52 Weeks of Photo Fun- Week One!

Here's my entry for Week one of Madison's 52 weeks Photo thread in Plus Fun!
This week's theme for Mini and I was: Enjoying the Spring Sun!

** This is my first photo Contest!! **

My First Walk

Yesterday I went on my first walk.
We walked down to the school on Mini's favorite walk. Mini showed me all the best things to do when walking on a leash. Things like, chasing a crow, walking in front all the time and smelling every pole. She's a real great sisfur, she makes sure I know all the best things.
I actually didn't do all the stuff Mini does though, I walked right next to Momma the whole time. I did sniff two poles but Momma said that was Ok because I listened to her when she said, "c'mon Kiki". One thing I have to learn is how to step off the sidewalk. I get a little leery of that and instead of taking a step I do a BIG, super doxie, leap onto the ground!
At then end of our walk, when we got home, Momma told me a secret and I always keep secrets. Momma told me, "Kiki, you walk even better than Mini. Maybe you can teach her a thing or two." Wow!! I'm not going to tell Mini, I don't want to hurt her feelings. Hopefully I can just lead by example and Mini will catch on.
I like walks.

What a difference a few weeks can make.

What a difference a few weeks can make. It's official, I am a dog. I chewed a shoe.

Several weeks ago when we got Kiki she was a frozen statue. She didnt wanna walk, run, cuddle or take her cautious eyes off us. She didnt play with Mini or toys, she cowered and ran at our approach and mostly slept. Now, it's a different story. Kiki chewed my best work shoes last night while the girls were alone, no rips in the leather just tenderised with teeth marks. I get home from a girls night and what do I find two dogs sitting in the living room surrounded by their dog beds sprawled upside down, blankets thrown accross the floor, my slippers in the mix of toys everywhere, little bits of fluff sprinkling the rug and a tiny "accident" in the corner. Could I be mad, no I couldnt. I have had 2 dogs for weeks but one of them didnt know it. Sure Kiki's got a long way to go, but at least we're in the "puppy phase" now. At least we see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel.
Kiki runs outside, plays with toys, rips them up and she even gets excited when I get home! Sometimes she is so happy she zoomies around the living room or backyard and does it with her head raised in the air. She's proud to have a home.
Is she cured, no. Kiki still has a lot of training but I am just so overjoied that she is able to act like a dog now. Way to go Kikster!

One small step for Kiki, one big step for our family!

Adopt 2010 Contest

Hi my name's Kiki. I have a new home now with a cozy bed that's all mine, a couch with a blankie, a bowl of food that's all mine, a Momma, Daddy and sisfur that are all mine now. I have a home, but I didnt always have one.
I came a long way to be with my family. I used to live in a place with no bed, no food bowls, no blankies and no Momma or Daddy. Nothing was mine, not even my own body. I am from a Puppy Mill. I became useless at only 4 years of age, and by some miracle I was dropped off at a shelter with 20 other pups, instead of being killed. That's where I began the journey to my home. My Momma and Daddy didnt even know their future baby was being nursed back to health accross the world and I didnt know I was worth being someone's baby.
After a long flight from Taiwan, in early April 2010, I came to Canada. Still sporting patches of skin on my body with no fur, no fur on my ears, an ear infection, de-barked and full of fear. Two foster homes and three weeks later, on a sunny Sunday, I came to my forever home. I met my Momma, my Daddy and my sisfur. I walked on grass, I winced in the sunlight, I was warmed in a hug. I was home.
Now I am sleeping with my Momma on the couch, my sisfur six inches from me and Daddy watching over. I still have evidence of my past in my bald patches, my ears, my big paws, my timid personality and my nightmares. Momma and Daddy know it may be a lifelong challenge to make me feel 100% comfortable and safe; to make me feel like the dog I am. Looking into scared brown eyes, seeing my shivering black fur, hearing the dry sound of a de-barked dog bark will always sadden my parents. Yet seeing me play with a sock, bounce around my sisfur, tilt my head at Momma's voice and snuggle under Daddy's arm makes my parents remember I am an innoscent baby. One of a kind. Rescuing me wasn't only beneficial for me but richens their lives in so many ways. Someone hurt me and that's not Ok, but we are strong and we can beat the odds. I already have.
What does adoption mean to me? It means the difference between life and death. ♥

Mothers Day Top 10 Contest

My pal Bo made this cool contest in Plus Fun where we all have to list the top 10 reasons we love our Mom's!

