Can you believe it has been almost two months since we moved here to Seattle? Time flies! One of the questions I have been asked the most since we arrived is how the dogs are adjusting to their new life on the West Coast.
Moving our dogs 3,000 miles across the country was one of the biggest sources of stress surrounding our move. In fact, at one point I suggested turning down the Seattle job offer because the logistics of moving them that far were just way too complicated. Clearly that wasn’t true, as here we are all safe, happy, and healthy.
Casey was my hero and actually drove the dogs the entire 3,000 mile journey with his mom along to keep him company and help with dog transportation. Our dogs actually do surprisingly well in the car, so the road trip itself went really well. They had their first experience with riding in elevators, sleeping in hotels, and riding through the mountains, and they stayed cool and calm through all of it.
Since Casey was nice enough to drive them, I took care of booking the trip logistics ahead of time. Finding pet-friendly hotels that will accommodate 100 pounds of dog is trickier than you might imagine, but in the end it all worked out. Finally after their big voyage, they arrived to their new home in Seattle and were turned loose to check out the new digs…
They were pretty excited to finally be out of the car and get a chance to explore the new surroundings. I wonder if they could tell how different the air is out west!
Eventually, they calmed down and settled in with the help of two big plushy new dog beds.
And once the furniture was unpacked, Indy made quick work of finding all his favorite spots to be lazy all day long.
Huey’s favorite spot is the backyard, sitting in the sunshine. He is happy to sit there all day long while I work just inside at my office desk.
The backyard is small, but still much bigger than our patio in Virginia, and seems to provide adequate space for exploring , sniffing, and chewing sticks.
Huey’s other favorite spot is under the lounge chairs when someone is sitting in them. I think he thinks we don’t know he’s there..
And on gloomier days when outside isn’t so fun, they both like to curl up in the office with me during the day and keep me company while I work.
I have always said that Huey is a special dog, with strange quirks and a personality unlike any other dog I’ve met. So it should come as no surprise that his favorite place inside the house is…the bathtub.
We have an abundance of bathrooms in this house, and there is a full bath on our main floor that I can’t see anyone ever actually using (there are two more upstairs). So that has become the place where the dogs hang out when we are gone, and the bathtub is filled with cushy dog beds and pillows for them to sleep on. Totally ridiculous, but you do what you have to when you live in small spaces!
So I guess this is my very long-winded answer to the question “how are the dogs adjusting?” – they seem to be doing just fine! They love going for walks in their new neighborhood, and playing with doggie friends at a nice daycare close to our house.
And so the next question to be answered is – do they know there is a baby on the way?
They have 16 weeks left to figure it out…
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Awww loved this! Dogs are so cute and dopey. You just gotta love ‘em ;)
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Haha great ending. Cute post! Glad the doggies are doing well in their new home.
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Your dogs are precious!!!
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Their lives are going to change so much! It’s crazy how different things are with your pets when you have kids. They really are like any person…they just want to make sure you still love them. I’m sure you guys will have no trouble showing them that.
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I love your dogs. I’ve always been partial to bird dogs. Grew up with a pointer and now have a weimaraner. Love them and their expressions :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
June 30th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
LOVE pointers! :)
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They seem very well adjusted. :) I’ve heard that it’s good to have two dogs when you’re about to bring a baby into the picture so at least they’ll have each other to play with. This is exactly why we’re going to get a second dachshund.
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Emily Malone Reply:
June 30th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Good idea!
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Love those cute pups!! The bathtub is pretty hilarious…Koda likes curling up in a giant beanbag upstairs, even if we’re all downstairs. Oh, and she’s clueless that a baby is on the way, too :)
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So cute! I love that he sleeps in the bathtub!
I heard that you should let the dogs smell something from the new baby (like a blanket or something) before the baby comes home from the hospital. That way they already know his scent before he arrives.
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Your dogs are so cute, what kind are they? Huey looks quit a bit like one of my dogs, she’s a black and white English Pointer, our other dog is a brown Labmaraner.
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Love this post!! And so many good shots of Huey! Love the one outside where I am guessing he is staring up at a squirrel? And the bathtub shots are HYSTERICAL! I have never seen such a thing, but he looks so cozy and cute :)
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Too cute! They are beautiful dogs. I can’t believe that much time has passed already, it really does fly!
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I think Huey is the most photogenic dog I have ever seen! Beautiful!
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Your dogs are beautiful! We often think about a cross country move, but driving with our cats terrifies me!
