Vet day #2

We've had a good day so far. Harley got up at about 5:30am to go out and do his business. He gets up when David gets up in the morning. Then we came in and he went in his kennel and I went back to bed until 6am. Then we got up again and I fed him and then he went out to do his business again. We stayed up for about an hour so Harley could play and get some energy played out then we went back to bed again until 10am! I can't believe we both slept that long. I had to get ready to take him to the vets (his appointment was at 10:40am) and get all the trash out before we left. I've been keeping up with the yard. I have bags to pick up poop and I'm using the little silver trash can to put the bags in after I pooper scoop. I'm picking up after him every day (instead of waiting for a week and having someone else come out and do it - saves money and keeps the yard in good shape). I noticed last night that he was eating his baby Kong and could see the pieces in his poop. I'm glad it's coming out of him. I don't want any obstructions like we had with Skooter. So the baby Kong is gone now. I'll have to get him some of the Kongs for aggressive chewers. I remember that ball I got too that had food on each side that was for aggressive chewers. I'll have to look for that again so he'll have something to chew on that has the flavor of something other than rubber. lol

Harley was great at the vets. He rode really well in the car on the way over. He sat at the door to go in and mostly behaved inside (except when he was trying to chew on his leash). Today he got his Bordetella shot and his dog flu shot. The vet said it would be a good idea to get that second shot since he'll be starting Puppy Pre-school on Sunday. He was fine with getting his shots. He didn't even seem to feel them. I got his paperwork from the vet's office for his class. (Dawn was nice enough to remind me that I needed the paperwork - duh on my behalf.) I had the vet look at his eyes and she said that he seemed to be okay, just a case of the morning crustys. He got to meet another black lab, a sixteen week old, while we waited for the bill. They didn't actually go near each other but were about 5 feet apart. They both were very interested in each other. Next thing I knew, Harley plopped down and was at my feet. He did do some nervous peeing again. I hope that's not going to be an ongoing issue for him. Of course, he's only done it at the vets as far as I can tell. We'll see how he does Sunday.

Right now he's in his kennel taking a shot's nap. We have to go to Berta's funeral this afternoon so he'll be alone for a couple hours again. I'm sure he'll do okay. I'm checking him every now and then to make sure he's not having any reactions to the shots. So far, so good. It's almost lunch time so I should get him out and feed him in a few minutes. Or maybe I'll wait until later so he'll have an empty stomach while we are gone. Nah, I don't want to make him wait. I'll get him out in about ten minutes so he can eat. I want to keep him on as much of a schedule as I can.

So it's been a good day so far. I'm enjoying having Harley. Oh yeah, he's already gained some weight (I weighed him at the vets). He's going to be a chunk as he gets older. That's why training will be so important. Keeping him under control will be a priority.

Another back sleeper

This is Harley's sister, Hazle. Notice anything familiar?

photo taken by Barb Roy 08/2009

And here's Harley:

Harley and sibs

Here's a picture of Harley and his sibs when they were just little, tiny puppies. His mom's name is Bailey. She is a Golden Retriever. Aren't they just the cutest little things! Harley is wearing the gold and brown collar.


photo taken by Barb Roy 6/2009

A very LONG trip to the dentist

What a morning/afternoon!! I had a dentist appointment at 11am and just got home around 2:15pm! Yikes! I wasn't sure how Harley would do but I should have known better. He was wonderful when I got home. He was so happy to see me. And the best thing - he didn't have any accidents in his kennel in the 3+ hours I was gone. What an awesome boy!! He went out and did his business as soon as I got home and then I fed him. He's at my feet now taking a nap (of course). What an awesome little puppy he is. I was so grateful to not have to clean up a mess when I got home (although I was certainly prepared for it). If he had had an accident I would have apologized to him for leaving him so long. But no worries. He did great!

Tomorrow he goes for his Bordetella shot so we can start class on Sunday. I'm excited about that. I really want to get him some socialization. This class will be perfect for that. If he learns some behaviors too, that would be great, but mostly I just want to get him out into the world more. I can't believe he's just sleeping at my feet after being left for so long. What a blessing he is.

