Presa Family Reunion!

It’s a Presa Family Reunion!

Tonka and Lola hadn’t seen their family in months, so we drove right on over to see them. At first Indio (their dad on the far left, red brindle) stood guard, like the good Presa Canario that he is. Then Hana (grandma, on the far right, red brindle) and Avva (mom in the middle, fawn) came over to see what was up.

It was a barkfest!

Tonka and Lola kept their cool, showing respect for their elders. Their tails were “windmilling” a million mph… So happy to see more doggies like themselves!

Tonka and Lola are so excited!

Big Mama Hana is the ultimate grandma!

I wonder if they remember each other? Grandma Hana sure seemed to have remembered them – she followed them back and forth and even nuzzled through the fence… She was the one who nurtured them as pups, back in the day… Aww…

Tonka and Lola are 22 weeks old in these photos.

Babies at the Beach!

It’s another beach day for the dynamic duo! Tonka and Lola still don’t like the water much, but there’s so much else to do at the beach!

Tonka and Lola love to take walks and play in the sand.

Tonka and Lola made a new friend visiting from the States. The little boy wasn’t even a year old yet, and he already knew he loved dogs. He kept giggling and pointing at Lola. So when she came close, very carefully and delicately, he reached out touched her nose. Massive giggles ensued! 🙂 Gotta love the kiddos…

I don't know who was more fascinated by whom! 🙂

After visiting with the little boy we came upon a Bull Terrier puppy who was just as playful and silly as Tonka and Lola! He was tiny in comparison, but he didn’t even notice. He was having too much fun! 🙂

Tonka and Lola had a great time playing with a fellow puppy!

Phew! Fieldtrips to the beach always tucker us out.  What a wonderful day in the sand, making new friends…

After a fun-filled day at the beach, Tonka and Lola were *out*!

Tonka and Lola are 21 weeks old in these photos.

Bathtime!

Bathtime isn’t always fun, but it sure is necessary! Lola does not enjoy getting wet, though she’s an expert in getting dirty… She loves to do some “gardening” at home, roll around in the mud at the park, splash in puddles as we walk down the street and dig a napping hole in the sand at the beach…

She's not loving this one bit... 😀

Big Boy Tonka… He’s a very special doggie… He likes to do all the messy things that his sister, Lola, likes to do… However, he stays perfectly still for his bath. We like to lather them up on a warm, sunny day (lots of those in PR!), rinse off with the cool hose water, towel dry and let them air dry. “Wash and go!”

Tonka's such a good sport!

All done! Now let’s see those beautiful baby milk teeth!

Presa Dad wants to see Tonka's baby teeth...

I guess it’s time for Mama Presa and Presa Dad to shower… After all that shaking, we’re completely wet anyway! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 21 weeks old in these photos.

A Day in the Life of a Presa Puppy

Puppies, like children, need, crave and thrive on structure. Tonka and Lola have a routine and they like to stick to it! 🙂 They are our alarm every morning at 6am sharp. Not sure how they do that, but I’m impressed every day. Then we go through the day executing several tasks and end up sleeping like babies. All four of us! 🙂

Here’s a sample schedule for our day:

6am               – WAKE UP! (bark bark!)

7-8am           – Walk, Train, Play in the Park

8-9am           – Breakfast

9am – 3pm   – Nap while the humans work

3pm – 5pm   – Play outside while the humans keep working

5pm – 6pm   – Dinnertime!

6-8pm           – Walk, Train, Play in the Park

8pm- 9pm    – Relax in the yard/patio

9pm               – Lights out!

Lola sits patiently on her Place for the next command.

Tonka takes a break in his Place.

The wooden chair feels so good whiles she’s teething.

Tonka loves to sink his teeth into the soft wood.

Tonka and Lola love to playfight in the park!

Lola tackles Tonka in the grassy park.

Tonka and Lola are on their best behavior at dinnertime.

After a full day of puppy activities, Tonka knocks out in a full stretch!

Lola loves to sleep belly up, cute as bug in a rug!

Now that Basic Obedience Training classes have started, we take our schedule very seriously.  This class is no joke! Situated in the Plaza Las Americas parking lot, it’s 2 action-packed hours of learning various exercises then practicing them. Popeye, the class instructor from the FCI is watchful and demanding, but also very nurturing and helpful. Presa Canarios are notorious for being hard-headed and willful, but Tonka and Lola are doing quite well…most of the time! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 19 weeks old in these photos.

One more week!

Ok, so Tonka is very strong, smart and stubborn. He is, after all, a Presa Canario. After much work and patience on our part to keep his ear bandages in place, at least they lasted a week. So, back to the vet we went for the last time. The doctor was so patient and happy to see Tonka again. Not because he had to redo the bandages, but because he has a soft spot in his heart for Tonka. 🙂

We went for a short walk to explore the rugged terrain near Barceloneta after seeing the vet.

