DOG BEACH!!!

Brillo chases me down the beach.  He's too fast for me!

Playing in the sand and surf.

Brillo passed his final medical exam (got all his puppy shots), so Dave and I brought him out to Coronado's dog beach.  Coronado is supposed to be the best dog beach around, mainly because of the clientele.  The one in Ocean Beach has, how do I say, a bit more diversity.  Some of the dogs are reportedly pretty questionable in manners and customs.  Coronado dogs are all pretty upper crust, and Brillo LOVED it!  

He was very curious about the new sensation under his feet when he touched sand for the first time, but he quickly decided he liked it.  It was a perfect day:  not a cloud in the bright blue sky, and the temp a fresh and breezy 85.  Yes, it is November in San Diego, but please don't tell that to the weather guy.  The water is quite chilly, but that didn't stop Brillo from going in.  What did stop him, or slow him down, were the waves crashing onto the beach, but he got over it. 

He romped and romped with new friends, including a French bulldog named Lulu (cutest thing ever, and she looked just like a baby piggy).  We got some good pics, and after it looked like he'd had enough, we used the park's doggie hose to rinse him clean of salt and sand.  He slept like a baby all the way home. 

Brillo leapt onto the front seat floorboards when asked to load up into the Mini so we could go to Dog Beach.  It took significant coaxing to get him to go to the back.

Brillo is pretty happy to be footloose and fancy free in Coronado.

Hi Brills!  You're so cute!

My boys and Lulu.  Heehee.

Brillo and Lulu are having fun romping.  That's Brill's orange dummy in the water.

What the heck?  What is pulling at my feet?  Oh...that's the waves going back out.  WEIRD!

WEEEEE!  Look at meeeee!

Look at him go!  He's having a blast!

Get your dummy, Brillo!  Good boy!

Brillo thrashes around gleefully in a stream along our trail at Cowles Mountain.

Brillo!  Say cheese!

Brills is enjoying the cold water.  He was really hot before he got into the water.

Brillo explores on our way back to the car at the end of a fun hike.

Here Brillo is coming back from a side trip into the brush to do some sniffing.  The first few times we went hiking, he wouldn't leave the trail.  It is fun to watch him gain confidence with each trip.  Now, I can't keep him out of the bushes.

Brillo takes a little rest along the hiking trail.

Brillo went to the vet yesterday to get his final puppy shots (YAY!!!), and he is 33 pounds!  He is growing like a WEED, I tell you!  It's as if he is growing, noticeably growing, right before our eyes.  He is noticeably bigger every day.  His fur is changing too.  It's longer on his back and head, and it's shorter on his legs.  It's actually a bit thin and sparse, and I'm not sure why.  It takes three years for a WHPG's coat to mature.  

Every day, Dave and I fall more and more in love with him.  We simply cannot get over how doggone cute he is.  What's most exciting is that he retains his cuteness as he gets bigger.  He is bigger and more dog-like, but he is still sooooo cute.  Cuter than ever, actually.  Dave and I are both sickened by his ultra cuteness.  Disgusting.

Here are a few milestones in Brillo's life.  Tomorrow, I will tell you about our daily fieldtrips, including trips to Cowles Mountain!  Our Brillo is a hiker!  Some of the photos I posted yesterday show our hikes.   We drive to Cowles or Lake Murray every morning, and Brillo learned very quickly that the Defender means fun.  After our first outing on Day One, he had it figured out.  On Day Two, I let him outside without his leash, and he bee-lined for the left-hand passenger door and waited for me to let him in.  He's so smart!  He's getting closer and closer to being able to load up by himself, too.  He's so cool.  Mama's little baby is growing up!

I've so much to talk about, but it's time to stop for the night.  Thanks for sticking with us.  You will be rewarded handsomely if you continue to stick around.  We intend to take him to dog beach for the first time this weekend...

MILESTONES:

Oct 1:  17 lbs

Oct 13-23:  Worked at Trek, so Brillo stayed home alone much of the day 

Oct 18:  25 lbs 

Oct 19:  First puppy class

Nov 2:  Started drinking out of the toilet

Nov 4:  15 weeks

Nov 9:  30 lbs; Puppy class!

Nov 11:  16 weeks!

Nov 13:  Final puppy shots!  33 lbs

Brillo is wet from his little swim.

In this video, Brills is playing in the water.  He liked the area where the stream ran down and into the pool of water.  I think he was hunting for crawdads.

Brillo loves his daddy!

The feeling seems to be mutual...

Kiss attack!

OMG. How horrible am I? All my readers (all, like, 3 of you) have no doubt given up on my due to my extreme delinquency. Right? So, I am likely talking to myself right now, since you've all gone. But please come back to me. I think the new updates and pictures will make it worth your while. Let the cuteness of the Brillso lure you in...

Let's start with...

THE RETURN OF DADDY!!!

Dave returned from a month(+) in Germany to meet Baby Brillo for the first time. It was a big day for all of us, and it started with a trip to the vet in the morning so Brillo could get more puppy shots. As usual, he was perfect. The tech said he sat when she asked him to and took his shots like a big boy. We were a little disappointed, because we thought he'd get to play with other dogs after these shots, but he won't get to play until after his 16-week shots. Boohoo!

After our trip to Dr. McKittrick, Brillo played while I straightened up and sprayed for fleas. Unfortunately, his play was interrupted by several bouts of pukiness. Brillo threw up four or five times, and I was worried it might be from the shots or the flea stuff. I was also suspicious of what I found in the vomit. In his puke was part of a plastic water bottle label, a stick, and some grass. There was about a bowl full of kibble and several whole bites of chicken that I'd been using as treats. It looked like a 1/2 gallon of muck. Ick. I called the vet, and he said to watch him, and if he continues puking to bring him in in the morning. Luckily, he stopped puking. 