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Heather Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 8:08 am
Traveling with cats isn’t that bad at all. I’ve made the 11 hour drive from Little Rock, AR to Charlotte, NC with my cat twice now and he does really well. There is some whining at the end of the trip, but nothing too aggravating. We make him super comfy in the backseat with his food & water bowls, and his litter box and he’s good to go.
GNC also has a line of pet products now, and they make a sedative type treat that is great. I mix two of them up in his food, and he gets drowsy for a good bit of the trip.
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Aw I love the bathtub pics they are so cute!!!! Its hysterical that they like the tub!
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This is the cutest post everrrr! (that is until you bring the baby home!) The bathtub pictures are just too funny!
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I love that they sit in the bathtub!
Do you find that they ever don’t want to go in the backyard? My dog has a big backyard but he always demands to go for a walk on his leash out front instead.
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They’re so cute!! When we moved to Washington from Norway, our dog had to be in a crate in the special cargo area of the plane for 11 hours…I felt terrible about it, but he sure didn’t seem to mind when we took him to Marymoor Dog Park in Redmond the next day – it’s the biggest off-leash park in the U.S., and it seemed to make up for the plane ride. You and your pups should definitely check out Marymoor and Magnusen Park (in the city).
Have you been to Cougar Mountain yet? It’s in Issaquah, and it’s full of mellow hiking trails that you (in your current state :D) and the pups would enjoy, plus you can stop for a treat at Boehm’s Chocolates afterwards.
Wow, I’m really rambling now, but other places you should check out this summer:
- Discovery Park (great trails right in town)
- Leavenworth (faux-Bavarian mountain town, you can do a loop where you drive up Highway 2 and come back on I90)
- Paradise @ Mount Rainier (when the flowers come out, which will be late this year since it’s been so cold)
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Maybe start getting them used to the smell of baby powder and such during these last weeks…?
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Those pictures of Huey in the bathtub are so cute. So. stinking. cute!
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The bathtub pics are too funny! Such sweet puppies :)
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The dogs are beautiful and I am so glad to see them featured again in a post.
My biggest concern when I had my first, of three, children, was how our dogs were going to take it.
My husband brought home one of the baby blankets we had used (I was still in the hospital). He let the dogs sniff it and get used to it.
When I came home with the baby we just brought him down to their level and let them sniff him and get acquainted.
It can be kind of tense, because the alternatives to a dog not liking a baby are ugly.
I am guessing your dogs will like Baby Garnish just fine.
Enjoy the remaining 16 weeks and your Babymoon in Vegas!!!
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It’s ok, you didn’t need an “accidentally longwinded” excuse to showcase a bunch of dog pictures. We always love them :D I’m glad they’ve adjusted so well
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Emily your dogs are so beautiful! I love their quirkiness and tub sleeping habits :) From what I’ve seen with family and friends, dogs do really well with new babies!
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Love the puppy posts! Your quirky pups make me think of my own…Bella is quite the character! Huey’s ears are too cute for words!
Glad they are adjusting well :)
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opie dog has a spot on our very small couch. when both the boyfriend and i are lounging opie will put his head in our laps and whine until we move over so he can rest in his spot.
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Haha, I love the bathtub pic!
I’m curious to see how your two dogs react to a baby crying and taking up space in “their” house. Especially since dogs are a little higher maintenance than most pets. At least they have each other.
We have two cats (who definitely have their quirks – 6 toes on ea. foot) and I’m a little apprehensive as to how they will respond. Either they will purr and cuddle with our little one or scratch the eff out of her. When I was a baby my mom’s cat used to purr and rub all over me when I was crying to try to calm me down…I hope my kitties have that maternal instinct.
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i love this post! :)
how cute that they like to hang out in the bathtub! my dog has a strange fascination with our shower….so strange. lol.
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My dog also loves the bathtub. I think because it’s cooler. He also loves to lick it…so weird…and gross. When my boyfriend’s newphew came into the world, our dog was surpringly alert to the new baby. He knew to be more gentle and he gets like that whenever he’s near children. He’s 100 lbs so it’s important that he knows how to interact with younger children versus adults.
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Seriously…Huey and Indy are so cute! They make me want to get a dog of my own like right now!
My sister-in-law’s dog was so confused when they brought my nephew home for the first time. But he then became really protective and always sat next to her as she took care of him. It was so cute!
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OMG they are soooo cute!!!! And I definitely laughed out loud when I saw the tub pic hehe.
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Huey is so adorable! (They both are) Every picture you post of him looks just a little confused. :) I also love that they hang in the bathroom! To funny!
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I am in love with this post.
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Your dogs are absolutely beautiful! I love their names – were they named after anything special?
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Your dogs are adorable! Do you know if those breeds to well with children?
