Well friends, Gelli's 17th week of life has not been an outstanding success from his family's point of view. After four puppy kindergarten classes he seems to have completely forgotten SIT, Stand, Stay, come. When given his commands he looks at me as if I were from the moon (and NOT made of cheese). Even with treat in hand it takes some firm encouragement to get a response. He just looks at me with a blank stare. Training sessions have to be very short because his attention span seems to have suddenly halved. Yesterday, Gelli successfully leaped onto the bed and has determined that atop the bed is the best place to be. Not good because getting off the bed also requires a leap and we do not want to subject his shoulders to that kind of stress. (Not to mention the challenges of sleeping with a BMD puppy in the bed.) We are running out of puppy gates. Today, Gelli decided to sample the other edge of the antique killim he'd successfully remodelled a few weeks ago. This afternoon he chewed off 6 inches of fringe in a scant 15 minutes. And he has chewed the squeakers out of two toys in two days. Those new teeth are very effective - He's teething - lost three teeth in the past six days. Maybe thats it. Or maybe now that he has grown in size he is once again testing the boundaries. Whatever the reasons we seem to be going through some terrible two's.
Add to his purchase price, the vet bills, training classes, crate, two beds, leashes, bowls, toys, dry cleaning bills, x-pen(that did not work at all), ruined carpet, three antique rugs, ... This dog's debt is mounting up. Gelli says, "MA! You are embarrassing me again! Think of all the good things I do! After all, I go into that blasted crate w/o a fuss, and I enthusiastically greet all sorts of strangers, I play with strange puppies and dogs, and any new adventure you decide I should have is okay by me. I put up with ear cleaning, toe nail clipping, tooth brushing and any other indignity you might wish to subject me to. I shower you with kisses and when I see you I wag my tail so hard I fall down. And everybody thinks I'm so cute. What's a few rugs here and there?!" ARRRGH! (He's right -- he is cute.) ===== Patricia Buickerood __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com
