# 52 Weeks of Dante



## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

Here is 52 weeks of Dante. Please excuse the catch up photos, I just decided to do this today and didn't want to miss his puppy shots!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*8 weeks*

The above photo was 7 weeks. Here is 8 weeks.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*9 weeks*

Hanging out with his mpoo "brother," Mikey.


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## Dante's Mom (Apr 14, 2010)

What a cutie! And of course I LOVE his name!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*10 weeks*

Puppy butts! Well ok, only one of them is a puppy, but still...


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

lol, thank you, Dante'sMom! Yours is adorable...I love the grin!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

oops, I meant for this to go in the 52 weeks section, I guess the new thread link in the rules section didn't work as I expected...sorry about that!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*11 weeks*

Dante got his 12 weeks shots a few days early, so now he has the ok to go out in public (yay!). We just got back from his first trip to the park. He had a blast! His leash skills need some work (he kept running in circles around us), but he is not a puller at all...more of a follower. He is pretty shy, so when a lady and some kids came over to pet him, he backed away, but he was still wagging, and seemed happy to let them pet him anyway. He also LOVES the car, which I am thrilled about.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Dante is a handsome fellow and so glad to hear how well he is doing!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 5: 12 weeks*

It was such a beautiful day today, Dante and I just HAD to take the day off and go to the park (and the beach too, but no dogs allowed there...poo!)! I felt a little guilty not bringing my mpoo, but I needed to wear Dante out a little so he didn't drive Mikey crazy all day. Dante loved checking out all the fish and ducks, and even seemed interested in the kids on the playground, which was a first for this shy guy. We didn't approach them this time, was really just trying to get him used to the noise, but we heard lots of "Awww, a puppy!" and "Look, it's a POODLE!!!" comments. 12 weeks and already a rock star!










If he looks a little surprised in this second shot, it's because we were both just startled by a HUGE pelican, many times the size of Dante...wish I'd caught him on camera!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 6: 13 weeks*

Dante loves his new ring toy. I thought I'd get him one to use as a tug toy, since my fingers are frequently in danger when we tug with his other toys. Of course, as you can see, Mikey loves Dante's new toy as well...sometimes he even lets Dante play with it! =D

Next adventure...grooming appointment!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 7: 14 weeks*

Dante had his first grooming appointment since we brought him home, and he is looking like a stud in his new bandana! I have to admit, I am not usually a fan of the "clean feet," but it does make it a little easier to keep him clean, since he is a very doggy dog. Mikey is a little prince...doesn't like to get his feet dirty, "No thank you, I don't need to go outside until you make it stop raining," "Will you please get my ball for me, it seems to have rolled into some mud..." Not Dante! He is happy to lie in the garden, play in the mud, run laps in the torrential downpour. It doesn't phase him at all. It cracks me up how different they are. 

The action shot is a little blurry, but this is Dante's favorite activity. I'll try to post some video later if I can figure out how to do it. As you can see, Dante has outgrown Mikey...Mikey is still more agile/coordinated though, so he can hold his own when they play fight.


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Dante and Mikey are very handsome.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Oh wow! With them around the same size the difference in their structure is so cool to see side by side.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

If I can ever get them to stand still long enough (yeah, right!) I'd love to get a shot of them both from the side, facing each other....then you can really see the difference. Dante's fur is a little longer at the moment, but even so, he is definitely beefier! We went to the vet the other day and he was 27.5 lbs, compared to Mikey's 21 lbs. Yikes! 

As everyone on this forum predicted though, their play style has changed quite a bit as Dante has grown...everything is head to head now, no more mounting (yay!), and if Dante gets too rough, Mikey lays down the law and they both stop. So I am hopeful that they will be ok even as Dante continues to grow.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Oh yeah, I'm sure they will, dogs seem good about compensating size and play.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

Video of the boys playing...meant to post it earlier but I just figured out how to do it!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 8: 15 weeks*

A couple backyard shots of Dante running, and standing in a bush...pretty typical for him. 

We bought a kiddie pool today, to see if we could entice the dogs to play in the water, but they were unimpressed. We threw a ball in the pool, and our mini was brave enough to put a paw in, to try to make waves to get the ball to float closer to him. Once it got to the side, he kinda "bobbed for apples," but couldn't quite figure out how to pick it up without sticking his face in the water. Dante was more interested in drinking the pool water than getting wet. Lol, oh well...maybe next time!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 9: 16 Weeks*

Oops, almost forgot to take a shot this week! These aren't the best, but oh well. 










I like the photo of the two of them together, because when we first got Dante, he was as much shorter than Mikey, as Mikey is shorter than him now. The other shot is of Dante eating a stick he found during a lull in the torrential downpour we have had all weekend. 










