Day 159 in 2020 (isolation puppy days)

She's a smart cookie. Maybe as smart as Gimli, but that still remains to be seen. At just nine weeks old she knows her name and comes running to it. She knows sit and give paw without flaw. She knows lay down, roll over, spin, look at me, and high five very well, and just this weekend she started learning leave it to great success. We've been three days without an accident in the house not just because we are taking her out on a schedule, which we are, but also because she has started taking us to the front door when she needs to go out, or barking if to alert us she needs to if she is in her crate. Speaking of which, she is napping three times a day in her crate happily and mostly at peace, and is sleeping through the night without fail, even if she does have a fairly early wake up time as yet (after which she will successfully go back into her crate and let us get another hour ro so of sleep). She is a true gift.

(Note the treat on her paw which she is waiting to take until I tell her she can...it's hard to find in all the spots).

Day 155 in 2020 (islation days...with a puppy)

Fetch is a great way to help a dog get much needed exercise. True it's not quite as a desirable as a good long-lead hike or a meandering sniffari, but since those are not always options, fetch can wear a high energy dog out in a fraction of the time. Fetch training, then, is an important early lesson. There was a time when I was concerned that Gimli would not learn to fetch successfully. I look back and laugh at myself for that now, and then I set April in the yard to watch the master.

Day 154 in 2020 (isolation days...with a puppy)

One of the keys to successful house training (and not just potty training, but also no-chew training, or respect for property) is controlling a puppy's environment. We use a combination of baby gates, leashes, and the crate to make sure we always know where April is, what she is doing, and what she has access to. She is never out of our sight, and usually she is actually leashed to one of us. If we can't watch her carefully for a little bit she  goes in her crate with a fun toy. With these precautions we can usually catch her before a mistake occurs, be that a potty mistake or a chewing mistake, and catching before they happen means we can avoid the rooting of bad habits, not to mention we can avoid cleaning up messes and replacing lost possessions. We followed these rules with Gimli to what seemed like great success, and it appears to be working a second time as well. No shoes chewed, no accidents, another successful day (even if she does look a little sad behind that gate).

Day 153 in 2020 (isolation days...with puppy)

Sleeping through the night, one or fewer accidents in the house per day, already knows her name, sit, down, roll over, and give paw. Plus she and Gimli are doing so well. New today we started actual short walks in the neighborhood. The 8-11 week age range is a fear period for puppies, so new experiences can be scary, and it's vitally important that all new experiences go well becuase the ones that don't can imprint for life, so we're taking it slowly and using a lot treats to link new experiences with yummy outcomes.

Day 58 in 2020