Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached adolescence.

There are two things that I have read about when it comes to adopting a puppy: one is the adolescence phase, and one is the honeymoon phase.

These can be marked by misbehavior, and just general brattiness. But it can cause even patient dog owners to have adopter's remorse, and sometimes even return the dog in question.

I have realized that not only has Miles reached adolescence, but the honeymoon phase is officially over.

This has been marked by sleeping less, pulling the leash more when we walk together, INCESSANT barking, an unhealthy fascination with catbox snacks, and doing things like eating my knitting.

I have been working on a sweater for the past two weeks, and I looked away for one second, and there was a portion of it in shreds. This is what it looks like now:



It took quite a bit of repair, but it looks better, and with only a few snags, which I can live with (because they're on the wrong side, as opposed to the right side, which you are now looking at).

I have chosen to take this as an educational experience and have been working harder to not leave things out in the open for him to get. I now keep all of my knitting in a laundry basket, and keep it on top of the washer.

The barking...oh my goodness, the barking. He barks at everything. I mean, everything. We have to keep the door closed because he barks out the door. We have to keep the curtains closed because he will bark at the window. He has taken to barking at the television today.

We have been trying to work with him, but it is hard to get a dog to stop barking. The reason for this is that barking is part of a dog's instinct - dogs will bark when their protective instinct kicks in, and there's not much a dog owner can do to fight that. Dog owners sometimes take the route of debarking surgery, but I am of the opinion that it's as cruel as declawing a cat - which is to say, way too cruel to even consider. So, we are going the training route, with the "shush" command, and it's not working so much at the moment, but I'm hopeful.

In spite of all of his crazy bratty antics, which I must admit are few and far between, he still makes me laugh pretty much constantly. I also have to put into perspective that he's only six months old, and that if we continue to be diligent in his training, then he'll continue to be a great dog.

Next up for us is clicker training. We aren't going to start doing it until we absolutely know what we're doing - if we're not careful and educated in our approach, then we could reverse the training we've already done with him, at which he is now a total champ. I actually am really excited to start it - I think it will take him to a whole new level as far as his training is concerned, and we will be able to get him to do adorable things, like smiling on command (which is something we've REALLY been wanting to do), rolling over, all that other good and fun stuff now that we've mastered things like wait, sit, down, come, etc.

So, the next chapter will be exciting. We've got lots more to cover, and we will continue to learn more about Miles every day. He's such a good boy.

Miles Graduated From Puppy Class, and the Effects of Neutering

Yay! Watch this video:




We finally made it! I have to say, puppy class had its moments of being totally frustrating, but all in all, totally worth it. It was just as much a class for me as it was for him - I learned that consistency is key, and that focus on me as his owner (particularly with leash walking) was the most important part. And she was right - if I could get him to focus on me, I could pretty much get him to do anything.

What's next? Either Obedience I (which might wait a little while so that we can do some work with him first), or clicker training. I'm thinking the latter might be more effective, but we'll see.

Also, his neuter surgery went very well, or so I thought. He endured the 10 days with a cone (which, we found out, only about 5% of dogs need...lucky Miles!) and all was well.

Then, one of his sutures came outside of his body. I'm not even really sure how that happens
(they're supposed to be dissolvable), but it did, and it got infected. In the research that I've done, it says that it can take weeks for stitches to dissolve. Another stitch has come out, so I am hoping that with the antibiotics and healing, we'll just be able to pull this new one right out eventually.

Anywho, that's about the only change. He's still the happy, energetic boy that we love, and maybe a little more mellow, but not much. :) Which is exactly how I like it. Does he feel like hell on wheels sometimes? Are you kidding? Of course. When I bring him to work with me, I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I get in my seat to actually, you know, do work. But he makes me laugh pretty much constantly, so it's a good tradeoff. :)

He's such a good boy. :)

Remembering.

My grandfather passed away this morning.

When I think about dogs, my mind has always gone immediately to my grandparents - they had dogs the entire time we were growing up...cocker spaniels, in fact. They had another dog when I was young named Sheba, but I don't remember what kind of dog she was.

When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather was so lonely. The summer after my first year of college, I lived with him, but I knew that would only be a temporary abatement to how terrible he was feeling. Shortly after the next school year started and I had moved out, my grandfather decided one day that he wanted a dog. So, that very day (hey, when his mind was made up, his mind was made up!), he looked in the paper and went and picked up Sam.

This is Sam (Picture courtesy of my cousin Nicki):


If there were a picture in the dictionary of the human-animal bond, it would be my grandfather and Sam. They talk about dogs finding their "person", how our animals actually pick us, and not the other way around, and these two were a perfect example. Sam NEVER left my grandfather's side for a minute until he went into the veteran's home. He came into my grandfather's life at a time where my grandfather was so in need of a companion, and Sam delivered, and then some.

There are so many things about my grandfather that I aspire to in my own daily life, and actively practicing unconditional love, every day, is the big one. My grandfather always showed so much unconditional love for his family, both human and animal alike. Sam was only too happy to give that right back to him, and so much more. I can only hope that we are growing that bond with Miles every day. If we are successful, then and only then will we be good pet parents.

Sam, you're such a good boy.