I think Dante is gonna be my new exercise best buddy...I took him for a walk today and decided to let him go at HIS natural walking pace, just to see what he'd do. He is big enough now that it was actually a slow jog for me! I've heard you aren't supposed to run with dogs until they are fully grown, but since I was the only one running...I don't know, I'm thinking it is probably ok as long as I keep it short in the beginning and pay attention to his energy level? He didn't even break into a trot, this was honestly his normal walking pace. I'm going to have to learn to run faster when he gets taller, I think!


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Dante and Mikey are such handsome poodles!


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

What pretty poodles!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 10: 17 weeks*

Fuzzy face!! 

I'll be interested to see what Dante looks like after his next haircut...we are starting to see a lot of grey on his belly, and some shock white patches on his tail and the bottoms of his feet.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 11: 18 weeks*

Here is a photo from our walk last night. A mile, twice a day, seems to be about right for him at the moment. I also managed to get a short walk in this morning before the rain started...it looks like the hurricane (Debbie?) might be on its way! 

Dante is getting better on the leash, although he still pulls a fair bit...he always does pretty well on the way home, though (assuming we don't pass any other people or dogs. If we do, all bets are off!). I am pretty encouraged by his progress though, even though we have a long way to go. I am basically teaching him that he needs to heel when we walk, unless I tell him otherwise. It is really only a loose heel...I basically just want him to be on my left and either next to or behind me, rather than out in front. He doesn't have to be glued to my side. It is pretty difficult, but he is responding to corrections pretty well, and is looking at me for direction much more than he used to. So I think we will get there. Maybe. Eventually. =)


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## LoveMyDogs (Jun 13, 2012)

Dante is so handsome! Love the pictures. I will be looking for the weekly updates. I love looking at furbaby pictures!


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

He looks so handsome. I like his color and fluffy fur.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks! 

My husband was sad yesterday, because he just discovered he now has THREE gray hairs. I told him maybe it was true what they say about people looking like their pets...I mean, Dante is just now starting to turn silver in some spots...! LOL he didn't think that was nearly as funny as I did. Hehehe, oh well. =D


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 12: 19 Weeks*

Dante and Mikey chilling in the backyard. Dante is big enough now that sometimes he actually play fights from a sitting or lying down position...and of course other times, he is more rambunctious. When he puts a paw on Mikey, his front leg is as long as Mikey's entire back! I always worry it will be too much for our poor mini, but he seems just fine.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 13: 20 Weeks*

Dante finally got groomed today! He is looking much sleeker now. =) 

He unfortunately still pees when he gets excited, so peed everywhere when he first greeted the groomer...also peed on our friend's foot last night, when she went to pet him (we always tell people to ignore him for 10 minutes or so until he calms down, but they never listen...argh!!). Someone please tell me they grow out of this! It isn't a submissive thing, I don't think, it is just excitement. Not sure if there is anything I can do??


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Very handsome!

And yes, they will grow out of the excited peeing. Sugar used to shower our shoes when we got home from work all the time. My hubby got him a bandana that said, "I'm so excited I could pee!" 

He rarely does it any more, though. 

--Q


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 14: 21 Weeks*

Almost forgot to snap a picture this week! We had guests for the weekend...Dante went totally berserk when they arrived, but I made him sit, and didn't let go of him until he calmed down. Not sure this was the best approach, but at least this way he didn't pee in excitement when he met everyone! I suppose we'll have to work on that...


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## KidWhisperer (Apr 3, 2012)

What a handsome guy! I love his silver face.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 15: 22 weeks*

Not naming names or anything, but SOMEone has been un-potting my marigolds and has potting soil on his muzzle! He is sooo busted!










It is hard to make out in the photos, but Dante now has a white (silver??) patch in the middle of his tail. How cool! I guess we will see more of this as time goes by. I'll try to get a better picture of it next time. He is also officially teething. The most hilarious thing I have ever seen is a puppy with no lower canines trying to play tug! Hehehehe! Poor guy. =)


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Dante is very, very handsome! It's amazing how fast they grow. That one of him with the marigold evidence on his chin is hilarious. It made me smile... until I thought of your poor marigolds.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 16: 23 Weeks*

Dante showing off the white streak in his tail. He is definitely going to be a silver boy!










This is off topic, but my husband participated in a police K-9 demonstration the other day, where he wore a padded suit and started running, and a Belgian Malinois chased him down and attacked him. This dog was incredible...very athletic, and would not let go of my 6'4, 230 lb husband for anything (knocked him right down, lol!). They told him to hype it up for the demo, to get the dog excited before the chase...it was the FUNNIEST thing EVER to see him jumping around in front of this dog waving his arms and yelling "I HAVE POODLES THAT ARE SCARIER THAN YOU!" Hahahaha! Anyway. Awesome to see working dogs do their thing, and was nice to come back to our lovable poodles after that demo!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 17: 24 Weeks*

I didn't have a chance to take a real photo this weekend, so here are my fuzzy cell phone shots...

