Growing by leaps and bounds!

Much, much puppy news these days. I have been growing like crazy--and I have fur! No more trips to the vet for dips, no more smelly baths, and no more nakedness! My back has fur, my face and neck have fur, I have fur on my legs, and there's just soft black fur all over me. I look like I should--that is, like all the other Black Lab pups on YouTube. (Have to go with that, since I've never seen a Black Lab in these parts, and my memory of my dog mom is getting a bit fuzzy--or furry, as the case may be.) But as you can see from my lovely photo, I'm now proud of my looks. It just took awhile.

I've been learning lots of things. I'm almost trained, and go to the gate between the kitchen and the hallway when I need to go out. I have learned that those tasty little treats that come out of a red crackly bag on the upstairs bookshelf are meant just for me, and I get one every time I run to the door of my crate and wait to go in. (This involves jumping and barking because I'm so excited with the thought of those yummy little things.) And, I've learned that after a long day at work, Mom and Dad will spend hours playing with me in the evening--but if I go nuts and "get bitey", I have to go into my crate. I've also learned to jump up on the bed and wake Mom up in the morning, because Dad almost always hears me first. I've learned to walk on the leash and not act like an idiot, and walks in the neighborhood are pretty enjoyable. I've learned that it is hard to walk on ice, and that you fall down if you run on it. And another thing: I eat in the laundry room by myself, and am left there for a few minutes while the big dogs eat. When someone comes to the door to let me back into the family room, I hold my dish in my mouth and look cute--and I've learned that I get extra hugs and pats for that.

Now, for what everyone else in the house has learned lately. First, teething dogs are hell on shoestrings and Mom and Dad wear them at great risk. Pups can be easily distracted by cats, which results in a chase either up or down past the person walking on the stairs. A 20-pound bag of Science Diet Large Puppy dog food doesn't last long. Shopping at PetSmart is an activity, not a spectator sport. And, of course, my basic Lab need to chomp on something has resulted in a slight hole in the leather couch, a stuffed squirrel with no more tail, and a VERY large and tough Pterodactyl dog toy which is always underfoot in the family room. They've also learned I am now tall enough to reach things on the kitchen counter, and were quite surprised to find me grabbing leftovers from the kitchen sink as they disappeared down the garbage disposal. Mom cannot run it when I'm in the room until I learn better kitchen manners!

So, what have you learned lately?

Hawkeye