The new dog, in a cyclone of sharp little puppy teeth and a flood of puppy pee, has arrived. Boy Z is besotted, Dr. O’C resigned and Not Max slightly confused. Along with the peals of laughter and declarations of love, however, have been fits of tears. Puppies nip. It’s what they do. Not Max has borne it with his typical aplomb. He’s spent the first year of his life receiving various injuries and insults from his older brother, so the occasional nip on the ear is nothing out of the ordinary.
Boy Z, on the other hand, is struggling a bit with a rambunctious pup. The new dog seems to have summoned memories of the old dog for Boy Z. After Timmins bit Boy Z we used the standard “gone to a farm with lots of other dogs” line. As we were driving back from the pet store this morning with new collar, lead, toys and other puppy paraphenalia, Boy Z asked “When is Woody going to go the farm?”
This isn’t something we’ve talked much about in the last six months, so I was a bit confused. “What do you mean, Boy Z? What farm.”
“The farm that Timmins went to, with the other dogs. When will Woody go there? I don’t want him to go there. I like Woody and I like Timmins.”
The cracking sound you heard from wherever you’re sitting in the world was my heart breaking.
Later today, after being nipped whilst playing with the pup, he moaned. “Woody bit me. Like Timmins bit me yesterday on the beach.”
It surprises me that the memory is so seared into his little brain, especially since he’s been so keen to get a new dog. It also brings all that back to the front of my mind.
But Woody isn’t Timmins. He isn’t really even a replacement for Timmins. He’s a new dog. A fresh start. But with any fresh start comes the, pardon the pun, teething pains. I just hope a bad memory and bit of playful roughhousing doesn’t turn Boy Z off the new dog. Any advice on quickly curbing puppy biting would be gratefully received.
And speaking of dogs, or Dawgs if you prefer, it is college football season. At long last it is college football season. Another few months of late nights/early mornings spent listening to football games on the internet that are being played 10,000 miles away. If there’s one thing besides my family that I miss from the U.S. anymore it is Georgia Bulldogs football. Since I escaped in 2004 I’ve spent many an autumn (or spring) Saturday (or Sunday) . I’m not going to lose any sleep tonight, however, as I don’t expect the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajuns to give my boys in red and black much trouble. But the season gets interesting starting next Saturday when the Dawgs roll into Columbia, S.C.
Go Dawgs!
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For those of you who now hate me for my Wiggles link the other day (ahem, Cat), how about this one. The boys and I have come to a musical compromise with the Mates of State. Peppy and upbeat enough for little boys, refined and lyrical enough for grown ups. Their 2008 record, “Re-arrange Us” is just a wonderful piece of music and is available from 
They’ve also got a new album of covers out. “Crushes” is available from their website for only $5.
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by courtney
05 Sep 2010 at 00:00
I’m not sure what to tell you about the biting thing, but I do know kids hang on to memories of things that have hurt them. When I was 3 my family was on a road trip and stopped at a rest stop in Iowa, where I fell and skinned my knee, and I held a grudge against the state of Iowa for YEARS. I hope Boy Z and Woody can enjoy a non-biting relationship soon.
Also, GO JACKETS! (You knew that was coming.)
courtney´s last blog ..But What Should I Get Myself for Boss’s Day
by Cat
05 Sep 2010 at 00:20
My heart broke a little there too. I’m suggesting a high pitched squeal like his litter mate would make if Woody bit him too hard. Of course, consider the source when taking this advice because I have a two year old dog that licks us constantly despite all of our efforts.
Cat´s last blog ..Twin 1 and Twin 2
by ellie
05 Sep 2010 at 06:48
We got ours to stop by pretending that her nipping really hurt us. We used to emit little squeals like Cat suggests.
ellie´s last blog ..Eating Smutch
by arizaphale
05 Sep 2010 at 08:07
Yes, I think any of the above suggestions are good. Also removal from play for a brief spell when nipping occurs…timeout for dogs?
I think (for what it’s worth) that it’s really important for Boy Z to process the Timmins stuff if and when it comes up in order that he not hold it ,like an Iowa grudge, for years. Talk about it when he mentions it. Reinforce that it was a bad thing but that Timmins didn’t mean it and isn’t it good that BZ is ok now and even some of the pack behaviour stuff (I used to love it when my dad talked science with me as a kid). Given the opportunity to externalise all that now means it doesn’t become a repressed, fearful memory. But that’s just my opinion.
Looking forward to meeting Woody!!! Love that second pic. Oh and
Go Dawgs!!!
arizaphale´s last blog ..An Aversion To Laziness In The Use of the Expletive
by Trish
05 Sep 2010 at 11:06
I have no idea on the puppy training thing, except perhaps to take him to puppy training.
