Welcome, Hermione and Gawain
About a month after losing Lancelot, Bobby started to look at what options existed for Golden Retrievers in Vermont. We have always had two, and we really believe in having two because they are playmates and companions for each other in a way that we, as humans, cannot be. We did not intend to get a new puppy anytime soon, but much like when we called about Goldens in Maryland and ended up with Guinevere because they'd just had a litter, and she was the last one left, when Bobby found a breeder about an hour away and called, they'd also just had a litter. Since there were only four certified breeders in Vermont, we decided to take the opportunity. This time, we got to choose, which was honestly the most stressful part. I didn't want to choose. All three of our Goldens were the last in their litters to go, and all three were wonderful dogs. Nonetheless, two weeks ago, we went. It was a litter of thirteen, so the room was full of five-week-old puppies scampering around and playing. One crawled into my lap--a little girl with an orange collar--and a little boy with a red collar crawled into Bobby's. So as cliche as it sounds, they picked us. We ended up choosing them both.
Honestly, when we decided to get a new puppy, I was not ready. I actually got quite annoyed when Bobby posted about it on Facespace, and people at work pounced on me about it the next day, and I wasn't ready to think--much less talk--about it. I was also not ready for Guinevere, and I adore her, so I know it will turn out okay, but I would have wanted to be more excited for her babyhood. But puppy pick-out got me really excited. Meeting them made quite the difference. I couldn't stop thinking about them for the two weeks before we went to pick them up.
We brought them home Sunday. They are seven weeks old, the youngest we have ever had a puppy. (Both Alex and Lance were nine weeks old. Guinevere was fifteen weeks old.) We have called them Hermione and Gawain.
There's not a whole lot more to say now about them. I'll just dump a bunch of pictures of them below the cut with some anecdotes that have emerged in their first days with us.
First up are from puppy pick-up two weeks ago, when they were five weeks old.
Gawain:
Hermione:
(I love how, in the second one, it looks like she's telling the world how it is.)
Now from the past few days. First, Gawain. He's the cuddlebug of the two. He prefers to fall asleep touching someone. His top two choices in that regard are 1) laying directly on top of Hermione or 2) my feet. He loves my feet. He will contort himself spectacularly to touch my feet while he sleeps. He's quite a bit larger than Hermione, about 1 lb/.45 kg. He's the crybaby. Hermione drops to sleep in their crate while he cries and cries in increasingly absurd ways, walking back and forth across her. (Puppies amaze me how they can sleep through just about anything.)
The original bitchy resting face:
Hermione is tiny and so cute it's hard to look at her for too long, like looking into a bright light. She's the more playful and independent of the two. She has the better physical prowess. Poor Gawain, on the first day, tried to send it off the ottoman, went ass over tin cup, and hid under the table in shame. Little Hermione managed that same dive later in the day and today launched herself from the backseat onto the center console in my car. (So she got to ride the rest of the way in my lap--mission accomplished!)
The other day, she climbed on top of the couch cushions and ended up falling asleep like this:
And with big sister Guinevere. Guinevere is doing really well with them. She wants to play with them so badly and just can't figure out why they're so small. At one point, Gawain was playing with a rope toy, and Guinevere grabbed the other end and flung Gawain halfway across the room. The other night, Gawain curled up on the floor with Guinevere, and Hermione started prowling around, then decided to see if she could climb up and sleep on Guinevere. A bridge too far! Nonetheless, last night, they were trundling back and forth across her.
With Gawain:
Wondering why Hermione is on top of the couch cushion and what that means for Guinevere ...
Our first meal in our new home. They have separate bowls now because they both eat like hogs and we don't want them to learn to scarf/compete for food.
First walk down River Road. (Well ... "walk" means getting carried in our arms because it was beautiful out and therefore muddy.)
On the couch with Bobby:
Let's end with a family photo. Eat your heart out, Olan Mills!
This post was originally posted on Dreamwidth and, using my Felagundish Elf magic, crossposted to LiveJournal. You can comment here or there!
https://dawn-felagund.dreamwidth.org/445309.html
Honestly, when we decided to get a new puppy, I was not ready. I actually got quite annoyed when Bobby posted about it on Facespace, and people at work pounced on me about it the next day, and I wasn't ready to think--much less talk--about it. I was also not ready for Guinevere, and I adore her, so I know it will turn out okay, but I would have wanted to be more excited for her babyhood. But puppy pick-out got me really excited. Meeting them made quite the difference. I couldn't stop thinking about them for the two weeks before we went to pick them up.
We brought them home Sunday. They are seven weeks old, the youngest we have ever had a puppy. (Both Alex and Lance were nine weeks old. Guinevere was fifteen weeks old.) We have called them Hermione and Gawain.
There's not a whole lot more to say now about them. I'll just dump a bunch of pictures of them below the cut with some anecdotes that have emerged in their first days with us.
First up are from puppy pick-up two weeks ago, when they were five weeks old.
Gawain:
Hermione:
(I love how, in the second one, it looks like she's telling the world how it is.)
Now from the past few days. First, Gawain. He's the cuddlebug of the two. He prefers to fall asleep touching someone. His top two choices in that regard are 1) laying directly on top of Hermione or 2) my feet. He loves my feet. He will contort himself spectacularly to touch my feet while he sleeps. He's quite a bit larger than Hermione, about 1 lb/.45 kg. He's the crybaby. Hermione drops to sleep in their crate while he cries and cries in increasingly absurd ways, walking back and forth across her. (Puppies amaze me how they can sleep through just about anything.)
The original bitchy resting face:
Hermione is tiny and so cute it's hard to look at her for too long, like looking into a bright light. She's the more playful and independent of the two. She has the better physical prowess. Poor Gawain, on the first day, tried to send it off the ottoman, went ass over tin cup, and hid under the table in shame. Little Hermione managed that same dive later in the day and today launched herself from the backseat onto the center console in my car. (So she got to ride the rest of the way in my lap--mission accomplished!)
The other day, she climbed on top of the couch cushions and ended up falling asleep like this:
And with big sister Guinevere. Guinevere is doing really well with them. She wants to play with them so badly and just can't figure out why they're so small. At one point, Gawain was playing with a rope toy, and Guinevere grabbed the other end and flung Gawain halfway across the room. The other night, Gawain curled up on the floor with Guinevere, and Hermione started prowling around, then decided to see if she could climb up and sleep on Guinevere. A bridge too far! Nonetheless, last night, they were trundling back and forth across her.
With Gawain:
Wondering why Hermione is on top of the couch cushion and what that means for Guinevere ...
Our first meal in our new home. They have separate bowls now because they both eat like hogs and we don't want them to learn to scarf/compete for food.
First walk down River Road. (Well ... "walk" means getting carried in our arms because it was beautiful out and therefore muddy.)
On the couch with Bobby:
Let's end with a family photo. Eat your heart out, Olan Mills!
This post was originally posted on Dreamwidth and, using my Felagundish Elf magic, crossposted to LiveJournal. You can comment here or there!
https://dawn-felagund.dreamwidth.org/445309.html