Okay, so this has nothing to do with real estate.
But just in case you’re having a case of the Mondays, nothing will cheer you up quite like photos of a cute puppy…
My life is an open book when it comes to this blog, although I rarely dedicate an entire post to something personal.
I think I’ve only delved outside of real estate and business into a full-on personal blog a couple of times. There was the birth of my niece, Charlotte, the engagement to my bride-to-be, Jenna, and then of course the two-week blog series as I trekked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2010.
But there is yet another momentous occasion that I want to share with the world, and that is the addition of “Bella” to our family!
I realize now more than ever that there are just so many “dog people” in the city, and I’ve officially joined the ranks! Since a healthy majority of my readers are likely dog-people I give you the following story…
Jenna has been pestering me for over a year to get a dog, and it’s one of those things you always say, “We will……one day,” because it has no definitive time element! You can keep on promising, without delivering!
But last week, Jenna got ahold of this video, and unbeknownst to me, we had passed the point of no return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVyv0VMNnLM&list=UL
Sorry I can’t embed the actual video – it’s disabled by the dog breeder. But please – have a look! The crazy dog in the purple shirt – the one that’s hyper and can’t sit still – that’s the one Jenna wanted. And that’s the one we got…
Last weekend, Jenna told me, “Jackie and I are going to this dog breeder’s house to look at dogs!”
I thought, “What’s the harm? They’re just going to look.”
Then a buddy told me, “Dude! You’re letting your woman go look at dogs? Nobody LOOKS at dogs! They BUY dogs after LOOKING! Nobody walks in there and successfully walks out without a dog. It’s like trying to stare at the sun! It just can’t successfully be done, no matter how hard you try!”
I hadn’t thought of this. How naive of me!
Sure enough, the phone rang about two hours after Jenna and her cousin trekked up to Brampton to “look” at dogs, and I knew as soon as I picked up the phone that my life was about to change.
“Noooo…..listen….you have understand….” said Jenna. “I really connected with this one dog!”
Sure you connected! You’re in a room full of puppies who have been running around banging into the walls for six weeks, and in comes a person – they’re going to love you!
I emailed my brother and said, “Hey man, I think we might be getting a dog. And it’s one of those stupid ‘hand-dogs’ that are like four pounds. On a scale of one to ten, how much are you going to ridicule me?”
You can probably imagine his response.
“Get a hamster,” I was told by another buddy.
But at the end of the day, all sarcasm aside, my brother offered the best advice: “Dave, your job in life is to make your wife happy. That’s it; it’s that simple. This can be the easiest thing in the world, or the hardest thing in the world. But you have to make her happy.”
Well said.
And therefore, now we own a dog!
I knew that I was officially “less of a man” when I agreed to become the proud owner of a “tiny toy dog,” but I had just no clue how much manliness I was about to lose.
Take a look:
In the past two days, I have talked baby-talk to this little thing about a hundred times. Who knew I had it in me?
I’ve been referring to myself as “Daddy.” Gee-whiz…
I never imagined I’d get face-to-face with the little girl and say, “Did you make a poopie? Gooood girl!”
Geez. I remember when I used to bench press 275 pounds and drink beer. What happened to those days?
I handed in my man-card as soon as Bella came through the door.
But that’s alright.
I think deep down inside, most guys are just big softies, and this dog has completely exposed me for who I really am. I mean, who really enjoyed all the chest-pounding, double-beer-fisting, and fight-picking back in university? I’d much rather cuddle with this little beaut:
Since we moved into the condo 14 months ago, we’ve found little use for the second bedroom.
Let that be a lesson to all you condo buyers who consider a 2nd bedroom as a “must.”
We bought a couch, a 42-inch Samsung TV, and we’ve never used it. Not once.
So, we figured we may as well let our pup spread out basically take on the entire room as her own.
The night before we picked her up, we were like two would-be-parents, baby-proofing their nursery:
Honestly guys, I think I said “boo boo” and “buzzie wuzzie” about a thousand times this weekend.
What happened to me?
I used to be such a man! I used to fight in karate tournaments!!! Aaagggh!
As I write this at 12:31am on Sunday/Monday, Bella is in the pen you see above, crying from about 30-feet away.
It’s so difficult for me to not go in there and comfort her, but I’m told by everybody I know that you have to simply “tough it out.”
It’s a chess game of human emotions.
You’d have to be inhuman to not let the cries affect you. And right now, I swear I could cry myself…
My friends/family tell me that this is good “training for a baby.” The comparison of a canine to a human are silly, but you can’t deny that there are a lot of similarities.
Of course, some of my other friends/family are joking that, “you’re not ready for a baby, so you got a dog.”