Is he a black labrador? He’s so cute.
by Agnes
05 Sep 2010 at 20:30
Love that MoS album. I bring it out every now and then and it’s still as good as the first listen. A right keeper.
Agnes´s last blog ..Heart in a silver cage
by Nathan B.
06 Sep 2010 at 02:02
I think you can appreciate the joy I have today after watching the Fighting Bison of North Dakota State defeat the Jayhawks of Kansas.
by muskrat
07 Sep 2010 at 00:27
I’m glad to see a dog and the dawgs making appearances in your household again!
muskrat´s last blog ..rodents!
by chris
08 Sep 2010 at 04:02
Well the pup is fucking adorable, he’s like puppy crack. You are teaching Boy Z an important lesson on getting back on the horse, or in this case, the dog. It’s ok to be a little fearful in this instance, he’s going off of experience. He’ll learn to shake off the nips and Woody will settle down. Izzy got scratched and knocked down by Lucy, she got her toes chewed on and her favorite stuffed toy eviscerated but she still loves that dog more that she loves her sister:)
by Courtney
10 Sep 2010 at 01:53
Aw, that is so really heart-breaking about Boy Z and Timmins! I wish I had some advice on how to deal with puppy nipping but even with all the puppies I’ve had in my life, I don’t – and puppy teeth HURT. I will say making sure they have appropriate chew toys at any given moment at least helps, as does (obviously) discouraging the behavior. I LOVE that Boy Z has a dog again (and I am firmly in the camp that most little kids SHOULD grow up with a dog) and I do hope he can undertand the difference between Timmins and this pup’s nipping…one of the many good things about pups? They don’t nip for long. Also, I think they tend to do more so when they are tired so a nap is a good solution to a lot of nipping…
Courtney´s last blog ..Further thoughts on health
by Here In Franklin
13 Sep 2010 at 08:26
Did you see/hear the game?
Here In Franklin´s last blog ..Rites of Fall
by admin
13 Sep 2010 at 14:33
Just the result
by Here In Franklin
16 Sep 2010 at 03:04
Gonna be a long year for us both.
Here In Franklin´s last blog ..Rites of Fall
by rassles
16 Sep 2010 at 09:42
Making a noise is a good idea. That’s what I did with my dog, and he’s brilliance manifest. Sometimes. Usually. Whatever.
Maybe instigate the nipping a little. Hold the puppy with your hand in his mouth, and talk to him softly. When he bites with any pressure, give a harsh yelp. Then just repeat that for a minute or two before you hand him over to the youngins.
When I was training bloodhounds – which sounds way more fun and glamorous than it was, because it was something I accidentally fell into in high school because I knew the breeders – we kept knotted towels in our pockets, and if one nipped we said “NO” and shoved the towel in its mouth. But these dogs were being geared up for the police force, not family pets. Still, the big reason we had those towels was drool.
And just so you know, in case you want to try it, squirting water at them? Will not work with Labs. They love it.
rassles´s last blog ..Tell Me Whos Yo Housekeeper Wutchoo Keep in Yo House
by suzer
16 Sep 2010 at 14:16
Your child is so precious;) We had a heap of fun in Louisiana a few weeks back – ate enormous amounts of fantastic food! Hope you all are well.
suzer´s last blog ..The Siren Song of Home Leave
by People in the Sun
17 Sep 2010 at 15:10
After an uncle died recently, we were thinking about how to tell our boy, especially because he was going to the house and asking where he was. We took the cowardly path, which might have been the right one, of just seeing if he forgot about the man. He doesn’t ask about him anymore. It’s sad, but how do you tell a 2-year-old about death?
People in the Sun´s last blog ..Mish-Mashing
by Jamie
19 Sep 2010 at 10:22
Hey, where is the post celebrating Georgia football Saturday? oh, right…
by Jamie
26 Sep 2010 at 13:02
I wanted to mock UGA a bit more after their latest debacle, but now they are just sort of sad and pitiable…
by Here In Franklin
27 Sep 2010 at 05:12
Wow.
Here In Franklin´s last blog ..Ophidiophobia
by NATUI
28 Sep 2010 at 13:04
Ouch. That was a touch question he asked, but I’m glad your family has another dog. You needed the time to grieve and regroup, but the love this new puppy will bring will help heal all those tiny little cracks. It won’t be the same, but it’s not supposed to.
by Florida Girl in Sydney
04 Oct 2010 at 17:12
The others are right, our puppy trainer said you make a high pitched “ow” sound and puppy will know they are hurting you. The puppy is sooo cute!
Florida Girl in Sydney´s last blog ..Paddys Market and The New Moscow Circus in Sydney