Harley Barley

I received a wonderful email from Barb today. She read The Dog Blog and was happy to know that Harley wasn't just a whim for me. He was well thought out and planned for. I've asked her for her blog's address so I can see pictures of Harley when he was smaller. I'm so excited to get to see him as a little baby. I know Barb did an awesome job with Harley because he is so well behaved (except when he's biting my pajama bottoms lol). He hasn't had even one accident in his kennel and he pretty much always asks to be let out so he can do his business outside. And the fact that he sits when coming in and going out and when I'm putting his bowl down is just amazing for a 10 week old puppy. I know he'll do great in Puppy Pre-school which starts on Sunday.

He's out right now playing in the living room. He's over by his dad. He was biting him a little but once he's told 'no' he stops biting. He's been really good with shoes so far too. We have lots of shoes out in the living room and he rarely goes after them. I know that he'll have some more energetic, puppy days but I think he and I will do okay together. There will be trying times and I'm ready for them. I know it will be difficult on those days but he's definitely worth all the time and effort that I put into him.

I can't wait to start doing some training with Harley. I think he has unlimited potential. He's going to be a great dog. I'm really thinking of having him trained as a therapy dog. Even if he doesn't do lots of therapy stuff he'll be great therapy for me. He really is a godsend in my life. I live with depression day in and day out but now that I have Harley I have a reason to get up every day and a reason to stay up every day. My life has meaning again. I've really missed having a dog. I've pretty much was miserable once Huxley and Blitz left. But sunny days are here again because of Harley.

Puppy Pre-school

I called K9 to 5 Dog Training today and I'm going to put Harley in a Puppy Pre-School class starting on Sunday at 1:30pm. It's a six session course (you don't have to worry about missing a week). It's using clicker training. I think Harley will do well with that. It's positive reinforcement which is the way I want to go with Harley. I just have to pick up some treats and a treat bag before the class. I also have to get Harley his Bordetella shot on Thursday. He'll be 11 weeks old on Friday which is a week early for classes but I want to get him started ASAP. I want him to meet other dogs and other people. That will be good for him. The class is $110 (which includes the clicker). The trainer told me about a natural dog food store where I can get the treats. It's called Mike's Natural Food and it's off on Academy (in the Village 7 area).

Harley has been doing really well today. I took him for a walk and he carried a piece of bark in his mouth so he didn't chew on the leash. Not sure if that's a good idea but it worked for today. I left him home alone for about an hour while I went to the dentist. He was fine when I got home. I have another dentist appointment tomorrow at 11am to get my crown replaced. He shouldn't be home alone too long. He's wonderful though. Still no accidents in the kennel and none in the house in days. He's getting more comfortable with the dogs out back. They aren't barking at each other as much. I'm sure one day he'll go up to the fence for a sniff. I'll just have to watch how that goes.

We played Retrieve this morning. He loves playing fetch. We only do it 2 or 3 times though so he won't get bored with retrieving. He got one of those bursts of energy this morning and became a terror for about 5 minutes. Guess I can deal with that. ;)

Puppy Kindergarten

This is how he sleeps in his kennel. Isn't he a goof? He's been really good tonight. Still no accidents in the house (knock on wood). He's napping in his kennel again. What a lazy boy. David was playing with him earlier so I think that's why he's tired. I tried to keep his kennel out in the dining room last night but he wasn't having any of that so I had to drag it back into the bedroom. He was just fine after that. He's still just a little guy so I can understand why he still wants to be near me at night.

I sent another email to Barb today (his mom's owner). I included the video of him retrieving the ball. I hope she enjoys it. I should just send her a link to the dog blog (done). That way she can check on Harley whenever she wants to check on him.

I have a dentist appointment at 11:30am tomorrow. Harley will be home alone about an hour or so. I know he'll do just fine. I'm glad I can leave him for short periods of time (although I'm sure it seems like an eternity to him). That makes things so much easier. I don't think I left Skooter and Moped that much since they were so lethal together (even when they were in their kennels). I'm glad that I can get a little bit of time away each day. It helps me out mentally to feel better. I love being with Harley but I do need some time away from him once and a while (just like a mom with a new baby needs some time to herself now and then). Of course, when I'm away from him I miss him and can't wait to get home to him. lol

I really have to work on walking Harley on the leash. He's still biting at the leash when we walk and he's not staying with me. I cut him a lot of slack because he's only 10 weeks old but I know that if I don't work a lot with him now I'll wish I did later. I'm still thinking about putting him in puppy class at CSABR (CS All Breed Rescue) mostly for the socialization. These are the critical weeks for socialization with other dogs and with other people. It's not so much about training behaviors at this point but getting him used to different people, places and things. I'll have to check their schedule. I'm going to check to see if they have a daytime class. That would work out better for me. I don't think it's crucial for David to be there for puppy kindergarten. Once we start learning behaviors it will be important though.

