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I admit I was a little worried that getting neutered would change Leo's personality a bit. I wasn't too worried about Bella since I had been through the same thing with Max and I didn't remember seeing a change. But I had heard from a variety of peeps that Leo would be much calmer, etc.

THEY WERE WRONG!

Last night I was sitting on the floor with Leo (this was just a couple of hours after picking them up from the vet) and he looked at me, licked me on the cheek with lots of dog spit (ewww), jumped on me, then ran around the room full speed about 5 times. I know they are supposed to take it easy, not jump or play, etc. The vet said to keep Leo and Bella separated for 5-10 days. Umm, not sure if we can take it that long. Bella is the same lovable, mellow, docile baby girl. Leo is still the monster he always was. I am keeping them apart for the most part...they do need to rest and recover even though they want to run run run.

Right now they are sleeping soundly in their new beds.

Home Recovering

The vet says everything went well with their operations. Bella seemed to be unaffected and was happy to see us, although she was moving a little slow. Leo's back legs were shaking and he drooled so much that his chest and front legs were literally soaked. Poor Bubba! Bella hopped into bed and rolled to her side so I was able to get a good picture. Leo wasn't nearly as accommodating so we'll just leave Bubba alone for a while.

Leo resting.



















Bella resting.

Today is THE DAY

We dropped off the bubbas this morning for their appointments. We can call around 2:30 to see if they are ready to be picked up. Poor bubbas!

The Dogs are Legit: Sheriff Leo and Deputy Bella

The dogs got licensed with the City today and they each got a nifty frisbee as a prize. The other option was a ball for each of them but Leo doesn't really share the balls so we opted for the frisbees. The City also gave us a voucher for $40 (regularly $30) for each dog to help defray the costs of spay/neutering. I had no idea but February is spay/neuter month, which is why we get an extra $10 per dog. Score! The licensing was quick and painless and gal at the counter was very nice. Each dog got a little silver star with their number on it. I am sure Leo will pretend he's the Sheriff with his little star. He sure acts like it around here. Sheriff Leo and Deputy Bella. It really should be Sheriff Bella since Bella is the one who takes charge when they think an intruder is on the property. Bella will run to the gate to see what's up while Leo hangs back and peeks around the corner. We pretend that we don't see him do that. Let him be in denial, he's losing his little balls in a couple days, poor Bubba!

Their appointments are next Wednesday. I'll post pictures :)

Leo and Bella Update - They are almost 6 months old

Next week, Leo and Bella will be 6 months old. The week after that, they get fixed. They are growing like weeds and are very happy and healthy. They run run run all day long and take three small naps a day. They always come when we whistle, but not always when we call their name. Gabe is spending lots of time teaching them the right way to play ball. Bella runs after it, then runs back, but without the ball. Leo gets it, brings it back, then plays dodge with Gabe until Gabe can grab it from his mouth. I knew Leo was improving when I heard Gabe say, "Oh, good boy, Leo, good boy!!"

Here are some new pics =)

What does Leo look like?

Poor dog, with all this teasing, he's going to get a complex. So, what does he look like to you?

A. A little intoxicated.
B. Worried about his squeaky ball.
C. A Star Wars Imperial Walker AT-AT.
D. Ready for take off.


















Answer:

C. A Star Wars Imperial Walker AT-AT .

Leo and Bella - 5 Months (ish)

So it's January 13, 2009, and it's not really supposed to be this warm. It's about 72 degrees here and it's a beautiful day. Leo and Bella really love to bask in the sun. Here is a pic of them sun-bathing today.

Fun with New Photoshop!

I bought Photoshop and while I was reacquainting myself with it, I got a little out of control.

Happy New Year!

The puppies are growing so fast! They are done with their vaccinations and rabies shots. That means they are ready for puppy classes! My camera takes video and we are in the process of trying to convert those so we can post the video here. They're pretty funny. In six weeks or so, we will be taking them to get spayed and neutered. We are hoping that Leo will calm down cause he's outta control! Just look! That's Gabe's shoe!


















P.S. Bella is such a princess and is so sleepy all the time. She must be held and rocked like a baby at least twice a day....by Gabe...and he does it. Sucker!



































And one more pic of them sleeping.

Puppies First Snow

Scary Bella (4m 1d)

My friend, Jamie, stopped by today and quickly took a liking to Bella. Here is a picture of Bella especially for Jamie :)




And here is the pic edited without the glowing eyes!

Fun in the Yard (4 Months Old!)