What – am I the first?
A baby, eh?
This afternoon, I watched my dog eat her own poop in complete shock and awe.
I think a baby can wait.
And to answer your question: no, this will not become “Toronto Baby Blog” when that time comes.
To all you dog lovers out there – I need some tips. Don’t be shy.
I’m all ears. And thanks in advance…
Hayley
at 7:22 am
Congratulations! What a doll. Tip: get a crate. Your pup will be much happier in there than in the giant pen (I know it sounds wrong but dogs are den animals and they are comforted by the close quarters). Crate her whenever she is alone so she doesn’t learn how much fun it is to destroy your stuff when you’re not around. And don’t let her get away with mischief just because she’s little and cute, treat her like she’s 100 lbs and expect her to behave appropriately (mostly: if she acts aggressively DO NOT pick her up or otherwise reward or comfort her, that can easily make a little dog into a jerk). And most importantly, give her a big snuggle for me!
moonbeam!
at 7:48 am
Sounds like good advice from Hayley…
Jonnatha Bravo
at 8:59 am
Take your lovely little beast to puppy training classes.
They are called, “Mother Know’s Best”.
It cost $120 for 6 classes (1 a week)and your dog will learn so much. They cover everything from commands to behaviour. I went to the classes at Bathurst and College inside the United Church. The lady who runs the classes holds them all over downtown. You are a busy man so if you cannot attend at least your fiance can. Trust me, this is a great investment in your dog and your ROI will pay dividends for years to come (thought you would like the $$$ talk to put it in perspective).
One last thing, make the fencing smaller or else you will fine yourself ppicking up landmines of poo when you come home. The smaller the area a puppy has the less likely they are to poo all over the place. I learned this lesson the hard way. A small crate enclosed inside a samll fenced area will teach your dog to not poo where they sleep.
Good luck on your baby training journey!
George
at 10:07 am
Tips from the select few bad dog owners in my building:
1. Take your dog for play time in the hallway of your condo building. Make sure she has a squeaky toy or two so she can make as much noise as possible in that hallway.
2. Don’t even think of agreeing to take her for a walk outside until you hear at least 50 barks first. That way all of your neighbours will know your dog’s excretory schedule, and your dog will know to bark as frequently as possible whenever she wants something.
3. And finally, if she goes to the bathroom in the staircase or hallway of your building, just let the mess sit there and don’t tell maintenance about it because your neighbours will be more than happy to do so on your behalf.
Blog Stalker
at 2:11 pm
FINALLY! I know what kind of underware David fleming wears!!
Andrew
at 2:55 pm
Crate training is the way to go. I just got a dog in March and the best thing I did was crate training. It should have blankets, water bowl, toys and pee pad section so she knows where to pee/poop. Also put her in a crate and leave the house for intervals. First leave for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes and so forth. When you come back give her a treat, this way she will know that she was a good girl. At night move the crate to your room and make sure she sleeps in it. Also if she is food motivated make sure everytime you leave the house and put her in the crate give her a treat so she starts to think that the crate is a good thing.
Also i would suggest to feed her in her crate. Get her food bowl put in the amount of food you prefer and close the crate. You want her to know that the crate is her safe haven. Dogs respond so much better to positive affirmation.
With any dog, lots of love, fun and walks, and you should have a happy dog. They are the best little creatures out there and in a few months you will wonder why you didn’t get one sooner. Best of luck and congrats.
Catherine
at 3:27 pm
Really, really wish you’d adopted a dog. There are thousands of dogs being put down because of no homes. Many dogs that look they came from a good breeder are actually just fronting puppy mills.
http://www.kismutt.com
literally thousands of dogs need homes:
http://www.petfinder.com
I’m very disappointed you felt the need for a designer dog.
David Fleming
at 10:15 pm
@ Catherine
I had a good laugh at your comment.
You can kiss my ass.
Love, David & Jenna!
Catherine
at 11:09 pm
Nice comeback. I faithfully read your blog every single day, this topic is just near and dear to me, same as you have yours. My comment wasn’t coming from a mean place. Like the other commenter I also volunteer with an animal shelter, I just find it sad to see so many pups so similar to yours needing homes. There are lots of purebreds and designer mixes in shelters too. Also your breeder sounds like a puppy mill (google minipups.ca and puppy mill), did you even look into what makes a good breeder??(Not churning out puppies, concentrating on one breed to better it etc). Your pups mom and dad may be living in hell. And this is the only comment I should have ever written: Enjoy your puppy, having a dog makes coming home the best thing ever!
dave
at 9:29 am
Catherine, I’m with David on this one. Your comment was inappropriate. What effect or result were you intending?