I just checked the schedule and I'm not sure I could get into a day class. I'll have to call tomorrow and see if I can get him in soon since he's already past 10 weeks, though the class does go up to 22 weeks so we'd have plenty of time. It's just that everything I've read says that the socialization needs to take place at or before 12 weeks. All I can do is call and see what I can work out.

Harley did well while I was gone

Harley isn't the perfect dog and I'm not the perfect owner but we are perfect for each other. Harley and I get each other. I'm not sure if he barked the whole time I was gone or not (I had my appointment with Marianne) but he seemed fine when I got home. He was thrilled to see me. I took him outside and then brought him in to feed him. He gobbled all of his food down in minutes. Then we went out again. Now he's playing with his Kong Tails toy. He absolutely loves that toy. He loves his Kong Ball too. I love when he picks up his toy and runs into the dining room with it. Now he's in the kitchen licking the floor. I want to figure out how I can keep him out of the kitchen now that I've allowed him to go in there. He remembers everything so if I let him do something once he thinks he can do it every time. Consistency is key with Harley, especially since he is such a smart boy. He's back to playing with the Tails again. He's so much fun.

He's making progress

Harley woke up when I came back into the bedroom this morning. I took him out and he did his business. Then we went back to bed for a while. I woke up some time after 8am and took him out again. I realized that he hasn't had an accident in the house in days. Woohoo! I fed him his breakfast earlier in the morning. I'm not feeling great today so I haven't walked him yet. I'll do that in just a little while. I want to walk him at least 2 times a day. He's in his kennel right now so I can get a few things done. He's being a little whiny but nothing I can't tolerate. I know he just wants to be out with me. He's doing his little barking/howling thing right now. It's kind of cute. I don't want him doing that all the time though.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get him to stop biting my right arm. I have quite a few scratches on that arm now. I know that puppies bite but I'm not sure what to do as far as getting him to not bite me. He's great with his chew toys and plays with them most of the time. He only goes after me when I get down on his level (to get the ball out from under the couch or to put his bowls on the floor). I'm sure he just thinks that I'm playing with him but I don't want to encourage that kind of behavior.

I'm trying to keep him out of the kitchen and that's not going so well. It's my fault for letting him in there in the first place. There's not really anything for him to get into but I just like to be able to keep him in sight. I'm going to continue working on keeping him out of the kitchen though.

I bought a book yesterday about Labrador Retrievers. It is very informational. It also has information on training which will come in handy. There is also a DVD about training that I haven't watched yet. I think it will be helpful though. I also got a puppy magazine. There's some training stuff in there too. He's great with sit now so I need to start working on come, down and stay. He's smart so I know he'll learn fast. He's treat motivated so I shouldn't have any difficulty teaching him new behaviors.

I'm thinking of buying a larger kennel for him to keep in the dining room. When he spreads out to sleep he pretty much takes up all of the kennel already. I'll check craigslist this morning. Hopefully someone will have a larger wire kennel.

This is the noisiest he's ever been with me. I guess he'd rather be out playing than in his kennel. I guess I should take him out once he settles down. I hope we have another good day today like most of the days we've had together have been.

I'm feeling tired today but I'm not sure why. Harley is sleeping through the night for the most part. I think that if I didn't wake up in the middle of the night or early morning to go to the bathroom he wouldn't get up. David getting up for work also gets him up. I don't mind though because I just have to take him out and then we go back to bed. I think I'm going to go back to bed for about an hour. I'm really tired. I'm sure he'll enjoy having me in the bedroom.

First ride to Garden of the Gods

Harley went for his first ride to Garden of the Gods tonight. He did well. He whined for about 5 seconds total the whole ride there and back. We had the tie down on him (which is HUGE for him lol) and he didn't seem to mind it too much. I brought his chew toys but he had no interest in them. We did the big loop around the Garden because he was doing so well. On the way home, just past Garden of the Gods and Nevada, I realized that Harley had to go to the bathroom. So we stopped at the parking lot of Pulpit Rock Church and I took him out on the leash. He went pee as soon as I told him to do his business. He's such a good boy. When we got home I took him for a short walk and then took him in to feed him (I was late feeding him today). He's in his kennel now sleeping. He looks like he's very tired from his adventure.

