15 Weeks 4 Days

Bosco is barking at the top of his lungs in his crate as we speak. We decided to go Blitzkrieg on his bedtime separation anxiety and just let him bark himself to sleep tonight. As with any responsible owner I can't help but feel a little guilty for doing it, but it's for the greater good. It seems like some days he's great at sleeping alone and most days he can't stand it. We're so lucky to have such understanding and tolerant neighbors.

Apart from that he's doing well in his training endeavors, learning how to play dead and shake hands.

Fall time apparently is not a great season for him as he constantly chases after errant leaves on his walks. He has come leaps and bounds in his walking behavior though, consistently moving our changing directions when physically prompted.

He's about 25 lbs. now too, just over double what he was at 7 weeks. His final booster shot is coming this Wednesday, so I'm looking forward to getting some obedience classes in as well as some off-leash parking.

Looks like Bosco finally gave up on the barking for the time being as I'm typing this. Crossing my fingers and toes...

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13 Weeks

Bosco grows a little more everyday. Especially if I've been at work and miss him for 10 hours at a time.

He's definitely making progress in his behavior. Playful hand biting has gone down exponentially in the last few weeks and he's inflicting less choking on himself during walks (which thankfully rules out any auto-asphyxia erotica theories that were abound).

We've since acquired a couple of ball related toys as I delightfully discovered his affinity for soccer balls too big for him to bite. He's also starting to grasp the rules of the house although he's effortlessly gliding up and down stairs now, which adds a whole other dimension concern as we're trying to curb any potential for hip dysplasia later on in his years.

His quick pre-meal training sessions are also proving fruitful as he's now learned to sit, lie down, sit back up, and shake paws. It seems as if he only does these things consistently if he knows he'll get food for it, but my heart is put at ease just knowing that he's capable of learning these things and that the girlfriend and I are capable of teaching these things.

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12 Weeks 1 Day

So Bosco has officially been in our home for one month.

Last night he slept in his crate alone for the first time and apparently he didn't make a peep. Right now however the little guy is barking his head off. I don't know what the difference between last night and tonight is. I just hope it's growing pains.

We've switched back to the collar for his walks after much debate. The girlfriend feels we can control him better and he'll learn to follow our lead quicker, but I'm concerned that he'll cause irreparable damage to his trachea because he becomes so driven when he sees somewhere he wants to go. It's funny because it may seem like I'm the softie, but when he acts out, I'm more ruthless and punitive whereas the girlfriend is secretly petting him as I hold his head and scold him.

He's come a long way from when he was a small pup. He's about 20 lbs and can walk up and down stairs now. He's also becoming more brazen in his antics at night. I'll call them "night terrors" since he terrorizes the family at night. Little baby Osama. Puppy Jihad.

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