Living Up to the Other Part of My Name!!

Today was the first day I swam!! After falling in the pool last summer--it looked just like the 4" puppy pool Kathleen got me, so I just walked right off the edge and sank-- I guess I was a little gun-shy or something. So today Luca and my human relatives were at the pool for the first time this season. It took about an hour before I realized I could do it too. I kept putting my face in first, off the steps and didn't lead with my head up. I make this weird grunting noise while I paddle. Kathleen wasn't too sure if I was exerting myself too much or gulping pool water; but she let me figure it out on my own anyway. One thing that I don't quite have down yet is that I can't swim ON Luca. He doesn't seem to like that too much. If I can jump on him on land, what's the difference??
Next time we go (hopefully tomorrow!) we'll take and post pictures.
Well anyway, Kathleen was very excited that for once, I was being NAUTICAL like my name, instead of NAUGHTY. :)

My First Winter

Man, do I love snow. We got a pretty big storm here right before Christmas and I had a ball. The Nor'easter created drifts which were bigger than me in some spots of the backyard. But honestly, I didn't notice. Kathleen, Luca, and I played outside for 2 and a half days. It was great on Monday because Kathleen had no school. Then on Tuesday we all played for two extra hours in the morning.
Wednesday she had to work--but that was her last day before Christmas break. Boy, were we all spoiled.
Christmas was pretty cool, too. I went down to Aunt Lizzy's house on Christmas day. Luca stayed home because it was easier to manage just me with Annie (my 3 yr old cousin), all her new toys, all the guests, and Lizzy's dog. I was a pretty good girl. Although Kathleen usually has guilt over leaving me or Luca behind, she's still likes to spend time with us individually.
Santa brought me an agility chute to share with Luca. I can't wait to set it up. Speaking of Santa, because of the snow storm, we didn't get our picture taken with him. However, we did get loads of beautiful pictures of all three of us playing on the beach together. Aunt Colleen, Uncle Bruce, Conor, and his main squeeze Jenny came into town for a surprise visit. Jenny had never seen the Atlantic Ocean before so we took the Minnesota crew over to Island Beach State Park. Erin and Aunt Colleen took tons of photos of your truly, and holy smokes, do I look gorgeous! During vacation from school, Kathleen took us back another time to play. It was great. She also got the new pass for 2010 so I know we'll keep going there. Yippee!!
As for my training...
Knock on wood, it's been a really long time since I had an accident in the house. I happily go into my crate with my peanut butter Kong when Kathleen's ready to leave for work. My attention is great while I work. I'm biting much less frequently and much less hard. Sometimes when I get super excited I just can't help it and I try to take a chomp. In school, well, I'm learning. Sometimes I like to bark at the other dogs when they bark at me. Kathleen really doesn't like that. She doesn't understand it because I really like other dogs and always want to play. But there's this one Austalian Shepard that doesn't seem too friendly. He growls at me --and any other dog-- and I just won't put up with it. I try to tell that tail-less weirdo where he can take his growling. But I get corrected for poor manners.
My teacher taught the class "spit the cookie" three weeks ago and I wasn't catching on--another thing Kathleen didn't understand. She knows I'm real smart and get things right away. Well, it turns out I'm having some dominance issues--duh!!! Of course I'm not willing to give up my throne as queen. Apparently I don't like the hovering thing and back up with Kathleen tries to stand directly over me.
I'm just testing the waters to see how much I can get away with; not much since my teacher told Kathleen.
Well, Luca's calling my name to go play, gotta run...

One more thing...

Oops, I forgot to mention how much better I have gotten about my crate. When I hear the crinkle of the treat bag, I get so excited that I run into my crate. This is an improvement that Kathleen and I both like and appreciate. :)