He loves being on his back

What a character!


His first video of him playing Retrieve with David.

Getting into a schedule

We're keeping Harley under a tighter watch today. He napped in his kennel while I napped in bed. When we got up I made him wait until I was ready to let him out of his kennel. We went outside and he peed and pooped. Then I took Harley for a walk. He got to meet the Deno's. He was pretty good. I think he peed when he got excited so I'm going to have to watch that. He jumped up on Mrs. Deno though. He wasn't obnoxious about it though but I made him sit. Then we finished our walk. He does pretty good on the first 3/4 of the walk but near the end he starts biting his leash. I tell him to drop it and get it out of his mouth and then we continue our walk. I don't want to walk him too much since he's growing so much but I want him to use up his energy walking.

When we came in David played retrieve with him. He chased his Kong ball, picked it up, brought it back and dropped it so David could roll it again. He would make Harley sit before he would roll the ball. He's doing really well with sitting at the door and for his food. He doesn't even have to be told to sit now, he just does it once he figures out that it's time to go in or it's time for food. He's in his kennel taking a nap right now. He's tuckered out from walking and playing. This is the kind of schedule I need to keep him on (walk, eat, play, nap). And after talking to David about it I think he needs to spend more time contained in his kennel instead of having the run of the house. I think that's what's giving him his overconfidence.

David and I talked about training and what we should do. I think, after talking to him, that I should just do the training here at home and not pay for someone to tell me what I already know. The only thing Harley would miss out on is the socialization but that will come once he has all his shots and I get to take him walking with me. I want him to meet Woody and Sammy too, if it's possible. I want him to have friends that he's not dominating. But I'll probably wait until he's not quite so nippy. That could be just what he needs though is another dog to put him in his place.

I've moved his kennel into the dining room. That way I can get him in there without much fuss during the day. He'll begin to sleep out here tonight. I'm sure he'll whine a bit but that's okay. I don't want him to think that he always has to be near me. I don't want to create separation anxiety in him. I see Marianne tomorrow so he'll be alone for a couple of hours. Then on Tuesday I have a dentist appointment so he'll be alone again. I really need to get back to my walking tomorrow. I need to keep my schedule as much as possible. I want to go up to Palmer Park instead of walking around the neighborhood. I don't enjoy the walk around the neighborhood. I do enjoy the walk up on the Mesa Trail.

I'm going to watch some videos on training to get an idea of what I need to do as far as behaviors (sit, down, stay, etc.). I know it's just going to take time and I have to be willing to put the time in with Harley. I was willing to put the time in with Skooter and Moped and they learned. They were out of control temperament wise but they knew their behaviors. Harley is NOT going to get out of control. I won't let it happen again with a dog of mine.

Training

I talked to David and asked him what I might be doing that is giving Harley the impression that all of a sudden he is in charge. David thinks it's because I've been letting him stay out of his kennel all day instead of containing him for a portion of the day. I think he needs to work to come out of his kennel instead of just being allowed out all day without working for it. I need to walk him every day, a few times a day. His next walk will be before lunch. I think I'll take him around the cul de sac twice so he gets more exercise. I'd walk him in the neighborhood but I don't want to run into any other dogs since he's only had his first shots.

I sent an email to ABRT asking about puppy training. They said that Harley could start training now with the shots that he has received. I just don't know if I want to pay for training again. I'm not sure that I couldn't just do the training myself. I could check out videos on youtube and kind of use that as the basis of my training. He's smart so I know he'll be able to learn whatever I want to teach him. It's his wanting to run the show that is the issue. He just wants to be pack leader although he would be better off being a follower. I need to let him know that he has to do what I want him to do and I'm not going to accept anything less than that.

The situation with Harley is making me think a lot about Moped. He is a smart dog too but was able to get one over on me and run the show. It's the same issues with chewing, biting and not listening to direction that I'm having with Harley. I want to be the pack leader from this moment forward. I can't let Harley tell me what to do. I need to get him on a routine that I schedule. I need to day when things will happen. I also need to spend more time with him doing obedience and behaviors training (sit, down, stay, etc.).

