Favorite Things!

Homemade Chocolate Fudge, Lindt Truffles, Teapots, Surprises, Brittanys!

The lyrics in the song from the Sound of Music called "My Favorite Things" could easily be replaced with the above 'favorite things' as far as I'm concerned!  We were pleasantly surprised yesterday afternoon when the Poulin family gifted us with some of our favorite things, including a visit with "Remi"!   Not only did we enjoy our time with everyone, but we also placed "Patch" in the arms of his new owners and said goodbye, thus beginning the first day of the rest of not only his life - but that of "True" as well. 

Once again we have taped "Example of a Day in the Life of an 8 week old Puppy" to the refridgerator and started to make notations as to what True's schedule will actually develop into.  Ironically, we picked right up at the 7 pm schedule and have followed it right through to this morning.  The schedule is one I developed when we brought Timberdoodle home back in 2005 and has been used successfully for several years by a lot of people.  True quickly demonstrated his signs for needing to go out and do his business and also claimed a spot outside nearby.  No accidents in the house 'yet'.  Treasure's ability to read her pup and help with training amazes me.  At about 7:30 he was clearly tired.  So-o-o-o Treasure went into the crate and lay down.  Treasure NEVER voluntarily does this!  True followed her in, and with the door open, cuddled up next to her. 

We have had a lot of people write to us about the YouTube video of Treasure introducing her pups to birds and tell us they have never seen a smarter female Brittany!  I actually hadn't thought too much about what happened last night until I began to write about it just now.  After True fell asleep, Treasure came out into the living room and I simply closed True in.  He slept  until 3 a.m. this morning.  We went out and he did both kinds of his business.  We came right back in and he was kenneled again without any protest.  Not a peep until @ 7 am this morning.  Our day began with  'outside', followed by breakfast, supervised playtime, another 'outside' and then into the X-pen while John and I were nearby working etc.  We walk by him in the X-pen but don't interact very much with him while he's in it.  It's almost time for this period to be over, and he has spent a couple of hours happily content to play with his toys, rest on his blanket and watch what is going on around him. Even with Treasure and Jack walking by, he's not complaining at all.  In a few minutes, he'll go outside, then come back in for supervised playtime and some training, 2nd meal of the day, outside again, and about 1:30 he'll have some more crate time.  I'm curious to see how much adapting I need to make to the original schedule. So far so good!

At the advice of several friends, I have started to do some clicker training with True.  I'm amazed at how quickly he catches on!  But this is the developmental period where a puppys mind is like a sponge, just waiting to soak up all that they possibly can.  I don't want to miss a thing... Although I'm interested in eventually showing him, the life skills we are teaching him now are the most important ones for shaping his behavior. He's posing well on the table, doesn't mind grooming, being handled and loves everyone. 

And on that note - he has just woke up!  God Bless you, John, Ann and ATB