They are seriously having so much fun in their yard. They tear through the property like the wind and love to hide from each other and then pounce. I love it that they are getting to know their surroundings and loving this huge open space. They stalk each other about every 5 minutes. They spy one another across the property or even 5 feet away and both STOP dead in their tracks and one or both crouch down as low as possible then are still like statues. Leo is the one who usually breaks the spell and starts running to her. That always makes me laugh cause he's pudgy and not very, well, stealthy.

Here are some more pics. I got a new Nikon the other day and am bound and determined to use it to its full potential. I am reading the book a little bit each night and learning all these cool things about photography. There are some really great shots and a couple of funky ones.

Stalking from about 5 feet away:

Sweet Bella:


Snarling Bella:


Sleeping Angels:





King Leonidas

Okokokokook, one more. Very blurry but this is typical for them: Bella seeking what little refuge there is to be had under the chair and Leo bugging her with a toy (that he's not going to give her).

Thanksgiving Weekend

A family friend built a fence that spans the back 40 for the dogs. They are still being supervised when playing back there but they are having so much fun. Here are some recent photos:

Bubba

Don't worry, Leo. Bella will protect you.

The puppies usually see something new everyday: A new person, car, bug, cat, squirrel. Usually they just tilt their head to one side or trot over and examine it. This morning, our bug-guy, Robert, came to spray. He had on sunglasses, a hat, gloves, and a pack on his back carrying the bug spray. His uniform reminded me of what Bill Murray wore in Ghostbusters.

The dogs sleep in the little sun room, which has big, glass doors leading out to the pool and a fabulous view of the back property. Bella saw Robert spraying and she immediately ran to the door and started barking. Leo ran up to see what the commotion was all about and when he spotted Robert, his perked-up ears dropped down and he fast-trotted to the back of the room behind the chair. When he saw that Bella was standing her ground, he went back up to the door to stand next to Bella and attempted to bark a couple barks. He barked twice then ran back to the chair.

After it was all over, Bella walked to Leo and licked him on the face (or maybe she nipped him - don't know). Then Leo tackled Bella and sat on her head for about five seconds.

Nap Time

Soooo Cute! (13w4d)

So today was their first real day being in their yard (sort of) unsupervised. We have two windows overlooking their yard so we opened the window and were able to see and hear them. They had a couple of little scuffles that they settled themselves but other than that, they were great. Bella is going to dig to China one day and Leo splashes all of the water out of their water pot with his big paw. I think me and Gabe are going to get them a kiddie pool. They are both loving the water pot and when I turn the hose on to fill up their pot, it's a big deal.

That cuteness is nothing compared to what I saw when they laid down to take naps, though. They huddled close together and their heads were butted up against each other. It was unbelievably sweet. Then Bella heard us giggling and whispering at the window (Come look! Where's the camera?!!!) and she got up. Leo was still passed out. We hid so Bella wouldn't see us anymore then she went and laid down next to Leo and rested her head on top of his neck.

They loves each other. They are going to be great pals.













After the entire afternoon in their yard, we brought them in so they could get good rest.

Sweet Pics of Leo and Bella

Figuring out who will end up being the dominant one...

Bella has been here for a little more than 24 hours. It feels like Leo thought he was going to be able to push her around and be the dominant one of the two, but Bella is giving him a run for his money. We had never seen Leo bare his teeth before yesterday and today, he is fully baring his teeth at Bella. Bella taught him that. She has been baring her teeth at him since yesterday. She is adorably sweet to us humans, but kicks Leo's ass every chance she gets. I would post pictures but they didn't stay still long enough for me to get any good shots.

Cousin Sparky!

Our cousin, Jim, just rescued this little gem, Sparky, last Saturday. Jim says she's a sweety and very affectionate. Now Leo and Bella have a playmate in SoCal! Well, maybe Bella - Leo needs a mastiff for a playmate!

Queen Bella (13w 1d)

Andie and I drove to Red Bluff to pick up Bella this afternoon. She is as sweet as can be, very happy, well adjusted and socialized. Bella and Leo's introduction was interesting. They did the obligatory sniffing and circling, then their behavior progressed to playing, followed by a bout of snarling and growling. By the time we left and got them outside to a patch of grass, they were playing like puppies should. Andie sat in the back seat with one on either side of her. As the drive progressed, they eventually ended up on the same side of the seat. They played, swatted, and gnawed on each other the whole way home. It was sweet.

Then we got home.

We put them both in the play yard and stayed there with them the whole time. They played HARD, chased each other, bit each other, etc. She is mellow while Leo is a total spaz. Leo just won't give her a break...so she let him know that she wasn't going to be bullied. There were some snarls and bared teeth tossed around, along with tackles and shoulder pushes into the fence. There will be an adjustment period for sure.

Here are some first photos: