THOR!!!!



Thor and "moosey"



The introduction Scott wrote for our baby:

“Be it known: Thor, Dread Hound of Thunder Who Feeds on the Blood of the Innocent, has taken residence at the Hickey estate in Branson, MO. May the townsfolk pray for safety and courageous hearts, who must now live under the shadow of such a fearsome beast.”

Well people the long awaited and highly anticipated arrival of our darling puppy has come at last. Let me tell you a little about our adventure to get him.

There and back again; a puppies “tail”…

As stated in a previous blog, Thor hails from northern Michigan. Due to heat embargos on shipping living animals right now (as there should be, it’s stinkin’ hot!) we got the opportunity to take a little road trip. We decided to split the difference and meet up in Lafayette, IN--proud hometown of Purdue University, come to find out.

When Scott got off of work Friday, I had everything ready to go—pooper scooper and all. We figured the best way to tackle the trip would be in steady segments. So, we drove 4 ½ hours the first day to Collinsville, IL (barely outside of St. Louis) and stayed the night.

The next day we drove another 4 ½ hours, past an endless supply of corn fields, and even found ourselves in the middle of an annual sweet corn festival somewhere along the way. Deciding not to linger too long any place where there was shucking and chucking of corn, we moseyed right along to the next corn hidden town eventually reaching Lafayette.

Sue (our amazing breeder) was already at the park where we were meeting up by the time we arrived. I’m not sure what I expected—him to jump up and run to me tongue lolling as he went—or what, but when we got out of the car he was fast asleep. He stayed asleep through the "grown up" introductions and was hardly disturbed when we went to meet him. He is the single most laid back puppy I have ever seen.

Play time with daddy!

After we roused him from his siesta, we got him to roll around and play for a bit. This pup’s version of “riled up” is most dogs calm. He has a “meh, whatever” kind of attitude that makes him very adaptable. The only “problem” we have is he loooooves people, so when we walk around he is literally on our heels—or between our legs.

He is our little loving cuddle button--I mean… he’s a terrifying, blood thirsty, beast of doom and destruction ;) But seriously, I’m pretty sure his greatest ambition in life is to see how closely he can snuggle. I’M IN HEAVEN!



Getting used to his crate



Last night we crated him for the first time. It was like putting a baby in the crib for the first time. He cried for about 15 minutes (the most heart melting and pathetic whimpers you’ve ever heard—and a tiny howl that makes me smile) but he soon went to sleep. He woke us up at 4:30am (10 mins before the alarm was going to go off anyway) to let us know he couldn’t hold it any longer and he needed to be let out right then. I’m proud to say he made it the whole night without having an accident in the crate. As far as potty training goes, he’s been perfect. He’s a fast learner so I’m really looking forward to puppy classes.

Unfortunately, he is a little chew monster and will chew anything, ANYTHING in front of him (even his a rock or his own foot). This isn’t such a problem as long as we keep his chew toys out where he can see and remember them. Day three—nothing destroyed yet.

Nap time after vet visit

He’s very gentle with a sweet laid back disposition. When I took him to the vet they couldn’t believe how good he was. When the nurse went to hold him for his shot he snuggled up next to her and rolled with the punches. I’m so proud. Doc said he is fit as a fiddle and (as we already knew) is going to massive. He’s currently passed out after his big trip to the vet’s office waiting for daddy to get home.

Thor's paw in my hand:9wks old

He makes for a great source of free entertainment. He’s all paws and legs so it makes him a little clumsy but hilarious. He tripped on his front paws last night and did a front flip onto his bed. He also seems to forget he has a tail and gets startled by it from time to time—of course giving him good reason to chase it and chew on it. Oh, he’s funny. We are SO happy to have him in our lives.

He can’t wait to meet you all, come any time!

Love you all,

S/A (and T)