Update Post

Three new pages are up!

I haven't been able to find much time for computer lately due to new puppy. He's over the fear-pee thing (mostly) and is taking well to his routine. He sleeps through the night and has begun switching over from chewing things that don't belong to him to killing the knotted Rag and stuffed Mr. Monkey instead.

He is now reliably performing "sit", and is close to mastering "lay down." He's a bit fuzzy on "pee" but a few more repetitions should transform him into a living, voice-activated sprinkler system.

He's mastered "Not for dogs" and "No, come this way" but is still not coming to me every time I call him. I got some little training kibbles to help condition him to do this, and they're working pretty well so far. He will go in the bathroom and sit in his snuggly kitty bed without balking, but still whines and cries if I pen him in there and leave him alone for ten minutes. I ignore his theatrics; no dog of mine will ever get his way by throwing fits.

We're going to start crate training as soon as I know how big a kennel to get (he's still growing). He loves his vinyl zippy-kennel and will sit contentedly in there playing with his toys for hours if I'm in the room, but he chewed the zipper off after the first time I shut it on him and went to pee. Now it can't be closed anymore at all. Oh, there was heartache when he did that shit. Heartache and bitter apple spray. And then more heartache as he chewed it up again.

He's learning to fetch a ball and give it back for me to throw again. The big projects are confinement training (so I can leave him alone in the house without coming home to any how-could-you-leave-me-alone-with-all-this-furniture-to-tear-up drama) and teaching him to come and get me when he needs to go outside, instead of just pissing on the floor. He'll cut it out midstream and wait til I get the leash if I catch him in the act, bless his brainless little self, but it'll be nice when he at least knows to whimper or go get his leash and communicate his suffering.

He's sleeping a lot due to boredom so today I'm going to rig up a runner line in the yard and play fetch with him. Ten bucks says he ends up wrapped around a tree looking like God just kicked his ass.

In other news, I'm listening to the final Harry Potter book and totally hooked on it. I expect to have finished it by Saturday's update, at which point I can finally read comments and hang out online again. Well, if the Captain leaves me enough free time in between driving me bugshit and being absolutely adorable.

You know, I talk a lot of shit, but there is nothing quite as wonderful as the devotion and affection of a quiet, calm dog. If only I could stop fantasizing about roasting him at a luau, we'd be bestest friends.