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Things are changing with Harley. He's awake more of the day and has more energy. Yesterday was a long day. Not because he was doing anything it just literally was a long day. We got up at 5:30am and we're up most of the day until 10pm. We went for 3 walks yesterday. He did fairly well on all of them. We also practiced making him sit while out on the walk. He did well with that too. He's sitting to go out the door and to come in the door as well. I'm realizing that he's trying to train us and is trying to outsmart us. I'm going to have to be very careful with him.

I spent most of the day yesterday looking up training techniques online. I overwhelmed myself looking at all that stuff. There are just too many different ideas on training. I'd love to do Cesar Millan's approach, being the pack leader, but I just don't understand how to project that with Harely. I know it's me not Harely. He thinks the whole house is his territory and I need to change that. I saw how Cesar did it on one of the videos so I'm going to do that today with Harley.

I think that David and I are getting a little frustrated because we don't completely understand Cesar's methods. I feel like it shouldn't be this difficult for us to understand Harley and become his pack leaders. There must be something that we are not getting from the DVD's. Cesar doesn't use very many words. He uses actions and sounds to direct the dog. I know it's Cesar's frame of mind and how he carries himself that make the difference. How do I aquire that skill?

He's being rowdy so I need to go.

Confusion

We watched the last two DVD's in the Leadership Series from Cesar Millan. I honestly don't really get what he does to make the dog behave. I understand the concept but I just don't get how to implement it with Harley. He's only ten weeks old and I'm not sure what's okay for him to do (or normal puppy behavior) and what's not. I've tried doing the mother dog bite thing but Harely doesn't seem to respond to it. He's not doing a lot of bad behaviors or anything but I just don't want him jumping on me or biting me (which he does at least twice during the day when he gets some energy built up). He's been walked 3 times today. He's sleeping right now (which he does most of the day) but when he gets those bursts of energy he can get kind of hyper. Thankfully it doesn't last right now but I'm afraid it will once he gets older.

I don't know how much to discipline him either. What's appropriate for a 10 week old puppy? I don't think I've ever seen a Dog Whisperer episode where Cesar was working with a puppy (I'm sure there is one, I just haven't seen it). He has online sessions but I don't know that they would provide much more information than the three DVD's have provided. I guess I'm more comfortable with typical dog obedience training than I am with dog psychology. I really want Harley to be well behaved when he gets older. He's going to be a big dog and I don't want him to be unruly or hard to control. Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it. I had such different experiences with the GSP's. I don't want to end up like that again.

I've been checking information online and EVERYONE has their opinion on how to train a puppy. There's not tons of agreement on what to do and how to do it. I know that consistency and persistence is required and I'm willing to do that once I know what to do. I'm going to continue my research to see if I can find some consensus on training a puppy. I want to give Harley the best start that I can.

Day # 7 with Harley

It's not even 6:30am yet and it's already been an action packed morning. I got up at 5:30am (David was leaving for work) and went to the bathroom. While I was in there Harley alerted me to the fact that he needed to go out NOW! He was next on the list but I guess he didn't want to wait. I took him outside and he did his business. When he came in I decided that we should go for a walk so he could earn his food and water today. So I used the leash we got from the vet's Puppy Pack and I took him out for a walk around the cul de sac. He did well on the leash. He stopped some and tried to get in front of me but I think I was able to keep him under control most of the walk. When we came back in I gave him his breakfast. He was very good about eating. He has a good appetite. After eating I let him play with his chew toys. Now he's settling in for a nap.

I would like to get him into a Puppy Kindergarten class as soon as I can. I know h'ell probably have to get more shots before that can happen. I'll check into that later. I think he would definitely benefit from socializing with other dogs and other people. I really liked the training at ABRT. I think I'd like to take him there. They use positive reinforcement (treats and praise) to motivate the dogs. I think Well, it's time for Harley to go into his kennel for a nap so I can go back to bed for a couple of hours.

It might just be a puppy thing

There's some good info on tail chasing here. He doesn't do it all the time but I want to keep an eye on it even though he is a puppy. I can see that I need to get him out there walking starting tomorrow morning. I read an interesting thing about puppies chasing their tails because of the separation from their littermates. That could be what's got Harley chasing his tail. I'm just going watch this closely and see where it goes once I start walking him.

He also had a HUGE burst of energy and ran back and forth in the house toting chew toys around with him. He started biting me when I got near him. He seemed like he was in a frenzy. I don't want that kind of behavior in a dog either. I need to just chill out and not get stressed about this because he'll feel that and he will become unbalanced.