If you wished to merely educate other readers, you could have done so without casting aspersions on David’s puppy/etc. I don’t doubt your sincere concern for animals, but that doesn’t justify nor excuse insensitivity nor abuse towards people (especially someone whose blog you read every day).
my 2 cents
Get A Life
at 3:45 pm
Catherine, do you have kids of your own? If so, then Im really disappointed that you felt the need for designer children when there are so many orphans in Africa would need parents to look after them. Its so selfish to bring a child into this world when you can adopt.
Trevor
at 5:33 pm
Wow David I love that you don’t feel the need to hold back!!!! I would have wanted to say the same thing, but it’s so hard to do as you might be telling off a future client! But I love that you call it how you see it! Oh and to the last person’s point, how very nice that this lady can pick and choose her spots, ie. she probably drives a gas-guzzling SUV to the shelter to rescue dogs instead of riding a bike, eats out at fancy restaurants instead of eating tins from food drives, wears clothing she did NOT buy at Goodwill, etc. Keep up the nice work and please don’t ever lose the attitude!!!!
bubba
at 6:00 pm
Holy crap y’all, give the commenter a break! She regretted her choice of words and had the balls to admit it, and try to explain why she said what she did–even after being told off–and your response is to continue to bash her? How many of you haven’t said something out of frustration that you wish you could take back? For god’s sake, have some mercy.
David Fleming
at 9:16 pm
@ bubba
You’re right – she followed up and was quite kind. I come off looking like the jerk! 🙂
bubba
at 4:08 pm
Real men love animals, be proud! Someone’s going to be in the market for a place with a backyard soon!
Anyone looking to adopt a loving pet, purebred or not, old or young, please check out your local shelter or animal rescue. Don’t breed or buy while homeless die. Sorry to be a downer, but I work in animal rescue and see cuties like this puppy everyday who don’t make it out alive, so I just have to say something for them. Save a life, adopt from your local shelter or rescue.
Lynne MacMilla
at 6:09 pm
Congratulations David and Jenna!! Little Bella is a sweetheart!!
JG
at 10:21 pm
Hmmmmm …… this all seems vaguely familiar.
Million Dollar listing maybe? Our very own ‘Josh’ in the Toronto market??
Please refrain from a Bieber cut. lol
i kid. i kid.
Congrats on the baby trainer.
Ps, sorry for being a little late to the comment section. It definitely needed some levity.
David Fleming
at 12:45 pm
@ JG
hahaha thank god you didn’t compare me to Chad!
Chad and his girlfriend had joint custody of their dog, “Stella.”
God, I can’t believe I know that much about Million Dollar Listing, but it’s my guilty pleasure…
Busyshrew
at 10:46 pm
Congratulations on your new sweetheart!!! I loved this post and my husband did too.
I second all the recommendations to crate train – soooo worth it.
I would add, take the time to (gently), play with your puppy’s ears, its mouth and teeth, and paws. Get the puppy used to being handled in these places because it makes grooming a million times easier, and for the dog’s own health and safety, there may be occasions where you will want to examine her in these spots. Too many owners skip this stage and wind up with dogs that won’t let their nails be clipped, their ears get cleaned or their teeth brushed.
PS – watch the Dog Whisperer. Now that you have a dog, you’ll really love it!
Punkie
at 3:37 am
Super cute pup. I’m sure it’s all grown up now. I lost my beloved Yorkie in an accident a couple of months ago and I’m still heartbroken over it. Enjoy every minute you have with your little one.
Having said that, I’m pretty sure that minupups.ca is a puppy broker that buys from puppy mills and resells the pups. They’re adorable, but their parents are likely living a half life in horrible conditions having never seen grass or the sky. My Yorkie had come from a puppy mill as well, because I didn’t know enough at the time to differentiate between a reputable breeder and a puppy mill that abuses dogs for financial gain. So since then I have educated myself on the subject and if I ever have it in me to adopt another little companion, I will do whatever it takes to go to a reputable breeder who will probably ask me more questions than I will ask them.
Anyway, I just only wanted to warn people who are considering getting a puppy. Please do your research. Don’t support puppy mills. You can’t imagine the conditions under which dogs are forced to live and breed for the profit of these heartless people.
That is all 🙂
John
at 7:11 am
Hey, how’s your puppy doing? Run into any issues at all?
Giuliana
at 9:23 am
Hey! Just wondering how your pup is doing now? Happy? Healthy? I’m thinking of getting a pup from the same breeder you did. Just wanted to know if you recommend or not?
Ashley
at 5:08 pm
I’m wondering the same thing. I’ve been looking at purchasing a puppy from them as well.