Tug's busy weekend

Tug went to a paw park with his entourage (Mama, my sister and me) on Saturday. As usual, he's more interested in the owners than the dogs. I was wearing a long khaki skirt and he kept hiding under it and peeking out. I'm used to that but when the schnoodle and italian greyhound tried to join him under there I drew the line!! The ground was a little wet and I was sitting at a bench which had no grass around it. Since Mama and my sister were moving around (talking to owners, petting dogs and trying to get Tug to play) I became "home base." So, khaki skirt, dirt/damp earth and a puppy who wanted into my lap. Care to guess what my skirt looked like?? He's lucky he's so cute. Oh, well, just a word to the wise- don't go to the paw park if paw prints will embarrass you. Since I was his "home base" the others all decided I was theirs, too, so I had all sizes of prints on me. It actually would make a cute outfit if done deliberately and with fabric paint!

Sunday my aunt came to visit and Tug doesn't see her much but no one could doubt he was happy she was there. He got so overheated during his 20 minutes of hyper and nearly hysterical greeting that his body was just radiating heat. We put him in his living room crate to calm down and when he came out he was all over her again. Maybe it's because she has cats...

Monday, another friend came to visit and he was a little more subdued. Oh, he was hyper and bouncy but not to the point of nearly making himself ill. Maybe he's learning???

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer...

So, Tug's second crate sits between our two recliners in the living room and the door faces the front door. I'm standing by the front door and pick up a toy and throw it to the opposite side of the room- behind the crate. Boy Genius takes the shortest route and therefore ends up standing in the open crate staring out the back wall at the toy which is just a few feet past him. He paws at the back wall a moment until he realizes he needs to exit the crate, circle round and pick up the toy. (sigh) Worse- the next day he did it for Mama! It's a good thing he's not having to live out on the streets...

Tonight, Tug was asleep in my lap and I was testing how deep it was by saying his name and words like walk and toy. He didn't flinch or bat an eyelash or twitch an ear- until I said "treat" (very quietly). Suddenly, he's wide awake and looking at the treat jar on the mantle nearby. Geez!

The picture below was taken this weekend. Our boy is 6 months!

A great morning at Paw Park!

Yet another paw park visit

The weather has cooled off enough that Mama can go out with Tug. We went together today and he met several other dogs in the "small dog" section. He wanted to play with their owners so badly that he even braved the other dogs to reach the people...obviously, Tug still hasn't realized he's not a "people." He did get in some good running around and we visited a doggie parlor right across the street and bought him a frozen strawberry treat. He liked it but was pretty distracted so we brought the rest home.

Tug is a championship "sigher." He sighs as much as any teenage girl out in public with a parent. Today, I was petting him and he just heaved a sigh, picked up his toy and moved a few feet away. Snubbed by a puppy...my social life has hit a new low...

Bark Remedy! (mostly works)

Tug barks whenever he's tired and we put him in the crate in Mama's room to sleep. Not good. So, we cleverly got another crate for the living room and he now gets put in there- out where he can see us and hear us. He doesn't bark so much now though he's also not getting the same quality sleep...

Mama took him to a paw park and he got to meet two Bostons and some other assorted, LARGER breeds. Since he's not fully socialized he mostly ran from the other dogs (which they thought was an invitation to play "chase"). He wouldn't always be by Mama to hide behind her legs so he'd hide behind anyone's legs- including the owners of the other dogs...