Sunday, April 27, 2014

5 Months Old

Biscuit's Notes:  Will you check out how BIG I am?!  I don't even fit on that little pillow anymore, but I still love it.  It is MY spot.  I am a busy guy.  I have plans almost every day and I get to go to the best places.  I find meetings boring, but I can sit through them (unless I REALLY need to go and then I make a fuss :-P)  I do like to go to the store and if I look at Susan instead of following my nose I get lots of treats.  I like treats.  Check me out playing the "leave it" game,  I get to eat those treats when Susan says "free!"  I like that game but it seems to be getting longer and longer the more we play.  I also like to go places like Pittsburgh because everyone LOVES me!  I am the best dog around.  I even went to a class with other dogs and I was the best!
 
Lia's Notes:  I am here too you know.  Anything that puppy can do, I can do better.  I am not eating the treats either in the "leave it" game and I know I am better at it because I can get to the treats faster.  He really is not a bad dog to have around but I do not like that he gets to leave the house and I am stuck at home.


 Susan's Notes:  I think he is doing pretty well.....but I am not sure because I am not sure what to compare him to.  We went to our first "puppy class" and I really do think he was the best in the room (though I have to admit all we learned was sit and look at me, I THINK he should have these down by now!), but then I fill out his information for PAWS and I worry that he barks when he is scared (and he is scared of the dark, fog, certain dogs, people with brooms, and things that flap in the night), he does not like his nails trimmed, is my constant shadow....except when he is not and most of all he has a personality.  He is VERY smart but he is also stubborn.  If he does not want to do something he sometimes will chose not to do it.  However, I am smarter and this is not often an issue because I won't let it be.  Does he chase things?  No, but maybe I am not giving him a chance to chase things?  Does he get along with cats?  No idea!  Does he have free run of the house?  Yes...is this wrong?  I learned that I need to learn more about the rules for PAWS Dogs.
However, he is great when we go to the store, or out to a restaurant and I was really proud of him yesterday.  Saturdays are our BUSY days and we started at Eat N Park where he was great and then traveled to Pittsburgh for a long fundraising walk.  He was pretty good (I won't say he did not have a few moments that need improvement, but overall good) and proved to be a special treat for a really special little girl (pictured above).  Then we ran to the mall where other than being to tired to move was well behaved.  He went on to do well at a restaurant and then grocery shopping and back home.  He is doing so well I am going to take him to the salon...for MY appointment this week and hope he does equally well.  
I think we are ready to start working on the hard stuff.  I need to learn, what is that and how? 


Saturday, April 12, 2014

Biscuit goes to the Store

Biscuit's Notes:  I found a new favorite place!  It has moving doors, carts with wheels, lots of people to love me and SMELLS!  Lots of fun smells.  I want to go back and explore all the smells!  I know I shouldn't but I tried to follow them a few times until I got tugged back in place.  I am also not sure about that big black wheeled monster.  He was quiet and did not attack me but I was still a little wary of him.
Lia's Notes:  They left me behind.  Again.  Oh well, time to get caught up on my reading!
Susan's Notes:  He was soooo good, the picture is worth posting twice.  I was a little nervous about taking him to the grocery store, but he did so well.  He walked at a heal (until smells distracted him and that really was not that bad), paid attention to me, sat on command and was overall on his best behavior and this was AFTER I took him to the doctor with me and he was on his best behavior there too.  The only problem we had was when it was time to check out.  I don't know if it was the sounds, the people, the cart or just too much but he lost focus and wanted to leave before I was ready to.  Something we will have to work on, but isn't attention span something every little one needs to work on?  :-)  We hope to continue the good work and next time try a busier time of the day or maybe even a bigger cart.....though I need to learn and practice how to juggle a puppy AND a cart....it takes some skills.  Something to learn for next time......


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

4 Months Old




Biscuit's Notes:  Can you tell I am everyone's best friend?  Everyone I meet loves me because I am such a great little puppy.  That big soft pillowy dog absolutely LOVED me, he let me just sleep right on him!  That little dog loved me too!  She let me chase her all over the house and loved to play hide and seek.  That baby loves me too.  He even knows how to say my name and screams it all the time:  NO!  No! No. 


Lia's Notes:  Ok I know everyone thinks the puppy is SO special, and I admit he was cute for a while but look at how BIG that furball is!  It has gotten old, believe me when he plays his favorite game:  walk Lia (grabbing on to my collar and tugging) he does not look little or cute.  I am busy busy busy teaching him all my tricks.  I have taught him how to give ME the bones, how to dig in the yard and be the one that gets in trouble and how to switch food (so I get the yummy puppy stuff!).  I also steal all the treats when I can lie down on command.  The silly puppy just sits there, no treats for him!   Yep, I am still the queen of this house.  That is until he gets to go on all the fun outings and I get left behind and can't decide if I am really sad and jealous or just grateful for a few minutes peace and quiet. 


Susan's Notes:  This puppy sure has grown.  I look at him and I don't see much of a puppy any more.  He is almost ready to be a dog and all his learning and training is really starting to show.  All of that little stuff we have been working on is starting to add up.  He is almost 100% completely house-trained, crate-trained and working on being obedience trained.  Working on it.  He went to the vet and was a little bit of an embarrassment showing off only his ENERGY.  Since then we have been working harder and harder to get that energy out in more productive ways like long walks including the mall.  He also gets to run errands with me, go out to eat and for real treats: go back to work!  I think he prefers my babysitting, to going to the library and sitting quietly: can you believe that?  Both prove to be a challenge for ME because I have to teach him to be on his best behavior no matter where we are.  He LOVES attention and sometimes keeping his attention on me is a great battle.  We are also fighting his fears of:  the dark, other dogs, brooms, garbage cans, and a few other things.  We are also fighting against his stubbornness, I don't know why but he HATES to lie down!  He can do it, but this one is harder to train and we will have to keep working.  Even though he may look like a young dog we both have a lot of learning left to do and can always keep getting better.