1/26/08: "Just a quick update on Honey Bear. I may have already written that Dr. June extended Honey Bear's antibiotics for 3 additional days at a higher dose. She is now doing great.

However, she is still having accidents in the house, but she will eventually understand. This extremely cold weather has not helped one bit. She always DOES go outside, when taken, but then comes in a 1/2 hour later sometimes goes again. I believe that she just does not yet understand that outside is the place and ONLY place to go. I take her out at least once every hour unless she is sound asleep.

She has a great personality and the boys love her very much. I am planning a wonderful very large outside pen with dog doors to the room behind my kitchen and then a doggie door into the kitchen, to be built as soon as the weather and frozen ground allows.

It will be wonderful for the dogs to be able to come and go at will and I will not have to worry about them getting too cold or too hot, etc. Water will always be inside and available and not freeze.

Honey Bear sleeps with Ryan, but it is much too cold for him to take her out, so Mom does it. I am usually up between 2 am and 3 am to stoke the fire. It gets down to 55 in our bedrooms, in the basement and I want it warmed up when the boys get up. The warming trend will help.

My point is that she holds it, usually from bedtime (7:15 pm) until 2 or 3 am, so I am sure it is just not understanding yet that outside is THE place to go potty.

I do not know if I sent these pictures. They are not great, but all I have to date. As soon as the weather gets a little warmer, I will take some of her outside with the boys and send them."

For anyone trying to housetrain their new puppy, here is one of our favorite methods. Winter is the hardest time to housetrain, but never fear -- all puppies will eventually be grown-up dogs, "this too shall pass!" (Preferably outside).

Consistency is the key to housetraining. One well-received training method involves three different types of confinement.

1. When you will be at home, keep the puppy on a leash at your side at all times. Take him outside each hour, to your chosen “bathroom” area, and stay there for 5-10 minutes. If your pup goes, praise him enthusiastically and reward him with a treat. If he doesn’t go, just bring him back inside and keep him on the leash next to you; repeat the process in another hour.

2. When you will be away for short periods (1-2 hours for very young pups, 3-6 hours for older pups), confine the pup to his comfy crate with his favorite cuddly toy and a treat; make the crate a fun place for him, but make sure it isn’t large enough for him to choose one corner as his bathroom! He needs just enough room to stand up, turn around, lie down, and have small food & water dishes available. He will try VERY VERY HARD to not soil his crate if it is his “bedroom” and “kitchen” and doesn’t have room to be the “bathroom” too. Be sure to let the pup outside immediately when you return, and praise him and reward him when he goes (particularly if he tries to make it all the way to the designated spot in the yard).

3. When you must be away for a longer period, it is unrealistic to expect a young pup to “hold it” for 5, 8, or 10 hours. Instead, you must find a place where the pup can be confined to a cleanable area; many people use exercise pens on a bathroom, laundry room, kitchen or garage floor. Inside the pen, place newspapers across most of the floor space; put the puppy’s crate inside the pen, propped open, with a comfort toy and a treat, and put food and water dishes close to the crate; you have now created the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom areas for the pup. As your pup gets better at this, gradually reduce the amount of floor that is covered in newspaper… your pup will eventually become so good at going only on the paper, that you can leave just one width of newspaper down and the pup will go there every time. (NOTE: adult dogs trained in this method can reliably be expected to seek out any newspaper they can find if they are left at home alone for a little too long; this can save your slippers in the long run).

If this method doesn’t work for you, there are many websites and books dedicated to different training methods – keep trying until you find one that works for you AND your new companion!

1/16/08 -"Honey Bear's infection where her hernia repair was is getting better. The lump is still there but it is not very red anymore, so I am sure she is healing.

There are times when her breathing sounds a little coarse, but not all the time. I had a puppy that had pneumonia one time, so I always watch for that if I hear breathing that doesn't sound quite right. However, she plays well, so I am sure it is nothing.

I will be taking her to visit Dr June Friday. I am picking up dog food then and told her I would bring Honey Bear. If she sees a problem, she will examine her for me. Otherwise, she will examine her with her next shots.

With Laddie, he was evidently raised outside. We got him from a moving neighbor right after we moved here and he was about 3 or 4 months old. He did not potty in the house. However, Honey Bear has had quite a few accidents, even though I take her out often, but it is obvious that she is now starting to understand "do your chores" and "do your duty". Those are the commands I used as a 12 year old training a smooth hair collie as a Companion dog for the blind. We had our dogs 2 years and took them through obedience and confirmation and got their "legs". At least that is what it was called then. So, I remember a lot from that and those commands have always stuck with me.

Of course, being in the snow that is as tall as she is has made it rather difficult, but she is starting to learn to plow through when necessary, but is also learning to follow the paths that Laddie makes.

She is so precious. She sleeps with Ryan (had his 9th birthday yesterday) and does sleep through the night. Of course, I get up at 3:45 am, so that helps with the "sleeps through the night" ...lol

She loves to play with Laddie. He gets a little rough, but I have scolded him and he has been much more gentle. Chewy seems a little "bent out of shape". I think he thought that Honey Bear was replacing him, but he started eating again today, so I think he knows he is still loved. I have been petting him while reading so that has made him feel better. I will try to get some pictures for you soon."