Top 10 Reasons I love my Momma:

1. She saved me

2. She gives me a warm lap to sleep on

3. She saved me

4. She gives me food everyday

5. She saved me

6. She gave me a name tag and a name

7. She saved me

8. She gave me a home and a future

9. She saved me

10. She gave me a lucky dog's life


*** Bonus Reason: She thinks snoring is cute.

Log of Kiki's progress.

Just wanted to keep a little log of Kiki's progress. It's nice for me to remember all the great advise I get and also in the future I can look back and see how far we've come. ♥ Below are some posts from a thread I made in the Informational Forum.
Informational Question

Hi there!
I was wondering if anyone had advise for me on 2 topics:
Puppy Mill Adoption- We adopted Kiki who came 3 weeks ago from a Puppy Mill in Taiwan. She was locked in a cage her whole life with barely enough room to move and just continually had litters of pups.
Now she's with us, she's loving but she's understandaby a little nervous. I was looking for any advise on her to now teach her to "Go outside", "Come" and teach her how to play?
She honestly does not know what a dog toy is or how to play with Mini. I know she'll slowly learn and the videos on her petfinder page showed her playing a little so I know I'll have to be patient.
Also Mini's never lived with another dog before and I think she might be a little jealous/confused? She growled once at Kiki and she wouldnt sleep on the couch once she learned Kiki was there. She really liked her when Kiki visited, but Mini's really put off that she doesnt know how to play. Mini loves playing. Just give it time?
We let Mini sleep in the bed with us while Kiki was in the doggy bed in the bedroom. We want Mini to know there's no favortism but eventually Kiki will be in the bed too.
Let the advise fly!

♥ Mini doesnt wanna lose being Top Dog, and I think even Kiki knows that. She respects Mini and really watches her sometimes. She knows Mini was here first. Every night I have been playing with Mini, rotating toys, and I will let Kiki smell the toys, I put them in her bed and she really likes that. She loves the soft fabric toys, she just loves fabric. We have a towel in her bed and she loves that. I think it's a great time for me to spend with Mini when just me and her play but also I know Kiki's watching and learning.
Mini's also got our bed to herself still, Kiki stays on the floor in her bed. We have been really good at balancing the attention.
Kiki's really following me around more and I love that, she's almost coming when we say "come" She comes all the way then gets scared and sometimes turns back when you go to pick her up. She's still much more nervous of Daddy. We have talked with Saige and Bailey's Mom and both think either the Mill was run by a man or the pups/cages got hosed down by one which created the fear. Daddy's the one that now feeds Kiki, gives her treats and takes her potty (most of the time), to make sure she gets used to him. Also they've napped together a few times which isnt only great for their relationship and gives me time with Mini but they're so darn cute sleeping together!!
I'll keep everyone updated with Kiki's progress. One thing we did was bath her, (has to be every 3 days because of her skin condition), and she's SO EASY to bath!! HAHAHA, maybe Mini will learn from her!

Thanks again pals!

♥ Actually Hounds that's great advise!! We took Mini and Kiki for a car ride together a couple times and it's really wonderful bonding. At first I heald Kiki, then thought what am I doing.. They are great in the backseat together! Thanks for the tip, now I realize how important that is, I'll keep up the car rides!
Any tips on how we can work on "Come", other than giving it time and building trust. We were going to try having her on a leash, (another concept which totally confuses her!), then say "Come" and give the leash a little tug to us. What do you think? She's almost there, gets about 6 inches from us and then sometimes lets us pick her up, sometimes gets scared and backs away again. Should we just keep working with her in trust and eventually she'll get it, she seems eager to learn.
Thanks again everyone!! ♥

♥ I am going to try the leash/treat thing, although I dont want to rely too much on treats. We never treat trained Mini but Kiki also needs to gain weight so the treats might just be best for her. I had her on a leash this weekend and she didnt like walking on it much but she wasn't scared, just unresponsive. I learned though that I now have a second shadow. BOL! Kiki follows me everywhere, she doesnt leave my side. I wont lie, I love it.

Announcement!

MINI AND KIKI PLAYED TODAY!!
They really did!! Kiki started it! She was playing with a toy, (actually a little dog hat that goes with Mini's ladybug costume.. somehow it was in with Mini's toys), she was trying to rip it up and I threw it a little for her and she would pounce it. Then after a while she came running goofily at Mini and started bouncing and playing!!
Mini was in a funny state of shock at first then I said, get 'er Mini, go get Kiki! Mini went off playing with her! It was adorable!! I cant wait to see this continue
Thanks everyone for all the advise and comments so far! ♥