First DVD down

Well, we watched the first DVD and I have to be honest and say that I'm not sure I understand what to do with Harley to be successful. I get that he needs exercise (the walk), discipline and then affection but I'm not sure about how to discipline him. I don't want to do this wrong and end up with an unbalanced dog. I also understand that I need to treat Harley as an animal, a dog not a human. I will do him no good treating him as a little kid. He's a dog and needs to be treated as such. I'm hoping that as we watch the next two DVD's it will become more clear what I need to do. I guess I'll start by walking him before he eats so he's working for his food and is calm and submissive before he gets to eat and drink.

One behavior he has that worries me is that he chases and bites his own tail. I saw an episode of The Dog Whisperer where a dog did that obsessively. It wasn't pretty. Harley's chasing his tail right now. I know it's probably just him being a puppy and playing but I don't want things getting by me like they did with the GSP's. I allowed them to become unbalanced dogs. I didn't exercise them at all and I sure didn't discipline them. I'll have to do some research on this tail chasing thing and see what I can find on it.

New toys are a hit!

Woohoo! The Cesar Millan DVD's came today! I am so excited! I can't wait to watch them. I asked David to watch them with me and he said he would. I also got Harley a bigger bed for his new kennel, a Kong Ball and some teething keys. I know that the more he chews on that stuff the less he'll chew on people stuff. All together it's a dog gone good day (yeah, lame, I know lol). Harley did great while we were out. He went right outside when we got home and did his business. I just love having him. I know every day isn't going to be as good as all these last six days have been but I'm just so relaxed and calm with him. I don't know that I ever felt like this with the GSP's. Ever. It's not there fault though. We just chose the wrong dogs/breed for us. He loves his new toys. He hasn't seen the new kennel layout yet but the bed is just like his old one, just bigger, so he shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to it. Gosh he really loves the teething keys. He just played with his ball again too. I love that he understands what his toys are.




The DVD's I got are the Mastering Leadership Series. The first DVD is "People Training for Dogs". The second one is "Becoming a Pack Leader". The third one is "Your New Dog: First Day and Beyond". From watching the Dog Whisperer show today I've already realized that I definitely need to get him out in the neighborhood and start walking him. That's more important than anything else. I think I may try to walk him three times a day (after he eats and poops). I'll take him out for his first walk tonight after his dinner. Of course, maybe I should watch the DVD's first so I'll know how to walk him (duh!). Cesar has a particular style he uses for walking dogs and I want to follow his suggestions. Man, he really loves those teething keys. I'm so glad.

Day #6 with Harley

Yesterday got away from me and I didn't think to write in the blog until I was in bed last night. So here's a recap of yesterday.

Harely and I got up early and he went out to go to the bathroom. We came back in and he went back in his kennel so I could get a little bit more sleep. David and Gabe were up early to go golfing. Harley and I spent the morning together. He played. He peed outside. He pooped outside. He laid down at my feet and slept. Later in the morning I got tired and I took a nap in my chair while he was napping on the floor. He never went anywhere, just stayed on the floor and we both napped.

David and Gabe got home sometime in the early afternoon. Harley wasn't all that excited to see them which I thought was kind of interesting since he gets really exicited to see me when I get home. I guess he really is getting attached to me. And that's exactly what I had planned. David watched him for a little bit while I took a shower but put him in his kennel when he got to be too much for David. It felt good to take a shower and relax completely for the time it took to take a shower. Then I left around 2pm for my appointment with Marianne. I left early so I could stop and drop off a movie ("Taken", excellent flick) and go to the store to get some paper towels (Harley's accident clean up). Then I went to my appointment with Marianne.

I spent the whole time there talking about Harely and what a difference he is making in my life. I brought the picture of him sitting on the porch step so Marianne could see what a handsome boy he is. She thinks he is adorable. It is amazing how he has changed things for me. I feel like I have a reason to get up every morning now and a reason to stay awake all day instead of spending the day in bed. Harley gives me something to do ALL DAY LONG!! lol Although I have to admit that at this point mostly what I'm doing is watching him sleep. That's not too taxing, just makes me jealous. lol I feel like I am very attached to him already. When I'm away from him I wonder about him and hope that he is okay. I wouldn't wnt anything to happen to him.