Mikey is allowed upstairs, but Dante isn't, since Mikey free-feeds and his food is upstairs (we don't want Dante helping himself, which he would). We don't even have to close the baby gate anymore though, Dante just sits at the bottom of the stairs and waits for Mikey. It is so cute! When Mikey needs an escape from puppy antics, he just hangs out on the steps where he can see everyone, and Dante knows not to bother him.


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

How cute!!!! Thank you for sharing stories like this. Dante looks blue with sunshine on him. They are both so adorable.


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Mikey'sMom said:


> This is off topic, but my husband participated in a police K-9 demonstration the other day, where he wore a padded suit and started running, and a Belgian Malinois chased him down and attacked him. This dog was incredible...very athletic, and would not let go of my 6'4, 230 lb husband for anything (knocked him right down, lol!). They told him to hype it up for the demo, to get the dog excited before the chase...it was the FUNNIEST thing EVER to see him jumping around in front of this dog waving his arms and yelling "I HAVE POODLES THAT ARE SCARIER THAN YOU!" Hahahaha! Anyway. Awesome to see working dogs do their thing, and was nice to come back to our lovable poodles after that demo!


Lol. I know this is an old post but I have to comment. Our poodles train us well. Lol.


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Weeks 18: 25 Weeks*


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Weeks 19: 26 Weeks*

Dante with his new tug rope! 

He has recently started "helping" us when we load the dishwasher, by bringing his ball and depositing it neatly in the bottom rack. He has also discovered that he can push the buttons on the dishwasher with his nose...hmm, we might have to start using the button-lock feature, or our dishes will end up EXTRA clean!


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## Kor1029 (Aug 9, 2012)

your boys are so cute


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Week 20: 27 Weeks*

Showing off his new haircut...










Prancing with Mikey...










Dante being cute...


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Dante: ~9 months*

I haven't posted a photo in a while, but here is Dante at a little over 9 months. He really liked the dog show on Thanksgiving, as you can see! He kept looking behind the TV to see where the dogs were...too funny!

He got fixed a couple weeks ago, and we also had his stomach tacked, hence him looking a little scraggly...no baths allowed for a couple more days until he has his stitches out. The vet also removed a bunch of sticks and twigs from his stomach, which we didn't even know he was eating, so no more unsupervised trips outside until he loses interest in being a puppy garbage disposal!

The good news is, we introduced Dante to frisbees recently, and he LOVES it! First time out, he was catching them as we rolled them across the ground and bringing them right back. He already loves catching his other toys, so I think he'll be good at catching frisbees once we teach him the game. Yay!!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

*Dante is 1 today!*

I haven't posted a photo in a while, but since it's Dante's 1st birthday, I thought I would! We took him for his first trip to the dog park today, and he did great! We had never taken him before, since it is a bit of a haul from our house, and he has his mpoo buddy Mikey at home. When we move later this year, I'll have to make sure we live near a park, because he LOVED it, and it was soooo much easier wearing him out at the big park than in our backyard! He was a little timid around the other dogs at first, and mostly just paid attention to the people, but after a little while he got braver and played with some of them. 

The fire hydrant is fake, which I thought was hilarious.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

:cake:HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANTE! It was my birthday yesterday! And my Mom took me to the groomer! I got a pink pedicure & a new toy! Hope your Mom gets you a new toy too!

:birthday:
from
Molly


P.S. You look VERY handsome!:kiss2:


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## petitpie (Nov 16, 2011)

Happy Birthday, Dante!


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

MollyMuiMa said:


> I got a pink pedicure & a new toy! Hope your Mom gets you a new toy too!


Happy Birthday to you too! We didn't get him a new toy, but we did get some silly dog treats from the local dog bakery to celebrate...Dante got the "hamburger", Mikey got the "peanut butter cup." Mikey played with his and licked it for 5 minutes before getting around to eating it...Dante just ate his all in one gulp. HA!


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

Just saw pictures of Dante they do look alike, Charlie likes to watch animals on TV too. I don't know how to post pics on here. The funny thing you groom Dante just like we do, no Pom Pom -- he is a boy after all


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

Sorry to be rude, Happy Birthday Dante


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## Mikey'sMom (Feb 21, 2012)

Spooluvr, I think the easiest way to post pictures is to click on the paperclip icon when you reply to a thread. Then you just select the file from your computer that you want to post and hit "upload."

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone!


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