vet in a laundry basket & were picked up and loved by everyone there), they weighed in at just under two pounds. They were so small that we had to duct tape the dog door flap open - they couldn't push through it on their own. Our yard is now mushroom and dandelion-flower free - we patrol twice a day for mushrooms (can be deadly), and they patrol for everything else - from the flowers to leaves. Can't wait for fall! :)


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August 17, 2009

Oh, yes. They are growing!!

They are on fire when they are awake - but they need little helmets to stop the bumps under furniture as they race around ....

We keep wondering if they will survive their puppyhood?

We are getting them use to shaving their puppy-pads (a bit more traction on hardwood floors - we hope!) and shaving their bums (hairy little pups).

Anyone have any ideas that will protect their heads so they don't end up like Mike Tyson? So far, I have had suggestions of little flower pots (maybe not the ceramic kind) -
formed Silly-Putty, with Garfield comics lifted, and acrylic spray to stabilize the helmet, or cut tennis balls.

Hummm.... :)

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August 21, 2009

Side by Side	Neck to Neck
Our second puppy vet visit on "the puppy plan" was today - tuckered them out. (Just may have to take them more often!). Lots of shots and toenail clippings. Now at 12 weeks old, they weigh 4.1 and 3.8 pounds - with Toby being the big boy and Athena catching up fast. The look of our house is changing too. Tall & (evidently) tipsy wooden giraffes we brought home from the Caribbean are temporarily living on the couch awaiting the Super-Glue doctor after their table was rammed (head-on) in one of the many "chase-me" events. Plastic tips on springy door stops have been removed. Other small and / or antique furniture has been relocated behind puppy gates. Chew toys are strewn everywhere with great hope of usage. Kitchen tea-towels are now sleeping mats and puppy pee-pads are a part of life. Our huge & beautiful 2nd-story deck is now wrapped to calf level in chicken wire - for everyone's peace of mind. All the deck lizards (beaded, wood & ceramic) are living on porch chairs and the table. And now we find that Toby is chewing the plastic wrapping off the gas grill tank - guess we will be getting it naked today.

Video (streams - we hope) We gave Toby and Athena little oranges to play with. Toby Loved it! Athena was not as impressed. As Toby bit into the orange, it bit back - very fun to watch!


Video (streams - we hope) Little Toby & Bob with Toby's Ball

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August 30, 2009
First Bath - & Not Very Happy About It.

Athena went first - into the kitchen sink that was lined with a tea-towel. Shiver. shake, and stiff legged!
Toby sniffed & sniffed her - we must admit, the shampoo did make her smell a bit like
she worked in a French perfumery.

Then it was Toby's turn. Lovin' it? Not so much. He worked hard at trying to climb out - shaking just as hard as Athena. But when we / they were done, it was time for a romp around the house and a big "phew!" from Athena, looking for a "rub my tummy - it's over!"

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September / October 2009
Welcome to Fall Weather!

Toby and Athena love their toys ... but not as much as Bob's socks!

Our little ones are about 5 months old and 6-ish pounds in this picture.

At Halloween the pups were fascinated by Bob's pumpkin.

We took them for a walk where they loved jumping in and out of the piles of leaves raked to the street and then proceeded to eat most of them.

Just love cleaning that puppy puke up from the floors!

This month they both got fixed. It was hard on them, but all went well.

Athena ... Can you say, "Warm and Happy?"

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_______ _______

December 2009
First Snow!


At the start of the snow, these pups played snowplow - with their mouths open, sucking up the snow in their path. Amy took them up the hill in the backyard, while Bob kept the camera at the bottom. They LOVE ball shaped toys ... How about snowballs? Let's see!

YUP! That worked! Amy makes a snowball and rolls it down the hill ... And there they go! Bob gets the action shot!

And again ... and again!
And how did that end up? Hum ... Athena's hair collects snowballs - at the end of the play, Athena's legs rubbed together like mine in snow pants - and sounded the same. She was not happy.

She (and he) now have trimmed paws and legs - it has really helped them and our flooring! :)

Video - April 2010
Big Boy Toby & Bob with Toby's Ball - About Four Months Later...

August 22, 2009

Today we introduced Athena to Kimi (above) & Toby to Kini (below). Athena was - at best - leery - but warmed up after a bit. Toby was all out "play with me." (I'm not so sure Kini was as happy about it :) More adventures together will come, but for today - this was enough!

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