Marianne and I talked about how the training was going with Harley. I told her that David really wants to pick him up (to hold him in his chair, to put him on our bed, etc.) and I'm against doing that so it's been an interesting dynamic with me telling David what to do and not do with Harley. But he is my dog and I want him to be trained well. He's sitting whenever he comes in the back door, when he gets his water and food and most times on command. He's so smart that most times I don't have to ask him to sit at the back door. He just plops his butt down and does it.

I talked to Marianne about how I trust Harley, how it makes me feel so good that he's happy to see me come home (he doesn't care where I've been or if I'm late. He is just glad to see me. That's a really nice feeling. I feel like we both know what it is we want and we're working together as a team to make it happen. He had brought a lot of joy to my life. I can count on Harley and he can count on me.

While I was at Marianne's David had Harley out in the house, the yard and in his kennel when he was too much for him. Gabe paid a lot of attention to Harley and he really seemed to enjoy the attention. When I got home Harley was so happy to see me. What a good feeling that is. What wasn't good was my fear, while I was out, of something happening to Harley. I need to work on letting that go and knowing that God has a plan for me and Harley. I'm discovering a lot of things about myself from having Harley. For instance, I am capable of loving and being loved. I can be a good dog owner (with the right breed). I can trust "someone" else. For the most part Harley is predictable and I like that.

Harley hasn't been chewing on things too much. His favorite things are my flip flops, my sneakers and the wood on the furniture. I can usually get him to stop within seconds just by tellin him 'no' and redirecting him to his toy. He loves, loves, loves his toy. I'll definitely have to replace it when it's too chewed up. He's getting better about not biting and not jumping up on me. I don't want a dog that does that. I want a well behaved dog and Harley will be that dog.

David seems to be offended that Harley isn't as attached to him as he is to me. He makes comments about how Harley is my dog, that Harley doesn't care about him. I'm going to have to deal with this attitude. David just needs to understand his relationship with Harley. David will definitely be someone in the background for the most part in Harley's life. He's not spending as much time with Harley as I am. Like it or not, Harely is my dog.

I like that Harley is so comfortable with me and loves to sleep on the floor near me, during the day and during the night. He is so much easier to take care of than the GSP's. He's such a laid back dog. He's perfect for me. I know that things will change as he gets older and rowdier but I know that I'll figure out how to deal with him at each different stage of his developement. It won't always be easy but it will be an adventure.

David, Gabe and I went out to dinner at Estela's. I was a bit nervous leaving Harely for 2+ hours especially since he had just had dinner and I couldn't get him to poop outside. So he was on my mind a lot while we were out. We took time to go through Garden of the Gods after dinner. I thought for sure that Harley would have an accident but he didn't. He was anxious to get out when we got home but he had no accidents in his cage. Man, I was proud of him for not having an accident for that long. He played around for quite a while with his toy and I took him out a few times. I have a hard time seeing him at night because he's so black. But I'm not too worried about him bolting away. He seems to want to stay close to me especially when the dogs are out next door.

Harley went to bed with no problems last night. He's not thrilled about going into his kennel but he doesn't put up a fuss at all. He slept through the night too. I had to get up to go to the bathroom around 2:30am and I just left him in his kennel. He didn't make any noise. I got up again at 4:30am when Gabe was going to be getting up to leave. I took Harley outside and he did his business. He's so smart. After Gabe left I put Harley back in his kennel and I went back to bed until 7:30am. Then we got up. He went out again and did his business. We've been up for about an hour and a half. He's been playing and of course sleeping. He's playing right now with his favorite toy, the Kong with tails. He loves that thing. I'm glad that I changed my mind and got it for him.

He's doing well with his eating. I'm trying to wean him off of the Beneful and onto the Show Coat Puppy food from Furry Friends, Inc. (www.furryfriendsinc.com). His coat isn't quite as shiny as I would like it to be so hopefully the Show Coat will do that. I'm going to check with the vet to make sure that it's an okay food for him. He's not going to the bathroom right after he eats now. He's waiting a couple of hours. I think that means he's growing up. He is 10 weeks old today - two and a half months old.

I'm hoping my Cesar Millan DVD's will get here today. His "Dog Whisperer" show is on tonight and I'm going to try to watch them to see if I can pick up any hints or tips. Harley just went out and is back in again. He's being playful so I'm going to tend to him.