Ah… fresh ocean air… seamist splashing on your face… the sun shining down… relax…

It looks like they’re kissing but they’re actullay tugging on a rope!

The rope is tied to the window bars… I hope they don’t pull them off!

Of course, we stopped by the beach near Barceloneta to explore a new area. We love adventure! There’s this spot that looks like it came right out of a Sci-Fi movie – a crater like formation right on the water! We took a slow, easy walk on the rugged terrain and took in the fresh, salty ocean breeze and wonderful sunshine.

Then we went home for some yummy dinner and playtime!

Another dog day in paradise!

Tonka and Lola are 18 weeks old in these photos.

Recovery Time

Tonka’s recovery was not easy… The poor little guy went through a lot of pain, Lola was lonely and nobody got any sleep. His ears drooped a bit during the second week of recovery. The vet said it was normal and placed the bandages on again. This time a bit more securely and they lasted a little longer. The hard-headed guy kept trying to find ways to take them off…

Presa Mama has too much fun on the iPhone waiting for Tonka’s vet appointment to wrap up.

Tonka’s surgery looks nice…at a price…

No matter where we go, Tonka and Lola are happy to hang out!

Moral of the story: provide plenty of toys!!!

At 17 weeks old, they still fit on the bench together… kind of!

Recuperating from surgery, Tonka enjoys the view from the old fortress.

Once Tonka felt well enough we headed out to Old San Juan to wander around Fort El Morro and rest in the shade of Plaza Colon. It’s always so nice to spend time with my Presa Babies! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 17 weeks old in these photos.

Tonka’s New Friends

Tonka and Lola took turns going to the park with PresaMama one afternoon. The idea was to bond with a leisurely stroll but….. the energetic kids at the playground had a different idea:

PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!

Three-year-old Neni liked to pet and sit next to her huge, gentle friend.

At only 10 years old, *** asked a lot of good questions about Tonka, including how to take care of him and how he compares to other breeds.

This is Tonka’s fave place to jump! Only twice though – I didn’t want to deal with any injuries!

Eight-year-old *** became and expert dog walker by the time we left the park!

Tonka greets his friend on the way to the park almost every day.

 

I was so impressed with how gentle they were with the little ones. It’s as if they know the difference between adults and kids! We played chase all around the park and through the basketball court… climbed on the jungle gym… Tonka even jumped off a couple of times! He only went down the slide once, though. Not his cup of tea, I imagine.

Two of the kids even learned how to properly walk Tonka on leash. Wow, they learn so fast – both doggie and kiddo!

The Perro de Presa Canario is truly a noble breed.

Tonka is 16 weeks old in these photos.

Reunited and It Feels So Good!

Time to take those bandages off and BE FREEEEEEEE!!!!!

Tonka and Lola were finally reunited and inseparable!

They truly did everything together this week!

This is how we climb piles of debris in the park together.

This is how we “down and relax” after our walk.

This is how we sit before coming inside. 🙂

This is how we eat together.

This is how we play on the beach.

This is how we explore all those smells on the beach.

This is how we nap in our crate after we explore and play on the beach.

Tonka and Lola are 16 weeks old in these photos.

Inseparable Siblings

Having a twin must be amazing. Can you imagine being with someone every day of your existence from conception? From birth to potty training? Eating and drinking from the same bowls? Sleeping and using each other as pillows? Playing and playfighting? Learning to walk on leash and how to sit, competing for treats?

Presa Dad’s laces were no match for their fast moves!

They even hang out under their minivan! 🙂

If only they knew how easy it would be to knock it down with thier big puppy paws… 🙂

Just enjoying the sunshine and soft grass.

Tonka and Lola must be having a wonderful time sharing everything together, learning, growing… So as we made Tonka’s appointment for ear cropping surgery in a week, I couldn’t help to think: Wow, they’re really going to miss each other while he recuperates…

Until then, let just keep having fun! After all, don’t we just love the way canines “live in the moment”? 

Tonka and Lola are 14 weeks old in these photos.

Coconut Toy

 Tonka and Lola love to explore and make toys out of anything they find! Coconuts are ubiquitous in Puerto Rico and once the puppies found one, they went nuts! 🙂 (Heh, heh, pun intended)

She *loves* napping in the crate. She’s such an angel while she sleeps…

So scrumptious! Now maybe he’ll leave my plants alone? 😀

Tonka and Lola in a rare moment of sharing nicely. 🙂

Tonka keeps on munching, but Lola loves the camera… What a diva! 😉

Coconuts make great toys because there’s so much to chew and tear off. The puppies love to hear the water inside slosh around as they shake them from side to side. Some dogs have been known to crack the inside shell and eat the meat too! Tonka and Lola aren’t interested in that. They just want to take it apart and move on… 🙂  

As with any toy, natural or manmade, puppies must be supervised for safety.

Tonka and Lola are 13 weeks in these photos.