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Haha I love this post!
Your dogs are adorable! :D
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I love that photo in the bathtub! I can’t imagine the logistics of traveling with 2 large dogs, especially trying to find hotels. I am also interested to see how they react when the baby comes. They are both so cute!
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Those really are some gorgeous dogs. Even if they do eat your baked goods all the time. Haha.
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I can’t wait till the doggies meet the babye!!
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I think they can definitely sense it. Our family dog had never been around a baby (and he was about 8), so when we had fam friends over who had a 5 year old, a 2 year old, and a baby we were so nervous as to how he would act with the little kids… but he just laid there and let them climb on him, licked their faces, humored them when they tried to throw his frisbee. It was amazing – must have been instinct?
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Great pictures!
I’m positive your puppies would be happy anywhere, as long as they are with you two!
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Your dogs are absolutely gorgeous. SO nice they’re adjusting/have adjusted well! My sister and I used to “fight” over who got to play sleep in the bathtub. We would do the same thing as your dogs – fill it with blankets and pillows and claim it as our own little sanctuary. Too cute!
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How fortunate that your pups are good travelers! We move a lot, and our cat and dog just hate the commuting and adjusting. I think our next move will be cross-country, so I’ll definitely be heeding your advice! Your dogs are just adorable. I bet they will be so good with the baby! And, I bet they do sense that you’re pregnant. Dogs are very intuitive!
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You take such great photos! My favorites: Huey up close w/his paw up, Huey cuddled in the bathtub (which is a GREAT idea, btw) & Huey (again) at the very end of the post.
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Presh. :)
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Aww, the bath tub! That’s pretty darn cute.
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I love the bathtub idea! We may be using a bathroom in our future house for the dogs during the day and I could see us doing something like that too.
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I work at an animal shelter…and this post just made me smile to think that there ARE still good people out in the world who stay committed to their pets. :)
I just hear the “we are moving and can’t take them with us” excuse too many times a day.
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Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey Reply:
July 5th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
I can’t imagine even *thinking* that. Of course my Lilly has me wrapped around her little finger… err, paw. ;)
~
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Your dogs are so cute!! They look so happy to be there, and the fact that he sleeps in the bathtub is way too adorable.
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After reading this post, I truly whole-heartedly miss my German Shepard, Jimmy :)
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They are so cute!!!! You only have 16 weeks left?! WOOHOOO!!!
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I love that Huey sleeps in the bathtub – that is just too much!!
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i am glad i’m not the only one with like 4 beds per dog. they deserve it, right? I’ve heard dogs can hear the heartbeat. i bet they know something is up.
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I love the contrast between Indy’s reserved demeanour and Indy’s slightly confused expression. So cute! Reminds me a bit of the two dogs in Homeward Bound (I was just the right age to fall in love with dogs when that film came out).
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The bathtub is such a good idea for a doggy bed!
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I’m applying for jobs all over the country, including Seattle! If I move there my Pointer mix would love to meet Huey! I always show her his pics when you post them. :) sweet pointer love.Amy
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i love how regal your dogs are always looking.
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I don’t remember why taking the plane wasn’t an option for the dogs ? I heard there are good air lines services for pets in USA…
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Your dogs are super cute! I hope they realize you’re pregnant soon though…don’t want to smoosh the belly :)
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I wish this were a Facebook post so I could click “like”.
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So adorable. Love the tub pics – hysterical :)
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this is the CUTEST post. those bathtub pictures are hilarious!
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Congratulations on the move! I think your dogs look very happy and excited! I am guessing that they have more playing room now, no?
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That picture in the tub is hilarious, bless him. He looks super comfy. Mine either sunbathe, or if the weather is bad one of them likes to try and climb ON the desk to ‘assist’ with my work, using me as his springboard no less…. Clearly he’s a lot smaller than yours though!
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They are so cute! I laughed at all the tub pictures. That is so adorable.
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One of the best dog posts ever!.. Sleeping in the tub? How adorable!
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The pictures of Huey in the bathtub are adorable & hilarious at the same time. Sometimes I find my roommates cat sitting on my bathtub and it cracks me up.
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Love the pictures of your dogs and glad to hear that they are doing well with the move! We have a GSP mixed with a chocolate lab, and he’s a little quirky also!
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I just found your blog and look forward to following!! I’ve been cooking more and more vegetarian and your recipes look GREAT! Huey looks a lot like my dogs – is he a Weim? I have 2 and they are the best running buds, and great with my 2 little boys. I laughed at your post about Huey stealing your blueberry banana bread. Nothing is safe in our house when left unattended on the counters, even for half a second :)
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