DAY OFF March 15, 2008

 Kenai, aka, Sasquatch! With Mom (caught ya again with a breathe right strip!), 10 wks old. Not the best pic, I hate getting blue eyes from the flash, but you get some idea of the SUV sized paws. Dane pups don’t patter: having the boys running behind you sounds like a rhino herd…

Kenai and I had a day off from “formal” play training and public manners. I’m feeling cruddy from the rainy weather, and thankful he isn’t at all phased by lightening and thunder. We had a very long day yesterday with errands and I think I overestimated his tolerance of going new places. He’s been a bit anxious about the car, which I don’t think is unusual because that is where he spent 2 days crated on the drive home, and they do make associations easily at this age.

But this morning when we HAD to go to the small local pet store for his probiotics, he really resisted going into the garage and cried in the seat some. So when we got there, I just dropped the leash and let him play. It was quiet, only 2 other people and no dogs, so we just played. He romped all over the little store, picked out a new squeaky toy and a chew for himself, climbed his big butt on somebody’s lap, freely gave out slobbery kisses, and occupied himself testing out all the dog beds on the floor.

He did have to be disciplined for trying to gnaw on a dog house, for the third time. But we both had fun, really. And we both needed the day off–him to just be a puppy and me to enjoy it. No “gotta teach him this” and “gotta work on that”. Just puppy fun and games. Later when I went to the garage to get something out for supper, he jogged his happy little puppy tush right in. He’s so self assured and composed that it is easy to forget he’s not quite 10 weeks old. Lesson learned.

On a less than happy note, I came across a posting about a large veterinary study of bloat, and added the results to the page about it. That and puppy vacinations are the two most frequently read pages. And should be, I suppose. Bloat is the #1 killer of Danes.

Little mister BB is also having puppy fun, though the cold rain makes his slow short walks impractical today. The cold doesn’t take long to make him shiver, so coat sewing time for me. He is still a rumpus puppy, gimpy leg or not, so he gets lots of couch play. He and Mom are getting along well, but he has to start proper leash training.

He gets under your feet, between your legs, cuts in front of you, leash or no leash. I almost fell over him 3 times in two days now. The last one really hurt when I caught myself rather than step on him. So Mom and I have come up with a plan that will take into account his limitations.

So it’s been a pleasant Saturday, achey or not from the dreary weather. Hopefully, yours was too. Advice for a good day: If you have a puppy, enjoy them. They grow up and leave us too fast not to.

Then God said “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their own kind…and God saw that it was good.” Gen 1:24-25