Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Stew Meets the babe

The anticipation of bringing home Sydney was almost as much as figuring out how Stewie was going to react to this new life in his house. He was very curious at first, but then didn't have much to do with her the first day. I think it took a few days before he realized the Sydney was not just a visitor and is here to stay!

Stew meets Sydney for the first time

Say now, what is this smelly thing?

Stew smelled Sydney from head to foot

Dad, Sydney and Stewie have a new understanding

5-25-09____Dog awaits baby
At this point, I think Stewie knows there is something going on around the Mitchell household. With all the new gadgets and toys, a room that Stew is not allowed in, and of course Mommy's belly, how could a dog not know? They can sense weather changes, human mood changes, and fear; so why not a baby?

Pug watches as Mom and Dad thoroughly clean the house so it will be
all fresh for baby Sydney!

4-29-09____Who's a good birthday boy?
Stew bug is 4 today! This is actually a funny year, 'cause all three of us are the same age (remember the dog year multiplier?) I won't tell the number because Kristi's age will be given away - you know how ladies are about that sort of thing!

Stewie received the royal treatment today, with a big breakfast to start things off. We then went to Petsmart later in the afternoon and got his nails dremeled, a tasty new bag of treats, and a new toy, which is now his favorite one! I saw the skunk and knew Stew would get a kick out of this since is squeaks and crinkles (although much to Mom and Dads demise)! He gave his approval and we took the skunk home. We have names for all of his animal toys - Stew has been carrying Pepe (pronounced "pep-hay", yes, like the cartoon) all over the house. We finished out the evening with a long walk and rounding turn 4, a fire hydrant. A perfect day for our little buddy and soon-to-be big brother.......

4-4-09___Shock it to me baby!
After much deliberation and ultimately procrastination, we finally decided to purchase a remote trainer for Stew. With Baby Sydney about to say "Hello, World", I figured now is the time to let Stewie know we REALLY are the pack leaders. Since Kristi has more of a soft spot against doggy discipline than I do, I took the lead to start the training. Man, do I wish I had done it years ago now!

We decided on the Petsafe Remote Yard & Park Trainer. It is perfect for Stew, being too large for a lapdog kit, but a little too small for a full-sized trainer collar. The collar fits him perfectly, while loose enough for a couple of fingers and just tight enough to feel the static. It has a theoretical 400-yard range, though I'm sure I'll never get the chance to test that out. It think the most important feature is the positive and negative tone control. The tones are what are used to actually train the dog, with a high note sound for positive behavior and a low note for negative behavior. This is used the first few days without the shock. As you can see from the picture, I have the static setting on 1, which is all he needs. I tested setting 3 on Stew one day while trying to figure out the sweet spot and he turned a flip and yelped (something your dog should never do with a trainer!)

Petsafe Yard & Park trainer (Get it here, although it looks like the price has increased quite a bit since we bought it)

For those who are paranoid about an electric device on their animal's neck, you really have nothing to worry about. I always research items before I buy them and this was no exception. The buttons feel solid and the shock button is hard to press, thereby almost eliminating a constant, accidental shock. The collar and transmitter are waterproof and have a user-replaceable rechargeable Ni-MH battery (unlike a certain computer company with a fruity logo). There is no battery door, only rubber covers to seal the charging port when not in use. Battery life is as expected, with about 12-15 hours in-between charges. The LED's on the transmitter and collar also blink more rapidly when the juice starts to run out. All in all, this was a good purchase, for our sanity when Sydney arrives, and hopefully will give Stewie more freedom while seeing us as true pack leaders.

Sad eyes that yearn for better discipline and a pack leader!

1-11-09___What a Poser!
It's about time for a Stew update - I know it's been a while, but I have been making photos and not updating this little guy's page. Stewie knows how to pose like the best of 'em, actually with a little coaxing from me. He's very photogenic and is almost always willing to put up with my lighting arrangements and multiple exposures! This series was one of Stew's best - I used my new Photoflex small softbox with Nikon SB-800 and had some available window light to boot. Square eye glints aren't my prefered shape, but the 4th image was made with my shoot-thru 60 inch white umbrella, so you can see the umbrella reflection in his eyes. You can't tell from these scaled-down web images, but his eyes are razor-sharp in just about every one. That's what I go for when shooting subjects, especially animals. No one wants to see blurry eyes and an in-focus snout, unless your creativity takes you elsewhere.

Being a good dog, protecting the house from aloft

With a little window light

Pug in his natural habitat (Mommy's lap)

In his favorite office chair (only when I am in it)

He really blends in with the carpet

8-12-07___Stewart gets a centerfold!
We knew he would be famous one day! Check out his centerfold (not really), along with
his cousin Gabby, in the Spring 2007 issue of Modern Dog magazine.