Ginger, thank you, your post sure made me smile! Our Bo is a good boy except for when he decides to eat my shoes, a rug or the furniture! He got ahold of a kitchen towel this morning and chewed a big hole in it. I had to open his mouth and reach in to get a wad of string! About 5 minutes ago I saw him chewing something and found that he'd chewed a piece of rubber from his first toy we got him; a hard rubber ball with openings revealing plastic (like a water bottle inside). I had to throw it away. I guess even though he's seven months old, he's still teething. He does leave things alone when we say "Leave it" but we still have to watch him like a hawk; it's definitely like having a young child in the house. It's hard to totally baby-proof everything so I make sure to watch him constantly. Tomorrow I have to run some errands for an hour or so and he will be crated while I'm gone or I can imagine what I'd find upon my return.
I am not able to walk him on the leash because he really pulls ... this morning he spotted a squirrel in the tree in the front yard and I guess he thought he could climb the tree to get it; I really had a hard time controlling him. I never realized how strong a 70 lb. dog could be! He's real good with my husband on-leash but when I give him the quick yank and he doesn't budge. He responds to sit and down but only if you have a treat for him.
The breeder said she trains her dogs with tiny bits of kibble which I'm not sure I agree with just because of what I'm experiencing with Bo ... he doesn't want to obey unless we have a treat and I hope to get him out of that habit quickly; we know that in time and with continuous reinforcement he will be the gentleman we expect.
He does keep me laughing even with his mischief.We have a sunken living room with a wrought iron railing separating it from the dining room. I blocked the area off this evening because I was in the kitchen trying to cook dinner and didn't want him under foot. He doesn't beg for people food but wants to follow me around the kitchen and get in the way while I'm working! Anyway, I took this picture when he was sticking his head through the bars of the railing. I hollered at my husband because I thought Bo's head was stuck, but it wasn't; he just hoped he could fit through.
And, this is a shot I got of him looking at me this afternoon:
He loves water; when I was watering plants on the deck today he was biting the water and his entire face and head were soaked, he was having a good old time. I will have to get him a kiddy pool to play in. He got his first bath late this afternoon and he sure smells better! My husband took him into the shower and used the extension hose thing on him and he loved it!
