MARREN: Adventures in Lucy land

Columns

Related Photos

September 5, 2009

By Tim Marren<br><a href="mailto:tim.marren@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Tim</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sat Sep 05, 2009, 09:42 PM EDT

LOCKPORT — It’s been a while — and many puppy bites with those dagger-like teeth — since I’ve updated readers on our chocolate lab, Lucy.

I’ve had a bunch of requests from readers, all wondering how the little girl is doing. She’s doing fine, but she’s keeping Katie and I busy as can be. She has brought us to our knees a few times, both figuratively and literally — mainly to clean up messes.

She’s now up to 22 pounds and just over 4 months old. Aside from an ear infection, which is common for labs, especially in a wet summer like this, she’s healthy as can be.

As is the case with puppies, her baby teeth are falling out (thank God) and new ones are all ready moving in.

She’s running the normal course of puppy life.

Here are some highlights from the last few weeks or so:

DOGGIE PADDLE: It’s too cold now to swim, but just a few weeks ago on that weekend we called “summer,” Lucy took to the in-law’s pool like Michael Phelps. It was amazing to see. The only time she had come in contact with water was her bowl and a quick bath if she had an accident in her crate. But when she saw the pool, she took two steps in and was swimming from person to person. It’s good to know that if we ever go on vacation and bring the dog, she’s a swimmer!

SIT 101: Lucy started school earlier than the neighborhood kids. Lucy has had two of her Monday night obedience classes so far at Oh My Dog Daycare in North Tonawanda. The facility, equipped with a daycare area, training area and doggie spa, is fantastic. Lucy loves it. She’s friends with a couple classmates and loves sneaking a kiss or nose rub between each lesson with whatever dog is next to her. She’s pretty good with sit, watch me and stay. We need to work on longer stays, leave it and down. No class tomorrow, so we have an extra week to bone up.

No pun intended.

FOUR-LEGGED VACUUM: We’re at the point where we’re spelling W-A-L-K because Lucy gets so excited when we ask her if she wants to go for a walk. We go first thing in the morning and a little after dinner. She no longer eats her leash or resists walking — she absolutely loves it. It’s an adventure for her. New smells, new people, new places to poop. It has to be her favorite part of the day, after eating and sleeping, of course.

On walks we rename Lucy. Her name is Hoover as she sucks up every rock, stick, rabbit poop and leaf. Left, right, forward, right, back, left, forward — she’s sucking it all up and pulling us along the way. We’re constantly pulling on the leash or screaming “leave it” as she tries to devour everything on the sidewalk.

She has her directions down, because we could go a mile south and as soon as we turn around to go home, she clutches a piece of her leash in her mouth and “pulls” us most of the way home, no matter if it’s a new route or an old route.

I can’t believe what a star she is around town. Every day and night people stop to pet her. Drivers smile and point as they drive by. Kids scream in excitement when she comes down the block. Several blocks away, people know her name from meeting her before. People I run into around town ask if I was the one walking the puppy with the pink collar. Her fan club is strong. It’s funny and cute now, but it will be sad when she’s older and “just another dog” to those people who fawned over her as a puppy. Everyone loves a puppy.

For as long as she’s with us, she’ll never be just another dog to us.

Tim Marren is the managing editor of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Contact him at Tim.Marren@lockportjournal.com or 439-9222.

Text Only

Columns

LEFFLER: The things that actually matter
To hear some people tell it, this great republic of ours is on the brink of disintegration.

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
Your friends are great ... at Facebook
The internet has been the facilitator of a lot of good things; it allows us to comparison shop without putting on pants, lets people check the weather report without having to watch the rest of the news and it’s made keeping in touch with friends and family a breeze; cruising through Facebook seeing pictures of your friend from high school’s new baby, a twitter feed full of self-promoting tweets about your neighbor’s new online start-up, a status update from your nephew that talks about meeting Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly. Reading all of these updates from the exciting lives of your friends and family while you sit at home, it can at times feel like everyone is living the dream but you.

May 17, 2012 1 Photo
The war against the English language
April 25, 2012
VINCENT DAVIS II: Oil prices and the 'Bro-conomy'
Can we be serious for a moment; not too long, but longer than usual? Gas prices are going up folks. US oil drilling is at its highest point in more than 10 years. But when Toyota Prius commercials come on TV during sporting events, we know longer make fun of them for advertising a “fake car” that “only a hippy or English professor would drive.” Instead, we think to ourselves “40 miles a gallon, that does sound nice ...”

March 16, 2012 1 Photo
‘Mailing it in’ is not good enough
The U.S. Postal Service has been mailing it in for years. It has stuck like an old postage stamp to a business model that was going nowhere fast, literally. Snail mail is still the USPS stock in trade, and it has increasingly earned its nickname. And for a poorly run operation, it certainly does cost a lot. USPS must offer competitive shipping options, guaranteed faster delivery times and overall service enhancements — or the death spiral of an American institution will continue.

March 2, 2012
Gadgets Galore
The 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has come and gone, but the gadgets introduced there likely will be part of our future for years to come. Record numbers were set with attendance, vendors, and square footage of exhibit space. Innovations were unveiled, and in some cases, expectations dashed.

January 29, 2012 5 Photos
LEFFLER: I remember the scream
If you’re sick of news of the run for the White House, I’ve got some really bad news for you: It’s about to get worse.

January 3, 2012 1 Photo
Put some Apple accessories under the tree this year
December 18, 2011 6 Photos
War of 1812 has lots of connections to us
December 17, 2011
Don’t overlook freedom
November 13, 2011
More Columns Headlines

Columns

Search Results

Related Photos

MARREN: Adventures in Lucy land

Site Map

Contact Us