January Diary...The Adventures of Verbier

I was named after a cool ski resort in Switzerland. Mom says my middle name fits my personality more than my first name. I'm a black toy poodle and my birthday is November 9, 1998. Right now, I weigh 2.6 lbs. and I'm growing fast! That's my Dad with me on the left. The picture was taken on my very first night home. It was a pretty exciting night. I got a new mom and dad; they got all sorts of new toys for me; and I got a new bed. I couldn't sleep at all. Mom and Dad kept me in their room. I was sooo excited and just had a lot on my mind and lots of things to say. I was up all night. Mom and Dad must have been pretty excited too, because I don't think they got any sleep that night either.

January 8, 1999
Mom took me to see my new vet, Dr. Tate, today. He said I was a very healthy little boy. After visiting Dr. Tate, Mom signed me up for puppy school at Kennelwood. (That's me and my Mom on the right). I'm supposed to get to play with lots of other puppies at school and learn some neat stuff, but I can't go until after I've had some more shots. After puppy school, I get to go to school with the big dogs. At big dog school, I'm supposed to learn how to sit, stay, heel, and lots of other neat things. If I do okay in big dog school, Dad wants to send me to big dog trick school. They think I'm a brain.

January 12, 1999
Mom is pretty predictable. I've got her all figured out. We've got a pretty set schedule every day. We get up early every morning, fix Dad's lunch, send him off to work, then I eat breakfast and play. After that, we go to Mom's office and we both go to work. Right now, my job is to keep Mom company while she works during the day. If I'm good, I get to take naps on her lap while she's on the computer (but first I have to "sit" and be good). It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. Every now and then we stop working and get to play for a bit. Sometimes, Mom will run an errand during the day. We take a break from work and go out to run errands. Then, Dad comes home from work and he plays with me.

January 19, 1999

Still doing the same old stuff with Mom...working in her office, taking some playtime breaks, etc. We're working on some new stuff this week. Before Mom picks me up for a nap on her lap, I have to "sit" and "shake." What's next?! We also work on what Mom calls leadership exercises. It's a real bummer. I can't stand being told when to roll over on my back. It's really tough being me. And let me tell you, this housetraining thing is no picnic either. Mom and Dad are working me to death! Plus, they've started having me drag this long red leash around with me sometimes during the day. Oh, the misery of it!

Boy, this has been one tough week. There has just been so much to work on! You try to "sit", "shake", and "no bite" all week and see if it doesn't just wear you out! Of course, it hasn't all been work. I've been able to play a lot and do some exploring. I found the coolest place to play last night... under Mom and Dad's bed. You wouldn't believe how much fun stuff is under there! I kept pulling out one thing after another to show Mom and Dad. I think I may have found some real treasures because they kept taking things away from me.

Mom has started to feed me according to the recommendations of the dog training books she has been reading. I think it's a really bad idea. My dinner is at 6:00P.M. and I don't get even a little snack after that. You know what? I'm hungry by about 3:00-4:00A.M. I got Mom up early this morning 'cause my tummy was just rumbling away. Dad convinced Mom this morning that I really need a snack after dinner.

Went to see my vet, Dr. Tate yesterday. It was a highly stressful errand in our day. Got my second set of shots. YOWZERS! I've gotten pretty big in the past couple of weeks...3.4 lbs! Mom and Dad are very impressed. I'm really looking forward to the weekend...Dad says he is going to be home the whole time.

Verbi