Appetite for Destruction

Yes, I'm considering joining Guns-N-Roses, or least being their mascot. In six days I'll be 5 months old and man are my teeth really driving my life right now. I chew a lot, especially Kathleen's flip flops and other shoes I can find. I also thoroughly enjoy chewing on Luca... even though sometimes he doesn't. My top teeth are already poking through the gums. My bottom row, though, is completely toothless! Kathleen doesn't understand how I can destroy things when I have no chompers on one half.
Yesterday I went to the vet to pick up my Frontline and Interceptor. They had to weigh me first so they knew which weight class I'd be in. I'm a little chunker! At 25.8 pounds, I am solid muscle. I eat Fromm's Large Breed Puppy food to prevent my bones and stuff from growing too quickly... I wonder if it's doing the trick???
Speaking of tricks, this coming week is my last week of puppy kindergarten (then it's off the beginnner obedience). So far I know: sit, down, come, give paw, touch, off, wait, and heal. Heal and wait I know, but I don't always feel like doing them. Also, I don't want to jinx anything, but I think I might have the potty thing down. It's been almost a week with no accidents. Kathleen was very surprised about my lack of speed with this skill. She'd catch me mid-stream, yell like crazy, pick me up, put me outside, and then tell me to tinkle----the whole time she was carrying me I was wagging my tail and I think it would send her over the edge. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. After my last accident, she was so fed up with me she put me in the backyard by myself. I heard her say she couldn't be near me because she was so mad and didn't want to say anything too mean. Whoo, that might have been it. I hated to be out there alone and cried to come back in. But no, I had to wait.
One thing that hasn't changed is my love for Luca. We get along so well. He lets me play with him, his toys, his food, etc. We have been getting separated a lot more, though. The kindergarten teacher told Kathleen that I was using Luca as my source of confidence and not forming my own identity. So, Kathleen and I go out just the two of us almost everyday. She says I am a different dog without Luca--I'm actually much better behaved. That's the only perk to splitting us up she says. She feels pretty guilty about leaving Luca behind all the time. But since it seems to be working, she's just gotta suck it up.
One aspect of my training that Kathleen's worried about is my reaction to some people, men in particular. I'm not all that crazy about poeple coming at me to pet me. Their big monster paws in my face make me back up. Although, kids I'm cool with. The other day we were walking all through Manasquan's farmer's market to get me socialized. We passed the Algonquin which was running a kids hip hop dance class. Kids came out of the woodwork to pet me. You know how kids are--they wanted to hug me, pet me with heavy hands, pick me up, drag me into the studio. I was fine it. The only time I got a little stubborn or unsure was when a little girl wanted to drag me inside to meet her dance teacher. It didn't look like Kathleen was coming, so I wasn't really into the whole idea. Plus, there was this man with a slice of pizza sitting on a paper plate right next to us... mmm, yummy!
Well, I think I'm gonna nap and then go to the puppy store with Kathleen. We're low on food and I've started to make little tears in my Kong. Also, I think we might go to PetSmart or PetCo afterwards. Kathleen signed us up for an obedience class there. Even though she loves Bayshore, she was looking for a male instructor for me. She loves Luca's teacher from Bayshore, but he's not doing any beginner classes this session. Anyway, she hasn't heard from the new instructor yet and class starts soon...it's just another place she can take me to get me out and about so we can strengthen our bond. Such mushy fluff!

My First Beauty Appointment

This morning I went to the beauty salon for the first time. Kathleen kept warning the nice lady about me... I'm a little squirming, I have a mind of my own, I don't like to have my muzzle held... She even brought along a baggie of treats to help keep me in line.
Well let me tell you! Not only did the nice lady make me gorgeous, she also gave Kathleen a report card about me and some clippings from my first haircut! I was "an angel" and Debbie (my new BFF) went on and on about my behavior to Kathleen. Everyone was pleased with my first trip to the parlor-- but NOBODY was as ecstatic as Luca! Man, he hasn't left me alone since. Kathleen even started to wonder if maybe I started my heat cycle. Luca is nuts over me and just beside himself.
On Monday I go to the vet for my last puppy shot. Then I can go wherever I want and not worry about getting cooties. I wonder how much I weigh...
My potty training is starting to come along, I think. Yesterday was the first day I didn't have an accident in the house. This girl watches me But I think maybe, just maybe, I'm getting her drift about the house.
Biting is still one of my favorite pasttimes. However, I have started to ease up a little with how hard I chomp down. As for what I bite--well anything of course. If it's in this house, it's free game.
Waiting at the door might be one of my best skills so far. Sometimes I even do it before Luca. When Kathleen takes us out for our walks, we're supposed to sit and wait for her to go through the door first. Then she says, "Ok," and that means we can get up and come outside, too. Luca has taight me that "ok" means "free" or "exercise finsihed". I also get the impression that that's a good thing. He gets so excited that sometimes he flies out the door --real fast a furious style. Kathleen's not too thrilled that I'm learning to do the same.
I've also improved with my crate. Today for sure was one of those days I realized I loved its protection from sniffing and licking Luca! If Kathleen leaves the house, I'm still a little bratty about it. But she says I gotta get over it because she doesn't want me to be a baby and suffer from separation anxiety. I'm much better about being in my crate when she's with me, though.
I also went on my first vacation already. But my paws are getting tired and I wouldn't want to mess up my pedicure... so I'll have to tell you about it later. At least some of my Maine photos are already posted for a little sneak preview.

Unlike my brother, I'm afraid that I will live up to my- name!

Well look at me! Aren't I just the cutest thing? I keep hearing Kathleen tell my big brother that he's still the cutest thing, but come on, look at me. I'm full of life and don't like being told what to do.
So far, one of my favorite places to hang out is in the fridge. I can't wait for that door to open up so I can climb in. Everything smells so yummy and looks so tempting and the climate control is also pretty sweet in there. It's been three years since Kathleen's raised a puppy and apparently my angel brother didn't dare attempt the simple things I consider run-of-the-mill puppy stuff. Kathleen lets the fridge door close, not realizing that I'm still in there sniffing around. "Well Luca never did that..."
We're still figuring out the whole potty thing, too. You wouldn't belive how much this girl freaks out when I tinkle in the yard!! You would think I just earned the Nobel Peace Prize the way she claps and cheers. If I'm doing such a good job, then why does she continue to lock me up in jail every night?? She calls it a crate, but I know it's really prison... she and Luca get to hang out together, outside the "crate" while I locked inside the darn thing. I've decided that if I have to be in there, then they have to pay, too. I use my best howl, the kind that screams, "Help, I'm getting beat in here! Someone call the Animal Planet's police force!" This forces them to stay by my side... well sometimes Luca can't take it and he walks away. But that Kathleen is a sucker and she sits on the floor the whole time. I wonder who will win this battle of the wills?????
Since it's only my 3rd day here, I gotta wait and see how things line up... I'll keep you posted.