Chico in....NY

Things continue to go fairly well. The snow is going fast so everything outside is turning to mud. Now just to get rid of the damp bone chilling cold and get some warm sunny weather. Chico and Holly have not bonded yet. While we don’t have open warfare, we aren’t close friends. Feeding issues were settled early on by separating both to opposite ends of the kitchen. Laps can be a problem if Midge is not in her chair at the same time I am. It is funny that Holly was never a lap dog and now suddenly is. I think part of the problem is Chico’s puppy energy tends to overwhelm Holly. Chico sure loves to go outside and is always at the front door. I think I may have figured out his “tells.” If he is jumping up and down at the door, he wants out to play. If he sits quietly at the door, he needs out to do his business. I will say, he can really run fast when he thinks I am headed in a direction away from him. He also really loves the snow where it is only a couple of inches deep. When he gets tired, he goes to a crate in the dining room that was left over from Vanna. Since he is comfortable in there (we don’t close the crate door), we put a baby gate up in the dining room doorway. He seems OK with that. The only time we confine him to the dining room is when we are going to be out for a while or he gets wound up to a point where he needs to calm down. He really loves to be with me outside and never misses a chance to go. We explore the field behind the house, chase birds and run at high speed in circles. The cars in the garage are also closely watched from the back hallway in case there is a chance for a ride. He still spooks a bit at strange noises but that is slowly settling down. If he does get too rambunctious, I just start to vacuum and he takes off for his crate. The only real issue right now is with the snow going down, the ground has turned to mud and with his loving to run and play you can imagine what my poor wife has to say when he comes inside. He has stayed well on diet with no snacks other than one mid-day. I stopped off at the Vet’s and put him on the scale and he is doing well. The vet feels he is now very close to his ideal weight. Rest easy that he will be OK here. Just a little more work than a senior but he is learning the basic commands and that will make things much easier as time goes on. Just now, he came in and laid down at my feet, cute little guy. I think he is looking for his mid-day snack. Here is our obedience commands progress: Sit: 95% Come: 75% heel: 50% Jumping on people: 5% Toy Possession: 1% Riding in the car: 60% He is a real bundle of energy and sure loves to be with me. I greatly enjoy his company. Carl

Chico in....NY