Brillo was excited to meet Dad at the airport in the evening, and he rode in his kennel to the airport. We played in the grass while waiting, and he met some new people friends. He even met somebody who knew his breed! The man said, "Is that a griff?" I was flabbergasted. He hunts his dog and has seen photos of griffs in his hunting magazine.

Dave was blown away by Brillo's cuteness, and we were excited to get home so they could bond. 

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

A "Young Republicans" photo shoot.

I love when he sticks out his little tongue.  (Brillo, not Dave.)

My dog and me at Cosmo's.

Somebody's veeeery relaxed.

Glug, glug, glug, glug.

Still learning about the loose leash.

Brillo loves his Auntie Sherri!

Brillo carries his pheasant downtown.

SEE BELOW FOR PHOTOS/CUTLINES DESIGNED TO CATCH YOU UP ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH BRILLO.

This is how much I love my dog:  He was dripping lake water and covered in sand and dirt.  I still let him in the seat of my precious Land Rover, and I didn't even worry about it.

Brillo is still eager to go out and attack the ducks.

Brills comes ashore in a difficult spot.

Brillo points his first dove!  We were walking back to the car at the end of our walk at Lake Murray the other day (Nov. 12)  He froze and was looking at something in the brush.  I realized, finally, that he was actually pointing, and I peered in to see what he was looking at.  It was a dove!  I let him off hte leash to see what he would do, and the little guy fought his way through the sticks to chase the bird.  Usually, he is a real priss and won't go through thick stuff.  Not this time!  He was on the scent!  Well, I guess the dove got away, or else Brillo's ADD kicked in, because the next thing I knew, he was in the lake chasing ducks.  He had just been repremanded a few days earlier by the park manager, who informed us Lake Murray is a reservoir AND a wildlife refuge and therefore off limits to swimming dogs and people.  WHAT!?  Yeah.  We could have been fined.  So, I was pretty nervous walking my dripping-wet dog back around the lake to my car.  We were lucky to escape without reprimand.

Brillo relaxes in the shade after his first hike at Cowle's Mountain.

Brills investigates the scrub brush along the trail.

Weeeee!  Ears flopping, Brillo runs willy-nilly down the trail.

So fast he's out of focus.

Time to relax.  It was hot, so Brills took a few rest breaks in the shade.

This is one of my favorite photos.  Brillo smiles at the turnaround point.

Look at that big boy!  He is a good little mountain goat!

Brillo climbing a steep section.

About to go down a big rocky section.

Looks spooky!

I just think this is cute.  I love his little doggie butt.

Sniiiiiiffff.  Sensory overload.

Brillo meets his cousins, Star and Wolfgang.  These are Auntie Sherri's dogs.  She was finishing her hike when we were starting ours. 

Brillo starts off on his first hike.

Let me out!!!  Are you gonna open this door, or what?  It's time to hike!

Brills takes a breather in the cushiony iceplant.

Nearing the end of a hot a stickery hike at Sweetwater in Chula Vista.

Holy cow!  Look at all those burrs!  Every little piece of scrub stuck to poor Brillo's fur.  He's like a magnet.  Better yet, he's like velcro.  That's why we're putting "Velcro" at the top of the list for names for our next Griff.  One day, Brillo might get a brother or sister.

Romping through harmless-looking scrub.  That's the stuff that sticks to Brillo like glue, however.

Looking for shade.

Looks like another planet.  This area has been burned down more than once.

Exploring...

Tiny dog; Huge world.

Brillo is heading out on his first hike along my favorite mountain bike trail.  He mainly stayed on the trail, venturing off only when I needed him to follow me on a short cut.

Oh, so that's where they posted the Lake Murray pet rules.  Woops.  I guess I shouldn't have been taking Brillo to Lake Murray to swim!

Brillo explores a side trail.

Coming out of the water after retrieving his quail dummy and chasing ducks.  It was after he came out of the water that the attendent came over the loudspeaker and warned me to get my dog out of the water.  "This is a wildlife refuge.  Dogs must be kept at least 50 feet from the water!"  Woops.

Wow!  Look at those ducks!  I WANT ONE!

I can get used to this...

Quit pointing that camera at me.

Heaven...

This bed thing is really comfy!

Brillo is using Dave's pillow.  His first venture onto the human bed was a pretty good experience.  He's just luxuriating in the high thread count...

Oooooooooh, yeah!  Stretchy, stretchy!

My dog is simply not shy.

The clock says 7:30.  Brillo says it's time to get up.

Hey there.  How you doin'?

Man, this is the life!

Brillo gets in our bed for the first time ever.

After his scary fall off the dock.  I wanted to see if he would jump off the dock after his quail dummy, so I threw it off the side.  He went over to look at it and wasn't paying attention to his feet, or something, and he just fell right in!  He went right under, and I could see him turn around and swim up toward the surface, a look of terror in his eyes.  He broke the surface and paddled furiously, but it took a while to get his butt up to just below the surface where it belonged.  I was yelling for him to swim to me, but he was confused and started paddling out toward the middle of the lake!  I was getting scared he wouldn't figure it out and that he would get too tired, so I was preparing to jump in after him.  Finally, to my relief, he figured out where my voice was coming from and turned around, bee-lining for me.  I laid down on my belly, he swam to my arms, and I scooped him up onto the dock.  As soon as his little paws hit the deck, his legs crumpled underneath him.  He was exhausted.  Cold, scared, and exhausted.  I held out a towel, and he eagerly walked into it so I could rub him down and dry him off.  He stayed wrapped up in his towel on the dock for a while, and then we ran around in the sun to dry off.  By the end of our visit, he was ready to get into the water again.  Whew.  Poor little guy!

Sniffing out the duckies at Lake Murray.