Pictorial - Been busy puppy sitting

Hi my sparkfriends, I hope you are all doing well and I've missed you all and I apologize for not being here for you....but as you will see, I've been very busy.


First meet, mom and Missy at the airport; Missy is a miniature Bichon Frise (2 months old & weighed 2 #).

As you know, my mom got a new puppy, Missy, in October. What you may not know is that my mom is ill and a week ago she was just so overwelmed by life that she asked me to take Missy (she is now 6 months old & weighs just over 5#).

Missy is like ankle velcro to my mom, so this separation would not be easy on either of them. Nor me for that matter, as Missy is not potty broke and I have carpet (mom has tile floors).

So in addition to potty training camp, Missy has been in crate camp. And anyone who knows puppies knows this means lots of yipping and howling. Great mystery: how can a pup that never even barks, bark continuously for over 8 hours and not get a sore throat?

So how does a five pound dog survive on a horse ranch? I put her in the wheelbarrow and hope she is smart enough to stay there (she was).


Missy positioned on top of the morning feed and just noticing all the horses calling me from the fenceline.


Hawk checking out the new on top of the food; Missy ducking that huge nose.


Missy getting worried because she is totally surrounded, even though Echo, Hawk, & Spot are all focused on the hay in front of them. For those looking for Big, he is my ankle velcro and he is directly behind me and the camera.

Potty training and exercise outside (thank goodness the weather was cooperative) has been hard on me. Cannot let this active little trouble maker out of your site! We had just finished business outside when she ran into the house grabbed something and went running back out the door before I could stop her - or see what she had grabbed.

I chased after her, never even getting close in this 'catch-me if you can, keep away' game.


Missy kept her distance as I called, coaxed, screamed, yelled, and still trompped after her.


We went around the house about 50 times, the car about 200. Just as I would get close (note she is posed to run again), she would take off again.


Finally, she got tired and out came the cats little rabbit fur catnip mouse. Slimmey, yuk!
It took almost two hours for this game to end, and no, I did not put it on my exercise tracker.

I learned my lesson. Missy was banned to a leash, no more unplanned games chasing her around the farm.



This is Bigs second ever rider. And I freaked out more about her walking around on his rump than he did (so no pics of that).



Mom called me almost every hour on the hour to see how her dog was. I don't know if this has been harder on her or me (no sleep, cleaning puppy mistakes, etc.) But Mom decided that she isn't too sick to take care of Missy and she has come and picked her up.

Me, I'm still sleeping, shear exhaustion!

Smiles - Debie