The jowls are growing – oh my!

Yep, the reason every door knob in the house has a hand towel has begun. The slobber-producers are getting bigger every day.
And so is the soon to be cavernous mouth.
Have you ever noticed how big dogs seem to lose things inside their mouths.
I mean all of a sudden your canine is chewing on something – and he hasn’t moved in at least half an hour. Where did it come from! It was simply lost inside that huge mouth.
In about a week Baxter will be 4 months old. We will have had him just under half his lifetime. Ii doesn’t seem that long.
Knock on wood housetraining is coming along a little better. He seems to be able to hold ‘it’ longer.
I was at Pet Supplies Plus and bought one of those door bells you hang from the door knob. It’s only been a day and so far I am holding his paw to it. At least he doesn’t pull back.
Chester and Baxter are buds and can spend hours talking and rough housing. It is wonderful to see Chester enjoying his new brother.

Already a new collar

Today was a pivotal day for me.
Baxter needed a bigger collar. All of a sudden his collar wouldn’t expand anymore.
I had already decided the peace sign theme was going to be continued. Now it can continue until his neck reaches 24 inches. Will it really get that big? Oh my.
Potty training is still a difficult challenge.
Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t.
It is truly a challenge with these really hot and humid days. He needs to drink more but then there are the consequences…

New uses for white vinegar

Yesterday I took Baxter to the kennel, Larkin’s Run in Durham, so when we board him it won’t be new to him.
I left him there for about an hour-and-a-half. They said he was wonderful; had immediately gone through to the patio side and was a well-adjusted and happy puppy.
Of course I beamed as if this was a personal compliment.
However all those happy thoughts I was having about this wonderful puppy vanished once we got into the Jeep.
Once in the backseat of the Jeep Baxter started to lean on the middle armrest, something he has never done. I thought he just wanted to be close to me. Nope, he was going to the bathroom!
Fortunately not much had a chance to come out and I had a towel to mop it up. And once home the white vinegar worked its magic on the carpet.

Puppyhood and Baxter

We are at about 5 weeks and counting having Baxter. We really have made some progress with his house manners but boy is there still a long way to go.
For instance today. The weather has been hot and sticky. So we have made sure to increase Baxter’s water intake. We have also been careful to take him outside more often. But it hasn’t been enough. Sometimes he will just get up and take a step or two and start to pee.
Any suggestions on a way to get him to do that? All the time!
Today was another first for Baxter. He went walking with Chester and his buds at the Racebrook Tract. And then came home and crashed for about three hours. He couldn’t wait to lay down. Me either I admit.
It was definitely a positive experience. He will become very socialized with other animals this way.
I was at TY Maxx this afternoon and they have an animal section. What a find for only $7.99. A larger bowl with a really good gripping bottom.
Baxter has a tendency to slide his bowl around while eating. He even has a dycuem mat under it to prevent the sliding. This will be a big help.‘

Terrible twos already?

I think Baxter hated me for a couple of moments on Sunday.
Yes, hate is a strong word but if you had seen the look he gave me you would understand.
He had an ‘accident’ in his crate. It happens but he needed a bath to get rid of the smell the accident left. And if that wasn’t traumatic enough for him we decided to take his ears down since they got a little wet anyway.
As soon as we finished with his ears he got up and ran from the room. When I tried to approach him he ran from me and sulked. It took about 15 minutes before I could coax him back to me.
But seriously, he is a really good boy. And Chester is definitely warming up to Baxter. Even initiating play time.