All About Cupcake

We have really enjoyed our time with Cupcake this week. My husband keeps saying that he is going to put an application in for her if she stays much longer. She really is just the cutest thing ever.. but also a very, very active, playful, & feisty little pup. She totally holds her own with the other dogs and absolutely adores her best friend, Cocoa.

Cupcake is a very rambunctious puppy still-- she loves to chase the other dogs (and vice versa!) and can get quite worked up and barking while playing. But she is fully crate trained and easily accepts having a little quiet time in an exercise pen or her crate. She sleeps all night no problems in her crate in our room. She is doing very well on her potty training, but she will have the occasional piddle accident during active playtime with the other dogs if we aren't watching closely enough. However outside she zips right to her spot and pees right away. She often pees several times outside and poops, then comes for praise, then starts her playtime. She doesn't ever soil her crate. She barks at cats but doesn't chase them. In fact, she barks at most unfamiliar things until she verifies they are "ok".

Cupcake will definitely be at Petco (Great Hills Trail) on Saturday from 1-4. We know that several families are coming specifically to meet her, so our days with her are probably numbered. We want people to know that she will need basic obedience training and consistent redirection/reinforcement of her "good girl" behaviors while she gets through her puppy period, but she is a true delight and well worth the hard work.

Welcome, Cupcake!

Popular foster puppy Cupcake arrived at our house on Sunday afternoon while her wonderful previous foster family, the Elders, take some vacation and project time. She was an instant hit with my family. 5-year old Ben thought she was "adorable!", but it was my husband Jason who she had wrapped around her little paw within three minutes. She is truly too cute-- but also very feisty and full of energy! Luckily, she is joining a full house of dogs and cats and people to keep her nice and busy. As the saying goes, "a tired puppy is a good puppy"!

The Elders already had Cupcake fully crate-trained and well on her way with house breaking. Continuing her house breaking work will be her main focus this week, but we are also working on "sit", "go to bed" (crate), "outside", and a few other little commands in addition to good 'ol "potty!". She also needs to work on becoming less mouthy/nippy when she is playing with her family (puppy teeth are so sharp!), but with good supervision and lots of puppy toys we have not had any issues with inappropriate chewing of other household items. She climbs all over us when we sit down-- such a busy, busy girl. But slowly and surely she is learning socially acceptable behavior with people. Woolie, Luci, Cocoa, & Jack are making sure she is learning all about proper canine behavior too. As for the cats... Cupcake seems to think that old Link is her arch nemesis. She will bark and bark at him. But so far, Link has demonstrated extreme disinterest in the mighty little Cupcake's bold show.

Cupcake has had her vaccinations now and will be ready to play with everyone at the Meet & Greet this Saturday. We can't wait!!