We get Chester

I got a call from Leslie, Chester's owner June 1st telling us that the Vet said the pups could go home after that Sunday, unfortunately I couldn't go up during the week to get him so the next Saturday would have to be it.

June 9th Cassie and I head up to Salem to pick Chester up. We decided to stop at the pet shop to get him a collar, leash and bed. After checking out the beds we decided to let Chester pick it out so off to pick up my new baby.

Well, turns out Chester was the last one to go. The others had been picked up by Wednesday so after 7 brothers and sisters to play with, poor little Chester was all alone with just his mom. He did act happy to see us either that or just someone else to play with.

Off we went to the PetSmart. We got the collar Ben & I picked out before and then to the beds. We put a couple on the floor and let him decide. We picked the one he kept trying to shake. We put the back left and the front passenger seat down. this way we could lay the bed down and I could see out front. We didn't figure he'd be happy in the back by himself so I decided to sit with him.

I got him a stuffie call Lamb Chop to keep him company on the way home. He looked so cute laying there not a whole lot bigger than the toy.  The drive home wasn't to bad. We stopped about half way there to stretch our legs and to let him out to go potty.  He liked playing in the grass. About 45 minutes from home he decided he didn't want to sleep in his bed and was really whiny so I decide to hold him.

Look at those paws.. they are huge. He is definitely going to be a big boy but that's what I wanted.  Well we brought him in through the garage to introduce him to the girls.  Tootsie was more interested in him than Chase. She really didn't want anything to do with him but then it took her a month or so to get used to Tootsie and she was a little over 2 when we got her.. Now she has to deal with a puppy.

Tootsie does show a lot of patience with Chester and they really get going pretty rough but for as big as she is hasn't hurt him. No more than an extra nip now and then..but I'm sure Chester has done a lot more than nipping.



I think what he has wanted most of all was to just have someone to snuggle with. After all with as many siblings as he had he has to be missing them. Once the girls let him snuggle he settles down. Chase has been the hardest to convince this is all he wants.   He does like to be close to me too. When I'm in my quilt room he wants me to sit with him but has been really good about laying by himself.

Of course I have to make sure he isn't cold too. He stayed like this for quite a while..until Tootsie barked and woke him up then he had to go check it out too.

next....our frst week

My new puppy.

I'm changing my blog from all quilting to include the Life of Chester the Dobie...

I thought it would be fun to write about my new puppy as he grows up.  We have two Labs Chase & Tootsie.  We got Chase when she was 5 1/2 weeks old, the runt and as sweet as can be. Her mom had a little golden retriever so she has ended up a red lab with the feathers on her tail, legs and tummy and is soft as can be. W adopted Tootsie about 4 years ago or she would have been taken to the pound. She has been Ben's running partner ever since.

A few years ago I became friends with some really great Doberman people when I started looking for a pup. I had been working with a breeder for about a year and a half but her breeding's just didn't take, I decided not to wait any longer and started looking else where. I wasn't in a real rush but I stared looking.

 I finally found a litter born April 16th. What was neat was that it was a litter of 8, 2 of each red, black, blue & fawn. All boys except the blue.

I had decide I wanted a red one so I called. Usually when I found pups they were already spoken for but got lucky this time. Cassie and I drove up to Salem. this was May 6th. Chase had been the runt so I thought I'd pick the little red one but then I picked up the brother. Looked into his sweet face and I was lost. 

I had been holding him in the middle of my chest when he fell asleep. After a few minutes he just sort of fell over. I figured this had to be him if he trusted me enough to fall over like that. So Chester because one of the family.   Then Ben and I drove up again on Mother's Day so he could meet Chester too. He had started to eat really food by then and you could tell they all were starting to get a mind of their own.

The kids and I drove up the next Saturday. The family was really nice and said we could come up every weekend if we wanted to but a two hour drive up and back for a 20 minute visit was just to much. 

At 6 1/2 weeks the kids and I went to visit again. Figured Ethan would want to visit his summer buddy. he was a little rascal, already getting into things. We had a great visit but decided not to go back up until it was time to bring him home. Which was another two weeks on June 9th.

I had been planning on getting his ears done. I spent about a week and a half checking int a Vet who would crop and wrap...boy what stress. After looking over all the pictures we'd taken Ben said he was just as cute without his ears done as he would be with so I decided since we weren't going to breed or show him we'd keep him with the natural look.

Next...the pick up date.

Sister's quilt show

this was a great show. Spent several hours walking around. Browsed through several shops. The weather was great while we were there but they had to shut down several hours before usual because of a thunderstorm. It started to rain while we were in Bend and by the time we were back through Sister's about 3:30 they had all the quilts down and almost all the other street vendors were gone.

this was a shot east through town. it was really a nice morning.