st bernard puppy growth Archives - simple.green.organic.happy.

Dogs are miracles with paws.
Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

I missed the last puppy update; we did weigh her but the weather was uncooperative for photos and has been nothing but a wet and woolly rollercoaster ride since.

I am in the midst of crate-training; housebreaking seemed to be going really well until we went to the beach for a weekend. She had exactly ZERO accidents at the beach house, but then several yesterday before I’d even got out of bed (my morning to sleep in). Regression? Or just the fact that I read her cues better than the rest of the family?

Not sure, but I hope we’re back on track soon. I have to take Maverick for a physical later this week, meaning I’m going to have to leave her on her own for several hours for the first time. I’m nervous.

Here’s the growth update, and it’s ZOMG-worthy. I actually made Jacob bring me the scale so I could double-check.

July 9th, 8 weeks old. Welcomed 12 pound puppy into our home.
July 23, 10 weeks old. 15 pounds. Weight increase, +25%
August 6th, 12 weeks old. 20 pounds. +33%
August 19th, 14 weeks old. 25 pounds. +25%
September 3rd, 16 weeks old. 38 pounds. +52%

FIFTY. TWO. PERCENT. INCREASE over the last two weeks.

Hey, remember this little sweet thing from 8 short weeks ago?

Yeah. She looks like this now.

She’s still playful, which is nice, but her behavior is improving as she grows, which is a tremendous relief. I was a little panicky about having a full-size, gangly adolescent Saint Bernard tearing about with all the toothy exuberance of a puppy.

(I still need to buy her a Saint Bernard sized bed, she has already outgrown Jimmy’s, who has taken to sleeping in Cassidy’s room. Between that and vet visits and another round of replacement Nylabones and rope toys, it’s going to be an expensive month for puppy mommy.)

I can see the gentle giant emerging. But I’ll be honest: she’s got a bit of the devil in her.

Still cute. And she loves me best… so smart, too.

I like dogs
Big dogs
Little dogs
Fat dogs
Doggy dogs
Old dogs
Puppy dogs
I like dogs
A dog that is barking over the hill
A dog that is dreaming very still
A dog that is running wherever he will
I like dogs.

— Margaret Wise Brown,
The Friendly Book

We’ve now been proud puppy owners for four weeks and have waged full-out war on fleas, dealt with a urinary tract infection, and despair of ever housetraining successfully.

I know it can be done— if I managed to potty train the most stubborn kids on earth I can housetrain a puppy— but the urinary tract infection had her going every five minutes and on top of work and the heat and summertime kid bickering and middle-of-the-night walks I’ve been really, really close to the breaking point.

So please, in the name of everything holy I’m taking advice on housetraining puppies.

Please and thank you.

Puppy update, week 12:

That’s right folks, we’ve had another 25% weight increase over the past two weeks. At this rate Karma’ll weigh more than my car before you know it.

She’s also nearly as big as The Dogness, who was twice her size when we got her. It’s like she’s got telescopic legs.

But it’s hard to complain, too much.

She’s still pretty darn cute.

Saint Bernard Puppy Update: Super Size Me

Saint Bernard Puppy Update: Karma, Week 12

Puppy update, week 12: