Doggie Incontinence

Well, ours is new. Sort of. We raise pups for Canine Companions for Independence, and offered to take an older puppy who needed re-homing, instead of an eight-week-old baby. We've done this before, and it's always interesting.

So Yan (a Lab/Golden cross) arrived last Saturday. Yan. Not Yam. Not Juan. Not what you do when you're sleepy. It's as if he were a German dog named John. Yahn. I don't know who picked out the name.

So now he has to find out that these strangers are the boss of him now. I think he's surprised to find out there are still the same rules! When I put his cape and his Gentle Leader on him, he looked amazed (to use your word). In the last week he has tried all the naughty stuff he can come up with to see what he can get away with. Open a closet door for five seconds to hang something up, and he can grab a shoe and be off with it! Fastest mouth in the west.

But he's a kid (eight months old), and that's what kids do. He's settling down, bit by bit. He's had good teaching before, and I think he'll turn out all right.

I hope your dog is feeling happier now. Dogs know when they've done something they shouldn't, even if no one says anything. We've had pups get hold of things they shouldn't and, instead of sneaking away, they'll come show me what they have in their mouths.

I picked up a friend's daughter from preschool recently with our dog, a wild and enthusiastic stick chaser who loves to wrestle for the stick with me. On our way back we let him off leash in the dog park for a little romp. Instead of bringing the stick to me to wrestle though, he walked over to my little neighbor, dropped the stick at her feet and stepped back a few feet to give her space to pick it up and throw it. He sensed that she was too little to wrestle but wanted to invite her in on the game. I've never seen him do that before.

I'm so glad to hear your poochie is doing better! :)

Our new pup wakes me up at 6am w/a howl ready for the day and for interaction. LOL. I don't mind! ;)

Growing up, we could always tell when our dogs misbehaved because they would walk around moping. Then we would have to look around for the problem, and after we found it and administered the appropriate discipline, they would perk up and be happy again. So funny.

Glad your dog is doing better!